If you have space for it I'd recommend having a tent you can stand in just outside of your van that you can use as a dust/changing station. The last time I was there I used this type of setup & used plastic sheets connecting it to our RV door. This allowed us to change out of all of our dusty clothes & wipe off before heading into our RV. Resulted in very little to no cleanup on the inside after we were done.
You're an enigma, wrapped in a puzzle, stored within a riddle, and covered by a mystery. You're a perfectionist that seeks out total chaotic adventure. I love your content. Keep up the great work.
Two extra tips, water always carry extra, buy sheets and sew them together then cover your van, one for dust and two it helps keep the temperature down just a few more degrees. And the filters are also great to cover your grill and keep dust out of the engine compartment. Nothing is foolproof but it sure helps.
DRiving in and out will cover the metal engine area and underside and under bumpers. Do a lot of power washing underside. Filter is good but most is via driving in and out.
Pro tip: (I learned this at Electric Forest) Buy a chemical sprayer, mine is from Round Up. Fill is with water and use that as your shower. You can modify it with a shower head, but I was too lazy to do that. The regular chemical sprayer head worked just fine for me. Just make sure that it has NEVER been used to spray chemicals. You need to buy a new one. I paid like $15 for it. It works so much better than my solar shower that had to be hung from a tree.
I was able to keep my van somewhat clean by using three sheets across the door. I slipped into the first layer and closed the door behind me. Then I disrobed and stepped into the second section. It is a bit like being in a womb or a cotton envelope. I used fresh “van pajamas” each time I entered my van. I was even able to convince two separate visitors to join me (AC at BM in midday is quite the attraction). Of course, I did not have a personal shower. I used camp showers. But, keeping the inside of my van clean, my bed clean, and the air inside clean helped me survive the week in comfort. To make the sheet method work you need king size sheets and to hang them from rope rigging with the length such that there is plenty of room to step on them as they overlap at the bottom without it straining the top (that’s why rope and bungees work well, to make it flexible as you change into clean, comfy pajamas). I was careful to completely cover my hair when I went out. I used my own personal custom creations with fabric strips and ribbon to create hair-like designs such as braids and ponytails.
OMG ! Now, I'm sure, I'm not going to Burning Man, ever. It's miserable. Thanks for showing us the reality. Cheers. PS. I'm glad you survived. :-) Waiting for more updates, love it.
This year was my 14th Burning Man, you did very good on your preparation and post Burn cleanup. I change my air filter once off the playa before Gerlach for the ride back to Reno. I took 1 picture over my 12 days this year, still enjoyed every moment, in the moment, I get what you said. Great video!
Glad you are fine, I can't believe how much prep you did for the dust! It's hard to keep up with the fine dust that just gets worse each day. But it's worth it to get the experience of burning man.
Dont use astroturf, it moops. Theres a great matt by C-gear that dust goes through but doesn't come back up. Come visit us Sharkey's Bar next time you burn!
Painters tape is only good for painting. Use Gaffers tape. Its a cloth based, very sticky-yet doesnt leave behind any residue-very bendy, and stretchable/conformable tape that comes in any color you could want. We use it in the film, a/v, and spfx industries for hundreds upon hundreds of uses, but during ww2, ammo boxes were sealed shut from the elements with it. Waterproof, and dust proof-even to the finest grit dusts
OUCH! Do not use gaffers tape!! The car safe tape in film we use isn’t gaffer tape, it’s called photo black paper tape, it will not leave residue. But gaffer tape totally can leave residue and lift off clear coat or sometimes paint. Painters tape is not the worst, it’s a fairly good option, but photo black paper tape is better, especially for prolonged periods.
Gaffers tape gets mentioned so many times. Even on set I don’t use gaffer’s tape on metal pieces. It can leave a residue in these conditions (heat, alkalinity) painters tape, frog tape and photo tape are perfect and can be doubled up. Absolutely no residue too.
A little disappointed that you didn't do much filming at Burning Man, but I totally get it. It means you were living in the moment and having a fantastic time. It probably would have taken you a month to edit all the footage just to get a 15 minute video from it. Editing takes up a LOT of time, so thanks for putting this video together for us. Glad you had a great experience 😊
I went to burning man in my 2008 BLACK Dodge Grand Caravan, fully expecting it to get trashed. I lived in it on my cross country trip and for 2 nights before my yurt got assembled, hugging my swamp cooler in the heat of the day. I once forgot to close the rear vent windows during a white out and it was all over. Now I'm reclaiming the interior and exterior slowly with repeated washings with vinegar water. Heck, it used to be inundated with dog hair, playa dust is just more pervasive and persistent. My stuff serves me, not the other way around. You go girl and thanks for the tips.
Nice job on bringing the van to )'( and all the precautions on de-playa-fication. A welcome map is invaluable in the dust, both on the outside and inside of the door. I would also suggest a sheet of plastic taped over the front grill, keeps the dust out of the engine. I have also done the same over the exhaust pipe in the past, but that might be a bit overkill!! Also, spay bottle with a mix of vinegar and water is super helpful for combatting the impact of the dust on your skin as it neutralizes the dust, just a quick spray once a day keeps playa foot away!
