massaged kale salad recipe

To celebrate the new-found ability to keep my fridge cold, I'll share one of my favorite recipes: kale salad... it's a great way to get some fresh greens into my diet during the colder months when kale's still in season, and versatile enough that I don't get tired of it. I used to make a simple marinated version of it, but my friend Tracy shared the trick of giving the kale a salt massage, which saves considerable time... I can eat it immediately after making it, rather than waiting overnight while it marinates. Optional additions or substitutions include fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, hard-cooked eggs, fresh herbs, mushrooms, fresh vegetables, etc. I usually make a double batch and snack on it all week long. Bon appetit!

Massaged Kale Salad
6 servings
Ingredients
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed & cut into bite-sized pieces
1t medium-coarse salt
1/4c olive oil
2T apple cider vinegar (or more to taste)
1/4c finely diced red onion
1/3c currants or dried cranberries
3/4c diced apple
1/3c sunflower seeds, pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
1/3c crumbled gorgonzola, optional

Directions
Massage salt into kale for 2 minutes. Gently stir in oil, vinegar, onion, currants/cranberries, apple & sunflower seeds/pine nuts/pumpkin seeds. Taste for salt & vinegar. Gently stir in optional gorgonzola (or store in fridge and add gorgonzola individually just before each serving).

powering the "fridge"

Thus far, I've been restricting my use of perishable foods in the van, because I'm hesitant to power my DC-powered cooler (the replacement for the van's stock fridge that's been removed) while I'm not driving, and I don't drive enough in a typical day to run the cooler enough to keep it cold. But I have a solution now. I've ordered a portable battery "powerpak" that can be charged via AC electricity, DC, or even solar power. Once charged, it can power both AC and DC appliances... plus it has a built-in air compressor and jumper cables-- good "peace of mind" features for use in the van. Now I can look forward to stocking my "fridge!"

I did consider just getting a deep cycle house battery to stash in the typical place under the driver seat, but I like the portability of the powerpak, its versatility (3 options for charging), and its added capacity for filling my tires and jump starting my engine. Besides, I can always add a house battery later, and attach it to the powerpak via the jumper cables, to join their capacities. But I'd rather get a solar panel first...

Olympian Wave 3 heater installation

Now that there's a cavity where the Westfalia's refrigerator used to be, I decided to install my Olympian Wave 3 heater on the inside of the fridge cabinet door. That way, when I want to use the heater, I can just open the cabinet door at whatever angle will point the heater in the most advantageous angle (it opens a full 180-degrees), leaving it out of the way on the inside of the fridge cavity when not in use. Plus, it makes for easy installation-- I can simply tap into the propane line that used to service the fridge. It took a few trips to the hardware store to get the correct fittings, plus the flexible hose to run from the van's copper propane line to the heater and allow for the cabinet door to open and close, but everything is connected now. It was nearing dark by the time I finished the project, so I'll wait till another day to turn the propane back on and test the system. I also need to make a cover for the heater, as I've read that the catalytic pads in the Olympian heaters are particularly sensitive to dust.

substitute van fridge

I discovered awhile back that the stock refrigerator in my van... the one that runs on on-board propane or battery power... doesn't work (a common problem for Volkswagen Westfalias, from what I've heard). So today I decided to pull it out & make some extra space for storage.
I'll be using a DC-powered Koolatron electric cooler to keep my perishable foods cool. It fits right behind my driver seat (since I'm short, I keep the seat pushed all the way forward). Plus, I got the optional AC adapter so I can power it on AC electricity when I have access to electricity. (It also works as a food warmer, but I don't see myself taking advantage of that product feature).

Pulling the stock fridge out wasn't a difficult job, once I figured out which propane line to disconnect (the connection point wasn't visible until I had the fridge partway out of its cavity). I still need to install some kind of panel to cover the exposed insulation at the back of the fridge cavity, and will probably build some shelves to make the new space more usable.

entertaining in a van

I just landed a brief (10-day) house-sitting gig in Port Townsend... great town; I love the food co-op there... and the local Khu Larb Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant anywhere. One downside to van dwelling is the relative difficulty of entertaining guests, so I may take this opportunity to have a few friends over for dinner one evening. Entertaining isn't so much an issue in the warmer months... I often arrange to meet friends in public parks, beaches, etc. to hang out, hike or picnic... and in colder weather, there's always the option of getting together at a restaurant or a coffeehouse, but I do enjoy cooking and there's not much opportunity to do so for other people within the confines of a van (unless you count group camping trips). Some van dwellers do well sharing their space with a partner or with guests, but for me, although it works as a solo space, I can't easily imagine it otherwise. Although I thoroughly enjoy occasional company, I also thrive on solitude.

