Megathread - Van Dwelling & Rubber Tramping Megathread | Squat the Planet

Megathread Van Dwelling & Rubber Tramping Megathread

Matt Derrick

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-- Van Dwelling & Rubber Tramping Megathread --

Contribute comments, edits, and additions by replying to this thread and a moderator will add it to this post.

Van Dwelling for Beginners:

The following links are websites designed to get you started with advice and tactics for living and traveling in your vehicle.

  • Cheap RV Living - This website is one of my personal favorites. Tons of awesome info about how to live in your vehicle like a fucking pimp. There's also a lot of good information about finding (seasonal) jobs, and an interesting monetary breakdown of how to live on only a few hundred bucks a month.
  • How to Live in a Car, Van or RV by Bob Wells - This book was written by the owner of the Cheap RV Living website. It will answer any question you could imagine about the van dwelling lifestyle and contains much more detailed information than I could include here. It’s nearly 200 pages and is available as a Kindle ebook on Amazon for three dollars, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t pick it up if this lifestyle is something you’re serious about.
  • Boondocking - One of many boondocking websites available today, this one is pretty old school in it’s design and doesn’t function well on mobile devices. One handy option is the ability to list all entries in the database and to download them all in GPX or CSV format.
  • Free Campsites - This website provides a searchable database of user-submitted camping spots all around the world. Locations are organized into pay, free, permit required, and ‘research needed’ categories. Users can submit their written review of each location as well. Highly recommended.
  • Vandog Traveller - A simple photo essay blog by a vandweller who is traveling all around western Europe. Some really good advice on doing a custom van build, and the fact that it’s based in Europe makes it a little more interesting than most of the US-centric blogs I usually come across on the internet.
  • From Van to Home by Mike Hudson - The creator of the Van Dog Traveller website also has a really nice ebook for sale that is 276 pages and has over 300 full color photographs; so it’s a worthwhile investment if you’re interested in learning more about doing your own camper van conversion.
  • Where You Make It - A blog with advice on alternative home setups, including both converted vans and RVs. Lots of how-to guides, stories from travelers, and photos showing you how to convert a van.
  • Technomadia - A long running website with a ton of articles about various aspects of.
  • Boondocking - Lots of information on RV living as well.
  • RV Boondocking Guide
  • Into the Mystery 13 - Just one of a plethora of van dwelling oriented YouTube channels that have popped up in the past few years. This one takes the audience through the conversion of a Ford Astro Van, has a weekly Q&A and includes a video blog of his travels. Tons of useful info for those interested in becoming a van dweller, and there’s always new content every week.
  • Into The Mystery
  • Finding Simon - Simon documents his travels in a Class B camper van on his YouTube channel; it mostly acts as a video blog for his travels but does show off some epic destinations and includes a few videos specific to his van setup. Skoolie: The School Bus Conversion Network - One of the best online resources for converting school buses into RVs. The bulk of content is contained in their forums which are quite active and are a perfect place to do research and ask any of your school bus related questions.
  • School Bus Conversion Resources
  • Select and Convert Your Bus Into a Motorhome on a Shoestring by Ben Rosander - A very visual guide for those interested in converting a school bus into an RV. Lots of photos and floor plans to inspire you for your own school bus conversion, including plans on how to raise the roof or do other more extreme modifications.
  • Select and Convert Your Bus into a Motorhome on a Shoestring: Ben Rosander.
  • r/vandwelling - This section of the Reddit social media site is an excellent place to get inspiration for building the interior of your vehicle, getting advice on your next vehicle, and ask questions about the vandwelling lifestyle.
  • Boondockingguide
  • Stealth vandweller Resources and Information - This guy went way way overboard on explaining his build from Cargo Van to Camper van but it's super thorough.
  • Converting a 1999 Ford E-250 into a camper van - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums Another Van Conversion site.
  • Camperize
  • Eugene Carsey
  • Casita Club - this is a page of a casita camper trailer forum that discusses which states allow overnighting at rest areas and what rules may apply.
  • USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people - these are links to road maps of national forest service lands that may help you pick a "dispersed site" in a advance
  • Home Sweet Not-A-Van
  • Nick’s Blog – Gypsy Journal RV Travel Newspaper
  • Also, this page has a ton of info on Work Camping:
  • Hitek Homeless
  • Map of places that provide free air for tires | Free air near me
  • Wikicamps is an app designed to list all the camping grounds and RV parkings. Started off in australia, it now has versions for New Zealand, USA and Canada!! Here's the link for the USA one!

Also check out:

And I've been working on a wiki for Vandwellers and similar folk where I collect good ideas I find on the net or lessons learned the hard way... It's fragmentary but getting fleshed out and corrected daily.


Free Places to Park/Camp

Websites:

Other considerations:

  • Walmart Parking Lots - You can camp at most if not all Walmart parking lots. Unfortunately, some walmarts have recinded this policy due to abuse (setting up permanent camps, littering, etc) so try not to blow it for the next van dweller. Walmart Locations Store Details & Parking | Walmart Store Locator is a list of walmarts that uses reviews to tell you which ones allow overnighting and which ones don't. I always call ahead or ask inside, just for good measure.
  • I lived in my van for 8 months and never needed to camp illegally. I use mcdonalds, lowes, target, starbucks, etc. to get on the internet and check ahead and figure out where to sleep well before it's time for bed.
  • National Forests and BLM lands typically allow dispersed camping (no water/electric/sites/nothing) for up to 14 days before you have to move. Also keep an eye out for COE (army corp of engineers) campsites which are sometimes free. If you are on the road and need a crash Walmart and Flying truck stops are my go-to. They both usually allow it.
 
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MetalBryan

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Hey Matt. Thanks for the Prius setup video it's a great reference. I got offered a 2008 Ford Focus with 80,000 miles for ONE American dollar. I think I might get a DL after 14 years and adventure until the wheels fall off.

I was thinking more about it today and wanted to look back to this video. Because StP won't allow searches for "car" I had to really dig because I keep forgetting this was a Prius. I'm worried noobs would never find this so if it's not too great an effort, it would be nice to get a "car living" subsection. Or maybe I'm an idiot and missed it. Thanks again.
 
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avadog

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iOverlander is a great resource/map of free parking spots on Crown land, which is basically public land that anyone can camp on. Sometimes these spots are super random, like a small patch of grass off a highway. iOverlander is good for random spots but if you're in a touristy area with lots of patrolling bylaw officers those spots are pretty tightly gatekept.
Logging roads are a great place to park if you pull off to the side because they're privately owned and the bylaw doesn't go down there.
Good luck!
 
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Matt Derrick

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@marymemarryme was kind enough to completely reorganize the first post of this thread, many thanks to them for doing so!
 

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