Kara, great to hear you are interested! I can't imagine creating a longer video - it already takes me so much time creating this amount of length. :) Thank you for watching.
great idea with the mat outside your van. I know you mentioned astro turf, very moopy. Have you seen @savanavan on instagram? He was at our camp too when you came over! He had a legit van awning he created for burningman. It seemed to kinda block winds so he could still keep his van door open without getting blasted! It was a dusty year! Kuddos to you for getting such a great video. This is the first year we relied on our phones and didn't bring a camera to the playa. def having FOMO on less pics out there. Welcome back to the Default. It was great hanging out on the playa!
The solar shower is very cool. I didn't know those existed. Definitely some useful information. I'm shocked by how many folks in the comments never heard of "Burning Man". I've known about it for 20 years, and have many acquaintances who have gone multiple times, although I've never attended myself. I'm extremely appreciative of creative souls... but I'm extremely not-a-hippie, so it's not really my scene. But, hey, good for those who have fun with that kind of thing.
I have an RV, got it brand new. Although Ive had it a few years now I can honestly say it's in as good of condition as the day it was gifted to me. Not one scratch, it's in mint condition. I'm a neat freak, I have extreme anxiety and OCD. I love camping, to camp with me is like having any and all the comforts of home, I say that to say I'm glad I saw this video. I couldn't enjoy myself with all that dust, too much preparation (tape, drop cloths, and filters!)! I'm also asthmatic, although I don't mind cleaning while I'm out camping this looks totally impossible to keep clean during one's stay. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.
Another great video. The reason the shower water contained crushed is because you should have unscrewed the top cap to allow air in. It would also allow for a better water flow. If I was ever to go to burning man which I never will :) I would take a hired van
This video relieved so much pressure I felt to leave my van - somewhere?! - off playa. Traveling from the east coast having my van will be a game changer, but all of my friends urged me to somehow transport all of my stuff to a trailer and find someone with a hitch?! or some other similar move. I have an all black, pristine van too… but I got it for events and festivals… Thanks for the reassurance at the least. Great vid :)
Absolutely, now that you're an experienced "burner" you know what to expect. It's really fun but as with anything there's always a few people you have to be aware of. But the majority of the people are great folks and are attending the event for the pure enjoyment of it. I'm so happy for you to have a great time your first time there. Beeps.
Liz- thank you for the useful tips on burning man-proofing your rig! Is it too late to share your burning man experience for upcoming video? what you experienced, what YOU would do differently at burning man? I have never been. Thanks lady! love your videos!
Get the van on a lift and clean underneath, paying close attention to suspension components. These are vital to the vans performance and keeping the parts you don't see (shocks, coils, leafs, control arms, sway bars, etc..) clean after a trip like this could save you thousands down the road. Nice van and really great video. Thanks for sharing.
Would love to hear your take on the week's experience at Burning Man - but it sounds like you've decided to keep that to yourself. Perhaps, at some point, a short run down detailing some of what you did and saw? It was your previous video that turned me on to looking into this event, something I'd never heard of before. The past years B M video's, as well as some current with this year's event, here on youtube were visual revelations. I can absolutely see why attending was on your must see list.
Hello :) Yes, you are right. I keep this UA-cam Channel about the van. Instagram is where I share details about experiences and my life path. I encourage you to follow me on that platform- where I am a lot more raw about life from my lens. Thank you for watching my videos and researching Burning Man after last week's episode. That is always my hope - to give people a nugget of information and let them explore / research more about it ... to see if it aligns with your life. B M will always have a place in my heart and I will go back next year. Hope you can too!
WBTM Well then, I'll head to Instagram for your perspective. I was surprised to learn how hard the desert is on vehicles at Burning Man. Never would have conceived of that being an issue without your head's up. And during my research, I ran across lots of youtube video's filled with advice for first time attendees like you who, I expect, were dazzled by the experience.
You may very well be the most coherent Burning Man attendee I've ever seen on UA-cam...you're downright pragmatic. If you told me shop with coupons I'd probably be in love. Sigh.
Rather than a drop cloth try buying a roll of underlayment used under wood floors. It's tough paper, and doesn't wrinkle. We only had a few tears in a week, and duct tape solved that. We always bring a roll to the burn, this year was yellow which I used on the steps and it showed up well in the dark. We bagged the front seats in 55 gallon trash bags, which helped, and also wrapped the table in the same paper we used on the floor.
Great job on prepping the van for the burn! I bet that made it much better during and most def afterward. Glad to see you made it out alive and seemingly very well!
Great video! Went to the burn last year before I bought and moved into my Promaster. Building the van now and so psyched to bring it out to the desert this year. Thanks for the great experience based tips
Hi Liz, nice job prepping the van for the playa. You might want to get the wheels off and clean the brakes at some point, that playa dust gets everywhere and will eventually corrode your rotors, calipers and other brake hardware and seize them up. Also wash down the undercarriage and suspension parts for the same reason. And your bike could use some TLC as well. Hope you had a great time.
Burning man is on the bucket list. I started watching videos of what it was about. I ride in the desert so I know how dusty it is and the wind storms pitted paint from the sand all good all part of the experience. I met you a couple time's on Fiesta Island I had the little pomeranian dog with me.
