Jaque's Travels

[TravelingJaque]

I've never lived mobile. Now I'm giving it a try. Tonight will be my first full night in my car. I'll try to add more about my adventures every few days.

 

[highdesertranger]

thumbs up buddy. for sure give us a report. good luck. highdesertranger

 

[TravelingJaque]

Stuck waiting for a part for my car top carrier until Monday. 

I still slept in my car, as I decide I'd rather have my first night where I can run to the store if I discover I need something. 

So glad I did! Horribly uncomfortable. One corner at the head of the bed is lower. Going to fix that today. Probably sleep in there again tonight to make sure it's fixed, even though I have a perfectly comfortable bed in the guest room.

 

[TravelingJaque]

This will be night #2 in the car - but there first night I'm not safely parked in the garage. I'm in Ely, Nevada. Stopped to gas up & my check battery light turned on. Check it & my alternator is dead. Now I'm parked at the mechanics waiting for the part to arrive. Hopefully tomorrow.

Expect the unexpected!

I'm warm, dry, and pretty comfortable.

I even peed in the car for the first time tonight. Didn't even make a mess! ***IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL ABOUT PEEING IN A TOYOTA COROLLA, STOP NOW***

I spread out a puppy pad on the driver's seat & got out my $1.25 funnel and $1.50 opaque "water" bottle.

It's an automotive funnel with a diagonal lip, so it's basically an oversized "go girl" for a fraction of the price.

Realized now is definitely a less than ideal time to try it out for the first time. I took off all my bottoms just in case of disaster. Was terrified the 20 oz bottle wouldn't be big enough, but it's less than half full. The silicone seal seems to be leak-free.

Then I cleaned the funnel and my hands with antibacterial wipes. Bagged it all up. Crawled back into the backseat, put on my bottoms & was done. No need to even open a door.

Hoping for a good night's sleep.

 

[GypsyJan]

Congrats on passing (pun intended) Peeing in small car 101. Great idea about the pee pad. I'll toss some of my kitties' pads into the car inventory. That might replace the grocery bag and kitty litter under the coffee jug to catch any possible spills in the camping potty.

 

[TravelingJaque]

I've joined up with caravan 2W at Walker Lake in Nevada. Been here a few days. Important things to note:

Get Verizon. No one else can get a signal - me included!
In Hawthorne, the closest town, McDonald's and the Safeway grocery store both have free, unsecured WiFi. This has been a lifesaver! I message me family and friends via Facebook messenger to keep everyone updated and from freaking out and coming looking for me.
It gets hot fast in the day & cold just as fast at night. Be ready for huge temperature swings. Don't push yourself if it's hot. Slow down, take breaks and drink a lot of water! 
The "major sheep crossing" signs are there for a reason!   It's normal to see dozens of wild mountain sheep near or on the road most of the times you drive through these areas. Time of day doesn't seem to be a factor.
Refill your water jugs at Safeway for $0.40 a gallon.

My favorite thing so far, aside from walkin up to an amazing view, is having other caravanners with me. So glad I didn't try to do this on my own my first time out! If you break down, faint, have your tent try to blow away, or just need some conversation, they are there for you.

I thought I was going to crave complete solitude, but I found out I'm not that much of an introvert!

Plus, they are very relaxed about the whole thing. If you want to be left alone, set up a bit farther away and no one will bug you!

 

[maki2]

Be sure you have an easy to use, non glass, medical grade thermometer along. That way if the weather is really hot you can monitor yourself to make sure you are not going to end up with heat stroke. If you see your temperature going up then you can take immediate remedial measures to keep things under control. No point in letting it get to the point you are going to faint.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Great report!!