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Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying
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montanasurfer
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:33 am    Post subject: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

Hey folks,

I am a van lifer who has a regular 9-5'er. I usually catch a surf before work. What I'm looking for is any creative solutions for drying a wetsuit on the outside of the van. I work in a sketchy area and don't want a meth head to steal my wetsuit my doing the usual draping it off the mirror method. I also don't want to dry it inside my van as having that much moisture in a van SUCKS, especially with being full time in the van. Any ideas? Any folks have methods they want to share?

Gracias,
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Sodo
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:59 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

Add an exhaust fan to exhaust the moist van air and bring in outside air. Those little 3.5" computer fans run on 12vDC and use very little power, appx 3 watts or 1/4 amp. In 8 hours that's 2 amp-hours. You have to make sure your battery(s) can handle 2 amp-hours every day.

There are several sizes of fans. Your headlights, for example consume 10 amps (40x what the fan consumes).

A van has appx 360cubic feet of air, if that little fan can move 10 CFM then it exchanges the van air every 36 minutes. I have no idea what the CFM of those little fans is, the "10CFM" is a wild guess.
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WestyWanter
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:03 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

Sodo wrote:
Add an exhaust fan to exhaust the moist van air and bring in outside air. Those little 3.5" computer fans run on 12vDC and use very little power, appx 3 watts or 1/4 amp. In 8 hours that's 2 amp-hours. You have to make sure your battery(s) can handle 2 amp-hours every day.

Your headlights, for example consume 10 amps (40x what the fan consumes).

A van has appx 360cubic feet of air, if that little fan can move 10 CFM then it exchanges the van air every 36 minutes.


you sir know a lot about fans!
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syncrodoka
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:33 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

Have you tried driving around with the wetsuit on the mirror?
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DanHoug
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:34 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

run a vinyl coated steel cable thru the arms and lock it to the grab handle inside, cables running out between the door and frame. old motorcycle trick to keep your riding jacket from walking.

people can still cut the suit off the cable, ruining it, just to be mean but there are destroyers everywhere.

-dan
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SCM
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:42 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

DanHoug wrote:
run a vinyl coated steel cable thru the arms and lock it to the grab handle inside, cables running out between the door and frame. old motorcycle trick to keep your riding jacket from walking.

people can still cut the suit off the cable, ruining it, just to be mean but there are destroyers everywhere.

-dan


I like that one.

Another option would be to find an old rocket box, drill a bunch of 1-2" diameter holes in it, maybe fab some sort of horizontal rack inside, and then lay/lock your suit in it up on the roof.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:47 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

Surfing in Montana?...... Think

Dave
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:09 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

djkeev wrote:
Surfing in Montana?...... Think

Dave


Missoula has a standing wave and meth heads. So that was my first guess but, given the temperatures there's not much chance of anything drying outside right now.

Why the OP isn't skiing/snowboarding this time of year (and during such a great year) is beyond me. Laughing
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WestyWanter
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

if you have a gym membership can't you leave it in a locker there an have it dry?
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Finagon
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

If you have a decent, or even medium-sized rack on the roof, I could see some method by which you sandwich the wet suit between some heavy-ish gauge metal screen. Locking said screen to the rack?

Assuming it's a dry or cloudless day, you'd probably have a black wetsuit dry within an hour or two.
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montanasurfer
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

djkeev wrote:
Surfing in Montana?...... Think

Dave


I actually live in California now... It is an unorthadox handle Wink.
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montanasurfer
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wetsuit Drying Reply with quote

DanHoug wrote:
run a vinyl coated steel cable thru the arms and lock it to the grab handle inside, cables running out between the door and frame. old motorcycle trick to keep your riding jacket from walking.

people can still cut the suit off the cable, ruining it, just to be mean but there are destroyers everywhere.

-dan


I like this idea. I think I might give it a go.
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DanHoug
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

these or roll yer own....

http://www.aerostich.com/a-to-b-utilities/locks-alarms?limit=all

-dan
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VicVan
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

You wouldn't want the wetsuit exposed to sunlight all day, it would get ruined pretty quickly. Neoprene does not like UV I believe.
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montanasurfer
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

VicVan wrote:
You wouldn't want the wetsuit exposed to sunlight all day, it would get ruined pretty quickly. Neoprene does not like UV I believe.


Yeah, I was thinking about that... Here's an idea, what if I get one of those marine powered solar fans and install that on the top of my swing away box I have on the back of the van with a dry rack to drape my suit on? I think we are on to something. That would incorporate the fan idea from earlier... Would seem like a wast of storage though....
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montanasurfer
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

VicVan wrote:
You wouldn't want the wetsuit exposed to sunlight all day, it would get ruined pretty quickly. Neoprene does not like UV I believe.


Yeah, I was thinking about that... Here's an idea, what if I get one of those marine powered solar fans and install that on the top of my swing away box I have on the back of the van with a dry rack to drape my suit on? I think we are on to something. That would incorporate the fan idea from earlier... Would seem like a wast of storage though....
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DanHoug
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

i'll take a fading wetsuit over the smell of a continually damp one anyday! they gotta be hung up to dry!

-dan
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70coupyel
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

The guy that actually started the #vanlife he surfed and he created a wetsuit drying closet in his van. You need to do some research and find out what he did. For full timers this would be good for towels and laundry.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

I hang(strap it half way point, not on a wetsuit hanger) mine on my bike hitch rack all the time both on the van and my civic. Most ppl don't want to steal or touch damp clothes. I also drive around with it, usually if i get on the freeway, it will be mostly dry on the outside in 30-40min and i flip it inside out and dry that again. But other nice driver always honking at me and let me know i have a wetsuit on my bike rack.
If you have a westy or poptop you can also throw it up at the luggage rack but that is as long you remember to take it down before you drive off.
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kaalualu
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:59 am    Post subject: Re: Vanlife and Wet Suit Drying Reply with quote

Keep moving West, you won't need a wetsuit. Sorry, I couldn't resist..
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