Built To Go! A #Vanlife Podcast

Epizode

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  304 Which Gas? Crank No Start, Balbo, Stealth Dead Again, TrueFuel 06.08.2026 40min

  Gasoline is getting more complicated than it used to be. This week we untangle octane ratings, ethanol blends, E15, Top Tier gasoline, and why the pump you used last year may not be dispensing the same fuel today. We'll also talk about welding safely on your vehicle, review TruFuel canned gasoline, celebrate the resurrection of the Max II ATV, visit one of Chicago's most unusual historical monuments, and recommend a thought-provoking look at the changing reality of stealth camping. Yes, it's amphibious. No, the water isn't supposed to be in the gas tank Main Topic: Gasoline Is Getting Complicated Understanding octane ratings: 87, 89, and premium What happens when your owner's manual recommends midgrade fuel E10 versus E15 and what the differences really mean Why some stations now sell E15 as their standard fuel Which vehicles should avoid higher ethanol blends What Top Tier gasoline means and whether it's worth seeking out TECH TALK Welding on Your Rig PRODUCT REVIEW TruFuel 4-Cycle Ethanol-Free Fuelhttps://amzn.to/4gdtoA2 RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Stealth Camping Is Dead: The New Rules of Vanlife Nobody Wants to Talk Abouthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLQnnJYg1Fo A PLACE TO VISIT Balbo Monument, Chicagohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balbo_Monument As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These commissions help support Built to Go at no additional cost to you.
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  303 Hitch Accessories, Influence Tricks, Arctic Air, Manual Database 29.07.2026 43min

  This week, we explore the strange and useful things you can attach to a trailer hitch, from hammocks and cranes to Starlink poles and a toilet seat. We’ll also talk about why you shouldn’t jack directly on pinch welds, review the Arctic Air Grip Go, visit the world’s largest penguin in Cut Bank, Montana, use NotebookLM to interrogate manuals, and explain why a stereo gets reviewed, or doesn’t. Kid likes it moist... Hitch Accessories for Vanlife Kaxiwei Hitch Mount Umbrella Holderhttps://amzn.to/4fpmrvC Viking Solutions SwiveLift Cranehttps://amzn.to/4yYn7zQ Hitch Mount Vise Platehttps://amzn.to/4bIC92w Hitch Mount Hammockhttps://amzn.to/4wYYYXU EEZ RV Hitch Mount Starlink and Flag Polehttps://amzn.to/4beY2q7 Log Sawhorsehttps://amzn.to/4vSIJec Bumper Dumperhttps://amzn.to/4fHXOZZ PRODUCT REVIEW Arctic Air Grip Gohttps://amzn.to/4wl3KPy RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION NotebookLM for Manualshttps://notebooklm.google.com/ A PLACE TO VISIT World’s Largest Penguin, Cut Bank, Montanahttps://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/797 FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.
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  302 Different Shopping, Fuse Taps, Burned Regions, Tire Warehouse 23.07.2026 43min

  We take a look at different places to shop besides Home Depot and Amazon, visit some burned out forests, learn how to use Fuse Taps, spend some nights in a Tire Warehouse, and address some reader comments. THIS is a fuse tap. :) MAIN - Unexpected Places to Shop for Vanlife Gear THANKS TO: Stefan NEWS Crossroads Foldshttps://www.instagram.com/p/Da3UxBKPPrZ/ Starlink Changes European Roaming Policieshttps://starlink.com/gb/support/article/0dd1c2c0-7bae-8c8f-43d4-9a64eb66662f TECH TALK Fuse Taps: The Right Way to Add a 12-Volt Circuit PRODUCT REVIEW LETOUR Magnetic Rechargeable Light Barhttps://amzn.to/44NVf3t TALES FROM THE ROAD How Sleeping in a Tire Warehouse Led Me to Vanlife A PLACE TO VISIT A Recovering Burned Region READER COMMENTS Insulation Follow-Up and Why Vans Are Overrated   QUOTE “From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
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  301 10 Overrated Things, Dashboard Gardening, Corelle Covers, Modern Pompeii 15.07.2026 53min

