Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know a number of places where I can pull over and run the generator without disturbing anyone, as well as other places I can pull over and settle in for the night. I rarely have to pay for a spot in a park, though I will in the heat of the summer. But I would rather not travel during summer in the Southwest at all.
I use Mountain House freeze-dried foods but I supplement them with vegetables and poached chicken I brought from home. One of those bags often yields three meals. I carry a variety of whole grain breads and English muffins for the breakfast sandwich maker, as well as apples and ripe pears.
I just bought a Liddle Griddle for the van so I can make pancakes and French toast.
I lived in the van for a month once. Don't know if I'd want to do that again.
I know a number of places where I can pull over and run the generator without disturbing anyone, as well as other places I can pull over and settle in for the night. I rarely have to pay for a spot in a park, though I will in the heat of the summer. But I would rather not travel during summer in the Southwest at all.
I use Mountain House freeze-dried foods but I supplement them with vegetables and poached chicken I brought from home. One of those bags often yields three meals. I carry a variety of whole grain breads and English muffins for the breakfast sandwich maker, as well as apples and ripe pears.
I just bought a Liddle Griddle for the van so I can make pancakes and French toast.
I lived in the van for a month once. Don't know if I'd want to do that again.
It's funny that the technology that many here are most impressed with is for food preparation.
Full time RVer here. Our current FT stretch began 5 years ago. In the 14 years I've owned my rig I've had several years of full time periods.
Yes the technology helps. It makes it easy to find campgrounds and also reviews for them. Search engines can scour the web for all the available campgrounds. But it isn't perfect. A few times while driving in a new area we came across campgrounds that didn't come up in the search results. 1 place in particular would have been perfect for us. We were amazed that the place we picked was less than 3 miles away but not nearly as nice at this resort style CG.
Another interesting point about technology, at least for us, is how it changes over time. This current stretch we went about a year and a half and didn't connect to the campground cable. If we watched TV, it was DVDs occasionally. When we got to the Florida Keys 1 winter I bought a cable to hook into the campground TV. Now we connect at all our stops. But I was surprised that it took us so long to get into the habit.
In the kitchen technology has also changed how we do things. Our current kitchen has an air fryer, instant pot and induction range. Outside we have a propane grill. The rig came with a microwave. We never use our rigs' propane burners. The range top is down and it supports the air fryer. About 15% of the time we eat out. We use the internet to find places to eat that we think we will enjoy.
My GF work camps. She's always online seeing what campground is hiring and what jobs are available. We also use technology to get current weather reports. Many of the areas we frequent are subject to weather events like high winds or hail storms. It's good to know before hand so we can make adjustments to our awnings.
I got my rig used when it was 2 years old. It only had 3,000 miles on it. So far I've driven it to 34 states and a few provinces. I've sat in the driver's seat for just under 40,000 miles. We are by no means road warriors. We like to go slow and stay for a while when we get to where we are going. Living in a rig full time is hard on the systems. Both faucets, the toilet and several light fixtures have been replaced. In a few months I'll put the rig in to get the roof reconditioned. I had all the tires and spare replaced a few years ago. I prefer to be proactive and stay on top of maintenance before issues occur.
And with all that I have written, just remember that there is no right or wrong way to full time. What works for me might not be best for your situation. But if you do go that route you will find that your wants and desires change the more you face the challenges of this lifestyle.
It's funny that the technology that many here are most impressed with is for food preparation.
Food is essential, mobile internet isn't. I worked in tech for a lot of years. Electronic devices are tools, nothing more. The van came with a TV and a DVD player. I never use them. I don't care for OTA television very much or for fiddling with DVDs. I'll listen to audiobooks while driving.
Yes, I have a power station and a mobile router to keep me connected. Laptops iPads iPhones you name it. Solar panels of course.
I'm really curious about it, as we have ended up on some roads we were uncomfortable with (Hwy 1 through Bodega), and thought this might be helpful. It's pricey though. FYI: we have a 27 ft. 5th wheel
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
Food is essential, mobile internet isn't. I worked in tech for a lot of years. Electronic devices are tools, nothing more. The van came with a TV and a DVD player. I never use them. I don't care for OTA television very much or for fiddling with DVDs. I'll listen to audiobooks while driving.