I'm not sure if anyone has recommended this but you can buy spray cans of plasti-dip. If you spray down the front bumper and grill it will keep the sand from chipping away the paint as you drive it into the desert and it comes off easily.
Aw I just got back from my second burn with my van! I would of loved to say hey if I knew you were there. I'll take back putting down a drop cloth for the next year. Anyways I do love your videos and thanks for representing females out there traveling. Keep up the great work!
WOohOO- Congrats on your second Burn! We would have loved for your to visit our Vanlife Village.Thank you for your kind comment! I really appreciate your positivity. Hope your van life is fantastic!
I was a Medic in the 82nd Airborne during Operation Desert Storm. (Gulf war one 1990 91). I lived in my Humvee ambulance. Before the ground operation began I spent a month near a place called Rafha Saudi Arabia. Known to everyone in my unit as the dust bowl. The area had a clay material that was very light colored. When vehicles would drive on it it would turn to the consistency of talcum powder. I remember walking in one area where the vehicles were moving around constantly and I was up to my knees in this powder. We kept a camo net over our vehicles to create concealment but it was also truth shade. It was like having your own personal tree. You can buy these camo net Kits surplus. They come in Woodland or desert. I swiped a wooden cargo pallet to place on the ground at the rear step of the ambulance as a place to kick the dust off. I have another pallet that I used to stand on when I took a shower at night. I have 4 or 5 one gallon water jugs I would fill to bathe with at night. Because it was a combat zone and we had strict light discipline I would stripped down at night to take a bath. I carried 5 5gallon potable water jugs and 2 jerry cans of fuel. Next time you go to burning man pick up a pallet from the back of a grocery store. It will be perfect to set outside the door of your van. You can throw a doormat on it as well.
Nice job. Wish I was there. You might want to do a quick check on the vans fluids( brake, transmission, wiper washer, coolant) for any "discoloration". I'm not exactly sure how it might get into each system, but I know it's possible. If so, the alkali will definitely attack o-rings and seals. Keep on.
Wow, I'd never have thought of all that prep until after the fact and learned the hard way lol. Excellent advise. Thanks for sharing! Glad you had a good time and no, your hair wasn't too bad for 1:30 in the desert. But I imagine you felt a million times better washing that dust out.
Carrie- you are so right!! Love your comment. Thank you for watching and your kindness about my hair. I washed my hair like five times during one shower after leaving :) haha
Cover the engine area too. It collects a lot of heat and a canvas tarp over the top will keep the driver's area much cooler. Cover the front doors on the outsie using strings to keep in place after wind comes up.
Suzi, you are so right! My friends @theladiesvan did that same thing and it worked perfectly. I wish I followed suit. I will do that next year. Thanks for your advice :)
@@brimedeiros6901, I'd use pretty much any plastic... Even a big garbage bag. Remember, you are only keeping out the dust and silt. For that matter you could just use the blue painter's tape over the grill. Personally the tape on painted surfaces makes me nervous, especially in the heat and direct sunlight 😎. She didn't seem to have any problems. But I would definitely remove anything over the grill if you have to start the motor to run your generator or anything. Sending lots of love 💖 from sunny 🌞 Arizona 🌵. 😷
@@suzisaintjames thank you so much for the reply. Ive read so many people that got their tape melted that is making me rethink of what to do to protect a Van that I will bring to the Playa this year.
@@brimedeiros6901, if you are worried about the sun melting the tape, you could use magnets to hold plastic or canvas, but realize magnets won't be an air tight seal like the tape... which is really a good deal against the blowing dust. 💖🌞🌵😷
My grandpa had a ranch in the Nevada mountains, I did the Vaseline in the nose trick every time I visited. I also would keep a bandana with me at all times and would wet it before going out on the quads, I'd use it to keep my skin moist and dab areas with too much dust until I could get to a sink. As a teen, I noticed all the women who lived there seemed older than they were, realizing the dust was causing advanced aging, I used extra moistureizer and lotion while my skin was still moist, but let it dry before leaving the house.
Sounds like you had a blast. Good to hear. I was wondering how you were going to protect your van, thanks for making this video. I hope to go out there next year with with a few fellow veterans aboard Freedom.
I don't have a van nor have I ever been to burning man but maybe instead of a turf you should make a pop up tent entry way out of tarp and sturdy pile (pole* lol) that can withstand the wind/dust. So you have a mini room before the van to get the dust off in. Or can be used to just get some shade every once in a while. Obviously it would have to be wide enough to get the van door open and still have a seal. Idk how it would work. It would take some thought but it would probably a comfortable thing to have if you could figure out how to actually set it up/make it work
Another idea: For driving in real cold areas (such as Alaska in Winter) you can buy covers for the air inlets to the motor compartment at the nose of your car. In Alaska it is meant to keep the motor warm. In the desert, it will significantly reduce dust entering the motor compartment. But use it there only when you are not driving, because the motor might overheat otherwise.
ideas: neti pot, and nasal oil drops (seseme oil). Reflective foil : taped on the outside. Double up the windscreen block: helpful. Clamps on drip rails for additional shade fabric................
I cary a DeWalt Flexvolt leaf blower to creat a vortex in the RV with all windows & doors open, like one giant RV sneeze. (Also good for starting campfires) Joining that soon will be it’s sister the DeWalt cordless 11 inch fan that uses the same battery.
