FOR WOMEN ONLY: Would like to hear from women soloing on the road

[sassypickins]

Hi gals ~ Well, that's silly; I know everyone can read all the posts - oh well!

Just checking in and hope you will, too. I met two women crvl members in my area and we have been visiting and talking about so many different aspects of traveling or getting ready to and just life in general. Nice.

I had to sideline my van plans for awhile to take care of some family affairs, but I am looking forward to getting back to it soon. My van is still very new to me, but it seems to be behaving well, except for one quick mystery overheat that hasn't repeated and that the mechanic couldn't find any cooling system reason for. A friend said it might have been a thermostat built on a Monday or a Friday that just got stuck for a few minutes... Definitely weirdest thing ever, that is all I can say, I guess. Still, unsettling.

I have my first trip planned in July that I think will be perfect as a starter. It will be for 5 days and I'll be camping in a safe place with other people (at a festival), but still, I'll be on my own and will be dry camping. After that, I have 3 other summer trips planned. It will be so good to get going on this to see how it goes and how I feel about it.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Reminder: Only women post in this section of the forums. If you post in "The Girls Room" then know that men shouldn't respond here. If they do, the moderators will delete their posts.

Men, if you just have to respond to something said in The Girls Room, please do so through a PM or open a new thread in another part of the forums.

Thank you for respecting these boundaries.

 

[Suanne]

I have my first trip planned in July that I think will be perfect as a starter. It will be for 5 days and I'll be camping in a safe place with other people (at a festival), but still, I'll be on my own and will be dry camping. After that, I have 3 other summer trips planned. It will be so good to get going on this to see how it goes and how I feel about it.

Hi SassyPickins!

I think your plan to start with shorter trips is a good one. Also, being around other people is always a comfort to me in new situations.

I'll never forget how excited I was after my first test trips, how much I loved it, how ready I was for more. I hope you have the same positive, joyous experience.

As for me, I'm considering putting on less miles and staying put in one place next winter, specifically in the desert SW. In the past, I just drove away from bad weather, now I'm expecting that I'll wait it out inside my vehicle. So, I'm considering moving "up" to a minivan or van from my Prius for more interior comfort as I expect I'll be spending more time inside.

I'm thinking of getting a beater minivan or van to do some testing myself. That is, I want to see if I really do like being a snowbird, staying put in one general location for the winter. I just need to find something on the cheap that is mechanically sound enough to make the 1500 mile trek south in the winter and back to WA in the spring.

Happy Trails, Suanne

 

[sassypickins]

Hi Suannr - I have been enjoying reading about your adventures In your Prius. I hope you find just the right van to stay in and be able to sit up and stretch out!

 

[sassypickins]

Hi gals,

I jumped in the deep end and tackled insulating my van. It's been fun! I feel like an artiste.

And, I'm in love...with aluminum duct tape. I had to go buy more today so I can finish up. Darn!

How is everyone doing?

Sass

 

[Suanne]

Wow Sass. I'm impressed. For some reason insulating a van seems daunting to me.

I've decided to test out snowbirding in our 20' Class C instead of a van. It's not much longer than a van, but certainly wider and higher. I'm going to do my best to not take any more gear or supplies than would fit in a full-size van. In fact, I'm going to mark out a 5' x 12' area to set up like I'd outfit a van; then, I'll take no more stuff than that. To make it a truer test of vandwelling, I'll take out as much as I can in the RV before I head out this winter (e.g., bed over cab, microwave, etc.). All the same, the storage will still be considerably more than I'm use to in the Prius.

Usually hubby drives the RV, but today I insisted that I drive it so that I can become more comfortable behind the wheel of a wide vehicle. All went well.

Keep keeping us up to date on your progress.

Suanne

 

[sassypickins]

Suanne, thanks for staying in touch. Your van/rv idea is intriguing! I look forward to hearing about what you come up with inside the RV to make it feel like living in a van. I used to have a step-van and I LOVED driving it. One thing I noticed from that perspective. that I hadn't really realized as a car driver, was that small vehicles tend to pay attention to and steer clear of big vehicles. Eureka! That went a long way to help end my fears. I liked being up higher, too, where I could see better, and that came in handy for getting in and around and out.

Yeah, I am surprised I am having so much fun doing insulation of all things, but my planning ahead has helped a lot. I have the right materials and tools and I've done most of the measuring, cutting, fitting, gluing and taping (and admiring ) from the comfort of a folding chair. I've kept the mess down to a mini-storm with a mini-vac and have been listening to good tunes and keeping hydrated. I mostly just feel happy to be putting my dream of getting back on the road on the front burner where it belongs.

