True, when building this rig, I never thought I would spend a Winter somewhere. Lessons learned!

Two tanks, drive tanks low, boon dock tanks high. Pump water up when power is plentiful. Open valve and dump to bottom tanks when it's time to drive. Bonus when your parked for good you can fill both sets when water truck comes to property!

@@ustopian Hi Jason I like that idea. For those skoolies with unlimited weight sounds ideal. I have a winnebago 17 footer lol-maybe I could use the shower stall. One day maybe I will do a cargo conversion and that tank idea sounds perfect. Especially since you almost can't have enough water...

Do whatever you can do get the water lines away from the walls somehow. It doesn't need to be far away but even like a piece of a cut up plastic tote or something to put between the water lines and the walls will help. I see you took off a cover to expose the water pump...leave it off as well as anywhere else you can leave a cover off I suggest you do that as well. The covers keep the cold in and the warm air out. The plastic piece like I talked about will keep it physically off if the walls and that should help also your trying to create an air gap between the lines and and cold walls. Glad to see your leg is better also.

Love both of your channels ..great information thank you

Thank you!

Thank you!

Wow, negative 75, that's crazy. Hopefully we don't get that cold! Thanks for stopping by!

I agree completely, especially about the feet and the merino wool socks. I wear merino wool socks and base layer (long johns) from October through March. They’re the best.

Lol

So true!

Thanks for that!

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Those sponge baths are easier to do than the other, but not everyone is willing to do that. There are ways but they have to seek what they are comfortable with.

Homemade baby wipes. Compost the wipes. Easy stuff, paper towels, baby wash, water, a smidge of baby oil. Find the recipe online

They can melt snow to wash hair

Funny. I live in an apartment in the middle of Copenhagen, Denmark. I try to conserve water, so I use that method 3-4 times a week. It's quick and easy, and my skin doesn't dry out in the winter. It's a fantastic way.

Back at the turn of the last century, showers, and hot and cold running water was something only the rich people had. As for everybody else, it was a wash basin, wash clothes, and water heated on the stove, if you were lucky, otherwise you washed up with cold water. Modern vanity or arrogance, possibly both, combine with marketing, perpetrates a belief that you have to have conveniences. That's part of the problem why the world has water issues. Because we waste so much of it, and not just on an industrial scale, but on a personal level too. I know so many people who feel they have to shower twice a day because of they feel sticky. There's a lot of sticky people in the world who don't have the convenience of a shower, and yet they still manage to keep clean. Living off grid is a lifestyle choice, that sometimes comes with inconveniences. That bus looks like it has conveniences built in, out the wazoo. So it's technically not off grid living, it's just not attached directly to the grid. You still rely on the grid to get fuel for the generator, and your vehicles. You still rely on the grid so that the grocery store can operate. You still rely on the grid for manufacturers to produce the goods you purchase. You still rely on the grid for companies like Amazon to pollute the world with cardboard boxes. Finally you still rely on a functioning grid so that you can use the internet to post KZfaq videos. Without the grid your detached lifestyle would be a lot less convenient, and a lot more harsh and challenging.

Thanks bud, I hope all is well. I heard you guys were headed down south!

Thank you and thanks for watching!

Wow, that's crazy, you are in some SUPER crazy weather.

Right on, thanks for watching :-)

I remember you, thanks for sticking around!

Lol, thanks!

Will do!

Thanks for the visit!

That would be fun and much warmer! Haha, but I do hope we make it up here that long :-)

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the insights!

I believe these are the jugs! www.cabelas.com/shop/en/reliance-aqua-tainer-water-jug?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CCatchAll%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CHigh%7CNMT&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzeSdBhC4ARIsACj36uFGGMJJSoxbYj3FVYwXOb3y45Vc8tYTanEr_X4YHzS2kHd6UJodrRsaAgLpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Spatula city! 😂

With the pine, we haven't had a full freeze over :-)

@@theoffgridskoolie that's great this technique is working for you :) glad it's not fully frozen over. I was trying to think of ways to prevent your pipes and things from freezing, that part of it really sucks I'm sure

where i live, solar panels are mounted vertically facing south. this eliminates the problem of snow buildup, it isn't the most efficient for power generation in the summer but it's the best solution.

True, but I hate the way it feels on my body.

Those things put off an amazing amount of heat. I put one in my crawl space for 10 minutes and unfroze my pipes.

Haha, Pex saves lives!

Just replied!

Oxford dictionary - Off Grid not using or depending on public utilities, especially the supply of electricity. "off-grid housing" We don't rely on public utilities.

@@theoffgridskoolie well then ive been off grid 15 years .. I just called it living and being self-sustainable. Good for me I need a KZfaq channel

Nope, moved the battery inside. Might start it again in a month or so.

it's not a good idea to start a diesel unless you are going to let it fully warm up, and it will never warm up if you idle it for 30 minutes. running a diesel engine cold will glaze up the cylinder walls over time, and the only way to fix it is to take it apart, hone the cylinders and replace the piston rings. better to just crank it over a few times each month without actually letting it start and run. or, manually turn it over with a wrench or prybar, etc.

not really. chris' power issues are due to bad planning, if the rig was designed for extreme cold it wouldn't be a problem. originally he planned for in-floor radiant heating, that would have worked if the system was built with a low-power circulating pump and a proper way to bleed all of the air out of the system, but he gave up, ripped out the diesel heater and put in the woodstove. yeah, it's cool-looking and cozy when you're close to it, but there is no way it can keep the rest of the bus from freezing up. covering the solar panels just before sunset and removing the covers just after sunrise solves the ice buildup issue if your system is designed for that. but there are other issues, he wired all of his panels for 12 volts, and his batteries are also wired for 12 volts. this is extremely inefficient in low-light conditions. you want your panels to deliver the highest voltage possible to your solar controller, and you want your battery bank voltage to be at least half of that voltage so the batteries will charge at low-light levels.

@Marzsit These comments always make me smile. Looking to tear me down but all you do is end up making yourself look ignorant. First system was 12v per request from Battle Born, the current system is 48V... Use your eyes and go to 11:17 of the video. Same for panels. As for wood stove radiant floor heating, this will be installed next year. Ran out of time this year. www.tegmart.com/thermoelectric-generators/wood-stove-water-cooled-100w-teg. Also, the wood stove heats the bus just fine, we just have to make sure to wake up to stoke it. Know what you are talking about before spouting off random bs please :-)

@@theoffgridskoolie if the woodstove heats the bus just fine, why are your water lines and pump frozen? yes, i noticed the sok server rack batteries but again you are screwing up by running the solar array at the same voltage. it needs to be at least double or preferably the maximum voltage input that your charge controllers can handle. even with a 12 volt bank if your controllers are capable of taking 72 volts or more, that's how they should be set up. i'm not trying to tear you down, i'm actually trying to help. when i say you have made bad planning decisions i'm talking about planning for an energy-efficient off-grid situation like you are in now. choosing a full-sized residential frost-free refrigerator is one of those bad planning decisions. another was choosing a bosch/ariston 120v water heater and running that off an inverter.

Lol, suffer through... Don't watch.

Not a bad idea. I certainly need a plan for next year.