Speaking to my heart

[TooFarGone]

Hi from Colorado. I’m not on the road, or even just about to hit the road. But I’ve joined here and am reading and researching, so I’ll introduce myself.

It all started last year with a book I read, that led me to this website, and a lot of other sites, and books about vandwelling (a term that at least in my mind includes a range of actual vehicles, lol).

All of this speaks, not so much to my circumstances or history, but to my heart. I’m a single woman in my early 70’s, watching my contemporaries battling big and debilitating health problems, and hoping I have a few precious healthy years left. I’m not rich, but fortunate enough to have a small condo to live in, and a modest income which covers my costs, and I’ve been supplementing that with temp assignments at a couple of places I enjoy working. I’m just wrapping up a four-month gig tomorrow.

But I want to get out on the road, minus hotel bills (which would make an extended trip unaffordable for me), and do some exploring. I’m at that place Bob mentions in his book: someone who’s rarely ever been camping, even. Bob’s advice for someone like me, assuming you have the choice, is to try camping and see how you like it.

So – because what Bob advises makes sense – at the moment I’m figuring out how to road trip and sleep in my 2012 Subaru Outback (paid for, low miles, nothing not to like about it). I’m eyeing Toyota Siennas, because they have more room. But Plan A is to hit the road in the Subaru and see how it goes.

I hope it’s okay around here to be a part-timer. If I were younger I’d be considering full time vandwelling much more seriously. But I think that if I don’t pack up the Subaru and hit the road when the weather warms up in a few months from now, I will regret it.

Who knows? I could hate it, or like it so much that I come home, trade in the car for a cargo van, and figure out dispersed camping, while I rent out the condo for a year.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome TooFarGone 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.

I think you should head down to the RTR and WRTR.

highdesertranger

 

[Subyliving]

Good morning
I just read your post, and I am 71and have made up my mind i am Getting on the road in may of 2020. I have 2015 outback , I have been overnight camping , and it is great. Can’t be too choosing As it is paid for I and am not getting any younger.
Keep in touch and we can talk, if you want
Have an awesome day

 

[TooFarGone]

Good morning
I just read your post, and I am 71and have made up my mind i am Getting on the road in may of 2020. 

Thanks! We're the same age! I'm not up for being out on the road on really cold nights. For that and some other reasons, I'll probably hit the road for a long trip sometime next spring too. I may contact you by direct message.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums  

Let me invite you to view the first link below. "Van Conversion".   Under the title is a link ........ "A Bug-Out Car"

Give it a look and see if there are any ideas in it you could use or benefit from.  Your Outback may lend itself well
to this way of travel.

The link below "van conversion"  is "edjautoservices"   and it may come in handy once you get out on the road. 

All the best in your travels.

 

[TooFarGone]

So, I'm reviving this thread that I started almost a year ago, to check in and thank everyone who posts here for all I keep learning when I visit.

When I wrote my intro post last December, of course I had no clue that just three months in the future, so much of life as we know it, would be tossed ass over teakettle by a virus. And, merely by being 72 years old, I'm in a high risk group for getting very sick or dying from said virus.

So, my Plan A - to hit the road in my Subaru Outback in spring 2020? Didn't happen. But, my heart is still engaged with the idea of traveling and living out of my vehicle. And I've been doing stuff about it.

First, I discovered that although I could physically lie down in the back of my Outback, it was just too claustrophobic for me. No headroom; it felt like a fecking coffin. Nope. Nope. Nope. And, also, where would all my stuff go while I slept?

So I started researching minivans. I liked that idea, and the more I learned the more I liked it. I'd just started shopping for used Toyota Siennas in early March - when things got shut down by the pandemic. Shortly after Memorial Day I came **ThisClose** to buying a used Sienna from a dealer but something about that particular vehicle just didn't feel good so I cancelled the deal. (I would have traded in my pristine 2012 low mileage Outback + written a big check, to buy that van, and I was SO happy to not do that.)

At that point I sort of shrugged and said to the Universe, well, I've been pounding away at finding a used Sienna and it's just not working. I'm going to give it a rest and quit pushing. I quit cruising Craigslist and cars.com and autotrader.com, and just chilled. Then a week later, early one morning, I thought, hmm. I've been focused on Toyota Siennas, but Honda Odysseys are good vehicles too, let's see if there are any for sale. So I clicked onto craigslist and found one that had been listed TWELVE HOURS before.

Thank you, universe! 

