Speaking to my heart

[WanderingRose]

I like to think of those difficult times as a test, to see how much I can take.

And I remind myself that my track record so far for surviving bad days and bad times is 100%.

Sometimes adversity is a test, but other times it’s a warning of things not meant for you.

Only you know which, and if your heart still tells you to get out there then you will camp and travel another day.

 

[TooFarGone]

Thank you! I'm definitely on the "these things are a test" side of things. I would have really enjoyed camping at that park last night, if I'd been able to sit outdoors and enjoy the twilight and early evening, and to get out early in the morning to enjoy (and photograph) the landscape. So it was the crazy wind that was wrong, and not the idea of camping there that was wrong. My main thought as I drove out of there was, dang, I have to come back here when I can explore and enjoy this place.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am learning more with each overnight trip in the minivan, and TBH the following things are primarily keeping me relatively sane while my activities are limited by the pandemic:

• My temporary job - which I now do at home 100% - which began in February for "a few weeks" and is still going on through at least the rest of the year. I've worked with this group of people before, and they are just the best folks. This job is a nice bit of extra money but more importantly keeps me occupied and feeling that I'm doing something useful. Without it I'd probably be bouncing off the walls in my condo.

• My family and friends, phone calls and Zoom, and all that stuff.

• Laying out potential itineraries for road trips as soon as (let's hope) next summer, when I can visit some of the many places in this country I've never seen, or not seen lately - using my minivan as my "hotel room." This forum is so helpful with how to travel like that, and I can't thank you all enough!  :heart:

 

[TooFarGone]

So, hi again after almost a year from my last post! I swear, I was thinking that life would be better once the year 2020 was done. Then 2021 showed up and said "Hold my beer!" . . . 

I'm fine. Not sick, not broke, and safely housed. And still happily reading this forum on the regular. But in early 2021 just as a temporary project I was working was wrapping up - a longtime good friend died, and I'm the executor of the estate. Sigh. That was a lot of work and responsibility. Most of the work is done now but there are things remaining to be done and we can't close out the estate until next spring.

I'm tired and somewhat emotionally drained. I have a week blocked off next month to join a group camping down south of here. I was thinking, well, I can just mosey around down there after that. But the company I've done several temp gigs for, has asked me to help them out through the end of the year and I agreed. It's a great group and I'll be working from home, and I'm not turning my back on the money. So I'll have that week off but will be otherwise tethered here until January, when I plan to hit the road.

The great news is that I have a kind and talented relative who has just now built an insert for my 2008 Honda Odyssey minivan. I found a similar build on a YouTube video, showed it to Kind and Talented Relative and told him how I'd like it adapted for my van, and he took it from there. Here are photos. I'd had the third row seats permanently removed and disposed of. That left the nice recessed cargo area at the back but of course it needed a cover. Since I'm not living in the minivan, I have the two second row seats (captain's chairs) stored. The sleeping platform extension is removable - note the nice latches - and that will allow the second row seats to be installed when wanted.

The build could have been higher, but I chose to have it at this level. That cuts down on under-bed storage space, etc. but I prefer to preserve as much headroom as possible. I like that the lids on the cargo area are pretty much flush to the bottom opening of the hatch. I will apply a couple of coats of polyurethane to finish the surfaces. It also needs a few bits more hardware etc. for the lids. This is always subject to improvement but I'm so psyched to have it. Minivan floors (and I wonder if the Odysseys are the worst, lol) tend to be uneven and gnarly, so it's just pure gold to have a flat and even sleeping space. I'm a happy soon-to-be camper! (To give credit where it's due, I got the concept from a YT channel called "Have Minivan, Will Travel." The dude did his build while living in a condo - not easy! - and his expanding slat bed is the bomb.)

 

[SLB_SA]

In a recent (today?) HOWA video, Bob talked about Fiberine  van tops.  If you would like enough room to stand up, you might consider a trip to California someday.

 

[TooFarGone]

I've seen earlier Bob videos about Fiberine tops, and they are the bomb.

But not for my aged minivan (13 years and 200K miles), as much as I'd like more headroom. I'm not going full-time in it, so it's good as is.

 

[TooFarGone]

Last month I had a great week-long trip in the Odyssey. Camped at a state park; was there to attend a nomad meet-up and I enjoyed it so much! Met many wonderful folks I hope to see down the road before long. It was my first shakedown cruise in the minivan. I learned that overall it's fine. But, I need more room.