Sass

 

[GypsyMoon]

News flash...Got a buyer for my house! I am thrilled to no end! I live in Vermont and have a brother in Florida who just so happens to be a mechanic. Plans are after house closing to fly down there and buy a rust free vehicle....not sure if I am getting a van or a small camper van yet....Its a bitter sweet time. Raised my grandson the last 10 years. He has now graduated high school and going off to college. I will miss him and his basketball buddies shootin hoops in my driveway. Its gonna be a lil scarey but exciting at the same time. Lotsa mixed emotions. Anyway I am finally on my way!

 

[mockturtle]

Sold my house on Monday and I cast off the mooring lines and headed out to sea. It feels good. Very good.

 

[cyndi]

Congratulations to both of you! Hope to see you out on the road!

 

[Suanne]

Cool Beans GypsyMoon & mockturtle! More adventures ahead!

 

[sassypickins]

@GypsyMoon ~ We all need happy adventures, but wow, you truly deserve one. I'm excited for you and I hope you will stay in touch through the next phase of getting your rig. Yay for brother mechanics!

---

Congrats mockturtle! I can only imagine how good it must feel to literally close that door. Has it been a while since you were able to travel and are you going to be living in your rig full time now?

 

[mockturtle]

Congrats mockturtle! I can only imagine how good it must feel to literally close that door. Has it been a while since you were able to travel and are you going to be living in your rig full time now?

My traveling has been limited these past several years and yes, I am now living in my RV full time.

Even though I thought I'd scaled down my possessions to a bare minimum, I find I'm still tossing stuff and will probably continue to do so as I go along. I really abhor clutter and try, at least, to have a place for everything [and everything in its place ].

 

[decodancer]

Major Congrats to both of you on selling your homes! Look forward to hearing about your adventures on the road.

 

[sassypickins]

Hi gals,

Thought I'd update my progress. I have my van to the point where I can go out for 5-6 days at a time without replenishing anything. I don't have any house battery system yet. I am dragging my feet on that, feeling confused still, but I know I'll get 'er done eventually.

So far I have:

insulation
floor
reflectix over all windows
2 homemade windows screens
privacy curtains
comfy 2x2 and plywood bed (two beds, actually - one is under the other and pulls clear out to the other side of the van.)
kitchen drawers and counter
coleman white gas stove mine from, ummmmm, 50 years ago?
stainless bowl for a sink
gallon water container with a spigot that I refill from a bigger container
gray water tank below with a drain up to the sink
Mr Buddy for heat
bucket toilet with a folding camp toilet seat over it and a cover
earth-friendly soap and cleaning supplies
tools and tool drawers
storage drawers for clothes, footwear, linens, household
cooler covered with a wool blanket
new swivel base for the passenger seat to make a recliner
rechargeable batteries and charger for lanterns, headlamp, flashlight, radio
strong van battery that charges tablet and cell phone
jack, handle, lug wrench, fuses, bulbs, hoses, clamps
shovel, axe, outdoor camping, rain and fishing gear
phone, tablet, games, books

So I have been camping three times now. The first time was solo and I loved every minute of it. I camped in a safe place where I didn't stress out over security.

The second time I went on a road trip with my hubby and a friend. The van was very crowded with gear including a big tent. We went a thousand miles in a week and they wanted to camp in campgrounds and take everything outside including the kitchen at every stop. It was a lot of set up and tear down and not very relaxing. I have work to do to be a good partner camper.

The third time was going to be solo until my new camping couple friends decided to come along in their Roadtrek. We spent several days at two different dispersed camping spots and they shared a lot of their knowledge and experiences with me, then left me on my own. I thoroughly enjoyed that entire week.

The frozen water bottles in my cooler lasted only about 5 days. Blocks or bags of ice after that. It will be nice to have the house battery and charging system up and running and a good 12v fridge would be a luxury.

I practiced security after the first night when I couldn't even find my glasses in the dark for so long I thought well, someone would have all the time they need to break in and have a tea party before doing me in. Now I know right where they are, next to my keys, light and 'safety devices'. I also practiced keeping things put away or at least put where they couldn't do a lot of damage if I had to leave in a hurry. My friends told me about parking so I could drive straight away, and I practiced jumping up and diving into the driver's seat. Over concerned? I don't think so. I want to have a head start in what would surely be an adreneline-rush situation. I have a few other security and safety measures I could implement, but just running through a few drills, I felt more relaxed and able to enjoy my time in the forest.

