We have been overnight parking in Walmart parking lots on occasion since 2001. I have been the caretaker for my aging demented parents for the last 2 1/2 years. I recently ran across Bob Wells' videos. To be honest browsing on this forum has been a wonderful escape from the gloom involved in care taking. We already tested a few things we found on this forum while on a short respite. Our old Chevy Van is a rust bucket but it has Been well maintained otherwise. The hand writing is on the wall to replace the van if we go some place other than rural Indiana. I also tested a couple cooking ideas I haven't seen and when my iPad is a bit more functional I'll share what I have learned.
Holding pattern
- Thread starter Snikwahjm
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
Welcome to the CRVL forums Snikwahjm! Several forum members are in holding patterns at the moment, also caring for aging parents, so they may be able to pass on some tips to make it a little easier on you. Take care of yourself. It's not an easy job but I'm sure your parents appreciate all you do for them.
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.
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.
cyndi
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,731
- Reaction score
- 16
Hi and welcome. I, too, am caring for parents. I enjoyed 4 years on the road, and was grounded due to health issues for a few months a few times. Can't wait to get back out there. Been on hold, this time, since October. My van is packed and ready to go at the drop of a hat.
rvpopeye
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 5,239
- Reaction score
- 5
Welcome aboard !
That's a tough job!
I've been homecaring my mom for a couple of years.
Just moved her to assisted living in April, still a lot of things to do every day , but not 24/7 . Every day is special though. Make as many memories as you can...
Your plan sounds good , keep at it as you can.
Feel free to ask anything you want , plenty of good answers here.
That's a tough job!
I've been homecaring my mom for a couple of years.
Just moved her to assisted living in April, still a lot of things to do every day , but not 24/7 . Every day is special though. Make as many memories as you can...
Your plan sounds good , keep at it as you can.
Feel free to ask anything you want , plenty of good answers here.
eDJ_
Well-known member
I can just imagine what this site could represent for you. Glad to see you can look after you own and have the willingness to do so.
Let me invite you to check out my two sites below. One is for fixing up a Cargo Van as a basic vehicle for day trips and week end camp outs. Any of the ideas in it that you could use, please feel free to use them.
The second site is a portal of information with over 100 links to useful information to use when at home planning an excursion or while out on the road to navigate your way to interesting sites or places of utility along the way.
(laundromats, places to clean up etc) You can look through this portal and dream of trips and use Google Maps
to "virtually" travel there and look around. So if your folks get beyond travel physically, you can show them these places using your computer screen or hook the computer up to a flat screen TV so it would look like you are traveling there.
All the best !
Let me invite you to check out my two sites below. One is for fixing up a Cargo Van as a basic vehicle for day trips and week end camp outs. Any of the ideas in it that you could use, please feel free to use them.
The second site is a portal of information with over 100 links to useful information to use when at home planning an excursion or while out on the road to navigate your way to interesting sites or places of utility along the way.
(laundromats, places to clean up etc) You can look through this portal and dream of trips and use Google Maps
to "virtually" travel there and look around. So if your folks get beyond travel physically, you can show them these places using your computer screen or hook the computer up to a flat screen TV so it would look like you are traveling there.
All the best !
I had to reboot and recharge my iPad. It was going weird.
We tested a few things we learned here in a van trip last week end...
I'm 24/7 with parents 91 and 92. I was lucky and my grand daughter stayed for a few days while my husband and I escaped to southern Indiana last weekend.
Roadpro cook box test.
I love it. I put a package of chicken tenders in it wrapped in a baking bag I cut in half. I turned them once and they were done by the time we got to Vincennes, in. (I recommend going there if you like history and a quiet Walmart parking lot.) the next day I made some quesadillas in the road pro. I was amazed at how fast they cooked. Since we weren't traveling the next time we ate I made chicken salad enough for two meals. It works. Cook once and 4 meals total! We also tested new beds. They have 2x2 frames and IKEA slats cut to fit. Mattresses are out of foam we ordered cut to size from Michigan. Very comfy. We have a bit more organizing to do to go on a long road trip. I figure when the last funeral is over I will have my stuff ready and wave bye bye and let my sisters clean up the mess. They could at least visit. Then we tested sleeping in a grocery store parking lot. We had only tried mostly Walmart lots. We rounded up the carts near us and slept real good. It was very quiet.
We are by no means all that stealth in a 1987 Chevy raised top conversion van with peeling paint and ugly rust but no one questioned us. Thanks to someone on this forum we also took out the ugly original van curtains and made reflextix window covers. We edged the reflextix and inserted magnets to hold them in place. To get them to hold on the big vinyl Windows we put in some fat head screws. It holds nicely. The windows were blocked out but we could see ok with very little light because what light there was reflected.
I'm in Indianapolis for now. If you all think Detroit is bad Indianapolis has more empty houses. Crime is bad here. Next door on one side had an FBI raid last summer and a shoot out at the house on the other side. The door to my bedroom has a bullet hole. Random act of violence. This is supposed to be a nice suburb. My own home is in a more urban part of town and not as bad. I have no fear of the road. If things go crazy we move. We did that one night in Asheville. We heard gun shots and were gone before the sirens were anywhere close. Sure beats a tent. Sure beats putting up with stupid neighbors. We were asked to leave a Walmart in Severeville once. In Montgomery Alabama the Walmart ran a siren all night. We scooted up the road to a more welcoming Walmart and stocked up for breakfast. Other than that we have had good results camping in WM parking lots. We did see a sign in one in Bedford, IN that said no loitering so we didn't attempt to stay. There is usually another WM 20 minutes away in Indiana anyway.
