Thinking about it.

[dusty]

Hello everyone,
 
I'm toying with the idea of getting a van and using it as a toy hauler which I could also camp in. I currently use a truck that is at the end of it's of life and a high top van would serve as both, hauling the motorcycle and work as a camper. After looking through the forums I am thinking spending some time as a nomad on a trail basis would be a good experience. After a couple weeks of considering it I realized what bothered me most about heading west from the east coast was where to stay overnight. My solution is to travel at night so I can sleep almost anywhere during the day. Noise doesn't bother me when sleeping and I've read post about wearing yellow polarized glasses to avoid fatigue. Sound like a plan?

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums dusty! Traveling at night is fine if that's what you want to do but it's not necessary. Walmarts in small cities and country towns almost always allow overnight parking. Rest areas are good too. Many towns in the midwest have free campgrounds. Cracker Barrels allow overnight parking. You'll most likely be fine in any 24 hour grocery store too.

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.

 

[ckelly78z]

I still live in a S&B farm, but have also been considering doing some boondocking in my pickup truck with cap. One thing I would be sure to include is my Kawasaki KLR 250 enduro dirtbike. It's always good to have a second means of transportation, and a way to see the sights without losing your campsite.

Good luck on your endeavors, and welcome to the forums.

 

[bullfrog]

You are way overthinking this. I had a 1964 Ford van with a bed across the back and still had enough room to load a 7" extended bike through the side doors. Cooler between the front seats and a backpack. Denny's and several other 24 hour eating establishments like Cracker Barrel today welcome people that like to eat as well as sleep in or nearby. I understand going around big cities and partying late into the night but getting a good night's sleep should be a priority. That is unless you like vampires.

 

[Stargazer]

Some people are natural night owls. Night driving has its advantages. In summer, it's cooler. Less traffic. Fewer lines anywhere, if any.

My big concern about night driving is animals (deer and skunks) on the road. Next is businesses being closed, especially small town gas stations. Roadsigns can be hard to see. And you miss the scenery along the way. The one good time to drive at night is across west Texas. I-10, cruise control set to follow behind a big rig and just go.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums  

If you did what you are thinking about, you could build a bed that is mounted across the rear wheels and set it up like an elevator bed so it could be raised up to the original roof (prior to the high top installation) and the toy could have plenty of room under it.  With a little bit of clever design you could climb onto the toy to get into bed.   You may not have a lot of 
room to sleep until the toy is removed and parked on the ground and the bed resting over the wheel wells.  

I have a 90 E 350 high top extended and I've considered that possibility (not for the toy) for extra space if I want to haul
some kind of freight.