  This week, we'll look at 10 overrated things in vanlife, and not the ones you're thinking about. We'll also review a completely boring yet awesome kitchen item, visit a modern Pompeii, and grow tomatoes on the dashboard. The Church (not really a cathedral) PRODUCT REVIEW Silicone Corelle Covershttps://amzn.to/4fkxV2a RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Urban Leaf Gardening In a Van?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJvCtMYO17Q A PLACE TO VISIT Eldheimar Museumhttps://visitwestmanislands.com/tour/eldheimar-museum/ FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.
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  300 Things I No Longer Carry, Woolly Mammoth, Folding Stools, SunCalc 08.07.2026 42min

  Back from RMSS, I take a look at Amazon Prime Day and find an interesting trend. We'll also take a look at flashlights, visit Iceland, consider Vanly and get too excited about janitorial supples.  I don't miss these days PRODUCT REVIEW Korpai Folding 2-Step Stoolhttps://amzn.to/4bkbhFI Jacauto Folding Step Stoolhttps://amzn.to/4vDySJJ   RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION SunCalchttps://www.suncalc.org/ A PLACE TO VISIT Woolly Mammothhttps://www.woollymammothchicago.com/   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  299 Choosing the Best, ReStore, Electric Duster, Getting Not Stuck 01.07.2026 51min

  What's the best tool: cheap or expensive? Well, it depends on a bunch of things. We'll take a look. We'll also visit a place filled with solutions, test some screws, and recommend a product that blows. Loudly.  I never got stuck when I drove one of these   PRODUCT REVIEW Zovair Cordless Electric Air Dusterhttps://amzn.to/3SFTwuf A PLACE TO VISIT Habitat for Humanity ReStorehttps://www.habitat.org/restores   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  298 Prime Deals? Flashlights, Iceland, Vanly, Best Broom 24.06.2026 50min

  Back from RMSS, I take a look at Amazon Prime Day and find an interesting trend. We'll also take a look at flashlights, visit Iceland, consider Vanly and get too excited about janitorial supples.  A gift from insomnia   NEWS Vanfest Endshttps://www.vanfestusa.com Passengershttps://nofspodcast.com/passenger-review-vanlife-supernatural-horror Slate EV Truckhttps://www.fastcompany.com/91561144/slate-auto-launch-design-process-ev-truck   PRODUCT REVIEW Vanlife Broomhttps://amzn.to/4erpxP9 RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Vanly, AirBnB-style apphttps://vanly.app/ A PLACE TO VISIT Iceland Van Rentalhttps://indiecampers.com/ FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  Bonus! Podcast Updates 09.06.2026 47min

  So - my planned podcast for this week was a dud, because despite recording 90 minutes worth of material, we ended up with nothing. The file is there, the time is right, but it didn't save what was recorded.  My file is like a ghost town - it used to be there, and now it's not.    So, here are some tidbits and updates on various topics.  FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  297 Big Battery Episode! Survival Kits, Custom Podcasts 02.06.2026 50min

  I screwed up, and I hope this fixes it: LiIon batteries are everywhere! Also, we'll take a deep dive into a pre-packaged survival kit, and talk about a custom podcast you can make  This kit could save your life! Or, it could give you false hope and leave you in serious trouble.   PRODUCT REVIEW XKASE Survival Kithttps://amzn.to/4uKJiGW RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION NotebookLM Podcast Generatorhttps://notebooklm.google.com FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  296 Where Does it Go? Vanlife games, Fancy Filters, Indiana Jones Museum 21.05.2026 47min

