Van Life for Wannabes (or the curious)
I am on the cusp of starting the second half of my trip. In the next couple of days I will head to San Francisco and from there will begin heading east instead of west, but still following the route that the 1938 travelers took. I have gone over 4300 miles so far. My van is averaging about 16.5 miles per gallon, which isn’t much different than what I get on other trips I’ve taken. Other than one night at an Airbnb in Midland, Texas, and two nights at a Super 8 hotel in Pasadena, I have been camping exclusively in the van. Although I have taken other trips in this van, this one has been a totally different experience from any of the others.
So now seems like a good time to share my Top Ten Rules of the Road. These sum up some of what I’ve learned about long haul road tripping. Once I get back home in early December I may add to the list of what I’m about to include here. For all you wannabes out there, here’s what you might want to know.
First my disclaimer:
I am only one month in on a relatively short two month cross country trip and compared to many other women who have been doing this type of road tripping for many years, this is but a blip in time. I have been able to tap into a whole world of women van campers that I did not know existed before I started my own journey. Many of them live fulltime in their vans, often by choice not only by necessity, and many are part-timers, like me. My hat is off to these wonderful women and I have learned so much from their wisdom and experience and support. I do not pretend to know the best way to manage this lifestyle. I’m very much learning as I go, and that’s what you get here. So what have I learned so far?
Rule # 1
The other rules are not in any particular order, but this one is so important for anyone considering this lifestyle that it has to come first. If you can’t follow this rule, then you will never be able to enjoy the camping lifestyle, whether it’s in a van, tent, RV or on the open ground.
YOU MUST MAKE PEACE WITH DIRT!
Dust, grime, sand, pebbles, dog hair, grit coming from who knows where, grass, dead bugs, etc. etc. etc. They will always be with you no matter how many times you sweep, wipe feet, shake things out, or otherwise try to clean things up. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to sweep, wipe down and shake out rugs, towels, clothing, or whatever else picks up debris. I’m just saying there is a limited amount you can do about the overall environment if you are going to be camping in the woods, on dirt or sand, under pine trees, etc. So embrace it and learn to love it!
A corollary to this rule is the need to make peace with clutter as well, because you simply won’t always take the time to put everything away in exactly the place it is supposed to go.
This is what tidy looks like in my van. The water heater, french press and cup near the window get stored in the sink when I’m on the move.
At least with clutter you can de-clutter every now and then and your van will return to its tidy coziness for a time.
Rule # 2
Always check the campsite before you leave. The corollary to this one is to always check other campsites for forgotten treasures.
This rule is important because:
You might leave something important behind, like your dog’s tether that allows her to be tied outside and not locked in your camper all the time.
Or you might leave your dog’s food dishes behind and have to use your own dishes until you can replace the ones you lost. In Sadie’s case she got new souvenir dishes with pictures of cactus on them.
Or you might lose your your dog’s collar, the one with the id tags, even though you could have sworn that you put it in the same place you always do when you took it off the previous night (I’m still thinking that it might be in the camper somewhere, although there aren’t many more places I can look in such a small space).
Or you might drive off with the dog tether still attached to your passenger side mirror and try to drive out of the campground with it dragging behind you, and when you stop at the check-out office, the truck behind you might drive over the cord, almost dragging your mirror off the side of your van when you start driving forward. (fortunately, nothing really bad happened - important lesson learned!).
This is Sadie’s fancy new dish after I lost her basic, crummy ones.
Mmmm… maybe you don’t have to worry about this rule if you don’t take your dog with you…
Regarding the corollary rule, in different state parks I scored both a Kong dog frisbee and a very nice Stanley brand coffee mug complete with lid when I was walking by some campsites in the mornings after the owners had departed. I declined to take the dirty socks that I saw lying on the ground one day.
Rule # 3
Clear plastic bins are your friends.
Know where your important stuff is.
Even though you have limited space you can still lose things, so it might be a good idea to inventory the important stuff and log where you put it. I wish I had done that before I left, and I have not bothered to take the time to construct said inventory after a month on the road. It took me over a week to find the charging cord for my Jackery power station, and when I did it was by accident. I even remembered thinking at the time I stashed it before leaving, “This is a great place - it will be very handy when I’m ready to use it!” That of course is only true if you can remember where you put it!
