Anything I should know about driving out West?

[Anon]

I'm planning on, eventually, traveling from Memphis, TN to Tucson, AZ, by way of Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico, with possible stops in Texas and/or New Mexico if I can find work there or if I like it enough. I really want to check out South Texas but it's a little bit out of the way, but then again, it is my journey, and I can set the course and the pace.

Is there anything I should know in advance for this trip?

Like, am I going to need an SUV or truck? Am I going to need something that can handle snow? How is the job market there? How livable are these places for a beginner living out of a car?

 

[Seajatt]

I would plan to gas up af half tank. Like once you start nearing that halfway mark, be looking for fuel. This goes double for the southwest. Otherwise drive safe and take your time.

 

[user 423]

I'm planning on, eventually, traveling from Memphis, TN to Tucson, AZ,
Like, am I going to need an SUV or truck? Am I going to need something that can handle snow? How is the job market there? How livable are these places for a beginner living out of a car?

You're ready to move to Tucson and you haven't yet checked out the job market? You're probably not going to get much insight from this forum since most on the forum are nomads living on the road and not in Tucson.

Check Indeed, Google Jobs, online Tucson newspaper classifieds, the Arizona state employment division,etc. and you'd get much better results.

Does eventually mean in the next 3 months or so? Then you probably would see some wintry driving conditions somewhere along the way. Do you drive your present car on the interstates in TN? If so, you can expect mostly the same experience on interstates thru those states except for some bigger mountains here and there depending on your route.

If eventually means the spring and summer months, you will need to be prepared for intense sun and hot temps. Not easy to do living in a vehicle unless you have a Prius. You mentioned in your other thread that you're a welder. Working outside in 110 deg. heat wouldn't be fun and if you don't have an air conditioned apartment to go home to....whew.

Tucson is a pretty big city and if you try to 'stealth' living in your car you will have problems. There are several threads on the subject here on the forum you should check. Some people are able to do it but it's not easy. Locations with weather extremes are the most difficult IMO.

 

[Anon]

@slow2day Yeah well those questions I guess were partly me thinking out loud about what I need to look into. Summertime in Tennessee is also pretty unbearable.

And by eventually, I mean ideally within the next 1-3 weeks. I know Arizona can be brutal in the summer, so I'd rather go in the winter.

As far as Tucson goes, I guess it's a good thing I asked! I mostly say Tucson because it seems like a good finish line, but in reality, I'm more hoping to live someplace closer to BLM land or in a more small town setting but not far from a major city. Or I might go meet up with a carpenter friend in Cali if he needs an assistant. Or I might make it to Texas or New Mexico and decide I wanna live there instead.

Truth is I have no idea how any of this works or what to expect so I'm definitely going to read some of the threads on here about it.

Where would you recommend for year-round vehicle dwelling?

 

[skyl4rk]

In winter, use I-10 and I-8 to get west, don't drive through mountains in northern NM and AZ.

Don't drive at night.

Its easiest to WalMart camp until you get to AZ, then you are better off finding boondock camps or even paying for a site if you have to stop east of Phoenix. But, if you have the time, you can go to distant campsites off the highway.

Once you find good weather and free camping, stay in one place a few days to sort out your camping routine. First timers often like to explore and drive a lot. Watch your gas budget, distances out west are long. Try to find a camping routine that lets you stay in one place for a week or two before moving to the next.

Stay in low elevations until March. Don't head up north until April.

Camping destinations for December through March: Ajo, AZ, Quartzsite AZ, Yuma, AZ, Ehrenberg, AZ, Slab City, CA. There are many more camping locations, these are the common ones. Look on the internet to find specific campsites. You can meet people at some of the places, others will be remote and solitary.

The best campsites in the remote and solitary category are about 5 miles in on a bad gravel road.

Some people like urban camping too, if you can stealth camp you can explore cities.

 

[Malamute]

In much of the west there is whats called Open Range, meaning the roads arent fenced to keep cattle off them, and pretty much most of the west is cattle country. Its generally 2 lane highways and less traveled roads, not interstates. There are signs for the most part, so pay attention to them. The thing about not driving at night is real, its very hard to see deer, elk, antelope, and black cattle in the dark, all can ruin your day, and vehicle. In some places, if its posted as open range, if you hit cattle, youre on the hook for it, you owe the owner for the value of the animal. That may have changed, but that was the case some years ago.

 

[user 423]

As far as Tucson goes, I guess it's a good thing I asked! I mostly say Tucson because it seems like a good finish line, but in reality, I'm more hoping to live someplace closer to BLM land or in a more small town setting but not far from a major city.
Where would you recommend for year-round vehicle dwelling?

One thing in your favor at this time and in a big way is that the job market is very good in most parts of the country. Right now the unemployment rate in Tucson is higher than the rest of the country but not by much. If you have a needed skill though, that won't matter.

Do your research:

https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/phoenix_az/tucson_az/jobs
Same with finding desirable places with good weather,good job prospects and reasonable costs of living. Google is your friend!

If you can save more $ while you're still working, I would suggest doing that unless you now have a large nest egg. How old is your car? It's suggested that nomads have an emergency repair fund of at least several thousands of $.

Living in a vehicle while working full-time is doable in a van or larger but in a Hyundai? Or just count on saving enough so you can comfortably afford an apartment on a short-term lease maybe. What are the prospects of getting a temp job? That way you could more easily move on to somewhere else if wherever you choose doesn't work out. Camping to save money is one thing but it seems like your #1 priority should be to get a good job? Only you can decide that.

There are others but here is one free camping app you can check:

https://freecampsites.net/#!Sahuarita,+Arizona,+United+States

 

[rruff]

Where would you recommend for year-round vehicle dwelling?

