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[Mazer]

I am new here and an avid car camper, have been for decades.
I also am sick of having to move every 3-5 years and instead of dealing with moving again, I figure I may choose to just continuously be on the move. 
I love driving and am on the cusp of moving into my current vehicle (minivan) or may be able to wrangle getting into a Promaster or other larger hightop van and build it out (with help from some great friends). 
Car camping is not big deal, I have a very small utility trailer I put all my gear into, leaving only packing my clothing, bed pillows and food for each trip. 
I love group camping and therefore have extra tents for friends who don't want to invest or can't afford to invest or don't have the room to store a tent. However the logistics of full time life on the road will be different. 
I will prefer a more stealthy profile and will leave the utility trailer at a friends or in storage (it is very small, but very handy for the camping gear I have).  
SO, I have some questions and welcome your input, what you prefer and why...Thanks

Bar soap or liquid for hand washing? *FYI - I carry hand sanitizer.

Bar shampoo, baking soda or liquid?

Large bottles for refill of dish washing liquid or use vinegar or??? 

Vinegar for cleaning is a preference for me no matter where I am, I have used it on hundreds of things including my windshields.....adding baking soda is like natures miracle cleaner. What doe prefer???

Hair drying......other than using a shower area or bathroom indoors, any thoughts you care to share?? I have super thick hair, which takes hours to dry. Towel Dry, Hair Dryer <----If so, how?

On laundry....Pods? powder? liquid? If you can not find a good laundry mat, what have you done to clean your clothes (other than just wait longer than normal). 

Hang clothing up or use drawers?

Do you partake in any arts, crafts, or sports which require equipment? Such as Archery, Kayaking, Tennis, Bicycling etc.. - if so how do you store your equipment and are you worried about theft? What extra things do you do to prevent theft???

Full sized spare tire (where to store)??

For those who have YouTube Channels and put up videos, what type of recording device do you use???

Road Service or ????

Tools - what do you carry??? 

Generator??? 

Multi Power Source Machine - with USB Ports, Cigarette lighter plug in, flashlight, jumper cables, air compressor <------Do you have one, if so do you like it???Is it too much??? Ever have to use it for its intended purpose and not as a stool or something else?

Do you watch DVD's on a portable DVD Player? Watch Netflix, a Combo of both or???

Do you carry books with you? If so how many?

I love my drinks ICE COLD, do you use a refrigerator/freezer or ??? Dry Ice??

Do you have a large Propane tank? Do you find it easy to use or cumbersome? Do you find it easy to refill or is it difficult to find a place???? OR Do you use the smaller camping propane bottles? or Butane?

Do you have an awning???

Do you have solar? If so which solar system do you have?? Did you install yourself or have it professionally installed??? How much power do they generate and if you are using them how many batteries do you have to store the power???

Do you use a cargo rack on a tow hitch or pull a utility trailer??? If so, have you had any mishaps I might need to consider?

Last but not least, I plan on taking my kayak with me, although I do have a storage unit, I am not wild about leaving it behind and would love to use it, especially for harvesting Dungeness Crab during crabbing season, it does pose some tricky issues. While still living inside my condo, my kayaks live inside as well.  Exposure to sun and heat dramatically shortens the life span of these boats so I would need to build a house for my kayak. Just tossing a tarp over it only serves to trap heat and thus cause the plastic to become brittle. Does anyone travel with your kayak, if so do you just lash it to the roof? or have you done something more creative?  How do you deal with the possibility of theft?

Thanks

 

[bullfrog]

Boy that is a lot of questions! You would do well to go to the RTR this year and ask to people that you see there one on one what others are doing and things you might consider doing the way they do. Most people try to determine what kind of power usage or needs they will have then build solar systems to meet those needs. How large the solar system is usually limited by how much roof space you have. Something for you to consider is how much interior space you have to use for cold storage, cameras, kayaks (How long and wide is your kayak and where will it go?) maybe you could use a trailer to store or expand your living space in the van. Any electric device that requires 110 volts and creates heat, a hair dryer for example is going to be a power hog, and depending on which part of the country you are in cloudy days will cause you to use a generator or stay in campgrounds with 110 power. Living in a van fulltime means a lot of compromises especially if you can not follow the seasons or require more to live than will fit in or on a van. There are alternatives and again most can be seen first hand at the RTR. I would highly recomend you go before starting to spend money trying to go full time. I do have kayaks but mine live outdoors and get fixed or repaired on a regular basis as they were abandoned by others that no longer felt is was worth it to transport them home to fix them after damaging them here at Lake Powell, your not alone in trying to figure out how to transport kayaks. One person even built out a box truck with interior racks to live in and store his kayaks, maybe that would work for you as it sounds like you would need lots of roof for solar and lots of room for gear.