Definitely I need more elbow room. Once I'm at a campsite I have a popup tent I that I use to stash things, which opens up more room inside the back of the van. But, when it's all packed up for travel, it's kind of a smush back there. I slept in it two nights in WalMart parking lots and it worked, but barely.

Option 1 is to get a rooftop carrier box for the minivan. It's kind of spendy in relation to the actual monetary value of the vehicle. But it would open up space in the back of the vehicle and make life on the road much nicer.

Option 2, which is many times the cost of Option 1 - is to get a bigger vehicle. I've been looking at ads of vans for sale, went to see one the other day and have two more I hope to see next week. I've decided that if I do that, I want a van I can stand up in. I've posted in an existing topic under "Vans" about those "conversion" vans with raised roofs that are tricked out with passenger-oriented amenities (vs. vans converted with camping in mind). I'm going to look at a couple of those next week, I think.

I'm still new at this so I figure that nobody will mind if I just update my introductory newbie post. I wish everyone on the road and in this forum, health and joy and fun and nice scenery wherever they are, and a happy new year!

 

[maki2]

Shop craigslist and facebook market place for good deals on used cartop carriers. You might need to get adapter. Hold down fittings kit to make it mount to your specific mini van. Those ads can show up on different category locations on the sites such as in Sporting goods, car stuff, general household, etc.

 

[GntlStone]

I say go for option 3: get a hitch and very small cargo trailer, like the mini ones from uhaul aka motorcycle cargo trailer.

If your Odyssey is like my Grand Caravan it will easily "forgot it's there" tow a small trailer. My GC is rated to tow 3500lbs, yours should be similar.

This way you have the van as a good around town and overnight trip vehicle (with bed in place for Walmart), but can easily hitch up and go for longer outings with more gear.

Consider that if you upsize your van you'll be upsizing your gas bill also, especially if it's your daily driver. My GC gets 21 mpg, many. Full size vans get mid teens.

 

[Foresthouse]

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.

TooFarGone, first I have to say I do not think your name fits your story at least the way I see it! I too am planning to hit the road in my Subaru. I did a bit of a conversion last summer and traveled with my dog. It worked great. I live in Alaska. Born here. And am now thinking I would like to spend winters where it is sunny. Like you I am writing in this forum to gather information before I head down the road in what I have.

I am too old to keep waiting so am planning to go out next fall. I did feel more comfortable after spending to summer trying it out.

 

[Foresthouse]

My forester conversion. Continuing to improve for next trip.

 

[Foresthouse]

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.

Hello. I wrote a post earlier to you so if the is a duplicate sorry. I am a couple years younger but feeling much of what you expressed. Now or never. I too have a Subaru and last summer made some modifications and went on the road with my dog to see if I liked it. I really loved it so now I am planning to spend next winter in the southwest. It is not as convenient as I imagine a van would be but it works. My worry is boondocking alone so I am hoping to find some caravans to join during my travels.

I was able to cook out of the back of my Subaru and was very comfortable sleeping.

 

[kklowell]

There's another option for you, Toofargone, and that would be a cargo carrier that attaches to your Odessey's trailer hotch. They are just a rectangular platform you can lash things to, and perhaps those things might be in a tote.

 

[GntlStone]

There's another option for you, Toofargone, and that would be a cargo carrier that attaches to your Odessey's trailer hotch. They are just a rectangular platform you can lash things to, and perhaps those things might be in a tote.

Lol, just came back to add this as another good option for storage that's not on the roof or towed behind.

 

[kklowell]

Like minds and all that I guess!

 

[TooFarGone]

Thanks for all those replies. I wish my old Ody got better gas mileage than it does. It doesn't have the onboard MPG calculator like my fancy Subaru Outback did. But I usually calculate MPG after each fuel fill-up. The lowest was around 15 mpg (city driving, sluggish traffic, lots of idling) and the highest was a blazing 23 mpg which was highway driving and maybe bad arithmetic on my part, lol.

But. The Ody def gets better MPG than a full sized van would. There are other things weighing against my getting a high top van right now. The quote from my insurance agent on a van I've been considering was about what I'd expected - but still a reality check. Also I live in a condo; no way a high top van would fit into our parking garage where I only have one space anyway. Car thefts, break-ins, and catalytic converter thefts are at crazy high levels around here and this is NOT a sketchy neighborhood. I'd stress about parking a vehicle on the street or in one of our surface lots. So far I haven't found a solution for parking a van in a secure place that's not way across the metro area and all of them of course cost $$.

So after putting my musings on here yesterday, I crunched the numbers last evening - and decided that I'm not yet where I want to be in terms of savings, to take on another vehicle. If my obligations here in town (including my role as executor of a late friend's estate) allow, I intend to hit the road next month in the Ody for an extended tour of the desert SW.