We also tried out our silver sneakers Y membership in Vincennes and that worked. We worked out and got showers. Sweet. Some people don't know about silver sneakers cards. We have Medicare and through the company we enrolled we get a silver sneakers pass good in a lot of fitness places. The Y gave us a pass and it looks like it is good anywhere. We still have to figure out how to get bathing suits to dry out in a van on a rainy day.
I appreciate all the links. Wow I shouldn't be bored for a while. I'm thinking we could face time with grand kids. Maybe let them plan a few days for us in a couple places when we head out. I showed the older girls some of Bob's videos. They each had an idea of what they want. One wants a school bus. She's 10 and had no thoughts about driving it or parking it. She stayed up half the night looking at how to convert a bus.
We tested a few things we learned here in a van trip last week end...
I'm 24/7 with parents 91 and 92. I was lucky and my grand daughter stayed for a few days while my husband and I escaped to southern Indiana last weekend.
Roadpro cook box test.
I love it. I put a package of chicken tenders in it wrapped in a baking bag I cut in half. I turned them once and they were done by the time we got to Vincennes, in. (I recommend going there if you like history and a quiet Walmart parking lot.) the next day I made some quesadillas in the road pro. I was amazed at how fast they cooked. Since we weren't traveling the next time we ate I made chicken salad enough for two meals. It works. Cook once and 4 meals total! We also tested new beds. They have 2x2 frames and IKEA slats cut to fit. Mattresses are out of foam we ordered cut to size from Michigan. Very comfy. We have a bit more organizing to do to go on a long road trip. I figure when the last funeral is over I will have my stuff ready and wave bye bye and let my sisters clean up the mess. They could at least visit. Then we tested sleeping in a grocery store parking lot. We had only tried mostly Walmart lots. We rounded up the carts near us and slept real good. It was very quiet.
We are by no means all that stealth in a 1987 Chevy raised top conversion van with peeling paint and ugly rust but no one questioned us. Thanks to someone on this forum we also took out the ugly original van curtains and made reflextix window covers. We edged the reflextix and inserted magnets to hold them in place. To get them to hold on the big vinyl Windows we put in some fat head screws. It holds nicely. The windows were blocked out but we could see ok with very little light because what light there was reflected.
I'm in Indianapolis for now. If you all think Detroit is bad Indianapolis has more empty houses. Crime is bad here. Next door on one side had an FBI raid last summer and a shoot out at the house on the other side. The door to my bedroom has a bullet hole. Random act of violence. This is supposed to be a nice suburb. My own home is in a more urban part of town and not as bad. I have no fear of the road. If things go crazy we move. We did that one night in Asheville. We heard gun shots and were gone before the sirens were anywhere close. Sure beats a tent. Sure beats putting up with stupid neighbors. We were asked to leave a Walmart in Severeville once. In Montgomery Alabama the Walmart ran a siren all night. We scooted up the road to a more welcoming Walmart and stocked up for breakfast. Other than that we have had good results camping in WM parking lots. We did see a sign in one in Bedford, IN that said no loitering so we didn't attempt to stay. There is usually another WM 20 minutes away in Indiana anyway.
We also tried out our silver sneakers Y membership in Vincennes and that worked. We worked out and got showers. Sweet. Some people don't know about silver sneakers cards. We have Medicare and through the company we enrolled we get a silver sneakers pass good in a lot of fitness places. The Y gave us a pass and it looks like it is good anywhere. We still have to figure out how to get bathing suits to dry out in a van on a rainy day.
I appreciate all the links. Wow I shouldn't be bored for a while. I'm thinking we could face time with grand kids. Maybe let them plan a few days for us in a couple places when we head out. I showed the older girls some of Bob's videos. They each had an idea of what they want. One wants a school bus. She's 10 and had no thoughts about driving it or parking it. She stayed up half the night looking at how to convert a bus.
reflectingnomad
Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
Greetings fellow hoosier. Currently a little north of Indy in a gunfire free zone.
VanKitten
Well-known member
Welcome board
I too was a full-time care giver. My Dad died last Sept at the age of 94. My Mom died last month at the age of 90.
My heart is completely broken.
Rebuilding the RV is what keeps me sane these days. Having the goal to hit the road kept me able to deal with all the stress of being a full time caregiver. Having the goal to be on the road by October is keeping me focused and "grounded"
No matter how long you remain to take care of your parents...keep your goals in the front of your mind. Keep moving forward.
I too was a full-time care giver. My Dad died last Sept at the age of 94. My Mom died last month at the age of 90.
My heart is completely broken.
Rebuilding the RV is what keeps me sane these days. Having the goal to hit the road kept me able to deal with all the stress of being a full time caregiver. Having the goal to be on the road by October is keeping me focused and "grounded"
No matter how long you remain to take care of your parents...keep your goals in the front of your mind. Keep moving forward.
reflectingnomad said:
I wish I was in a gun free zone but I would take a fireworks free zone just as easy. I'm right in urban Indy where there are shootings daily and fire works a lot of nights. How they pay for all those fire works, ill never understand.