 

[crofter]

Hello mazer and welcome!
I have seen folks who love the minivan and think it is more stealthy. I think you should get a big van you can stand up in.  Standing up in your van is worth paying for. I love my van (Promaster). To answer your many questions, first go to a gathering like bullfrog said, then here is what I do:
1. Dr bronners soap (biodegradable).
2. Dr Bronners soap.
3. hot water and paper towels.
4. I don;t like vinegar - too smelly.
5. air dry your hair. You may need a short cut or to get it thinned.
6. Laundry mat.
7. use covered bins to keep out mice and bugs. I like rubbermaid.
8. I keep my sports equipment out of sight. I do not worry. What is the point of expending a bunch of energy by worrying.
9. full sized spare tire is under the van, same as pickup truck spare tire storage.
10. I try to keep my mug off of the internet.
11. Roadside assistance through my insurance. 
12. woodworking tools, wrenches, sockets, etc. Folding wood saw (for down trees and firewood) Survival backpack.
13. I have a generator 2000W Ryobi cost me $500 on sale.  I like the Honda's, but not as useful for running power tools.
14. I don't have one. You can jump your rig off the generator (ryobi has 12V output jack). The van comes with everything else but the air compressor. You can get small 12V air compressor that will air up a tire.
15. I don't have wifi in the rig so no netflix. Watching the neverending show that nature puts on keeps me entertained.
16. Somewhere between 6 and 15 not including maps and repair manuals.  This was a really difficult item for me when getting rid of all the stuff. At one point I had an entire library.
17. I like warm drinks. I use a cooler and block ice when travelling. It lasts 4 days during 100+ degree weather, and about 10 days the rest of the time.
18. I use propane, easily available. Big bottle for cooking, small bottle for Buddy Heater. The heater will also run off the big bottle, but it is cumbersome to have it on a hose. During days long downpours, I have set up a drying tent for drying gear with the Buddy Heater, propane bottle outside the tent. You would not want to spend time in there with it all going. Use the Buddy Heater for only about 10 minutes for heating.
19. My van is stock so no awning, bike rack, kayak carrier, etc. 
20. I am thinking of solar, but so far just have luci lights. I can charge up electrical items while driving, running the generator, or while doing my laundry.
21. I want to get a tow hitch for my boat.
22. a. I don't have a kayak. b. I keep the van locked. c. Eventually someone will steal something from you.  It may be a small item that you desperately need, or it may be a big ticket luxury that you saved for but really didn't need. In one camp, someone stole a large vintage thermometer that was hanging on a tree, and my gas can. Which one was the greater loss? Don't worry about having things get stolen. Be confident that it will happen someday if you stay in enough camps and leave your stuff sitting out. 

~  crofter

 

[Mazer]

Crofter, thanks so much for taking the time to answer the questions I posed one by one, it is exactly what I am fishing for.
PS - I agree, nature is awesome and most entertaining, much better than any movie, however I suffer from severe insomnia and want to plan for those long nights.
I also don't worry much, I tend to be more like flotsam and jetsam....very flexible
Thanks again, very helpful and informative

 

[travelaround]

Use what you like to use at home but if it doesn't work out in the van, adapt.

Each of these questions could be the start of a new thread.

 

[highdesertranger]

you will get many more responses if you ask fewer questions per post. that is a hell of a lot of questions. highdesertranger

 

[ThisDharmaBum]

#15. I'm not FT yet, but soon (3-4 weeks). I've already dropped the Netflix. Much preferring podcast, less data, less screen time before bed, and surprising how they help one to drift off into Zzzzzs... I can recommend RVmiles, The Minimalists, On Being as they relate to my journey. Also amazed how well I slept on my last extended road trip, maybe it's the fresh air?!?!

 

[Mazer]

whatever works is good for me, thanks