The Hologlobe Press -- Michigan Travel Tips #252

MICHIGAN TRAVEL TIPS
FROM
THE HOLOGLOBE PRESS
(The 252nd Edition)

by
Victor Edward Swanson,
Publisher

www.hologlobepress.com

RULES OF USE

    The reports and stories contained on this Web page have been put together with information taken from "The Victor Swanson Fabulous Files of Places to See in Michigan and Wisconsin" and with information obtained from operators and staffers of tourist attractions and from press releases, Web sites, and other sources. The reports and stories are provided as a public service by Victor Swanson and The Hologlobe Press. Almost all persons and entities, such as staffers of radio stations, may freely use the materials; neither AAA Michigan nor any employee of AAA Michigan may use, distribute, download, transmit, copy, or duplicate any of the material presented on this page in any way or through any means.

Special Important Announcement

    Now I have a document at the website for The Hologlobe Press entitled A COVID-19 Document that Shows the Rottenness of the CDC, Many in the Medical Community, Many in the Media, and All the Democrats, such as Gretchen Whitmer, Andrew Cuomo, and Joseph Biden, and the document can be reached by using this COVID-19 link.

- - - Travel Thoughts for Everyone - - -

    For over twenty years, I have been presenting--on a monthly basis--documents called Michigan Travel Tips documents, which have been and are designed to show you places that you can visit in Michigan on vacation trips, but this edition is not focused on one particular place--it is focused on something that can get you to places in Michigan, and the something can be called a motorhome or camper van (a recreational vehicle that is one unit and not one that has a trailer or camper or other unit attached). I have been seeing videos on YouTube that show off camper vans and like vehicles that are new from some manufacturer or that were created by some person or persons in an after-market way. The units can be very expensive to get or buy if they are new (from a manufacturer of such vehicles), and, in relation to this document, I will say that for two persons to use, a new unit can often cost between $75,000.00 and $200,00.00, but such a vehicle can be even more expensive. I have heard people say that it can be less expensive to live full time in a camper van or like vehicle than in a home, but that is up for debate. Of course a person can buy a used vehicle--the type made originally by an RV maker or manufacturer--and can end up spending less money than that for a new vehicle. The problem with a used vehicle is it might have been run hard, and the problem is it may have a bunch of rust, and the person who buys such a vehicle will probably have to pay money for repairs or upgrades to get the vehicle really ready to use or do the upgrades by the self. Since RVs have a high depreciation rate, as do cars and SUVs, a person might get such a vehicle at half what it originally cost from a dealer of RVs. Other people do something else that can save money--they take a new vehicle of some type or a used vehicle of some type that has an empty box area or the like, and they install things that can exist in a camper van or like vehicle that comes from an RV manufacturer. For instance, they might spend some $8,000.00 or $10,000.00 or some figure a little above $10,000.00 to get a used regular vehicle, and then they can spend--what?--at least $7,000.00 or a bit more to do all the installation work (if they do the installation work), which can include installing, at least, an electrical system (with solar panels and associated equipment), a bed area, a toilet (a portable toilet or a cassette toilet or composting toilet), a shower (or wash area), and a kitchen area. I have seen videos on YouTube that show nice DIYer-made camper vans and nice manufacturer-made vehicles, and I have seen some sloppy product. While I watched videos, I wondered how I might make such a vehicle from a shell of a van-type vehicle, and this document shows only some considerations that I would have in mind.
    I note that some of the vehicles presented in videos, such as through YouTube, were used as 24-hour-a-day-seven-days-a week living places, as replacement living areas for houses or apartments and such. Since Michigan Travel Tips documents are only focused on getting to places to vacation, this document is not concerned with people using camper vans and such to live in full time. I do note that such units can have value, though. For example, a person going to college or university might actually save money by living in a camper van (while away from mom and dad) that is a self-made vehicle or a used vehicle, and the underlying vehicle would probably be a used vehicle, and, by the way, that camper van might be set up as or considered a "stealth" camper van, which is a vehicle (a van-type unit or the like) that is made to look not like a vehicle with a living area inside and to look like some type of commercial van (maybe that associated with a plumbing company or a construction company or the like), which can involve having the vehicle outfitted with fake business signs (and such a vehicle then would have no windows in the box-like part). In addition, a couple persons might own such a full-time vehicle so that the couple can travel the country for six months or a year, such as to visit tourist attractions all over the country, but the intent of the couple is not to live in the vehicle for years and years on a full time basis.
