Becoming full-time nomad on Aug. 1

[Loving Arizona]

Hi, 

I will be arriving at the camp on July 17 - 18, then going back to Tucson, then becoming a full-time nomad on August 1 -- semi-retired.   
 
I will be driving my 07 Camry with a carrier on the roof ... starting out very minimalist... perhaps stay that way?

It has been so informative and so much fun reading Bob's blogs and the advice and news from the members of the forum. 

Thanks to all of you, and I am looking forward to meeting you.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Loving Arizona !
A Camry with a roof rack ,,,, yup , minimal for sure ...

 

[Theadyn]

Hi and Welcome!!

 

[Loving Arizona]

Welcome aboard Loving Arizona !
A Camry with a roof rack ,,,, yup , minimal for sure ...

Thank you. Hope to meet you at the June camp. 

Minimalism - Yeah, I'm giving away a lot of stuff right now. 

I bought the Camry new in 07, and it's been such a great car, I'm not ready to part with it yet. - 179,000 miles (criss-crossing this country several times)  - My mechanic says that it probably has another 179,000 in it, so we'll see. Not sure how big a rig I'd feel comfortable driving.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Loving Arizona! Camrys are very dependable cars. Who knows? Maybe the Camry will end up being a good long term choice for you. If not, it's certainly a good start!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[WriterMs]

So can a Camry make a flat area for you to sleep in? Or do you have a tent in the roof carrier?

Maybe some of the Prius dwellers will be at the RTR for you to get a first-hand look at how they use a car longterm.

 

[Loving Arizona]

So can a Camry make a flat area for you to sleep in?  Or do you have a tent in the roof carrier?

Maybe some of the Prius dwellers will be at the RTR for you to get a first-hand look at how they use a car longterm.

I can make a flat area to sleep in by folding down part (about 2/3) of the back seat. That opens into the trunk, so I could do that and stretch my legs out completely. But I'm going to start out sleeping in the back seat and figure out as I go which place is more comfortable. I'm not very mechanical, so if I pitched a tent the winds might blow it all the way from Quartsite to L.A.. The roof carrier is mainly for seasonal clothes and other supplies that I'll need.
I looked at the videos of the Prius drivers and was partly inspired by them. I would like to get a first hand look. 
My main concern right now is cooking. I don't like to use propane, so I'm looking for some mentoring on an inverter hot plate, batteries, and generator. 
Thanks for responding, and I wish you joy in your writing.

 

[Loving Arizona]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Loving Arizona!  Camrys are very dependable cars.  Who knows?  Maybe the Camry will end up being a good long term choice for you.  If not, it's certainly a good start!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.  

We look forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks for the welcome. Hope to meet you in June.

 

[Suanne]

... My main concern right now is cooking. I don't like to use propane, so I'm looking for some mentoring on an inverter hot plate, batteries, and generator...

Hi Loving Arizona,

Welcome to the forum. I live out of my Prius when on the road and will often use the area under my hatch for cooking. I have a one-burner butane stove. I'll place something flat on top of the foot of my bed, like a large cookie sheet, for stability and place my stove on top of that. You may want to consider doing something similar under the trunk lid of your Camry. It reminds me of the galley set up on teardrop trailers.

A hot plate that's run by a generator may take up more room than you have to spare, unless your Camry is a hybrid. If it is, you could run your car as your generator instead of carrying one. It's all about priorities and preferences; so, I'll be curious as to how you solve this dilemma.

My husband has an '01 Camry Solara that I'm sure I could set up to sleep in similar to what you've described for yourself. I hope to see you at the RTR in January to trade notes. By then you'll be an old-timer at it all

The best to you in your transition into the vandwelling lifestyle!

Suanne ... dealing with the heat and humidity in the PNW (94F today)

 

[rvpopeye]

How about a plain old style Coleman Stove , they burn unleaded gas.....?
I have a single burner one that I inherited , will post a pic as soon as I get a chance to take one !

 

[Loving Arizona]

Hi Loving Arizona,

Welcome to the forum.  I live out of my Prius when on the road and will often use the area under my hatch for cooking.  I have a one-burner butane stove.  I'll place something flat on top of the foot of my bed, like a large cookie sheet, for stability and place my stove on top of that.   You may want to consider doing something similar under the trunk lid of your Camry.  It reminds me of the galley set up on teardrop trailers.

A hot plate that's run by a generator may take up more room than you have to spare, unless your Camry is a hybrid.  If it is, you could run your car as your generator instead of carrying one.  It's all about priorities and preferences; so, I'll be curious as to how you solve this dilemma.

My husband has an '01 Camry Solara that I'm sure I could set up to sleep in similar to what you've described for yourself.  I hope to see you at the RTR in January to trade notes.  By then you'll be an old-timer at it all

The best to you in your transition into the vandwelling lifestyle!

