Mother/daughter team new to van dwelling

[Bookmonk]

I'm so happy to find this place! I am still in the planning stages and could use a lot of advice. My daughter is graduating from high school next week. We are planning to spend one year on the road in the US filming a documentary. Van dwelling seems like the ideal way to keep expenses super low and allow us to spend more time working on the documentary than working to earn money to pay for hotels. I bought the Vanabode book and a Chevy Express Cargo van looks like our best option for stealth parking in the cities and also for reselling quickly when we are ready to go overseas for the second part of our project. The plans for the van modifications seem to be designed for a married couple or a single person. However, I am hoping that you guys might be able to direct me to plans for two beds instead of one queen size to share. I could also use advice on the following topics:

1. Heating the van if it gets cold.
2. Regions to be in during the winter to avoid the cold.
3. Cooling the van when it's hot.
4. Regions to be in when it is hot.
6. I want to be able to quickly resell the van after the year so I don't want to make many modifications. What do you recommend for power, keeping this in mind?
7. We will be digital nomads so any recommendations for apps or websites where we can find free wifi would be helpful.
8. Is there an app or website for free campgrounds that is reliable?
9. I am a book freak and can't imagine not having access to books. Is there a way to borrow library books on the road?
10. Would a gym membership make sense for us to have access to showers?
11. Any suggested alternatives for regular showers?
12. Suggestions for healthy food on the road?

 

[decodancer]

Boy did you come to the right place! Every one of your questions has been discussed here and everyone is so helpful. I know there is a pic of a van with two twin bunks here somewhere. If one of you is not too tall, an el shaped setup might work. Raise the beds up just high enough for storage underneath but not too high so that you can sit up in bed. I use a Kindle for reading, lots of free or almost free books and takes up no room. I'm no expert on the shower question but put it in the search engine here and you'll get tons of options. Good luck on your new venture.

 

[kyonu]

I'm a health freak when it comes to healthy food, so I may be able to answer your last question. I only buy organic food, and stay away from foods that can give you diseases or illness or even food poisoning--this typically means any animal product or honey. Honey is more of a moral choice than a diet choice though, since the decline of bees is drastic and worrying. I try to stay away from things that can cause global collapse.

Anyway, enough of the conspiracy! Here's the tips:

1. Try to get dehydrated vs freeze dried. Freeze dried blanches the food, which still cooks it above the point where the healthy enzymes live, thus killing all of the major benefits. Cons: Dehydrated doesn't last as long, but will still last months.

2. If you stock up for the long haul and don't want to re-hydrate food, I recommend getting vacuum storage bags to keep the air and water from creating mold. Otherwise, use as much as you can!

3. Stay away from foods which are meant to give you calories, and that is their purpose. A balanced diet is a huge part of how humans play out their lives. It controls mood swings, energy levels, healthy blood, mental status, and most importantly: laziness. Getting lazy on the road and forgetting what it means to be in nature will kill your enjoyment. A balanced diet on the road is as important, if not far more than, in a home.

4. Make sure your perishables are stored properly. Be wary of RV refrigerators, as some of them go on electric and gas, which can cause a lot of problems if you run out of either.

5. In the mind of perishables, most people will never give up things like meat, eggs, or milk for the sake of health. I'm not going to preach (as most of my research would simply scare people away from giving it up anyway), but just remember that animal foods that go bad are FAR worse than fruits and veggies that go bad. Vaccines can only protect your from outside sources--if it gets in your body, you WILL get sick.

Good luck!

 

[Iggy]

Welcome to the source of all wisdom. You will have to do some homework to find the answers to all your questions. Some trial and error will be likely too. A few things that work for me....
1. Lil buddy propane heater for taking the chill off. I don't leave it on long or while I'm sleeping. But the coldest I've experienced was only a little below freezing.
9. I buy books at thrift stores for 25¢ to $1. Also get free books on my Nook thru Bookbub.
11. I have Anytime Fitness which is the most widely dispersed gym. But no gym chain is everywhere. City pools and community fitness centers are often less than $5 for a day pass.
I'll let other people who are more knowledgeable answer your other questions. I do like the west coast for its milder climate in both summer and winter. Head north or south, higher elevations or lower, desert or beaches, to find a comfortable temperature. I can easily handle 32°-80° myself. Oh and McDs, libraries, work well for free Wi-Fi. Good luck and happy travels!

 

[Patrick46]

Ooooooo....now you've got me curious...

what's yer documentary about?? (kin ya share it??)

