Camping Vehicle Choices
Written by admin on March 21, 2010 – 10:09 am -Owners of Vanabode – happily camp travel and live forever on $20 a day may ask questions related to camping vehicle choices ONLY. Click the hyperlinked TITLE of this post. Then scroll down and type your comment or question in the “Post a Comment” box. Then I am typically able to respond within 3 days. If your question is about a different topic choose the appropriate “category” on the right and post your question there intead.
Tags: camping van choices vehicle car truck rv motorhome fifth wheel trailer tent
Posted in Vehicle Questions | 9 Comments »
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to “Camping Vehicle Choices”
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- Apr 15, 2010: Vanabode: Are You A Survivalist Who Wants To Live Off The Grid?
By Deborah on Mar 21, 2010 | Reply
My husband owns a 2007 Honda Ridgeline truck that he loves… we have been considering buying a smaller hybrid camper trailer to head south with but never having been RVers so to speak we are concerned about the cost. He already has a topper on his truck which has a short box and it cannot pull more than 5000 pounds. Not sure how much more we would have to spend per day with a rig like that compared to picking up a used work van and outfitting it as a vanabode.
By admin on Mar 21, 2010 | Reply
Once you get into the strategies a little more the budget will make more sense. Some things to consider. If you do not drive many miles per week then having a vehicle that is SMALL but gets great gas mileage causes unnecessary discomfort and saves you very little money. If you camp in thousands of FREE places and are NOT worried that they KNOW you are camping there then use the biggest vehicle you can afford. However if you want to do EVERYTHING from camping in a national park or remote off the grid homestead to living right on the Las Vegas strip or on the beach in California then you will need to follow the specific strategies outlined in Vanabode in order to do it on $20 a day. There is no other way to do it all when you want to do it cheap.
By FRANK C on May 5, 2010 | Reply
I READ YOUR BOOK. GREAT JOB ON HOW TO ESCAPE THE RAT RACE. THERE IS A WAY TO HEAT WATER TO BATHE WITH INSIDE YOUR VAN. IT’S A SMALL PORTABLE PROPANE HOT WATER HEATER WITH A 4-D SIZE BATTERY AND WATER PUMP. IT USES THE SMALL TYPE PROPANE BOTTLE, JUST SCREW THE BOTTLE OFF WHEN YOUR DONE.
IT CAN BE BOUGHT AT WALMART FOR ABOUT $90 IN THE CAMPING SECTION.
YOU CAN ALSO BUY IT FROM THE COMPANY WEBSITE AT (WWW.ZODI.COM), ALSO COLEMAN WEBSITE SELLS ONE, BUT MORE MONEY AT $200.
IT WORKS GREAT BECAUSE IF THE WATER IS TOO COLD IN THE WINTER TIME, YOU CAN REFLOW THE WATER THROUGH THE HEATER COPPER COILS UNTIL IT REACHES 100-DEGREES. THE UNIT IS SMALL AND WILL TAKE LITTLE SPACE INSIDE THE VAN.
IF USED INSIDE THE VAN CRACK OPEN THE WINDOWS OR YOU WILL -DIE- FROM CO2 OR LACK OF AIR.
FOR PEOPLE WHO FEAR PROPANE INSIDE THE VAN, THERE IS A MUCH SAFER WAY TO GO. BOATERS USE IT. YOU CAN GO TO ANY BOATING STORE OR ONLINE, AND BUY THE HEATMATE 5200 ALCOHOL HEATER AND STOVE ALL ONE UNIT. ALCOHOL WILL NOT EXPLODE AND CAN BE TURNED OFF WITH JUST WATER. IT USES DENATURED ALCOHOL THAT IS EASY TO BUY AT LOWES, HOME DEPOT, OR MARINE STORE ITSELF.
IT HAS 5200-BTU AJUSTABLE HEAT, COOK, BOIL WATER TO BATHE WITH – ADD BOILED WATER TO COLD WATER, OR AS A HEATER TO WARM YOUR VAN, BUT TURN IT OFF BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP, CHECK GOOD THAT IT’S OFF. UNLIKE PROPANE THERE IS NO GAS PRESSURE OR HOSES WITH ONLY 30PPM OF CARBON MONOXIDE BURNS VERT, VERY CLEAN, BUT STILL CRACK ONE WINDOW FOR AIR TO GET IN.