Yep, I bought that minivan. It's a 2008, an EX-L with leather, sunroof, and all the bells and whistles that (yay!) still work. One owner, until fall 2019 when the oil drain plug fell out while they were driving on the freeway, and trashed the engine. It was hauled into a Honda dealership where the diagnosis was made. The owners didn't want to fix it, so a nice guy who's a Honda tech (mechanic) working at the dealership, looked it over and bought it from them. He found a 2010 Odyssey engine, tore it down and rebuilt it with new timing belt, water pump, gaskets - everything. Installed the rebuilt engine, did other service, and listed it on Craigslist. I bought it in early June and it's been great. I'd planned to keep it as a second vehicle, but after a few weeks realized I don't need two. Sold the Subaru to a dealer for almost twice what I'd paid for the van. (Ka-ching!)

Now, although being careful about COVID ,I've been on camping trips to state parks three times; was going again this weekend but a cold snap has moved in (I'm in Colorado) and my old bones just aren't up for that plus I'd be driving back home into a full-on snowstorm and I'm not up for that either. I'm learning what works and doesn't as to camping and sleeping in the minivan. Big lessons: (1) the floor doesn't just slope from back to front, it's got some wonky uneven spots left-to-right as well; and (2) with my own wonky neck, I absolutely must be able to sit tall and straight up on whatever my "bed" is or I'm going to be in a world of hurt. My latest plan is to remove the bedframe I'd used and just sleep on the mattress/pad laid directly on the floor. There's just not enough headroom in that minivan to elevate the bed very much; I may end up asking my very talented cousin (he works wonders with wood and I swear he can do ANYTHING) to create a low-ish platform for the mattress back there. 

I really don't know what the coming months will bring. I've been incredibly blessed to have dodged the dread virus, to have a safe place to live, and work to do at home. But man, this pandemic sure takes an emotional toll - on so many people including me. I miss visiting with family and friends in person. At the same time I'm doing my best to be a responsible adult, not to harm others, and not to take ridiculous risks.

I'm still following vanlife and nomad posts and videos on YT and the innernetz generally, learning by camping what works and doesn't in my minvan setup, and yearning to be somewhere other than frigid Colorado in at least February if not January and March too. In my minivan. I'm hoping and praying that if it's not meant to happen in early 2021, I will still be in good health and able to hit the road later next year.

And it's clear from reading this forum, I'm not the only person in sticks and bricks with that nomad gleam in my eye and the dream in my heart. Take care, folks. Maybe I will yet meet some of you on the road!

 

[rvwandering]

Thank you for the update! It's always good to read stories about things that work out. Spring will be here soon enough and you'll be out camping again! If you can, post some pictures of your minivan.

 

[txmnjim]

thanks for updating your thread. it kind of irks me for some strange reason when folks start a thread and then disappear...i'm also still much in the planning phase and hoping i can make it to full retirement in a few years. i have a nest egg (in the form of a 401K) that i plane on getting a nice rig when the time comes, and have also thought of a Sienna or Odyssey. need something reliable and gets fair gas mileage as our budget will be tight. since our main escape will also be winter (we're in MN!) i figure a good tent will work down in the desert SW, and i just spent $500 toward that and we camped about a week after Labor Day. it's very good to get away. i imagine it would get pretty cramped if we stayed in a van every night, and figure it would be perfect for an occasional night or so in a pinch. it may be a good thing that you got out of that Outback, as we have had several and wife has a sweet 08 currently that needs a $4,000 head gasket replacement oh, well if it aint one thing its another! well lets hope this pandemic will play out or we get a vaccine soon and things get back to normal in 2021. good luck and safe travels!
jim

 

[WanderingRose]

Sorry I missed you first time around, TFG, but I am a 71 year old widowed female, traveling on my own since my husband died 6 1/2 years ago.

We traveled in a Class B, which is still my choice, tho I’ve replaced the one we had together with a year newer model that had less than 1/3 the miles on it our first one had.

I returned home from winter travels mid-March, just before our state shut down, but have taken three trips this summer, carefully and safely.

One for about 2 weeks, one for about 6, the last for about a week in early September.

There are a fair number of women out there by themselves, and I’m here to tell ya it can be done safely and with a great amount of pleasure.

You go by yourself, or stay at home, is my motto.

Good for you!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Enjoyed this saga...we all have our journey.

You might consider a small (and I mean VERY small) teardrop or pop-up camping trailer that are typically pulled by motorcycles. They don't take very long to set up (some of them simply flip open and then you zip open the door) and you can sleep in the camper and carry all your 'stuff' in the minivan.