  All this stuff that is "our vans," where does it go? I mean, where does it all end up in the end? Let's explore. We'll also take a look at a couple of vanlife video games, the museum that things belong in, the BEST filters for your rig, and an interesting road trip.  A hint of how big some things are at the former Oriental Institute   NEWS Volkswagen Van Back https://newatlas.com/campervans/volkswagen-2027-id-camper-van-usa/ Vanlife Horror Movie Passengerhttps://www.slashfilm.com/2177942/passenger-2026-movie-review/ Gus Bushttps://www.autoevolution.com/news/gus-bus-proves-that-the-all-electric-vanlife-is-all-it-s-cracked-up-to-be-269207.html= PRODUCT REVIEW Rory Flow Portable Chargerhttps://amzn.to/4v3L31T RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Vanlife Simulator Gamehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/2711690/VanLife_Simulator/ Vanlife Game: Outboundhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GtUFav-Pog FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  295 10 Stupid (but useful) Things, Tire Screws, Flat Routes, Fly the Plane 14.05.2026 49min

  Are mindful when you're driving? I know you're paying attention; I'm asking if you're "mindful." We'll explore that, and a few stones of interest, mosquitoes, fuel prices, and the best way to find weird places to visit.  Not a Tow Truck   NEWS Brain Eating Amoeba https://gearjunkie.com/parks-and-public-lands/brain-eating-amoeba-national-parks New Winnebagohttps://camperreport.com/winnebago-arka-first-look-all-new-backcountry-adventure-motorhome/ New Campground Rules https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-administration-orders-rapid-end-to-some-hunting-rules-on-federal-lands   PRODUCT REVIEW Tire Screwshttps://amzn.to/4dsISOg RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Flattest Routehttps://www.flattestroute.com/   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  294 Mindfulness and Vanlife, Stones, Mosquitoes, GAS, Taula 06.05.2026 55min

  Are mindful when you're driving? I know you're paying attention; I'm asking if you're "mindful." We'll explore that, and a few stones of interest, mosquitoes, fuel prices, and the best way to find weird places to visit.  What is this stone?https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZNaQZKqHjkAgstDx5=   PRODUCT REVIEW Deep Woods OFF Dryhttps://amzn.to/42RtsxX A PLACE TO VISIT Talayotic Menorcahttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1528/   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  293 USA Wins, Paracord, Garum, The Thrill of Vicotry 30.04.2026 48min

  There are things that are better in the US than abroad and we'll discuss them. We'll also make things out of paracord, visit a hidden fish sauce factory, visit a rock (with monkeys) and find secrets in your pocket.  A 50 year journey comes to an end   NEWS New ProMaster Cityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa9PE6j0XRo PRODUCT REVIEW 360° Spin Magnetic Stand for iPhone 17 Pro Max Casehttps://amzn.to/4tK0o7y A PLACE TO VISIT Cadiz Garum Factoryhttps://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/enclaves/enclave-arqueologico-factoria-de-salazones   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  Bonus! Malaga and Beyond 18.04.2026 17min

  Greetings from Malaga, Spain! We’ve had an amazing adventure and we’ve another week to go. Here’s an update, and some exciting news for small vans in the US!
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  O'Hare Quickcast: Ford Recall, Van Bidets & Goldfish Experiments 10.04.2026 14min

  Host Jeff Wagg records a short episode from Chicago O'Hare covering three quick topics: a major Ford truck recall for windshield wipers, a recommendation for Work Camper News for seasonal jobs and resources, and practical bidet solutions for vans and RVs.He also shares experiments with sealed ecospheres and Wollstad tanks as van-friendly aquatic options, plus a travel tale about canceled trains, a family rescue, and staying calm on the road.
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  292 No Cook Eating, Skoolieswarm 66, Antarctica, Analog Meters 01.04.2026 57min