I don’t really need tips on van living, because I don’t plan on van life anytime soon, but it’s still fun to learn about your living experience! Maybe you can vary up the content so it’s not just all suggestions/ how to’s.
Great videos!!! If you don’t run the engine, I would wrap the whole front end of the van with stretch-tite clear plastic food wrap...goes on easy and way cheaper than tape.
Blowing dust with the air compressor may very well drive it deeper, rinsing with low pressure water may be the best bet. As for wax see if you can get Collonite brand it will literally last for months if you prep the paint surface with a clay bar first.
Hello from a fellow Okie. OKC instead of Tulsa tho. :) Just found your channel right before your Burning Man trip and was really looking forward to this update. You looked fabulous at 1am but I'm sure all the dust and sweat made for a different reality. Anyways - keep up the great vids. Can't wait to see more.
Hi Liz, I will be taking my converted Ram Promaster to Burning Man this year and would love to rack your brain for all of your tips for "proofing" it. You share some good ones here, but if you have a moment, would you mind sharing what you know, what you learned, what you would do the same and different if you were to bring your van again? I know you are selling your van, so not likely to do it again, but it would be great to hear from someone who actually went, took their van, and doesnt regret it. Thanks friend.
Do you have a canopy outside the van? Maybe drop some plastic sheets from it to create a separate enclosed area. where you can take off shoes etc and it adds one more area to keep dust out of the van.
I would try to find a cover for the van. A big cover! Tying it altogether underneath or a tent to park it in like the one I saw across from your van towards the end.
You spent a lot of effort to keep the dust out of the interior which is great. But you didn't seal off the engine vents? When I was there I noticed a lot of people sealed off the engine, including myself. I'm surprised you didn't!
Love that your doing van life....Feels like I'm listening to a news woman reading news.....puts me off...Think I'll stick with Max and Lee, feels more authentic.
This is killer advice. This reminds me I need to replace my air filter! Did you climb the stack of cars "Night At The Climb-In" that got shut down mid week?
This may help in some respect to the inside of your vehicle, but the playa will disintegrate many of your rubber/plastic components in your engine and windows. Thing is, you won't notice it doing that to those parts until a few years down the line when the alkali has already done its worse. I took my car there and a few years down the line everything plastic started crumbling and I was pulling out playa dust from places where there were no places.
If you have space for it I'd recommend having a tent you can stand in just outside of your van that you can use as a dust/changing station. The last time I was there I used this type of setup & used plastic sheets connecting it to our RV door. This allowed us to change out of all of our dusty clothes & wipe off before heading into our RV. Resulted in very little to no cleanup on the inside after we were done.
Great idea!! Thanks!
You're an enigma, wrapped in a puzzle, stored within a riddle, and covered by a mystery. You're a perfectionist that seeks out total chaotic adventure. I love your content. Keep up the great work.
Michael, thank you for your perfect description! I love it :)
Someone's in love.
Paraphrasing Winston Churchill. I like it.
She is politically correct, an SJW and a liberal who believe in Global warming bullsint.
Two extra tips, water always carry extra, buy sheets and sew them together then cover your van, one for dust and two it helps keep the temperature down just a few more degrees.
And the filters are also great to cover your grill and keep dust out of the engine compartment. Nothing is foolproof but it sure helps.
The sheet covers is a great idea.
@@thescbaron just passing on what helps people out.
Beeps & Eat's Finding food & treasure 😀
Sand dust would go right through those sheets so no to your suggestion.
DRiving in and out will cover the metal engine area and underside and under bumpers. Do a lot of power washing underside. Filter is good but most is via driving in and out.
Pro tip: (I learned this at Electric Forest) Buy a chemical sprayer, mine is from Round Up. Fill is with water and use that as your shower. You can modify it with a shower head, but I was too lazy to do that. The regular chemical sprayer head worked just fine for me. Just make sure that it has NEVER been used to spray chemicals. You need to buy a new one. I paid like $15 for it. It works so much better than my solar shower that had to be hung from a tree.
I was able to keep my van somewhat clean by using three sheets across the door. I slipped into the first layer and closed the door behind me. Then I disrobed and stepped into the second section. It is a bit like being in a womb or a cotton envelope. I used fresh “van pajamas” each time I entered my van. I was even able to convince two separate visitors to join me (AC at BM in midday is quite the attraction). Of course, I did not have a personal shower. I used camp showers. But, keeping the inside of my van clean, my bed clean, and the air inside clean helped me survive the week in comfort. To make the sheet method work you need king size sheets and to hang them from rope rigging with the length such that there is plenty of room to step on them as they overlap at the bottom without it straining the top (that’s why rope and bungees work well, to make it flexible as you change into clean, comfy pajamas). I was careful to completely cover my hair when I went out. I used my own personal custom creations with fabric strips and ribbon to create hair-like designs such as braids and ponytails.
OMG ! Now, I'm sure, I'm not going to Burning Man, ever. It's miserable. Thanks for showing us the reality. Cheers. PS. I'm glad you survived. :-) Waiting for more updates, love it.