They are suitable for pleasant weather...lets say 40f to about 80f or so...but during a really cold weather event you could of course use the pop-up for your stuff and sleep in the van.

These trailers are very lightweight and can easily be pulled by a minivan, with very little effect of fuel mileage, and even moved around by hand when you get to a campsite.

And can easily be parked in a typical residential garage or carport. If you kept it and used it for a season or two or three, and decided to upgrade, you could sell it back into the motorcycle community, or someone else with a small-ish vehicle.

Here are a few examples to look over:

https://www.survivaltechshop.com/best-motorcycle-camper-trailers/

 

[nature lover]

Hello “(not) too far gone.“ I don’t mean to be so pushy but I changed your name at least for here. I thought it was too late for me ended up in a retirement home where they treated me like an old idiot who didn’t know anything. After one year I got out of there and after another year I got into a van. I Have been an avid camper all my life and I part timed in a van for over 15 years. I always dreamed if I survive my wife I would go on full-time. She was a. Stay at home who visited my camp for a night or two occasionally Then she decided it was time to leave so after 40 years of marriage I am out on the road full-time since June 1. Haven’t traveled far yet but I’ve been camping at friends places while we work on the van. Right now I’m at a chicken farm in Bucks County Pennsylvania with five boys here and they’ve helped me with my van more than I can be thankful for. I plan to do the Snowbird thing and be in Florida soon. The plan now is to leave November 11 and Take three or four weeks to end up in Florida. I am an avid nature photographer and want to stop at every nature preserve I can find. So Before you’re too far gone you got to get out there and do it. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the short trips and learning to camp and hope your cousin can help you out with the woodworking. My woodworking is not the best but it’s usable. I Imagine you Will stick to the west Add me the east so we might not ever meet but we can be friends on here. Keep posting we love to hear it. God bless the nomads each and everyone.

 

[Malamute]

If I can make a suggestion, there are ways to maximize the use of space in your van without a trailer. Taking the concept of the teardrops, and my former dog platform in my suburban, I made a dog platform in my 4runner in the rear approximately 30 inches. Its tall enough underneath that I can sleep on my side with legs underneath, the front 2/3 of the back space is wide open, so I have room to move around prepping for night or whatever. I stash gear and junk on the right 1/3 of the back space, and the dog platform has stuff on the sides of it with room for the dog still being useable. If you dont have a dog, it allows the rear platform to be used like the teardrops do, for storage, media platform, and like a kitchen, accessible from the back, or however works for you.

Im not on my regular computer, but I have a few pics of the platform concept if you want to see them to get ideas. It really made the back of the SUV much more practical and useful.

 

[TooFarGone]

. . . i figure a good tent will work down in the desert SW, and i just spent $500 toward that and we camped about a week after Labor Day. it's very good to get away. i imagine it would get pretty cramped if we stayed in a van every night, and figure it would be perfect for an occasional night or so in a pinch. it may be a good thing that you got out of that Outback, as we have had several and wife has a sweet 08 currently that needs a $4,000 head gasket replacement

First, thanks to ALL of you for the kind words and suggestions. I'll try to respond but may miss someone here.

I agree; a minivan seems just about enough for one person but pretty "cozy" for two. I haven't ruled out the idea of having a tent even as a solo traveler, especially when I'm staying somewhere more than a night or two. I've read good things about the Gazelle pop-up tents; both the T3 and T4 are out of stock. I emailed the company the other day; they replied that they are redesigning the T3 and it should be available in a few months, and the T4 should be available again at the end of the year. I think that for me the T3 would be fine. It seems to fold down to a small size that would fit well into the minivan and is something I could easily manage to set up and take down myself. 

Sorry about your Subaru. I was glad to sell mine although I had no trouble with it. It had that CVT transmission that has been so troublesome and for that reason I'd decided not to keep it much longer anyway.

There are a fair number of women out there by themselves, and I’m here to tell ya it can be done safely and with a great amount of pleasure.

You go by yourself, or stay at home, is my motto.

Good for you!

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you've been able to take some trips this year, and I hope to see you on the road someday!

Enjoyed this saga...we all have our journey.

You might consider a small (and I mean VERY small) teardrop or pop-up camping trailer that are typically pulled by motorcycles. They don't take very long to set up (some of them simply flip open and then you zip open the door) and you can sleep in the camper and carry all your 'stuff' in the minivan.

