mobile condo

shower

2012-01-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

Remember back in August when I said it would take a few months before we'd be ready to move into the step van? Well, as usual, a few months has turned into several and there's still so much to do. For a while it felt like there was never enough time or motivation to keep the project rolling at a steady speed; however, we entered the new year with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

We had to decide between a few different ideas for the custom shower and mini tub. First, John found this thread about a guy who built a huge plywood aquarium, using cement board and drylok to make it waterproof so we considered doing something similar to that. We just had to choose materials that would be flexible or sturdy enough to be able to bounce around in a vehicle. I found someone doing a similar plywood aquarium but with paintable rubber, which would be a safer choice due to its flexibility. Other than the color (last time I checked, it was only available in black) I think this would be a great option if someone else is considering a DIY shower.

Our third (yet not final) choice was a seamless polypropylene tank, like the ones used for our water tanks, but with the top cut off for the tub. This would have been fine, if only we had listened to the old saying about how you should measure twice and cut once. The measurements were off by just a little bit so the tank wouldn't fit into the shower stall and rebuilding it would have been more work than coming up with a new plan for the tub. I figured that I could just order a custom tank to perfectly fit, but my jaw dropped to the floor when I received a quote of around $3,000 after shipping. What?!

We finally ended up having a tub fabricated out of aluminium sheet metal with diamond plate texture for a less slippery surface. It's welded at the seams, tested to be water tight, and I think it actually looks kind of neat. What do you think?

The edges and seams are caulked and the walls have been painted with several coats of high gloss exterior latex. Just need to hook up the water pipes and this part will be done.

I've already got some photos for my next post ready to upload. I'll try to get back into writing regularly and keep you all in the loop.

left side

2011-10-21T18:04:00.001-07:00

It's getting difficult to take photos in the step van now. It's such a small space, which makes it hard to stand back and get shots of everything together so I might start making videos instead.

We didn't like the refrigerator base cabinet from Sunfrost, so that's a new custom one, still in need of some drawers. Got the wall cabinet installed above the toilet and vent put through the wall next to it. That's the same sink and countertop from the old truck, just cut shorter.

The refrigerator had a drain tray under the cabinet but we decided to do something different. John found a beverage holder for a bicycle and installed it with the drain tube going into a bottle. That way we can see when it gets full and easily empty it.

bed storage

2011-10-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is definitely the most complicated piece of built in furniture with the most sensitive contents in the truck, so it took quite a while to finish. It is divided approximately in half from front to back, and the front half is divided into two side by side storage areas. The back is divided into two storage areas as well, one on top of the other. The bottom compartment is sealed from the inside and vented through the back wall and contains the battery bank. Since we will rarely need to access the batteries, items can be stored in the top compartment without much hassle. The front left compartment is where the power electronics go and the water system is on the right. This part didn't really stray at all from the initial design from the video I posted several months ago.

going green

2011-09-03T19:54:00.001-07:00

tiny workshop

2011-08-31T20:00:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is. The new workshop. John cut a truck bed liner for the flooring and secured two wall cabinets and a tool storage cart. The fan and air conditioner have also been installed but I haven't taken pictures yet. Additional ventilation for the AC will be needed but we've decided to put that off since we won't use it until next summer.

The work lights on the back can be switched on from the cab even when the truck is not running. This should be useful for any late night outdoor projects we end up doing in the future. That way we don't have to store and set up clunky external lights and stands in the dark. It's almost like having a porch light.

location change

2011-08-10T18:29:00.001-07:00

So much progress has been made over the past few months but there is still a lot of work ahead of us. So far, the main focus has been to make mechanical improvements to the vehicle. Almost every part on it has been cleaned, repaired or replaced so now it runs like it's brand new. We didn't get far on the interior yet so it'll take a few more months before it's time to move in.

Since John had to go back to work, we needed to move somewhere to finish the project within a reasonable commuting distance. Finding sleeping arrangements is a breeze, but not when coupled with space to park the box truck, step van and minivan as well as store building materials and use power tools. Thankfully, we were offered a great place to stay while we make our way through this awkward transition. It's a little one-room building that was formerly used as a milk house in a neighboring rural town.

mobile condo 2.0

2011-06-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

John and I spent some time discussing all the things we'd change if we could do it all over again and decided to do just that. Start over. Right away, we found a great deal on a Step Van not far from home so it made sense to dive into the project head first. The second time around should be much faster and since June 1st we've been spending every day working on it. John took a leave of absence from work so we've been staying with relatives where we have some helping hands and a place to sleep during the transition.

