New to van life... Tough Ohio native

[Dabson]

What's up stp.... New to the van life, traveling w large female doberman and sometimes my girl. From Ohio, backwoods raised n down for rough living. Full time pipe maker, glassblower. Gonna be traveling in gmc vandura. Looking for tips, tricks and love... Where to go, how to stay moving and $ed up. Skateboarding 14+ years ... All ideas and advice welcome. Much love stp...

 

[angerisagift]

where in OH??

 

[landpirate]

Welcome to STP. I've moved this over to introductions as I think it fits better there.

 

[nobrains]

Welcome to the tramplife. I've been on here for a year, but I mostly lurk and don't find the need to post often. I've spent a good amount of time both hitching and rubbertramping. There's a lot of really useful threads what you're asking in the Vandwelling/rubbertramping, and making a living sections. Gasjugging is a skill you'll definitely need to learn if you don't already know how to--the art of asking perfect strangers to buy you gas. It's easier than it sounds once you get over yourself. Took me about three months to do that, now it doesn't phase me. My line? "Hey, my name's Matt, I'm trying to get to (insert nearby city) for work and I ran out of gas, *hold up gasjug* could you spare a couple gallons to help me?" or, if I'm with a girl "My girlfriend/fiance and I are on our way to (insert nearby city) to see family, but we ran out of gas..." I don't think of it as lying, because it's not. MY work is busking and flying signs, MY family are my road family, which I see in every town. Smile and be friendly. Do it at truckstops, not small gas stations.

Until you get comfortable doing that you might try sitting nearby your vehicle with the can out looking sullen and/or doing something else (drawing, talking), or by the front of the gas station (this works especially at night when gasjugging sucks--I've had managers buy me gas). Within 30 minutes a good Samaritan will usually walk up and ask you if you need help. A lot of travelers refuse to pay for gas all together.

Fly a sign or busk to make money, it ain't hard. Pick up little jobs on Craigslist for a day if you have any skills. The Gigs section is good for that. Get yourself a camp stove and learn to cook, you'll save a lot of money on food and it will be healthier. Jump in dumpsters to feed yourself. ALDI is notorious for having full dumpsters of fresh produce. Rouses around Louisiana is also a goldmine. Not sure of other places, but check them all.

Sleep at rest stops. Pull all the seats out of your van except the front two captain chairs so you have room for storage/people/a bed/whatever.

That's my mini-rubbertramping guide. There's more beyond that, but you'll need to learn on your own. A lot of rubbertramps I've met are full of themselves and wield their vehicle ownership like a status symbol to lord over others. Don't do that. When I had a car I used it to help and feed others, always humble. Remember, this lifestyle is supposed to be fun and spiritually rewarding.

[edit]Also, pick up some tools and a repair manual for your van. Learn how to work on it. I can't tell you how important this is. Learn to change oil/fix radiator/replace starter and alternator/fuel pump/eventually how to change the transmission. If you stay on the road for a long time these things will all eventually fail on you. Change the oil more often than you would if you were living in a city--I usually did it every 2000-3000 miles.

 

[Kal]

Welcome to S.T.P have fun and be safe.

 

[ROCKnROT]

The guy above has a pretty good list of rubba tramp info, if you're busking I would suggest selling your pipes while you're doing it. If you don't play music just have a sign suggesting you're a broke traveling artist or whatever. This is generally reserved for downtown areas or wherever busking is allowed. The ol zen spange is good at busy rest stops. You also gotta jug, like only use cash when you feel like it's necessary to get outta dodge. You can fly off ramps on interstates because people leaving won't complain about you to the nearest business. If you want fly spots use the resource in making a living. You will come to use your better judgement on using zen, suicide, busk, fly or crack spanging. Walmart will unfortunately become a great asset but only post at 24 hour ones or you run risk of getting the pigs called

 

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

Welcome Most of the info you'll need is already on here. The rest is live and learn.
A few tips from my own experiences:
- Casinos are good places for free coffee. Many have self service bars and the staff doesn't give a shit.
- Avoid parking in rich neighborhoods to sleep. They tend to see you as some kind of homeless thug and will most likely call the cops on you.
- If you're going to accept cash for gas (as opposed to straight gas jugging), do not do so at the gas station you intend to buy from. Accepting money usually gets ya chased off faster
- Those little propane camp stoves that cost about 15 bucks are the shit. Plus, the propane cylinders are cheap as hell at Wal Mart, and they last you quite a while.
- The parking lots of big hotels are good places to sleep. Cars are there all night, and the staff is too busy to notice you. Most casinos don't care, either.

Hmm... that's all off the top of my head. Beautiful travels