I bought some clear plastic bins of different sizes and stacking ability so that I can actually see what I put inside. This has been enormously helpful and is a much more efficient and useful way to store items over my haphazard system of makeshift boxes and containers that really didn’t stand the test of time.
I have not hesitated to rearrange as I go, increasing the usefulness of the different sorting systems I set up before I left on the trip. I also use those mesh containers you can get for clothes to pack in suitcases. I sort my clothes into different categories and label the containers with masking tape. They are stored in an open bin above the front seats and from the cabin all I need to do is look up and see which container has what stuff in it. Suitcases have no place in my van. The small containers are very accessible.
I have a pretty sizeable refrigerator and I use bins and baskets in that as well. That way the food isn’t just jumbled in the big open frig and I can keep the small stuff together and have places to put bags of lettuce and other items that don’t stand up straight.
My front passenger seat has a small 3-drawer plastic cabinet on it and a tray with compartments in it (like you might get for a kitchen drawer) sitting on top. This is where I keep a bunch of small items that I don’t need all the time but when I do need them I need them to be immediately accessible: pens and other office supplies, stamps, sun screen and bug spray, note pads, portable chargers, flash light, satellite tracker, you get the idea - relatively small, flat things that fit nicely into a drawer. In the tray that sits on top I throw things that might slip off onto the floor while I’m driving: receipts, pen, keys, phone, loose change, etc.
In between the passenger and driver seat I have a square box with a removable lid. That’s my pantry for dry goods: coffee, chips, crackers, nuts, etc.
In the bin over the steering wheel and dashboard I keep various things that don’t really fit anywhere else: Bluetooth speaker, electronic jumper cable, cord for recharging my Jackery (that’s where I found it by accident - it’s still there and I won’t forget next time), binoculars (which are about as accessible as they can be yet I keep forgetting to grab them when I get out of the van to admire a beautiful vista), van manual and registration/insurance info, etc.
My “garage” runs under my bed and can be accessed from inside the cabin or from outside through the back doors. I try to store stuff in the front (cabin) end that I use pretty much daily, such as my dirty clothes bag, my box I keep in there for my shoes (I have 4 pair with me and so far that’s been enough: sneakers, hiking boots, plastic birkenstocks, and a pair of regular sandals). For the first 3 weeks I kept my backpack that has my computer in it under there, but recently moved it to a spot in the passenger seat area that seems to be working better for me. In the back part of the garage I keep my electrical cords, tools, water hose, camp chairs, tarp, folding table, my CLAM (the screen porch), things like that.
On the floor in front of the passenger seat I have two stacking bins. One is for my cookset and other cooking items and the other is for miscellaneous dog stuff - treats, harness, portable water dish, toys.
This is the backend of my “garage.”
Again, plastic bins make all the difference! And they stack!
Rule # 4
Get comfortable with wearing your clothes more than once, and not taking a shower everyday. The corollary: get used to the dirt under your fingernails.
Not all the campgrounds have hot showers. The ones that do may cost money to use, or may not be as clean as you hoped, or you may hit 45 or 55 degree air when you turn the hot water off. I do a lot of what my mother called “sponge baths” inside the camper. My friends got me a YMCA membership that I expect I will be making more use of now that the weather is getting colder. I successfully used the shower off the back of my van when I was in Alabama, but that felt nice and private and the air was 85 degrees, so felt luxurious. Haven’t had those optimal conditions since then, and I have also turned my water heater off to save battery drain for the last couple of weeks since I have not had electrical hookups and need to use what I do have to keep my frig cold.
When you don’t know when you will have (or take) an opportunity to do laundry, you get used to wearing things multiple times. Laundry takes a couple hours minimum, and that’s if you have access to many machines in a laundromat. Longer if you don’t. You have to decide what’s most important to wash and what you can “make do” with for additional wears.