HAS A 5-HOUR BURN TIME AND CAN BE RELIT AS OFTEN WHEN NEEDED.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAT THE WATER FASTER, I THINK BUY REMOVING THE STOVE UNIT EXPOSING A LARGER FIRE HOLE, YOU SHOULD GET MORE BTU’S. TRY TO USE A TWO GALLON ALUMINUM TALL POT, ALUMINUM WILL BOIL WATER FASTER AND ADD TO 2 OR 3 GALLONS OF COLD WATER.
CHECK THAT THE ALUMINUM TALL POT HANGS JUST ABOVE THE FLAMES, MAKE A STAND FOR IT, OR IT WILL TURN OFF THE CANISTER THAT HOLDS THE ALCOHOL INSIDE.
ONE MORE TRICK FOR VANABODE PEOPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON THIS IF YOU CAN.
IN TRYING TO KEEP COOL IN HOT WEATHER, PARK IN THE SHADE FILL A LARGE PLASTIC COOLER WITH TWO 20LB BAGS OF ICE. WITH A 5″ HOSE AND 12-VOLT TONADO FAN ALSO FROM MARINE STORE, STICK THE HOSE INSIDE THE COOLER AND CLOSE THE LID WITH A CRACK OPENING. TRY TO GET THE COLD AIR TO PASS THROUGH THE HOSE AND INLINE FAN TO COOL YOU. THIS IS KNOWN AS SPOT COOLING, NO INSULATION NEEDED. I THINK THIS WILL ONLY WORK FOR ONE PERSON BUT DON’T KNOW, NEVER TRIED IT.
KEEP THE ICE IN THE PLASTIC BAG TO KEEP THE AIR LESS HUMID, IF NOT COLD, THEN JUST REMOVE THE BAG, SEE WHAT WORKS, OR IF THIS DOES WORK AT ALL. ALSO WONDER HOW LONG THE ICE WILL LAST EXPOSED TO WARM AIR. TO SAVE POWER LOWER THE FAN VOLTAGE TO HALF OR 6-VOLTS.
HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE.
IF YOU WANT JASON, YOU CAN ADD THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR BOOK, BUT FIRST TRY IT OUT TO SEE IF IT WORKS WELL.
GREAT IDEA YOUR BOOK, I HOPE MY IDEAS WORK AND THAT SOMEONE TRIES OUT THE ICE AIR CONDITIONING, HAVE TO GO NOW.
BUY.
By admin on May 5, 2010 | Reply
thanks frank, I have seen the ice/cooler/fan technique used down in Mexico and as long as you can get the ice cheap enough and easily enough it DOES cool you down enough to fall asleep. I think it works well with the fan just blowing across the open cooler directly on you. I do not recommend ANYTHING inside the vehicle that makes carbon monoxide, except my wife of course.
By admin on Jun 2, 2010 | Reply
Hope U r well! I’m like you – hate the heat/humidity. I’ll be touring playing shows in the van, some booked 6 months or more in advance. While I can be smart about picking a generally good temperature area/time of year, I can’t just cancel a gig because of unseasonably hot weather. Do I need to get an RV w/ an AC hookup? Love your advice – Thanks!
Bradley
By admin on Jun 2, 2010 | Reply
Bradley in your situation it does not sound like it makes sense to give up the many important advantages that Vanaboding has over the typical rv lifestyle for an occasional “hot muggy gig”. I recommend using the money you save Vanaboding for most of the year to rent the occasional hotel room when your concerts call for it in hot muggy areas.
By Cameraman on Jul 11, 2010 | Reply
Idea Suggestion:
How about taking a piece of cardboard and trimming out a “template” of the shape of the wood bed frame for the vanabode for a couple of different vehicles? A person could then take that template, tape it to a piece of 3/4 inch plywood, trace the outline, then cut it with a saw.
You could make paper copies of it and sell it along with plans or specs of how to build the bed unit in the back? I bet folks would pay 25.00 or more for that rather than bumble through it. Another source of revenue for you brother!
Cheers!
By admin on Jul 11, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for the suggestion. The bed template is easy, make it the size of whatever bed mattress you choose plus enough room to screw a standard wood 2″x4″ “frame” around it so it can nestle inside a little. Picture a loaf of bread in a tight fitting LOW walled bread pan. Of course you can follow what I did from the book also if you don’t mind the bed a little smaller.