Young couple with a few questions

[Heinz]

<p>First let me start by saying that this site has been amazing, it really has answered most of my questions, but I have a few that need to be resolved in order to move forward. With that said, let me introduce you all to the situation at present -&nbsp;</p><p>My girlfriend and I are moving from the relatively cheap (standard of living) Kansas City to the pretty expensive Pac-NW. We are doing this because I'm going to be starting school after spending 7 years in the Army. She is leaving her current career and going to be searching for something out that direction. So in&nbsp;essence, you've got a mid-twenties student and a young professional that are going to be crammed into a van.</p><p>Our reason for doing so is two fold, it'd be an adventure and secondly, we'd save a boat load of money. Currently we are living in a 600 square-foot apartment that we pay around $800 a month for with utilities. Even if our&nbsp;endeavor&nbsp;is a short one, we'll come out on top.</p><p>What we have figured out:</p><p>We are pretty set on a Ford Econoline. Trying to get a 150, but a 250 wouldn't be too bad, just trying to stay away from big V8s. For&nbsp;hygiene&nbsp;we are going to get gym memberships. There are no less than three 24 hour fitness clubs within a 10 mile radius of where we are going to be living. We are both very active people and both lift/workout as it is, so this isn't going to be an added expense at all. For cooking we've settled on a 2 burner propane camping stove, we are also planning on selling all of our current cookware/dishes and replacing them with things that are more suitable for backpacking. This is for space saving and because we are planning on backpacking in our free time, so why not go ahead and use those dishes on a day in day out basis? Finally for water we were thinking of getting either several gallon water containers or a 5 gallon water container, having it suspended from the back corner, a sink under it that drains through the floor of the van. It's straight in my head, but explaining it without a diagram is difficult. Mail is going to go to a PO box and internet is various cafes or work/school. Laundry is going to be done at the laundry mat. We have to pay for our machines in our building already, so once again, not an added expense. Finally, we are planning on renting a small (5'x5'&nbsp;perhaps) storage container for things that won't fit in our van that we are planning on keeping.</p><p>Unknowns:</p><p>After doing quite a bit of reading, I don't think a&nbsp;refrigerator of any sort is an option. This wouldn't bother me, but my GF has medication that she has to take every other week that needs to be refrigerated. Plus there are things we'd want to keep for more than a few days after cooking. I think a cooler with a constant supply of ice would work, especially given the climate we are going into. A cooler with ice in 50 degree weather is going to keep much longer than a cooler in 85 degree weather. Is this a good plan? Alternatives?</p><p>Physical address. In my experience, in order to get a drivers&nbsp;licence&nbsp;you need to have "proof of residency." Usually this boils down to a bill for you sent to that address. Is there any easy way of doing this? I know I could ask a few Army buddies of mine that live in the area to let me throw my name on there stuff for a bit, but that seems like a lot of canceling/setting up/canceling/setting up going on. Is there an easier way?</p><p>Thanks for reading, and we&nbsp;appreciate&nbsp;any information/help given.</p>

 

[She]

If your going to rent a storage room does it have&nbsp;electricity? You could&nbsp;probably&nbsp;put a tiny frig in there for your gf's meds. Ditto on Blkjak's idea for an address/ I plan to do that too.

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp; It sounds like you have most of the details worked out. A cooler should work fine. As far as a mailing address why jump around between friends? Set it up with one and leave it there. It shouldn't cause any problems for them.<br /><br />&nbsp;It looks like you'll be going stealth on the street or in parking lots. If that's true please do not let water drain through the floor of the van. It's a sure way to be discovered and may get good areas closed for the rest of us. I've seen vans with a five gallon jug for fresh water and another for drain water. Dump it in campground or park sink ,not on the ground where it can get into the streams and rivers.

 

[Les H]

They are pricey( $5-600) but there are several TRUE 12v fridges/freezers out there that use very low power, not really a problem if you are driving every day or every other day or so. The 12v COOLERS are cheaper, but are not true temp controlled fridges, usually only cooling to 35-40 degrees below ambient temp, plus they use quite a bit of power. Mist of the 'dwelling and camping I do is rural at best, often 10 miles from a paved road. Usually free, but a pain to run out to the store and get ice. I lucked out and found a powered cooler at a flea market for $18 , so that is what I have, but I dont full-time , and I have a small solar system to help with battery draw. Try googling 12v fridge, check amazon and craigslist, and keep reading and posting. Glad to have ya here and thank you for your service.
Les

 

[Guest]

I would imagine that a good cooler with dry ice on the bottom and a layer over it of&nbsp;perforated&nbsp;FRP(this is what I plan to do) along with ice should keep it plenty cold. But if you feel insecure about it, test one out where you are now. Buy a good cooler that is big enough to use in the van and give it a&nbsp;whirl. Let us know how it works for you.&nbsp;

 

[twokniveskatie]

Where maintaining temps are critical for something like meds, you can test your cooling system of choice by getting one of those "minimum/maximum" digital thermometers at WM. Set up your cooler or whatever, leave the thermometer in it and check after 24 hours to see how the temps &nbsp;fluctuate. The thermometer will record highest and lowest temps. Good for determining what works before going on the road and also for maintenance once you are out there. Like if a med goes above a certain temp it has to be replaced, for instance.&nbsp;

 

[caseyc]

Welcome! Sounds like a good plan! I too pay for a UPS Store mailbox, which is a little pricey at $111 for 6 months for a small box, but you get good service and they can accept your packages for you, unlike the post office. I have 24 Hour Gym membership for $299 for a prepaid 2 year plan through Costco store. I don't even have membership at Costco, so I go with my sister who is a member and I pay the cashier in cash. I am considering joining Costo for their tasty and cheap foods, such as their $1.50 hotdog with soda, and that super good chocolate ice cream with nuts! Their smoothie is decent too.