Possible weekender, with lots of questions!

[MissAdventure]

Hi everyone! So I’ve been thinking about having a vehicle just for weekend trips. This past year has really made me think. I’ve watched a lot of videos on van life, and I also followed the Reddit forum. I still do have a lot of questions, though.
I don’t need to live in a vehicle (yet!), as I have somewhere to live. I’ve just been extremely bored and feeling like I’ve lost my purpose in life this past year, not being able to go anywhere or do anything that I love. So I came up with the idea of just taking my dogs out of town on the weekends, either to the forest or the beach, just for a change of scenery, and for some peace and quiet. I have 3 small dogs who are the loves of my life. They’ve never really been anywhere except around town. I think it would be fun to take them places. Or, they may not like it, or it may freak them out, I really don’t know. Staying in a hotel/motel is obviously out of the question.
I’m seeing more and more RV’s and campers in my neighborhood, so clearly I’m not the only one with cabin fever. I see a lot of people on Internet forums buying up “Ford Transit” vans. They are way out of my price range. I think the Irok, Ford Pleasureway, and Roadtrek are great, too, but also way out of my price range. I’m thinking that something in between a full size RV and minivan would be enough. A bed, an ice chest, a camp stove. So basically a “weekender” vehicle.
If I did this, I would stay close to home, keep it simple, at least stay in my home state. There are a lot of places I haven’t seen here. I did ask my mechanic what he thought about this idea. He told me that I should just rent an RV every time I want to leave town, which is also out of my price range.
I guess I am just looking for a way to get away with my doggies on the weekends. I really love the forest and we have many beautiful national parks. 
I do have a few concerns. I am a single female, I don’t like confrontation, I don’t know how to fix cars, and nothing wakes me up while I’m asleep. LOL
So I really don’t know where to start, or if I should just ditch this idea altogether?

 

[landyachtman]

Welcome to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Tony's Dream]

That is a tough choice. I went with a Ford Transit. I found one for $17,000 and only 30,000 miles. I added a bed, ice chest, water bottle, and some other basic camping items. Like you I will be a weekender until I retire, then I plan to take 2-3 week jonts accross this great country. I plan to cover all the lower 48 in 5 years.

With your financial limitations, have you considered modifying your current vehicle to accomidate a bed and ice chest?

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forurm

My first rig was a real basic outfit.  Plywood on the floor & indoor/outdoor carpet over that. (the carpet had a black foam backing about 3/8" thick and tight nylon nap) My bed was an aluminum frame camp cot set across the rear wheels.  Foam mattress on that with a comforter and blankets.  I had a kitchen cabinet my Dad had made which had a counter top and a couple of plastic 5 gallon water jugs.  For refrigeration a
38 qt plastic Igloo ice chest.  Under the bed I had boxes with bath towels, clothes, and camping equipment.  I later got a large plastic foot locker to stow other stuff I needed. 

I came by it after graduation from school and used it to g. o job hunting. I was also able to use it to weekend camp or day trip.  Later I rented a small storage locker at a storage place where I could take the camping stuff out and store it to have the empty van for use at work if needed.

The first link below showcases a lot of that.  The second link is a portal of useful info to make getting started more safe, comfortable, and convenient.   You could easily replicate what I've done.

All the best.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome MissAdventure! Sounds like you're ready to have some fun! Make sure to do a little research before taking off for the weekend because some beaches and a few campgrounds do not allow dogs. Most national parks restrict animals to the campground. They aren't allowed on trails and cannot be left in a vehicle. You'll be fine boondocking on national forest and BLM lands though and I think most state parks are good too.

 

[Malamute]

There are websites for info on dog friendly places of all sorts including motels. i take my Malamute(s) to motels pretty regularly. I also leave my dog inside my vehicle for short periods, but I have a generator and window AC unit going and set to 61 degrees. Shes been fine into the 90s, but I dont leave her long at those temps. I need to get one of the temp alert things to let me know if the temp starts to climb.


 And I say go for it, if you dont care for it, you can stop going. If you dont try it, you may have missed a truly amazing life experience.

 

[mattvei]

start simple. get a tent and some basic camping gear. Travel in your car, if you have one, and take a friend. Then you'll see how your pups and you enjoy it.

 

[Cammalu]

You may be able to camp with what you have. What kind of vehicle do you drive now? You might be able to pull a small camper and you can find some deals there.

What state are you in? Maybe some of us nearby can camp with you and help you figure it out. I have campers coming through and staying on my place at times. I have a brand new newbie coming this Friday.

 

[Shyian]

I felt the same about feeling trapped and bored. I was lucky that I had been saving for a travel adventure. I used some of those funds for a Dodge minivan. My thought process was it’s a daily drive when I am not traveling and an excellent little camper. I started in State Parks. It was a little costly in the beginning but it gave me the sense of getting out and exploring. It also gave me the ability to take my German Shepard. If on leash I can take her to state parks. I purchased a foam mattress and then laid out a sleeping bag and zipped it up. I can roll it up during the day for room and lay it out for my bed. For right now it works for me. A camp stove a small table, camp chair an an ice chest works for me. I am researching a small fridge for longer trips. The beauty part of starting in state parks with my dog gave me confidence to venture out to other venues. And all states have parks you can research to find ones you want to visit!

Go for it!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

An inexpensive and smaller camp trailer, tent-trailer, or teardrop trailer might suit you well. No drivetrain to worry about when it's stored and not in use, whether that's a week or 6 months. 

In most states, insurance is not required. (if you get a loan on one then yeah, you will need insurance to protect the lienholder)

Assuming you have a vehicle that can pull a small trailer, of course.