This is also true of bed linens - in light of Rule #1 above, you just have to come to terms with dirty and sometimes gritty bed linens. Especially if your dog insists on sleeping with you and absolutely refuses to sleep on the floor even though you think you put down the softest, most inviting dog bed ever. You may not have the heart to insist on the floor in the face of that sad face that has put up with thousands of miles of bumpy, uncomfortable, driving with no relief for hours and hours.
Sadie goes to bed before I do, but dutifully moves herself to the far corner when I get in (she’s supposed to stay on the towel and not the quilt). By morning, I’m usually curled up in a ball or my feet are sticking out the side, and she is blissfully stretched out on whatever space she can fill.
Letting Sadie sleep on the bed is a small gift for her patience and unconditional love and protection and worth a little inconvenience on my part.
Rule # 5
Be flexible about how you spend your time when it comes to meals and campsite setup.
I do love a good campfire and a grilled burger, but I often don’t bother. When I do, it’s wonderful!
You may have a great frig that can carry everything you could possible need to make the world’s best gourmet camping meal, but just know that whatever you get out, cut up, dirty up, and cook on and eat on will have to be washed, thrown out, or put away again. This can be a time-consuming venture if you are tired after having just driven 300 miles and the sun is beginning to fade.
As time has gone on I have found myself getting a bit lazier when it comes to meal prep. I’m much more likely now to buy veggies already shredded or cut up rather than bothering to do it myself and making a mess. Same with meat - I’ll buy a rotisserie chicken or shredded beef already cooked and add it to my pan rather than doing everything from scratch. I also make good use of leftovers when I eat out, and can turn those into something new and delicious the next night. Salads are easy and quick. I generally eat one big meal a day, either eating out or eating at the campsite. If I get hungry at other times I have some nuts, chips, or other (relatively) healthy snackables to stave off starvation. I do keep condiments and “fixins” in my frig so that when I do feel like cooking, I have the seasonings and sauces I need.
If I’m only going to be at a campsite one night (or maybe 2), I do the bare minimum in terms of set-up. I don’t get my camp chairs out. I’m not likely to get my stove out or cook much, although I do have an electric burner I can use inside the van to heat things up. I don’t put my CLAM shelter up or set up my table. Unloading the garage to get to those things just means that the next morning (or later that night) I just have to put it all back in. Way too much bother if I’m not going to be spending any real quality time at the campsite, wherever it might be. If I’m not really going to need it and can do without it, then I just leave it packed up. This allows me to make a quick getaway in the morning with minimum fuss.
This rule is most relevant to the traveler who isn’t spending much time at the campsite itself. I find that most places I stay are often wonderful and scenic, but if I’m going to be in a place for more than one night then I want to explore beyond the campground and see what else is in the area. Sometimes the campgrounds are themselves destinations, like Hueco Tanks in Texas or the Civil War site in Alabama. But even then I may take a half day to explore where I’m staying and then I want to leave and see what else is around me. The exception to that is my recent stay at Kern River Campsite outside Bakersfield. I took a whole day just to chill, relax, rearrange and putter.
Sometimes a relaxing day at the campsite provides a needed respite from the hustle and bustle of a travel schedule.
Most of the time I’m just getting ready for the next destination. That’s the nature of this particular trip.
Rule # 6
Be mindful of where you are and do what you need to do to feel safe.
As a woman travelling alone in a van that is unmistakably a camper (no stealth camping for me), I generally keep my van closed up and locked up at night. I also generally keep my van positioned in a way that I can easily drive straight out, and keep my keys handy and the driver seat open in case I feel a need to leave unexpectedly. That said, I have not felt unsafe or even uneasy at any of the places I’ve stayed. In the family campgrounds where I know there is a camp host or ranger nearby, I may leave my back door open to get the breeze. Some of the campsites have been in pretty remote places with few campers around, others have been crowded and have felt overrun with (too many) people. Either way, I have generally felt very safe among whoever else is there, and I have Sadie to let me know if anything seems amiss.