    While I watched the videos, one thing hit me right away--people who bought new recreational vehicles or used recreational vehicles or bought vehicles to transform into recreational vehicles made one super-big mistake. For years, when I have gotten a car or SUV or whatever, I have always done work to protect the vehicle from salt and water damage or reduce the vehicle from getting salt and water damage. I tar up my vehicles. For instance, I use roofing tar that exists in one-gallon-like cans, and I use my hand to spread the tar on parts. Hold it! If what I am about to tar up is not rusted, such as something on a new vehicle, I wash off the thing, let the thing dry, and then tar it up. Vehicles bought used can have rust. In relation to used vehicles, I kill as much rust as possible, such as by sand blasting and sanding and by always using a "metal cleaner" (or "metal prep"), which is a rust killer for metal, from a automotive-paint store, and then spray primer and then paint (covering already painted stuff and bare metal). After the paint is dry, then I cover the thing with tar. I spread the tar by hand (which can be covered in one of those disposable blue gloves). What do I cover? I remove the inner wheel well skirts, and I cover wheel well areas and the back sides of quarter panels. I tar up the underbody of the vehicle. I cover up suspension parts, even bolt heads and nuts. Hold it! Someone might think covering up bolt heads can be inconvenient for someone who works on a vehicle later, but it is a minor inconvenience. A person can use a heat gun to warm old tar and scrap off the old tar before removing nuts and bolts. I always cover up brake lines and the heads of brake bolts, such as caliper bolts. Brake lines will last for years if tarred up, and it becomes easier to work on brakes in the future if brake bolts or whatever have not rusted to crap, and a person can save money on brake parts. I tar up door lips--the inside spots of the door edges--and lips of the trunk and the hood [Note: Temporarily I put something link "Cling Wrap" on the wet tar for a day or so and then remove it.]. It is amazing that none of the videos that I have seen that were made by people who had made their camper van-like things ever showed the idea of doing tar work on the underbody and more before real conversion work and, maybe, after some converse work was done to install something not originally on the vehicle, and it is amazing that people who spend $100,000.000 or more on a new van do not say anything about tarring up their vehicles. If a person is only going to use the vehicle so many weeks or months of a year for a number of decades, does not the person want the vehicle to look good for years and years and years. It is not cost effective to not tar up such a vehicle. By the way, I have seen videos about making camper van-like vehicles that show a gal doing the work from start to finish and a guy doing the work from start to finish, and a guy or gal can do tarring work, being sure not to miss any spots.
    Stop! This document will not be take up the matter of a black-water-tank toilet system; it will be involved with other types of toilet systems (slightly) since the idea is not to make a big vehicle, but the vehicle has to be sort of comfortable enough for two persons to be in it for a while. Continue on reading now.
    Let me see. What general items will I want to put in a camper van-like thing? For the vehicle, it would have a gray tank for a shower area, which might be a 40-gallon-capacity thing, and, incidentally, a gallon of water weights a bit less than 8.5 pounds. There has to be a fresh water tank, of course, and that could be rated at about 40 gallons. By the way, a kitchen sink could be set up with a separate gray- water collection tank (a plastic unit) that can be removed easily to empty it, and it might be a five-gallon type plastic unit (with a close-off or cap). The vehicle should have a bed area (designed for two persons). It should have an air conditioner (a low-profile roof model), and it should have at least one fan unit in the ceiling (and it would be nice to have each fan work in both directions--reversable--so that each can blow in or out), and maybe two fans could be set up--one at the front of the vehicle and one in the back, even if one has to be set up on a wall (and not on the ceiling); it should be remembered that such fans ("vent fans") should be the type that can be opened up and used when it is raining outside--some fans made for, for instance, on the top of camper vans cannot be used when it is raining, and that can be irritating for people sitting it out out of the rain. The vehicle should have as much solar-panel stuff mounted on the roof as possible, and somewhere around 1,500 watts of rating would be nice and which would be nicer than only 200 watts or 250 watts or something similar amount. Incidentally, I would carry several portable panels (with line) that can be set up once the vehicle is at rest, such as at a camp site (and such panels could be flexible (or "deployables") or thin hard-sided units); for instance, with portable panels (mounted on thin board-like stuff) around, I can park in the shade and put the portable panels in the sun--if it is too hot out [Note: Flexible panel units should not be used on top of a vehicle (on the roof) by placing them directly on the roof, since the roof can get hot, and that could damage the panels.]. The vehicle should have a lithium battery system, which should be enough to run things or charge all the batteries well. It might be nice to have a vehicle that could have two alternators installed on it--one for the general running of the vehicle (a 12-volt system) and one for other things not involved in running the vehicle (maybe a 48-volt system [Note: Electrical systems for such vehicles can involve such items as batteries, alternators, solar panels (used for charging up batteries), an inverter, DC to DC converters or step-down-voltage units (related to, for instance, dropping 48 volts 12 volts to operate 12-volt items), controllers (such as an alternator charge control unit and a solar-panel charge control unit), on-and-off switches, bus bars or connection points, outlets (such as USB outlets and standard 120-volt house outlets), and fuses, and, incidentally, a good type of wiring set-up for a solar-panel system is a combination series-parallel format.]. It would be nice to have two lead-based batteries on the vehicle--one for the general running of the vehicle, and one for other reasons (as a back-up system to the lithium system related to the living area or as even a backup unit for the main lead battery that is used to run the vehicle so that, if the vehicle is way out in the wilderness, a second lead-based battery can be used to get the vehicle going again if the main lead battery goes to crap all of a sudden). I would have to have space for a small floor jack (like one from Sears that my father bought me some 40 years ago), and I have to have space for tools so that I could work on the vehicle, which would include my Innova car hand-held scanner, and, to make it clear, it should have tools that could be used to replace a radiator, an alternator, brake system parts, coolant lines, and other things [Note: My tool box with tools in it might weigh 70 pounds.]. The vehicle should be outfitted with a small refrigerator.
