Thank you!, I had to give up the sustain pedal as the piano is lying on a rearranged benchseat, took it off the rail and now it’s facing backwards against the driver and passenger seats. This 1992 Ford is weird, it’s like some special order not-quite Club Wagon with a 30 gallon gas tank.
We’ll meet again soon, will keep you up-to-date on exploring these new possibilities!
Thanks 
There were actually two days where I went out to scout locations and attempt to record some music. It was raining pretty heavy and there were high winds which was a challenge, had to access the side-door quickly and anything exposed was covered with a tarp and tied down. And then reconfiguring space in the van is a bear, lots of back-bending and tetris. But being able to make music and be productive in an outside environment is more than worth it.
Also I think it helps that I’m not incredibly familiar with this area, moved here over two years ago and exploring still feels like an adventure. That adds to the sense of discovery when I’m intuitively choosing a direction to drive in.
That sounds amazing. Wish my friends and I had access to those kinds of resources. No padlocks! Just moving stuff around so that I have enough space to sleep. I’m no stranger to camping in the snow or rain, but it’s kind of nice being able to run the heater when I feel the shivers.
Amazing van! Is that some kind of mobile stage tied to the top??
I’ve definitely caught the adventure-van bug. For some reason this early 90’s van has captivated me and I think I’ll be holding onto it for a while… maybe even going 4x4.
Musicians with mobile sound lab/venues!! I’m imagining a remote wilderness rendezvous point and caravan of artists!
Will keep this thread alive. I hope others feel free to update too.
Thanks Drewsky! We’ll have to get out somewhere that’s not rained or snowed out this winter and build some jams. Will get at you soon.
Thank you sandy!! The battery bank is charged from the mains, I’ve bought a NOCO Genius GENM3 which is a lower amperage 3-bank deep-cycle smart charger which will work on batteries up to 120Ah. I’m using 105Ah Duracell SLI31MDC’s. The lower amperage charger takes longer but should extend battery life.
No plans for solar, Portland is lacking a lot of sun and I can’t spend that much time outside charging the batteries. But honestly I don’t see any problem lasting a week or more with my usage. I’ll try to keep this thread updated as I experience more.
I definitely think playing outside affects my creative workflow and how I channel my intuition. The effect seems greater the longer I spend in the wilderness–I haven’t had too much time to reflect though. I’ve been hosting a friend and having fun this weekend. Let me know if you’re curious about any specifics! There are some subtle actions like making sure all the cables are the same length to avoid voltage drops between batteries in the bank.