Welcome to the forum!!
I think you'll find we have a wonderful and diversed crew on board here...so just about any thing you may need help with...someone's gonna be able to stear you in the proper direction.

OK...are you gals gonna be traveling around the country pretty continously, or will you be staying in certain places for...oh, a month or two?? Will you be wanting to squeeze every penny as far as it'll go, or will you have enough $$$ to be able to stay in RV parks or campgounds if need be, without sacrificing a kidney to do so?? I ask because these kinds of questions will help us give you advice that'll be helpful to your specific needs.

What part of the country do you call home now, and what kind of work do you do??

Hello from the Oregon Coast! (a place you should consider)

 

[blkjak]

welcome....blkjak

 

[Bookmonk]

Great questions Patrick!

The documentary has to do with homeschooling and college.

We may occasionally stay in the same place for a month at a time but most of the time it'll only be a few days here and there.

We definitely need to squeeze every single penny.

We would prefer to stay in free campsites and have a bunch of people all over the country who were hoping to visit and park in their driveway overnight.

---

I forgot to mention that we live in Southern California and I have been working at a church as the program coordinator for nearly six years. Leaving my job will be so hard but I'm really excited about doing something so adventurous.

 

[sephson]

There are a number of online resources including websites and smartphone aps for finding free places to camp. Lately, I've been browsing freecampsites.net in my spare time, thinking about where I might like to go when I have time to travel this fall.

Other members with more experience with camping sites and aps could point you towards other helpful resources.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Yep, those two sites do what you want. Boondockerswelcome is like couch surfing but with parking spots instead

 

[Patrick46]

A book about homeschooling is a wonderful idea!!

My wife comes from a long line of home schooled kids, and we homeschooled ours for the first few years as well.

Anyone who sais that home-schooled kids don't get as good of an education is full of beans, as there are 2 doctors and a lawyer in the clan, and all were home schooled!! I personally think home-schooled kids do better as their education is more concentrated, and they don't end up learning all those 'wonderful' things kids learn at the school-yard. (...and sure, there are always exceptions to the rule, but that happens everywhere. Home-schooling would have done me a world of good.)

I'd think you'd be able to network with homeschoolers from one town to the next, as oftentimes there are homeschool organizations, and these are usually linked from one district to the next. (but you probably already know this). Heck, I'd bet they'd be able to set you gals up with driveways to park in, and backyard camping spots ahead of tyme before you head off to the next town.

As for what you take on this epic adventure...now that I know what we're dealing with, I'd think a small motorhome (like a Toyota Seabreeze or a Chinook) would be ideal for you! Small enough to park in most regular parking lots, gets good gas mileage, and has all the fixtures for living in comfortably. And often times these can be found for a decient price too! (if you 'rough it' too much in an un-converted van, and you're not into camping already...then you're gonna be miserable, (especially in cold weather), and the fun and adventure of your trip will dissipate in short order.)
A mini-motorhome will give you a kitchen (for preparing those health conscious meals), be small enough that they're not intimidating to drive (as these aren't as big as a bus), and are already equipped and ready to go (no need to convert or build anything). You'll have a table for eating at and for working on your laptop, or for playing cards together when it rains (as it will) You'll also have a full bathroom (and in my experience traveling with my wife & teenaged daughers, is that they LIKE having their own private bathroom...not one they need to borrow or to use a nasty campground one. Plus the shower...they love having their shower everyday...not like most guys!!)
Oh, and don't forget this will also give you each your own separate beds too!

Yeah, you can find a Class 'B' van conversion, but these really hold thier value, and are much harder to find for a good price...plus, seeing how much time you guys are gonna be spending in this rig, that little extra 'elbo-room' will be a Godsend!!!

and this too is a rig that you'll be able to sell at the end of your journey, so that's a plus too!


well...that gives you a bunch to think about.
I know that everybody on this board will be watching this thread and cheering you on as things progress!!
Please post up any potential candidates you're considering, and we'll help you check things off your list (from our ends!)

Good Luck and have fun shopping, from up in Oregon!!

(btw...when you 'do' come up through these parts, I may know of acouple familys who homeschool thier kids you could talk to)

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the forums! Lots of good advice so far. I agree with Patrick - buy a small RV and you'll enjoy the trip much more. You'll sacrifice some gas mileage but everything will be ready to go. With a refrigerator eating healthy will be easy. You'll have heat any time that you want it, air conditioning if you have hookups, fresh water, a toilet and shower.