Thank you for watching :)
This year was my 14th Burning Man, you did very good on your preparation and post Burn cleanup. I change my air filter once off the playa before Gerlach for the ride back to Reno. I took 1 picture over my 12 days this year, still enjoyed every moment, in the moment, I get what you said. Great video!
Glad you are fine, I can't believe how much prep you did for the dust! It's hard to keep up with the fine dust that just gets worse each day. But it's worth it to get the experience of burning man.
You are so right! I am glad I protected the van and experienced Burning Man. I would do it over again :)
Dont use astroturf, it moops. Theres a great matt by C-gear that dust goes through but doesn't come back up. Come visit us Sharkey's Bar next time you burn!
Painters tape is only good for painting. Use Gaffers tape. Its a cloth based, very sticky-yet doesnt leave behind any residue-very bendy, and stretchable/conformable tape that comes in any color you could want. We use it in the film, a/v, and spfx industries for hundreds upon hundreds of uses, but during ww2, ammo boxes were sealed shut from the elements with it. Waterproof, and dust proof-even to the finest grit dusts
OUCH! Do not use gaffers tape!! The car safe tape in film we use isn’t gaffer tape, it’s called photo black paper tape, it will not leave residue. But gaffer tape totally can leave residue and lift off clear coat or sometimes paint.
Painters tape is not the worst, it’s a fairly good option, but photo black paper tape is better, especially for prolonged periods.
Gaffers tape gets mentioned so many times. Even on set I don’t use gaffer’s tape on metal pieces. It can leave a residue in these conditions (heat, alkalinity) painters tape, frog tape and photo tape are perfect and can be doubled up. Absolutely no residue too.
A little disappointed that you didn't do much filming at Burning Man, but I totally get it. It means you were living in the moment and having a fantastic time. It probably would have taken you a month to edit all the footage just to get a 15 minute video from it. Editing takes up a LOT of time, so thanks for putting this video together for us. Glad you had a great experience 😊
Thank you for understanding I wanted to live in the present :)
Baloney. She didn't bring her cameras.
I went to burning man in my 2008 BLACK Dodge Grand Caravan, fully expecting it to get trashed. I lived in it on my cross country trip and for 2 nights before my yurt got assembled, hugging my swamp cooler in the heat of the day. I once forgot to close the rear vent windows during a white out and it was all over. Now I'm reclaiming the interior and exterior slowly with repeated washings with vinegar water. Heck, it used to be inundated with dog hair, playa dust is just more pervasive and persistent. My stuff serves me, not the other way around. You go girl and thanks for the tips.
Nice job on bringing the van to )'( and all the precautions on de-playa-fication. A welcome map is invaluable in the dust, both on the outside and inside of the door. I would also suggest a sheet of plastic taped over the front grill, keeps the dust out of the engine. I have also done the same over the exhaust pipe in the past, but that might be a bit overkill!! Also, spay bottle with a mix of vinegar and water is super helpful for combatting the impact of the dust on your skin as it neutralizes the dust, just a quick spray once a day keeps playa foot away!
I love your videos! The only complaint I have is I wish they were longer!
Kara, great to hear you are interested! I can't imagine creating a longer video - it already takes me so much time creating this amount of length. :) Thank you for watching.
Wild by the Mile, totally understand! Happy with anything you put out :) is your back door fixed?
Not yet!! I am still in the grueling process - I've kind of ignored it for a second :) it takes a lot of energy
great idea with the mat outside your van. I know you mentioned astro turf, very moopy. Have you seen @savanavan on instagram? He was at our camp too when you came over! He had a legit van awning he created for burningman. It seemed to kinda block winds so he could still keep his van door open without getting blasted! It was a dusty year! Kuddos to you for getting such a great video. This is the first year we relied on our phones and didn't bring a camera to the playa. def having FOMO on less pics out there. Welcome back to the Default. It was great hanging out on the playa!
You are seriously the best. So professional and genuine and intelligent. I love your videos!!
The solar shower is very cool. I didn't know those existed. Definitely some useful information.
I'm shocked by how many folks in the comments never heard of "Burning Man". I've known about it for 20 years, and have many acquaintances who have gone multiple times, although I've never attended myself. I'm extremely appreciative of creative souls... but I'm extremely not-a-hippie, so it's not really my scene. But, hey, good for those who have fun with that kind of thing.
I have an RV, got it brand new. Although Ive had it a few years now I can honestly say it's in as good of condition as the day it was gifted to me. Not one scratch, it's in mint condition. I'm a neat freak, I have extreme anxiety and OCD. I love camping, to camp with me is like having any and all the comforts of home, I say that to say I'm glad I saw this video. I couldn't enjoy myself with all that dust, too much preparation (tape, drop cloths, and filters!)! I'm also asthmatic, although I don't mind cleaning while I'm out camping this looks totally impossible to keep clean during one's stay. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.
Great video. Just an FYI, you should have put the air filter over the side windows and not the roof fan. The roof fan is drawing air out of the van.
