Quote:
Originally Posted by karmadi
I'm 32/female and I've always wanted to live off the grid. I have a small sewing business which I plan to take on the road with me. I plan to save for a conversion van but for now I've just got my little Dodge Caravan which I plan on making some minor adjustments to. Has anyone here done this? I'd like to meet people from all over the world, and hopefully plan some stops where I can stop to volunteer some time in exchange for a meal, warm bed & shower. I can't explain why I want to do this, I guess I'm just a free spirit at heart and finally want to follow my dreams.
Thanks!
Kara
|
bless your heart! i am 39 now, but at exactly your age i ventured cross country in my van from GA to california. i live there now, and have lived in my van for months at a time, tho i don't anymore.
first, don't let anyone you can't do it. you can. just follow your intuition. we all have intuition and it REALLY helped me. got a feeling you shouldn't park somewhere for the night? listen. already in bed but something is telling you to get behind the wheel? do it. never ignore your intuition.
for me one of the most difficult situations was trying to figure out how to get power into the van. if you are going to be sewing, i assume you have a powered machine? you will need to get a deep cycle battery, have it hooked up to your car battery so it can charge it while you are driving, and that will take care of that.
its good to start developing meals that you don't have to cook. i STILL eat apple slices with peanut butter every morning, because i came up with that when i lived in my van and was traveling.
it would be good to build a bed with storage underneath, so you can make the most of your space. sleep on the top, storage at the bottom. my present rig, i did this, and i also added bookshelves along one wall so that i could be in bed and pick a book off the shelf! 4 years later and those shelves are still holding all my books.
i also made a sink out of a mixing bowl and part of a floor lamp. i took the bowl-shaped shade from the lamp, taped it to the bottom of the mixing bowl which i had hammered holes into, ran a hose from the tapered part of the lamp and out the floor. i then built a little platform with a hole that was slightly smaller than the mixing bowl itself, dropped it in there, attached a curtain, and voila, a sink. buy one of those water carriers with a spout on it, and you have yourself a nice little clean up.
baby wipes are good.
if you plan on being on the road for a while, either get to love braids or cut your hair. i had VERY short hair when i was traveling and it helped enormously in keeping clean.
make black-out curtains (heavy shades) for your windows, and attach them in any myriad of ways. you could also buy one of those big sheets of styrofoam you can get at home depot, and cut them to fit some of your windows. you do NOT want anyone seeing inside your rig.
make a curtain to separate the back of the rig from the front. same reason as above. also buy a window shade to put on the front window.
keep your tire iron right by your seat. if someone messes with you, you can reach for it in one motion.
lots of candles are good, be careful with them of course, but a couple at night can help keep you warm and make things cozy.
one of the best things i ever bought was for a dollar at a military store. its a long soft bristle brush, meant for washing things out, but i use it for sweeping out the van, doing dishes, i even scrubbed a pool out at a hot springs with it. mostly i use it for sweeping out small spaces but its such a help.
when it comes to storing your clothes, a trick i learned is ROLL them up, don't fold em. it helps keep out the wrinkles.
make sure you know how to change your own tires. test yourself. lift that thing up and do it ten times til you feel comfortable. you might have AAA but you could be out somewhere where you have to depend on yourself, so make sure you know how to do this. keep things like fix-a-flat or some sort of tire repair kit, an extra few containers of motor oil, antifreeze, and water for your rig, brake fluid, and good old duct tape. and it sounds weird, but keeping a can of black pepper in your vehicle is a good redneck way of addressing small pin holes in your radiator. i had one that sprang up in an old car of mine and my redneck friend told me to throw the whole container in the radiator, and that thing did NOT leak again for the entire life of the car, which was a few years.
get a manual for your car as well. knowledge is power!
as far as cooking and food, a little one burner propane stove is your friend. i found a method of cooking in the van inside of it. sit the stove on the front passenger seat with a board underneath it (a small board can function as a table top and is good to have), crack your windows a couple inches, and you can occupy yourself in the back with the curtain closed while your stove cooks something up. the cross current will keep dangerous fumes and steam going out the windows, and you can cook in ALL weather like this. i did it in the snow!
you can cook a whole pot of rice by bringing the water to a boil with the rice in there, closing the lid tight and wrapping it in a blanket or sweater and letting it sit overnight. you save fuel, and you can eat that rice for breakfast lunch and dinner. you can do the same with noodles, but do the rotini type or else it will get too cooked.
i really liked having nuts with me, and i don't mean my friends.
they really fill you up.
if you like coffee, which i do, get a french press and with your propane stove and a pot of water you can have some nice coffee.
as far as refrigeration, don't get too hung up on it. a cooler will do fine. if you like butter get a butter bell. it keeps butter under any temp in this vaccuum thingy. look em up on amazon. i bought one for like 7 dollars.
ethnic markets, especially latino markets, are your friend. as are dollar stores. you can always find cheaper produce and spices in these places.
a headlamp is good so you don't need a flashlight. a tiny shovel helps if you will be camping.
and if you are ever out in los angeles, pm me! i live at an artist's collective ( a big victorian near chinatown) and we have plenty of room. you could come a stay a few days with us.
good luck on your journey!!!!!!!!!!!