How to sleep in your car

LUPTONYea any word on a 12v boot dryer for the car?

You could just get a 12vdc to 120vac converter

LUPTONYea any word on a 12v boot dryer for the car?

i saw them at rei the other day. forgot what theyre called though. will get and give a review

SVmike

Like a motha Fuckin Champ.
I can fit a queen in the back of the excursion with all my gear

Yes! thats my dream (turn a car into a camper) car. I'm trying to save up 20-30k for a dedicated, do everything, road trip, camper, etc.. car and the excursion is probably the #1 contender because of its combination of size and offroad capability. hard to find anything that beats it for the money.

I want to cut the roof and install a westfalia style pop up, sleep up there. itd be nice if I could make it so you could stand. gut the rest of it and add a stove, storage, etc..

hey guys, couple of questions.

im coming from australia

how long was your maximum stay? im considering doing like 6 weeks.
obviously on a budget, want to get an epic pass instead of staying in one place like i usually do.

what are some good online sites for buy cars, here we have carsales.com.au, so anything similar to that would be great. just want to gauge car prices. trying to get an awd for the snow.

wont be till next season but i just want to work everything out now to see if its viable and then forget about it for 6 months because ill be skiing here and really busy.

thanks

also some basics on car registration would be great, i know it would differ state to state but just a basic run down would help

thanks.

Built a bed for the back of my forester, ready for spring laps in Perisher. Yew.

MousseauOr you can always do this --

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/782298/Hank-Bought-a-Bus

**This post was edited on Jul 16th 2014 at 9:40:49am

who this is crazy. woundnt mind staying in their.

I'm going to be a 2006-2010 dodge grande caravan and convert it to a living pad. Apparently you can put a bed on 10-12" risers so you have space for storage, and add a small kitchen like thing in the back, add a roof box for skis etc... and you are set.

On that note anyone have experience with electrical systems? I want to add some sort of electric heat source, maybe an electric blanket!? With solar panels. Thoughts on that?

This will be for both summer and winter living, a month or two at a time at most.

Cheers.

PoLaRpEaKI'm going to be a 2006-2010 dodge grande caravan and convert it to a living pad. Apparently you can put a bed on 10-12" risers so you have space for storage, and add a small kitchen like thing in the back, add a roof box for skis etc... and you are set.

On that note anyone have experience with electrical systems? I want to add some sort of electric heat source, maybe an electric blanket!? With solar panels. Thoughts on that?

This will be for both summer and winter living, a month or two at a time at most.

Cheers.

Gotta get pics of that shit when its ready.

Mr.BishopGotta get pics of that shit when its ready.

Will do! First someone needs to buy my piece of junk Audi for 9k lol

I have an 85 Volkswagen Vanagon that I'm working through right now to get ready to live out of and travel. It's a GL so not a westy. Stripping down the interior to do some custom work. Putting in some wood flooring, cabinetry for storage on the non-sliding door side, and a folding twin size bed on the left side for sleeping. Have a roof rack on top for my cargo box with a solar panel mounted to the top of that, and a kayak. A rear door mounted rack as well to carry the spare tire, 5 gallon jerry can, and my bike.

I'll have to put some pictures up whenever I get home to it.

sellingerI have an 85 Volkswagen Vanagon that I'm working through right now to get ready to live out of and travel. It's a GL so not a westy. Stripping down the interior to do some custom work. Putting in some wood flooring, cabinetry for storage on the non-sliding door side, and a folding twin size bed on the left side for sleeping. Have a roof rack on top for my cargo box with a solar panel mounted to the top of that, and a kayak. A rear door mounted rack as well to carry the spare tire, 5 gallon jerry can, and my bike.

I'll have to put some pictures up whenever I get home to it.

JEALOUS!

Mr.BishopJEALOUS!

It really is the ultimate bum vehicle haha. I've been looking into other vehicles to live out of since Vanagons aren't all that reliable. You have to do a lot of work to them yourself to keep them going, but boy are they a lot of fun when they're working right.

Next thing I'll probably get after college and sell the van is a 4x4 Tacoma with a 4Wheel flatbed pop-top camper. It'd be so much more reliable, get tons better gas mileage (I'm at around 15 right now in the van) and go much places because 4x4 which the van is only RWD. Sadly not synchro.

I forgot to mention some tips for living/sleeping out of your car.
-Clean. Not just yourself, but your vehicle as well. You're going to be sleeping in it every night and you don't want it to smell like shit or be cluttered and disgusting. Pick up after yourself. Make sure you have a trash bag or something to fill up and unload whenever it's full.
If personal hygiene is important to you like it is for me, have some sort of way to shower from your vehicle. I have this thing called a RoadShower that mounts to your roof rack. It's a 5 gallon steel tube that heats up from the sun during the day and has a knob that you can pressurize it from a bike pump. In the winter for skiing, you just kind of have to suck up the cold showers. Just how it is haha.

