I think I'm about to start an ER van life (SUV life?) - checklist question

[tenant13]

I'm embarking soon on a mad long all-around-US road trip - tbh it's more of a lifestyle change than just a trip ...

When I ER'd mid 2019, my idea of retirement was to endlessly vagabond all over the world - or rather live "mini lives" - by staying in places for 3-6 months, depending on visa requirements. I only managed to go to Japan for 3 months and followed that with 2 months in Europe. So that plan got upended by Covid and while I'm optimistic I don't see going back to it any time soon.

I decided to buy Subaru Outback (haven't had a car in 25 years) and hit the road with the intention of not rushing and not setting my itinerary in stone. I'll be ok if doing all that will take a year - in case I have to go back to NJ, I can always park the car at some airport, fly home for a week or two and continue from where I left off. I'm probably romanticizing this idea but what's the worst that could happen? I'll decide to cut the trip short and sell the Outback like I intend to do anyway at the end - not a big deal.

I'm equally into nature and hiking as I am into modern art museums, sculpture parks and architecture so this will be a mixture of back roads driving and big cities. I see myself camping lightly; sleeping in the car, or maybe get a tent but I'm not much of a scout so there will be airbnbs and hotels and restaurants

For anyone that has done something like this before: what are the things that you wished you had thought about before you started (name one or two)? From getting National Parks pass and EZ Pass to taking a shovel or tire repair kit with you: I have a list of stuff but there's always something that you forget about. And also: what were the things you'd thought you'd need but never used? Solar panels?



My itinerary: https://imgur.com/3J13msV

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I can't answer any of your questions, but my dream has been for a long time, and remains until today, to move and live to a lower cost of living country where the U.S. dollar goes further and a culture I can adapt to and explore other countries from there using it as my base.
Covid has really suspended that plan, but it has not stopped it, and now I feel it is getting close again with the travel restrictions possibly being lifted to the EU, especially since I am fully vaccinated. I have zero advice, but I have always believed follow what's in your heart.

 

[euro]

Congrats. That sounds like a super fun trip! Of course, everyone will have their own route suggestions, but mine is a slight detour to include the North Carolina coastline/outer banks (stop at the Wright Brothers place of first flight, unless you have already seen it, and the Lost Colony). Obviously, make sure your timing matches the seasons (no need to be in Texas in July....... or Glacier Park in February unless you are into ice climbing).
I wouldn’t sweat the planning too much. Anything you find you are missing, can be purchased quite readily anywhere on your route.
Enjoy! I’d love to do this but DW has veto powers.....

 

[eeyore]

Did you try Bob Wells site (the guy from Nomadland) - it is full of info
https://www.cheaprvliving.com/
Also a canadian guy that is fun to watch on youtube and has a full list of stuff in his van https://www.vancityvanlife.ca/van

There are a lot of others like that, that share lists and what they learned, I like watching them on Youtube.

 

[Fermion]

We built an RV (from scratch!) and toured the country pulling a sailboat in 2016. We also had motorcycles in the RV and used those to get around places where the RV would not fit or go.

We are back to building a house but we have a 2018 Ford Transit van which is pretty awesome for camping (fits a queen size bed with standing room for vertically challenged people under 5'8"). We have taken that on a cross country road trip to Disney World from WA state (not pulling a sailboat but with a sailboat dinghy on the roof!).

I would say get something like a Goal Zero Yeti 1000 or (better) Yeti 3000. Get a compressor fridge cooler. If you like coffee, get a Keurig type coffee maker. We used the Yeti 3000 to power the fridge and make coffee, which was really nice, easy, fast. It only used about 1% of the capacity of the 3000 per cup of coffee. It could also toast bagels or bread using about 2% of the capacity. Really makes you feel like you are glamping if you have these.

We also took a PETT camping toilet, which uses the WAG bags. They are very easy to use, easy to dispose, so much better than a standard port-a-potty.

We stayed in a lot of hotels, rented a house on the beach in Florida for a month and rented a house in the Ozarks on the river for two weeks (it was not like the tv show though). We also camped in the van at quite a few campgrounds and on BLM land. This was in 2019 right before COVID.

I am itching to go for another jaunt but got to finish this house first.

 

[bloom2708]

Follow some YouTube van/car campers.

Nikki lives in her Toyota Prius with her dog.

https://www.youtube.com/c/NikkiDelventhal/videos

Not sure if you plan to sleep in the Outback. With the second row seats folded, assuming you are not super tall, you might just fit.

