Friend wants to do some traveling, looking for cheapest way

[Mista Bone]

Teardrop trailer in a RV camp or on public lands with BLM permit.

[P-hack]

"looking for cheapest way"

There was a car on here "Stealth RV", a metro, the owner took out the passenger seat, folded down the rear (or removed it for even more room) and layed down a piece of leveled plywood from the glovebox to the hatch. And put foam on top, could even stretch out a bit.

From your title, seeing if an existing car will work is the cheapest. I work a laptop from the drivers seat a lot, it is no prob, but will move to the picnic bench or the fastfood resturant if practical. If she gets out enough, the car is just fine. There are plenty of relatively quiet places you can get a bite and work.

[Xist]

Volkswagons are reliable, right?

[Mista Bone]

Originally Posted by Xist

Volkswagons are reliable, right?

As long as the CEL bulb doesn't burn out!

[yoyoyoda]

1char

[Xist]

Around here we have vending machines that dispense a gallon of "filtered" water for a quarter. Considering how bad Arizona water tastes, they must be doing something, because it tastes fine.

I would expect to be able to find a fast food place or convenience store to use the bathroom, although one thing that I liked about having four doors, was that I could pull over as far as possible, open the the doors on the passenger side, and stand against the car without anyone being able to see what I am doing.

Yeah, I never have passengers...

[slowmover]

Look to a vehicle where survival issues are addressed. Shelter, water, heat (warmth & cooking) are what matter. Electricity is nearly a non-starter, it is not central, certainly not important (outside of runnning the vehicle). Get priorities straight, first. Water capacity is the limiting factor as to how long one can go without outside inputs.

A travel trailer is the easiest way to have all-weather shelter without hookups (short of winter or depth of summer) and, in the U.S., CASITA is the brand to explore at the start. Use it as default. "All weather" means staying inside for days if need be. Or, if sick or injured. The range of tow vehicles is broad, but they may not include the high mpg cars. Ones initial cost, the purchase, is where the savings exist.

I live full time in a travel trailer. It doesn't move often, and isn't likely to in the future as compared to the miles on the tow vehicle. Keeping miles low on the TV is the key to lowest fuel consumption over a years time. The in-transit miles of an articulated rig have to be set against what services are needed that this combined vehicle doesn't provide. The more the better, IMO, so far as being independent is concerned. When one is farther from services or providers, "small" as to rig size may also mean more trips to & fro which cancel putative savings on a per-mile basis. Fewer miles, overall, can be the winning strategy over lowest vehicle fuel cpm.

I presently work in the oilfield and am simply one of many thousands using a travel trailer in which to live. Ground rent and utility service are relatively low in price as compared to traditional housing. The savings, if any, are in avoiding debt on vehicles (TT and TV) and in the ease of moving on to another location. Convenience is weighed against time, and it is worth paying for basic amenities so as not to be dependent on outsiders (retailers) who will nickel & dime (five and ten) you to death. I may be gone for days at a time for work and no ice chest (with daily infusions of $2 of ice) is any substitute for a refrigerator, or that the dollar menu at a crap-food joint is acceptable either. Vehicle operating expenses, along with highly subsidized fuel, work hand-in-hand with per diem (travel) expenses. There is reason for this. Does ones "plan" make feasible tax deductions for living in this manner? If not I suggest a harder look at what happens to disposable income in these situations.

30 or more gallons of water is basic to my mind, and food storage be it refrigerated or dry is also basic. Canned food is heavy, and there are few to none who would choose to live on expensive MRE's. The more dependent one is on outside suppliers, the more one is exposed to all sorts of potential problems (expenses). There is a point where being a marginal member of society becomes too high in risk.

So, what is the larger force that drives inquiries like these? A society that no longer works (adequate jobs in number and compensation) is foremost. Older solutions include boarding houses or room rentals with kitchen privileges. These worked better with next to no transportation investment needed as one could walk, or ride the bus or train. Being mobile is an enormous expense, and fraught with penalties such as the lack of a permanent address and is not well suited when sick or injured as one is amongst strangers, etc. Sacrificing all else in favor of being able to drive around and talk on the phone (Facebook) is the wrong approach.

As I said -- and know -- electricity is optional, not central to what really matters. Get this part straight in mind first. Net access is a great deceiver however much paltry comfort we take in it.

.

[Fat Charlie]

In a van/truck, try a camping toilet. On the fly, we used to just go in water bottles, but that won't work too well for women. For fresh water, a 5 gallon jug with a spigot is great to have.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by yoyoyoda

I want to do this so badly, and infact I'm starting to buy my breakfast at 7-11, but its not as cheap here as it is there, I get a $7 big gulp sandwich at 7/11 nearly every morning.

Gym membership is another matter, last one I quoted was $70/mo
Gym membership prices compared - gym prices & locations in Australia

Its got me stumped as to why its so expensive, most of the places are just ****ty little gyms with a few members not even worth mentioning at the backwater areas of our country, then again most things in this blasted country are too expensive for no reason. And they have the hide to screw customers over with cancellation fees, even signup fees of $100.

A good alternative is to get someone that you've met at church or someplace to allow you to shower. Failing that its natural parks or beaches with enclosed showers. This is the last thing thats stopping me from doing this full time.

There are dollar menus but its only a cheeseburger or something. kinda sucks, maybe I should start going to Subway for dinners, you get a decent meal there for $5.

I don't need to sleep in the car at the moment as I have a shed to sleep in and I can get my laundry done at my parents place, which is the place I'm trying to avoid occasionally.

What do you do for water and urination? I can understand going to the toilet, most servos have toilets, but what about fresh water supplies? I drink a lot of water each day as I easily get dehydrated. I guess you went to the toilet for urination just by pulling over?

$7 is a lot of money for a sandwich! The dollar menu is becoming less of a value all the time. They removed the double cheese burger years ago, and now I think the Mcdouble is more than a dollar. You can still get a McChicken for a buck though.

I was fortunate because my work has showers, so if I ever missed the gym, I could still get a shower.

I just did my laundry at my parents house since I spend a lot of time helping them and my grandparents out anyhow.

For drinking water, I would just get a water from wherever I got my cheap dinner. Urination was easy since I'm a guy; I opened the door of my car, walked 2 paces to the bush I was parked next to, and made sure it stayed watered.

[P-hack]

If she has internet, she can do her work, and research where to get supplies and etc. Pack a solar shower and privacy curtain, hike, keep to a car to keep fuel costs down. Set the car up for sleeping if she needs more protection from the elements/"animals". If the sites have power, a hair dryer will keep the car warm and stuff charged. She can afford to "recharge" at a hotel with the money she will save on an RV and fuel if she wants to cover a lot of ground. I would pack a rocket stove and a 120v hotplate and lots of water jugs.

A Year in a Car For No Apparent Reason » Vandwelling

edit: $2.00 for one of these might be useful
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Fem...item35d262e458