Suanne ... dealing with the heat and humidity in the PNW (94F today)

Suanne,

I saw your video. You are one of the people who inspired me, another woman,  to try living out of the Camry. I have followed a lot of the advice from the video and also your blog. Can't tell you how helpful you've been. 
I'll probably get a lot of great help at the June camp also. Hope I'll have the cooking situation solved by the time we meet in January. 
I lived in Seattle for a year. It can be very beautiful, but the rainy weather got me down. Arizona is the answer to my need for sunshine. I know that, historically speaking, Seattle has rarely gone into the '90's, so people don't have air conditioners. But it looks like in the future an air conditioner will be a necessity. Hope you find a way to stay cool. 
So glad to hear from you -- my hero in the Prius!

 

[Loving Arizona]

How about a plain old style Coleman Stove , they burn unleaded gas.....?
I have a single burner one that I inherited , will post a pic as soon as I get a chance to take one !

That sounds interesting and is probably a very good solution -- except for my fire and flame phoebia.  I have a phoebia about fire; some people have snake or spider phobias, I have a fire phoenia.  So gas and propane and butane worry me. I just read that butane was banned in New Zealand because it had exploded in someone's face. Yikes!

However, it would probably be easier for me to get over my fire phobia and follow your suggestion, than it would be to haul a generator and batteries around. I hope that the camp in June puts some of my fears to rest, and that I'll get some mentoring in how to become a fearless gas or propane stove user.  

Thanks, and I hope to meet you and your Coleman stove at the January camp, if not in June.

 

[rvpopeye]

Oh , well that's different !
Hope you can meet up with the tribe at the RTRs and see how to use these stoves safely.
Respecting fire and knowing how to use it safely was something I learned at an early age...
Yup popeye was in the sea scouts!(OK , boy scouts but that doesn't sound right , being popeye and all )You just need to see lots of people doing it the right way !
Maybe that will help you to get over your "flame-osis".

I'm probably not going to make either one of the RTRs this year as I'm staying near my mom to help her with everyday life (she's 92) but when (if ever) she decides she's ready for an assisted living place I'll be back on the road in a heartbeat!

If not a small generator may be your best bet as a big enough solar system with batteries to run an electric hot plate would take up way too much of your small space....
Don't forget hotplates and toaster ovens get hot too , use them safely !

A different idea might be using tin foil and cooking on your engine ??????

 

[Loving Arizona]

Oh  , well that's different !
Hope you can meet up with the tribe at the RTRs and see how to use these stoves safely.
Respecting fire and knowing how to use it safely was something I learned at an early age...
Yup popeye was in the sea scouts!(OK , boy scouts but that doesn't sound right  , being popeye and all )You just need to see lots of people doing it the right way !
Maybe that will help you to get over your "flame-osis".

I'm probably not going to make either one of the RTRs this year as I'm staying near my mom to help her with everyday life (she's 92)  but when (if ever) she decides she's ready for an assisted living place I'll be back on the road in a heartbeat!

If not a small generator may be your best bet as a big enough solar system with batteries to run an electric hot plate would take up way too much of your small space....
Don't forget hotplates and toaster ovens get hot too , use them safely !

A different idea might be using tin foil and cooking on your engine ??????

I greatly admire that you are looking after you mom until she's ready for assisted living. 
Thanks for the advice about the small generator. I did not know that I'd need a big solar system, so that's helpful to know in my planning -- such as it is with no background in electricity. I don't know about the tin foil idea, but it's worth a try. Somehow it will all work out. 

 

[ArtW]

cooking in foil on your engine while traveling does work, you just have to learn to do it
Basically tour underhood area is an oven of sorts with different temps different spots
There are also alternatives to cooking if you can stomach them
Cottage cheese for example is a great protein choice that requires no cooking and is cheaper than most meats
Of course it doesn't taste so swell as a nice steak, and some folk are lactose intolerant, but you get the idea

 

[BobBski]

Welcome and all the best to ya!!!!

 

[Loving Arizona]

cooking in foil on your engine while traveling does work, you just have to learn to do it
Basically tour underhood area is an oven of sorts with different temps different spots
There are also alternatives to cooking if you can stomach them
Cottage cheese for example is a great protein choice that requires no cooking and is cheaper than most meats
Of course it doesn't taste so swell as a nice steak, and some folk are lactose intolerant, but you get the idea

I'll try to find someone who can mentor me about the art of cooking with foil on the engine. I've never seen that done. 
The cottage cheese is a good suggestion too, and would be very healthy with some added fresh fruit. I'm eating a lot of raw food: fruit, veggies, and nuts. If I couldn't cook, I would miss my morning coffee most.  Hope to meet you sometime.  Thanks for responding. 

 

[Loving Arizona]

Welcome and all the best to ya!!!!

Thanks, Bob!  

It's hard to believe I'll be in Flagstaff in a week.

 

[rvpopeye]

I'm sure you'll like it there!
Guarantee the company will be good !

Engine cooking is best done as an experiment.
All vehicles will be different.
Try different locations .
Start off checking often to know how long to cook things .
Outdoor temps will change it a little too.
Keep a log/cookbook.

 

[Loving Arizona]

I'm sure you'll like it there!
Guarantee the company will be good !

Engine cooking is best done as an experiment.
All vehicles will be different.
Try different locations .
Start off checking often to know how long to cook things .
Outdoor temps will change it a little too.
Keep a log/cookbook.

I have discovered the wonderful world of solar ovens! I think I'll invest in one -- no propane, no generators. My kind of world.