Our new home-to-be is a 1999 Grumman Olson step van with an 18' cargo area, which will be walled off at 14' with the remainder allocated for garage/workshop space. With approximately double the insulation and half the cubic footage, this will be much more efficient and easy to manage. We'll be reusing most things from the mobile condo, but there are a few changes and lots of downsizing to do. No more trailer, mini truck, dryer, massage bed, living room chairs, piano, water heater tank and we'll have a smaller closet, countertop, and bed. One of the things that I'm really looking forward to is the custom shower & mini tub. I'll be able to do laundry in the tub, which is great for larger items like blankets that don't fit in the 5 gallon bucket.

Here is a video of the new layout design, just for the living area. I might add the workshop and the cab to the design video later, but the project is moving along so quickly that it'll probably be easier to just take photos and show you later. Anyway, I'm sure you'll get the idea.

review

2011-06-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I guess it's about time for an update, eh? Now that we've had a chance to live in the mobile condo for a while, I can say that I strongly prefer it over my former home. However, there are several things about it that I wish we had done differently. It's difficult to start a project that takes this long and expect your needs to be the same from beginning to end. Everything I read, learn, and do changes me a little and forces me to ask some important questions. Is this what I really want? What should I do to address my current preferences/problems? Should the things I don't like be accepted or changed? I like more things than I dislike about the mobile condo, but it's easier to write about complaints so here they are.

camouflage
We converted a box truck and chose skylights instead of windows in order to blend in at rest stops, parking lots, industrial districts, and wherever else we might find ourselves. The lack of a through-cab entrance and a layout that couldn't work with a back door left us with few door options. First of all, since we couldn't find a commercial truck door that we liked and opted for the mobile home door, it draws a bit more attention than I anticipated. The second problem with the entrance is the height from the ground, which makes it impossible to get in without the double step folded out, and possible but difficult without the additional folding ladder. In most places, this is not a big deal to simply leave the steps out and put them away when we move on but there are a few occasions where this is not ideal and being inside with the steps up and door closed would be better. In that case, one would have to skip the folding ladder and get down on the floor to reach out and manually close the steps. Aside from looking strange, there is the issue of the cleanliness of the floor (especially if I just walked in with muddy/dirty/wet/snowy shoes) in that particular area which leads me to my next category, but before I go there I have to ask whether this part is even relevant. Even without a house-like door and cumbersome steps, could a 35' long, abnormally tall box truck with a bright blue cab pulling a 14' trailer blend in anywhere? How about when we're going through the slow process of loading and unloading the mini truck? It's the kind of thing that causes people to circle us in parking lots like hungry sharks and leave notes on our windshield to get more info about it. All of this is to say that we might have strayed a bit from the original intent and probably stand out just as much as a commercially manufactured RV.

life without a mud room
As I mentioned, the area near the doorway is difficult to keep clean. It seems easy enough to step in on the rug, remove shoes and place them in the boot tray without making a mess but it's not. Especially in the case of rain and snow with two people entering at the same time. We'd both hurry inside and shut the door, trying to work around each other to get our shoes off without straying off the rug but it doesn't always work out. Then there are the times when we're late and returning for a forgotten item and skip the shoe removal altogether. Or the times when we're parking in a generally muddy area where no amount of careful step selecting and tiptoeing can prevent a big mess from happening. The difference between this and having an average sized house is that when someone tromps in with muddy shoes and dripping wet coats, it's generally contained to a small area. In the truck, pretty much everything is near the doorway. Anyway, it would really be nice to have a separate place for shoes and coats.

too tall
One of the reasons why we chose our particular truck was because it has high ceilings. This allowed us to put lofts at both ends for the bed and bathroom so we could fit a large amount of crap in a medium sized footprint. The problem with this is that everything in the middle has 9' ceilings and just creates a huge air space to heat and cool. If we had lower ceilings, we could have combined our sitting/sleeping areas to make a much more energy efficient living area. This would have also been a plus for the solar panels because we hit the absolute max vehicle height without an inch to spare. It's fine for most places but tall vehicles like this are known for getting scraped up by low hanging branches on occasion, and that's something that worries me with such a big investment in the roof and the panels.

parking
The plan was to keep our van until John retires then just use the mini truck as our daily driver once we start traveling. That way we can find places to park the truck where we don't have to move it every day. This is what makes the mobile condo a lot like a house. Perhaps too much. We still have to commute and leave everything unattended for most of the day. VanDwellers seem to have it so much easier--driving their home wherever they go, fitting easily into parking spots, blending in. That must be nice.

conclusion
To be continued...

power electronics

2010-12-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

The power electronics were installed a while ago but we didn't have time to connect them until now. We used 2/0 gauge cable and copper bars (to bridge short distances) for the connections. The bank is wired in 24VDC configuration.