Another great video. The reason the shower water contained crushed is because you should have unscrewed the top cap to allow air in. It would also allow for a better water flow. If I was ever to go to burning man which I never will :) I would take a hired van
This video relieved so much pressure I felt to leave my van - somewhere?! - off playa. Traveling from the east coast having my van will be a game changer, but all of my friends urged me to somehow transport all of my stuff to a trailer and find someone with a hitch?! or some other similar move. I have an all black, pristine van too… but I got it for events and festivals… Thanks for the reassurance at the least. Great vid :)
Absolutely, now that you're an experienced "burner" you know what to expect. It's really fun but as with anything there's always a few people you have to be aware of. But the majority of the people are great folks and are attending the event for the pure enjoyment of it. I'm so happy for you to have a great time your first time there.
Beeps.
Liz- thank you for the useful tips on burning man-proofing your rig! Is it too late to share your burning man experience for upcoming video? what you experienced, what YOU would do differently at burning man? I have never been. Thanks lady! love your videos!
Get the van on a lift and clean underneath, paying close attention to suspension components. These are vital to the vans performance and keeping the parts you don't see (shocks, coils, leafs, control arms, sway bars, etc..) clean after a trip like this could save you thousands down the road. Nice van and really great video. Thanks for sharing.
Would love to hear your take on the week's experience at Burning Man - but it sounds like you've decided to keep that to yourself. Perhaps, at some point, a short run down detailing some of what you did and saw? It was your previous video that turned me on to looking into this event, something I'd never heard of before. The past years B M video's, as well as some current with this year's event, here on youtube were visual revelations. I can absolutely see why attending was on your must see list.
Hello :) Yes, you are right. I keep this UA-cam Channel about the van. Instagram is where I share details about experiences and my life path. I encourage you to follow me on that platform- where I am a lot more raw about life from my lens. Thank you for watching my videos and researching Burning Man after last week's episode. That is always my hope - to give people a nugget of information and let them explore / research more about it ... to see if it aligns with your life. B M will always have a place in my heart and I will go back next year. Hope you can too!
WBTM Well then, I'll head to Instagram for your perspective.
I was surprised to learn how hard the desert is on vehicles at Burning Man. Never would have conceived of that being an issue without your head's up. And during my research, I ran across lots of youtube video's filled with advice for first time attendees like you who, I expect, were dazzled by the experience.
You may very well be the most coherent Burning Man attendee I've ever seen on UA-cam...you're downright pragmatic. If you told me shop with coupons I'd probably be in love. Sigh.
Rather than a drop cloth try buying a roll of underlayment used under wood floors. It's tough paper, and doesn't wrinkle. We only had a few tears in a week, and duct tape solved that. We always bring a roll to the burn, this year was yellow which I used on the steps and it showed up well in the dark. We bagged the front seats in 55 gallon trash bags, which helped, and also wrapped the table in the same paper we used on the floor.
I'm not even interested starting van life right now yet I love watching your channel ha :)
Great job on prepping the van for the burn! I bet that made it much better during and most def afterward. Glad to see you made it out alive and seemingly very well!
Great video! Went to the burn last year before I bought and moved into my Promaster. Building the van now and so psyched to bring it out to the desert this year. Thanks for the great experience based tips
Hi Liz, nice job prepping the van for the playa. You might want to get the wheels off and clean the brakes at some point, that playa dust gets everywhere and will eventually corrode your rotors, calipers and other brake hardware and seize them up. Also wash down the undercarriage and suspension parts for the same reason. And your bike could use some TLC as well. Hope you had a great time.
Burning man is on the bucket list. I started watching videos of what it was about. I ride in the desert so I know how dusty it is and the wind storms pitted paint from the sand all good all part of the experience. I met you a couple time's on Fiesta Island I had the little pomeranian dog with me.
You are kind!! Thank you for stopping by! Nice to see you on here after Fiesta Island :)
I'm not sure if anyone has recommended this but you can buy spray cans of plasti-dip. If you spray down the front bumper and grill it will keep the sand from chipping away the paint as you drive it into the desert and it comes off easily.
Aw I just got back from my second burn with my van! I would of loved to say hey if I knew you were there. I'll take back putting down a drop cloth for the next year. Anyways I do love your videos and thanks for representing females out there traveling. Keep up the great work!
WOohOO- Congrats on your second Burn! We would have loved for your to visit our Vanlife Village.Thank you for your kind comment! I really appreciate your positivity. Hope your van life is fantastic!
I saw Burning Man and called 911. Firefighters were able to save him with only minor burns.
Try Ayer for the nose, baby wipes for the body and sand mat for the door entrance.
I'm glad to see both you and the van are recovering well!
Greg, thank you very much! You are kind :)
At 1;30am you looked soo good your hair was amazing
Thank you! It turned into pre-dreadlocks.
I was a Medic in the 82nd Airborne during Operation Desert Storm. (Gulf war one 1990 91). I lived in my Humvee ambulance. Before the ground operation began I spent a month near a place called Rafha Saudi Arabia. Known to everyone in my unit as the dust bowl. The area had a clay material that was very light colored. When vehicles would drive on it it would turn to the consistency of talcum powder. I remember walking in one area where the vehicles were moving around constantly and I was up to my knees in this powder. We kept a camo net over our vehicles to create concealment but it was also truth shade. It was like having your own personal tree. You can buy these camo net Kits surplus. They come in Woodland or desert. I swiped a wooden cargo pallet to place on the ground at the rear step of the ambulance as a place to kick the dust off. I have another pallet that I used to stand on when I took a shower at night. I have 4 or 5 one gallon water jugs I would fill to bathe with at night. Because it was a combat zone and we had strict light discipline I would stripped down at night to take a bath. I carried 5 5gallon potable water jugs and 2 jerry cans of fuel. Next time you go to burning man pick up a pallet from the back of a grocery store. It will be perfect to set outside the door of your van. You can throw a doormat on it as well.
