On The Road

I say, when given hard times, get a positive attitude and make them fun. The above photo is a picture of The Escape Pod, my beloved 1971 VW bus. It was taken at Point Lobos, on the California coast just below Carmel and just above Big Sur. I love my car. Currently she has seen some better days and could use some work, and a bit of scrubbing. I’ve had her since 1996 and I’m her second owner. The story of how I got her is kind of magical but too long for this blog post, maybe I will tell it another time.

I love to car camp. When I bought her, back in the days when I had steady work, I took the passenger seats out of my VW and put in a bed platform that has a nice five inch foam mattress on it. I have all of my blankies, a bunch of pillows and also a sleeping bag for really cold nights.

Underneath the platform I store all of my necessities, like my Coleman stove, a thermos, a cook pot, a cast iron skillet, my tea kettle, some utensils, a decent knife, a bowl or two, and some minimal food stuffs. I also carry a small med kit, extra toilet paper, and a few kitchen towels. There is always at least one sketchbook in the car. And I always have at least one novel to read - I usually take one for every two days I’ll be out. I have a camping hammock that stretches the length of the inside of the van to hold my clothes and other belongings.

When out on the road I like to camp in campgrounds. I like the amenities, like a hot shower, sometimes a camp store and laundry, a place to make a campfire, and my own designated space. But I have also been known to pull over to the side of the road, or into a parking lot, for the a night.

When I go for a hike, I make sure the car is locked tight.

One difference about car camping in a campground and RV camping in a campground is needing to find a level camping spot. RVs can adjust their height so they don’t have to be on a level spot. With car camping it’s a little more sensitive. I’ve never had a problem finding a level spot, although in some campgrounds, the ones that are geared more towards tent camping, I have had to search.

After losing my live/work painting studio in the dot.com bust of 2001, I threw everything I owned in storage and moved into the car. I have been living in or out of her ever since.

I figured that there might be a lot of people in the US that have come into my situation, if not recently, then soon, so I thought I’d give some tips on how to live in a car.

In many parts of California, and particularly in San Francisco and along the Big Sur coast, it is illegal to live or camp in your car. That doesn’t stop a lot of us from doing it though. To keep the police from rousing you in the middle of the night here are a few ideas:

Keep you and your car as clean, neat and tidy as possible, both inside and out.

Make sure, if you have a van, that you have curtains all the way around. Very plain ones are best.

Keep your car tuned-up.

Don’t keep a lot of stuff in your car. The car or van has limited space. Take only what you need.

Don’t hang out in your vehicle. Hang out in a cafe, or a bookstore, the library, at a friend’s house, or wherever until it’s time to go to sleep. Then go to your vehicle, be quiet about getting into it, and then go to sleep until morning. In the morning get dressed and be off for the day.

I’ve had full time jobs while living in my van. Which actually makes it easier with the concept of what to do with myself and the car all day.

Don’t park around other car campers. It may seem to be safer, but the police can recognize a gaggle of you.

Pick safe neighborhoods to camp in.

I like to park under, or close to, street lights.

I will also choose to park in front of the empty space between two houses rather than directly in front of a house.

If you can’t get out of bed without coffee or tea in the morning, that’s what the thermos is for. My thermos is good for keeping things warm for about 8 hours, so I if I need to, I fill it up at a cafe right before going to bed.

Join a gym for a good morning workout and a shower.

I think these tips might be helpful to someone. If you find yourself in this situation, just make an adventure out of it. Adjust your picture of reality and have a good time until the picture readjusts. Be a car camper, a traveler!

Want more tips? Just ask in the comments area!