My kind of travel

[kitesurfer2]

Picked up the new van last week and promptly drove it to Canada--2500 miles in 3 days. Came home and added a few things. The bed is in al9ong with the bicycles. Plenty of storage underneath for all the camping gear, kitesurfing gear, and motorcycle gear.

 

[travelover]

Full size vans are very versatile. I bought one in 1972 and did one lap of America. The raised roofs on the new ones are great. I think I still stoop a little from that 6 month journey.

 

[DayDreaming]

What's the highway mpg for one of these things?

 

[REWahoo]

Advertised mpg is 14 city, 19 highway.

 

[rodi]

My dad did something similar - but with a pickup and camper shell.

He had a fold down bed in the back. Room for bikes and camping gear. Kayak rack on the roof. When he retired (before mom retired.) he headed north from San Diego to Bellingham, WA (where I lived). Then drove into Canada and hopped from island to island up through south western Canada, then up and over to Alaska, Denali, etc.. Then east through Canada, then down into Glacier Nat'l Park... over to Yellowstone, then over to the Badlands... then he did all the Utah parks (Arches, Canyonlands, etc...) then down to AZ to see my aunt (his sis), then back home. He biked where he wanted to, kayaked where he wanted to, and had a comfy base to do it from.

Have fun with your new ride!

 

[Sarah in SC]

That's a GREAT ride! Congrats on the new van! Also these are great because you can easily stealth camp in them, as they don't look like somewhere someone is sleeping!

 

[nvestysly]

That's a nice van! I like the fact that most of the truck makers are now selling full-size, boxy vans. Lots of usable room and relatively good fuel mileage. You definitely have a cool setup.

In a few years we'll be looking for a new to us tow vehicle for our 29' Airstream travel trailer. A full-size, 3/4 or 1-ton van may be in our future - who knows?

Definitely like the stealth camping aspect. We also have an Airstream class B van but it's not nearly as stealth (see below) but we have gotten away with "overnighting" in a church parking lot or two now and then.

 

[Sarah in SC]

That is a nice rig, nvestysly! We had an old Airstream Argosy MH that we sold this past summer. Still miss it, but we just weren't using it enough.

I have done some "non-stealth" camping overnights when traveling in our big yellow school bus, with good results, but usually are gone early enough to avoid persecution, lol.

 

[Dreamer]

Looks like plenty of fun is in your future!

 

[Nemo2]

How does it handle on the hiway? Reason I ask is that, back when, we had a Pleasureway van conversion that was quite unstable until we installed a Safe-T-Plus control......then it was superb.

Safe-T-Plus - The Steering Control Specialists | Helping motorists' vehicles steer safer, less, and with peace of mind.

 

[travelover]

How does it handle on the hiway? Reason I ask is that, back when, we had a Pleasureway van conversion that was quite unstable until we installed a Safe-T-Plus control......then it was superb.

Safe-T-Plus - The Steering Control Specialists | Helping motorists' vehicles steer safer, less, and with peace of mind.

Oh a steering damper. My 1965 VW Beetle had one. When it went out, it shook like a dog....ah.... passing a bone.

 

[Nemo2]

Oh a steering damper. My 1965 VW Beetle had one. When it went out, it shook like a dog....ah.... passing a bone.

It made all the difference in the world to our Class B's handling.......and my nerves.

 

[jjquantz]

Thanks for sharing. DW and I have talked about doing just this after she retires in a few years. Good to see that our idea is not totally crazy.

 

[nvestysly]

Picked up the new van last week and promptly drove it to Canada--2500 miles in 3 days. Came home and added a few things. The bed is in al9ong with the bicycles. Plenty of storage underneath for all the camping gear, kitesurfing gear, and motorcycle gear.

kitsurfer2,

As mentioned above I think your van is a great way to travel and it's very functional for your needs. Don't know how much camping you plan to do but a composting toilet may be a good addition to the van. No need for water and black tanks, just bolt the toilet to the floor so it doesn't tip over.

Here's one brand to consider...

Nature's Head Composting Toilets: Saving Our Water for Tomorrow

and some videos on how it works...

 

[splitwdw]

Make sure everything is bolted/locked down. You don't want things sliding around or being launched if you have to brake hard or are in an accident.

 

[travelover]

kitsurfer2,

As mentioned above I think your van is a great way to travel and it's very functional for your needs. Don't know how much camping you plan to do but a composting toilet may be a good addition to the van. No need for water and black tanks, just bolt the toilet to the floor so it doesn't tip over.

.......

A thousand dollar porta-potty? One can buy one at a garage sale for $10 that just empties into any public toilet.

 

[photoguy]

Great thread. I've been thinking about doing something similar and putting a sleeping platform in our honda element.

 

[Nemo2]

Our palapa... class 'B' Pleasureway, wintering on the Baja, 13 miles south of Mulegé, 1997/8.

 

[brett]

We have done all sorts of travel. Lots of camping/hiking in the Rockies. Lost of travel in various vans. A good deal of business and business/leisure travel in 5 stars. AI's, cruises, and independent land travel.

Now we travel extensively. Usually small hotels, small B&B's. Independent travel. We grab a cruise for a change when the price is right. Lots of Europe travel and cruises when the economy was poor and prices were right.

Now we travel based on our bucket lists, what the best travel offers happen to be, and the value of our currency. We typically spend well under our ability to pay but we are frugal travellers. We can stretch a two month trip into three or more very easily by taking advantage of travel offers and currency fluctuations. We never go to one place. Air is always open jaw or one way. Don't like to pay for the same real estate twice.


We still have so many places on our bucket list to see. Many to return to as well. And the more we travel the longer the list seems to get.

 

[GravitySucks]

A nice looking van. Thinking of doing a similar build after I get tired of my Airstream Argosy MH.
Do you have plans to add a galley and head?