-Keep warm.
Make sure you have some sort of well insulated sleeping bag.
Have plenty of extra blankets because temperatures will drop over night.
Get used to sleeping with lots of clothes on. Someone mentioned above the smart wool socks; great tip. Wear DRY wool socks to sleep in. Don't wear the same ones as the day of skiing.
Blast the heat in the car for like 15 minutes right before you go to sleep. Don't be afraid to get hot because your temperature will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

Where to park the car to sleep
-A lot of ski resorts don't want you staying in the parking lot over night sleeping out in the car, but if you are going to, try and park at the bottom, sort of out of sight. Don't draw attention to yourself or look like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Try and blend in.
-If you're wanting to park elsewhere, Walmart is always a good option. 99/100 Walmarts are pretty relaxed with people parked in the parking lot over night. You're likely to see semis, RVs, campers and other car bums like yourself there.
-Sometimes you'll have the cops knock on your window late at night wondering what you're doing. Just cooperate. They aren't looking for trouble, they're just doing their job trying to figure out why you're sleeping in your car. Most of the times they'll be pretty relaxed and understanding about it. Sometimes they'll let you stay, other times they'll ask you to move somewhere else. Oh well. Life goes on. Just go park somewhere else.
-Since you're most likely going to have a season pass to one resort or a couple, it's always helpful to know some people that live on the mountain, or near. They could let you shower there, park your car there for the night, or feed you, who knows.
-Also, if anyone ever offers you a place to crash for the night, or a meal, never say no. They might heavenly been saying it to sound nice, but they offered it already. It's out on the table. They aren't going to say no now. It's always nice to crash on a real bed or couch in a warm house instead of the car.

Last thing for now.
-Just don't worry too much about anything. You're bumming because you love to ski or whatever else you're doing. Just have fun

sellingerVanagons aren't all that reliable.

pfft. I put 20k on an 89' Vanagon over the past year after having it sitting in a field for the previous 6 years having done only minimal repairs (just changing all the fluids + replacing a couple coolant lines). The only issues over that 20k were a seized alternator (not a Vanagon issue), an easily repairable coolant leak or two, and a cracked exhaust pipe. Try taking any 25 year old vehicle that's been sitting in a field for years, change the fluids, and drive it 20k and see what happens. Vanagons can be excellent.

granted, now that it's home I've dropped the engine and am in the process of rebuilding and there are definitely a lot of semi-serious issues all over the place. It could still run, but both heads had cracks between the valves, a deeply sunken valve, a reamed out cylinder, a bunch of soon to fail coolant lines (pretty much every metal one was rusted to almost nothing), fairly worn oil pump, a mismatched lifter that resulted in a bent pushrod that I dunno who put in but was an idiot for putting in, main bearings, cam bearings, and rod bearings all with decent wear, faulty oil pressure sensors, etc etc. So it could easily go another 100k as is or it could fail catastrophically next drive around the block.

VinnieFpfft. I put 20k on an 89' Vanagon over the past year after having it sitting in a field for the previous 6 years having done only minimal repairs (just changing all the fluids + replacing a couple coolant lines). The only issues over that 20k were a seized alternator (not a Vanagon issue), an easily repairable coolant leak or two, and a cracked exhaust pipe. Try taking any 25 year old vehicle that's been sitting in a field for years, change the fluids, and drive it 20k and see what happens. Vanagons can be excellent.

Did the same thing. Bought it haven't been driven in years and it drives perfect with minimal work donto it. But comparatively, a newer car is much more reliable. The majority of other people that travel out of their vans have to do a good amount of maintenance and there's always the random break downs that seem to happen at the worst of times. They aren't hard to work on at all, but the majority, there are some exceptions, require a good deal of work but can last forever. I totally agree with you though, Vanagons can be excellent, but they can also be pretty bad as with any other 25+ year old car.

Routine work and maintenance is a lot different when the car you're fixing is also your home.

I'm sure someone has slept in the back of an Impreza (sport wagon), or any other type of Suby? They all seem to have the same rear spacing.

With a box for my car this year, I think I have room to fit a small mattress and junk in the back. Slept in it before, but that was Halloween with no planning.

Just think of the possibilities with proper bedding.

rudagerI'm sure someone has slept in the back of an Impreza (sport wagon), or any other type of Suby? They all seem to have the same rear spacing.

With a box for my car this year, I think I have room to fit a small mattress and junk in the back. Slept in it before, but that was Halloween with no planning.

Just think of the possibilities with proper bedding.

