Any SUV dwellers?

[Johnny Utah]

Yeah, I don't plan on using it that way either. lol. just the way it's probably designed for: when going from point A to B, pop something into the Roadpro, drive to where you're going, and when you get there your food will be nice and hot, saving you the cost of a pricier meal at a restaurant or getting fast food. I've already started thinking about some creative uses: cooking rice or stews, even lasagna.

 

[idn88]

Head over to expeditionportal.com to see some world travel out of a SUV adventures.

The key is are you trying to live out of your vehicle, or live in your vehicle. If your plan is to park your vehicle somewhere and live in it, then yes a van is better. But 4x4 is worth it if your trying to see something other than the cities. SUV is easier to drive and park in the city too.

I have a 12V kettle that boils water in a few minutes. An otherwise cold sandwich - add a cup of soup or instant coffee and I have a hot meal. I would however definitely look into a second battery. Their is likely room under the hood somewhere - maybe kodiakinc.com has a kit for a dual battery set up - they do for other SUV's

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Another note. The same people who come on here and complain like crazy about stick and brick people who think their crazy for living in their van because their different, then tell other people their crazy for living in their SUV / car / truck / whatever because they don't live in van like them.

To each their own I say.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Thanks for the link, that is an awesome site! Some great adventure stories there. Here's one I'm reading right now:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/119739-Quit-our-jobs-sold-our-home-gone-riding-Year-2

About a couple that sold their home, packed everything onto a pair of bikes and are now travelling all around camping and seeing North America, and documenting it all. Tons of great photos and descriptions of their travels. really fantastic stuff. Makes me look forward to my own upcoming adventures.

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Another note. The same people who come on here and complain like crazy about stick and brick people who think their crazy for living in their van because their different, then tell other people their crazy for living in their SUV / car / truck / whatever because they don't live in van like them.

To each their own I say.

I think it depends on your level of comfort and what you can get used to. It seems like a lot of the full-time van and RV dwellers are trying to create a replacement home in their vehicles and want it to be as comfortable as possible. For me it's more like a camping trip, so I'm not expecting the same lifestyle and creature comforts. but for now I think the stealth and mobility an SUV provides outweighs the greater living space and comforts of a larger vehicle. but I may change my mind later.

Fortunately, I'm doing this by choice and have time to prepare and make sure I have everything I need, but there are lots of folks who through bad luck or the economy find themselves forced to live out of their cars. I can only imagine how difficult it is for them.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Johnny, the more we (Jay & Margie) read your posts the more we see you have a pretty clear vision of your choice of travel. As fulltime RVers (28' class A), we see lots of ways we can downsize quite a bit and still be comfortable and happy. We are minimalistic and carry much less weight than anyone we've met in a rig this size.
Not to mention we used to live on a sailboat and I've had several road vehicles, including a couple vans I built 'ground up'. Since 1988 my travels have also been nearly 2 years on motorcycle and 1 1/2 yrs on bicycle.

I don't care how many think "it ain't happening" I know you can do this and have a great time.

Go Man Go...we'll gladly follow your adventures.

 

[Johnny Utah]

If people think an SUV is too tight, these guys are doing it on their bikes.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...r-jobs-sold-our-home-gone-riding-Year-2/page3

It's awesome that you've done it too. That'll be my next goal -- to travel even lighter.

 

[Patrick46]

I've been following Gene & Neda's travels since they first left Toronto over on my 'Adventure Motorcycle Rider's' forum.

There are pages of 'Road Reports' of folks who are traveling and posting stories about their trips/adventures. Some are short little weekend get-a-ways, while a number of others, like Gene and Neda's story, are life changing global rides.

I've had a number of visitors stop & spend time with me whom I've met through the ADV Rider's website, who have circled the globe on thier bikes. (my chance is finally coming!!!)

Horison's Unlimited is another site dedicated to world motorcycle adventure travels...and I think the folks on here would really relate to alot of the stories the folks post on these sites.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Gene and Neda are real inspirations to me, and their travels gives me a lot of ideas for my own. I won't be nearly as fast paced, as the gas mileage in an SUV is a fraction of what they're able to get on their bikes, but I plan to travel cross country and camp extensively while checking out the sights. I'm finding that I'm spending too much time reading different travel blogs, there are so many of them out there, but I love it. until I hit the road myself, this has become one of my favorite past times.

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I went to the thrift store the other day looking for a dutch oven to take on the road and came across this item: a 12V cooler/warmer for just $4.

It looked clean and in good shape, but I passed on it as all sales are final, and I didn't want to end up with a piece of junk if it didn't work. but I did stop and think about it for a minute. Actually, I have both bases covered already with a max cold cooler and a roadpro oven, so it would have been redundant. Also, this has helped put in perspective how much my outlook has changed as the old me would have snatched it up in an instant (or worse, went and bought one brand new at Walmart).

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p.s. I was not able to find a dutch oven.

 

[Noneed2stay]

Yeah, I got an SUV that I live in.
Actually, a "semi"-SUV (2012 Subaru Forester).

I don't share pics of MY rig, for the sake of stealth purposes, but here's some  interior pics of some Foresters that are similar to how I have mine.

