Hi,<div><br></div><div>I'm from oz currently doing a boondocking trip, I've been planning a big write up for a while. I read on thorntree(lonely planet) it's impossible, that's ********, listen to the guys on here they're living it and know there stuff.</div><div><br></div><div>I tried to buy in Phoenix but it was spring training and transit workers on strike so it was $150/day to rent a car tto find my machine. Plan to get a rent car for a week in order to buy. It was cheaper to fly to Vancouver and bought a 95 dodge caravan for $900 here. Make sure you say rent - hire means u get a driver and you'll get funny looks when you ask.</div><div><br></div><div>Cars in the states are much BIGGER, flasher and newer then home, if you try to buy from a dealer they'll include the word 'finance' at least once in every sentence. Buy from Craigslist.</div><div><br></div><div>Insurance is insane over here think $100/month in the states and $170 in Canada. If you have comprehensive insurance ask them for a letter of no claims, it'll get you a discount. Don't skimp on insurance everyone has a horror story. Everything else (except healthcare) is dirt cheap compared to home. Your food bill will be half what your used to.. </div><div><br></div><div>Economy here is down low compared to home. Hotels are same as home, but longer term accomadation is dirt cheap, guy i stayed with lived 1km from downtown Phoenix in 3 bed house for $600/month!! Rented spare rooms for $150/month.</div><div><br></div><div>Yanks have these things called 'conversion vans' they're everywhere. I thinks they'd be sweet if you can afford the gas. They're everywhere so will fit in wherever you park it and some come with everything you'd need. The gas would have sunk my ship though a guy told me 13MPG, I get 20MPG from my minivan. Transmission problems are endemic in all vans here, know what to look for before you buy. It'll be. 1-2k fix if she blows and there's plenty of lemons on the market. That's why I bought bottom of the market, if it runs i'll sell it for $500 in minutes. If it doesn't I can drop a match in it and buy another one. Besides if it lasted more the 15 days it was cheaper the a 60/day hire car!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I'm in a minivan with some bed sheets we cut up velcro'd to the windows and no one has hassled us in the month we've been street camping. We just built a bed(in home depot carpark, they cut the timber to size then i hired a drill to put it together) and slapped her in.</div><div><br></div><div>Power & net - library's are better then home here, everything you need for free</div><div>Showers - local pool has $1 swim night including hot spa, sauna and shower!</div><div>Campsites - as listed on here( national parks here are expensive)</div><div>Only problem so far has been getting free ice, sometimes cheaper to drop a bottle of water in the freezer at Walmart before bed. Get up in the morning and buy it.</div><div><br></div><div>Craigslist is your friend, checkout the free section! I got everything I needed for camping out for next to nothing - don't buy new unless you have too.</div><div><br></div><div>Sim cards are a pain in the arse here - you'll need to go directly to the company to buy it. Ie must goto Tmobile store to get one, everyone else will think your a *****. I tried to get a 'Walmart special plan' = 3 days of frustration on hopeless public transport.</div><div><br></div><div>Car pedals are the same as home, driving on the wrong side is weird at first but not to hard. Shouldn't need a intl drivers licenece, but i'd bring it anyway. </div><div><br></div><div>Mcarthur river? I'm from the territory aswell, spent last year in Alice. Remember it'll be cold( read freezing) in a lot of the famous places come november. Check out a jacked up Toyota delica, might suit your needs if you converted it and can afford to buy it. They have something that's like a caravan that sits on the tray of a ute(pickup). They're really popular and affordable, might suit your needs. But I can't remember what they call them.</div><div><br></div><div>Sorry about grammer etc on a iPhone, good luck!!</div>