In a previous post, I detailed the components of our power system and it turns out that all of the ones we needed from Outback were available in a pre-wired package known as FLEXpower One. This saved us a tremendous amount of wiring time as well as time searching for small specialty breaker boxes and the like, not to mention a little bit of money, too. The only detail to stray from the original plan is layout. The FLEXpower One comes pre-mounted in an opposite configuration from what I intended. This puts the inverter away from the wall with the charge controller and MATE somewhat hidden behind it, which is probably for the best. Had the inverter been installed as planned against the wall, its cooling fan would have been afforded much less air circulation. We'll never know if that would have become a significant issue but at least now we don't have to take the chance.

To have more convenient access to the MATE, it was detached from the assembly and mounted on the driver's side wall.

Since our solar panels aren’t installed yet, the system is still being energized solely by grid power from our host. This will continue until sometime in the spring when we have time and more suitable weather for outdoor projects.

water FKA grey

2010-11-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've been really bad about posting regularly this month. I try to keep our personal updates on my other blog unless it directly relates to the mobile condo. This has been a great way to ward off the trolls but also sometimes leads to neglecting one blog or the other. Anyway, I have several half written mobile condo posts and photos that I've been meaning to put up here and will try to get caught up. For today, let's talk about greywater.

From the drain tank, a sanitation hose runs into the truck to a hand operated bilge pump. This empties to the greywater tank. When full (or at least once/day) the greywater tank feeds to the UV/filter assembly before being pumped back to the main freshwater tank.
We could have easily installed an electric sump pump but decided it would be nice to not have everything automated just for the sake of automation itself. It's not difficult or particularly time consuming to pump small amounts of water manually, so why not just keep it simple? Most of the time I am truly interested and amazed by automation but I feel the same way about this as I do about pencil sharpeners and toothbrushes. Sometimes automation is overkill and it's nice to find your own line between convenient and crazy. I imagine that the same people who think I'm delirious for preferring to manually wash my clothes (despite the fact that we owned and could have easily installed a top-of-the-line, space saving, EnergyStar rated, front-load washing machine) will also find problems with this option. What's your take on automation? Do you think everything that can be should be, the inverse of that or somewhere in the middle?

water pump and drain

2010-10-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

The water pump and drain assembly was finished just before we moved. The rest of the plumbing connections will be hooked up when the water system is completely installed (we still have to connect DC power to the pump). The greywater/filter branch has been installed already; we will post about it soon.

To keep water out of the drain hose except when it's actually in use, a Y-valve will completely cut off the drain branch when normally operating the system. This will keep the drain hose from freezing in the winter.

For the water pump, we used a Jabsco Sensor Max 17. It is a bit oversized for our demands, but hopefully that will translate into a longer lifespan for the pump.

winter parking

2010-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend organizing the mobile condo and the trailer. Even after all the purging we did before the move, we still managed to pack several more boxes of things to give away. It feels good to continuously find more that we can have if we want but prefer to live without. Aside from being incredibly busy and not having much time for blogging, we're happy and having lots of fun. How are you?

That's all for now. I'll leave you with some photos of our winter parking spot.

so far, so good

2010-10-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

We spent our first two nights in the mobile condo at the new location. There are still several things that need to be done but we've been busy and distracted with packing, giving/freecycling/craigslisting everything else, unpacking and buying our mini truck to take the place of the two scooters. The next project will be DC power, which will be used to run the water pumps, refrigerator, toilet fan and a few other things. There was no need to rush that part since we have shore power and access to a bathroom in the building next to where we park. Although, I'm looking forward to doing dishes in my own sink and buying groceries only once every week without worrying about it going bad. Hopefully there will be time to get it done this weekend.

