Recent content by ganchan

I've been trying to figure out what I need vs. what I want if I do a van conversion. Here's my list so far: Things I need: A way to heat food and boil water (no actual cooking required) Heating/cooling/insulation/ventilation (or at least moisture control) Ice chest A place to sit, recline...

As a newcomer (on a tight budget) trying to wrap his head around all the possibilities of full-time RV life, I've been bouncing from one type of potential rig to another. Maybe you can help point me in the right general direction? Let me describe my plans. I hope to get a used setup for cheap...

Yeah, in my preliminary researches on the RV lifestyle I'm learning that "dryer is better" as a general rule. I imagine I'll be spending a lot of time in the Southwest....which unfortunately gets pretty hot unless you're in the mountains. But that prompts another idea -- a battery-powered...

OK, this example looks more like a glorified icebox/fan combo. but would something like this make any sense at all for a really small RV, trailer or van? http://batterysavers.com/person-aircondi.htm Or this one-person unit, if you're traveling alone...

I visited an RV website the other day that said they had a "10-year rule," but what it really meant was that if your RV was more than 10 years old, they wanted to see a picture of it -- just to make sure it wasn't an obvious eyesore. So you might not encounter many issues if you keep your older...

Good to know. One question, however -- would living in a van be much different/better than living in a truck camper shell? I'm considering both possibilities, since apart from headroom the amenities would be about the same (that is to say, nada).

I've been thinking about a used van as the most affordable entry-level into solo full-time RVing. I wouldn't even do much to convert it, apart from removing the seats. I'd just add: A portapotty A lighter adaptor for charging small electronics A little ceramic heater to warm the place up for...

I am indeed considering this area.

I may be "roughing it" when I eventually make my first forays as a full-time nomad -- and depending on my financial situation at that time, my starter setup may turn out to be severely insulation-challenged on top of the other challenges. So I ask you: What's the warmest location you ever...

This sounds like a good idea. If I buy a truck with a decent towing capacity, I could start off with a truck tent ($200-$300 new) or pop-up camper, then "graduate" to a TT and replace the tent with a hard cap for cargo storage (or just keep using the tent for this purpose). As long as I can keep...

Yes, I think I'll have to get the vehicle first. Maybe finance a used vehicle and then pay cash for the cheapest usable TT I can find. I'll be full-timing, so a hard shell of some sort will probably be necessary. One nice thing about the cargo van option is that I could start with the bare...

I currently have neither an RV nor a tow vehicle, which obviously puts me at a disadvantage right from the start...but what's the absolute cheapest "entry level" into the RV lifestyle? At first thought, I would imagine a used pickup truck with a camping tent anchored to the bed, or perhaps just...

When I begin full-timing on the road as a freelance writer, I'll need to be able to use the Web fairly freely -- and frankly, the occasional streaming movie would be welcome too.  I can use local business' Wi-Fi for my work during the day, but I'd better have a mobile hot spot ready to go at...

As I plan my eventual travel trailer purchase, it occurs to me that if I'm full-timing, I'll want to protect myself from unnecessary UV exposure. Of course I could just stick Reflectix up everywhere, but then I'd have to use the interior lights. Is there some sort of translucent plastic...

Thanks for relating your upscaling journey. What size of solar panels did you get? I'd have to start with a "baby" one, I'm sure....