Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vans

Convex wheels keep on turnin'!

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:03:34 -0800

Why do most large trucks and other heavy vehicles have wheels with hubs that protrude outward in front?

How to make new sneakers look old

mizrachi — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:39:03 -0800

What's the best method to age/weather canvas sneakers? I have a pair of white Vans that I want to age. At the moment, they're sitting outside in the sun. Short of wearing them every day, is there some way to quicken the aging process (saltwater, dirt, sandpaper, etc)?

Looking for a good fabric marker.

MaryDellamorte — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:49:08 -0800

I'm looking to make a pair of DIY Vans and I need help in deciding what to use. I'm looking to make a pair of DIY vans but I have no experience with this. At first I was thinking about using colored sharpies, but then I thought "what about fabric markers?" Thing is, I have no experience with either and how it looks on the fabric of the shoes (canvas). I found a website with a person who makes shoes similar to what I want to do for myself and I like the way his look. I found a picture of a sample of his shoes and what I'm guessing are the types of fabric markers he uses. Do these look familiar to anyone? If I could find those, I would use them. If not, I will take suggestions from others about what I should use.

Living in a Van

petsounds — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:59:41 -0800

How feasible is it to live in a van? I want to quit my job and travel around living in a van. I like sleeping in enclosed spaces. i dont like material possesions.. i like simlicity and freedom- the idea of just writing and reading all day without owing my time to anyone. I want to live cheaply. I would sleep in the van at night but i wouldnt really spend much time in it. I would park it either in or near a city or on the outskirts. During the day Id be in the public library (where there are public restrooms). Im from the cold northeast so I want to take my van south where the are warm cities, maybe arizona or southern california. I dont want to freeze at night when im sleeping in my van. The city would need to have good libraries. I would park my van in empty parking lots or industrial lots or whatever i could find, so it would need to be inconspicuous and blend in so I wont get bothered by cops. I am thinking either a dodge 1500 or a chevy express van because they are both cheap and look like the typical white service van. I dont care about having windows or much space. all i need is a sleeping bag, pillows and lots of books. To wash clothes id take them to a laundromat and for showering i can get a gym membership. Id buy a lot of rice and dry bulk food that you can cook just with water, you can make some nice meals with a bunsen burner stove, beans, soups, noodles etc. I would get lots of batteries for reading light. Im not doing this out of desperation because i'm broke. The point is so that i can be FREE and not have expectations from anyone and to see if its possible to survive on my own and take care of myself without paying rent. I do have 40K set aside- i want to make it last as long as I can. My question is, am i crazy? has anyone else had experience living out of a van in a city? what else do i need to worry about? hearing your stories would be very helpful!

Diesel Vans 1998-2006

goalyeehah — Thu, 04 May 2006 17:53:23 -0800

Are Diesel Vans being made? I am selling product at local farmer's markets in Los Angeles county and am looking for a diesel van to convert to bio-diesel. I not to up on cars and am curious as to whether diesel vans have been built within the past 6-8 years.

Does anyone here know the height of a year 1985 Mazda E2000 van?

skylar — Wed, 30 Jun 2004 10:10:30 -0800

Does anyone here know the height of a year 1985 Mazda E2000 van? Google knows the height of current models, but I can't find a height for the older version. Correct answers rewarded with camping.