You can also tent, hotel, hostel, airbnb, truckstop showers, lots of options. Good luck on the journey!

 

[pb4uski]

Back in May 1980 DW and I did a cross country trip for the whole month. At the time I had a new Mercury Capri (hatchback) that I bought for the trip and kept for a long-time thereafter thad served me well. We stayed along with way with friends and relatives or camped out in a pup tent with sleeping bags. We had a little Svea camp stove, a coffee pot and some cups, dishes, utensils, etc. Over the whole month I think we only had hotel rooms for both nights.

If I was the OP I would consider a small pickup truck with a cap rather than an Outback (we have an Outback and do like it.) The pickup bed would have room for your gear and a blowup air mattress and you could sleep under the cap... you might even consider a mid or high rise truck cap.

If you do stay with the Outback, then I would pack a tent and cot with a blow up matress... sleeping on the ground at our age sucks. You probably could shoehorn a twin size mattress into the back of the Outback with the back seats folded down but you wouldn't have room for much other gear.

 

[Fermion]

If you are not totally set on the SUV, here is how we added a bed cheaply in our Ford Transit van. We used IKEA skorva rails which are adjustable to width by telescoping and are only $10 each shipped! (at least they were last time we bought them). Plenty of storage underneath the queen size memory foam mattress which is the most comfortable "RV" bed I have ever been in. In this mid length mid roof Transit there is enough room forward of the bed for a 4 foot table and a sitting area...which is where we would eat breakfast and change clothes.

 

[finnski1]

This is a pretty slick set up for an outback.
https://www.motor1.com/news/373661/subaru-outback-camper-conversion-video/

 

[tenant13]

Back in May 1980 DW and I did a cross country trip for the whole month. At the time I had a new Mercury Capri (hatchback) that I bought for the trip and kept for a long-time thereafter thad served me well. We stayed along with way with friends and relatives or camped out in a pup tent with sleeping bags. We had a little Svea camp stove, a coffee pot and some cups, dishes, utensils, etc. Over the whole month I think we only had hotel rooms for both nights.

If I was the OP I would consider a small pickup truck with a cap rather than an Outback (we have an Outback and do like it.) The pickup bed would have room for your gear and a blowup air mattress and you could sleep under the cap... you might even consider a mid or high rise truck cap.

If you do stay with the Outback, then I would pack a tent and cot with a blow up matress... sleeping on the ground at our age sucks. You probably could shoehorn a twin size mattress into the back of the Outback with the back seats folded down but you wouldn't have room for much other gear.

I’m sticking to Outback - I think it’ll be my option D plus I just like it. That’s a lot considering that I’m not a car guy. Anything bigger than that would mean a serious RV-ing. I think I’m not really fully that in terms of personality.

I’m 5’7” so I’ll probably fit just fine. You have a point about gear but I can travel months at a time with just a carry on so I’m used to minimalist lifestyle plus my travel budget for this year (as well as my portfolio, lol) blew up due to 2020 shenanigans. If I’m forced to I’ll buy one of those rooftop storage coffins.

 

[Fermion]

Looking at your route, are you planning to go by Devil's Tower (and get a close encounter) or the Badlands? Both are most excellent places and the Outback could boondock on the BLM land on the edges of the Badlands in areas we were afraid of getting stuck in the RV.

Looks exciting!

 

[tenant13]

Looking at your route, are you planning to go by Devil's Tower (and get a close encounter) or the Badlands? Both are most excellent places and the Outback could boondock on the BLM land on the edges of the Badlands in areas we were afraid of getting stuck in the RV.

Looks exciting!

Yes! I found so many cool places I could visit that even thinking about the trip overwhelms me On the other hand, I got the means, no schedules, no deadlines and no other places to go to but those I choose. Isn’t it what ER is about?

 

[Helen]

We did a 4 month road trip in an Outback with a cartop carrier. We left Oregon in mid February and headed South then East. We camped, stayed in motels and visited friends. It was one of our favorite trips.

 

[pb4uski]

This is a pretty slick set up for an outback.
https://www.motor1.com/news/373661/subaru-outback-camper-conversion-video/

Yes, very slick.

 

[Dtail]

Yes! I found so many cool places I could visit that even thinking about the trip overwhelms me On the other hand, I got the means, no schedules, no deadlines and no other places to go to but those I choose. Isn’t it what ER is about?

