the complete flake

Photo by Frank Bonilla

Wow, there’s lots to learn about going on the road, and lots of decisions to make — good thing doing the research is half the fun.

I’ve been reading about:

• The best type of used, traveling/living vehicle to buy (small motor home? hightop van? plain cargo van?)
• What kind of power sources to use (propane ? solar? generator?)
• What kind of camping is best and/or cheapest (campgrounds? dispersed? stealth?)

That’s the learning curve.  Then there are the decisions, like:

• What to focus on first (earning money, raising it, or decluttering?)
• How to get in shape, given my lack of enthusiasm for exercise.
• The all-important should I get a dog? What kind and what should I name it? (Thinking: Yes/Pit bull/Fluffy.)

There are lists to make:

• What to keep.
• What to give away, sell, orthrow out.
• What to buy.
• And of course, where to go!

I’ll be writing about these topics more as I go along, but I thought you’d like to know what decisions* I’ve made so far, and why:

1. I’m going to buy a cargo van instead of a small motor home.
   Reasons:
   • Used cargo vans are cheap and easy to find, with way fewer things to break than a motor home.
   • They’re easier/cheaper to repair.
   • I’d rather put the money toward a newer model and a reliable engine than fancy furnishings that I will probably want to change anyway.
   • Motor home furnishings are usually made with lots of toxic materials that give me migraines. A cargo van’s plain, steel shell will allow me to customize the interior for my specific needs and tastes.
   • Cargo vans are easy to park innocuously in any setting (aka “stealth camping“) which saves mucho bucks.
2. When I can afford it, I will have a “hightop” installed for ventilation, light, and head room. (Unless I can find a good van already equipped with one.)
3. I plan to “boondock” (camp without hookups to water or power) as much as possible to save money (campgrounds cost almost as much as motel rooms these days) and enjoy more remote and scenic settings.
4. I’ll put solar panels on top of the van to charge up a battery that will power my laptop, phone and lights. (Oh, and my blender! Can’t forget that.)
5. I’ll use a 5-day cooler instead of a fridge, so there will be no need for more power (I hope!) I could get a propane fridge but I really don’t want to use propane if I can avoid it, due to my chemical sensitivity. I’ll have to buy fresh produce every few days for my daily green smoothies anyway, so I don’t think I will need a fridge.
6. I won’t be cooking much because I eat mostly raw foods, but I’ll have a solar oven in case I get a hankering for something hot.

Besides decision-making, I have made shocking (for me) progress on the decluttering front by selling most of my books. Total take: $42 toward the Road Trip fund – yay!

*All decisions come with the following caveat: unless I change my mind!