I am friendly with other campers and we wave when we pass by on walks, but I have found that I don’t seek out companionship at the campgrounds. I love chance encounters, but don’t feel a need to form relationships or look for social fulfillment. I am discovering that I love the solitude of solo camping and I tend to keep to myself when I’m at the campsite. I won’t shy away from an opening to make an acquaintance or friend, but I also don’t assume that everyone wants to be friends. Most people are not travelling alone, and the ones who are can be harder to spot in a crowded campground.
My tendency to protect my privacy, of course, is flexible depending on the circumstances. For example, I had a wonderful chance encounter with some fellow Harvest Host campers. We both stayed at the same winery, and met while we were doing the tasting in the late afternoon, enjoying the scenery and the company. Turns out that Earl and Lindy have a 2019 version of my 2022 Ram Promaster, same size, and they have been camping for three years to my one and a half years. They were great fun to talk with and we traded notes on our vans. I gave them a bookmark, and apparently Earl decided to check me out because he came over later that evening to make sure that I had indeed figured out how to do the downshifting on the mountains (I was really glad to tell him this was no longer a problem for me - he and Lindy live in Colorado so they know mountain driving). Turns out that Lindy grew up in Ann Arbor and they both lived there for a time and are planning to move back there soon. Really sweet people! He also had some other driving tips from the more experienced Promaster driver to the newbie. Thanks Earl!
Rule # 7
Know your plumbing, electrical, and sanitary systems.
Those who have read the previous articles from my May and July trips know what a struggle it has been for me to get comfortable with my electrical system. I still may not understand everything I should know about it, but I feel more confident in my ability to manage my “house batteries” (as distinguished from the vehicle battery that runs the engine). When I don’t have an opportunity to hook the van up to electricity, then I have to rely on the alternator (when the van is running) and the solar panels. I monitor the rise and fall in the percent charge and do what I need to do to keep it at a comfortable (for me) operational level. I also use my Jackery power source to charge phone or computer, or to heat water. This saves my house batteries for the important things, like the frig. After a month I’m happy with the balance I’m maintaining.
Same with the plumbing. I pay attention to how full my water tank is, and top it off whenever I have an opportunity. I also have to empty my “grey water” tank periodically, which is the runoff from my sink.
My “sanitary” system is a composting porta-potty, but built in, which is really just a sophisticated bucket system. I use it when I need to (i.e. no “real” bathrooms handy), and it’s actually a snap to clean up because I don’t have to mess with dump stations. Just bag it up and throw it out. Or empty the liquid canister and rinse. Easy peasy. It also has a vent and fan running underneath it so you hardly know it’s there.
Rule # 8
Create a routine for yourself and apply best practices to long distance driving.
I’ve been on the road for almost a month now, driving long days in succession much of the time, with the occasional 2-3 night stop. I have a routine for packing up in the morning and getting on the road, and a separate routine for settling in once I get to a site, usually late afternoon. This helps prevent the forgetfulness that led to all the doggie stuff I sprinkled through Alabama, Texas and Arizona. Some people use an actual written (or electronic) checklist. I don’t do that, but I’ve gotten better at not forgetting the steps because I basically repeat them everyday.
Gas Buddy is my friend. Gas prices have fluctuated wildly on this trip depending on what state I’m in and what city, and sometimes even what neighborhood. I try not to let the tank get below half full and that way I know I’ll probably have enough to get where I’m going. There were some stretches in Texas and Arizona when I didn’t see any gas station at all for many hours.
I generally try not to drive more than 300 miles in a day, and I try to be wherever I’m staying for the night by around 3 or 4:00, well before dark. Also, no matter what Google tells me is the estimated driving time, I usually double it because I tend to make more frequent stops to stretch and give Sadie a change of scenery. I look for parks where we can walk and refresh before getting back on the road.
On the evening when I’m planning to leave the next morning, I try to put everything away that I won’t need in the morning, so that I don’t have to spend a lot of time packing up. This could be putting my camp chairs away, rolling up my mat or tarp that I sometimes put outside the side door, clearing off my counter and making sure that all the cabinets are closed tight. Taking care of this before it gets dark is key, otherwise you might as well leave it til morning.
After I’ve done all that I get out my maps, folders, notes and do a double-check to make sure I know where I’m headed the next day, how long it’s going to take me to get there, and whether there is anything I want to see for myself or that has 1938 significance along the way.
