Endless music, classic cars, beautiful seas and cultural swagger will ensure memories from a family vacation to Cuba last a lifetime.
23.12.2023 - 18:21 / forbes.com
After months of planning and building, it was finally time to give my Transit Connect campervan its first big test. Sure, I’d recently done a test run to Pinnacles National Park, but that was only for two nights and I could have left at any time. Due to the obligations of a work project, this first big trip had no such fallback. I’d need to live and work out of the van in a different state for almost a week.
I was optimistic, though, since the test run had gone well. I’d still had a few final things to do before the big trip, however, and less than a week to do them. Not least, I needed to figure out some way to add some heat to the van, since when I’d designed it, I never intended to do much adventuring in the winter. Ironic, then, that my first two trips were in the cold.
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While I was optimistic that my secret work location would be slightly warmer than Pinnacles National Park, it was still going to be quite cold at night. I bought a 12 volt space heater, not entirely optimistic it would do much. With just 12V, and a maximum of 15 amps, best case that’s just 180 watts. For comparison, a typical home space heater can be upwards of 1,800 watts. All the 12V space heaters on Amazon have terrible reviews, and I think this is because people are expecting home space heater performance when there just isn’t that kind of power available with a 12V system.
Performance was entirely… whelming. I didn’t expect much and I didn’t get much. That said, it did blow warmer air than ambient, and in the small space of the van and being well bundled under blankets and a sleeping bag, it was adequate. I was certainly warmer than I was in Pinnacles despite the night temps only being slightly higher.
I also purchased an electric blanket, also 12V of course, and that helped a lot too. In fact, if I have another cold weather trip, as long as the temperatures aren’t expected to drop below 40, I might just use that and skip the power-hungry space heater altogether. I talk more about both of these in 11 Best Accessories For Any Campervan Conversion.
Lighting was the next issue. I didn’t have time to install anything before I left for Pinnacles and let me tell you, it is dark in that van at night. When I returned I installed an LED strip around the panoramic roof using the rubber trim to hold it in place. The result is so good it almost looks like the van came with it, except for the dangling tail and power cable. I’ll figure out how to tuck those in somewhere. In the meantime, the result is a warm light that’s not too bright and pleasantly
Endless music, classic cars, beautiful seas and cultural swagger will ensure memories from a family vacation to Cuba last a lifetime.
While most museum gift shops offer books about a museum and its contents, The Wizard of Oz Museum takes its own story from the books to the screen by way of an immersive experience that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. The Wizard of Oz Museum is one of the most popular museums in the country that covers a book that emphasizes L. Frank Baum’s story and its impact on American culture. The museum’s family appeal is recognized by two major traveler ranking sources – TripAdvisor and Whichmuseum – where The Wizard of Oz Museum ranks in the top 20 for things to do in Florida among art and/or museum lovers, couples, kids, and pop culture fans, as well as best group activities, and as a hidden gem. At Whichmuseum, it ranks as #1 out of 8,751 museums in the country in four categories (child-friendly, audio tour, museum shop, and parking); as #2 among art museums in Florida, and as #14 among the best museums in Florida.
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