Here's something that I am in the process of (pertaining to the fabrication of some insulated window coverings) not having the shiny side facing outwardly (only black fabric):

I would never take out the seats in mine, since I plan on reselling the vehicle some day.
Also, I would never add a wood platform to make a bed in the cargo section, since I wouldn't want to waste valuable forest resources (trees & etc.), not to mention that I'd need the extra headroom in the back.

 

[Noneed2stay]

This is encouraging,we have a 2000 Forrester manual .We get 32 mpg loaded . We currently are doing extended trips. We still have some down sizing to do. 
We are so excited.

 

[simply lesa]

Yes. Honda Passport

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

 

[kindersir]

Just posted in Cars "Camping (living) In My Infiniti".  I also used my wife's CRV a while.  Had to completely remove one of the back seats.  Look on YouTube all you CRV owners.  It is easy to do, though you need a place to store the seat and the seat is pretty heavy.  I already have a storage place I am paying for so...   

Don't really have a lot of advice except really work on organization.  I am car camping and working, and it is a major pain if I misplace anything I need for work the next day.  I have had several frantic moments looking for things I need when I am already running late for work.  Working and car camping is not much fun.  If I were camping for leisure, it might be a lot better. 

Any questions I will try to answer.  Peace, kindersir.

 

[Jora]

I have been on the road since April 13 of this year in a Ford Expedition, a larger SUV, and have plenty of room.  I have a large plastic bin for clothes, one for books and misc, a short one for cooking items, and a short one for food.  I use a butane stove on top of one of the bins for cooking, and a fold down turbo toilet from Amazon for the obvious.  I took out the third seat and folded down the rear for a flat area in back of the front seats.  My bed is lengthwise and fits me at 5'1" and my 50 lb pit bull.  I do have a hitch carrier in back for extra food, water, etc.  it is very doable to live in an SUV.

 

[Burbanlife]

Hey Johnny , I too am now building my 02 Suburban into a conversion , I removed the second row and third row seating all together. I post up some pics in the " car section"  but are a couple pics

 

[007pandas]

I have been camping out of my 2013 Toyota 4-Runner and camp for extended periods of time using a Coleman instant tent, with a Coleman Cot,  Coleman camp chair and REI folding table stored in a Yakima Cargo carrier. 

I use a Yakima bike carrier attached to the receiver hitch. Looking to upgrade to a larger rooftop cargo carrier to store the rest of my interior cargo.



On my travel day's I sleep inside the vehicle either in the rear or driver's seat.

 

[Larry E]

Hey Johnny, I have an 03 Durango.This April I drove from Edmonton to Tuktoyuktuk with it, 550 km. north of the Arctic Circle. This included 180 km. of ice road. For a drive like that it was perfect as I hit a lot of bad road, snow storms, ice etc. I would have never made it with a van or any 2-wheel drive. I removed the centre seats. Only 4 bolts and the seats and console came right out. I then built a basic 2x4 frame with room under for rubbermaid 
tubs where the seats had been, this also left room under the rest of the bed for other things. I was on the road for 21 days and only paid for a room 1 night, the rest of the night I slept in the vehicle. Opened the windows a bit to keep the inside temp. the same as outside and no condensation issues, some nights -20 Celsius. Glad for a good sleeping bag!
I love the Durango for the ability the go to very remote and rugged places. From my experience I would say you own one of the best vehicles you could possibly buy for your stated purpose. They are a hoot to drive and very capable in some pretty rough stuff. Don't listen to the nay-sayers, just do it!

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

Hey, Johnny ...

I'm currently working on a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe to make the 2016 RTR. This will be my first outing towards what I hope (more like, "long to the core of my being") will become a permanent lifestyle change.

db
~

 

[Science]

I've been in a converted subaru forester for the last year. Managed to work in a dometic cfx 35

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

Here's what I'm starting out in ... with two people:
Hyundai Santa Fe (and a tent).  ~38 square feet of space behind the front seats (~80 in the tent).  There's tiny, there's nano and then there's pico.  Whatever works, eh?

Video:


Flickr Pic:

The house this is parked in front of went on the market day before yesterday.
The shorter term goal is to get a light, enclosed cargo trailer (<1200lbs empty) and convert it to tow behind this.
Long term goal is a van (maybe a second for my daughter), and keep the trailer.
Longer term goal is a class c motor-home.
Timeline is at least 3 months, possibly up to 2 1/2 years (if I can stand to wait that long).

See you OTR!

 

[Blasian_Invasian]

I have been camping out of my 2013 Toyota 4-Runner and camp for extended periods of time using a Coleman instant tent, with a Coleman Cot,  Coleman camp chair and REI folding table stored in a Yakima Cargo carrier. 

I use a Yakima bike carrier attached to the receiver hitch. Looking to upgrade to a larger rooftop cargo carrier to store the rest of my interior cargo.



On my travel day's I sleep inside the vehicle either in the rear or driver's seat.

Those 4 Runners never seem to have enough room.

 

[Grizzly708]

It's looking like I will soon be on the road living in my Chevrolet Suburban. I'm pretty sure I have it down to just what I need and nothing more.  My personal effects I will send to my sister for safe keeping. 
I want my remaining years to be spent on my 3 retirement hobbys. Photography,  metal detecting , and gold prospecting. 
I have found a good bit of info on some of the "overlanding/expedition" sites as well as here.