A common thing for a camper van or like vehicle to have is a kitchen or food-preparation area. The vehicle should have a shower area, or it could have a small wash area, which is a sitting-down-while-using-it-based unit, which is not as tall as a stand-within shower area. It could be a three-quarters or two-thirds high unit in relation to a full-height unit. With a reduced-height shower set-up, the gray-water tank for the shower unit could exist right below the shower unit and be in or mostly within the living space proper (though covered up or hidden from view), allowing it to not be set underneath the vehicle, where it could be exposed to cold or freezing weather [Note: The water in the tank would stay warmer.]. The vehicle should have a closed-off toilet area or an area that can be closed off, which might be across from the shower unit and on the other side of the vehicle; the two units would be separated by a walkway down the middle of the vehicle. Remember--This document is not talking about black-water toilet systems. In relation to the other types of toilets, a big tray-like thing could be put under the toilet (which is very likely to be removable so that, for instance, it might be cleaned out), and the tray, such as a three-foot-by-three-foot thing, would help prevent water from getting out of the toilet area and to other things [Note: The tray could be a real plastic water tank that has been cut down or something.]. The shower area and the toilet area might be good places to hang up a few hand-washed items from time to time, so maybe each should have some type of clothes-hanging system, given the vehicle will not have a good clothes dryer. A tray-like system could be used with the fresh-water-supply tank and the fresh-water tank, too. The underneath of the vehicle, which should be insulated, can be set up with the dry storage areas (maybe water-storage tanks that have been adapted for use] instead of the two big water tanks with water in them, and the areas could hold water hoses, extension cords (such as six-foot-long lines than can be used inside the vehicle and 25-foot-long lines) and other things that might otherwise have to be stored within the living area proper.
    Before I pick up a vehicle to renovate or refit or whatever, I have to know about how much weight will be involved with the vehicle. All the stuff in the previous paragraph would have to be considered in relation to weight. I would have to consider the weight of two travelers. I would have to consider the weight of the vehicle proper. So much other weight is at this point yet to be known. By the way, the braking system has to be heavy-duty, that which can handle all the weight that will be involved with the vehicle plus a bit more as a safety factor.
     Warning announcement! Because of incidents at schools for children and incidents at other places for people in general tied to "Sharia" or "Islamic Law" or even the religion/political system known as "Islam," I now regularly have this paragraph as a part of each edition of Michigan Travel Tips. The governmental system of the United States of America based on The U.S. Constitution and "Sharia" or, informally, Islamic law, are not compatible and cannot co-exist, and one reason is "Sharia" (et cetera) is a political system, in which there is one-party rule, and that one party is basically made up or controlled by religious leaders who base all the ways of their culture or society on "Sharia" or "Islamic Law." Those who uphold and practice "Sharia" have no tolerance for the existence of Christianity or Buddhism or Hinduism or non-religion, and that is a fact, and "Sharia" is a political system in which women are second-rate human bodies and in which clergy can be involved in determining business transactions, and there is no "freedom of speech" tied to politics in a society related to "Sharia." When you travel around Michigan and in other states of the country, watch for signs that rotten people are trying to teach you or family members, especially children, that "Sharia" is good and "Allah" is good and teach you or family members that the United States of America is bad and that, for instance, Christianity and Buddhism and Hinduism are bad, which I have evidence is happening and which is being brought about by people who are clearly working to make "Sharia" a dominant political system in the world (it is a political system as rotten as socialism and fascism and communism are, since it promotes violence and thuggery and coercion, and it promotes killing of non-followers behind the face of religion and a god, Allah). By the way, a society based on "Sharia" really creates nothing in the long run and does not advance the human society as a whole since it is too busy suppressing the ideas of people and keeping the ideas of the society based on ways of only a few minds up front (the political leaders), whose main purpose is to keep themselves enriched through the work of others, the many--it is a gang-run society really. Yes, if you run across people pushing the idea that Muslim stuff--particularly the true The Quran and not the translations of The Quran that are faked to hide the true nature of Islam--is better than the U.S. is, especially to little children, go public and make it known to other good people and fight back against it.
