how to secure everything in a rental van for rtr...

[doublegregg]

thanks for asking about my progress ---- i'll be honest, i got a van, etc... but couldn't go through with it. i think it's just too much coming at me. it's very depressing. renting the thing, trying to pack, i got some sawdust for a bucket toilet, altho didn't get the toilet, prepared some dehydrated food, have alcohol stoves... fire extinguishers..lol... i'm a very cautious person, and it was too overwhelming.

i'm thinking now of actually buying a van. i have to have my own sort of environment. the rental was sort of good for: the size of the van seemed good, although i have to walk like groucho marx in it. not sure how that will play out in a few days (i'm 64 with a poor back), i could actually drive the thing (i've never driven anything like a cargo van). so i sat in the thing, etc... was also really worried about the thing just being broken into - such as where i live (oakland, where cars are regularly busted into).

i'm going through a lot - i guess a lot of people at the rtr also have been through a lot. so ---- a setback. i actually went to the rtr two years ago, staying in a motel in blythe, and would've enjoyed going last year, also staying in a motel. however, backed out of that at the last minute.

i hope everyone has a great time....

 

[VanForNow]

Since the headroom in a van is limited, you might want to consider staying in a tent at the next RTR. They can be comfortable with the right gear. But the wind in the desert can be quite strong. The short, thin stakes sold with most tents are worthless in the desert. The long & strong steel stakes made from rebar, sold cheaply at vendors such as K&B in Quartzsite, are the way to go.

 

[crofter]

@doublegregg

I bought a used fleet van due to being able to stand up in it. That was how I knew it was the one for me. I got in it and stood up, arms all the way out. Also no need for a car loan due to being used and the cheaper ones (Promasters the poor persons Sprinter). 

First trip I had a coleman chair, foam mattress, and camping gear. I went to my first meetup at Tillamook Oregon and showed up a week late due to social anxiety. I had a great time with everyone who was there, and saw some solar setups so I started learning also. 

If it is anxiety that you battle, try just a short visit and not the whole thing. Leave when you need to. That's what I do.  Blessings-  crofter

 

[maki2]

thanks for asking about my progress ---- i'll be honest, i got a van, etc... but couldn't go through with it. i think it's just too much coming at me. it's very depressing. renting the thing, trying to pack, i got some sawdust for a bucket toilet, altho didn't get the toilet, prepared some dehydrated food, have alcohol stoves... fire extinguishers..lol... i'm a very cautious person, and it was too overwhelming.

i'm thinking now of actually buying a van. i have to have my own sort of environment. the rental was sort of good for: the size of the van seemed good, although i have to walk like groucho marx in it. not sure how that will play out in a few days (i'm 64 with a poor back), i could actually drive the thing (i've never driven anything like a cargo van). so i sat in the thing, etc...  was also really worried about the thing just being broken into - such as where i live (oakland, where cars are regularly busted into).

i'm going through a lot - i guess a lot of people at the rtr also have been through a lot. so ---- a setback. i actually went to the rtr two years ago, staying in a motel in blythe, and would've enjoyed going last year, also staying in a motel. however, backed out of that at the last minute.

i hope everyone has a great time....

A surprising number of people are driven by their anxieties. It is that fear of failure, what the heck am I doing this for, feeling that creates a major roadblock they can't get past. Don't drink so much coffee, it makes fears become the size of a menacing Grizzly Bear.

 

[doublegregg]

@crofter - yeah, anxiety and depression... i've got to be comfortable and feel safe in the van... i'm thinking of a fleet vehicle, the basic cargo van. i'd like windows, but the anxiety of having them, and the security issue makes them probably out of the question. i'd like to stealth in urban areas, and boondock out in the country... all new experiences to me. not sure one vehicle can suit both environments. i'm really not into camping at my age (64), but would like a simple, reliable, safe, and probably comfortable experience... comfortable meaning not dreading lying and sitting in the van for i guess 12 hours of darkness...

maybe i'll be able to join a caravan before they bust up for summer... but i don't want to put pressure on myself... not sure how this will turn out.

 

[B and C]

Bummer, sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone to get things accomplished. Wishing you well.

 

[jacqueg]

As always, your most difficult opponent is yourself.

But don't be too hard on yourself. As I have been finding out, it is emotionally quite different to go on a camping trip to a particular place with a place to come back to, than to just launch with no place to come back to, nor a particular place to go to!

I have finagled my way through it, and will launch in a couple days. My first steps will be visiting friends and family in California, so that helps.

I have a van, but I am already thinking that if I like being a nomad, I will get a regular (small) RV, for the room. Pulling a trailer is something that I can do, but I hate it.

 

[doublegregg]

we'll see.... a few different opinions are offered on this subject. i'm just trying to be open about it, without being too much of a downer. i guess i'm trying to speak, a little, for others who might not.

 

[maki2]

The question is and be honest in your answer. what is your daily intake of caffeine? Many people are so sensitive to it that they get overwhelming anxiety, can't get into the proper sleep cycles because of it and that causes a lot of depression. If you are having trouble quitting the caffeine that means you are addicted to it. But it is not an innocent addiction for you, it is a life disabling one. Addictions are like that, some people have it for alcohol, others get it for cigarettes, or various drugs including caffeine.

Wean yourself off of caffeine and see how you feel. You will go through withdrawals and cravings so be strong and stick with it. It is hidden in some foods including chocolate.

I can always tell if I start feeling anxious in the early afternoon that I have had one too many cups of coffee. So I try to keep it to just a couple of cups in the morning to avoid the impatience and anxiety it causes as well as the shaky fingers. I work with very small objects and need steady hands for the work. I also have a stomach that does not tolerate acid and my sleep cycle is easily disrupted into crazy hours of the day, so I can't let myself get overloaded with it. But when I am foolish and overdo it by going out for coffee with friends or because I feel too sleepy I recognize the symptoms for what the true source of those issues are. The problem lies with what I put into my body, it did not begin in my mind or with what is going on in my life. I know better than that, there is a direct cause and effect from caffeine intake. A little is enough, more that that is a disaster to my body.

 

[doublegregg]

@maki2... i rechecked my caffeine amount ... i eat 80% to 88% dark chocolate in the am, about 1.1 oz... which is maybe 25 to 40mg caffeine daily. coffee, 8oz, is 100mg to 200mg... i don't take in any other caffeine.. i may have to recheck my chocolate intake, as the caffeine is a little higher than i'd thought.

on other health matters, i do probiotics, prebiotics, and intermittent fasting... i make my own probiotics. i don't buy that expensive junk........... i never drink coffee or tea, as i'm very susceptible to caffeine... i love good coffee and fine english tea...........