Vanagon capitol of the world?

I'm in Port Townsend this week, taking care of a project for work. I'm quite amazed by the number of Volkswagen Vanagons in this town... a veritable plethora of Westfalias, Weekenders, Synchros and regular passenger vans... some in colors I've never seen before. I have no idea if this is a tourist season phenomenon or not, but I can't seem to travel a single block without passing at least 3 or 4 Volkswagen vans! Very cool. I'll bet some of them are fellow van dwellers.

While here for work, I'm being put up at the Water Street Hotel. I highly recommend it- quaint seaside historic hotel, reasonable rates; feels like you've gone back in time. Several of the rooms are large suites- even with lofts in some cases- making them ideal for a full family or group outing.

YMCA: one-stop shopping for van dwellers

I go through phases of spending a lot of time at the YMCA... exercise, shower and Internet cafe all in one spot. I love yoga, and one of the Y branches that I frequent has daily classes at convenient times. I'll typically show up first thing in the morning, run in & brush my teeth & use the toilet, then head back out to the parking lot for a light breakfast in the van, and maybe a short meditation depending on how long I have before yoga class starts. Then I grab my gym bag, and head back inside, spend some warm-up time on the indoor track doing some cardio-walking, followed by an hour-long yoga class. I enjoy the guidance of several different instructors over the course of a week at the Y- one will focus on breathing aspects, another on adaptations to protect joints, and another on the transitions between poses... this way I can apply what I learn from each instructor during the other instructors' classes. I'm new to this type of exercise, so it's all helpful. I usually get my shower in after yoga, then grab some lunch and my laptop, and either head to the library to put in some computer time, or stay put at the Y; my favorite branch has a great little lounging area and free wi-fi. There's a nice little community of fellow van dwellers that hangs out there as well.

inspiration

A bit of history...

It was a book title in the back of a Mother Earth News magazine that led to some Internet research that uncovered the world of van dwelling to my consciousness... a whole fascinating array of folks called Van Dwellers or Permanent Campers or Mobile Living Advocates. That's when I decided to count myself in. I figure a lifetime of camping experience and a love of freedom make me a good candidate. Thanks to what I've read online, I feel like I'm embarking on this journey safely and relatively comfortably.

I'm glad I'm starting out at the height of summer... will give me time to learn the ropes (at least some of them) before the more challenging colder seasons.

first day of van dwelling

Today's the day... my first day as a van dweller!

I moved the remainder of my possessions from my temporary home in Redmond into my little travel trailer for storage (it will remain in Redmond for now) then spent the rest of the day in a parking lot, doing some last-minute organizing & getting in a little reading time.

About 9pm, I headed into a nearby neighborhood to find a good spot to camp. I'm on a residential street in an upper middle class area, sort of on a property line next to some tall trees (got the tip online that parking at a property line leads both neighbors to assume you're visiting the other). After parking and drawing the curtains, I noticed there's a streetlight nestled amongst those tall trees-- good for safety, bad for sleep? It's just a couple of weeks past Summer Solstice, so the day is still light. I think it would be better from now on to pull into my camp spot after dark, so as not to draw unnecessary attention, though I think that other online tip to scout out your spot BEFORE dark is also a good idea.

My Westfalia's water system and refrigerator are still untested. Last Friday I pulled off the access flap & lock to the on-board water tank to get it keyed (the previous owner had lost the key), but the locksmith was already closed for the 4th of July weekend.

Thanks to my new external laptop battery, I'll be enjoying a viewing of my Twilight DVD tonight, as I've been saving it for just this occasion.

