Temporary Tent Living in the Midwest

[ChickadeeJP]

Hello all! I am a single mom to a 4 year old and my plans keep changing. Over a year ago, I learned about fulltime RV living and purchased a 25ft southwind class A. It is perfect for us except finances haven't come into place for us to be able to get on the road and now it appears the fuel pump will need to be replaced in order to make that happen. I didn't learn about this site or van living until after I bought my motorhome and my current vehicle is not something we can live in. My main income is selling used books on Amazon, so being able to expand my sourcing range would help a lot in increasing my income. I am considering tent camping and traveling around the Midwest for the summer while sourcing books. So, I am finally joining the forum so I can read more about tent camping and be part of this community!

 

[Lj Unlimited]

Hello from The Great Lakes State. Right now is a great time for tenting. Are you thinking about staying at campgrounds or backcountry locations?

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Chickadee! Summer in the midwest will be hot but tent camping is doable. An added bonus for you is free camping at Missouri and Kansas fishing lakes. Here's a link to the map of Missouri sites - http://mdcgis.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=3d3b95e823964d048e9cffe5c39ff3f6 Main page - https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places
Kansas - http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/State-Fishing-Lakes/Northeast-Region Be sure to check rules and regulations for each campsite as the may be different from site to site.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[OutdoorFT]

Maybe I missed something. Youre saying you cant do it in your Class A but want to tent camp? I know you said it needing fixing. Are the repairs that much?

Either way, perfect time to start tent camping. Are you going to just do it for the summer or long term? there are people who full in tents.

 

[Gardenias]

Hello, and welcome!!

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Chickadee!

 

[bpdchief]

Welcome to the group and good luck. Jeanne and I lived in a tent for a month and a half in Florida while looking for an apartment, we loved it (even more than the apt) have even considered going back to the tent to help save money for our van purchase. You neglected to say what repairs your camper require. A fuel pump... anything else?

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

I'm curious as to what type/size tent ??

 

[ChickadeeJP]

Hello from The Great Lakes State. Right now is a great time for tenting. Are you thinking about staying at campgrounds  or backcountry locations?

Campgrounds because I need to be going through more populated areas where there are thrift stores and library book sales.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Chickadee!  Summer in the midwest will be hot but tent camping is doable. An added bonus for you is free camping at Missouri and Kansas fishing lakes. Here's a link to the map of Missouri sites -  http://mdcgis.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=3d3b95e823964d048e9cffe5c39ff3f6   Main page - https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places
Kansas - http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/State-Fishing-Lakes/Northeast-Region  Be sure to check rules and regulations for each campsite as the may be different from site to site.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started.   We look forward to hearing more from you.

Ooh, thank you! I am currently in Michigan and plan to at least make it to Minnesota.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

Maybe I missed something. Youre saying you cant do it in your Class A but want to tent camp? I know you said it needing fixing. Are the repairs that much?

Either way, perfect time to start tent camping. Are you going to just do it for the summer or long term? there are people who full in tents.

Yes I can afford the gas for a small car compared to the gas for the 30 year old RV. The fuel pump repair is likely costly, as in over $1000. The gas tank would need to be dropped, the old pump removed, and an electric one properly put in place. At this point, it will start with gas in the carb and then continue to run and drive. I am thinking just for the summer and hopefully increase my income to the point I can get the repairs done on the RV.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

I'm curious as to what type/size tent ??

I do not know yet. I am looking into options while I make some lists of what I will need to make this happen. I am frequently at thrift stores and garage sales so I am hoping to find something decent and cheap.

 

[Lj Unlimited]

If you come thru the GR or Lakeshore area I can point you to a few nice and reasonably priced campgrounds that have everything from primitive to electric and water sites.

 

[jonsun]

Yes I can afford the gas for a small car compared to the gas for the 30 year old RV. The fuel pump repair is likely costly, as in over $1000. The gas tank would need to be dropped, the old pump removed, and an electric one properly put in place. At this point, it will start with gas in the carb and then continue to run and drive. I am thinking just for the summer and hopefully increase my income to the point I can get the repairs done on the RV.

wait......wait......hold on a second.... who told you it needs a fuel pump?

if it has a carb it doesn't have an electric fuel pump. and if you prime the carb and it runs and drives it doesn't have a fuel pump problem. You have a $10 vacuum leak or a $20 choke not functioning.

it extremely common for an older carbureted engine to be hard to start. they need lots of fuel and little air and when you have a vacuum leak it lets way too much air in and thus requires way more fuel to compensate. been there, done that.

 

[Queen]

Welcome from another Midwesterner!  I'm in Illinois and also a tent camper, you found a great spot here to learn all kinds of cool stuff!

 

[ChickadeeJP]

GR or Lakeshore area

Where do you mean? Grand Rapids? I would love all campground suggestions!

 

[ChickadeeJP]

You have a $10 vacuum leak or a $20 choke not functioning.

Choke functions! Had that sorted out last summer and it cost more than $20. I learned that time that if it wasn't starting then I would open the dog house and take the cover off and use my awning pull to hold the choke closed while I started it.

Okay, so supposing it is just a vacuum leak, how do I go about getting this fixed? I have a veteran RV liver who's been giving me a lot of text support. It does run fine once I get the carb primed, but that doesn't make me feel confident in taking it on a road trip by myself with a 4yo.

 

[jonsun]

You get a vacuum hose kit from Amazon and you take one hose from the carb and wherever it attaches, cut a new piece of hose at the same length as the old one, then reattach the new one to the same place you pulled the old one off.

Replacing every vacuum hose takes about an hour....one at a time

New choke $4 on Rock Auto.....fyi

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...684,fuel+&+air,carburetor+choke+pull+off,6000

A new fuel pump is $15 and located on the front passenger side of the engine below the spark plugs and above the oil pan...it's two bolts and 2-3 hoses

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...l+350cid+v8,1045684,fuel+&+air,fuel+pump,6256

 

[ChickadeeJP]

I was just looking around on youtube for how to find vacuum leaks. Looks like something I can try and if the hoses are original, 31 years old, then it would make sense there could be cracks. Also about different gaskets so that might be harder for me to find and replace.

I don't remember what the choke cost me to have done but there were also float bowl issues, which I understand less.

The fuel pump part you explained doesn't make sense at all. It has a mechanical fuel pump and from what I have researched, it is located in the fuel tank 20ft behind the engine. Maybe installing an auxiliary pump might work?


I would really like to be able to just get on the road as I have been working toward for so long, but my income is at about $400-600 a month (plus we get food stamps for now). It would be great if I could make this happen in my motorhome as I could bring my cat with us and have a more stable, permanent dwelling for my son (than a car and tent). Will see if I can get over to the storage place and take a look at the hoses for leaks. Thank you for your help!

 

[jonsun]

What doesn't make sense? Mechanical fuel pumps are mechanical, not electric. They work mechanically off the cam shaft. Electric fuel pumps use electric to turn a sump motor in the fuel tank.

You don't need a fuel pump at all whatsoever. But if you did they're cheap and easy to replace....that's my point.

Your pump is on the front passenger side of the engine, not in the fuel tank.

You don't need to bother with finding vacuum leaks. Just replace them. You probably won't find them with propane or carb cleaner and if you do you'll have to buy a whole hose kit anyway. Those techniques are for total hose disconnections, not old corroded hoses. So just take an hour and go through the hoses one by one, specifically the ones going to the carb.