    A person should be aware that a camper vans and like vehicles are things that can be rattled and shaken by moving down the road, so the design of such vehicles should always consider having materials or equipment that cannot be shaken apart easily or that have dampening systems.
    What I have presented in the document so far shows general information, and now I have specifics to keep in mind about what to have on the vehicle and to not have on the vehicle and what might be put in the vehicle (as a luxury thing maybe).
    Look at a first group of thoughts. Duing any person's constructing of the living area, regular wood should be avoided as much as possible, since wood can warp in humid conditions and in wet conditions; for my vehicle, the living-area support structures, such as joist-like things, might be made of things such as aluminum angle strips or "composite decking" materials, such as that which might be used on outdoor decks [Note: Actual pieces can be ripped from planks.]. If a type of plywood floor will be installed, the flooring material should be foundation-grade plywood and not simple plywood; foundation-grade plywood can put up with humidity and moisture. Instead of installing a finished floor of some type, I should have indoor-outdoor carpeting on a floor, which is one piece and not set in place permanently; such as a thing that can be removed and cleaned easily outside of the vehicle or could be replaced easily, and such a floor material might make a floor not feel so cold [Note: The topic of a heated walkway or hallway is covered later in this document.]. Also, if the vehicle does not have a wood or or man-made material finished floor, the vehicle could be less heavy by a bit. Structure materials should be connected with stainless-steel screws, and if there are cabinets, they should be held together with stainless-steel screws and wood glue (that which is designed for humid conditions, such as something that is marine-grade focused). The vehicle should have an insulated floor and insulated walls andan insulated ceiling (or roof), and no wires should be run in the areas that will be insulated, such as within the walls. Certainly, the back doors should be insulated (with insulation inside wherever possible) and be extra insulated by having the inside faces in the box area covered, too, so that the seam between the two door is sort of covered. The electrical system should only be set up with braided wire, and the wires for, for instance, 12 volts or up to 48 volts (considered low-voltage stuff) and related to low amperage should be placed in raceways (like plastic tubing or pipe) connected to outlet-type boxes (such as for USB charging spots), and the raceways (such as that involving slippery plastic tubing and plastic pipe) should be big enough to take on other wires in the future, and the reason for such a system is it allows wire to be removed or added at later dates easily. The outlets for 120-volts should be on both sides of the vehicle and in the middle of the vehicle, and the wires to the outlets should be braided wire, and the wires should be installed in raceways that are considered proper electrical code set-ups. Bus bars (or connection strips) and related pieces should be marine grade, and, by the way, use dialectric grease on screw-down points and such. The vehicle should be set up to be able to receive electricity from an outside-the-vehicle source (of 120 volts), such as from those things at trailer parks, and, of course, the entire electrical system should be set up so that outside-source power will charge up the lithium-battery system (which is a standard feature for such vehicles). Avoid having windows on the sides and the back of the vehicle or make the windows small (and have them set up high on the sides); windows are good places for heat to escape and for cold to get in, and they are places at which people can see in, and, incidentally, windows might make it hard set up a stealth-type vehicle, since people might be able to see in the vehicle and discover the vehicle is not a stealth-type RV or camper van (at least as seen from a distance). Hey, if a window (double-paned at least) is put in on each side of the vehicle, it might be fun to have an easily removable solar-panel unit designed to cover the inside of each window exactly so that extra power can be picked up during the day, such as while driving, to charge up the lithium batteries (and these panels could be those that are the "portables" that have already been talked about). It would be good to set up an 120-volt electricity output outlet from the battery system (or the battery unit or the batteries unit) that goes to a patch-bay unit (which can be easily accessed) or bus-bar thing so that jumpers can be used to complete circuits and to electrify lines--if something goes bad, jumpers can be used to do redirecting work.
    A heating system is a topic that has to be addressed. There are diesel heaters, and a diesel heater can be set up to draw fuel from the main diesel-fuel storage tank of a vehicle, if the vehicle is a diesel-powered vehicle. If the vehicle is not a diesel-powered vehicle, a propane-based heating system could be set up. If would be better not to have a electricity-based heating system, since it would be more electricity draw on the electrical system of the vehicle. It is better to have not everything running on electricity. [Note: That brings me to the point of one reason why I do not want the country to go to everything electric. If everything is electric, and the power goes out, there are no backup up systems, such as a fuel-based system to run vehicles in the country. Oh, in late March 2025, an ice storm hit the roughly upper quarter at least of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and many people lost power for a bunch of days, such as most of the 34,500 customers or so related to Presque Isle Gas and Electric Company. I wonder how many people owned EVs and could not charge them up to then get around. Yes, I hate the idea of the country going to all electric. If there is a war, the country needs a production system in which gasoline and oil-based materials can be made in great amount to run vehicles in the country--military and non-military. It is stupid to go all electric in the country and kill the gasoline-making and diesel-making plants in the country, and if the gasoline-making and diesel-making industries and oil-based-product-making entities disappear, the country would be in a losing situation during war--unable to make stuff that could be used to defend the country. You cannot run military equipment, such as Jeeps and tanks, on batteries and win a war or a conflict, especially when China currently controls much of the raw material in the world that is used o make batteries.]