We use freecamping.net whenever possible. There are free camping grounds in many small midwest towns and lots of boondocking spots in the west. If we're traveling in the east we most often stay in big box store lots - Walmart, Home Depot, etc. We also stay in Cracker Barrels.

If you decide on a van, solar showers work great, lots of people use baby wipes in between showers.

Winter time travel - Florida (expensive), Arizona ( good boondocking), southern California and southern New Mexico

Summer time travel - northern California, coastal Oregon and Washington, Colorado mountains

Do you have a good library system where you live now? Sign up for ebooks through your library. We have to go in person and renew our card every few years but we never run out of reading material. It's easy to read the books on your laptop if you don't have an e-reader.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

For power, you can get deep cycle batteries for under 100 bucks at sams club. 180 Bucks more can give you a 100 watts of solar, if you avoid refridgerator that should be enuff

 

[Lucky mike]

Im with Tony & Karen.....buy a small cheap RV....Class C....you will have everything you need onboard ....cooking ...refrigeration ....shower...potty....generator and comfort that your going to need...

 

[Bookmonk]

I'm starting to be swayed by the argument for a small class C. When I was a little girl, my dad bought a 1970s tent trailer that I loved! Nearly all my happy memories involve that thing. While I don't want a tent trailer now, I could get into the idea of a vintage class C. How far fetched is it to hope that in the next 6 months I might run across a class c with low miles, owned by 1-2 owners that babied it and kept the original decor in good shape? Where would I look for such a thing? What do I want to look for? Is there some place I can go on the internet for a crash course in all things old RVing? I've done some searching online and all the lingo is Russian to me. How old would I need to go if I want a really well built class c that I could learn how to make minor repairs on?

 

[kyonu]

Check either www.rvtrader.com or craigslist. They are phenomenal choices for vehicles in general, and many good options. However, definitely make sure no matter where you buy, ask them about what maintenance has been done. Then, research what maintenance needs to be done, and then you'll be golden. I've seen good deals all over craigslist recently, and rvtrader has a huge variety.

 

[decodancer]

I had an 85 class C and loved it. Paid $3000 and sold it for the same a year later to buy a travel trailer. I stay in one location for many months so it made more sense. You can find good deals but don't be afraid to replace a little carpet or make a seat cover. Even a well kept model from the 80s is going to need cosmetic stuff. For me that's the fun part, once it's all pretty, I want another fixer.

 

[SoulRaven]

Florida is only expensive south of I-4. You can stay for free in the SWFLA water management camps northeast of Tampa.

Or you can get a gulf front condo in Panama City for the same price per month vs. a campsite in South Fla.

 

[PastTense]

If you are in a situation where you are staying long enough to receive postal mail, look at
http://www.paperbackswap.com

So you list books you no longer want on this site and if someone wants it you ship it to them and receive one credit. With this credit you can get any book listed on the site. The only cost is the postage cost you pay to ship the book to somebody (when you receive a book your only cost is the credit).

 

[Bookmonk]

Decodancer, if I may ask for a clarification, what did you mean by your statement above about staying in one place for many months. I will be traveling all over the country over the course of one year: from Southern California, north to Seattle, east to Vermont, south to Florida, and then back up and across the middle through Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma then down into the Southwest before returning to Southern California. I need a vehicle that is wise for that much driving in one year. Would say, an 85 class C, be a bad choice for that?

 

[sephson]

Where would I look for such a thing?

Since you're in Southern California, I'd recommend starting with Craigslist under the RV's+Camp tab in the For Sale section. Then narrow your search parameters. Since you're looking for a Class C, enter Class C in the search box. Next enter the price range you're looking for and hit enter. This will give you a list comprised largely, but not entirely of Class C motor homes in your price range. You can also resort your results by either ascending price or descending price rather than the default newest first. If there are few available in the area you've chosen, Craigslist will also display listings from nearby areas, though Craigslist sometimes has some rather strange ideas of what constitutes nearby.

Here are some samples for you. The parameters I've put in the search are Class C, price range $500 - $7000. Feel free to change the parameters and just play around while you see what's available.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/search/rva?sort=priceasc&maxAsk=7000&minAsk=350&query=Class C

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/rva?sort=priceasc&maxAsk=7000&minAsk=500&query=class c

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/search/rva?sort=priceasc&maxAsk=7000&minAsk=500&query=class c

Click on the CL at the top left of the page to to the Craigslist home page and search other areas.

Hope this helps.