  What if you wanted to hit the road, but without the need to refrigerate, cook, or clean up? It's possible, and we'll talk about how. We'll also talk about analog vs. digital multimeters, introduce you to Skoolieswarm Route 66, visit Antarctica (again), and talk about different travel goals.  THIS thing awaits you at SkoolieSwarm Route 66 Nellie’s No Cook Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbn24P6yiBI   NEWS Costo Standalone Gas Stationhttps://www.jalopnik.com/2130578/costco-open-standalone-gas-station Safer Than Everhttps://counciloncj.org/state-of-the-union-why-is-crime-going-down/ Leaded Gas Theoryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis   PRODUCT REVIEW Pocket Pillowhttps://amzn.to/4sKJLbf   A PLACE TO VISIT Skoolie Palooza Route 66https://skoolieswarm.com/route-66/   RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Antarcticahttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1TYfsYKQ3h5AuGL6qF-VqUv07ciLt-yxYUfiwOop6byw/edit?usp=sharing   FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  291 Gas Price, Turbo Fan, Content Ethics, Rick Steves, WIndmills 25.03.2026 57min

  President Gas is President Gas again. Kudos to you who got that reference, and I hate to break it to you: you're old. But in addition to gas prices, we'll talk about free audio tours, why windmills won't help you, and a new fan that is my constant companion. We also have a talk with Sherm about the ethics of making content.PRODUCT REVIEW Turbo Fanhttps://amzn.to/4sB2GoW RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Rick Steves Audio tourshttps://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours Sherm's Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greenmachine.77/ Sherm is recreating a masterpiece here, and it's very, very green. InstaGram: https://www.instagram.com/greenmachine.77 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greenmachine.77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1U2fSTHzeg/?mibextid=wwXIfr  
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  Bonus! Three Folks Living YOUR Dream 18.03.2026 43min

  This is a recording of a conversation I had with three vanlifers, all "living the dream," and all doing it differently. Recorded at VanFest: Lift Off 2026, Bruce, Jon and Nellie all have tips and stories from the road, involving, in no particular order:FatwoodBearsProstitutesPutting on pantsWhere to go nextand why you shouldn't drive at night in Mexico. To check out Nellie's business at The Sassy Olive, use this link:http://www.thesassyolive.online/nellieinacan and this code might be of some use: Nellie10
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  290 Solar Awnings, Pet Sitting, Saw All, RMSS, SMart Car 11.03.2026 49min

  You could have an awning that provides shade. But since it's blocking the sun anyway, why can't it generate power too? We investigate. We also take a look at an interesting opportunity to sleep under a roof, review a saw that does it all, look at some space junk, and get up close and personal with some major infrastructure. Alloy? Annoy.   NEWS Jalopnik: Vanlife Isn’t Cheaphttps://www.jalopnik.com/2111425/van-life-costs/ TECH TALK Commercial Chef 0.6 Cu. Ft. 700W CHM660Whttps://amzn.to/4upataK Panasonic 1.2 cu. ft. Inverter Microwave 1250W - NN-SN68QB (Renewed)https://amzn.to/3N9U9Kf PRODUCT REVIEW WORX Cordless Reciprocating Saw & Jigsaw, Battery and Charger Included, PowerSharehttps://amzn.to/47Eihvj   A PLACE TO VISIT Rocky Mountain Star Starehttps://rmss.org RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION Trusted Pet Sittershttps://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ FCC Notice: If you purchase anything from these links, the show will receive a small fee. This will not impact your price in any way.  
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  289 An interview with RV Tech Sherm of the The Green Machine 03.03.2026 1h 7min

  Something special this week, an hour-long interview with Sherm, a fellow vanlifer who masquerades as an RV Tech during the day. We chat about a variety of topics, including the difference between an RV and a campervan, mice, greasy leather seats, the most essential tool, different oil leaks, and how to find someone to work on your rig.  If you'd like more of Sherm, you're in luck: he'll be joining us on a future episode for a very different topic, but in the meantime, you can find him below: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greenmachine.77/ Sherm is recreating a masterpiece here, and it's very, very green. InstaGram: https://www.instagram.com/greenmachine.77 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greenmachine.77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1U2fSTHzeg/?mibextid=wwXIfr