    The toilet system is now the topic of this document. I have discounted the black-water-system toilet for my vehicle, given I want the vehicle to be easily used in cold weather, which can freeze outside tanks and water lines. There are a number of other toilet systems. There are, for instance, "portable toilets" (which I am not keen on), "composting toilets," "cassette toilets," "macerating toilets" (which I am not keen on), "incinerating toilets," "dry-flush toilets," and "electronic toilets." Of course, a number of manufacturers are involved in making the toilets, and some are located in other countries. I cannot give any recommendations on what to use, but, for the moment, I might choose a "composting toilet" first, but you never know what might come on the market in the near future that might interest me more. With a composing toilet, the biggest inconvenience might be emptying the urine tank every day or every other day.
    I have some notes about the toilet system. It is probably better to have, for example, a non-black-water-tank toilet, such as composting toilet, set up with a vent system, and, by the way, the composting toilet can come in vent models and non-vent models. When using the living-area vent fans, the fans might pull smelly air from the toilet area, and that is one reason to have a toilet area be in an enclosed area or what can be made a closed-in area at least temporarily [Note: The top or end of the outlet for the vent system of the toilet--outside--could have a valve-type unit that blocks air from heading into the vehicle when the living-area vent fans are working to push air out of the vehicle.]. Clean the units often with non-scratching brushes or tools and wipes. Keep at least a small waste can (with a foot-operated top) next to the toilet so that soiled toilet paper or wipes can be thrown away easily. Instead of having a simple vacuum cleaner in the vehicle, it might be good to keep a small wet-vac-type unit around so that water spills can be sucked up, such as those that might occur in a bathroom. In the case of a composing toilet, it might be good to have two "urine" tanks on the vehicle, one of which is a spare. [Note: I would keep a roll of "EternaBond" tape (a roofing product) around so that unexpected leaks on plastic containers can be closed up temporarily.]
    Here are some of my construction rules and more:
    1. Remember this rule in looking for a used vehicle or "pre-owned vehicle"--"Engines are expendable, bodies are not." This slogan of mine has been in use for several decades. Look for the vehicle with the best body, since bodies that have rusted are a problem. Engines can be replaced or reworked (reconditioned) much easier than body parts.
    2. Make sure any used vehicle to be bought can be derusted somewhat easily before tarring begins--Make sure the vehicle parts or locations, especially door lips and rocker panels and frame stuff, have not a lot of rust.
    3. Try to get a vehicle where the engine area allows a person to get at many of the basic things related to the engine as possible, such as the alternator and the tensioner and the serpentine belt--Avoid buying a vehicle that--when you look at it--it seems it is impossible to work on in the field or out in nature, such as at a place far from civilization or a city or a town or, especially, a good auto-parts store.
    4. Choose a vehicle for which parts can be gotten easily in the U.S.; foreign-type vehicles might have parts that have to come from overseas, which can involved a long wait time before they are installed.
    5. Choose a vehicle in which a person can stand up.
    6. Choose a vehicle that allows person to--while inside the vehicle--go from the driver's area to the living area or from the living area to the driver's area without going outside, and, in the driver's area, have swivel-type seats that can access a swivel-type table that can be right behind the seats.
    7. Be aware that a used vehicle can have tires that might not look so worn but might be old (given the vehicle might not have gotten much use over the previous years), and the tires could actually be past the useful-life date. Consider installing new tires on the vehicle before the vehicle is taken on long trips, especially those during which you could be out in the boondocks and far from a city. An old tire might fail or go flat in a desert area, where heat could cause an old tire, which might look good based on the tread wear, to blow out.
    8. Before you build a camper van from a used vehicle, replace struts and spring systems and maybe other suspense parts (and tar up stuff when done) so that the vehicle should be in good shape for some 100,000 miles.
    9. Note: Before any building is done on the living area, make up drawings of where things are going to go, even if the vehicle is not going to be complex. Be well aware of what space will be used by what or for what. Show how water lines and electric lines are going to run. See that things (appliances or whatever) that involve water are being placed at locations where input lines and output lines (drain lines) can be installed easily and will not be blocked by existing parts of the vehicle proper (such as frame parts). Do not do any cutting or adjusting to the vehicle proper till it is well known that no defective holes or useless holes will be made by any construction action. There should be in the plan a statement or list about the build sequence so that something is not put in place before something else has to be put in place (it is not good to have to tear something down to allow something else to be put in place and then return the torn down thing to the place where it was). The plans should also include a drawing of the roof (once the type of air conditioner to be installed is known) so that the general area for the air conditioner can be considered when planning the placement of as many solar panels as possible, and the general size of the air conditioner should include a bit extra surface in case a replacement unit (in the future) happens to end up being a bit bigger. The space for at least one roof fan (reversible) has to be kept in mind, and, instead, roof fans can actually be put high up on a side, maybe one fan at the front of the vehicle and on one side of the vehicle and one fan at the back of the vehicle and on the other side of the vehcile.