I know I've skipped over a few other things that have been completed recently, but I'll catch up with everything soon when I have more time. I also have lots of photos to upload as soon as we find the camera, which is probably somewhere out in the trailer.

We really lucked out finding a great parking spot about three days before we moved the truck. There were other options but I'm much happier about wintering in a somewhat secluded place with amenities to make the transition easier. Plus, the property owner couldn't be any nicer. Overall, things are going really well.

battery bank

2010-10-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of catching up to do here with all the progress we've been making. I guess I should start with the battery bank, which is installed and ready to be wired and hooked up to the power electronics. The shelf is made of ½" plywood and superstut. This may seem like overkill but four batteries weigh about 500 lb so this little shelf needs to be as sturdy as possible. It is also secured to the floor and wall for added stability.

We ended up purchasing different batteries than the ones we originally wanted. They are a generic version that is very close in weight, dimensions and capacity but cost about $1500 less overall. The Concorde batteries are a higher quality but we are hoping these universals will work just fine and hold up comparably.

heat

2010-10-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

The propane system (tanks, etc.) isn't done yet but the heater and vent are installed. The rest won't be urgent until it gets colder so that's all for now. Actually, we might even use electric heat for this first winter since we'll have access to shore power.

The heater is not specifically designed to be vented horizontally so we had to modify the flexible chimney to function correctly. The chimney is actually made up of two pipes (intake and exhaust) the outside of which was not flexible enough for the necessary bend. This pipe was replaced with a 3" semi-rigid duct pipe which was a bit easier to shape. We made sure to use something that is rated to withstand the temperature the pipe could possibly reach.

The nice thing about this one is that no interior air is used in the combustion process and all the exhaust gases are vented to the outside. Without this feature, we wouldn't be able to use a non-electric heater inside the truck. I was disappointed at first that we were going to be using propane for heat. Now I have to admit that it's a relief to not need to worry about whether we'd be able to produce enough electricity to stay warm in the winter.

kitchen organization

2010-09-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

After trying to pack all my kitchen stuff into one, then (after failing) both of the refrigerator cabinet drawers, I realized it was getting to be a tight squeeze. I'm sure I'd be able to get it all in there but when it comes to using things and putting them away in the drawers every time, I figured it probably wasn't going to work very well. I could foresee things stacking up on our limited counter space. We planned to eventually put in some shelves or cabinets but decided we'd need them sooner rather than later.

We picked up a single bar, a 6-bar shelf and a magnetic knife holder to keep things out of the way. We are also able to hang a dish rack and S-hooks for utensils, measuring cups/spoons as well as some small pots for plants and other stuff. We'll have to box up some of these things while we're in transit, but that's fine with me since we'll be stationary for long periods of time.

countdown and costs

2010-09-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our time is running out here and there is still so much to do. John has been bogged down with mandatory overtime at work throughout this past month and I've had more school assignments than I anticipated so it has been tough to stay on schedule. I did manage to get my closet and kitchen stuff packed and wrote a little about it here in my personal blog. I'm glad that we've had these extra 4.5 months to work on the truck before moving in but I can't say that I feel more ready now than I did back then. I still don't know what to expect or how we'll be received at our destinations. There are three weeks left before our absolute last day here but we're hoping to have everything packed up sooner so we'll have a week to finish clearing out the house.

I also posted an itemized spreadsheet of our costs for the mobile condo so far. Since I lost my original, I had to estimate on some of the older things. The same goes for items we haven't purchased yet. I know I'm missing lots of little things but I think it's enough to get the gist of it. Let me know if you have questions or if I've left off anything of interest.

VIEW ITEMIZED LIST

hot water

2010-09-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

The water heater, a 10 gallon Rheem, and showerhead assembly has been installed. The water heater runs on 120 VAC. While a DC model would have been preferred, the general quality of such specialty appliances is often questionable (as are the inflated price tags.) The 20 amp outlet dedicated to the heater is controlled by a switch. This allows the heater to be used intermittently as we will only be heating 10 gallons of water per day.

You probably noticed that the showerhead assembly is missing an important part: the showerhead. This won't be installed for a few more weeks because we'll be reusing the one we currently have in the house—a HighSierra low-flow non-aerating nozzle that delivers only 1.5 gallons per minute. We have had this showerhead for a while now and really like it. It's well built, can't clog from mineral build-up and feels like a conventional 2.5 GPM head.

drains

2010-09-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

The drain system is now installed. The sink and shower drains combine under the truck before entering the drain collection tank. PVC was using for the plumbing, except for the initial pipe from the sink to allow for removal for maintenance. After the drains combine, a flexible hose attaches the plumbing to the tank.