Driving off a beaten path as a non-mechanic is risky business, imho. I started a maintenance budget and plan when I bought my van 7 months ago ('02 Ford E350 hitop cargo). I had my mechanic change out all the plugs and fluids and agree to check it out after I put some miles on. After the trips, he said the codes only indicated the van didn't like the gas I was using and nothing else seemed to be wrong, so my next fill up will be from a different station. I am glad to have that service. Yes, I could have attempted taking the head off and changing the plugs myself, but I have minimal experience and understanding of when things are right or wrong under the hood or floorboards, which is why I opted to pay a pro, especially since these 5.4L Ford engines have a built-in plug problem in the first place. Until I get my communication systems in place, I will stay reasonably close to help. I want to be able to call AAA. On my last trip a big 'ol tow truck came by asking directions to some dispersed campsite and later came back out with a broke-down rig. Btw, my mpg improved considerably just filling the tires to the proper pressure.

This has been my best summer in so many years I can't even count them. And the best part is, any time I want to, I can take off. What a wonderful thing to help me maintain my sanity while I am dealing with my life here at the stick and brick homestead.

I hope you all are making your ways safely and I would love to hear from you.

Sassy

 

[GypsyMoon]

Awesome Sassy. I had the closing on my house on August the 18th. Bought a 2007 chevy express van a few weeks before and instantly started working on it.
Built a bed frame myself and found a cool cabinet at a yard sale that has 3 shelves and a door on one side and 3 slide in baskets on the other. then I found some good size baskets and put velcro on them and mounted 3 on top. Plus I did other stuff as well. Its been fun. Am currently staying at a friends house in my van in her driveway helping her stage her home to sell. Its been a good thing because I am getting a feel for the way its gonna be and realizing just what I will need and don't need in my travels. I hope to get going first part of October. Next week I am having a roof vent with a fan installed and 2 batteries. Plus a hitch and cargo carrier put on. Fun wow. Heading south first stop North Carolina to visit one of my daughters. Second stop Tennessee to one brothers place and two other friends. Then Florida to see brother and other daughter. I'm phyched.

 

[Bdog1]

Nice sassy.

I've now got hi-top envy! Sure opens up the space.

 

[sassypickins]

@GypsyMoon - Congrats on the house closing. What a relief that must have been. You are coming right along - sounds like an ideal scenario to get used to your van, too, to check out how things work or don't. Would love to see a photo! I have to admit, I've had recollections more than once of playing house in the attic......

What batteries did you decide on and do you know how you are going to set that up yet? I'm thinking I'll build a battery house and place for the inverter and future solar controller next to the sliding door just high enough that the small bed can still pull out over the top and I'll put the distribution panels on the wall above. The wiring will run through flex conduit just under the roof edge where it meets the hi-top and then I'll finish that off somehow. That way I can drop down to fixtures wherever I want them and locations can be flexible... I hope.





(That's cheap stick-on black shelf liner on the kitchen unit. So far it is working out great and I haven't ripped or sliced it up LOL.)

Your travel plans to visit your people along the way to Florida should make the traveling much less stressful, I would think.

@BDog1 - I love the height and have not regretted it once, even at the gas station. I can do without other things!

 

[Julie Roberts]

Hi I have a 73 Lark Travelmate. Its old but has been redone. Bit needs to be redone on the outside again. I would like to go to Quartzsite. I have questions. How much does it cost to dump sewer? How much to fill water container about 40 gal I guess.. and will there be water there this year? and How much to dump trash? I don't have a very big holding tank so it will have to be emptied offen I guess. I am at a RV park right now and the cost are eating up my SS check. Can't work yet because I just had back surgery. Can you help me?

 

[cyndi]

Hi Julie,
Last year it ran between $10-$15 to dump your black and grey tank. There are trucks that will come out to the campsite and dump your tanks for $25. For potable water you can pay up to 50 cents a gallon, maybe more if you don't shop around. I filled my 35 gallon tank for under $10, but I wasn't drinking it.

Trash can be dumped for free at the waste management transfer station.

I used the Rose Garden campground. They have four lanes to fill propane, dump trash and tanks and fill the tanks. Not including propane it was under 20.00. It does depend on the size of your rig. Mine was small, 26'