Out with the old, in with the different

You can tell from the archeological-grade dust layer I haven't used my RoadPro oven in quite a while. It consumes too much power, it's slow, and because it's slow it requires starting meals long before I'm hungry. Or starting meals when I'm sort of hungry and then cursing the oven for taking so long. It also takes up space in the Rolling Steel Tent—space that could be occupied by something I'm more likely to use.

Various van dwelling mavins say you really really really need an air compressor or you're a total failure as a 110% prepared vehicular nomad. Eh, I had other priorities. Until recently.

Forrest talked me into lowering the pressure in my tires—airing down—when I drove dirt roads. I tried it and, as promised, the ride wasn't as harsh. Excellent!

But after airing down, one should air back up for highway driving. That means heading to the closest service station that still has an air pump, or carrying your own. Since I want to drive dirt roads much more often than trying to cook with the RoadPro, the compressor now resides in the oven's former cubby (which I recently learned from Lou is called a cuddy in the nautical world. I believe sailors spend down time thinking of new names for ordinary things just to confuse landlubbers—which is another term sailors invented).

Does this mean you shouldn't get a RoadPro oven and get a compressor instead? No. Some people are happy with the RoadPro. Some are even huge fans. And some will live just fine without a compressor. It's about your priorities. That's what nomading is all about. If it were about doing what others say we'd still be living in buildings and not making waves.