Thanks for indulging me in my overlong saga.   I admit, there's something about teardrop trailers I find so cute and endearing. But the idea of towing a trailer, even a small one, seems too much like work to me. My intention is to manage with whatever fits in (and maybe on top of) one vehicle. I don't have experience driving a vehicle towing anything, and although I like to learn things, in this case it's "old dog, no new tricks." 

Hello “(not) too far gone.“  I don’t mean to be so pushy but I changed your name at least for here. ..  I am an avid nature photographer and want to stop at every nature preserve I can find. . . .I Imagine you Will stick to the west Add me the east so we might not ever meet but we can be friends on here. Keep posting we love to hear it. God bless the nomads each and everyone.

 
It's okay - I am definitely NOT gone anywhere so you are right. I'm also an avid photographer, and whatever I do with that minivan it WILL be accommodating my camera gear somewhere. I appreciate your kind words and have enjoyed reading many of your posts here on the forum. Wishing you safe and fun travels to FL. I have some family there and may get there one of these days but you're right, I will probably be here in the West for my initial adventures on the road. I love the dry climate but OTOH I also enjoy a nice beach so there's that.

If I can make a suggestion, there are ways to maximize the use of space in your van without a trailer. .. .
Im not on my regular computer, but I have a few pics of the platform concept if you want to see them to get ideas. It really made the back of the SUV much more practical and useful.

That's interesting. I'd like to see photos if you can post them. My little dog died about a year ago, and I miss him a lot still, but for several reasons including condo life in winter in Colorado, I don't intend to have another dog. I had a great dog back in the 80's, when I did a lot of road trips around the state mostly but not always for work. That dog went everywhere with me, and although as I said I don't think I'll have another dog, I loved the experience of traveling with my trusty goofy dog.

Again, thanks to ALL of you. I'm glad I posted the update. I was feeling sort of down and discouraged and stuck. It helped me to write my update post this morning, to recall that I haven't just been idly daydreaming, but have made real progress toward my goal of life on the road. 

Be well, friends!

 

[TooFarGone]

I think rvwandering asked me to post a photo of the minivan. I don't have one of the interior as set up for camping/traveling, and at this time that stuff isn't in it. But I grabbed a shot of the minivan's exterior in our condo building garage last night, and will share it here. 

I've had some things done since I bought the minivan, although trying not to go overboard:

• Once the minivan became my only vehicle, I had the old radio/audio head unit replaced at a good local shop.
• I had the windows tinted darker.
• The original wheels have surface corrosion. I bought new wheels at Discount Tire, the least expensive ones. I had the all season radials installed on them. The new winter tires (Blizzaks) were installed on the old wheels. The new wheels are in the photo.
• There are some little dings on the exterior. The bumpers were the worst: scuffs, scratches, and wear, and an area of peeling paint on the front bumper. I found a local one-man shop doing bumper paint/repair. For not a lot of money he completely repainted the rear bumper and fixed the problem area on the front bumper. I swear, he's not just a craftsman, he's an artist. I was blown away by how much nicer the vehicle looks now and I wish I had good "before" photos to show the difference that made. The composite bumpers on that van are BIG - you can see how that rear bumper wraps around the car clear to the rear wheel well. It's not obvious (to me, anyway) that the bumper was repainted a few weeks ago.

I heard an ominous clunk the other day from the right rear of the vehicle as I was navigating a parking lot. I wouldn't be surprised if the suspension needs some work. It's a well-maintained but high mileage vehicle so I'm prepared to deal with such things.

I don't know how much stealth overnighting I'll do in this vehicle, but I agree with the advice that your vehicle should be as clean and nice-looking as you can manage if you want it to blend in. And, I've tended to buy cars new and keep them a long time in good condition. I don't have to be in the fanciest rig around but I want my ride to be tidy looking at least. Here she is - I haven't named her but I'm thinking maybe she's a Pearl:

 

[Cammalu]

Looks like a pearl to me!

 

[Malamute]

Heres the general idea. You could adjust the front to back size and height to suit your needs in your vehicle. The main objective was the make best use of the inside space. If just stacking things on the floor, its deep and hard to move stuff to use that floor space. The shelf allows use of the floor space for sleeping and living while still having accessible room for gear. 

 I later boxed in the sides and front and back with plywood for secure storage while travelling but most probably dont need that, just the platform.