I also draw a line on my big atlas to show where I went that day. Then I make notes in my tracking journal of the mileage for the day, how much I paid for gas, and any significant sights or activities that I don’t want to forget. I also make notes about the different campgrounds so if I come back this way I’ll remember what the experience was. After 4 weeks staying in a different spot almost every night, those state parks all start to get a little blurry once they’re in the rear view mirror.
When I get up in the morning I may or may not make myself coffee, depending on how much time I have and whether I want to do the whole get-everything-out-then-clean-it-all-up-and-put-it-away thing. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I have learned that I can function quite well without a morning cup of coffee. Good to know!
I try to remember to secure everything before I drive off. It is very disconcerting to go around a curve or apply your brakes or start a steep incline or decline on a mountain and hear crashing and thudding behind you as something you forgot to put away slides off of wherever it was and onto the floor (or onto Sadie if she is on the floor in that moment instead of up on the bed). It goes without saying that if you have any breakables in the van that they get secured in a way that there is no chance of any serious damage or injury should the van be in an accident.
Rule # 9
Embrace the experience you are having and see it for what it is: temporary but uniquely yours.
Sadie and I were enjoying the scenery at a local patio on the water when these ladies walked in all wearing their witches’ hats. I had to take a picture and they were kind enough to let me not only snap the photo but also post it on the blog. Thank you ladies!
The serenity prayer can come in handy at key moments when things are not going according to plan!
This rule applies no matter what is happening:
Frustrated with traffic? So what, it will pass. Anyway what’s your hurry?
Stressed out driving in a strange city? It will pass. Just pull over, take a breath and ground yourself.
Looking for something to fill some extra time? Check the map or the signs as you are driving. Today I detoured to see the Walton Lighthouse in Santa Cruz, which was not on my list of things to do but I had some extra time and decided to check it out. It was great! Yesterday, instead of going straight back to the campground I drove past the turnoff and went to see the massive sea lions basking on a beach. On the way I passed Hearst Castle (didn’t care to see that, the sea lions were much more fun).
Don’t know the area? Don’t know what to do or where to go? Pay attention to the tips locals may give you in those chance encounters.
In Morro Bay I bought a pair of earrings made by a local artist. The clerk suggested that I might want to check out another little store down the street from hers. I did, and met a wonderful jewelry maker and of course bought a second pair of earrings.
David, of Bakersfield Tour Office fame, told me about the location where James Dean had his fatal accident in 1955. I always knew he crashed his car while speeding at night, but had no idea where. David showed me where it was on the map because I was headed that way in a couple days. Sure enough, the day I drove that road I noticed all the memorial flowers and other paraphernalia at the site along the side of the road. I never would have paid attention or known the significance of that spot if I hadn’t had that conversation with David. Also, once I knew I was on the same road, I drove it thinking about that young man in his roadster on that straight, long, never-ending highway and could understand why he would have been speeding that night all alone on the road. Unfortunately, at the end of the long roadway was a turn that he missed, and the rest is history. (If you read this and don’t know who James Dean was, then you don’t watch enough classic movies).
Feeling like you are passing by all the unspeakable beauty around you? Then stop! Soak it in. Try to SEE instead of just LOOK. Take your dog for a walk. Snap some photos to hold onto the memory (although of course photos can never do justice to the true beauty of a place).
Life will go on just as it always does if you take the time to stop, reflect, appreciate, wonder, and absorb a place.
Rule # 10
Stay connected to your people.
This is especially important if you are on a long journey and traveling alone, with only your dog to talk to (which I do all the time). I text, phone, zoom regularly with my siblings and my son and stay in touch with my friends back home. These connections are my threads back to the life that is waiting for me at the end of this trip, and keep me grounded. I post stuff on Facebook, and I write this blog. Those things also keep me connected to the wider world around me. Because of that, I don’t feel isolated and lonely, and I’m able to live up to Rule #9 and embrace whatever is happening, even the not so fun parts.
Ten rules seem like enough for now. Till next time.
Somehow, sunsets just never get old for me.