Westfalia cookware

Today's second purchase involves cookware for my Westfalia kitchen. I love to cook. My transition to vegetarianism at age 16 was not popular with my family, so it was then that I began to prepare my own meals. I tend towards raw food habits during the summer, but come colder months I usually start craving homemade soups and start using the stove again. I chose Mountain Safety Research's Alpine Guide Cookset for starters. It's a nesting set of lightweight stainless steel; I refuse to cook with aluminum or Teflon. I already have MSR's Alpine bowl, which nicely nests with the cookware set. I also ordered a couple of compact stainless steel Coghlan's Deluxe Chowset utensil sets. I'm still debating drinkware. For now I've got a couple of stainless steel wine goblets on my Amazon wish list. A couple of Thermos mugs would be nice as well for hot beverages...

the poop sheet

So it's time to deal with the toilet issue. I'm guessing that when I'm full-time van-dwelling, I'll generally be close enough to a public restroom to handle my needs, but I'll rest better knowing I've got an on-board backup plan. After my usual round of online research, I've settled on the Hassock Portable Toilet by Reliance. It's basically a sturdy bucket with a toilet seat & a lid that has a built-in toilet paper compartment. The fancier holding-and-waste-tank models just seem like too much hassle at this point (though we'll see if I'm whistling the same tune after I've used "the bucket" for awhile). If I had more space, I'd install my composting toilet (saved from the family cabin when it was upgraded to indoor plumbing), but that thing's huge. I'm planning on lining the bucket with heavy-duty (doodie?) plastic bags for easier disposal of contents. If the lid doesn't keep the odors at bay, I'll try adding a bit of kitty litter or peat moss to the bucket. I'll be generally keeping the Westfalia Z-bed in the bed position rather than using it as a passenger seat, and the toilet will fit snugly underneath the edge of the bed, out of the way when not in use.

I don't know that I'd normally go into additional detail on the subject, but the question my friends seem to most commonly ask when I announce my van dwelling plans is, "Where will you go to the bathroom?!" Thankfully, I'm not a nighttime bathroom goer, but I am a night owl, and my "last call" for the toilet before retiring for the evening is often after public restrooms are readily available. When in wilderness areas, it's a non-issue... I grew up backpacking and am seasoned at finding the nearest bush. However, I'll likely be dividing my time between urban and wilderness settings, so I'm equipping the van with a pee bottle. I looked at the Lady J, a sort of "female urinal," but ended up going the DIY route and grabbed a wide-mouth plastic water bottle and wide-mouth plastic funnel at the thrift store. I keep them in a special box with my roll of t.p. and an extra plastic bag for used toilet paper. Did I enter the "too much info" zone?
By the way, for those who are interested in more info on the subject, there's a great book, with an environmentalist outlook, called The Humanure Handbook.

Olympian Wave 3 heater

I've spent a lot of time online the past few days researching options for heating the van's living space. I'm settling on the Olympian Wave 3 catalytic heater. According to listed product information and Vanagon online group message posts, it's silent, creates sufficient heat for the size of the space, and efficiently runs on propane (I can hook into the Westy's onboard propane tank). This heater also has the benefit of not emitting dangerous carbon monoxide like other propane-fueled heaters, though it does require a source of oxygen, so I'll remember to crack a window during use.

inline-4 Volkswagen engine

Last night, as part of my quest for a replacement engine for the oil-guzzling, smoke-billowing rotary engine in my van, I made a trek to Purdy on the Key Peninsula to look at an inline-4 engine that had been converted to fit a diesel Vanagon before the previous owner had overheated it. The current owner is selling the engine & parting out the van that it's sitting in. Paul & Hugh came along to lend their expertise, which far outstrips my own near-complete ignorance when it comes to auto mechanics. After checking the cylinders, Paul ascertained that the engine is decent, but we noticed that a hole had been cut in the body of the van to allow the engine to fit, and I'm not particularly interested in doing major surgery on my Westy.

The trip wasn't a complete loss, however, as I left with a flawless windshield, an interior panel for the sliding door (mine's missing), and an extra passenger door grab bar (I want to put one on the driver's side, so I don't continue to pull myself into the seat by the steering wheel). Paul also collected a large assortment of Vanagon odds and ends for his own ever-growing fleet of Volkswagens.

first road trip

Saturday morning, the Westfalia started just fine & I made the decision to take her on my trip to the Kitsap Peninsula. Part of her test drive issues may have been due to the fact that the previous owner had let the oil level drop to absolutely nil. Ouch! Now that I've added oil, she smokes like crazy just after starting.