I've already visited with the guys at a local business specializing in new/used vehicle cargo carriers. The plan would be to get a carrier from them as well as installation of the required crossbars. It's minor money when compared to the purchase/insurance/registration/maintenance expense of owning a van, lol.

And, for all who observe it: Merry Christmas!!

 

[TooFarGone]

Hello. I wrote a post earlier to you so if the is a duplicate sorry. I am a couple years younger but feeling much of what you expressed. Now or never. I too have a Subaru and last summer made some modifications and went on the road with my dog to see if I liked it. I really loved it so now I am planning to spend next winter in the southwest. It is not as convenient as I imagine a van would be but it works. My worry is boondocking alone so I am hoping to find some caravans to join during my travels.

Thanks for sharing the photos (your dog looks sweet!). Good for you, for just getting out there on the road! I hope you find some caravans out there.

I have some obligations here in town that I hope I can arrange to let me spend at least four weeks in the Jan/Feb period, out in the warm SW. Your example encourages me to just get out there on the road, making the best of what I have. Happy trails!!

 

[TooFarGone]

Here's another update. I've gotten in some more time on the road this year - but not in Jan/Feb. I stuck it out here for what was a fairly tolerable Denver winter. Because, money. Not a dire lack of it, but my temp gig lasted into March and it was too good a deal to quit. Working from home, as part of a team that I enjoy and respect, and using those paychecks to build up my modest reserve accounts. At my age that's such a sweet deal.

After the job was over in mid-March I've traveled twice - and both times encountered crazy high winds. As in, seeing semis and a trailer (hauled by a pickup) laying on their sides in the median. That kind of wind.

I blocked out last week (with the option to be gone longer) for camping in New Mexico. Departure delayed by a day - the CSP was pulling over semis on I-25 in southern CO that day and even so there were several semis blown over. Even with the delay, the trip to southern NM was - gusty. I did enjoy some nice days and of course got more experience traveling and camping in the minivan. The old Odyssey has been getting 22-24 mpg on the highway, which is a nice surprise given the current prices for gas. It doesn't get anything like that MPG when driven in town; maybe it's telling me to hit the highways!

Folks, the winds are still blowing hard, it's dry as all getout, and the fire danger is extreme all over this region - CO, NM, AZ, parts of TX, and more. Wildfires large and small are breaking out daily. My next trip is a couple of weeks away; I've reserved spots in a couple of NM state parks and hope that conditions have improved by then.

And to everyone in this region, whether on wheels or in S&B: my best wishes for your safety especially during this time of fire danger.

 

[maki2]

In the western states there are winds and wildfires every year. Makes travel time challenging!

 

[TooFarGone]

In the western states there are winds and wildfires every year. Makes travel time challenging!

Yes, it does. I've been in CO for 45 years. This is looking to be a worse-than-average year for wildfires in the region, sad to say.

 

[TooFarGone]

Hi again. I've been absent from this forum for a few months; it's good to catch up on the discussions today. Have been on the road a bit, and am sketching out travel plans for later this year. I want to spend more time in Southern NM, for one thing. Had a nice time, though brief, in the White Sands National Park area including a terrific state park, in December. I'm fascinated by the landscapes and geology in Southern NM. Just wish it weren't so windy in the springtime!

I said goodbye to my 2008 Odyssey last month. Honorably retired at 217K miles. Short version: just didn't want to keep putting $$ into its maintenance/repair needs. Bought a used 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, added an extended warranty/service plan. (Got it from the only auto dealer/broker I will deal with, a local company I've found to be trustworthy in deals over the past 10+ years.) Fingers crossed that this Grand Caravan is reliable for me. Has 70K miles. Siennas and Odysseys are more reliable, but are more expensive to buy, if you can find one. And I like the styling of the GC better, not to mention the stow-and-go seats. I live in a condo. Garage parking doesn't include storage. If any object is not in the minivan, it has to be up here in my unit. Having the second row seats stored inside the minivan - and not stashed somewhere up here - makes life much nicer!

I've made a platform for the back to level out the floor for my mattress. The floor slopes a bit from back-to-front, but is WAY less wonky in all directions than the old Odyssey floor was. I learned a lot in my trips in the old Odyssey, enjoyed the things I saw and did. I'm looking forward to hitting the road in the Dodge. But I have other travel plans in the next several weeks, involving (heresy!) airplanes. A trip twice postponed by the pandemic. Road trips will have to wait till summer.