I would not commit to year round living in one spot, unless it's on the southern CA coast... or you have a nice, reliable, and comfortable rig... and you have a particular need to stay put. Move with the seasons... because you easily can.

If you can do construction and have a buddy in CA (Where exactly? Some parts have serious winter) who can hook you up, then that looks like a good start to me.

 

[rruff]

Its easiest to WalMart camp until you get to AZ, then you are better off finding boondock camps or even paying for a site if you have to stop east of Phoenix. But, if you have the time, you can go to distant campsites off the highway.

West TX and NM are fine for boondocking, too. I've done it all over back east also... just pull off on a dirt road and find a place to park. Get up at sunrise and leave... But I can see it being convenient to use parking lots as well. Just get some good earplugs and eye mask!

 

[skyl4rk]

The main reason to drive through TX and NM fast is that they can be cold this time of year. Otherwise there is a lot to see there.

I found eastern AZ (Benson, Tucson) to be unfriendly to overnighting in WalMart parking lots. Thats why I recommend a state park or other paid campground in eastern AZ. You can WalMart boondock but the paranoia level is up there. There are some free boondocking campgrounds along the way, but they tend to be far from the highway. West of Phoenix, there are lots of free camping alternatives.

 

[user 423]

Or I might go meet up with a carpenter friend in Cali if he needs an assistant. Or I might make it to Texas or New Mexico and decide I wanna live there instead.

Knowing someone in a new area can help a lot. Just try to get as much info as you can as to what you'd be getting into.

Where would you recommend for year-round vehicle dwelling?

Someone mentioned SD/SoCal and they do have great weather but LOTS of people. The cost of living in Cali is much higher also.

My choice now is southeast AZ in the winter and travel to higher elevations and/or higher latitudes in the summers like N.New Mexico, CO,WY,MT,etc. but I have the freedom to do so since I'm retired. In the past I've also spent a couple of summers on the Oregon/WA coast which was nice. I've not spent a winter there though. I did do the traveling construction thing for a while when I was in my 20's working in TX,OK and CO and living in a VW bus.

The key is finding work that you can do while travelling with the weather.

 

[DannyB1954]

Carry extra water, food and warm clothing. The desert can get real cold when the sun goes down. If broke down stray with the vehicle unless you know a main road is a short distance away. Let someone know when you expect to get to where you are going. Phone service is not available everywhere to call for help.

 

[CobbtownAcres]

I'm planning on, eventually, traveling from Memphis, TN to Tucson, AZ, by way of Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico, with possible stops in Texas and/or New Mexico if I can find work there or if I like it enough. I really want to check out South Texas but it's a little bit out of the way, but then again, it is my journey, and I can set the course and the pace.

Is there anything I should know in advance for this trip?

Like, am I going to need an SUV or truck? Am I going to need something that can handle snow? How is the job market there? How livable are these places for a beginner living out of a car?

Fill up in AZ, CA gas prices go way up.
Don't drive in or near CA during fire season.
Parking can be really difficult in a lot of areas of CA

 

[JDelete]

Don't stare at the sun.
Don't pet the snakes.

 

[tzagi]

This time of the year do not attempt to take the 40, take the 30 to Dallas then the 20 to the 10. Also, make sure that your radiator is 100% for the summer, a "good radiator" somewhere else will not cut it in the so. Arizona summer guaranteed.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm planning on, eventually, traveling from Memphis, TN to Tucson, AZ, by way of Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico, with possible stops in Texas and/or New Mexico if I can find work there or if I like it enough. I really want to check out South Texas but it's a little bit out of the way, but then again, it is my journey, and I can set the course and the pace.

Is there anything I should know in advance for this trip?

Like, am I going to need an SUV or truck? Am I going to need something that can handle snow? How is the job market there? How livable are these places for a beginner living out of a car?

I retired in June last year.turned my caravan into a simple camper van. Been in Texas. The Bolivar peninsula since november. 27 miles of free beaches.some have clean porta potties. You have to take the ferry from Galveston which is free and super cool.im getting ready to move on though because it will be very populated soon. Spring break and summer.

 

[Anon]

Knowing someone in a new area can help a lot. Just try to get as much info as you can as to what you'd be getting into.

Someone mentioned SD/SoCal and they do have great weather but LOTS of people. The cost of living in Cali is much higher also.

My choice now is southeast AZ in the winter and travel to higher elevations and/or higher latitudes in the summers like N.New Mexico, CO,WY,MT,etc. but I have the freedom to do so since I'm retired. In the past I've also spent a couple of summers on the Oregon/WA coast which was nice. I've not spent a winter there though. I did do the traveling construction thing for a while when I was in my 20's working in TX,OK and CO and living in a VW bus.

The key is finding work that you can do while travelling with the weather.

So if I don't get to AZ in time before Summer NM would be the next best destination?

Sounds like to me I'd be sticking with seasonal jobs through CoolWorks and doing temp work.

 

[rruff]

So if I don't get to AZ in time before Summer NM would be the next best destination?

Sounds like to me I'd be sticking with seasonal jobs through CoolWorks and doing temp work.

It may not matter to you, but NM wouldn't be my first choice for summer because of the July and Aug rainy period. Further west and north the summers are quite dry, and at high elevation the climate will be very nice.

Do you have any experience as a waiter? That's a great skill to have as a vagabond. I did that for a couple seasons (7 months each) at Bryce Canyon Lodge in 2002 and 2003. Made about $20/hr in tips even back then.

 

[Anon]

I've always dreaded the idea of being a waiter, but it would be a new experience. At this point I'd almost prefer it to working in another factory. Would be an interesting change of pace with every day being different.

I just wonder if I'll be charismatic enough to get tips. I guess I could sing. I've been told I'm good at that.

 

[JDub]

Watch out for Jackalopes. They're really mean and ornery critturs if you rile them up...

Cheers!