Troubleshooting my Solar Charge Controller

My life is ever so busy! Today's adventure brings us to a fun process of elimination. I woke up to a charge controller on the fritz and my batteries getting a bit low. Between this, gas leaks, vacuum leaks, and a plethora of other fun challenging experiences I think the last month has proven that even curve balls are easier to handle in van life. A special thank you to the very kind people who donated to help me out after I lost that money a few weeks back. *hugs* You guys are incredible and it was something I definitely didn't expect! Alvin, Shane, PassinTime, and DannyB, you guys kick ass and I love you so much! I got some dog food for Sarah, some much needed tools, and I have a security system on it's way, which I will mention in the next video and hopefully be able to set up by next month. *huggles!!!* You're the best!

A simplistic Illustration, fuses not included

via Instagram

Sarah enjoyed the hotdogs gifted to her by a family barbecuing in the park. Thank you!

via Instagram

Friends and Guardians

One of the things that makes me incredibly happy is the opportunity to help other people. But sometimes, you're the person who needs help. Accepting help, in it's own way, can be a form of helping others. There is such beauty and grace in both sides of the experience and love is compounded and squared. Not doubled, but squared.

There was so much love when working on the gas leak. My sincerest appreciation to Danny B and Larry. They are the quiet guardians behind the scenes that you don't see often in Jamie's videos, or even mine. They don't announce their help, they just buckle down and help. I love them so.

And you can sure as hell bet I'm gonna be passing this karma on.

Beautiful Idaho

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GoSun Solar Oven Review

The GoSun Solar oven is one of my favorite luxuries in van life. When I first became homeless and lived in my tiny Civic I craved fresh bread and cookies. I tried all the DIY solar devices and nothing was efficient enough to cook bread or bring food up to safe temperatures.
So you can imagine when I finally had some spending cash that a solar oven was on my must have list. The GoSun is awkwardly shaped, yes, but who said muffins need to be in the shape of a muffin? They are delicious either way and having fresh baked food that cooks in 30 minutes is nothing short of a miracle in this lifestyle.



I cannot praise the GoSun enough. It is thoughtfully designed and gets up to temp within 15-20 minutes. The thermal vacuum tube is really what gives this oven it's magic. It can get up to 600 degrees and holds heat for hours when sealed. It only takes an hour for some perfectly cooked teriyaki chicken. The oven will even continue to work as clouds roll by.

On a sunny day it takes about 30 minutes for blueberry muffins. On a cloudy day it's about an hour and on an overcast day it can take up to 4 hours... which may seem dismal, but compare that to any other oven on the market and you'll know most can't even cook on overcast days.

This thing is portable, durable, and easy to clean up (as long as you clean shortly after you cook). Do not wait a day to clean this, or it's a pain in the ass.

When I have another chance for extra cash I intend to invest in a second unit. This one is fantastic, but it only serves 2 meals. I'd love to be able to cook more for a crowd at a time.

All in all though, it's one of my favorite tools. I don't need propane or electricity to have a good hot meal, and that is super satisfying.

The Long Update

June was a hell of a month. Because of my anxiety issues I have a tendency to put off high stress things. Unfortunately, this time my high stress was YouTube related. So I went dark. Earlier this morning I posted a short video mentioning my breakup and leaving Jamie's camp (https://youtu.be/KA7yqZZaHnU). This video was mostly to get the worst over with and get my ass back to work on the massive amount of content I've been avoiding. Above is the longer version.

Honestly, the reaction was incredibly more positive than I expected. My hat off to you YouTube for your incredible support. I was genuinely afraid that most of my followers would be upset about it and leave, but there is so much love in the van dwelling community. <3 My heart melted right away and because of such positive response I was able to work on what I had been avoiding for a month.

It's hard to look back on this time because there was a lot of pain and fear. But there were also amazing things. Parades and puppy sitting. Flowers, fires, and fireworks. I have so much love for all the events and random encounters. I would say it's the most joyful experience about vandwelling, but it actually comes in as a close second.

The best joy is helping another traveler. Especially when you get to geek out together about your rigs, where you've been or where you're going. Something I love to do is give food to panhandlers on the street. I rarely, if ever, have much money, but I always have food. I met a gentleman named Francisco just as I was leaving Orem. He was amazing. "I'm headed to Maui in a week" he said. "Holy shit, that's awesome!" I squeaked as we munched on cold yogurt from my fridge. He reminded me that different lifestyles have different needs. I pressed to give him as much food as I could, but he refused most of it because of the extra weight it would cause him to carry.

"Good luck with your busking!" I waved goodbye and secretly wished I had the nerve to stand on a street corner like that. I imagine it's much like camming; high criticism, harassment, and mistreatment, but worth the patience for moments like this. People can be happy with very little. Life can be simple and beautiful. This young man was proof. Even catching a glimpse of a mountain lion was not as thrilling as giving him some yogurt and cereal.

I truly wish more people would try the nomadic life. Even just for a short while to understand the struggles and the simplicity. Saving money would be easier when you understand how little value there is to materialism. It's our experiences that make us happy. Meeting with old friends.

After I left the Nomadics camp I visited one of these old friends for a while. We enjoyed rootbeer floats together and walked around a reservoir for a while. The next day we gamed for hours while I did my laundry, our dogs huffing at each other from a distance. It's the simple things that I value and being able to reconnect with this person meant the world to me.

They say it's not the destination, but the journey that's important. For me, the journey is the destination. The wind moves me where I need to be and the experiences I seek are the greatest joys of life. The breakup with Jamie was hard. I love him dearly, but the pain out weighed the benefits. I know there will be better things for both of us in the future. His business is doing very well and it can only get better. I also know he is a kind and mature person, so I hope when the van build rolls around in November that our anxieties toward each other will be settled.

I do best when I'm on the wind and I hope this is the last relationship I will have for a while. I am tired and there is much about me that I need to focus on fixing. Enjoying life and improving myself will be my focus in the coming months. And if I'm lucky, I might be able to help another traveler along the way.

I love you much. Thank you for reading.
-Tes

Street smarts

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