Hi from Ontario, Canada

[JanCarol]

Hi. I've been living in my pickup for the last 4 months and surprised myself by how much I really do like it. Having said that, I am going to upgrade to a cargo van soon.  I am going to continue with this lifestyle but would like a little more room and comfort. 

I'm looking to meet up with others since I dont have any friends in the area. I moved here last June for work and have since been layed off. I was working nights, a perfect job for a vandweller in the winter months, but failed to establish any long term friendships with (now ex-) coworkers. 

Anyone in central Ontario? Let's meet for coffee sometime.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums JanCarol! Hope you're staying warm. All of us down here in the southwest are shivering when it gets down in the 30s at night. :-D

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 JanCarol! Hope you find what you're looking for and when its time for you to look for vans, you find a gem. Take care!

 

[poncho62]

Hi....also in Ontario. Was wondering how you make out in this cold?

 

[ahh_me2]

Welcome aboard!

I'm in Alberta....

 

[JanCarol]

Hi....also in Ontario. Was wondering how you make out in this cold?

Hi Poncho62.  I do okay. I have a hot water bottle, wool blanket, sleeping bag and heavy quilt, extra layers of clothing, and if it gets really cold I just start my truck.  Not too fond of having my sleep interrupted by the cold but mot nights i sleep like a log. The hot water bottle is my god send, love that piece of gear and Timmies doesn't charge for ex lg hot water. Lol. Still...anxiously awaiting spring.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard JanCarol!
I'm in Maine doing much the same as you to keep warm at night.

 

[JanCarol]

Hey Popeye. Guess you deal with the same temps. Awoke to -15c this morning, bright sun and no wind chill. Love days like this!! That's 5f for you guys. Fresh. Lol

 

[ArtW]

Welcome! I don't 'do' 5f, we Texans melt below 20f lol
best of luck in finding more work / getting a cargo van, I've done a bit of dirtbagging in my Ranger, and i wouldn't want to do it for long in a 6 foot bed, hopefully you have a bigger pickup than that

 

[rvpopeye]

Art
Skuh kuh kuh kuh kuh kuh kuh
You WON'T melt !
You'll FREEZE!!!!!!

 

[JanCarol]

Welcome! I don't 'do' 5f, we Texans melt below 20f lol
best of luck in finding more work / getting a cargo van, I've done a bit of dirtbagging in my Ranger, and i wouldn't want to do it for long in a 6 foot bed, hopefully you have a bigger pickup than that

Currently not using the truck bed. Too cold back there and difficult to stealthily get in the back of it where I park for the night.  I removed the bench seat in the back of the cab and placed boards and foam mattress there.  Its really cozy and warm, easy small space to heat.  When the weather warms, I'll move back into the truck bed where I have a raised bed I built to sleep on with lots of storage underneath.  I fit perfect in a 6' truck bed since I'm only 5'6, lots of inches to spare. lol  I'll see if I can find a pic to post.

 

[JanCarol]

I found a pic of the back of my pickup when I was building it.  It's since been finished with cupboard doors and a decent mattress.

 

[ArtW]

I'd love to be able to do the cab bed thing, but at 6 feet, with a truck width of 5 feet, it wouldn't work, as i sometimes like to be on my stomach
I had thought about removing the passenger seat and building a platform, and the bucket would fit behind the driver's seat if it was nasty outside, but it still isn't 6 feet
in some ways I'd actually be better off in a small wagon or hatchback (a Ford Fiesta actually has more usable stretch out space, front to back, lol, just not enough total space)
I found the elevated bed with storage beneath didn't work for me in a Ranger, roof of the topper was too close, and I was looking out the window laying down, weird combo of feeling both closed in and exposed, so I went with the bed on the floor of the bed, with a shelf over to hold the gear, and my feet go under the shelf, with my head at the tailgate
Still wish I had a few more feet, or even 6 more inches, it's odd to have your head abnd your feet in contact with the 'walls' of your bedroom lol

I have pics of both setups in my phone, but for some reason they haven't uploaded to google pics

Popeye: that was the joke lol

 

[DannyB1954]

If you get unemployment benefits, Florida is nice this time of year.
A group that you might be interested in is Boondockers Welcome. https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/

How it works
The dues are about $20 a year, but it will put you in touch with hundreds of people that will let you stay on their property for free.

B.W. does not dictate agreements between the parties. The only rule is there is no fees charged for the use of the land, and no services are guaranteed, (water electricity etc.). Whatever the two parties agree to is what the terms are. As an example, my profile page says I offer 3 nights stay, (there is no reason that I can not change that to a week, month or whatever). I also offer water, electricity, laundry, and bathrooms for showers and baths. Other hosts may only offer the parking space.

The nice thing about this system is there is some level of accountability on both sides. If either party gets negative reviews it will be more difficult for them to inflict bad behavior on others in the future. So far my experience with guests has been 100% positive. I have hosted several Canadians here in Southern Nevada.

 

[JanCarol]

If you get unemployment benefits, Florida is nice this time of year.
A group that you might be interested in is Boondockers Welcome.         https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/

How it works    
The dues are about $20 a year, but it will put you in touch with hundreds of people that will let you stay on their property for free.

B.W. does not dictate agreements between the parties. The only rule is there is no fees charged for the use of the land, and no services are guaranteed, (water electricity etc.).   Whatever the two parties agree to is what the terms are. As an example, my profile page says I offer 3 nights stay, (there is no reason that I can not change that to a week, month or whatever). I also offer water, electricity, laundry, and bathrooms for showers and baths.  Other hosts may only offer the parking space.

The nice thing about this system is there is some level of accountability on both sides. If either party gets negative reviews it will be more difficult for them to inflict bad behavior on others in the future. So far my experience with guests has been 100% positive.   I have hosted several Canadians here in Southern Nevada.

Thanks! I've seen this site. I believe it was started by 2 women from Toronto, Ontario.