Traveling to do this blogging and photography is a learning experience for me. I have always loved to travel but, to try to cover the state in a methodical way is new to me. It is a total learning experience.
A major obstacle I needed to overcome was a cost-effective way to spend the night. Since covering the distance, I need to cover on a trip entails one or more nights away from home at the time. I needed something cheap and comfortable. Because of the heat and eventually the cold, I really do not want to camp in my tent and sleep on the ground, in a sleeping bag, on an air mattress. If my wife goes with me that is a strict NO on her part as well.
I have researched the possibility of getting a smaller motorhome. We have a Class A motorhome that is very comfortable but for the purpose I have currently, it is not practical. It is just too big and expensive to operate.
I am researching buying a smaller motorhome and might soon go to that method of traveling. The small motorhome will be more comfortable and is not off the table in the future.
This has all led me to research taking a minivan and modifying the inside to make it comfortable to sleep in. I chose the Dodge Caravan because it comes with a well recommended history of reliability and economy compared to some others. Because of the Stow and Go seating it is easier to set up than some of the others.
I will say in my opinion, now that I have been using it, I think it is awesome. Again staying with it is still a study in action.
The reflectix insulation material that I cut to fit the windows gives incredible insulation and privacy. I installed a bed that the frame slides in and out and a tri-fold foam mattress thus the bed can slide in together and make a couch if need be. Most of the time however I never fold it.
The bed is high enough off the floor that it allows storage underneath it. The reflectix panels cut to fit the windows and windshield tuck underneath the mattress when not needed and for travel.
The Air Conditioner I installed keeps it comfortable to sleep on the hottest of nights. What I did for AC was to purchase a 110-volt portable stand-alone AC unit. After researching I figured out that there are two different ones. One has just an exhaust hose for the hot air off the condenser to be exhausted. There is another one that has two hoses. On that type of unit one hose brings in outside air to the condenser coil and the other one blows the hot air back out. Then the air inside is circulated by a fan inside the unit. Doing that the hot air is removed. With the single hose unit the air is pulled from inside the room or in this case the van, and if you remove the air it has to be replaced some way so that means it pulls air in from the outside through whatever cracks or holes you have that it can get in. The information I found said the single hose was not nearly as efficient as the dual hose unit. That is why I went with the dual hose unit. I made a transition piece that the hoses attach to that fits in the driver’s side back window which raises and lowers by a switch in the drivers door on my Caravan.
When I park for the night, it takes a few minutes to set up but no longer really than to set up a tent or even another kind of camper and, it works really well. I move both front seats completely forward. Then turn the AC unit around and connect the hoses which store under the bed along with the transition piece for travel. Then I connect them to the transition piece. Then close the side door, pull the transition piece into the window where it fits in the top. Raise the window up to make it tight and the AC is ready to turn on.
A large power cord runs inside the van from the rear underneath the tailgate that supplies power for whatever needs power inside. I then plug that cord into a multi outlet plug on a large cord that plugs into the power outlet supplying shore power to the van, normally at a campground. The other outlets work for appliances to make coffee or what ever else.
I use a small rechargeable lantern that hangs in the coat hook on either side of the van for a light and it works perfect. It can be moved from side if needed and has three different light levels.
If I choose to sit inside which, I have been doing as hot as it has been. I can sit on the bed and place pillows behind my back and use my computer to type or sort pictures, or read, very comfortably.
One issue I faced has been keeping things cool like food and water. With everything in the van there is no room for a large cooler. The first trip I tried two small coolers with Frozen Ice Packs that you put in the freezer and then after they freeze you put them in the cooler. In the other cooler we froze some water bottles and put in it. This worked somewhat but by the second day it was not working so well.
Next trip we tried freezing several more water bottles and putting them in one cooler and just using some frozen bottles in the other one as well. This worked pretty good, but it still entailed dealing with having to freezing water. Freeze too much of it and it does not thaw out quick enough to drink. Freeze not enough and you have hot water or other stuff spoiling in the coolers.
A few weeks ago while surfing the web I happened up on a small 12 volt refrigerator. Now first off, I thought it was a 12-volt cooler of the type that heat or cool. Normally they are called thermoelectric coolers which are capable of cooling 40 degrees below the ambient temperature. I guess under ideal conditions this might be a good deal. I had tried a couple of different ones of that type in the past, for different applications, and they did not work for me.
As I continued to read, I discovered this one was a true refrigerator with a compressor. The more I read the more interested I became.
One more thing I will interject here is that I have a power station. It is a rechargeable device that is about the size of a car battery. It is made by a company called Bluetti. It is the model EB3A. This little rechargeable box has 12-volt power outlets on it. It has USB outlets on it to charge devices. It has a wireless phone charger on top so you can lay a phone on top of it and charge it. It also has 2, 110-volt power outlets on it. I have a small coffee maker and have used it to make two pots of coffee on a charge believe it or not. It has a USB-C plug that I can charge my laptop from without the 110-volt power cord and it will charge my drone controller as well. It is not powerful enough on the 110-volt to run the AC unit but does many other things.
The little refrigerator will plug into the power station and run about 5 to 6 hours continuously. With the compressor cycling off and on it could run 8 to 12 hours or more easily if the refrigerator is where it is relatively cool so that it does not cycle on much, I don’t know how long it could run on a charge but quite a while.
The power station will charge from a cigarette lighter power port in the van when the van is running, as well as from a 110-volt cord when plugged into shore power. It also has the capability of charging from solar panels if I needed it to. Utilizing solar it would literally run the little fridge indefinitely I honestly believe.
On the last trip I ran, I had 36° water and food the entire trip. The power station never pulled down. In fact it was at 100% charge when I stopped for the night to camp. I just connected the refrigerator to 110-volts for the night and reconnected to the power station the next morning.
I have been staying at campgrounds where I have power. A senior citizen with the Senior Card can stay at the Government campgrounds for half price. In most places in Alabama that ends up being $13 to $14 a night. That is not a bad deal beings you have electricity, a clean nice place to take a shower, and it is normally peaceful and safe.
I normally just use a small coffee maker to make coffee. I have not been cooking because I have been on a diet (I was able to lose 60 pounds) but will probably either put in a very small microwave or a small toaster oven or griddle or both that will store underneath the bed.
My goal with this setup is not for a camping experience so much as a comfortable place to sleep, get something simple and fast to eat, and then be able to breakdown and leave as fast and easy, and economical, as possible.
As I continue with my projects, I will need to travel further distances from home and stay away longer. Traveling alone the van is great. Traveling with two of us it will be crowded for several days at the time.
I am sure that there are numerous things I will still learn on this little setup. I have stayed several nights in the van now and hope to continue to stay in it a while yet anyway.
I see people on YouTube that live in them lengthy amounts of time but don’t think I want to go to that level. It is however a great way to do my thing documenting these places in our great and beautiful land.
As I have said already, I have thought seriously about staying with the van and I have weighted getting a Class B or Class C motorhome. There are pros and cons to all. Time will tell as to whether I stay with the minivan or go to a motorhome. Regardless of the fact. The minivan is a good way of traveling.
If anybody has any questions leave me a message or comment and I will gladly answer you back.
Thanks.