The tank has a 10 gallon capacity and is mounted to the truck with two L-brackets spanned with angle iron. Large zip ties hold the tank to this assembly but we might change this to something reusable in the future.

water system 2.0

2010-09-01T06:34:00.001-07:00

It's funny how after so much researching and designing, a system can completely change overnight.

When I started itemizing the fittings, pipes and logistics of our previous design, I realized a major overlooked flaw. The tank used in the ozone sterilization stage would be indoors and ozone is toxic. This tank would have to be vented to the outsize, and need the capability of being completely isolated from the rest of the system while ozone was being produced. Furthermore, a simple through-wall vent would not suffice; ozone can linger in an environment for up to an hour and even if we didn't mind being prisoners until it was safe to go outside, who is to say some passerby wouldn't accidentally inhale an unhealthy dose? For this to work, we would need a fan powered ventilation chimney, one whose exit point was high enough that no one would encounter any ozone gas. While this is still perfectly feasible, it represented a good second choice for sterilization. I was confident a simpler option was available.

UV light is equally as effective at destroying pathogens, leaves nothing in the finished product (unlike chemical sterilizers) is economical to produce and is safe for indoor use. Our redesigned system will utilize a UV sterilization final stage, preceded by a 5 micron sediment filter and a 0.5 micron activated carbon filter. Both the sink and shower drains will have filter catches installed so the main filters will have a light workload to extend their lifespan. This will also keep contaminants in the drain lines and sump tank to a minimum, reducing cleaning requirements and any particle buildup in the bilge pump.

This system does not directly address the issue of dissolved contaminants. We looked into reverse osmosis devices and found them to be counterproductive for our situation. RO systems generally operate around 95% separation efficiency, which I am not convinced would be adequate for turning our concentrated salty solution into a drinkable product. High-efficiency (98%+) RO devices - called "watermakers" - would do the job but electric models start at $4000. Perhaps more relevant is that the RO process creates a brine waste water byproduct, typically around 2/3 of the total untreated water volume. Losing 66 gallons of our 100 gallon supply after just one cycle of use is not my idea of sustainability.

Dissolved contaminants will be kept in check by adding rainwater to the main system after an equivalent volume of "old" water is drained off. The rainwater collecting, filtering and sterilizing process will all take place outside, thus allowing us to use ozone for this setup (we still want to get experience using ozone devices to be used for later projects.) Drinking and cooking water will also be supplied by this rain water, taking precedence over refreshing the main system.

Overall, I am much more optimistic about this design.

water system

2010-08-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a preliminary water system diagram. Unlike the electrical system, this setup is less concrete. The filters have to go through several steps of experimentation before we arrive at a final design. Also, the placement of the ozone generator might be changed; this depends on the method we choose to sterilize tanks, and where we decide to sterilize the filtered water. Because of the number of tanks we must maintain, it might be more practical to build several generator clones and leave them permanently coupled to their respective tanks.

You may notice this diagram does not include any rainwater catchment apparatus. We have decided to make that a separate system to be completed at a later date after we complete more important tasks to make the mobile condo functional and livable.

drumroll

2010-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Remember this scene where the Christmas lights didn't work? Well, we had a scene of our own like that today when we finally got everything ready to test the outlets. The adapter plug came in the mail so we could plug in via an extension cord from the house. John had already plugged the piano in to get the cord out of the way a while ago so he sat down on the bench, flipped on the piano power and paused so we could share the moment before playing the first note. And nothing. Hit reset on the outlet. Still nothing. We tried the other outlets with a lamp and none of them worked.

Finally John tried flipping the switch for the fan, which is hard wired and it started right up. He checked the GFCI directions and figured out what went wrong. It turns out that the outlets come pre-tripped from the factory and need to be reset with power going through them first. So we had to plug in a lamp, turn it on and hit reset on each of the outlets. Now everything works! I'm so relieved!

condo wired

2010-07-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

The electrical wiring of the truck and trailer is complete. The electrical system will remain at this stage of construction for now, while we turn our attention to the water and compost systems. This is why (as you can see in the picture) the mains hookup feed was left quite long; it is only temporarily attached directly to the breaker panel. When the power electronics are installed, this feed will be connected to the mains AC breaker for the inverter. At that point, the panel shown will actually become a distribution sub-panel.