Nice job. Wish I was there. You might want to do a quick check on the vans fluids( brake, transmission, wiper washer, coolant) for any "discoloration". I'm not exactly sure how it might get into each system, but I know it's possible. If so, the alkali will definitely attack o-rings and seals. Keep on.
Wow, I'd never have thought of all that prep until after the fact and learned the hard way lol. Excellent advise. Thanks for sharing! Glad you had a good time and no, your hair wasn't too bad for 1:30 in the desert. But I imagine you felt a million times better washing that dust out.
Carrie- you are so right!! Love your comment. Thank you for watching and your kindness about my hair. I washed my hair like five times during one shower after leaving :) haha
You have such a warm vibe. Ty for sharing.
you are kind :)
Love that you used Van.There’s tip on covering the windows/fans with that filter!
Great video Liz! Packed with useful tips for Burning Man, as well as similar events/destinations. Thanks for sharing.
Cover the engine area too. It collects a lot of heat and a canvas tarp over the top will keep the driver's area much cooler. Cover the front doors on the outsie using strings to keep in place after wind comes up.
If I don't have to start the engine, I would tape plastic over the front grill to protect the radiator from dust. ❤🌅🌵
Suzi, you are so right! My friends @theladiesvan did that same thing and it worked perfectly. I wish I followed suit. I will do that next year. Thanks for your advice :)
Can you please share what type of plastic to use? Thx
@@brimedeiros6901, I'd use pretty much any plastic... Even a big garbage bag. Remember, you are only keeping out the dust and silt. For that matter you could just use the blue painter's tape over the grill. Personally the tape on painted surfaces makes me nervous, especially in the heat and direct sunlight 😎. She didn't seem to have any problems. But I would definitely remove anything over the grill if you have to start the motor to run your generator or anything. Sending lots of love 💖 from sunny 🌞 Arizona 🌵. 😷
@@suzisaintjames thank you so much for the reply. Ive read so many people that got their tape melted that is making me rethink of what to do to protect a Van that I will bring to the Playa this year.
@@brimedeiros6901, if you are worried about the sun melting the tape, you could use magnets to hold plastic or canvas, but realize magnets won't be an air tight seal like the tape... which is really a good deal against the blowing dust. 💖🌞🌵😷
My grandpa had a ranch in the Nevada mountains, I did the Vaseline in the nose trick every time I visited. I also would keep a bandana with me at all times and would wet it before going out on the quads, I'd use it to keep my skin moist and dab areas with too much dust until I could get to a sink. As a teen, I noticed all the women who lived there seemed older than they were, realizing the dust was causing advanced aging, I used extra moistureizer and lotion while my skin was still moist, but let it dry before leaving the house.
Lindsey, great to hear you can relate :)
Sounds like you had a blast. Good to hear. I was wondering how you were going to protect your van, thanks for making this video. I hope to go out there next year with with a few fellow veterans aboard Freedom.
Fred, thank you for watching! I hope you can experience BM :)
I don't have a van nor have I ever been to burning man but maybe instead of a turf you should make a pop up tent entry way out of tarp and sturdy pile (pole* lol) that can withstand the wind/dust. So you have a mini room before the van to get the dust off in. Or can be used to just get some shade every once in a while. Obviously it would have to be wide enough to get the van door open and still have a seal. Idk how it would work. It would take some thought but it would probably a comfortable thing to have if you could figure out how to actually set it up/make it work
Brianne, you are so right! I had all intention of doing this - I ran out of time :)
Another idea: For driving in real cold areas (such as Alaska in Winter) you can buy covers for the air inlets to the motor compartment at the nose of your car. In Alaska it is meant to keep the motor warm. In the desert, it will significantly reduce dust entering the motor compartment. But use it there only when you are not driving, because the motor might overheat otherwise.
Thanks for this advice!
Good tips Beach Bunny! Have an old 95 Aerostar specifically for Burning Man. In dust we trust!
ideas: neti pot, and nasal oil drops (seseme oil). Reflective foil : taped on the outside. Double up the windscreen block: helpful. Clamps on drip rails for additional shade fabric................
Great tips! I’m in the early stages in planning BM for the first time. BTW, you’re beautiful inside and out!!!
I love your very imformative videos! It sounds like a big mess at Burning Man! But Love hearing about all your Adventures!
I cary a DeWalt Flexvolt leaf blower to creat a vortex in the RV with all windows & doors open, like one giant RV sneeze. (Also good for starting campfires) Joining that soon will be it’s sister the DeWalt cordless 11 inch fan that uses the same battery.
I don’t really need tips on van living, because I don’t plan on van life anytime soon, but it’s still fun to learn about your living experience! Maybe you can vary up the content so it’s not just all suggestions/ how to’s.