Absolutely. Definitely go for it and give us updates.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Yes! I found so many cool places I could visit that even thinking about the trip overwhelms me On the other hand, I got the means, no schedules, no deadlines and no other places to go to but those I choose. Isn’t it what ER is about?

Absolutely! But you may have to change your user name...

 

[euro]

Yes! I found so many cool places I could visit that even thinking about the trip overwhelms me On the other hand, I got the means, no schedules, no deadlines and no other places to go to but those I choose. Isn’t it what ER is about?

Yes, absolutely! You got it nailed! I say go for it at your earliest convenience

 

[flintnational]

No help with your particular trip but I have done some long distance back packing. Generally folks take to much stuff. I try and err on the "less" side of packing. You will have transportation and can shop as needed. You can also order specialty items along the way from Amazon. As your trip changes, your gear needs will change. Test as much of your gear/set up as you can before you hit the road. Backpackers go on short hikes called "shakeouts" just to check gear. Have fun. Sounds great!

 

[NW-Bound]

I decided to buy Subaru Outback (haven't had a car in 25 years) and hit the road with the intention of not rushing and not setting my itinerary in stone. I'll be ok if doing all that will take a year - in case I have to go back to NJ, I can always park the car at some airport, fly home for a week or two and continue from where I left off. I'm probably romanticizing this idea but what's the worst that could happen? I'll decide to cut the trip short and sell the Outback like I intend to do anyway at the end - not a big deal.

I'm equally into nature and hiking as I am into modern art museums, sculpture parks and architecture so this will be a mixture of back roads driving and big cities. I see myself camping lightly; sleeping in the car, or maybe get a tent but I'm not much of a scout so there will be airbnbs and hotels and restaurants

Go for it! Quite a few who live in their vehicles are not doing it as an option as much as a necessity. But you have the means.

If you have money for emergency car repairs, to buy what you need while on the road, or to abort the plan if you change your mind, then what's the risk?

We play vagabond ourselves a couple of months out of a year, but we need some creature comfort so do it with an RV. If I were younger and single, would be OK with a van or an SUV.

 

[NW-Bound]

We built an RV (from scratch!) and toured the country pulling a sailboat in 2016. We also had motorcycles in the RV and used those to get around places where the RV would not fit or go.

We are back to building a house but we have a 2018 Ford Transit van which is pretty awesome for camping...

Do you still have that first set up? It was built on an Isuzu flatbed truck as I recall.

 

[haloFIRE]

we had to get a mail service. pack toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, plain baby wipes, tylenol/aspirin. sometimes a really old GPS device does better than a cell phone for nav, (looking at you, New Mexico). a good pairing knife and strong tape. We got one of those over the closet door soft mesh cubby systems and cut it into 2 short ones and tied to the back of the driver and passenger seat. perfect to hold meds, a hat for each, flipflops, charge cables, extra alum water bottle etc. We still use one for road trips its just so handy. Car just becomes chaos with small thigns. Some cash money. Couple old towels (bathing, beach, soft splint, bleeding, whatever).

 

[ocean view]

30 years ago my DH took a “drive around the US” trip in a Honda Del Sol, with his mountain bike hitched to the back. The best trip of his life. He was young, so he tent camped wherever he was, occasionally stayed in a hostel. I just read him your post and asked his advice for you. He said to always carry plenty of water because you never know how far or how long to the next fill up.

He just built a sleeping platform in our RAV4 so that he can do some remote mountain bike trips.

 

[pb4uski]

OP, if you're going to use the back for sleeping quarters you might want to look at the Forrester too. It looks like the headroom might be a little higher. And overall size is similar as I recall.

 

[Fermion]

Do you still have that first set up? It was built on an Isuzu flatbed truck as I recall.

Not to hijack this thread but yes! we still have the RV setup sitting safely in the first pole barn we built. We sold the Isuzu though a couple years back. The plan eventually is to buy a little beefier flatbed since we were bucking up to the 19,000 pound GVWR of the Isuzu even without carrying Lucy's rock collection. I think we would buy a 25,950 GVWR vehicle.

Gotta finish building the house first, then add a diesel gen to our electric sailboat to get more range, THEN we maybe can RV some. Retirement is hard work.

 

[OldConch]

If you’re a veteran N.P. passes are free. The golden age passes are also reasonably priced. Both have saved us a bundle. Sent from bumpy SW flight 515 from PVR to DEN.