    10. The drawings should take into consideration--in relation to drivability--that one side of the vehicle should not be much heavier than the other. Generally speaking, the materials to be set up on one side of the vehicle (discounting people) and the materials to be set up on the other side should be somewhat equal in weight. There should not be a really big difference in weight in relattion to, for instance, the left half and the right half.
    11. Know all the electrical requirements (related to all the potential devices) for the camper van or like vehicle before any installation work is done so that it is well determined what the total battery system and charging system has to be at the very least.
    12. Avoid building materials that can hold moisture and allow mold to grow, such as particle board or OSB board.
    13. Consider having a gray-water tank system for the sink, and consider having a valve (a diverter-related valve) that can have the waste water go straight down to the ground or go in to the small gray-water tank, and the direct-drop system can be used if the vehicle is parked on grass or something like grass, such as weeds, and then the gray-water tank for the sink will not have to be emptied as much [Note: Use the direct-drop drain feature at places where no one can complain.].
    14. Consider having a gray-water system tied to the shower that allows you to direct-drop waste water from time to time, by easily switching a valve.
    16. Consider using automotive heater hose to make or run water-line systems. For years, automotive heater hoses have been used (with associated connections) and I have yet to hear about connections coming loose (if done probably to begin with), and such lines can handle very hot water. A water line system should be set up so that the entire system can be easily drained (for winter storage of the vehicle), and that means that all lines should be slanted down to a drain spot, and then gravity can be used to pull out water in the lines. Maybe two drain points might have to be set up. Make sure there is access to all connection points of water lines and make sure water lines are not where things can freeze in cold weather
    17. A shower tray (where the feet of a person stand or where a seat or chair of some type can be set) should be the type with a single drain, but a shower tray with several drains (scattered about the tray) might be used, and no matter what is used, a design of a tray must allow all the water to escape the tray, especially if the vehicle is not perfectly level when the shower is used.
    18. Have a fresh-water-holding container--such as that designed to hold about five gallons of water--or an area for holding fresh water bottles and the like, and the water should be used strictly for drinking.
    19. Use thin yet ridge material for cabinet-like things, such as drawers; however, instead of having cabinets or much in the way of cabinets, set up structures to hold plastic boxes (square or rectangular and not somewhat curved or rounded) and plastic totes (in some cases), which can be removed and, when necessary, replaced easily for other units, and make sure to have a storage spot for one rather-big plastic tote or a big black construction bag that can be used to hold soiled clothing, and, in the case of a tote, it has to be a tote that can be removed from the vehicle easily and taken into a Laundromat easily. I guess one small cabinet can exist to hold such things a knives and spoons and such for cooking. A cabinet with no doors for clean clothing could be set up; bungees could be used on the front of such a cabinet to keep clothing in place and reduce weight in the vehicle and reduce the cost of latches and such.
    20. Consider using vinyl flooring material as wall or ceiling material, especially that which looks like pretty wood, and such material can work well for back-splash features.
    21. It is hard to make a "stealth vehicle" that has solar panels on top. But I will say that, to hide a solar-panel system on the roof of a vehicle, set up some type of blockers at the edges or so of the roof that might hide the solar-panel system from view. The blockers might help protect the solar panels. It might be good to have a wind diverter or curved "blocker"-like thing at the front edge of the roof (in front of the first solar panel) that will block a lot of air from going under the solar panels on the roof when the vehicle is moving.
    22. Set up outside lights or lighting, and set up cameras to see outside the vehicle, especially at night in all directions and around the vehicle.
    23. All the individual lights or light strips inside the vehicle should be on dimmers (and the outside lights might be on dimmers), and all the lights should be probably LEDs.
    24. Power outlets should be set up so that they cannot be blocked by other things, such as those things installed after the outlets had been installed. That means a plan about where to put outlets should show the location of outlets--before any building takes place.
    25. By the way, "wire nuts" should not be used in the wiring system, and connections should be made with, for instance, snap-together connectors of some type, which cannot come loose from vehicle vibration.
    26. A number of ideas have to be considered in relation to a refrigerator. A number of units from different manufacturers should be seen and evaluated, and their sizes should be well noted. The spot for the chosen refrigerator should be slightly bigger than the average size of the potential models that you were considering in buying. If the refrigerator that you were planning to buy goes bad in the future, such as in two years (past a warranty date), you will have a little extra room to put in the same-sized unit or a slightly bigger unit better, and the other unit might end up being slightly bigger than the original. Refrigerators for camper vans do come in as low as 12-volt models. And enough air-flow space should be set up around the refrigerator so that it operates well.