Perhaps an electric leaf blower would be better than pressurized air to blow out the inside.
Great videos!!! If you don’t run the engine, I would wrap the whole front end of the van with stretch-tite clear plastic food wrap...goes on easy and way cheaper than tape.
Blowing dust with the air compressor may very well drive it deeper, rinsing with low pressure water may be the best bet. As for wax see if you can get Collonite brand it will literally last for months if you prep the paint surface with a clay bar first.
That was awesome!!! I think though, I would rent a U-Haul and set-up a tent. Plus join a camp, Thanks for sharing.
Hey great thing I used was epic whips there a towel size baby whip for adults makes you feel like you’ve showered after using it
Thanks for all the tips! Did you put in the painters tape before you got on the Playa, or once you got there?
Hello from a fellow Okie. OKC instead of Tulsa tho. :)
Just found your channel right before your Burning Man trip and was really looking forward to this update.
You looked fabulous at 1am but I'm sure all the dust and sweat made for a different reality.
Anyways - keep up the great vids. Can't wait to see more.
Hello OKIE!!! So glad to see someone from my home state on here:) Thank you very much for your kindness. I appreciate you watching my videos.
That sounds like a lot of work, for dust......that place must be amazing to go through all that trouble.
Hi Liz, I will be taking my converted Ram Promaster to Burning Man this year and would love to rack your brain for all of your tips for "proofing" it. You share some good ones here, but if you have a moment, would you mind sharing what you know, what you learned, what you would do the same and different if you were to bring your van again? I know you are selling your van, so not likely to do it again, but it would be great to hear from someone who actually went, took their van, and doesnt regret it. Thanks friend.
Do you have a canopy outside the van? Maybe drop some plastic sheets from it to create a separate enclosed area. where you can take off shoes etc and it adds one more area to keep dust out of the van.
Done a lot of things, but I think I can skip BM. You did good though. Very thorough preps.
I would try to find a cover for the van. A big cover! Tying it altogether underneath or a tent to park it in like the one I saw across from your van towards the end.
New subscriber here🙋. Been binge-watching your videos. 😁
Air compressors dont just spray air, they also spray a super fine mist of oil.
OMFG
Depends on the compressor. Pistons will unless oil less, diaphragms won't.
Can you tell me where you put the tape on your van? Did you put it on at home, before going to burning man or somewhere else? Thank you - great video!
Awesome! Very nice to have your own home there.
Nice video, I'm gonna try it with my tiny house on wheels.....lol.should be interesting.
Yay so inspirational, I'm very impressed by your lifestyle 😍
thank you!
You spent a lot of effort to keep the dust out of the interior which is great. But you didn't seal off the engine vents? When I was there I noticed a lot of people sealed off the engine, including myself. I'm surprised you didn't!
Did you mean Aquaphor/Vaseline instead of Neosporin? You shouldn't be putting antibiotic ointment where it's not needed.
So much work.And always having to buy stuff for all the problems that are happening a lot when you take on living in a van
Love that your doing van life....Feels like I'm listening to a news woman reading news.....puts me off...Think I'll stick with Max and Lee, feels more authentic.
Great video - this really helps me - thank you!! :)
It's so interesting to watch your story! I absolute love this and all the independence you have! Great channel!
Wow! Very helpful video, thank you. I hope you'll share your experiences from BM, they say that place is magical?
Follow on Instagram for more magic! Thank you for your interest :)
Next up... tips for the apocalypse?
hahah - I wouldn't know where to start with those tips :)
Your videos are awesome. Enjoy so much.
This is killer advice. This reminds me I need to replace my air filter! Did you climb the stack of cars "Night At The Climb-In" that got shut down mid week?
Do what I eat in a week. How I plan prep meals and favorite healthy or staple recipes.
This may help in some respect to the inside of your vehicle, but the playa will disintegrate many of your rubber/plastic components in your engine and windows. Thing is, you won't notice it doing that to those parts until a few years down the line when the alkali has already done its worse. I took my car there and a few years down the line everything plastic started crumbling and I was pulling out playa dust from places where there were no places.
PS why are you hiding from the dust at Burning man?
ok I live in BC and our cars do not rust. You protected your inside bit the outside needs to be watched. overall very well thought out
Great Video. I hope you enjoyed your trip..
Nosebleeds, dust coughs and destroyed vans. Burning man blows.
It's worth it for the gangbang tents 😂
Don't forget all the MBAs pretending to be hipsters.... It was once great but, like everything else, has been destroyed by greed and fakes.
I hate dust . I will watch you go .
What are night routines like? What is it like to park and get and your van ready to spend the night?
Love your videos!
Ohhhhhh the dust been there enjoy love😉
Is that also another sprinter van right next to you? Did anyone else give you any tips?
So this is what Marsha Marsha Marsha looks like at burning man LoL........!
I'm going to have to look into that solar shower...
You are crazy fun.... you rock !
Wow you must have done some crazy drugs there to be that enthusiastic about keeping clean at burning man 😂😁
Ah yes, peace and love for living for the moment. How was your first BURN though!🙏
Good tips eh; vanlife✌
How much E did you drop? Lol , great vid!
Clever clever girl 👍🏻👍🏻