 When I want to use the space for sleeping I remove about half the stuff under the platform and put it to the side in the middle, or in the front passenger seat. I also stack things on the right side in the middle and have been intending to make a removable shelf there for that purpose, I may utilize the front plywood piece I close off the box with. Im also planning to add some shelf space above the platform on the sides that will give more storage but not crowd the dog too much.

 If its of any further interest I can supply more detailed pictures on construction.

 

[TooFarGone]

Thanks for the photos, Malamute. That makes sense and is very helpful. I love having these examples when thinking how to set up the minivan, now that I'm thinking of not using a bedframe or cot for sleeping. But - where's the dog? 

 

[mpruet]

Anytime I hear someone say “I’m too old...”, I want to say “Think you’ll be younger next year???” ;-)

You are in an ideal location to go part-time. I’m 71 and have a condo in Cuchara, not too far from Walsenburg. For a couple of years I camped part-time in my Prius and used my condo as a home base. There are lots of places in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona to camp and see. I now have a class-B that I camp in and am still part-time.

Of course with the current pandemic and wildfires, there are a lot of places that you can’t camp at. And I suspect that over the winter months that it might become worse. But there are also a lot of places where you can camp in just fine.

Like I said - do you really think that you’ll be younger next year???

 

[TooFarGone]

Thanks. Actually, I've NEVER said "I'm too old" to do this. As 72 year old women go, if I say so myself, I think I'm pretty kick-ass good.

However, I think that unless the situation with the pandemic improves dramatically in the next 90 days, I'm not likely to leave home this February to make my first foray into wintering on the road in the SW.

I'm not quarantined within the walls of my home, quivering in terror of catching COVID-19. I go shopping, out for walks, have done some outdoor socializing with friends and family, some road trips around the state, and as I mentioned above, a few camping trips. I'm taking sensible measures to avoid infection although nothing is fool proof.

The thing is, I'm well grounded here with resources including family, friends, and my health care providers, so if I do get sick I'm within reach of care. Not so much if I get sick far from home. That wouldn't be so high on my list of concerns except for the pandemic, because I'm in good health overall. I hope to survive this pandemic mess and hit the road sometime next year.

EDITED to add: I did say, that I cancelled this weekend's planned camping trip because a serious cold front moved in and my old bones weren't up for camping in such cold temps. Absolutely - and that's why I'd prefer to be out in some nice warm places while Colorado is having its usual winter.

 

[TooFarGone]

So, Bob recommends to folks considering hitting the road to camp/live in a vehicle, that if it's possible in your circumstances, go camping and see what the experience is like.

I've been doing that. Just want to say, peeps, that you do NOT want me to plan your camping trips. Ever. I have had the most snake-bit luck when it comes to camping trips and weather. I must have some bad karma coming due or something, given how my handful of camping trips the last few months have worked out (or not).   :dodgy:

For your amusement: yesterday and last night. At the crack of dawn yesterday I decided, after checking the weather report, to spend the night camping at a state park I've never visited, about an hour and a half from here. I was able to reserve a space there, and planned a couple of sightseeing activities in the area. BUT, by the time I got to that area later in the morning? The Weather Service had issued a high wind warning for the area for that night. 

And yep. Winds were so strong by the time I got to my campsite just at dusk, that being outdoors wasn't fun. I settled down in the minivan for the evening, read a little and watched stuff on my phone, and finally went to sleep. The winds picked up and howled all night, with gusts that shook the minivan, and hadn't calmed down this morning. It was so strong you had to fight to either open a door against it or keep a door from being blown out of your hand if you were opening it in the direction the wind was blowing. So although it wasn't inherently uncomfortable inside the minivan, the howling shaking wind interfered with my sleep. At least I seem to be racking up experience with adverse weather conditions (smoky air from distant wildfires, heat waves, etc.). But, if we ever meet IRL, don't rely on me to plan a camping trip. Just saying. I am the bad luck kid for that.

I don't regret having another night's experience sleeping in the Odyssey, but I wish the wind had allowed me to enjoy the park which has some nice scenery. I'm still figuring out what I want/need to have for traveling/sleeping/etc. in the minivan, and how to store/arrange it. I've tried some ideas I got from ebooks, blogs, forums, YT videos, etc., that didn't quite work for me. At least I haven't spent any bucks on an actual build, or a lot of money on the things I regret buying. BTW, I mentioned upthread a concern about the Odyssey's suspension, but it's now been inspected and serviced by a good Honda mechanic who found the suspension (and everything else) in good shape. I'm reassured, but still hanging on to my maintenance/repair/emergency funds. And probably done with camping around here until well into Springtime.