    27. Consider having a small 12-volt vaccum cleaner in the vehicle so that crumbs and such can be gotten rid of--stuff that might attract bugs and insects.
    28. Consider carrying bear spray and some type of defense device. [Note: Having a "taser" can involve getting special permission.]
    29. If the water-pump system has a relay as a part of the system, carry a new replacement relay all the time. [Note: Use the same type or model of pump for all the water systems, when there are multiple pumps on a vehicle.]
    30. Have a surge protector set up for the input spot from an outside source of 110-volt electricity (a.k.a. 120-volt electricity or the like).
    31. Have one 120-volt outlet on the outside of the vehicle, one that can be used when the vehicle is connected to an outside power source, such as that at a camper park, and when the vehicle is parked somewhere with no outside power source available.
    32. If necessary and if not covered by the design of the air conditioner, use a "soft start" device with the air conditioner.
    33. Remember--Automotive molding tape (double-sided tape) can be used to hold things in place, such as lightweight things, on walls or the side of cabinets or a refrigerator.
    34. Right from the start of using the vehicle, the cab seats should be covered with seat covers, and it would be good if the seats could swivel around to face the back of the vehicle so that the main dining table could be set up behind the seats.
    35. The vehicle should be outfitted with a spare tire.
    36. The camper-van like thing should have a microwave, which could be used when "off-grid" and used certainly when the vehicle is connected to an AC power source that is outside the vehicle.
    37. Such a vehicle could get away with having only one sink, and if there is only one sink--a kitchen sink--it should not be round in shape, and it should be a size that will handle at least medium-size pots or pans or frying pans so that there is less trouble in cleaning things, especially cooking tools, and it can be a sink that is made of thin-gauge stainless steel. If the vehicle has only one sink, a mirror for shaving should exist in the vehicle that can be set up at the sink in some way.
    38. The inverter and associated equipment should be located in a central area in the front of the vehicle or really the forward area of the living space, and it should be easy to get at any item or unit of the system (though the area might have a cover of some type to block it from view), and one reason to have the control center at the front of the vehicle is to have the control center as close to the alternator or alaternators as possible.
    39. And consider this idea--which I came across in a video ("5 Mistakes to Avoid for DIY Van Builders") on YouTube related to an entity called "Van Land"--that noted that it has three main recommendations for power capacity for a van (when the van electricity sources can be a solar-panel set-up and an alternator and land-line feed (though not necessarily all at the same time)), and it is noted that it is good to be charging all the time. The minimum requirement for a simple van is 200 amp hours (lithium battery system) related to a 3,000 watts DC power unit. For a full-build vehicle (without an air conditioner or things like it as extra) that will probably not be used at a single spot (parked) for more than a few days (such as on a vacation--it seems--when an external power source is not attached to the van), it would be better to have at least 400 amp hours (lithium battery system) related to 3,000 DC inverter. If a vehicle will have an air conditioner, the power range considered should be 600 to 800 amp hours (storage). A person always has to keep in mind that cloudy weather can make a solar-system ineffective or nearly useless for several days, and I have to wonder if the speaker for "Van Land" in the video was considering cold weather. I plan for the high end of things, though the presenter in the video is suggesting people often over-power their builds. Do not use cheap equipment and parts in the charging system, such as to save money in the short term!
    Here are little things that a camper van or like vehicle should have. It should have a water-saving shower head and a water-saving sink spout. It should have a water filter for the faucet (at least), and the sink and shower should have either a pull-out spout (as should be the case for the kitchen sink) or a wand-like shower head on a flexible water line. The vehicle should have some type of cooking unit, such as a portable 12-volt-based induction cooking unit. There should be at least a small fire extinguisher in the vehicle.
    "Ifs"--these are luxury things that might be set up in a proposed camper van. It could have a heated floor, but that could require a lot of electricity. Maybe a small fuel-based portable generator could be carried on the vehicle (somewhere out of the living area). Maybe at least the walkway (like a hallway down the middle of the van) could be heated, using a 12-volt heating system; there is no need to heat the entire floor of the living area of the vehicle. I have a wish--it would be nice to have a system (such as a 12-volt heating system panel) that can be used to warm the fresh-water tank and the gray-water tank so that each can be kept from freezing up in cold weather, which, for one, might block a person's ability to drain the gray water in cold weather [Note: Some people use their camper van or like vehicles in cold weather, such as at that below 32 degrees Fahrenheit). Try to have a vehicle that can have the sleeping area above or over the driver's-seat area.