Look up pictures of bed platforms in the back of truck beds and subbies. You'll have room to put a platform down with storage under it and a bed on top. Great cars for bumming it lol.

Great share! Thanks a lot. Very helpful and informative.

Spent 96-98 in Vail Valley in a 1990 Ford Ranger. In summer you can spread out and camp for 2 weeks sessions down valley. In winter when you need to be closer to the hill you can couch surf when it's coldest or try to rent a storage unit where you will learn you have Mexican neighbors in the 40F dark zone. I'm sure times have changed, but back then a wind up clock was key to not be reliant on batteries.

Had a pager and used to tell tourist women I lived off the grid down valley. It worked and we'd go to their hotel. Never miss the ballerina camps in summer.

i have a toyota 4runner so i just put the seat back clear the glove box put my feet in there (my feet are almost never cold, if they are just put some foot warmers in there)

Hell, even my Jetta (seats fold completely flat) is fine (Im 5'9''). I just lay my skis on the edge outside of the seats along the windows. Small car, easy to stay warm in a -30 sleeping bag. Good for nights here and there chasing the pow in the NE on the weekends.

Usually my go -to is set up my car somewhere in town, and park in a condo development or over flow lot for a condo. Never had a problem and I leave before everyone wakes up usually.

DJAKSpent 96-98 in Vail Valley in a 1990 Ford Ranger. In summer you can spread out and camp for 2 weeks sessions down valley. In winter when you need to be closer to the hill you can couch surf when it's coldest or try to rent a storage unit where you will learn you have Mexican neighbors in the 40F dark zone. I'm sure times have changed, but back then a wind up clock was key to not be reliant on batteries.

Had a pager and used to tell tourist women I lived off the grid down valley. It worked and we'd go to their hotel. Never miss the ballerina camps in summer.

I love you AK

I'd recommend a Jeep XJ. Lots of room to sleep in the back. It's actually very comfortable, I've taken option on it over a couch on several occasions. Can totally stretch out. Ahh, the things we do to go skiing. Sure more cost effective than the resort though.

Anyone have any opinion on a roofbox tent? I have been heavily been considering one for summer camping at hood and wherever else I go, but any ideas if they're a good idea for the winter? Thanks.



https://www.instagram.com/p/BH8kPOXgAFG/?taken-by=nashvilleexplorersclub&hl=en

FKS_HEEL_PIECEAnyone have any opinion on a roofbox tent? I have been heavily been considering one for summer camping at hood and wherever else I go, but any ideas if they're a good idea for the winter? Thanks.



https://www.instagram.com/p/BH8kPOXgAFG/?taken-by=nashvilleexplorersclub&hl=en

that sounds like a pretty good idea for the summer, especially if it means having your whole car for gear, In the winter it might be a bit sketchy but if you have a warm enough sleeping bag and are able to protect yourself from agressive mountain winds go for it.

I lived all Summer in my Honda Odyssey 2001 with a twin sized mattress. National forests like Arapahoe National Forest is also tight. All National anythings are tight.

https://www.instagram.com/p/4A1c-FETfI/?taken-by=kapitolphoto

The is the rig I built Last year, Spent the winter ski bumming around Bachelor and the Cascades. I'll find more pictures somewhere. I ended up selling this one, but my girlfriend and I are building another one.

I love sleeping in my jeep, but after I rolled it sleeping has been a lot colder. Truly miss my hard top.

VW built the solution!

milk_manOP:

But that actually looks quite comfortable

Agreed

i have an 07 toyota rav 4 that i camp in every weekend. I fold down the back seats, put a futon down along with 2 sleeping bags and a few comforters. I've stayed warm in breck when it got down to -20.

what i do on a good night is get a sleeping bag and some pillows and sleep in my truck bed, I have an 85 chevy silverado,

Excited to try my set up tonight, first time sleeping in my Impreza in winter. Got an air mat, 0 degree sleeping bag, and a couple of blankets in case I get cold. Was thinking about sleeping in the Walmart parking lot in SLC. Should I just hang up the blankets to block the windows? Should my windows be cracked even if it is snowing?

This is prolly the better thread to ask if anyone uses 12 volt boot dryers

strayln_SkierThis is prolly the better thread to ask if anyone uses 12 volt boot dryers

Unless they have fans then they're garbage and don't work well. I found the best was getting a couple computer fans and sticking them in the top of the boots

Oh lmao i just watched that movie

Turd.Fergusonhas anyone ever tried sleeping in a pickup?i have a 4 door if anyone else has the same question/situation

Heeeeeeck yeah, glad I’m short Hahahaha

Recline your drivers seat. Sussed

I’m going heli skiing and need to know how to set up my chopper as a camper.. any tips?