Living on the road vehicles (non-rv's)

[Movendi]

Hey all,

My time here in North America is limited and i will probably leave sometime mid summer unless i can score a job and extend my stay here. Regardless i need a vehicle that will do well for extended road trips but also a way to live on the road. After my uni exchange finishes this winter semester i have to choose either to rent a place somewhere in vancouver or go nomad and live in my vehicle/outdoors or couchsurf. I haven't really done any cost analysis but i assume the latter would be cheaper in the long haul.

So far i've only considered buying a minivan like a Mitsubishi Delica or Mazda MPV (4wd minivans) where i can just convert the cargo area into a sleeping deck. These would be good for sleeping in at whatever time, no fuss setting up base, just park the van and get ready for bed.

The SUV option might be more flexible in offroading capabilities allowing me to explore more of the challenging terrain. However the cargo space is just a tad short for my liking (6.1ft) and i have already tested out lying in the back of a Toyota 4runner, Subaru Forester and Outback which forces me to sleep diagonally. The outback would have good mileage and be comfortable for long drives i'd imagine. But i'd imagine this wouldn't be comfortable for any extended period of time.

The last option is i could get a heavy duty truck with a camper shell at the back but somehow i just don't like the idea of the cabin booth being seperated from the drivers seat.

Otherwise i could just carry a tent and set up base every time but that might be an inconvenience.

Note, this vehicle will be my daily driver as well, so i'm not only planing outdoor roadtrips for snowboarding, hiking etc. But also roadtripping across the country to visit cities.

I have no experience in camping, 4wding, offroading, setting up tents so i guess the van option appeals to me the most. But i'd like to hear the opinions and suggestions you guys have to offer. I'm just wondering what is the best option for a complete rookie to the wilderness. Any input on related experiences will be appreciated. Also what would be the best vehicle for my situation?

Budget under $10k canadian inclusive of taxes.

[JohnnyS]

Have you thought about a suburban?
Lots of room & cheap to fix.
If you could find a diesel it would get decent mileage.

[johnson4x4]

Are you traveling solo? If so, you could choose a smaller more fuel efficient vehicle and remove the rear seat as well as the passenger seat. Then build the sleeping platform to extend up to the front. I've seen guys sleep in Jeep Wranglers with this set up.

[Movendi]

Are you traveling solo? If so, you could choose a smaller more fuel efficient vehicle and remove the rear seat as well as the passenger seat. Then build the sleeping platform to extend up to the front. I've seen guys sleep in Jeep Wranglers with this set up.

Yea solo for the most part, my gf will tag along in may for about 6 weeks and then it's just me for the remainder. That's why i thought outback might be good but i don't think you can rip apart the rear sites. But yea reliability and cheap maintenance is a key requirement so if wrangler is good on that i'll have to check it out.

[nobodyspecial]

When I was between homes, I lived out of my Ford Explorer. At 5'11" I was able to stretch out just fine. Its quite the experience living out of your vehicle. Explorers are cheap to buy and parts are cheap as well.

[skysix]

Have you thought about a suburban?
Lots of room & cheap to fix.
If you could find a diesel it would get decent mileage.

Get a mid 80's to 91 suburban and carry a shower tent and portapotti plus a couple of folding chairs/table, an older gasoline coleman lantern and 2-burner stove, 5 gallon water jug and some cooking ware (goodwill with a good wash is cheap) and you'll be set. Don't forget mosquito repellant - higher DEET is better if will be in N. Ontario/Quebec or the west/arctic. KIIJI, Craigslist and EBAY are good sources for the truck...

[rusty_tlc]

The Astro AWD van might be an option if you can find one.
The Toyota 4WD van, again if you can find one. I always loved this one.
Even a Euro van would be a good choice, I've seen them in some pretty remote areas.

There is a good reason the hippies drove vans in the sixties, they are very practical to live out of.

[haven]

Welcome to ExPo, Movendi!

You wrote: "I have no experience in camping, 4wding, offroading,
setting up tents" No problem -- you'll still have a fabulous, life-changing
adventure by traveling across Canada.

I would recommend trying a trip of at least a few days before you have
to embark on the big trip. Better to find out you don't like the car camping
while there is still time to make alternate plans.

You didn't mention your nationality. Don't assume you'll be able to
cross the border into USA easily. A foreigner, traveling alone, with
no itinerary and no means of support, may be denied entry to USA
at the discretion of the border agents. This happened to a British couple
just recently, and was reported here
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=32646

I met a fellow in a campground once. He sold or gave away all his
possessions, bought a cheap Ford Ranger pickup and some camping gear,
and just hit the road. He was having a great time traveling through the
mountains of California.

[Martinjmpr]

On both my Subaru Outback and my current 4runner, the back seat bottom flips forward and then then the seat back flips down.

If you are certain you will not be carrying more than one passenger, you can usually remove the bottom cushion of the back seat and that will give you about 5 - 6" more sleeping space. On both the Outback and the 4runner, removing the seat bottom is easy, just remove 2 or 4 bolts and take the seat bottom out. Of course, you will have 5 - 6" of air between the lowered seat back and the back of the front seats but a small piece of plywood should cover that easily. Then throw your sleeping pad and sleeping bag and you are good to go.

As far as "car camping" goes, I don't know if you know this but most Wal-Marts in the US allow people to camp in their parking lots (sometimes this is restricted by local ordinances but most of the ones I've seen allow it.) The way to tell is just to look at the parking lot. Usually you will see, off in a far corner, a bunch of RVs sitting there. If you see them, just pull your car in, climb in and go to sleep (note that the parking lots are well lit for security reasons so you may want to have blackout curtains in your vehicle.) I've done this many times in my Ford Ranger and it worked out great. I never got hassled and never had to pay a dime. Some of these wal-marts are open 24 hours so if you need something in the middle of the night (or need to use the toilet) you can go right in.

Now, obviously Wal-mart camping is not very "adventurous," but sometimes you aren't looking for "adventure", you just need a place to crash for the night, and the wal-mart option is one that you can find in most towns of any size.

You can also car-camp in most National Forests and BLM lands (much of the Western US) but not in National Parks or Monuments (in most National Parks you have to car-camp in a designated campground, which of course you will also have to pay for. There are a few exceptions to this, [Death Valley comes immediately to my mind] but it is very much the exception to the rule.)

If you don't plan on going off-road (IOW just paved roads or well-graded gravel roads) I'd go with either the minivan or the Subaru.

Also, keep in mind that if you get a small pickup like a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma, you can get a topper that seals up to the cab and then remove the window between the cab and the bed so you can have easy access to the bed without getting out of the truck. Or, if you're skinny, you can actually squeeze yourself through the back window of the pickup into the bed area (I've done this before and I'm not a small guy - 6'1" and 194# at the time I was doing this.)

Hope this helps and good luck on your travels!

[ihatemybike]

I have no hesitaition in suggesting an Astro. All of the ones I've owned lasted well beyond what most concider a high mileage vehicle, have been cheap to maintain, and easily sleep two on a regular basis (full size futon mattress fits perfectly in the back). The AWD versions do pretty well off road too.