    Now that you have the information from this document so far in your mind, you can determine what "weight-related" vehicle would be needed to make the camper-van-type thing. The vehicle could be a former delivery vehicle, such as that tied to Amazon or the Postal Service and DHL. The vehicle could be a former EMS or ambulance vehicle. The vehicle could simply be a big van or SUV. It could be a truck that was used by a cable company or electricity company--with the square cab area--to make repairs on lines outside of houses and such.
    I have and had a reason for not reporting on places to see in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, and the reason is that I am pissed off at many of the people of California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington, since they voted and put communists and socialists in political jobs, and, basically, in those states now (which was started on January 1, 2025) laws block entities in those states from selling new motorhomes and most like vehicles. It is more of the nonsense-environmental-related crap. Remember--It was jackass politicians or, really, people who are rotten politicians who enacted laws that helped lead to the big-fire damage in California recently. Now, people involved with selling many types of motorhomes in the six states are knocked down, and customers have to go to other states to get new vehicles (unless laws also block people in those states from buying many types of new motorhomes). Motorhomes cannot be made out of EV-type vehicles and be useful. So the rules are more crap from rotten politicians, supposedly working to save the planet. It seems to me, people will avoid the laws and rules by making their own camper van-like things, and I hope this edition of Michigan Travel Tips will be one of the good documents to help lead people into making better stuff for themselves, which might lead them on trips to Michigan so see what is in Michigan. My worry is Gretchen Whitmer (the current governor of Michigan, who is a supporter of communistic and socialistic government ways of living for people--the citizens) might work to set up such crappy laws and rules (like those of and in California, which are grouped under the "Advanced Clean Trucks" thing) for Michigan, and that would be more crap from the Democrats for the country.
    This document is only an overview; I could have talked about other matters, such as about having materials to sanitize tanks or toilet systems on hand and what type of toilet system to have (and this document was based on some type of system that did not have a "black-water tank," but thoughts in the document can be tied to a vehicle having a black-water tank). Based on what is presented, a person has to wonder whether or not a camper van is a good investment or a good replacement for a house or like thing, given such a vehicle has tires that can wear out regularly, and the engine gets worn down over time, and there are fuel costs to cover so that the vehicle can be run, and people can end up having to deal with campsite parking fees, and there are laundromat fees, and there can be fees to take on fresh water from places. I did not talk about where to get fresh water and where dump stations for black water exist, and I did not talk about Internet entities that supposedly have information about where to get water and dump waste (sometimes for free). Yes, there are places that offer free things, like fresh water, and RVers can find free places to stay overnight, such as parking areas of parks or stores.
    And that is a look at how I might make a camper-van like thing to see at least Michigan, but maybe I could drive the vehicle down to Florida so that I might see in person Sikorsky HO3S-1G helicopter originally identified as number 235 (used by the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1940s and 1950s) at the National Museum of Naval Aviation (at Pensacola).

    P.S. #1: Some people might think my presentation of a camper van or the like leaves a person seeing a not-so-pretty unit in the end (unlike what might be sold as new by a big manufacturer, who has to make stuff super pretty to please people, especially gals); for example, the lack of unfinished cabinets (those with no doors, which might hide light-weight removable square or rectangular boxes in support structures that are like cabinet frames) might be off-putting to some people, and I am aware of that that could be possible, but sometimes "pretty" can be shallow or no help or be useless.
    P.S. #2: So, I have presented a bunch of thoughts through this document, but I have some additions. To buy a new camper van or motorhome seems to be mostly for those who have retired and have, in essence, money to burn and simply want to travel regularly and get away from home for a while, and it still seems to be such vehicles are easier to use than taking trailers (fifth-wheels) and tent-sets with supplies to campgrounds and such regularly. A used camper van, which was built by some company originally, seems to be useful in the same way, but the initial costs are lower than a new camper van. With both types of units, a person can for short times be off-grid. Then, with a "DIYer"-built vehicle, a person can do what those tied to new vehicles and used vehicles built by manufacturers can do and maybe save some money. With all three types of vehicles, if they are tarred up well, a person can have a nice-looking vehicle in which to vacation, such as to Michigan, for years and even decades. Of course, is it cost effective to have such vehicles? All three categories of vehicles can be used for "van life" or full-time living, but such living can be a hard (and I found a video posted on April 3, 2025, on YouTube called "10 Brutal Reasons NOT to Start Van Life" (from "RollinVan") that shows the bad sides of van-life living). As I reported in this document already, I only put this document together to show general thoughts that have to be considered in putting together some type of camper van, but the document by showing what it shows might shake some people into reality, especialy the many young people of this day and age who have not grown up with a father who could teach them how to build things and repair things, such as a car, and some young people might discover they are not so smart after all.

    Enjoy your traveling in Michigan!
    And keep aware of the rotten people in Michigan.

    Stay well!
    Victor

    Your travel tips in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips are:
    Not applicable; not discussed; not presented.

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