 

[VanFan]

Whatever you choose to do, please don't ignore this impulse to expand!  Dabbling is, of course, fine.  Baby steps, too.  You can even go "camping" in a day use area once in a while.  For campgrounds, week days are much quieter and spots more widely available, if that's a option.

Long ago, I belonged to a Yahoo! Group made up of women who traveled in what they called "Class Z's", meaning whatever vehicle they had that could get them out on roadtrips, short or long.

Please stay in touch!

 

[MissAdventure]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the great advice!
I did ask my mechanic what he thought about my idea of taking my current minivan on weekend trips. He said, “No, it’s too old, and things will keep breaking down.” LOL He recommended I rent an RV instead. I’ve had to do regular repairs on my minivan and it’s not that roomy for me and 3 doggies. I mostly just drive my minivan around town.  I haven’t taken it out of town or up hills in many years. I don’t know how to do repairs. I don’t know if it can even pull a trailer. And I don’t know what kind of trailer to get and where.
So I’m wondering if I should just try and use my current minivan and make whatever repairs/upgrades needed? If that’s even possible? What about tires? Don’t you need larger tires for mountain roads?
Do I need solar and a generator? We will definitely need super cold air conditioning for most of the year here.
I’m in California and I dread the summers due to the extreme heat and worsening wildfires. That’s another thing that worries me. Last summer I knew people who had to be airlifted out of a fire late at night. I’d like to get out of the heat this summer on the weekends, if possible, and away from wildfires. Difficult to do cause the wildfires are getting worse and cover more areas of the state. 
I have looked into a camping tent. I even saw much larger bell tents and camping yurts. Is that safe for a single woman with 3 small dogs?

 

[MissAdventure]

“Trapped and bored.” Yep. Also felt “stuck” and frustrated, unable to make any progress/forward movement in my life.
My first idea was to look for rural land, an acre or two, as a “weekend retreat.” A peaceful “micro farm” with a tiny house, cabin, trailer, yurt, whatever I could find. Last spring and summer I spent every day looking at properties. Then the wildfires started, and the areas I was really interested in burned to the ground. LOL
So that’s when I had the idea that it might be safer to be more “mobile” in my quest for peaceful (and safer) weekend retreats.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Hi everyone! So I’ve been thinking about having a vehicle just for weekend trips. This past year has really made me think. I’ve watched a lot of videos on van life, and I also followed the Reddit forum. I still do have a lot of questions, though.
I don’t need to live in a vehicle (yet!), as I have somewhere to live. I’ve just been extremely bored and feeling like I’ve lost my purpose in life this past year, not being able to go anywhere or do anything that I love. So I came up with the idea of just taking my dogs out of town on the weekends, either to the forest or the beach, just for a change of scenery, and for some peace and quiet. I have 3 small dogs who are the loves of my life. They’ve never really been anywhere except around town. I think it would be fun to take them places. Or, they may not like it, or it may freak them out, I really don’t know. Staying in a hotel/motel is obviously out of the question.
I’m seeing more and more RV’s and campers in my neighborhood, so clearly I’m not the only one with cabin fever. I see a lot of people on Internet forums buying up “Ford Transit” vans. They are way out of my price range. I think the Irok, Ford Pleasureway, and Roadtrek are great, too, but also way out of my price range. I’m thinking that something in between a full size RV and minivan would be enough. A bed, an ice chest, a camp stove. So basically a “weekender” vehicle.
If I did this, I would stay close to home, keep it simple, at least stay in my home state. There are a lot of places I haven’t seen here. I did ask my mechanic what he thought about this idea. He told me that I should just rent an RV every time I want to leave town, which is also out of my price range.
I guess I am just looking for a way to get away with my doggies on the weekends. I really love the forest and we have many beautiful national parks. 
I do have a few concerns. I am a single female, I don’t like confrontation, I don’t know how to fix cars, and nothing wakes me up while I’m asleep. LOL
So I really don’t know where to start, or if I should just ditch this idea altogether?

After reading this, which could be my Newcomer Post except I only have one, little dog I was thinking how neat it would be if we gals all pooled our money, evenly, and got something to travel together in.  That's a huge if I totally understand, too well.  The Golden Girls was just a TV show.  Plus, I don't know a rig big enough for 3 or so beds even.  I guess they have them, but lots of money.  I'm in Northern CA, far north, near the border of Oregon.  Maybe we could plan a meetup somewhere, just camping, and see if it might be doable to just camp together, in our own tents etc.   Could be fun, and I am like a caged tiger right now as no one in this area wants to do any of the things I love to do.  I am out every day just walking with my dog.  I don't like going up into the Redwood trails alone, but I have the beach where there is usually quite a few people.

Welcome to the forum, and very, best wishes whatever you do

 

[jacqueg]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the great advice!
I did ask my mechanic what he thought about my idea of taking my current minivan on weekend trips. He said, “No, it’s too old, and things will keep breaking down.”

If you trust your mechanic - maybe just trade in the old bucket of bolts for a newer minivan? You can find people here who think they are the perfect camping vehicle. And people have plenty of opinions about which model/year are the best. 

All you really NEED to go camping in your vehicle is a comfortable bed arrangement. That's it, really. Of course you will want more, sooner or later, but it's all you really NEED. You don't even NEED an ice chest or a stove. For many years, I ate cheese, apples, oranges and crackers/bread on camping trips. And felt just fine about it.

Start with the vehicle you have, and the stuff you have. Sleep in your van while it's parked in your driveway. Make a game of learning how little it really takes. 

If camping full time is for you, you'll quickly find that out. It's not about the stuff you have in your van. It's about how you feel when you wake up in the morning and look out the window to see where you're parked.