Yes, I have a power station and a mobile router to keep me connected. Laptops iPads iPhones you name it. Solar panels of course.
I don't even use the van's GPS.
well yes food is essential but a cheap hotplate can cook food well enough and that tech was available in vans since the 70's.
And yes Electronic devices are tools but I like my cordless tools better than my hand tools and I'm less tired after using them lol. yes I could use a roadmap but GPS is much easier. and the TV and internet is for those times when it's too hot or cold to do much outside my rig.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,741 posts, read 58,090,525 times
Reputation: 46231
I seem to tire of hotplate / single prep 'fast-cook-food' and miss the ingredients of a FS fridge.
For a single person without culinary interests it's adequate (As it was for me, a truckdriver for decades)
Just not like 'home'. Tho similar with missing my 2500sf workshops, and barns and livestock.
Campgrounds with hook-ups? I have used about (3) of those in the last 20 yrs.
TV... last time I had / desired a TV was 1968. Decided I was no longer interested in passively wasting my time and attempting to be 'not-so-passively' influenced. There are so many 'other' things to do with your time and your mind.
current technology Fortunately solar is incrementally better than it was in the 1970's, too bad so many other 'useful' technologies are so archaic.
GPS was more helpful when it would warn of missed turns "Recalculating...", now, they just jump to the next available route (maybe 3 hrs longer due to a missed bridge.). Poof, you are on a new route, no scolding. That is a big disservice / "advancement" (?) in technology. But apparently there were too many dangerous U-turns when GPS would exclaim, "You Idiot, you MISSED your turn!"
I can cook a decent meal on just about anything. Anything from a grill, stove top, oven or open fire it doesn’t matter to me. I can make a decent meal. A modest kitchen with some tools and source of heat, I am set.
The technology? I look at a laptop screen, or a laptop with second monitor is needed for me. At home my preferred computer is a 27” iMac with a second 27” display. Could I leave that behind? Not without a fight. Would be it useful in a nomadic situation? It would be cumbersome. To me a nomadic lifestyle is traveling with what you need, packing smartly and being efficient about everything.
I would look at a Garmin GPS for trucks or RVs if I was needing navigation. My 5th wheel is 26 feet. The overall length with the 5th wheel moved forward is 43 feet. That is small enough for most remote forest service campgrounds. It is moot for dispersed camping. My preference is public campground.
If i lived in a van or suv, i would bring a slow cooker/crock pot. Then i could stay in a utility hookup campsite every so often, to make a nice meal in the slow cooker. Like, a beef roast or pork roast.
^If you're gonna do that, you've got to have a VERY good power source. That's expensive. Expensive because (a) you need solar or a powerful generator or (2) money for the occasional campsite - they are extremely expensive these days. The cheap ones have issues. Almost every time I've considered a campsite I decided against it, as many nomads do.
I was a nomad for a brief while. I gave it up because I did not have the resources for all the comforts and the tech. They say you can make friends as a nomad. Ummmm not so much, unless you have all the comforts and tech. Many of the people I met like me, with limited resources, were more mentally and emotionally challenged, and frankly had issues. Another thing is, there are a lot of couples on the road with plenty of resources and tech. They're in a whole other echelon and social group.
I didn't love being on the road because I have two big dogs and I love gardening and bird watching in the yard. That was my main reason for not making it work, as much as I ADORE Arizona and love traveling. TECH would be an absolute must, the more the better. Would definitely do nomad life only because of current technology. Otherwise, you're very cut off from the outside world and it's very lonely. Some people like that, but most don't. I'm an introvert but I still didn't like the isolation. Tech relieves the isolation.
We decided on the RV Trip Wizard instead of the Garmin, because... well, oodles cheaper and it looks like it works well. I have input 4 upcoming trips and it was super helpful.
One thing I have found is you can't run much without being hooked up to a power source. Crock pot, insta pot, kuerig, sous vide, blow dryer, all require a lot of power, we can probably run one of those at a time with the generators.
Which is fine, we just changed how we plan our meals.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like, a beef roast or pork roast.
