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

haloFIRE said:
sometimes a really old GPS device does better than a cell phone for nav, (looking at you, New Mexico)....
Click to expand...

Just a hint for the OP (and others):

You can download Google maps onto your phone (or other device) for offline use. It doesn't take too much storage space and works like a champ! Also, it will most likely be more up to date than any of the "old school" GPS receivers.
 
+1 on following Bob Well's cheap rv living youtube channel and his new film.

I would also sign up for nationwide gym Planet Fitness for taking showers on the road.

A good cellular hotspot and portable solar panel + deep cycle AGM battery and solar charge controller will be helpful during rainy seasons.

HERE WeGgo app for free offline GPS navi.

Are you doing a deep camper conversion with your outback? By deep I mean removing all rear seats and customize the bed frame that can maximize the interior space, or do you plan to just stack some clear storage boxes in the car for the bed platform? The former is worth the effort for long term road trips.
 
Last edited:
teetee said:
+1 on following Bob Well's cheap rv living youtube channel and his new film.

I would also sign up for nationwide gym Planet Fitness for taking showers on the road.

A good cellular hotspot and portable solar panel + deep cycle AGM battery and solar charge controller will be helpful during rainy seasons.

HERE WeGgo app for free offline GPS navi.

Are you doing a deep camper conversion with your outback? By deep I mean removing all rear seats and customize the bed frame that can maximize the interior space, or do you plan to just stack some clear storage boxes in the car for the bed platform? The former is worth the effort for long term road trips.
Click to expand...
Good points. If i were going solo I would definitely remove the back seats and make a custom set up back there. Heck I might even remove the passenger seat as well.

A couple of other things are important IMHO.
Ventilation.
I would get some of those plastic rain deflectors that mount on each door which allow you to keep the windows open a few inches when it rains.
I would also fashion some kind of insect screen for the windows as well. Then you can always have cross ventilation which is important in such a small space. Maybe even a tiny clip on DC fan to move air as well.


Also if the car has a sunroof then some insect netting for there as well for those nice clear nights.
 
I have a pickup with a topper that I have camped in. I would recommend a van as it is nice to be able to get to some of the controls and to the drivers seat without going outside. FWIW
 
OP here: I got the 2021 Outback yesterday. Is it perfect? No. Is anything? But whatever, that's what I'm doing. And I added all the convenience options: screen, deflectors, protectors, hitch...
I'm very much not a car person so I don't care much what I drive - I think this will do the job.

I am not removing the back seats, In Outback it's a pain in the butt and not much of a gain - there are posts about it. Also I'm not planning to live in the car so I don't think it's essential. But I'm looking into all kinds of camping gear and what not.

I think Planet Fitness membership idea is amazing, thank you! Not just for showers, I like working out.

Maps: I bought Rand McNally Road Atlas for fun and I'll def download Google maps. For planning I use Furkot.

Connectivity: I have Sprint on my phone. And there's Starlink in the car. I think I'll get Verizon prepaid e-SIM just to be covered better.

Parks passes (I'm not a veteran): I'll definitely get the National Parks pass but there's a whole lot more: https://www.rei.com/c/park-passes and I'm not sure which ones are essential.

It's all kind of exciting, lol.
 
tenant13 said:
OP here: I got the 2021 Outback yesterday. Is it perfect? No. Is anything? But whatever, that's what I'm doing. And I added all the convenience options: screen, deflectors, protectors, hitch...
I'm very much not a car person so I don't care much what I drive - I think this will do the job.

I am not removing the back seats, In Outback it's a pain in the butt and not much of a gain - there are posts about it. Also I'm not planning to live in the car so I don't think it's essential. But I'm looking into all kinds of camping gear and what not.

I think Planet Fitness membership idea is amazing, thank you! Not just for showers, I like working out.

Maps: I bought Rand McNally Road Atlas for fun and I'll def download Google maps. For planning I use Furkot.

Connectivity: I have Sprint on my phone. And there's Starlink in the car. I think I'll get Verizon prepaid e-SIM just to be covered better.

Parks passes (I'm not a veteran): I'll definitely get the National Parks pass but there's a whole lot more: https://www.rei.com/c/park-passes and I'm not sure which ones are essential.

