hi everyone im finally ready

[alan]

hi everyone  i'm  up in Calgary ,i've been inspired by cheaprvliving ,videos etc ,aspecialy i think its Bob with the white beard that guy is just so humble and seems a very,very decent guy, my van is finished and spring is here so its time to post ,get some tips maybe meet some new friends 
 i'm intrigued by this traveling lifestyle. I purchased a 1993 raised roof  Ford E150 travel van,ripped out the seats and built a raised bed with a chuckwagon style kitchen in the rear,3 AGM batteries,camping toilet stored under bed 
100 watt solar,LED tv,stereo 12 volt fridge and a 12 volt cooler ,on back i have bike hauler and a suzuki drz400 
 its been a long haul as i am not a mechanic or a carpenter and the van required quite a bit of maintenance to make it long trip worthy
 My problem is i do not have any idea where to go, i do not mind wally mart when there is absolutely no other choice,but we do not want to leave our comfy life to stay in parking lots /roadside/truck rest stops etc
can anyone suggest some nice places to stay in washington.Oregon,California ,
do you have  guys have different places you go at different times ? rtr etc ?
i quite fancy driving down into mexico  is this feasible
  any advise or tips from you experts would be greatly appreciated 
so 2 questions i guess
 calgary to california best spots ?
driving down to Mexico w/van possible ? ....thanks everyone

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Watched many a youtube video doing just what you're wanting to do! Irene from Irene's Vanventures (on YT) hails from Oregon and traveled down to the RTR. She has quite a few videos of the areas where she stopped. Welcome!

 

[Mermaid]

Congratulations!!!
It's the perfect time to get on the road down south - we just got 2 inches of snow here in Toronto and I've had it for this winter! LOL

I used free campsites dot com to put together my route for the next 4 months. Some of the spots are just Walmarts or rest stops, but others are amazing little gems! It took me a while, but thanks to excel and google maps I found a really nice route that I can now work with. It's all in Canada though, so sorry, I can't help with practical tips for your destination.

Have a great adventure and safe travels!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums alan!  Freecampsites is one of the best places to start your search. https://freecampsites.net/
If you want to hang out with some forum members head to Arizona and go to the Sedona area or Flagstaff after it warms up.

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.

 

[Wabbit]

Hi Alan! Best of luck to you and enjoy the ride.

 

[ArtW]

Welcome! national forests, BLM land, some state parks, etc, freecampsites.net

 

[cyndi]

Here's the link to freecampsites tripplanner to find free camping on your route.
https://freecampsites.net/#!&query=TripPlanner

Freecampsites is a user driven website. The community relies on each other to update current listings and add new ones. It's the users that keep it relevant and current

 

[DuneElliot]

What size are your AGM batteries? 100W of solar might not be enough to keep 3 batteries charged, but that depends on their size of course.

 

[Gigi]

can anyone suggest some nice places to stay in washington.Oregon,California ,

Hi Alan and welcome!  I live on Northern Oregon coast and will be traveling these 3 states most of the summer.  I don't know a lot of great places yet but hope to find some exploring around and will be sure to share them with you!  Happy travels to you!