12 gauge wiring was used throughout this installation. Although only half of the branches are designed to be used as 20 amp circuits, I always prefer to oversize components when it comes to electrical work. It may not be necessary, but I'm the one who has to be comfortable sleeping in this home.

For the trailer connection, we used a conventional four-post round plug and socket. The terminals were just large enough to accommodate the 12 gauge wiring (they were only designed to accept signal wire gauges.) The cable attached to the plug connector had to be flexible & outdoor rated (i.e. sunlight, water and cold resistant) so a 12 gauge extension cord was used for this purpose. The other outdoor outlet boxes were weather sealed as well.

GFCIs were used for all outlets. This is an expensive choice but is NEC code for all new building constructions (or at least it will be code soon.) Also, since most of the circuits only have one outlet, using GFCIs ensures all our appliances are protected from possible damage. Normally speaking, a single GFCI in a branch of many outlets will protect all of them from appliance failure.

The hookup outlet we installed is the standard 30 amp RV type. This will work for any RV parks we might stay in, but we also wanted the ability to plug in to standard 15 amp household power if that's what is available. Of course, this would only provide half the power (at best) but if, say, our batteries needed a boost in the winter it would be nice to have that option. Originally, I was going to install two hookup outlets: one 30 amp and one 15 amp. This would have required a transfer switch to select between them. Then I realized that a simple plug adapter would accomplish the same thing. So plug adapter it is!

This was a much larger job than I anticipated, but at least now I have a good understanding of household wiring and electrical codes.

checking in

2010-07-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was planning on posting a spreadsheet of our estimated costs this week. I had an excel sheet with all our expenses listed minus the electrical and plumbing stuff. At this point we have a pretty good idea of what we need and how much it costs so I could have just made an estimate. Unfortunately, I deleted it. I thought I transferred it to my external drive and wiped everything on my computer before realizing that I missed one folder. I can rewrite all of it but it's just going to take some more time.

The good news is that we're making some progress on the electrical system. I'll have John write about everything he has done and get some pictures posted. The truck smells a lot like plastic right now. I'm going out there in a few minutes to wipe down all the caulk in the shower again and clean out the Sunfrost so it'll be a better environment to work in. We plan to get a lot done this weekend so I'll have more to show you soon.

laundry

2010-07-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

After some careful thought, we decided to remove the washing machine from our mobile condo design. When this all started, we thought it would be cool to say, “See? We can have everything you have in your big house. We’re not making any sacrifices and actually have more conveniences by living this way.” Since living in a vehicle—or even living in a small space—is such a tiny part of our true goals, being able to say that is becoming less significant as we move forward. (Although, I still think it's true.) So, while it would be possible and probably even easy to have a modern washing machine, I don’t particularly want one anymore and "because I can" just to prove a point isn’t really a good enough reason to go through all that trouble. This isn’t as much about power, water, cost, or space as it is about preference and performance.

We will have the option between two hand washing methods (I like both) and a spin dryer. The first one is a hand crank Wonder Wash. The only complaint I have with this product is that the base isn’t very sturdy. Instead of writing it off completely, we intend to construct a more suitable base out of wood or metal in the future but for now it’ll be fine.

The second one is the Mobile Washer. For us, we've found that it's great with a five gallon bucket but it can be used with larger containers as well. Instead of going through all the details, I'll just direct you to a more in-depth review.

Then there's the spin dryer. I wouldn't be recommending either of the two washing methods above without something like this. It uses 300 watts and takes only about 2 minutes to spin out almost all the water. I tested to see if it was worth it by spinning a small load of laundry after already going through the spin cycle of my regular washing machine. The clothes were already fairly dry so I didn't think any more water would come out but it ended up extracting several more cups. After that it only takes a few hours to hang dry the clothes. I had a pair of my brother-in-law's socks in there with the rest of our stuff and they were so dry when they came out they were almost immediately wearable. They were some kind of moisture wicking material, so I'm thinking of replacing some of our clothes with others made from material that will be better suited for easy drying.

We still have our GE Spacemaker electric dryer as well but will only be using it in a limited capacity. It'll be nice to having the option of a dryer to fluff up the clothes or for when we're in a hurry, but I'd like to hang dry as often as I can.