It's all kind of exciting, lol.
Click to expand...
It truly is exciting. I can't wait to do the same for myself. Being working for 8 years is too long for me. I think I have aged 15 years during that time.

I won't be able to sleep in a tent at all outside of crowded campground thinking there might be bears (I had my fair share of tent camping but haven't encounter any bears yet). Sleeping in the car / camper can save money but I think security is more important when you are alone in a place you are not familiar with.
 
tenant13 said:
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 ...

....
My itinerary: https://imgur.com/3J13msV
Click to expand...

OP , that looks like a great big long trip.

Any chance you have a list of all the things you want to visit along the way ?
I'd like to get ideas of places to visit.

The benefit for you is, if someone can see you are close to something they know is interesting, it can be suggested.
 
There is a large contingency of people that are hitting the road semi-permanently for the adventures. But they all seem to be making their odysseys in vans--both Class B RV's or conversion high top vans.

I once had a very plush conversion van with the electric bed and 4 captain chairs. Even with that much room, I would be hesitant to try to live out of it.

The rigs currently in fashion have the tallest tops available, long wheelbases and extended rear ends. And there are YouTubes posts online showing how their van interiors are modified--including having real bed, a porta potty room and even solar powered electricity.

I've yet to see anyone living every night in a mid size SUV because they have such little room and zero privacy. And they don't provide a feeling of security that being locked in a van would provide. An alternative would be to tow a teardrop camper behind a SUV, however.
 
Last edited:
There are rooftop tents, but they're rather expensive.
Check out some of the Overlanding blogs and forums for ideas.
 
Bamaman said:
There is a large contingency of people that are hitting the road semi-permanently for the adventures. But they all seem to be making their odysseys in vans--both Class B RV's or conversion high top vans.

I once had a very plush conversion van with the electric bed and 4 captain chairs. Even with that much room, I would be hesitant to try to live out of it.

The rigs currently in fashion have the tallest tops available, long wheelbases and extended rear ends. And there are YouTubes posts online showing how their van interiors are modified--including having real bed, a porta potty room and even solar powered electricity.

I've yet to see anyone living every night in a mid size SUV because they have such little room and zero privacy. And they don't provide a feeling of security that being locked in a van would provide. An alternative would be to tow a teardrop camper behind a SUV, however.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much exactly how I thought about it. There are plenty of YouTube videos of people camping out of their SUVs and it all looks cool but I bet every day reality is not as romantic as it seems. I do enjoy showers and proper toilets. And I didn’t want elaborate conversions and large vehicles - I’m not leaving my normal life behind, just taking a very long break. While the title of my post may suggest otherwise, it’s still just a trip for me.

So when I thought about this trip I knew I would stay in hotels and Airbnb’s but I also wanted to be prepared for (and try, to be perfectly honest) camping. I may fall in love with it. Up until a few years ago I thought I didn’t like traveling. Then I took long solo trips in South America and Asia and realized that I just needed to discover my favorite way of traveling: alone, slowly and barely planned. Not necessarily cheap though �� So this is a continuation of that trend. I started with getting a new, comfy vehicle that should be fun and safe to drive and let me try the van lifestyle - I’m very curious.

I’m def enjoying shopping for all the gear - from foldable mattresses to things I didn’t know existed (apparently I’ll need a gigantic tarp to wrap the car up at one of the parks: there’s a marmot plague - they sneak in and chew on the wires and pipes, lol).
 
Last edited:
Sunset said:
OP , that looks like a great big long trip.

Any chance you have a list of all the things you want to visit along the way ?
I'd like to get ideas of places to visit.

The benefit for you is, if someone can see you are close to something they know is interesting, it can be suggested.
Click to expand...

I don't really have a list: it's all in my Furkot trip map. But I started from looking at maps that other people created. For National Parks, Sculpture Parks, Hikes, Art Museums etc. I picked what I liked and added it to my map - Furkot created the itinerary for me and I cleaned it up by adding or deleting points of interest. Now I will add to that Planet Fitness locations. The idea is not to drive for hours at a time but rather have my days split in halves: activity in the morning, driving in the afternoon - or the opposite. If I like a place I'll stay longer. Or if it's a big city - then I obviously need to stay a few days.

