A few thoughts, and an OVEN!

Greetings VanLifeGal followers. 

It is Saturday morning, I was woken up by Charles licking my hand and nuzzling in my hair at 6:30 am. 

I am lying in bed with my laptop, typing this blog post. It is a chilly 60 degrees here this morning, which is welcomed because it has been reaching 90 every day. I like waking up in the van when it is cooler out, the air inside the van feels refreshing. 

The view out my rear windows alongside my bed is mountains, for as far as I can see. I haven't lost my appreciation for it, but I have begun to get used to it. I also have less patience for busy city streets. 

If you have been watching me on YouTube or TikTok you know that I recently installed my oven and my propane system to go along with it. This was a feat. I laugh as I realize that the project is completed, I still can't believe it.

I began buying parts for the propane system before Christmas. We are now just about hitting Easter. I think I have learned that I need a lot of time to consistently think about a project in order to get it done right. There's always a new problem to overcome, a new issue to consider, a part that was forgotten, something I thought of incorrectly that I am now realizing was wrong. I think this is the benefit of doing a van build, or anything for that matter, with someone else. The other person can help you to see what you're not seeing, or they will say something that will spark a thought in you. Nope, for me it's just Charles and AI. And may I add, AI has been wrong many times, simply apologizing for its error and promptly giving me the exact opposite statement it gave the first time when I call it out. 

The story of the oven installation goes like this...

Since I was 6 I have loved to cook, I still love to cook, really it is the thing I like doing most. Cooking and baking. So it was a non negotiable that I have a good size oven in my van. I started researching ovens early on into the build (say March 2025). Most of the typical RV ovens you find when you do a google search have reviews around 3.5 stars, and I found the consensus was that these ovens do not bake evenly. A no, no in the foodie world! After more searching I found that GE makes an RV oven that comes in 3 sizes. The smallest size called the 17" was too small to fit my cast iron dutch oven, really the oven area was more like a toaster oven size. So I opted for the middle of the range and decided on the 21" oven.

On delivery day I backed Vandalina into a parking spot right in front of UPS and excitedly marched inside. It has become a practice of mine to have things sent directly to a UPS or Fed Ex, because I have no actual landing place to send packages to. This works out well, as an employee is (almost always) willing to help me lift the heavy thing into the van. This oven weighed 70lbs. Little did I know I'd be lifting that thing in and out of the van many times myself during the build process. 

It took me a few weeks to plan everything out: the oven cabinet, where the propane lines would run, how much isle space did I want, how many drawers? I started out by using 3/4" plywood, and made two end panels and one center divider to go between the oven and the set of drawers to its left. 

The oven was 'dropped in' last, first completing the construction of each drawer, and installing drawer rails in the cabinet. A much easier job while having side access which would otherwise be blocked once the oven was in. 

Curiously, the oven is mounted by 8 screws that drive horizontally into the countertop through the top of the oven's flange. I have thought this over many times and am unsure that this really is enough to hold this 70 pound thing in place on those bumpy roads. Maybe its weight, and the fact that it really is 'hanging' in the oven cabinet is enough? I have been using it for a week now and it seems snug in there.

The next and hardest part (and scariest part!) of this project was running the propane lines and hooking all of the parts and pieces together to complete my propane system.

The first thing I did was create my sealed propane box, complete with silicone on the interior seams to ensure everything is airtight, as well as a bulkhead fitting to allow the propane to flow from the tank, through the box and into the copper lines I had run up to the oven in the van.

Running the copper lines was very difficult. Maybe it was because I was tired, but more likely it was because I was working in 95 degree temperatures and in a cramped van with a needy cat! I ran 19 feet of 3/8" copper refrigeration tubing through my van, made several bends with that bendy thing, make several flares, installed fittings, only to kink the line right at the end. Rendering the whole line useless. 

I sucked it up and went to home depot with a tear in my eye. Upset, feeling that I was completely over my head and I couldn't do this.

Upon returning to my home base, I ran the line again. I didn't put any fittings. And returned to finish it the next morning. 

Once everything was connected, I turned the propane on, energized my solenoid valve with the angel eye push button switch I had installed and watched my propane gauge (the one I installed to tell me the pressure in the whole system) rise to beyond 15 water column. Nooooooo. This was too high and I wondered what was wrong. I swiftly went to AI and it convinced me that I must have a burr of copper stuck in the line somewhere and would have to blow out my lines using a high powered air compressor. Nooooo. 

I was upset. I calmed myself, continued to research and concluded I should first buy another regulator, maybe it was a bad regulator and that was the cause of the high pressure. 

Another day and night passed and the next day I was back at it, waiting for the regulator to arrive. I am standing in my storage unit, working on another project and some guy appears. He mentioned he comes to check on his RV in storage each week and has seen me here every single time he has stopped by and was curious what I was doing. I shared with him that I was building my cargo van into my home, and showed him my work. I felt a nudge and asked him about this propane issue I was having.

He suggested adjusting my regulator using a flat head screwdriver and turning the white dial counter clockwise until the desired pressure was reached. After he left I did just that, and it worked!

I have for surely learned a great life lesson during this van build: If something isn't working don't get upset, just wait, give it time. Maybe a day or two, and come back to it. It will all work out.

I've been cooking on the stove for just under a week now! How lucky I am :)

As always, leave me a comment, or suggestion for a next post, I am truly glad you are here! 💖

Much love, 

VanLifeGal