Off on a girls' weekend, I stopped in West Seattle to pick up Tracy, then it was off to Federal Way to meet up with Barb who had planned to caravan with us the rest of the way, despite my warnings that her Mustang convertible probably wouldn't appreciate lugging along behind my slow-moving Westy (we yelled our greetings out the window to Barb, as I didn't want to risk stopping the van, turning off the ignition, and not being able to get her going again). Barb reported that the van hadn't spewed blue smoke during most of the trip, as I'd half expected. We arrived at Hannah's house in Port Orchard without issue.

The next morning, I checked the oil before hitting the road again... it showed "low." A bit discouraged, I dumped in the extra two quarts I'd brought along.

Today, I'm taking a break from the van, putting off organizing/re-packing the belongings I moved from the little travel trailer to the van, from checking the oil level, from calling a rotary engine specialist for suggestions on how to reduce oil usage... or the Vanagon expert I met a few months ago who does a lot of conversions & may have a spare Vanagon engine he'd possibly let go at a decent price.

the test drive

Yesterday evening's van transaction was quite an adventure. It turns out the vehicle has been mostly sitting for the last two years, and apparently needs a tune-up (something the seller didn't mention earlier). The van did fine during the test drive other than an issue with the brakes that requires them to be pumped twice before they engage, but once it was back at the seller's house, it didn't want to start again. So the seller taught me his elaborate starting ritual: rapidly pump the gas pedal for about 10 seconds, pull out the choke (on the floor next to the parking brake) 1/2", THEN turn the key... which is apparently the only way the van will "reliably" start, but even that wasn't working this time. Out came the jumper cables, and she roared to life. The seller theorized that the van just needs a new battery... or possibly there's a problem with the carburetor... but a rebuilt carburetor is one of the spare parts that was offered as part of the sale, so after a few moments' hesitation, I went for it. Once I got her back to Redmond (where I'm temporarily staying) from her previous home in Seattle, parked her, turned her off, then decided I should move her to a spot where she wouldn't be sitting on a slope... but she didn't want to start again. I'll have to see how things pan out before deciding whether or not to take her to the Kitsap Peninsula this weekend.

new van

My new home-on-wheels!! "Appa the Wonder Yak" is a 1981 Westfalia, water-cooled 13B rotary engine, 148,000 original miles. I've been searching for a good while for a decent candidate. Living in the Pacific Northwest, competition is a bit fierce for acquiring a Westy within my current price range, but Craigslist came through for me, and I lucked out in being the first caller on Appa and the first on the scene to take a look. The seller was at work, but I was able to peek in the windows, and, after asking a few questions, agreed to a purchase over the phone. I am normally not a fan of yellow vehicles, but Appa's shade of pale yellow is actually my favorite Vanagon color. The exterior is in really decent shape, though there's a long crack in the windshield, and a few body spots that could use some touch-up. And the pop-top exterior is a sort of dingy grey for some reason... probably just needs a good scrubbing.

I can't wait to head back tonight to pick her up!

The timing is perfect. Now I'll have the van in time to take it to the Kitsap Peninsula this weekend when I pack up the little travel trailer I've been using on a friend's property. It'll be much easier to move what I need directly into the van rather than packing twice. On a side note, just yesterday I online-ordered a copy of the Twilight DVD (mandatory viewing for a soon-to-be Olympic Peninsula resident?), because I've been thinking it would be fun to spend my first night in the van with a good flick. Now I just need an external laptop battery, since the internal battery is going out & won't hold a charge for long.

I just re-read the Craigslist ad for the van & got a good laugh over a part I somehow managed to overlook the first time I saw it: "Perfect camper for summer fun. But you can also live in it!" Divine providence? I'm a believer.

welcome to Nomad Van

My house goes 70 mph... maybe even faster, but I haven't had it for long & am not interested in testing its limits at this point. Still, that's pretty fast for a house, in my book.

My home is actually a 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia... not exactly a purebred, given the fact that the previous owner converted it from air-cooled to water-cooled and simultaneously dropped in a rotary engine from a Mazda RX-7, making it probably one of the oddest Westies out there. But it's home.

I came to this lifestyle through a desire for freedom. I work when I need to, and not much more than that... you might say a "work to live" rather than "live to work" approach. It works for me for now, though the grand plan is to follow my bliss once I find it... For now, I'll enjoy the regular changes of scenery that this lifestyle allows, and use the time to figure out where I'd most like to be, and what I'd most like to do.

I'll likely spend the next few months (at least) just getting set up to hit the road full-time, with the intention to share the process and my findings in this blog, and subsequently to share my experiences on the road.