I also looked up biking trails, points of architectural interests (like Frank Lloyd's Wright and Isamu Noguchi constructions), fun hotels and airbnbs that are worth paying for because of their location, good restaurants (especially vegan), the craziest rollercoasters I could find (interestingly, the tallest one is in my backyard) and gay saunas... (what can I say, I like making new friends :blush:).

I went to Barnes & Nobles and bought two books that may come handy on the road: this one and another one about National Parks. And I keep looking for more inspiration and ideas every day. Right now I'm trying to think how to use a hitch mounted flag pole to construct a small a swiveling camping table :LOL:
 
We've been doing this kind of camping for years using our minivan. The internet offers many ideas on crafting your vehicle to your needs. We kept it pretty basic but here are the things we've found most useful -
- plywood platform for sleeping - can be exotic with storage underneath or just a piece to flatten out the folded down seats.
- mesh covers for windows cracked open at night -we jsut use little magnets to attach around the window.
- "living room" tent - we sleep in the car but pitch a fairly tall 2-person tent whcih accommodates a couple of beach chairs where we can read/eat or watch downloaded movies on the tablet.
- electric cooler for perishable foodstuff. Runs off car or solar panel.
- foldable solar panel - takes up minimal pace and is sufficient to run cooler when needed.
- solar power bank - battery for charging laptops etc. can be recharged with solar panel.
Also make sure you have sufficient usb cords and adapters for car/solar charging etc.!
I'm assuming you know what camping gear works for you so I won't talk about that.
Enjoy the trip!
 
Sometimes I think about a "just throw stuff in it and drive away" vehicle, in case of an evacuation or just wanting to go somewhere far away with more conveniences with me. Here are some random things I kept in mind, IIRC. Suburbans and only some of the larger minivans have enough head room to allow use of a decent portable toilet. No SUVs allow removal of seats anymore (it may have been a particular row I was researching). Hybrid vehicles don't allow seats to fold flush with the floor because the battery it in the way. A van with steel walls inside won't protect you from lightening and needs to have the walls upholstered. Some people have hookups at their house to clean out RV waste tanks. Minivans with the right options can tow plenty. A Suburban and some minivans can hold a sheet of plywood inside.
 
Boho said:
A van with steel walls inside won't protect you from lightening and needs to have the walls upholstered.
Click to expand...

Another frequent poster, Michael, would disagree with you.
 
Fermion said:
Another frequent poster, Michael, would disagree with you.
Click to expand...

Interesting. That makes me feel a little better because I figured the type and quality of upholstery matters and I didn't know what to look for.
 
mageedge said:
We've been doing this kind of camping for years using our minivan. The internet offers many ideas on crafting your vehicle to your needs. We kept it pretty basic but here are the things we've found most useful -
- plywood platform for sleeping - can be exotic with storage underneath or just a piece to flatten out the folded down seats.
- mesh covers for windows cracked open at night -we jsut use little magnets to attach around the window.
- "living room" tent - we sleep in the car but pitch a fairly tall 2-person tent whcih accommodates a couple of beach chairs where we can read/eat or watch downloaded movies on the tablet.
- electric cooler for perishable foodstuff. Runs off car or solar panel.
- foldable solar panel - takes up minimal pace and is sufficient to run cooler when needed.
- solar power bank - battery for charging laptops etc. can be recharged with solar panel.
Also make sure you have sufficient usb cords and adapters for car/solar charging etc.!
I'm assuming you know what camping gear works for you so I won't talk about that.
Enjoy the trip!
Click to expand...

I'm def getting a battery - but I'm not sure about solar panels for now. I could charge the battery while driving or in a hotel room. I may get the panels along the way if I find them necessary - I suppose if I fall in love with camping? Same thing with the cooler - do I need a powered one? I don't quite see myself cooking full on camp meals but something to keep fruit and vegetable fresh might be nice. I got all the mesh covers - not a fan of bugs - but that "living room tent" might be too much for me. I was thinking about getting a tarp plus two poles and using Outback's roof rack for mounting. Only because tarps have lots of other uses and it seems like the simplest solution for setting up a camping chair in a shade.
 
Last edited:
First aid kit.

Fire extinguisher near the driver's seat.

Also, for lots of road traveling, you might want to think more than usual about tires. Subarus require four matching tires with matching wear in order for the AWD to work (IMO, the whole point of having a Subaru). So it's nice if your spare tire matches the rest of your tires in case you ever need to use it -- i.e., replace your donut spare with a full-size matching tire and wheel.

If you get five matching nondirectional tires, you can do a five-tire rotation every few thousand miles to keep all the treads closer to even. Sounds like a hassle, but it's better than being stuck somewhere without AWD and then having to buy four tires because a single new one won't match the rest.

I would do all of this anyway, and especially if I were going to live on the road most of the time.
 
Some people keep life jackets in their car for flash floods.
 
tenant13 said:
I'm def getting a battery - but I'm not sure about solar panels for now. I could charge the battery while driving or in a hotel room. I may get the panels along the way if I find them necessary - I suppose if I fall in love with camping? Same thing with the cooler - do I need a powered one? I don't quite see myself cooking full on camp meals but something to keep fruit and vegetable fresh might be nice. I got all the mesh covers - not a fan of bugs - but that "living room tent" might be too much for me. I was thinking about getting a tarp plus two poles and using Outback's roof rack for mounting. Only because tarps have lots of other uses and it seems like the simplest solution for setting up a camping chair in a shade.
Click to expand...

Roof rack tarp works fine - we had that first. The tent is just a regular dome tent which serves as sleeping quarters if we want a change from the van in addition to living room - a little more protected if weather is not cooperating.
Cooler also a matter of choice - if you have regular access to ice supplier then no-powered is great (and cheap!). We began to use the powered option when were camping a ways away from a store. And I agree on solar panel - only need if you have a specific purpose in mind, and easy to get one en route if the need arises.
 
Ramen said:
First aid kit.

Fire extinguisher near the driver's seat.

Also, for lots of road traveling, you might want to think more than usual about tires. Subarus require four matching tires with matching wear in order for the AWD to work (IMO, the whole point of having a Subaru). So it's nice if your spare tire matches the rest of your tires in case you ever need to use it -- i.e., replace your donut spare with a full-size matching tire and wheel.

If you get five matching nondirectional tires, you can do a five-tire rotation every few thousand miles to keep all the treads closer to even. Sounds like a hassle, but it's better than being stuck somewhere without AWD and then having to buy four tires because a single new one won't match the rest.

I would do all of this anyway, and especially if I were going to live on the road most of the time.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice! Thank you. I knew that I needed to rotate these tires every 6k miles or so and I did think of getting the fifth of the same kind for extra safety but I never thought you could rotate them 5 ways!
 
I've been on the road since July 2020. No camping, but moving airBNB to airBNB. Two things my DW would recommend: Comfortable folding chair and a good cooler (think Yeti).
Two things I would recommend: Gorilla duct tape and a sharp kitchen knife.
...see how I managed to sneak in 4 recommendations....
Good luck -
 
HarveyS said:
I've been on the road since July 2020. No camping, but moving airBNB to airBNB. Two things my DW would recommend: Comfortable folding chair and a good cooler (think Yeti).
Two things I would recommend: Gorilla duct tape and a sharp kitchen knife.
...see how I managed to sneak in 4 recommendations....
Good luck -
Click to expand...

I had those things on the list (not the tape tho lol) but I developed a choice fatigue :( First, it was about the car - I finally pulled the plug on Outback so that's done. Then about sleeping arrangements - I ordered a foldable mattress so that's that. If I like it, I'll arrange the rest around that, if not I may have to go blow up route or just stick to airbnbs and hotels. As to coolers: you think Yeti is good enough or should I try something like this? Wouldn't it drain the battery when I'm not driving? Same thing with chairs: I found Helinox Savannah - very well reviewed but this one looks almost the same to me and is highly rated but cost way less than Helinox...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

U
Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Trip Recommendations
2
Replies
43
Views
2K
folivier
folivier
T
Literally: Life After Fire
2 3
Replies
64
Views
4K
Lewis Clark
L
sengsational
Dumbest Booking Error
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
sengsational
sengsational
M
Snowbird destinations
Replies
11
Views
807
MarcJoli
M
cbo111
Getting an elderly parent to give up living alone
2 3 4
Replies
92
Views
5K
Scuba
S

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom