The Urban Vandweller

Round and Round, We go....

2009-03-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello, again - I've been very busy, getting myself re-established on the island. Funny, no matter how things change, they still remain the same. I've got myself a casual job for the warm(?) part of the year, doing some property maintenance (read cutting lawns, gardening, etc.); so, I'm all set. Soon, it will be springtime for real, and I'll be happy to see the sunshine return.

But, I can't believe what's going on out there, but, no wonder. How did the world expect to carry on with a super-heated economy, and for it not to fall flat on it's face. Regardless, it's important to do what you need to do; deal with it the best you can. If you are a vandweller, while you are living economically, you are vulnerable to various hazards that swirl around us. I suggest you go where things are better, so you can weather these turbulent times, easier. We don't need much, but, I've been a fan of living in areas where I feel comfortable (read safer, more laid back).

The economic crash is a sign of the times. Greed, blatant capitalism, exploitation of natural resources and peoples, is not economically/environmentally sustainable or humane. So, I revel in the fact that I've minimized my demands and needs on the 'system'. So, it's up to each and everyone of us to help these changes, to evolve, by example. If we as people don't buy the crap made by the corporations of the world, then they won't make it, cause they will lose money. Or at least, they will begin to make the things we really want/need, by us choosing with our dollars, and will address some the afore mentioned concerns. It's up to us.

Recycle, reduce, reuse. Fair trade. Let's not trade in our planet, for jobs. There's no point of having money and toys to play with, if you can't breathe the air, or swim in the ocean, or eat the food. Think about it.

Take care of yourself and yours in these troubled times, Urban Vandweller

I'm Back!!!!!

2009-03-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yup! It's true.... I know, you didn't miss me. How could you? Where was I? Do ya' remember the saying? 'Turn in - tune out - turn on!?' Probably not. I decided it was time to take off for a while... a long while... to Costa Rica. Wasn't livin' in a van... but, very laid back and good for the soul. Visited Joanie and Jimmy and worked on their Shangra-la-di-da. Cool. Maybe, one day I'll go back, but, things to do here.

So, what the fuck?!! What's going on? Still all this negativity, doom and gloom. Enough all ready. Let's move on. The earth's still turning, the sun gets up rather daily, and more or less, I hope your all doing OK. Probably better off than a lot of people if you're reading this blog. So. Where do we go from here? Hmmm. Back to work. Holidays are over. New President - full of hope, eh? Well, we need it. The folks are sufferin', because Wall Street raped us again, like back in 1929. Somethings never change. Good luck Obama, you've been handed the mother of shit sandwiches to deal with. But, you signed up for the job.

So, it seems to me, we're gonna' have to help ourselves. Let's face it, the best people to dig ourselves out of this mess, is ourselves. Why? Well, I don't know about you, but, at least I know I can count on myself, and that's a good start. Plus, I'm an opportunistic optomist! So, nuthin's gonna stop me. The last recession in 1980 - 1983, I had three jobs. Not to make ends meet, but, just because when I in the mood, that's my path.

Speakin' about paths, that is why I'm mobile. I don't know what's happening in the States, but up here in Canada, the East has the least, and the West is the best. That's what you gotta' do, if you can. Go where it is good. Migrate!!! Remember the classic movie, The Grapes of Wrath. That is us or could be, the new version. You can always go back, to where ever you are now, or wherever you've been. But, go for opportunity, if you can. Or at least, better weather or environment. If you can't, hunker down and relate to your network, your friends and family. Strength in numbers, and all that.

So, chin up, world. We're all in this together.

Cheers, Urban Vandweller

Sign of the Times - And Why We're OK

2008-10-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Above: Unchecked consumerism and corporate greed has lead to the above, a waste of time, effort, and precious natural resources. A modern ghost town!

Wow - The news is just crazed. Economic collapse. Housing market in shambles. The US government wants to give the stupid/greedy bankers, 700 billion taxpayers' dollars to fix their fucked up/fraudulent activity. Oh, wait a minute. No, they don't. Well, maybe there is some sanity somewhere. In Canada, the politicians keep saying that our financial system is more conservative, and won't be effected by the US economic woes. Bullshit! Up here, people/industries are already stumbling, over what's happening down there. But, as vandwellers, we'll be OK. Why?

No one is better prepared to handle economic hard times than we are. We have eliminated the largest expense that most people face, housing. We don't have a mortgage. We don't pay rent. That allows us to allocate money on life-sustaining practises, like food and health care. We don't have the stress of trying to make enough money to juggle all these expenses. We have eliminated approximately 40% or more of a normal person's budget, just by lifestyle.

But, it doesn't stop there. Say, you're in a area which is already in recession mode. There are no jobs in your town/county/state or province. This is happening both in the US and Canada. Just go. Leave tomorrow. Point your van towards somewhere, anywhere, where there are good work prospects. Ones for real! When you live in a van, nothing holds you back. Later, if you want to return, where you've been will still be there. The only difference will be that you are better off both economically and your basic well being. Why? Because you didn't let that area drag you down; you did what was necessary to avoid that downward spiral. Because, as a vandweller, you have the ability to go where the work is, whenever you feel like it. No mortgage, no lease, no furniture, just go.

The other thing is, all these economic hard times and doom and gloom are completely artificially created. In other words, they can be fixed. The economic behaviour of over-spending, credit leveraging, the lifestyle of so many people, both American, Canadian and worldwide, is flawed. It isn't sustainable. Both economically and environmental. So what's happening now was going to anyway. Hopefully, the governments of our countries will start to earn their paychecks and regulate the thievery, plunder and pillage that's been taking place. We'll see.

The fact is, since we are less of a slave to the system, we can skate through these times more easily. Here are some basic tenets of personal fiscal behavior, that may help you.

First, 'Eliminate all personal debt, ASAP!' The worst investment is debt, that is allowed to accumulate by negligence, credit card abuse or whatever. Work, scrimp and save, and pay off that debt. I still have two credit cards. They have their place for emergencies and specific spending practices. But, I pay them off monthly, so I accrue no interest.

Second, "Live within your Means". Simply, make more money than you spend. The reverse ideology (spend more than you make), is the base cause that created these economic woes in the first place. So, don't go there personally. This idea is as old as the hills. But, it still rings true today. It's the basis of true fiscal responsibility. Live your life free from the yoke of debt, as much as possible. By living as a vandweller, and eliminating the enormous cost of conventional housing, you don't have that expense and you have the freedom to go where there is gainful employment.

Third, 'Work'. If you buy food or gas, you need money. In order to 'live within your means', you need income. You may be able to barter your services or something you make for said items, but, unless you live off the land isolated from our society, you need to do something. So, get over it and just do it. Whatever it is, you've got to something to address this need; there's no escape from that fact, unless you are independently wealthy. Deal with it.

Fourth, 'Live frugally'. The less demand you place on your income, the easier it will be to 'live within your means'. You are already well on your way, when you live as a vandweller. But, with some ingenuity and effort, it's amazing how much more you can save along the way. There is so much information about this out there, I'm not going to go into it here. So, unless you want to be a slave to your spending habits, learn how to spend less of your hard earned money.

Fifth, 'Opportunity'. When you live as a vandweller, you have streamlined your lifestyle to the point, where very little stops you from applying yourself to take advantage of opportunity. I have always believed that when there is crisis or disaster, there follows opportunity to create a better place or system/strategies to correct what caused said crisis. So, be apart of that. Apply yourself. Reach out and strive to live that solution. Create opportunity. I've always joked that I am a 'blatant opportunist'. Well, I am.

I'm not a rich man. I'm not a poor man. I'm just a vandweller, a modern nomad, slippin' through the swirling mass of confusion, in an Aerostar.

Above: We do have choices. It's up to us to choose, less is more! It's my path, what's yours?

A New Home

2008-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go again. A new base. Not that I haven't been or lived here before. Just, not as a vandweller. Plenty of work, living facilities and so on. Lots to do and see and play and eat and work and date and... But, a challenge. To vandwell in a place where the homeless are being criminalized. Cuz', when it comes down to it, vandwellers are essentially considered homeless to the authorities. To exist as a vandweller in this environment, will require stealth to the max. I'll execute an organized cycle of rotating sleeping locations and maintain my appearance and schedule to look basically normal. A chameleon, hidden in plain sight.

Like I said, I've lived here before. People here mostly mind there own business, unless you are close to their homes. Then, they are nosey-parkers, watching through drawn curtains. I'm going to have to pick and choose specific locations and neighborhoods to find that perfect balance of indifference and camouflage. I've already been scouting nightspots, there are plenty and I've spent nights here. But, you've got to keep your eyes and ears open, things change continuously.

So, the new routine begins. New mailing address, change cell phone to local number, decide on sport club for showers and facility, develop driving and parking patterns for sleep, eating, hanging out, work and so on. I'll find parking places where I feel safe, or if I'm leaving the van for a long time, where it probably won't be broken into (with luck). New laundromats, new cheap eats delis and diners, new grocery stores, new gas stations, new everything. Organize. Streamline. Execute.

There's plenty of work. Important. No work, no money. No money, no fun. People I know here are already setting me up. I'm going to be here for years, so I will be seeing how far I can get. An experiment. Maybe, I can get into the government or somewhere they deal with the issues of the homeless. Then one day, I could stand and say, wait a minute, these people aren't helpless, incapable or creative. I've been working beside you for years, and you couldn't tell that I'm homeless. Surprise.

The nice thing is, if I don't like it or it doesn't work out, it really doesn't matter. There is always somewhere else down the road, the next county perhaps. I've spent the last eight months based close by, on a group of islands, with no problems.

I have a network of friends and family, on those islands. Here, I have a small, but very good network of close friends, which is important to my style of vandwelling (see old article, the network, Jan. 21). When the weather turns to the cold, rainy season (our late fall, winter, early spring), I'll have people to visit and share dinner/evenings with. I'll be able to go and visit my folks to help them out on the weekends. I'll be able to visit my buddy, Eric, and play my guitars and amps (stored there for safekeeping and convenience) in his studio. My network is important for socializing, variety and sanity.

My van is too small to be holed up in on a continuous basis, during the rainy season. There is no problem during the warmer part of the year; you can hang outdoors and be comfortable. So, I take advantage of all the conventional buildings in my area. I just try to pay minimally for the usage, you could say.

If you stay cooped up in your van, you will emanate that behaviour. Be social. Venture out and about. You'll fit in with the area more, and attract less unwanted attention. Just remember to maintain your specific level of privacy. This lifestyle requires you to somewhat operate on a need-to-know basis. Only certain people need-to-know that you are a vandweller. NO one else does, so why bother going there. It can possibly result in hassle, problems or worse. So why tempt it. Why complicate things? It's not worth it. Live your life as you want, but for me, this is my way. Your path is yours to walk.

p.s Sorry about the spacing on this post, I can't seem to edit it.

Fall is Here - Time for Change

2008-09-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, well - Summer has finally sunk beyond the horizon. The weather here on the BC coast is beginning the cooler, more rainy pattern, which means it's time to get on it. As you probably noticed during the summer, I slack off considerably. No work if I can help it. Enjoy the season to the max. Take off, eh!

For the summer, I've been bouncing around BC, my home province for the last 25 years or so. It truly is beautiful here - I'm lucky to live here. But, as a result, I've only used computers for emails, no blogging. No time. Had to fish, hike, bike, wander, canoe, play guitar, check out wildlife, go to new places, go to old places, beach it, camp out, go to music festivals, visit the cities, go see friends over there or anywhere, and so on. For the last three months or so. It's been great. But as a result, no new posts. You probably thought I fell off the face of the earth. Well, in a sense, I did.

But, fall is a sobering season. You can't just hang around outside; it starts getting wetter and cooler and darker. You start thinking about the winter and all that entails. Living indoors more. Shelter from the storm. Work (that cursed four letter word!). But, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's just part of the cycle of being. So, my fellow vandwellers and newbies, let's get on with it.

I'm doing some quick work on the island, where I've been sorta based on the last year or so, then I'm going to go to a major, coastal urban area to live at least for the winter. I have a plan. It's the main reason, I call myself, 'The Urban Vandweller'. You see, the place I'm moving to has been embroiled in constitutional lawsuits with regards to criminalizing the homeless. Which, is essentially what vandwellers are, according to the authorities. So, I have posted anonymously because I'm going to a conservative, anti-me city. To work, flourish, live as a vandweller, for as long in one area as I can get away with it. Without loosing my van. Which is what they will do, if they can prove you're a vandweller in Edmonton, Alberta. Well, we will see what happens in Coastal BC urban territory.

As this new adventure unfolds, I'm going to try and post very often, detailing events, trivialities, methods, trials and tribulations along the way. For those of you new to this lifestyle, my efforts are for you to see what you may be up against. For you seasoned vandwellers, well, I'm probably going to bore you to tears, but, you might get a giggle.

The US economy is in the shitter. Many people have lost their conventional homes. Alternative cheap housing is badly needed. We're sorta OK here in Canada, but housing is so expensive, that for me, vandwelling is a viable option, almost necessary so I can enjoy freedom. So, I want to see if I can stay in one urban area for years. That's right, same area, for years. I don't know, maybe five or longer. Take advantage of the savings and simplicity. As I have done before, function as a working and social person, engaged in society, and make it work again. This will begin in a month or so.

I have to do some final build out on the van, window treatments and curtains, for privacy and stealth. I haven't really required them recently, because where I've been, I didn't need them. Now I do. So, there will be some articles about the van. But, the ideas expressed above are what really excite me. I've only lived in one major urban area before as a vandweller for around one year, so to do it continuously for longer presents new challenges. We'll see.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, we got some favourable press by a magazine writer who I helped with a article in Maclean's, a national weekly publication. Here is a link to the article, http://www.macleans.ca/culture/lifestyle/article.jsp?content=20080820_12314_12314 . I almost got on a talk radio show with CBC, our national radio network. But, I missed the boat because the programme series had moved on by the time I was in touch.

I hope all of you have had a chance to enjoy the summer. It is my favourite season. Fall is here - time for change.

Flip Your Karma: 8 Tricks to Turn the Bad Into the Awesome

2008-06-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Article written by Leo Babauto, author of the popular blog, Zen Habits.
Published here with expressed permission via uncopywrite.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." - Japanese proverb

It's inevitable; sometimes, life just doesn't go your way.

Your schedule gets all messed up. You fail to follow your exercise plan. Someone is mean to you. You feel like quitting something. You want to curl into a little ball and cry.

Life deals out its' blows, and leaves us discouraged, angry, frustrated, depressed, drained. And once we're in that bad place, in a mood where we just don't care about anything, it's pretty hard to get out of it.

But let me share a little secret to happiness and self-improvement here: all that stuff? It's just in your head.

Yeah, it sure doesn't seem like it. It seems that the slings and arrows of life are all coming at us. It feels like we're a failure. But it's true. It's all in your mind.

How can I trivialize horrible things that happen to you like that? By making it seem like a simple mental problem? Because that's what it is, and once you realize that, you are liberated - you have the power to change your circumstances!

It's not an easy task, I'll give you that. It's incredibly, monumentally hard. Changing your mind and changing your life is a mental hurdle worthy of the titans.

But it can be done. All it takes is a few mental tricks, and a lot of energy and willingness to keep an open mind.

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." - Swedish proverb

Let me give you an example: for the last couple years, I've struggled with exercise. I actually enjoy running and working out, but there are days when I don't feel like doing a thing, or when I feel under the weather, and those days can stretch out to a week and that week can stretch into a few weeks. And then I've fallen of the exercise wagon and it feels like I can't get back on.

But then I use the first couple of tricks below, and my mindset changes. I switch on the positive attitude, and realize that my failure to exercise is actually just a stepping stone to fitness success. And looking back, I've had 6-7 of these failures, or stepping stones, and they've all led me further down the path to fitness. Today, I exercise almost every day, and I'm loving it.

The same is true of every other success I've had. this blog, for example, is a success in my eyes, but I've had points where I was discouraged by negative comments or emails. I flipped that discouragement around, however, and used the comments to help myself improve.

I had many failures along the way to eliminating my debt, but I made it there in the end, by not quitting. I have faced many tests of my patience and character, and failed not a few of those too. But through practice, I've gotten better, and while I'm not perfect, I know that I'll only continue to improve if I keep the same mindset.

It's all in your mind. Here are 8 tricks I use to turn anything bad into something awesome.

1/ The power of positive thinking. I learned the power of positive thinking while I was quitting smoking, and I used the lessons of that challenge to help me with every other challenge I've face since. Quitting smoking, as most smokers (and ex-smokers) know, is supremely difficult. There are many times throughout each day, in the first few weeks especially, when you feel like giving up. When you want just one cigarette (which leads to two...). When you just don't see the point of all this suffering. And yet, if you realize that it's just negative thinking, you can squash that negative thought like a little bug. Then replace it with a with a positive thought ( I can do this!) and you're back on the road to success. Recognize negative thoughts, squash them, and find positive thoughts to replace them. Works every time.

2/ Failure is a stepping stone to success. This is what I tell myself every time I fall. I get up, dust myself off, and start again. Each failure shows you an obstacle you didn't anticipate, and you can plan to beat that obstacle next time. Each failure brings your that much closer to winning. And you know what? Every single time I've told myself that, so far, it's been true. I've succeeded. Getting back up is the main thing.

3/ Practice patience. This is what I tell myself when I get frustrated, when someone is difficult, when I begin to lose my patience. First, I vent somehow (talking to a friend or my wife is one of the best ways for me). Then, I tell myself that is a great way for me to practice my patience. Sometimes, I have to repeat this to myself like a mantra, but it works nonetheless.

4/ Learning experience. Similar to the "stepping stone to success" trick above, but it can be used for anything, not just failure. If I make a mistake, if I make the wrong choice, if I have a bad day ... I just see it as an opportunity to learn. Then I review it in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong, trying to learn from my mistakes. If you see learning as a wonderful thing, as I do, then you can see every mistake as a blessing.

5/ Makes you stronger. "That which does not kill us only makes us stronger," goes the famous saying. And while that's not always true (sometimes we can be left weakened and ruined), I've found it to be true in most cases. Something is difficult? I will be a stronger person for having endured it. This has been the case for me when I went through problems as a teenager (I ran away from home and slept in Golden Gate Park in S.F.), when I went through a divorce seven years ago, when I had stressful and trying times at various jobs. I became a better person because of it.

6/ Test of your character. I like tests and challenges. It motivates me to step up to another lever, to see if i can meet the challenge. This is the case with my first marathon, which was very difficult for me (for various reasons). It wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience for me, but I just saw it as a test. And when I passed that test, it was joyous thing for me. This is true any time you go through a trying time - see it as a challenge, and try to meet that challenge. And when you do, you'll feel great about yourself.

7/ Turn the other cheek. Jesus said that instead of taking an eye for an eye, if someone hits you, just turn the other cheek. I don't know many people who can meet this monumental challenge. I've tried it. It's not easy, and the desire to avenge any wrongs is hard to quash. However, I believe that even making an effort at this will make you a better person. It goes not just for physical wrongs to you, but anything that anyone does to you. They call you a name? Thank them. There will be some people who say that you have to meet force with force, or people will walk all over you. To this I say, "Where does it end?" And I also say, "You are merely stooping to their level." Rise above the pettiness of others, and become a better human being.

8/ Love your enemy. I wrote about this recently as one of life's greatest challenges, and it belongs on this list. When you have anger toward another human being, give this a try. If you succeed, to any degree whatsoever, you will rejoice in this success. It is a miraculous thing.

" A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

Van Renovations have Started!

2008-06-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

As a lot you have realized, I haven't been posting lately. Once again, I went back to work on the off-grid home, so I have been very busy. I got back about 10 days or so ago; so, I started renovating my van. My main goals are to insulate the van very efficiently, and to put in a well-designed bed platform. I tried to design in other aspects to the back area, but, there just isn't enough room.

The first thing I had to do was to remove all the inner linings and roof liner. Then, I could see what I had to deal with. My first goal is to create an insulated roof with around R10 insulation. This is key to my design. One of the greatest heat loss areas is your roof. While the roof liner was a foam structure around R2, and did help, I wanted much more insulation. Then there are your windows, and the rear and side doors and your driving compartment. They will be addressed later.

Left: van interior with liners removed

I wanted to minimize any loss of interior space and maximise insulation. So, I decided to use foam panels of high R-value in between the roof ribs you can see in the photo. I also used a insulation sandwich panel of reflectix facing up, a foam core of R5 and reflectix facing down. There are also trapped air space above and below the suspended insulation. That way, summer heat is reflected up, winter heat is reflected down, and I have a R10 insulated roof in approx. 2 1/4 inches thick area.

Left: Expanding foam injected into structural channels.

Next, I injected foam into the roof channels along the side and across the top. You got to be careful not to put too much in at a time. It won't cure properly if you do, and you could distort body metal. The idea is to not allow any cold areas within your structure, so I'm trying to create a continuous insulating barrier around the interior. Also, any channels which have wiring or working parts which may need to be serviced were not filled. Common sense.

Both above: Framing to accept insulation and mount paneling.

The pictures above show framing which was glued and screwed to the metal roof channel. You gotta be careful not to puncture the exterior metal skin of your van. The picture to the left shows a rear piece which displays the total depth of the insulating space, a little over 2 inches. The frame members mounted on the roof ribs are made up of 1/4 inch thick strips, so it would conform to the curved roof.

Left: Insulating panels glued into place in roof framing.

Next, I added the insulation. Like a fool, I didn't take a picture showing the overall insulating setup. It goes something like this from top to bottom - rooftop metal skin, airspace, reflectix layer, foam insulation panel, reflectix layer, airspace, wood ceiling panel. I wanted the reflectix on top under a airspace to reflect the summer sun's heat, and so far, it's been very effective. I would have used a double thick layer of foam core, but that would have made a much more lowered roof, so I utilized different materials for different types of heat loss/gain. I negated any foam squeaks by taping duct tape around the panels and gluing them into place with a high quality construction glue. On top and below the panel is reflectix, which doesn't squeak against the foam. It works great, no squeaks at all.

Left: Finished roof, paneled, primed and just needing top coat.

My design is to utilize the original side liners with beefed up insulation behind them, and for the insulated wood roof to fit in with them. So far, it is working out great. A few comments. This is taking a long time, much longer than I anticipated, so obviously I am not living in the van. Also, paints and glues off-gas a lot, so you need to do this when it is dry weather to maximize the setting process and minimize the time.

I lost about 1 1/4 inches in overall height in my back area, but I gained very effective insulation. The effect for the summer is immediately noticeable. My van doesn't heat up nearly as much as before. If I have any circulating air, it's like beautiful cool shade in the back. I know it will be effective in winter.

I once insulated a cabin in the mountains. First, I insulated the floor. It made a little difference. Then, I insulated the windows by storm covers and heavy curtains; the walls were fine. That made a noticeable difference, but not a lot. Finally, I insulated the ceiling. I used a thick insulating layer, as per construction methods. This last step made a huge difference, more than all the rest combined. Also, I stopped air leaks around doors, etc.

I applying the same principals to my van. Laren Corie, a fellow vandweller and knowledgeable person, says that insulation is most important for your windows and the roof, in other words the areas of greatest heat loss/gain. I agree. And that is what I'm doing to my van. The next installment will address the windows and sides of the back of my van, my sleeping/storage quarters.

Where Have I Been?

2008-05-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm back!! Did you think I had fallen off the face of the Earth. Well, as far as the human electronic collective is concerned, I did. And it was good.

Since my last post, I've been out in the boonies. No phones, no power grid, no computers, no paved roads - just trees, lakes, streams and rocks. The occasional eagle, bear, cougar and a bunch of people working on an off-grid home. A friend of a friend approached me back eight weeks ago, saying he wanted to hire me to help complete this isolated place. My part time bartending gig was covered by co-workers until I got back and my brother looked after the parents for me. So off I went. To work and learn.

For many of us, eventually you may want to settle in such a idyllic place. Somewhere away from the swirling mass of confusion we call modern society; the craziness of urbanity and whatnot. This was one of the reasons I left my homeland back East and came to the West Coast. This fellows' place was representative of what could be a desirable life style. Sustainable, efficient, power independent and so on. Not completely removed from society - he would still be using fossil fuels for vehicles, etc. Still tied into the money grid and what that entails. But very independent - off the grid.

It was an interesting lesson on how to set up a micro-hydro system, with some solar and genset for backup. It was a practical lesson showing the costs and labour involved in the process of setting up and creating such a place. The home that this person created was rather opulent, hence the need for a crew to finish it off. I received a lot of first hand knowledge of what needs to be done. Building, design aspects, financial and so on.

Personally, will I ever try to do something like this? I don't know, I don't think I want to be so isolated. I don't want to be out past the power grid, but I would like to have alternative power sources that were practical. If you are far out there, you need to use a lot of fuel just to get to town. Unless you create all your own food, you still need to get to town. There are many aspects to consider - medical, socializing, resources. I believe in a basic balance - practical, efficient, simplicity and so on. Finances are a major consideration, now with land being so expensive in British Columbia.

For myself, the last few weeks was an eye-opener of what can be done if you really want to. Regardless of whether you want to be urban or rural, what was really highlighted to me is how wasteful we are in our modern society. I learned about different ways we could change our lifestyle, so we could begin to exist in harmony with our planet. As always, less is more.

Eventually, we all want to settle, when the road becomes too tiresome to wander on. When that happens, I will create my own Shangra-la, but it will be my version, using the same ideas, but simpler, cheaper, resourceful and improvised. Hmmm. We'll see. I'm back.....

Will the Rising Price of Gas be the End for Vandwelling?

2008-04-27T11:58:00.001-07:00

For now, no, not yet. In the future, quite possibly. As of today, the US national average price of gas is $3.59 US per US gallon. In Canada, the national average price of gas is $5.74 CAN per CAN gallon. Now, our gallon is 20% larger than the American gallon, and our money is approx. worth 2% less. So, taking into account the variances, that would make our equivalent gallon around $4.75, due mostly to increased Canadian taxes over the States. Regardless, everyone is concerned with the price of gas, how it affects their livelihoods and with good reason.

In North America, our lifestyle is based on the availability of plentiful, affordable petroleum products. Plastic is everywhere. Rural homes, farming, suburbia, industry, trucking, etc. - require great amount of gas to move people, products and produce all consumables. Everything man made is effected by the price of gas, either by transportation, production or labour. Even if you don't drive at all, the price of gas will affect you.

So, what are we supposed to do? As a consumer, apparently the media says we have elasticity to be able to absorb the rising price of gas. Oh, really. I look around at a lot of people who's budget is strained already to the max. But, that is because they think or live in the North American culture mindset. Spend, credit, debt, no leverage left, maxed out.

In Europe, the price of gas is approx. $8 - $9 per gallon. They've paid twice the price or more for decades, compared to North America. And they make it work. How? Conservation. More fuel efficient vehicles, efficient driving, extensive public transit, doing with less. Less food, clothing, electronics - everything - as they allocate more funds to gasoline instead. The question is - can we do this in North America? It's not a matter of can we - we're gonna have to.

The predictions in Canada are that gas will hit approx. $1.50 per litre here in summer, and around $2.25 per litre by 2012. That translates to $6.81 per CAN gallon this summer, and $10 per CAN gallon by 2012. I figure this summer in the States, that gas prices will jump to around $4.25 per gallon, and around $8 per gallon by 2012.

For myself, I can deal with these prices. At the moment, gas and food are the two largest cost centres of my budget. I allocate $300 monthly for both of them. On an average month, I drive around 200 miles weekly combined driving, so my gas usage costs $240 per month (today's price, leaving me with a $60 budget surplus) . By the summer though, the same gas usage will be $281 per month, still doable with my budget. But by 2012, this rate of gas usage will cost $420 per month. But, keep in mind that this is a bare minimum of driving, just the essential. When I go away for any trip, weekend or longer, I will have to budget extra funds because my regular weekend allotment of driving miles is only 100.

The problems facing North American culture, when compared to Europe, isn't easy. The crux of the matter is the distances involved. If you drive 200 miles in Europe, you are probably in another country. The distances involved are much less than those in North America. Here, we think nothing of living 20 or 30 or more miles from work - produce and products are produced on the other side of the country, if not the world. So, there are going to be many changes, as what worked before barely works now and will not in the foreseeable future.

Because we have eliminated the huge expense of shelter, we as Vandwellers, have a much greater elasticity to deal with the rising price of gas. However, even we have a breaking point. But, our breaking point will be much later than everyone else around. So in 2012, if your vandwelling budget won't handle $8 per gallon in the States, or $10 per gallon in Canada, you will to make drastic choices. Plan accordingly.

One of the neat things about capitalism and macro-economics is the effect of supply and demand on the price of goods. When the price of gas climbs to $10 per gallon, North Americans will have to evolve into more conservational consumers. If the overall gas consumption drops considerably, due to nationwide conservation, so will the price. I realize that China and India are creating a large demand, but sooner or later, their economies will max out too. Why? When the Western world greatly reduces their demand for products from these countries, China's and India's economies will stall or stop growing and as well, their demand for gas.

Another factor in the price of gas is the effect of investment dollars. Gas futures, options, speculation - control of supplies and so on - are increasing the price of a barrel of oil by around 30%. A lot of these factors are completely artificially made by capitalism. So, if the world's nations started looking at oil and gasoline not at a commodity, but as a necessity, it's time for our governments to impose regulations which would control price environmental factors. If not, gas prices will continue to soar, which in turn will ruin economies around the world. Choices, choices.

Because Europeans make high gas prices work there, I say we can do it here too. But, it's not going to easy. We will have to work hard to implement changes, both systemic and technological, but being an optimist, I know we can do it. Humans have the ability to adapt and change, and here in North America, we have as much ability to do so, as anywhere on the planet. So for the moment, forget about crying about gas hitting $4 per gallon in the States, or $6.5 in Canada. Evolve. Deal with it. One day, you will reminisce when the price was that low.

What's the Point - For my Vandwelling

2008-04-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Every time you look at the media you get bombarded by the same messages - rising fuel price hence rising cost of everything, food shortages, pollution, high cost of housing, global warming and so on. I'm not going to propose that being a Vandweller is the solution. I'm not going to say you should be a Vandweller. But, it's obvious that free spirits in North America need a break, a different option.

And there aren't many choices out there; or are there? Since the '50's, North American culture has been conditioning us to consume - mass quantities - brand new, the latest, the greatest- as much as you can, all the time. And poor Mother Earth can't take it anymore. There's too many of us. She's changing, and if we don't change, we will go the way of the dinosaur.

A long time ago, I decided to march to the beat of a different drummer. I knew I didn't want to squander my life on the typical pursuit of happiness, the acquisition of possessions - the house in the 'burbs, the two car garage with the Impala and a station wagon for my family. Suburbia was not for me. So, I have been a Nomad for many years, searching for my Shangri-la and enjoying the journey.

And I found it. My Shangri-la, that is. But, so have many others. So now it is very expensive to buy land in British Columbia. It may never happen for me. But, so what. Do we really need to own land and a house and all that stuff? I don't know, because I have deep seated conditioning that makes me think that I do. But, is it really necessary? No.

The majority of the world doesn't own their own home, if they even have anything they can call a home. The majority of the world doesn't live in a beautiful place like I do, have food on their table, health care of any sort, a personal vehicle with gas in the tank. They aren't occasionally free to roam the land at will, holidaying around. No. We are very lucky in North America, yet we complain at the littlest hardship, like paying more for gas and things. Conditioning.

I personally don't have a problem with the way things are going - because it is a wake-up call for all of us. Capitalism, consumerism and unchecked industrialization is killing the planet and us. We are slowly being forced into conservation by the high cost of anything. I think it had to happen, sooner or later. The solution - use less - just what you need.

Is this the legacy we want to leave future generations? I feel they will look back at the last century and curse us for being so selfish, so wasteful, so arrogant. That we felt justified in doing anything we wanted, so we could have lots of toys and money and big houses and big cars and take holidays in the Caribbean via jet planes. And leave them a damaged, maybe beyond repairable planet, past the point of no return. A wasteland.

And this is part of why I became a Vandweller. It follows the tenet of conservation, recycle, reduce and reuse. I found I could be less wasteful. I utilize everything I own, because there is no room to have too much stuff. Recently, I saw a video, http://www.storyofstuff.com/. Watch it. When you buy stupid crap that you don't really need, you are just feeding the madness. It's not your fault. I'm just as guilty as anyone. We are conditioned from birth to live this way. But, we can change.

I recycled an older vehicle, which would probably have gone to a wreckers soon because the average person wants something newer. I reduced my demands on the planet, by not occupying a specific dwelling (house, apartment), which would require mega-resources to construct, heat and maintain. I reduced my fuel consumption by driving only 200 miles a week, instead of commuting 400 miles a week to that fixed abode. I utilize existing spaces to satisfy my lifestyle and needs, instead of demanding my own. I reuse what I can, so new things don't have to be made.

Oh, I'm not perfect. Hell, no. I drive a gas guzzlin' van, man. But, overall, my carbon footprint is smaller than before, because of my simpler lifestyle.

As well, there are other benefits too. My financial footing has never been better, even though I work less. Why? Because I have decreased one major expense, the expense of shelter. Now, I have replaced my apartment with a van; when compared to having both a car and a home, to only just a vehicle, I save big time. I can afford good food, good health care, recreation and modest travel. You won't save too much in one or two months, but over the accumulated time of years, we are talking of thousands of dollars. And, that becomes freedom - more free time, more savings, no debt.

The whole world looks to North America as the shining beacon, the highest standard of living on the planet. We lecture other countries, no, don't do what we have done and continue to do. Don't cut down that rain forest. Who the hell are we to talk, as we whip our asses with four ply and eat double cheeseburgers. Conserve and save the planet, we preach from our Lazy-boys.

Too late, the industrialization of China and India are going to make North America look like a back water, 'small potatoes'. Maybe if the citizenry of North America really started to rally on saving the planet, instead of ignorant consumerism, we could set an example to follow. We have taught the rest of the world how to follow in our previous footsteps. I hope we find a new path.

That's why I appreciate the old slogan, 'Act locally, think globally.' I think being a Vandweller is a step in that direction. North America is a big place, and unfortunately, most of us need transportation to live and thrive on this continent. Employment is not always within walking distance. So, I have combined two of my major needs, transportation and shelter, to use less of finite natural resources and create less pollution. Maybe, it will work for you. Maybe this way of sacrifice could help us all.

Enjoy Life Now and Save for Later

2008-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Article written by Leo Babauto, Author of the popular blog, Zen Habits

Published here by permission via uncopywrite

ed.note - North American culture has conditioned us that the pursuit of happiness is based of spending lots of money for possessions we don't need. Being a Vandweller forces you to make hard choices about possessions and luxuries, but the lifestyle rewards you with simplicity, minimalism and a better financial footing. This article reflects some of these values.

Often we're told that we have we have to suffer now - give up what we want - in order to succeed later, that in order to save we must sacrifice. Give up instant gratification to get delayed gratification.

But you can do both.

For years, I was confused about this, as I read books and websites that sent me two different messages;

1/ Pleasure later. The first message was that in order to be successful, in order to build wealth, you have to delay gratification. You can't have instant gratification and be successful.

2/ Pleasure now. The second message was usually from other sources on happiness, but sometimes from the same source: enjoy life now, while you can, because it's short and you never know when your last day will come. Live every day like it's your last.

Trouble is, I agree with both messages. And if you read this site often, you'll see that I send both messages: Live frugally and simply! But also enjoy life!

That's because I've reconciled the two philosophies into one: Live life now and enjoy it to the fullest - without destroying your future. The key to doing that? Find ways to enjoy life completely, utterly, maximally ... that don't cost your future very much.

Here are some tips for actually living that philosophy:

Find free or cheap pleasures. Frugality does not have to be boring or restrictive ... if your use your imagination. Be creative and find ways to have fun - loads of it - without spending much money. Have a picnic at the park, go to the beach, do crafts, board games, fly a kite, make art, bake cookies ... I could list a hundred things, and you could come up with a hundred more. Make a list of simple pleasures, and enjoy them to the maximum. This is the key to the whole idea of enjoying life now without spending tomorrow's dollar.

Make simplifying fun. I'm a big fan of simplifying my life, from decluttering to creating a simple lifestyle in every way. I get rid of stuff (and possibly make money selling it) and have a blast doing it. That's good math.

Rediscover what's important. Oftentimes we spend tons of money, shopping, going out, watching movies, eating out ... without really enjoying life. And when we stop to think about it, we never have time for the things we really want to do. Well, that's probably because your life is filled with things that aren't very important to you. Instead, step back and really think about what's important. Listen to some stuff on my list: my wife and kids, other friends and family, reading, writing, exercising, volunteering, spending quiet time in contemplation. Guess how many of those tings cost a lot of money? Not many.

Make people a priority. This is related to the above point, but I thought I'd give it a little more emphasis. If you give 'stuff' a priority - stuff like gadgets, nice furnishings, nice clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. - then you will spend a lot of money. But if your make people a priority - the people you love the most, your close friends and family - you don't need to spend a dime to enjoy life. Make some time to visit with friends, or your parents ... and have a conversation with them that doesn't involve eating out or going to the movies. Just sit, have some iced tea or hot cocoa, and talk. Tell jokes and laugh your heads off. Talk about books you've read, movies you've watched, new things going on in your life, your hopes and dreams.

Find time for yourself. Make time every day, and every week, to spend time alone. It really gives more meaning and enjoyment to your life, rather that rushing through life with no time to think, to breathe.

Sometimes, splurge. You shouldn't restrict yourself from expensive pleasures all the time; it's not good to develop the feeling of deprivation. To prevent that, once in a while, buy yourself something ... or better yet, give yourself a decedent treat. I love things with dark chocolate or berries. Just don't go overboard .. and learn to enjoy the splurge to the fullest.

Track your successes. It doesn't really matter how you track your success - you can use gold stars for creating a simplifying or frugal habit, or a spreadsheet chart to track your decreasing debt and increasing savings. Tracking is a great way to not only provide motivation, but to make the process of changing fun.

Reward yourself. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

Volunteer. One of the most rewarding things for my family has been when we managed to volunteer. It's actually only something we started doing last year, but since then, we've done it a bunch of times in a number of different ways. And while it doesn't cost a dime, it is tremendously rewarding in ways that money could never buy.

Live in the moment. Learn to think not so much about the past or future, but about what you are going through right now. Be present. It may seem trite, but it's the key to enjoying life to the fullest - without having to spend money. Think about it - you can spend money eating out, but if you are not really thinking about what you are eating, you may not enjoy it much at all. But if you cook a simple and delicious meal, and really taste every bite, it can tremendously enjoyable without costing a lot.

Slow down. In the same way, you can't really enjoy life to the fullest if it's rushing past you like it's in fast forward. Ever think about how quickly a week, a month or a year goes by? Perhaps you are in the fast lane too much. Try slowing down and things will be less stressful and more enjoyable.

Learn to find cheap, cool stuff. I like shopping at thrift stores. You can find many cool/useful things there, and it costs so little. Garage sales are the same way. Check out http://www.freecycle.org/, or maybe http://www.ebay.com/ - you may find that item you need for little expense.

ed.note - I have always found that for myself, life and decisions are to be approached with a sense of balance, yin and yang, give and take, indulgence and thriftiness. Do you really want to spend your life on the acquisition of possessions or have the freedom to enjoy life? Some food for thought.

Cheers, Urban Vandweller

The Zen of Urban Stealth Parking, Part Two

2008-04-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

Since I wrote the first post of stealth parking on Jan, 17th, many people have made inquiries for more information, both to me and on the Vandwellers' forum. This is a major issue for vandwellers because the ability to park when and where you need to in the city is important. You don't want to be constantly rousted by the cops; these days with the anti-urban camping laws it could mean your van being impounded. In two years of urban street camping, I haven't had to deal with the police once, but I go to great extremes to be stealthy. Funny thing though, is that every ones experience will vary depending on region and city, so it's a matter of exploration and experimentation on your part.

Here are some more thoughts on this topic.

Location, location, location. One of the main concerns for stealth parking is picking locations where your van looks like it belongs there. This is one of the main tenets of camouflage, being in plain site, but hidden or invisible. If your vehicle is surrounded by similar vans, it will just blend into the local environ. If your vehicle is the only one of it's type in the area, it will stick out like a sore thumb, just begging for attention. As well, some places have no vehicles parked there at night, so your lonely van in a large open area, may attract attention because it is the only vehicle parked there at all. Cops and security services are very vigilant these days, so you need to think like them to avoid detection.

Industrial areas - It would make sense to use these areas for large box or cube vans, or for the basic white cargo van. Why? Cuz' they look like they belong there. It just looks like a work vehicle, parked overnight for the next days' business. Also, these vans have higher personal security; less or no windows, and maybe a lockable metal barrier behind the driving compartment. Industrial areas attract certain types of people at night; thieves, prostitutes, drug dealers, etc. - so it's wise to be both vigilant and secure. But, there are very few other people around, which makes it convenient for night parking.

Shopping mall lots and strip malls - In these areas, Walmart store lots are the easiest. A lot of Walmarts allow overnight parking for the RV crowd and stealth vans fit right in. But, I only use Walmarts when I need a quick solution. Why? I believe the police aren't too happy about Walmart parking lots; to them, the lots become an unregulated urban campground in their jurisdiction. So it wouldn't surprise me if they check them out and pay attention to who is staying there. If I was just travelling down the road, not being a local, of course I would use them. But, I generally live in one city for months or years at a time. So for me, parking at a Walmart on a regular basis would be like advertising to the police, that I am homeless in a vehicle. Not very stealthy.

A lot of large shopping malls have no overnight parking restrictions, which eliminates them. But for malls or standalone stores which have 24hr. business hours, bingo! As long as you remain discreet and stealthy, why not. I find that the tiny strip malls are sometimes a perfect blend of privacy, no parking restrictions and a occasional choice for my soccer-mom type van. It all just depends, you got to go with your gut feelings. For the box or cube van and the white cargo van, these vehicles can be parked close to a business or store like it is there for the next days work.

Nightclub parking lots - The premise that vehicles are left overnight because of drinking patrons is good to take advantage of. But. There are some disadvantages to using these lots. Timing is critical because of surveillance by doormen or the police. Impaired drivers may hit your vehicle and make a lot noise leaving the area at closing time. Choose your parking spot wisely. Police quite often check out lots to see who is in the bar and doorman may be looking out for drunken patron behaviour (fights, rowdiness, etc.) You need to slip in and lay very low at the right moment, which is different for every place. Expect to be woken up by loud patrons until closing time.

Downtown urban streets - I have mixed feelings about these areas. Although most parking meters don't charge overnight, you need to pay close attention to security (lots of street people, cops, security forces). You maybe the only vehicle in the area, and I don't like that. I like to be somewhat hidden from view, blending in with the crowd of parked vehicles. But, once in a while, I use specific downtown pay parking lots. I especially like using them during extreme snow or wind storms; peoples' attention is distracted by the extreme weather. Quite often, there is only a pay machine for collecting fees at night, security is minimal with bike patrols, so I can slip in and out with no human contact. The only problems arise from street people who use them for shelter from bad weather, but that is no worse than industrial areas. You really have to pick and choose the specific lot and use it sparingly.

Urban and surrounding suburbia - For me, this is my preferred area for night parking. My favourite neighborhoods are those that have a lot of houses which are split into separate apartments. That way, there are lots of people on the block, which come and go at all times with residents that mind their own business. There are lots of cars parked on the street, so blending in with the crowd with my stealthed-out soccer-mom van is no problem. Because the buildings are houses, lines of sight from the windows get interrupted/obscured by trees and shrubs, so many parking spots are discreet for slipping in and out of. Different types of vans fit right in some neighborhoods or don't at all. Drive around and when you see your type of van parked often, you have found where you belong.

If you drive a white cargo (work) type van, pick a suburb where lots of these types of vehicles are parked on the street, an working man's suburb with tradespeople. If you drive a family type van, like an Astro, Aerostar, Econoline, Savanna, etc. - coloured not white, cargo or passenger (window) type, consider a neighborhood like I described above, middle-class with lots of single people. Don't pick a upper class neighborhood, rich people don't park on the street, so your vehicle will stick out like a sore thumb. Also, some neighborhoods will have lots of nosy parker residents, so try to avoid these areas as well. In other words, choose your parking areas carefully, so you blend in and don't attract unwanted attention.

I mentioned camouflage before in describing what we do when stealth parking. I coloured my reflectix window coverings to almost match my van colour behind the tinted glass windows. Everything is slick and nondescript with my van; homemade or junky details will attract attention; avoid distinguishing bumper sticker or details; think stealth. I just use my night parking spots for sleep and in my previous post, I talked about my methods for behavior at these spots. I remain very quiet and discreet when parked for the night and I leave first thing in the morning.

Something else I'd like to mention that I feel is important will be controversial with some vandwellers. I apologize ahead of time, but I think it is worth mentioning to new vanners. I believe pets left behind in vans attract unwanted attention. Now, I like pets. I've had dogs and cats before. I will have them again. But, if someone is suspicious of your van, and they see a pet left there for hours at a time, I think it doesn't take much for them to figure out you live there. Also, do gooders may feel you could be mistreating your pet, especially in the summer. I understand if you have a pet already you are going to keep him/her, but if you don't already have one, think twice before getting one when living in a van. I would avoid it if you need to be stealthy.

Something I also thought wouldn't be stealthy for urban night parking is campervans, like VW Westfalias and other obviously camperised vehicles. I still believe RV's are just too obvious and usually too large to park easily on city streets. But one emailer told me how he lives on the streets of San Francisco, CA in his Westfalia. He mentioned it's a bit of a cat and mouse game with the local cops, but for the most part he is very successful. I just thought that a campervan would be too obvious and attract unwanted attention, but he does it.

I hope some of these thoughts may help you in successful stealth parking. Good sleeping.

Current Events - April '08

2008-04-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather on the Wet Coast (that's right, wet, not west) of BC, Canada is slowly getting milder. It sure is taking it's sweet time, though. I thought I'd share some things going on in my life.

1/ My folks require a lot of care and attention these days. As a result, I won't be able to travel too far or for too long from home base in the Gulf Islands. They are 87 and 86 years old, and I want them to enjoy their house on the island for as long as possible, so, they need a lot of help. Which means no major road trips for the next year or two, just provincial trips, maybe a week or so in length. It also means that my life will be living at my folks place a lot of the time; getting back to living full-time in the city or a resort is 'on hold'. So, my vandwelling will be part time in nature, as I shift into a different lifestyle balance for the meantime.

2/ My Aerostar is too small for my renovation ideas!!! After careful measuring, and modifying the design, I just can't get the balance of seating, sleeping and storage in the back to work out. I can easily get two out of three, but not all three needs to fit. The problem. Headroom or height. Also, I like a largish bed for when I'm not alone. ;-) Sure, I guess I could get a high top installed (maybe?), but the additional cost (if possible) is prohibitive. If I was going to spend that much extra money, I would just get another van. Maybe an Astro would do, but probably a full-size van would be appropriate. This is the problem though. I don't want to lose the good gas mileage I get with the Aerostar; gas prices should jump up drastically this summer. So, it looks like 'Aero' will remain a mobile pup tent, with only sleeping and storage in the back. I'm being tempted by van infidelity, but 'Aero' has tons of life left in him, and I don't want to sell. Decisions, decisions.

3/ Road trips. I just got back from six days in Whistler, partying it up with friends (reason for no recent articles). I'm looking forward to the weather breaking soon with warm days. Camping trips, exploration, music festivals, visiting friends and so on, are all on the calender this year. I can hardly wait. The major highlights for exploration are places I haven't been on Vancouver Island and inland to the West Kootenay and Lower Chilcotin regions. Eventually, all nomads settle down and I'm looking at all these areas as possible home base regions. So far, I seem to be really attracted to the Arrow Lakes area.

4/ I keep taking on new work projects, so my van renovations (for what they will be now), keep getting put on the back burner. I've just got too much on my plate. I apologize to those who have been waiting for photos and articles, I can't help it. The project will proceed as soon as possible, so I can share with you.

So, there you have it folks, some news in the life of Urban Vandweller. I wish good fortune to you and yours.

Death Valley in my Volkswagen Bus

2008-04-06T10:02:00.001-07:00

Another road trip video by the YouTube contributor, 'theswatter'. Shot in classic black and white with vintage soundtrack!

Touring the U.S. in a 1973 VW bus

2008-04-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

Road trip, road trip - sure I'll have a coffee - road trip, road trip....

Touring Baja in a Van

2008-04-04T13:15:00.001-07:00

I think it's time for a road trip again!!!

Home Cookin' with the Van

2008-04-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

I like food. Food is good. I reward and nourish myself with good food because I work and play hard. Being a vandweller, you need good food because you live a robust lifestyle. I'm not a master chef, just a bachelor (again!), that knows how to prepare basic comfort foods. As usual, I try to streamline and simplify the process of procuring, storing and processing food when vandwelling.

To understand the way I deal with food, you need to understand a little about my lifestyle and network. Sometimes I live in the city, sometimes in the country; I pick up groceries after work several times a week. I usually only store about 2+ days of fresh food; things like coffee, sugar, cooking oils, granola, I'll usually have a few weeks worth on board. Workdays, I eat something light for breakie, something light for lunch, and a fair dinner at night. Weekends, I eat a brunch type meal and a full dinner.

During the weekdays, I'll usually have dinner at a friend's place 1 or 2 nights, maybe a casual dinner at a reasonable diner. On the weekend, I'll probably have dinner and/or brunch at my folks' or friends. That leaves me with about 5 breakies, 5 lunches (if working full-time) and about 3-4 dinners for the average week, that I prepare, store and devour around the van. That schedule is key to understanding my lightweight setup.

I don't cook inside the van. Why? I lived in a very small apartment (bachelor size) once, around 300 square feet. Although it had a very good ventilation hood, the cooking smell and grease (if I fried or grilled and definitely, no cajun!!!) would permeate the place. I had to be careful to balance the style/amount of cooking in the apartment, so it would remain clean and fresh. I like to do the same with my van, which in minuscule in size. Also, boiling water on the stove (tea, soups, etc.) would steam it up.

I live in a temperate rain forest on coastal British Columbia, Canada. Although it snows little here, it rains ( a lot!!!) for the cooler months of the year (Oct. to Apr.). So the relative humidity outside will hover between 70% to 100% all the time. Condensation, mildew and mold need to be respected and controlled. So, you don't want to introduce any extra moisture inside your van during this period; I just want to ventilate and heat sufficiently to be healthy. Using propane inside, for unvented cooking or heating, is a unwanted source of humidity.

So, I tailgate cook and dine. My Aerostar rear hatch flips up and provides a small porch roof for rain shelter. Sometimes I slip a small tarp on top and drape it over one side for wind cover. I use a small table for cooking and eating on, and the back cover area is my pantry and outdoor cantina. I have a curtain across the back hatch opening, so cooking smells, grease and too much outdoor moisture drift inside the van. Sometimes I eat outside, sometime inside. Depends. The weather also affects what I will cook or eat, but more on that later.

For now, I use the basic Coleman two-burner propane stove. I have a bulk 5-gallon tank with gauge and safety regulator, and I use a hand held sniffer for safety. I have a backup small disposable 1lb propane cylinder if I run out while cooking; it hasn't happened yet. Simple cooking gear, one medium saucepan (pot) with vegie steamer insert, two smallish pans (one cast iron, one T-fal nonstick, w/ lids), some odds and sods and there you are. Basic spices, oils, cooking/cleaning/eating things, one medium size cooler (uses ice), simple, simple, simple.

For breakie around the van, usually I just boil some water for coffee and cleanup. Sometimes hot cereal. In the city, I stop at the quiet end of urban parks, staying away from people so I don't get disturbed too much. When the weather starts turning nasty, I try to find places that have wind breaks around them; some parks have covered barbecue pits or gazebos. Since the temperature here rarely goes below freezing in the winter, the average winter daily high is around 5 -10 degrees C or 40 - 50 degrees F, so it's pretty mild. I can eat/cook quite easily outside for 10 months of the year. It's only when the winds are very high, or it's absolutely teeming with rain or really cold, that I go into hibernation mode.

Lunches for work are a simple affair, essentially cold plates of veggies, cheese and meats or sandwiches; sometimes I eat the same for dinner. Dinners, I eat hearty soups and stews; I prepare pan 'fried, roasted, seared' meats, poultry and fish. I'll steam some vegies or make an accompanying salad, depends what I got in the cooler. I prepare/eat small portions of boneless cuts of meat, which cook very quickly. Maybe a stirfry over rice, tacos or a hamburger. I like easy, fast and nutritious meals. As I mentioned earlier, I don't store much, so I always eat fresh food. Plain Jane. Simple.

For the two coldest months of the year, I still do the breakie thing, but dinner becomes more challenging. I'll eat dinners quite often at my friends'/folks' place. I'll splurge and use a reasonable diner/pub maybe two evenings a week, or just create a cold plate (very easy). Even during the coldest months here, there are lots of days I can still cook outside; I'll just eat inside the van. I dress appropriately for the weather and I'm not really cold. With long johns, gloves, boots, wool toque and a vest, you are quite warm around freezing temps., when out of the wind and rain. Of course, I am a Crazy Canuck, but I don't live in an igloo. Not yet. 'Tho, it would be neat to check it out one day. Bon Appetite!!!

VW Camper Van Interiors

2008-03-31T13:21:00.001-07:00

I'm looking at some of the design aspects of the old original VW's, and seeing how I can incorperate them into my van. My Aerostar is very compact, so I need to organize everything so it will maximize space usage.

Applying the Zen of Simplicity to Moving Into a Van

2008-03-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Simplicity. Streamlining. Organization. Minimalism. If you've read my blog for very long, these buzz words are repeated again and again, ad nauseum. Sorry about that, but that's the way it goes. I believe it's a requirement for vandwelling. Why?

When you live in a basic apartment, your floor space is around 500 square feet, with a 10 foot high ceiling. When you live in a van, your floor space is around 50 square feet, with maybe a 4 and a half foot high ceiling. Apartment interior volume is 5,000 cubic feet; van interior volume is a paltry 225 cubic feet. Compared to your apartment, a van has only approx. 5% of the interior volume to contain the belongings you need to function. Only 5%! So, you've got to get rid of a lot of stuff. But how?

Like most people, you've probably spent a lifetime obtaining furniture, electronic gizmos, cooking/dining stuff, clothes, and so on. We are conditioned from birth that the acquisition of belongings is key to the pursuit of happiness. Well, it certainly creates happiness to the companies that make and sell stuff. But, it creates more expenditures for you to purchase, store, maintain, insure and protect this plethora of belongings. Do we own the stuff, or does it own you?

The shedding of unnecessary belongings is key to minimalist simplicity, especially when vandwelling. Unless you can store this stuff for little or no money, it doesn't make sense to keep it. There is no room, it won't work, it won't fit; so it's got to go somewhere. I'm lucky because I have lots of free storage options at my folks, family and friends. I've got boxes and furniture stored all over. But, for the most part, you and I should probably just sell/give away what we don't really use any more.

When I first approached the fining process of moving into my van, I tried to do it from the top down. In other words, I looked over the stuff in my apartment to see what could work. It was overwhelming 'cuz there was so much stuff I wanted to have/keep. This method was not working. Instead, I went out and sat in my van and began to visualize.

I temporarily forgot about all the stuff in the apartment and focused on the van interior. I created some short lists of what I needed to live in the van. Clothing, bedding, toiletries, food basics and van maintenance were the important categories. Some categories had seasonal considerations, like clothing. For the moment, I ignored entertainment because I live in a minivan, space is a premium and entertainment is a luxury, not a requirement. I created a simple layout, which would define storage capacity and systems necessary for cooking, cleaning and clothing. I filled out the short lists, so I could define specifically what I could get by with. Later, when these requirements were met, I could evolve or add to suit my personal wants and needs. But at least, I had a starting point.

Armed with the lists defining what was needed in the van, I went back into the apartment. Wow. Look at all the shit I have. This is what happened.

1/ Furniture - Almost guaranteed, 99.99% of the furniture you have won't work in the van. It won't fit, it doesn't incorporate storage in it's design, it's the wrong shape. Sometimes people use an old couch or hide-a-bed in their larger cargo vans. But then there's no storage underneath, and it takes up a lot of valuable space, only you can decide what right for you. Maybe a small side table or small bookshelf can be used, but remember that most van walls are curved on the sides, so placement is key. In my minivan, all my furniture was not applicable. So, it had to be stored, sold or gave away.

2/ Electronic gizmos - Television, home stereo, desktop computer and printer, microwave and so on. Anything that operates on 120 Volts AC is non-operational in your van, unless you have shore power, or a generator/house battery system. Even then, these items are usually too big and not very power efficient for van based systems. You might be able to use some of it, but that depends on where you live/park your van, ie. access to continuous/occasional shore power. If you need this stuff in your life, you will probably be looking at new systems, which are designed for vans. For me, my van interior didn't have the layout or space for using any of this stuff, so I stored, sold or gave it away. The computer system I set up at my parents' place, I'm there almost weekly because they need my help.

3/ Cooking/Dining wares - Pull out everything from the cupboards, and probably 80-90% of what you have, you won't need anymore. There's too much, it's too big, you won't be having 6 people over for dinner, and so on. But, you will have some key things for a minimal kitchen setup, so you use what works. The rest, store, sell or give away.

4/ Clothing - For the van, I have a set of clothing I use year round, which covers basics for both work and play. I have two subsets of seasonal clothing, one for the warmer season and one for the cooler season. I don't have the room to keep it all in the van, so I store the out of season clothing subset somewhere else. What works for you, only you can decide.

5/ Everything else - If it doesn't fit, or work within, store, sell or give away. You have only so much space to work with, so you can only do what you can. For me, I store my guitars at my friends' studio (keep one acoustic in the van); I go to a gym and hike for exercise, gave away my bike (no room); books are kept to a minimum and rotated (stored if kept or given away and library).

Store, sell or give away. Only 10% or so of what you had before, you will be able to use when in the van, so reduce, reduce, reduce. You can always add more later, as your new lifestyle evolves. Because of space restrictions, only items which are functional, spatial and of importance will work out.

Unless you can store items for free, you are paying a premium on their worth. Unless the item is irreplaceable because of sentimental or collectible reasons, it may be false economy to store things for a long time. A friend of mine has had a storage locker for ten years, and for $10k worth of stuff, he has paid out over $10k in storage fees; a poor decision I think. You may lose some money now, by selling something cheaply, but you can always get similar replacement items later.

Reorganize and streamline. As you move into the van, your daily routines and possessions will evolve into what works. As you morph into a modern nomad, streamline these routines and possessions into just what you have to do and need. Then you are free to be your new self, a vandweller.

Four Laws of Simplicity & How to Apply Them to Life

2008-03-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Article written by Leo Babauto, Author of the popular blog, Zen Habits.
Published here by expressed permission via uncopywrite

ed.note - Living in a van forces you to minimize your possessions. Little space means little amount of stuff. Minimalism is key. Read through the article. Next blog post, I'll talk about my experience with regards to simplicity for vandwelling.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci

The problem with many books and guides on simplifying your clutter, your work life, your desk, your life, is that they are usually too darn complicated.

We need a simple method of simplifying.

It's been nearly a decade since I first started trying to simplify my life, and in those years I've struggled with clutter. I've had surges and ebbs of complications and simplicity. I've tried dozens of methods of simplifying from as many sources. It's been an interesting journey, although not one that I can recommend to everyone. If you're looking to simplify a certain aspect of your life, you don't want to go through that kind of confusion.

So, I've boiled it down to a simple method of Four Laws of Simplicity, that you can use on any area of your life, and in fact on your life as a whole:

1. Collect everything in one place.

2. Choose the essential.

3. Eliminate the rest.

4. Organize the remaining stuff neatly and nicely.

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

To illustrate, let's take a quick look at how to declutter a drawer. Let's say this is the worst junk drawer in your home - it has take-out menus from restaurants that closed down a dozen years ago, manuals for computers that used DOS as their primary OS, tools that you have no idea how to use, more rubber bands, paper clips and chopsticks that you can ever use, mementos from your unfortunate foray into rubber stamp hobbying, souvenirs from that Mexico City trip you'd rather forget about, not to mention a funky smell that reminds you of gym class.

You could spend all day sorting through such a mess and still have a mess. (Or more likely, you'll close the drawer and forget about it.) But let's see how the 4-step method would be applied to our drawer:

1. Collect. Take out everything and put it in a pile. Empty the entire drawer, and pile it all on a counter or a table. Take everything out, down to the last paper clip.

2. Choose. Pick out only the few things you love and use and that are important to you. Just sort through the pile, picking out the really essential stuff. Be very selective. Put the important stuff you pick out into a separate, smaller pile.

3. Eliminate. Toss the rest out. You know you'll never need those manuals again. Don't be sentimental with step. Either throw everything into a big trash bag, or find a new home for some of the items if you think someone might have a use for them - donate them to charity or give them to a friend who would love them. And yes, you have to toss out all the chopsticks.

4. Organize. Put back the essential things, neatly, with space around things. Clean the drawer out first, of course, and put the very small pile of things you chose back in the drawer, grouping like things together and leaving space around the groups. Having space around things makes everything look neater and simpler.

That's it. You now have a very nice, simplified junk drawer, with (let's hope) a much less funky smell.

This simple method can be applied to every area of your life. My suggestion is to focus on one area at a time, apply the method, and then move to the next area. So, if you just wanted to simplify a couple of areas of your life, you could focus on one per week, but if you wanted to simplify your entire life, I'd do one area every couple of days until you're done.

Here are some examples of how you could apply the above method to other areas of your life:

Closets. Focus on one area of the closet at a time - a shelf at a time for instance. Take everything off the shelf and put it in a pile on the floor. Pick out only the really important stuff that you love and use. Put the rest in a box to donate. Put the important stuff back on the shelf, grouping like things together and leaving space around the groups. Or just leave the shelves fairly empty, and get rid of most of your stuff. Move on the next area. My suggestion is to leave the floor of your closet clear - it makes it look much nicer and simpler.

Your desk. Clear everything off the surface of your desk (excepting perhaps, your computer and phone). For the surface of the desk, I would suggest only putting your inbox and nice photo or two, and nothing else. Put supplies in a drawer, and file the papers. Toss out the rest. Then do the drawers of your desk the same way, one at a time, leaving space in each drawer. It's so much more relaxing to work in a simplified environment. After you're done with the desk, do your walls.

Your work tasks. Have a long to-do list (or a bunch of long context lists)? Spend a little time adding every task or project you can think of to your lists, until it's as complete as you can. then choose only the tasks that you really want to do, or that will give your the absolute most long-term benefit, and put those on a separate, shorter list. The rest of the stuff? See if you can eliminate them, or delegate them, or at least put them on a someday/maybe list to be considered later. then only focus on your short list, trying to choose the three most important things on the list to do each day.

Your commitments. Make a list of all your commitments in your life, from work to personal. Include hobbies, clubs, online groups, civic groups, your kids' activities, sports, home stuff, etc. Anything that regularly takes up your time. Now pick out the few of those that really give you value, enjoyment, long-term benefits. Toss the rest, if possible. It might be difficult to do that, but you can get out of commitments if you just tell people that you don't have the time anymore. This will leave you with a life that only has the commitments you really enjoy and want to do. Leave space around them, instead of filling up your life.

Your wardrobe. Do you really need 40 T-shirts? Or 40 pairs of shoes? How many jeans do you actually wear? One drawer or section of your closet at a time, put everything on your bed in a pile, choose the clothes your really love and actually wear on a regular basis, donate the rest, and put the ones you love back in your drawers or closet. Leave space around the clothes - don't stuff your drawers full.

A room. If you'd like to simplify your cluttered rooms, start with the furniture. Which ones do you love and use? Get rid of the rest. Now clear every flat surface in the room, from counters to tables to shelves to desktops. Choose the stuff you love, and get rid of the rest. Leave the flat surfaces as clear as possible, only putting back a few choice objects. Now do the drawers and cabinets the same way. Also do everything on your floor that's not a piece of furniture, leaving the floor as clear as humanly possible.

Your email inbox. Have an email inbox full of clutter? Dump all your emails in your inbox into a folder. Scan through the folder, choosing only a few to reply to and putting those in a separate folder. Delete or archive the rest.

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. " - Henry David Thoreau

ed.note - Next post, I'm going to discuss how the premise and methodology described in this article are fundamental to vandwelling. Simplification is freedom.

Cheers, Urban Vandweller

Seven Things - You don't need or want to Know about Me.

2008-03-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I just got back into town from some revelry up in Whistler over the holiday, and found I've been tagged by Tara, the Hobo Stripper (see cool links). Apparently, I'm mysterious, but, after these secrets are revealed, so much for being so. Actually, I think I'm pretty normal (Ha, ha, says the laughing boy), for a vandwelling, nomadic type that is. So, here goes.

1/ I'm single, but not for lack of trying. I've been engaged three times, and disengaged three times. I've been common law three times, and uncommon lawed three times. All these relationships were healthy and ended well, they just didn't stand the test of time. Maybe I am supposed to be single, I don't know, it's just life. But, I'm a father and grandfather from none of those six women.

2/ I seem to have a cosmic connection with exotic dancers; not by intention, just by circumstance. The mother of my daughter was a dancer, but we didn't really date, except enough to procreate (long story). From this connection, I am related to my two best friends from high school (over 35 years); we call ourselves, the 'evil cousins'. As well, my third fiance was a dancer before I knew her.

3/ Unlike many vandwellers on the forum (Vandwellers'), I'm comfortable no matter where I live. What I mean is, many of them feel uncomfortable in conventional housing, ie. house, apartment. I just live where I live, go with the flow, so it doesn't really matter to me. I'm more concerned with the lay of the land, the environment. For now, vandwelling suits my purposes, but things always evolve. I just don't want to pay rent, as much as possible, anymore. Bad investment in my eyes, paying off someone else's mortgage.

4/ To me, work is work. It's just a means to an end. I don't think work defines a person, their character does. I don't care what I do, as long as I don't hurt anyone. I do try to work smart, decent money for reasonable amount of effort, but if I didn't have to work, I wouldn't miss it. I could keep myself very busy without having to work for a living, just work for my own life.

5/ I love music. Almost all types; I'll check out anything to appreciate what a friend wants me to hear. But, I like classic rock, blues, jazz, old school R&B and soul (60's, 70's Motown), the most. I also play guitar and jam with friends.

6/When it comes to work, I'm very responsible. When it comes to my personal life, I tend to procrastinate and be somewhat lazy. I should get my act together and reverse this stupid trend (tomorrow!).

7/ According to the Zodiac, I was born under the sign of Taurus. According to the Chinese calender, I was born in the year of the Dog, specifically I'm an Earth Dog. I fit the characteristics of these descriptors, more or less, but I like having lots more fun than is usual for these signs.

Now, I've got to tag others - I just have to figure out whom. Later ;-)

The Moron Brothers - Floatin' River Shack

2008-03-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

I just think this simple lifestyle is great; geetar n' livin' on the river. Now, if I could put pontoons on the van ... hmmm ... ;-)

Living and Workin' when Vandwelling

2008-03-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been seeing queries on the Vandweller's forum about work and jobs that can be done when vandwelling. The talk seems to center around campground work and things you can do when travelling from place to place. While this definitely works for one crowd, I believe there are many choices available to the vandweller. In fact, I think vandwelling provides a distinct advantage for some situations. I can't think what job couldn't be performed by a vandweller, as long as they were up to the challenge.

Way back, I mentioned how I am finding a lot of work which is temporary in nature. A six month management contract in a summer resort, followed by a one year administration contract in a big city and now a winter doing home renovations on a rural island, has had me jumping from place to place. Sometime this spring, I'm going to look up more work in another big city, but commute weekly back to the rural island, to provide home care for my elderly parents. Although all this work is within a certain region, there would have been no point to have a fixed home, like an apartment or house. I wouldn't have been there for the majority of the time. I would not have been available to take advantage of the opportunities that I did, because my work life was fixed in one specific area, due to conventional housing.

I think you can work almost any type of position or career when vandwelling. The only thing stopping you is working out the details or putting out the effort involved. Granted the challenges are definitely there, and it's not the easiest way to go. People in North America are used to having large homes to spread their tons of belongings all over. The fact is, we don't need all that stuff. Stereos, TV's, gizmos, tons of clothes and on and on, junk up our lives. Do we really need all this stuff? NO!!! Now, I agree that I have more stuff that what fits in my van. That's fine, there's lots of conventional buildings for me to store things in. But, it's amazing how little we can get by with, when it comes to day to day life. That's what I like to do when vandwelling, streamline my possessions to just what is needed to facilitate my basic needs.

For working when living in a van, streamlining and methodical approach are key to success. Whatever system that works for you is great. But, that needs to worked out for each and every unique situation. For example, it was an interesting and complex routine that I worked out, when I worked in an metro office for a year. Daily, I had to feed myself, shit, shower, shave and present myself at the office in a clean, pressed outfit. In a van, these things take much longer than in an apartment. I went to a fitness club for the personal grooming. I went to a laundromat for washing and pressing my office clothes. I went to city parks for tailgate morning breakie and evening meals. I arrived early and left late for work, so I could slip easily in and out of the office, avoiding too much personal contact with my co-workers. My feeling was, if people weren't going to be coming to my home, why should they know I was living in a van. Doesn't make any difference to them, but could involve major complications for me. No thanks!

But one of the great things about this lifestyle is the weekend. When you feel like taking off, all you do is make sure you got some gas and food, then go!! No packing, you are all ready in the first place. So right after your last shift you split. Easy, peasy...

The other neat thing about vandwelling is taking advantage of what an area has to offer. Most people work their workweek, more or less going back and forth from work to home. Once you get home after work, quite often all you want to do is hang out. So, you don't go out. To the gym, the park, movie or jam nite at the pub, your friends' or families' place. You cocoon instead. When you live in a van, you are already out, so it's no bother. You bounce around and see, do, visit, play and live lively. Work hard and play hard!!!

I imagine if you tried to work lots of insane hours in a week, like 50 or more, living in a van would be tedious and very arduous. You may not get enough rest because your routine would be too demanding, without enough personal time to relax and just live. One great aspect about temporary contracts, is that there are always breaks between positions. A couple of weeks or months off in between, allow for a constant flow of holidays for travel and fun. Usually, you have the extra funds available because vandwelling is a cheaper lifestyle than most.

I've lived most of my adult life in a rather nomadic way, and it was only an eventuality that I would become a vandweller. Back when I worked a summer at one resort, a ski season at another, I just fell into being a vandweller in between, roaming, visiting and bouncing around. In the last couple of years, events just worked out in such a way, that again it made sense. So there ya' go. Life is an adventure, so if it seems a little crazy to live this way, so what. I love this alternative lifestyle, for now. Maybe you will too.

Ideas for Van Renovations

2008-03-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Over the winter, I've been pondering different ideas for renovation of my van interior. I have an extended '89 Ford Aerostar, which is very compact when compared to other vans, even a Chevy Astro. I've been just using a platform bed, foam mattress over a plywood base. But, although there is lots of storage underneath, the layout doesn't allow for sitting in that area as well. Also, the storage area gets jumbled as well, and I'd like to organize it. I'd like to have everything in it's place and maximize the usage of the limited space.

The sketch to the left shows the basic design I'm thinking about. It's the basic plan, where the table will lower and become a nice size bed. The cushions are the brown areas and the yellow areas are the cabinets, table/bed shelf and the extensions off the back cabinet (top view only). The first side profile shows the table up in place, and one of the hinged seat cushions raised to allow access to the storage box base. The middle side profile shows the bed made up with the table shelf lowered and a cushion on top. The three cushions, used for seating/bed, will be 4" thick foam covered with some kind of material. In both the top two profiles, you can see a floating smaller cushion. This actually a side view of a bench back, which will be cushioned with maybe a 2" foam slab. It will go right across the back and be fixed in place. The lower profile is a top view. It shows the bed made up with cushions in place, the bench back (solid brown) in place between the two side extensions. The outer grey area is the floor space, with the back of the van to the left. I'm going to put some shelves between the extensions at the back, so there will be more storage and the kitchen pantry. Underneath, the seating boxes will be storage for clothing and bedding.

I thought about the design you see in VW camper vans, with the couch seat that folds flat into a bed. But, I think I'll get more options for storage with this layout and the spacing wasn't quite there for the VW design. Too bad. I liked that idea a lot.

With this plan, I can put tall stuff like the cooler and the propane bottle at the back, and the extension shelving (not shown) will clear them. I'll have a sliver of open floor to get in and out the side door, and the raised table won't be the full width of the seating for easy access. There will be a gap around the bed, so bedding will drape over the sides. I think this will be the way to go, we'll see.

I have a fully furbished interior in my Eddie Bower version, with carpeting, side and ceiling liners. I thought about putting in a plywood floor, but I don't really need one. The carpeting, while nice, gets dirty and damp, so I want something different. I'm thinking about a rubber mat over some underlay, which will fit nice with the side liners and cleanup easily with some insulating aspects. Behind the side liners, I want to insulate somewhat, but I've gotta take them off and decide for sure. I'm designing some new covers for the back area windows, to replace the painted reflectix old ones. I'm going to check out the ceiling liner; I believe it has a foam insulating layer there already, but I'm thinking about putting a reflective foil layer to combat summer heat. Along the same lines, I thinking of a layer of reflectix behind the side liners, for some insulation and to reflect summer heat. Also, a new curtain behind the rear seats, and ones fashioned for the side door and the back doors are desirable.

I've wanted a ventilation system for the back for a while. When I operate the van, the ventilation system in place is great. But, when parked, unless I open the side windows, the back gets stuffy. Opening the side windows is fine if you are parked legally, but when stealth parking or for security is not a good option. So, I'm thinking about a low amperage, axial fan mounted in the back, which will be very quiet. It will change the air volume in the van in about 5 minutes, and draw very little current. I'm also thinking about maybe some interior van lighting, and reserve power capacity for a laptop. So, a house battery system is probably going to be necessity.

These are a few of the ideas I'm bouncing around for the van. The beauty of these renos is that I can do 99% of them myself. Which is a great savings! I want to maximize the utility of the back area, for storage, sleeping and seating. I want to insulate a little more, for both heat retention and summer heat reflection. I want to have the window covers easily removable, but still cover for stealth at night. And finally, it looks like I'm leaning toward a house battery system, for some creature features.

Oh, well, let's see what I come up with!!! Later ;-)

Current Events - March '08

2008-03-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are, just passing the ides of March. Winter is waning and spring is coming on strong here in Coastal BC. We have started to get warmer days and in some places the cherry trees are blossoming. I love the first day, when you can really feel the warmth of spring, and it's just around the corner. Time to get off my ass from just working and hibernating from the winter. Time to get back to fanciful thoughts of vanism.

I've been living in the Gulf Islands over the winter, bartending, renovating homes and taking care of my parents. They are very elderly and require lots of help. So, I can't fully leave here. So, for the foreseeable future, I believe that I will spending the weekdays wherever I'm working, and then weekends back home. Fortunately, vandwelling will work perfectly for this constant back and forth routine.

I'm finally going to get around to doing a proper build-out to my van. Well, proper to me that is. I plan to post a series of blogs about this, with photos and various advice/commentary. I wish I was doing a couple of different vans at the same time because there are so many ways you could do it. Everyone has their own needs, wants and necessities, depending on how and where they live. That's the cool thing of vandwelling, there are so many options and ways you can do it. The variety of different ways, people do the same basic lifestyle, never ceases to amuse me. On that note, the way I will be doing my van will suit me, so there you go.

I've always believed in a minimalist approach, so the build-out will reflect that. I am still considering details, the type of insulating, the cabinetry to provide seating and bed in the same area, whether to have a house battery system, etc. I've always just done what I had to, so this van reno will reflect the same premise. Some folks like to go all out, but unless you really need it, I think there is no need. Of course, depending on where you live, you will require more insulation and maybe heating, but that is something you will need to address. I am fortunate, that is not the case for me, so my build-out will not be the end-all-or-could-be.

I hope that the upcoming spring will find all well for you and yours.

Cheers, Urban Vandweller

Nice Day in a VW T5 Camper

2008-03-16T15:58:00.001-07:00

Funny - The model is called 'The California'; but it's not available in North America!!! Dumb...

5 Powerful Reasons to Drive Slower, and How to Do It

2008-03-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Article Written by Leo Babauto of the popular blog, Zen Habits
Published here by expressed permission via uncopywrite

ed.note - I thought this article was 'in tune', with the fuel economy series I've posted recently. Take it for what it's worth to you. I've been driving like this for a long time now; not that I'm sane, but it's helped my sanity.

Cheers, Urban Vandweller

I drive slower these days. While I used to be a bit of a driving maniac (ask my wife), passing everybody and stepping hard on my accelerator, I would also get increasingly frustrated when people would drive slow and keep me from driving fast, or cut me off. Driving was a stressful experience.

Not anymore. These days, driving is a much more calm, serene experience, and I enjoy it much more.

I look around at other drivers and wonder whether they really need to get to where they're going so fast, and whether they'll slow down when they get there. I wonder if it's really worth burning all that gas and getting so angry and risking so many lives. And then I think about other things, because driving for me has become a time of contemplation.

I heartily recommend driving slower - for many reasons, but one of the best reasons is that is has made me a much happier person. It's such a simple step to take, but it makes an incredibly big difference.

Recently, a reader named Vadim wrote to me with the following comment on speeding:

I have recently acquired a TomTom GPS in car navigator. Amongst its many astonishing features, it has a display on it that shows you your estimated arrival time for the route you are travelling ... Now here is the kicker; I used to routinely travel at 130% of the speed limit everywhere ... I thought that I was keeping myself alert and saving time. My TomTom, however disagreed. In fact, anywhere I travelled (and I routinely drive more than 100 miles), I would only shave off 5-10 minutes of the estimated arrival time! 5-10 minutes of time that is then wasted because I wasn't late to start off with!

Since then, I adopted a new way of driving. I never speed.

I love this comment, and it inspired me to write this post. People often think they're saving time by driving faster, but it's not very much time, and it's not worth your sanity or safety.

Here are just 5 reasons to drive slower:

1/ Save gas. The best way to save gas (besides driving less or driving a fuel-efficient vehicle) are to avoid excessive idling, execute gradual accelerating and decelerating, and driving slower ( see report on Edmunds.com). With gas prices so high these days, wasting gas by driving unnecessarily fast is something we can't afford.

2/ Save lives. Driving fast can kill people (including the driver). Two stats: traffic is the biggest single killer of 12-16 year olds. Surprisingly, at 35 mph, you are twice as likely to kill someone you hit as at 30mph. Faster driving gives you a shorter amount of time to respond to something in your path, and even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between life and death. Drive slower for your safety and that of those around you ... especially drive slow around runners, cyclists, schools, and neighborhoods with kids on the streets.

3/ Save time? As Vadim pointed out is his email, while you think you're saving time by driving faster, it's not a lot of time. And that small amount of time you're saving isn't worth it, considering the other factors on this list. Better yet, start out a few minutes early and you'll arrive at the same time as someone who drove faster but started later but started later, and you'll arrive much happier than that person to boot.

4/ Save your sanity. The above three reasons are very important ones, but for me the most noticeable difference has been the huge drop in stress levels when I drive. Far from being a crazy experience, driving is actually a relaxing and pleasant experience now. I no longer get road rage, because I simply don't care whether other drivers are going slow or cutting me off.

5/ Simplify your life. This is related to the one above, but expanded. In addition to saving your stress levels, driving slower can reduce many other complications as well - the headache of accidents and speeding tickets, for one, going to the gas station too often, for another, but also the hectic pace of life. Why must we rush through life? Slow down and enjoy life more. If we're always in a hurry to get places, when will we get to our destination and finally be happy? Life is a journey - make it a pleasant one.

OK, assuming that you want to drive slower, here are some of the tips that worked best for me:

Play relaxing music. My favourite is anything by Jack Johnson or Ben Harper. But anything that relaxes you is good.

Ignore other drivers. This was my problem before. I cared so much about what the other drivers were doing, that it would stress me out. At times, it would cause me to drive faster to spite other drivers (awful, I know). Now, I just ignore them. Well, I pay attention so I don't crash into anyone, but I don't worry about what they're doing or how dumb they are.

Leave early. If you speed because you're running late, make it a habit of getting ready early and leaving early. Now you don't have to worry about being late, and you can enjoy the ride.

Keep to the right. If you drive slower than the other crazy drivers out there, it's wise to keep out of their way if possible and keep to the right. While I tend to ignore other drivers who might get mad at me for driving slow (I don't care about them anymore), it's good to be polite.

ed.note - Whether polite or not, I believe in operating safely. Don't impede traffic if possible; flow with the pace of traffic in certain situations; let that jackass that's tailgating you, get past you. Sometimes, it's worth your peace of mind, to not create road rage in others.

Enjoy the drive. Most of all, make your drive a pleasant experience - remember that the ride is just as important as the destination.

ed.note - I believe that safe driving is something that a lot of people take for granted. Until they have an accident or stress attack. I drive according to this simple maxim - 'Drive to Arrive Alive'. Works for me! ;-)

Fuel Economy Part Four: Vehicle Choice

2008-03-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

The most decisive part you have in determining your fuel economy, is the actual vehicle you drive. The vehicle defines what range of MPG you will get. An forum poster recently said he didn't save any money living the 'mobile' lifestyle; no wonder, he drove a palatial RV (poor fuel economy) and he stayed at RV parks (nightly fee). With today's rising fuel costs, this choice is extremely important to your pocket book.

You'll have to research which choice will get you the MPG you want. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ is an excellent place to start; there are lots of EPA ratings for different vehicles (basic vans and trucks). Talk to lots of people, investigate informative forums and and web sites. I drive a Ford, so I check out http://www..ford-trucks.com/ for mechanical advice and general information. There are similar forums for Chevy, Dodge, etc.

The basic vehicle choices are:

1/ Minivan - Obviously, the minivan will get you the best mileage. My two favourite choices are the Chevy Astro and the Ford Aerostar. Although no longer built, they are commonplace, cheaper to buy and roomy inside. They also get decent gas mileage. Some 'Vandwellers' forum posters have been getting 25 -26 MPG (highway) with their Astro's and I've been getting 23-24 MPG (highway) with my Aerostar.

2/ Full-size Van - With your basic Ford Econoline or Chevy van, you'll get 13-14 MPG around town and 17-18MPG on the highway. You get better MPG with a small block V6 or V8 engine choice. Some forum posters like an older Dodge van with a 318 cu. in. V8; they claim getting 21MPG on the highway. Another forum poster gets the same with a older Ford van with a in-line six cylinder 300 cu. in. engine. Research before you buy, so you can get what you need.

3/ Camper or Conversion Van - These fully modified vehicles on full size van chassis are much more heavier than a regular, lightly kitted-out full size van. With more weight comes less gas MPG. These vehicles usually get around 10 MPG in the city and 15 MPG on the highway. If you drive a lot, you'll be paying out more money for your gas bill.

4/ RV or Motor home - Huge vehicle, huge gas bill. When you get only 7-8 MPG in the city and maybe 10 MPG on the highway, you'll be paying out lots of money at the pump. You pay for gas if you want the palatial palace on wheels.

There seems to be some relief at the pumps, if you choose a vehicle that uses alternative fuels. I'm not going to go into detail, just make some basic comments.

A/ Diesel and Bio-diesel - There is lots of talk about using diesel-powered vehicles these days. If you are buying a new technology vehicle, they will get great gas mileage, fine. But, older diesel vans don't seem to get really great gas mileage; not when you factor in the higher price tag, higher operational costs, higher fuel costs, higher cost to rebuild the engine if necessary. For a lot of situations, I don't really see the savings. If you are going to go this way, crunch the numbers first to see if it works for you.

A lot of people are talking about bio-diesel. You can make your own and save a lot of money. Well in my area, I know 3 people that used to do just that. Not any more! The commercial recyclers now scoop up all the restaurant sources of cooking oil, and sell it as commercial bio-diesel or bio-fuel for home heating. My friends can't get the used cooking oil for making bio-diesel anymore. It's only a matter of time, that this will probably be commonplace in most jurisdictions. Besides, it would be a fair bit of work to process bio-diesel yourself.

B/ Propane - In my jurisdiction, propane is still a reasonable alternative. It's available everywhere, and is relatively still priced cheaply, when compared to gasoline. But, your vehicle has to fitted out to work with propane and conversion will cost a hefty bill (4 thousand dollars or so). It would be great to find a vehicle which was factory equipped for dual fuel (gas and propane) and then purchase it for a reasonable price. In my area, running propane saves you 30% per mile driven. But, depending on taxes levied or fuel pricing, this advantage could be wiped out overnight or not even available in your area (no savings in Quebec, for example). Too bad, it's a cleaner automotive fuel choice.

A 'Vandwellers' forum member mentioned he has sold his van and now drives a fuel efficient station wagon with a small trailer (when necessary). He does this because his conversion van used a lot of fuel. I curious to see how he does. Obviously, when he just drives the wagon, he'll save gas. But, I doubt he'll save any gas when driving the full rig; towing anything uses lots of gas. There would be operational difficulties as well, like parking for example. I like just using a van only, as everything is in the van and easier to deal with.

Just to portray how different MPG ratings can affect your budget, I'm going to use a comparison. Last year, I went on a 11,300 mile cross country van trip in Canada. With my Aerostar, my fuel bill was approx. $2400 for the trip. If I had driven a lightly kitted Ford Econoline, I figure it would have been around $3100. Not bad, when you consider the extra space. With the average camper or conversion van, it would have been $3900 (oh, oh!). With a full RV, it would have been in the range of $5800!!!; over twice my cost. So you can see, which vehicle you get in the first place, will decide how much fuel you pay for.

ed.note. - The MPG ratings used are in US gallons; multiply by 1.2 for CAN gallons.

V W future camper

2008-03-12T16:01:00.001-07:00

Very cool concept - integral solar power rooftop with hybrid diesel powerplant. Uber Vandweller!!!

Fuel Economy Part Three: Driving Technique

2008-03-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

The nice thing about this aspect of fuel economy, is that everyone can take advantage of these suggestions right away. You don't have to spend money, or fix/modify your vehicle. The only thing stopping you from doing them is yourself and your old driving habits. But, unless you are wealthy, you may want to try some of these simple methods.

1/ Slow Down - Hey, where's the fire?!!! Everyone seems to rush around and hurry up to go nowhere fast. All this speeding and fast acceleration only burns up more gas. Eventually, you'll have to decide; do I really need to arrive slightly earlier and all wound up, or do I just want to relax, cruise and save money. Your call, your money and sanity.

Most vehicles get their maximum gas mileage around 55 MPH (approx. 90 KmH); that's why in the 1970's Oil Embargo, the USA lowered the highway speed limits to 55 MPH, in order to conserve the nation's gas supply. Now it seems like a lot of the main highways both South and North of the US/CAN Border, require speeds of 60-70 MPH (approx. 100-110 KmH) or more. You don't want to hold back traffic by driving too slowly, it could be dangerous and/or illegal. Maybe that'll mean it could be better to take secondary highways, that don't add too many extra miles in distance, instead of speeding on the major freeway.

In BC, Canada, I'm lucky because most of the highways have a speed limit of 55 MPH or 90 Kmh due to mountainous terrain; this is the speed I get the best gas mileage for my van. Vans, with their boxy, non-aerodynamic shape, create a lot of air drag at high speeds. Any speeds above 55-60 MPH will result in reduced gas mileage. While some vehicles may not follow this trend exactly, most will.

2/ Cruise Control - While on the highway, use your speed control when you can. It will do a better job at holding you at a steady speed, which is good for fuel economy. But, that cruise control doesn't work very good over hilly or mountain terrain; learn what works best for your van. I find it's better on certain hills to turn off 'cruise', gear down and rev the engine a little, just like I would with a standard tranny to climb. What will work for your vehicle, you must find out; just don't bog it down in cruise.

3/ Steady Acceleration - You are driving a van, not a Ferrari. Medium, steady acceleration will get you up to speed without burning too much gas to get there. There is a study somewhere I read that disagrees with this, but for the most part, this is the agreed upon method.

4/ Minimal Braking - When you use your brakes, you waste the momentum you built up by burning gas. So, use your gas pedal as your first braking action. If you speed up to a stop light, and brake heavily, you waste gas. Anticipate the traffic ahead, coast up to the stop light by taking your foot off the gas and brake when you have to. You'll save gas. If you are coming into a corner where you need to slow down, first take your foot off the gas to slow down before you brake to negotiate the turn, instead of just using your brakes to slow down. Don't tailgate; when you're riding someone's bumper, you are constantly speeding up and braking. This is a waste of gas and bad driving practice.

5/ Using your Transmission - The gearing in your tranny and rear end with different engine speeds will create specific optimum operational settings for fuel economy. As you become more familiar with your vehicle, you'll know what I mean. At certain speeds, you just want to maintain your momentum, with your engine purring at a minimum rpm while not bogging down. If you drive a standard it's easy to do; but you can do it with a automatic, you just have to learn how to manipulate the tranny. Also, with a automatic transmission, sometimes it's important to lock in your torque converter; you don't want your transmission to be searching or changing gears while climbing a hill (especially important). This will prematurely wear out your tranny and waste gas.

6/ Avoid excessive Idling - Idling gets you zero MPG. But, you have to be practical. If you pull off the road for over a minute, stop your engine. When idling in traffic for a long stop light, shift your automatic tranny to neutral; your engine won't be working against the tranny (good for helping keep your engine cooler on very hot days). If you are stopped for over a few minutes by a construction delay, turn off your engine. But, I don't like the idea of turning off my engine for an extra long stop light; it's illegal in some jurisdictions and our vans aren't designed like hybrids, which have engines that turn on and off all the time. In winter, use a timed block heater (if you can) to minimize excessive idling to warm your engine up and defrost your windows.

7/ Wind and Turbulence - Vans and motor homes are not very aerodynamic. The large surface areas create a huge air drag. The blunt front end has to push lots of air aside and the chopped off rear end creates a lot of turbulence which drags from behind. That's why at over 55MPH or so, you start losing fuel efficiency. Believe it or not, strong winds can effect your gas mileage. When driving into strong headwinds, I've lost up to 10% MPG in my van. Likewise, I've gained up to 7% MPG with following tailwinds. So, if you can, you could adjust your long range trips to take advantage of this. Maybe. Also, some people claim that keeping your vehicle clean and waxed will minimize the surface drag of your van, resulting in better mileage. Hmmm, possible.

8/ Remove excess Weight - While this is true, it's very hard when you live in your van to do this. But, I live a somewhat minimalist lifestyle and there are some things you can do. It's up to you to decide what you can do without and what you absolutely need.

9/ Drive less - Combine and plan your trips to minimize miles driven. Walk when the store is only a half mile away. Pick up things when you are driving home from work. Be efficient with your driving.

There are more tactics, like coasting with your engine off or drafting large trucks on the highway, but, I think these ideas are dangerous, irresponsible and probably illegal in most jurisdictions.

There are two tools I use to monitor my gas mileage, that I find very valuable to portray any of my efforts.

A/ Real-time MPG Display - This is something that many new modern vehicles have and I think they are great! They display the instantaneous fuel economy as you operate. You can see how changes in terrain and how you drive effects your MPG. It teaches what things make a little or big difference as they happen. It's helped me quite a lot; it has confirmed a lot of my driving practices and helped me fine tune them.

B/ Mileage Log - I've been keeping MPG vehicle logs for a long time. Again, they help confirm that your efforts are paying off statistically. But, they also show if your vehicle is perhaps losing efficiency due to mechanical failure, before you might have noticed otherwise.

Throughout this series, I've got to remind you that any of these tactics are just part of a overall regimen ( maintenance, operational, purchase decisions) to help reduce your fuel usage. As gas prices jump up, anything you can do to save gas will help. Because we all live in different areas and drive different vehicles, what works for me may not work for you. You have to find out what's best for you.

Next MPG article: Vehicle Choice

Fuel Economy Part Two: Gas Purchasing

2008-03-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

There are ways to save money when purchasing gas, as in where, when and how you do it. Just like purchasing any item, you can save some money if you comparison shop, buy at particular times, use promotional cards or deals, etc. Although the amount of money saved isn't as great as you could with other various purchases (ie. food, clothing), any money saved is a good thing.

1/Price Cycle - Have you ever noticed that gas prices seem to rise and fall on a weekly basis. If you have, that's because they probably do in your area. During the winter ski season and the summer tourist season, gas prices quite often rise slightly on late Thursday or Friday and fall back to their original price on late Monday or Tuesday morning. The same thing happens around long or holiday weekends. That's because the gas outlets know you need to fill up to travel long distances, and take full advantage of your predicament. So, watch your local gas pumps, and if this is the case, fill up during the mid week.

2/ Daily cycle - Gas is measured and sold to you by volumetric quantity (gallons by volume). If you buy your gas when it is cooler, during the later evening, night or early morning, you will be actually getting more bang for your buck. You will actually be buying more volume of gas for the same money, then if you had bought during the warmer part of the day, due to temperature related expansion.

3/ Varying prices due to location - Generally, gas price wars seem to be a thing of the past. But it always occurs that there are certain areas of large cities, or specific towns/cities in a region, where gas is cheaper than the regional or city average. If it is practical, say you don't have to drive far out of your way, or these areas are along the way, take advantage of the lower pricing. http://gasbuddy.com/ is one of several web sites, where you can locate these areas by internet search.

There used to be quite a variance between so-called pay less or bargain gas outlets and the major brands, but I've never liked to purchase gas from these cheaper places. I've bought a tank of bad gas from one, and I tend to stay away from them.

4/ Cash Back Credit Cards - There are several credit cards which give you money back on gas (and other) purchases. One example is the 'Discover Gas Card', which gives you 5% back on gas purchases. Visa has one for cash back on purchases at BP locations, and so on. You'll have to do an internet search on them, and compare all the costs, and features/advantages of particular cards. There are many parameters to consider and compare, so read about all the information carefully. Also, like any credit card, to save money by using them, you must pay off your purchases before interest is accrued!

5/ Big Box Store Gas Clubs - Some big box stores, like the SuperStore in Canada, have gas pumps available as part of their retail product line. So, they quite have a promotional deal where you can join their gas club and purchase gas for a discount. It usually involves that you also purchase something in their store, and you may have a club membership fee. I don't like the idea of tying my gas purchases to anything else, but it may work for you. Again, you have to 'crunch' the numbers and consider the whole deal.

6/ Co-operative Organization - In the region where I will be moving soon, there is a gas and food co-operative store chain. You buy a one-time membership (for $27), which gives you one share in the co-op. Although, they have some food outlets, when you buy gas or home heating fuel from them, they give you an annual rebate. In 2006, the rebate on gasoline was 4.5 cents per litre. Last year, the rebate for gas was 6.0 cents per litre. On a year where I purchase $3,000 worth of gas, I would realize a savings of around $160. Now, if I could purchase the gas with a cash back credit card, and combine the savings for maybe a overall 10% percent savings, that could add up to $300 or more per year saved.

So, take advantage of these ideas, facts and promotional concepts to help you save some money on your gas purchases. Although by themselves you don't save a lot, when you consider the overall savings of comparative shopping (either gas or your vehicle), good vehicular maintenance and driving techniques, you can realize quite a decent savings in your operational costs over the year. Every little bit counts; it adds up to a sizable amount when you consider the price of gas these days.

Next MPG article: Driving Technique

Fuel Economy Part One: Vehicle Maintenence

2008-03-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

Fuel economy is a big issue these days. Everyone is feeling the 'pinch' at the gas pump. Governments keep assessing new and higher taxes to automotive fuels; the oil industry seems to always have a reason to increase the price. To top it off, we as vandwellers, operate vehicles that don't have the best miles per gallon (MPG) rating. So, I'm writing this series of articles to help us all get the best gas mileage possible. If anyone has any suggestions I haven't covered, please email me and I will revise these articles.

In this article I'm just going to cover how vehicle maintenance effects fuel economy. Not only does keeping your vehicle properly maintained give you the best performance and safety, it also fetches more MPG. Many vehicle owners quite often reason, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, with today's rising fuel cost, that old idea doesn't work anymore. Consider getting manuals for your vehicle for maintenance schedules; at least consult your owner's manuals.

Some maintenance routines listed here are easy and economical to do. Some require more money and probably a mechanic to perform. But, sooner or later, depending on how high mileage and/or how long you keep your vehicle, you may have to do them all. By not keeping your vehicle running properly, you are costing yourself money at the pump and you are polluting the air needlessly. You are going to pay one way or the other; only you can choose what is right.

1/Check and replace your air filter regularly - Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as 10%. Your manual maintenance schedule (MS) will probably say to replace/inspect every 10,000 miles or so; but if you live in a dusty, dirty area, it may get clogged sooner.

2/Replace your fuel filter - A clogged fuel filter can choke the flow of fuel to your engine, causing it to run rough. You can't inspect it, you just got to replace it according to the MS. If you live in an area where you suspect the fuel could be suspect, replace it more often.

3/Renew your engine oil and filter - Refresh your engine oil according to your vehicle MS and always replace your filter when you do it. You can improve your gas mileage by 1 - 2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade. For example, using 10W-30 engine oil in an engine designed for 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Also, using your oil for too long and allowing it to get real dirty will do the same thing; so stick to the MS and freshen your engine oil regularly. Consider using synthetic oil; it is more slippery, which reduces friction and helps your engine's efficiency.

4/ Clean your fuel injectors - When you change your oil, consider using a fuel additive which cleans your fuel system and maybe once between. This helps reduce carbon deposits on your injectors which hamper them from working properly.

5/ Consider your oxygen sensor - For fuel injected vehicles, the oxygen sensor which controls your fuel/air mixture is key. If you have a higher mileage vehicle or a vehicle that was very poorly maintained, your sensor may be dirty or malfunctioning. Check it out, and see if it needs maintenance. An oxygen sensor that is malfunctioning can cause a loss in fuel economy of up to 40%!

6/ Maintain/Replace your sparks plugs and wires, distributor cap and rotor - This is basic ignition maintenance. Refer to the manual MS for inspection and replacement. You need a good spark to 'fire' the fuel properly in your engine.

7/ Inspect and maintain your brake system - Brake systems that are out of adjustment and needlessly dragging will reduce your fuel economy.

8/ Wheel Bearings - In higher mileage vehicles, this is something many people overlook; I guess it's that 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality. But if your bearings aren't lubed or adjusted properly according to your vehicle MS, they can effect the efficiency and safety of your van.

9/ Tire inflation and alignment - You can improve your gas mileage by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in pressure for all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer, maximize your traction on the road and minimize tire tread wear.

10/ Exhaust system considerations - If your vehicle has high mileage or was poorly maintained, your exhaust system may need some overhauling. Catalytic converters can become plugged with old age, which will restrict your exhaust flow and cause your engine not to perform properly. Also, your original exhaust system is designed to operate with your engine within specific performance perimeters; try to replace components with similar products and sizes.

The basics of vehicle maintenance are paramount to fuel economy; other important factors are gas and vehicle purchasing and driving technique. While each separate area may not affect your MPG much, if several areas are out of specification, it can really add up. You can save a lot of money by doing the work yourself; but, buy good tools, learn how to do the job properly and practise safety. Because I've been working on my own cars for 30+ years, I perform about 90% of the above work myself; the other 10% I take to a shop because I don't have a lift, or the tools, or it's too cold outside. Sometimes it's just not worthwhile to do it yourself; you gotta' make that call. Always be careful when working on your van. If you don't feel confident, don't do it! Take an auto shop course, or at least work with knowledgeable people.

Next MPG article: Gas Purchasing

It's all our Parent's or Grandparent's fault; Why we are Nomadic Vandwellers!

2008-03-02T19:05:00.001-08:00

Thanks to vandwelleruk for finding this! Find his site in 'Cool Links' below.

The Zen Mind - An Introduction

2008-03-01T01:45:00.001-08:00

12 Practical Steps for Learning to Go With the Flow

2008-02-29T12:08:00.001-08:00

Written by Leo Babauto of the blog, Zen Habits.

Reprinted with Granted Permission via Uncopyright

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." - Lao-Tzu

No matter how much structure we create in our lives, no matter how many good habits we build, there will always be things that we cannot control - and if we let them, these things can be a huge source of anger, frustration and stress.

The simple solution: learn to go with the flow.

For example, let's say you've created the perfect peaceful morning routine. You've structured your mornings so that you do things that bring you calm and happiness. And then a water pipe bursts in your bathroom and you spend a stressful morning trying to clean up the mess and get the pipe fixed.

You get angry. You are disappointed, because you didn't get to do your morning routine. Your are stressed from all these changes to what you're used to. It ruins your day because you're frustrated for the rest of the day.

Not the best way to handle things, is it? And yet if we are honest, most of us have problems like this, with things that disrupt how we like things, with people who change what we are used to, with life when it doesn't go the way we want it to go.

Go with the flow.

What is going with the flow? It's rolling with the punches. It's accepting change without getting angry or frustrated. It's taking what life gives you, rather than trying to mold life to be exactly as you want it to be.

"Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate." - Chuang Tzu

A reader recently asked me to write more about going with the flow, so this is my attempt to share some of the things that work for me. As always, I don't have and claims to perfection, and I'm learning as I improve, but the tips below should help anyone.

1/ Realize that you can't control everything. I think we all know this at some level, but the way we think and act and feel many times contradicts this basic truth. We don't control the universe, and yet we seem to wish we could. All the wishful thinking won't make it so. You can't even control everything within your own little sphere of influence - you can influence things, but many things are simply out of your control. In the example above, you can control your morning routine, but there will be things that happen from time to time (someone's sick, accidents happen, phone call comes at 5 a.m. that disrupts things, etc.), that will make you break your routine. First step is to realize that these things will happen. Not might happen, but will. There are things that we cannot control what will affect every aspect of our lives, and we must, must, must accept that, or we will be constantly be frustrated. Meditate on this for awhile.

2/ Become aware. I've mentioned this step in previous articles on other topics, but that's because it's extremely important. You can't change things in your head if you're not aware of them. You have to become an observer of your thoughts, a self-examiner. Be aware that you're getting upset, so that you can do something about it. It helps to keep tally marks in a little notebook for a week - every time you get upset, put a little tally. That's all - just keep tally. And soon, because of that little act, you will become more aware of your anger and frustration.

3/ Breathe. When you fell yourself getting angry or frustrated, take a deep breath. Take a few. This is an important step that allows you to calm down and do the rest of the things on this list. Practice this by itself and you'll have come a long way already.

4/ Get perspective. This always helps me. I get angry over something happening - my car breaks down, my kids ruin my microwave - and then I take a deep breath, and take a step back. You know how you're watching a movie and the camera zooms away and you can see much more of the world on the screen that you could before? How it goes from closeup to a larger, panoramic view of things? That's what happens in my mind's eye. I start to zoom away, until I'm pretty far away from things. Then whatever happened doesn't seem so important. A week from now, a year from now, this little incident won't matter a single whit. No one will care, not even you. So why get upset about it? Just let it go, and zoom it won't be a big deal.

5/ Practice. It's important to realize that, just like when you learn any skill, you probably won't be good at this at first. Who is good when they are first learning to write, or read, or drive? No one I know. Skills come with practice. So when you first learn to go with the flow, you will mess up. You will stumble and fall. That's OK - it's part of the process. Just keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of it.

6/Baby steps. Along the same lines, take things in small steps. Don't try to bite off huge chunks - just bite off something small at first. So make your first attempts to go with the flow small ones: focus on the tally marks (mentioned above) first. Then focus on breathing. Then try to get perspective after you breathe. And you might try the easier situations first - if your work problems are easier to accept that your frustrations with your kids, for example, start with work.

7/ Laugh. It helps me to see things as funny, rather than frustrating. Car broke down in the middle of traffic and I have no cell phone or spare tire? Laugh at my own incompetence. Laugh at the absurdity of the situation. That requires a certain amount of detachment - you can laugh at the situation if you're above it, but not within it. And that detachment is a good thing. If you can learn to laugh at things, you've come a long way.

8/ Keep a journal. This is one of the best uses of a journal actually. Once a day, try to recall what all your tally marks were for - and then write about those situations. Why did you get upset? What did you try to do? Did it work, and if not, why not? What can you do next time? This kind of recollection and examination, after the fact, will help you learn from the process.

9/ Meditate. If your aren't good at keeping a journal, at least do a daily review in your head. Do some meditation, or have a bath, or a cup of hot tea, and as you're de-stressing, go over your day and examine it. Don't get frustrated - you're learning. Do some deep breathing, and them go over each situation, trying to see it as a detached observer. This kind of review will help you improve in the learning process.

10/ Realize that you can't control others. Ah, one of the biggest challenges. We get frustrated with other people, because they don't act the way we want them to act. Maybe it's our kids, maybe it's our spouse or significant other, maybe it's our coworker or boss, maybe it's our mom or best friend. But we have to realize that they are acting according to their personality, according to what they feel is right, and they are not going to do what we want all of the time. And we have to accept that. Accept that we can't control them, accept them for who they are, accept the things they do.

11/ Accept change and imperfection. When we get things the way we like them, we usually don't want them to change. But they will change. It's a fact of life. We cannot keep things the way we want them to be ... instead, it's better to learn to accept things as they are. Accept that the world is constantly changing, and we are a part of that change. Also, instead of wanting things to be "perfect" (and what is perfect anyway?), we should accept that they will never be perfect, and we must accept good instead.

12/ Enjoy life as a flow of change, chaos and beauty. Remember when I asked what "perfect" is, in the paragraph above? It's actually a very interesting question. Does perfect mean the ideal life and world that we have in our heads? Do we have an ideal that we try to make the world conform to? Because that will likely never happen. Instead, try seeing the world as perfect the way it is. It's messy, chaotic, painful, sad, dirty ... and completely perfect. The world is beautiful, just as it is. Life is not something static, but a flow of change, never staying the some, always getting messier and more chaotic, always beautiful. There is beauty in everything around us, if we look at it as perfect.

"I accept chaos. I am not sure whether it accepts me." - Bob Dylan

The Budget

2008-02-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes. The dreaded monthly budget. One of the great advantages vandwellers keep talking about is the lowered cost of living. But, you still want to be able to control your expenses and monitor them. For this, I utilize a basic monthly expense system, with an emergency fund created by leftover monies from the basic budget. I also have other savings, but that's not really discussed here.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION!!!! This budget is based on my lifestyle, and my jurisdiction. I may allocate funds not as you would spend them, so your budgets' expenses will definitely vary. Also, depending on where you live in, the basic costs for food, fuel and health insurance have huge variance!! For example, if I lived in Southern Ontario, Canada, I could reduce this budget by $200/month, quite easily. If I lived in the States, I could probably reduce the budget again by another $200/month!

In my budget, I allocate funds for specific expenses, fuel and food, higher than would you would normally expect on purpose. That way, for the average month of the year, some of the money rolls over into an emergency savings fund. This fund is for extraordinary expenses, ie. expensive auto repairs and occasional expensive purchases.

My Basic Monthly Budget (based on monthly costs in British Columbia (BC), Canada)

Food: $300
Fuel: $250
Cellphone: $50
Auto insurance: $90
Medical insurance: $55
Health Club: $65
Auto repair, Tags: $60
Clothing: $50
Haircut: $20
General Misc.: $60
Entertainment: $200

Monthly Total: $1,200

Major Expense Considerations:

1/ Food - Hey, I like to eat well, and food has become very expensive here in BC. Even the provincial government claims it costs $250/month, for an average healthy male adult to have a good diet. I usually save some money on this expense because quite often I get a free meal from friends and family. Sometimes, people I know will give me free produce from their garden or farm. Hunters and fishermen I know give me free salmon or venison. These folks are all part of my network, and I reciprocate by helping them as well. So, on the average month, I roll over around $100 into my emergency fund (important). It also varies greatly depending on region, what costs me $4 for food items here in BC, only costs $3 in Ontario.

2/ Fuel - We get taxed heavily in Canada on motor fuel, and the oil industry creates huge price variances by jurisdiction. As of today and where I live, the gasoline price right now is hovering around $1.20/litre, which translates to $5.45/Can. gallon or $4.54/US gallon. Our monies, Canada vs. USA, are approximately par lately. So, that's right US folks, $4.50 +++ a gallon; it's been over $4/gallon for years. In Toronto, Ontario, the same fuel costs around $1.03/litre, a 15.5% decrease comparitively. In the States, fuel costs vary but the average seems to presently $3.13/US gallon, which breaks down to $0.83/litre (45% less than I pay!!!). So, you can see why I start with such a high figure!

Your gas usage will also vary with the mileage you drive and many other factors. The money that I allocate to fuel covers my average weekly driving, around town and short trips on the weekend. Sometimes, I save a little money here, maybe up to $50/month, which gets rolled over into the emergency fund. Depends.

Cellphone - Cellular plans in Canada are more costly than in the States, and I talk a fair bit. It just what it costs.

Insurances - Basic Auto insurance, with some extra coverage, costs this much here in BC. You have to use the provincial-run monopoly for basic coverage, and this is what they charge.

But, medical insurance has great variance, depending on where you live. Basic coverage in my province is $55/month; in other provinces, such as Ontario, it is free. In the States, medical insurance seems to be very expensive, and many vandwellers do without.

Auto repair, Tags: In BC, our annual license plates costs around $65. Also, there is always some small expenditure for maintenance needed on your vehicle; light repairs, oil changes, coolant, windshield wiper juice, light bulbs, assorted little relays and fuses, whatever. So, I allocate funds on a monthly basis towards this.

Entertainment: I like to go out a little and do things. I like to see the occasional movie. I like to go to the pub once in a while, and enjoy a couple of pints. I like to have a frugal meal out at the local diner with a friend or date. Quite often, I can blow this expense easily, but that money comes from other savings. On a regular basis, this is the sum I usually spend.

My Emergency Fund - From my budget design, I usually roll over $150 per average month into this fund. It is placed into a specific savings account, which is not accessible by debit card (important). I try to use this money only for important purchases; major auto repair or costly clothing (good footwear or pricey coats, etc). In two years of full time vandwelling, I have accumulated just over $3,000. So, if I have to rebuild an engine or transmission, or have an expensive repair bill (brake work, front end, new tires, etc.), I can cover all or most of it from this fund. Right now, since these types of repairs are not necessary, I'm going to dip into it for other purchases. But, I will leave $2000 there as a minimum on which to build up again.

To sum up, your particular monthly budget will vary greatly by lifestyle and where you live. I have always joked that BC doesn't stand for British Columbia, but for Bring Cash (lots of it!). It is very expensive to live here. But, luckily for me, I have the ability to make decent money, so this monthly budget is relatively easy to afford, and I usually have extra savings above what I have discussed here. I feel it is good to know where you spend your money, budget to live within your means, and feel comfortable with your lifestyle. Good fortune to you and yours.

Code of the Road

2008-02-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a personal version of ethics, which help guide you through life. We all have our own beliefs. I've written down a couple of my tenets, which have been valuable to me over the years. These traits of behavior are my spiritual code.

1/ Treat people how you want to be treated. I use this basic belief, whether I am driving, walking down the road, buying stuff in a store, at work with customers and fellow staff, my friends, my family or strangers. It doesn't make any difference to me who they are or whatever attitude someone approaches me with. Most people are pretty decent, and will lighten up when you treat them with honesty, kindness and respect.

I realize that you may not want to be this fair to a lot of people; like some rude, dumbass jerk or maybe police and other authoritative people. But, they might just be having a bad day, and upon meeting a decent 'you', they might come around. If they don't, just deal with them at arm's length and walk away. It's your call, every situation is different. Tip: Don't argue or be rude with a cop, you're only asking for more trouble than it's worth.

2/ Drive to arrive alive. Slow down, you'll save gas. Pay attention. Don't drive tired or under the influence of whatever. Take breaks. Eat. There is no fire, you'll get there in good time. Don't drive like an idiot, there's enough of them out there already.

A special note about motoring around truckers. Please be careful around big semis or trucks. Truck drivers have a hard enough job already; long hours, heavy and difficult rigs to stop or manoeuvre, arduous schedules to meet. So be understanding of what they are dealing with and act accordingly. Give them lots of room, allow them to pass easily, stay way back when following from behind. It's mostly for your safety, I mention this.

3/ Be prepared. Got this one right from Boy Scouts, and it still rings true. Why? Finangle's corollary to Murphy's Law states; "Anything that can go wrong, will - at the worst possible moment." Like out in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard. Make sure your vehicle is safe and well maintained, to avoid roadside breakdowns. Make sure you are prepared with survival gear, if need be. Be ready.

4/ Stop and give help when needed. You don't have to get out and change someone's flat tire. But, stop and make sure stranded people are OK, or if they need you to alert a tow truck or someone. It's not a big effort on your part, and you may save a life. I'm sure you would appreciate it, if it was you who needed help.

5/ Leave nothing, take/use only what you need, don't go where you don't belong. Don't leave garbage behind. Don't take all the berries or catch all the fish. Leave some for others or the animals. Don't drive up roads or trails where you shouldn't be; like logging roads during the busy work week, or a natural trail which should be respected and only hiked on. Think about it.

6/ Enjoy every day, don't wait 'til tomorrow. You never know what may happen, so enjoy something in your day, every day. Take that trip, do whatever makes you happy, just live. Take the time to 'smell the roses', share life with your friends and family. Work hard and play harder. If you don't get out there, you may never do it.

I apologize if I sound like I am lecturing. But I must admit, I am. Somewhere along the line, a lot of people lost their sense of common decency, and took up a "Just look out for me" type attitude. It's a shame. It doesn't work. We are all in this world, together. We all effect each other. So if you feel up to it, try committing the occasional, random act of kindness. If enough of us did, the world could be a different place, wouldn't it.

Money and Common Sense, Again

2008-02-22T08:59:00.001-08:00

On Jan. 10th, I wrote an article which explained why I thought being a vandweller made economic sense to me. For myself, the simple act of exchanging the costs of apartment dwelling to vandwelling results in a huge net savings. But some people don't see it, so I'm going to break it down a little more clearly. Let's use a three year period to compare lifestyles.

Van expense vs. Apartment rent - This is the major factor involved. If you purchase a older van, for say $2,000; put another $1,500 in to renovate and fix it up; $750 a year for maintenance; $750 a year for insurance; $3,000 a year for fuel - that will represent a total cost of $17,000 for three years. But, if you already operate a vehicle, exchanging it for a van will represent some savings on this figure or you could buy an more expensive van. Likewise, if you drive frugally, you may save some more on fuel. But for sake of the comparison, let's say we are starting with no vehicle.

In my area, the average low end apartment rents $750/month; let's say you furnish it frugally for $1,500; utilities will run around $30/month and household insurance will be around the same @ $30/ month - that will represent a total cost of $30,660. Now some of you will say you could live in a cheaper place; sure, if you can find one. Show me. I have found in the last couple years, rental vacancy has gone way down; they aren't building rentals now, only condominiums. You might find a room in a house, but then you don't have any sense of autonomy; there is always people in your space.

This comparison results in a net savings of $13,660 over 3 years or $4,553 per year! Now, depending on if you have any huge repairs on the vehicle, or how you particularly spend money, can dramatically change these figures. But for myself, it's been two years in my van. I already owned it for recreation and sold my other car; I do a lot of my own maintenance and haven't had any major repairs because I bought a vehicle in excellent condition in the first place (very important). So my personal savings have been even greater.

All other costs are the same, more or less. Food, health insurance, telephone (cell), entertainment; they don't change. If you go on a trip, well, you would have incurred extra expenses which you would budgeted for regardless. As far as computers go, you exchange your desktop for a laptop, a land line feed for a wifi card, more or less the same.

So in the end, you will come out ahead by $4,500 a year or so, after tax dollars! I don't know anyone who makes around $25K per year, who wouldn't benefit from this considerable amount. It could mean the difference for those of you in the US, of having health insurance or not. It could mean a lot of things. Travel, less work needed to get by, education, and so on.

Obviously, only you can compare the expenses involved for yourself and your particular situation. It's important that you buy a van that is in very good shape; a vehicle in bad repair will be a money pit. Don't go there! If you exchange a previously owned vehicle for a van, your savings will be even greater; you are used to the expenses of operating a vehicle, so there is only an extra increment for fuel (maybe a $1,000/yr, depends). So take your time, find a good deal on a van. Do your own comparison of expense accounting, so you can see if it is worth it to you.

Above: Exciting new cities to explore, like Vancouver, BC

But there is one factor gained that is really important, where money doesn't count. Freedom. You can now go wherever you want, whenever you want. Don't like your town/city/state or province, change it. Don't like the local climate or landscape, change it. Don't like your career, social life, etc., change it. Want a different life, go there. Nothing is holding you back. No lease, no mortgage, no burdens. After a while, if you have debts, you can write them down to zero with the savings; again, more freedom.

Left: Wilderness sunset over mountain lake

It just depends on what you want. For many of us nomads, this life choice has been a road to personal fulfillment. It's up to you to make your own call. Happy trails to you!

More Night Parking - Some Stealth, some Not.

2008-02-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

Since night parking is one of the main concerns for a vandweller, here are some more ideas you can use. I have already posted an article (Jan. 17th) about stealth urban camping. You get kinda' tired parking on the street, so you start looking for alternatives. Because I reside in a specific area for several months to years, I take extra precautions. Here are a few suggestions, their pros and cons.

More Stealth Night Parking:

1/ Industrial Areas - Some vandwellers like industrial areas for night parking and with good reason. If you have a box or white cargo van, you look like you belong there (important). There are usually few people around (business done daytime), and lots of no restriction parking. But, the people that are around, alarm me. You gotta' really choose your spot wisely; some industrial areas are known for prostitution and drug trafficking. Some companies or industrial malls have inquisitive security services, which will scope out your van wondering why it is the only vehicle there. Same for the police. I like to remain under the 'radar' of these groups, so I only park where I know my presence won't attract them. For myself, I don't care much for industrial areas; don't like the vibe!

2/ Shopping Malls - Depends on the size and parking restrictions. A huge parking lot with one lonely van parked for the night, is just asking for trouble. Instead, I like small strip malls, with usually no parking restrictions, where you sorta blend in. It's attracting the wrong elements you want to avoid; thieves, rowdies, security and police. So I go to some casual little suburban lot, where things are low key and maybe there are some other vehicles parked.

Left: You gotta' pay attention to signage!

3/ 24 Hours Stores (And Walmart) - In my area, there aren't any large 24hr. stores, with large parking lots, where you could utilize stealth sleeping mode. The convenience stores which stay open 24 hrs., usually attract a lot of people I wish to avoid. Some places there are 24 hour food supermarkets, where you could definitely use their lots.

I mention Walmart here. That's because, although you are allowed to use their lots for overnight parking, I only do so as a last resort. I don't like being on display for the local cops as a van owner, who is also an urban camper; they check out these lots and pay attention to who is there. Then if they spot you on the street later on, they might hassle you. If I use a Walmart lot, I use one that is far out of my usual area, or when I am travelling on the open road.

4/ Around Nightclubs and Bars - To some degree, this makes sense. Patrons who get too drunk to drive, may wisely choose to leave their vehicles behind. So you can usually park overnight. But, the area will be noisy with drunk patrons, and may be watched by security, police and staff. You gotta' scope it out to see if it feels right.

5/ Hotel/Motel parking lots - The idea is that you just drive in and park like you belong there. But, do you homework first. Some hotels have security with night watchman and live video cameras. Some hotels have parking passes which must be displayed on the dashboard. I don't use this method, unless I've stayed at the place, and thoroughly know how they operate.

6/ Hospital lots - I kinda group this method into the above. In the cities where I live, they are all pay parking lots (not a frugal choice), and there is security around. However in smaller towns, the opposite is quite often the case; no fees, and no security.

7/ Apartment/Condo complexes - These can be good and bad. You must know where the guest parking is, so you don't attract negative attention. You gotta' know the rules of how they operate; do they allow overnight parking?; do you need to have a note on the dashboard indicating who you are supposed to be visiting? There are quite often a lot of inquisitive residents to hide from as well. But, once you get past those challenges, you should be OK. Just don't park there very often.

Non-Stealth Modes:

Some night parking doesn't require you to be stealthy at all. That is because you are allowed to be there legally; sometimes a fee is required, sometimes not. Here are a few ideas:

1/ Campgrounds - I'm sure you know what's involved here. But, there are some aspects you might consider. In the off tourist season, campgrounds quite often drop their overnight rates by 2/3; as an occasional stay, they are economical and a welcome respite from the street. Private campgrounds may rent you a spot monthly, which could have reasonable rent and possibly hydro, showers and laundry available. Depending on costs, it's an option to consider.

2/ Friends or family homes - These folks are my network, and we all rely on each other for support. They usually have a bedroom ready for me, so I can do work on my van, which I can't do on the street. But, they are a safety outlet as well. If I am being hassled by the police for urban camping, this network has given me permission to call their homes, my home. Then when police inquire about my present residence, I state that I am couch surfing at one of the 'network' places. I can drive and park there anytime, if necessary.

Above: This aeriel view is a private property I once camped on. I worked a little in lieu of rent, and I was located only seven miles from my resort employment. The area to the lower right was my corner; it was shranga-la-di-da! I loved staying here.

3/Private Property - If you can get permission from an owner, this can be a great opportunity. I had a casual corner on a Whistler property for 3 months once. I did a little work in lieu of rent, and there were no neighbors that could see or care about my presence. I loved it. This can be an ideal camp spot.

4/ Employment - Sometimes you can find a gig, where someone wants a 'presence' to be on a specific site or property. That 'presence' could be you, in the form of some casual security. Just what kind of security services you want to provide is up to you; it could be dangerous dealing with desperate thieves.

As you can see, the options available to the vandweller are many and varied. In stealth mode, I like to mix up where I sleep continuously, so it's hard for anyone to become aware I'm around. By the time they do, I'm gone and they forget about me. That's because I never sleep in the same place two nights in a row, and I usually don't return for at least a month.

Parking in places where you have permission is obviously more comfortable. You don't have to hide and you can settle down. That is what I am doing right now. When I go to the next city, I will be checking out all private property options available. As a modern nomad, I take advantage of good opportunities, as I find them.

Keeping Warm, Part Two

2008-02-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

In the last article on 'keeping warm', I talked about how to keep just your body warm. But, what if you wanted to keep the whole inside of your van heated. It's not easy or for the most part, not cheap. For myself, I drive a minivan, which creates even more complications. I'm going to try to streamline the process and choices available, outlining some pros and cons.

Insulation - If you are going to try to heat your van, it is necessary to insulate sufficiently. Otherwise, the heat will just escape and have little effect. The exterior surfaces to focus on would be the roof and sides of the 'room', 'cuz these walls hold in and down heat which rises upwards. Curtains could be applied to the doors and behind the drivers' seat, to further contain heat and stop drafts. The floor should receive some consideration, but is not as important. Different methods of insulation will be discussed in a later series of articles; I'm working on renovating my own van, as this is being written.

Safety - This consideration is critical. If you are introducing systems that your vehicle wasn't designed for, you must take extra precautions. Have a fire extinguisher mounted conveniently. Use smoke detectors, use CO detectors, use propane detectors - whatever is applicable. Even consider having a fire escape plan to quickly leave your bed and get out of your van; it could save your life.

Some options available:

1/ Electrical - The simplest, cheapest and pretty safe way to heat your van is with a small electric space heater. The problem is that you have to plug into 'shore power', requiring parking in someone's driveway or renting a campground spot, wherever you can get external power supplied. But after that your expenses are minimal; if some precautions are taken, the fire risk is quite low. There are quite a few vandwellers that take advantage of this method, and I am prepared to do so whenever I can. All you need is one of those little black cube heaters and a heavy-duty exterior extension cord.

Left: This small heater is built extra tough with a metal exterior case, and the fan motor and controls well vented for long service. It retails for around $50 and puts out up 5K BTU/hr. Unfortunately, ya' gotta' plug it in to an 120 volt shore power source.

2/ Utilizing Waste Engine Heat - Laren Corie, is a very resourceful and intelligent member of the Yahoo Auto Group, VanDwellers "Live in your van2". There is a link on my blog, where you can join this group; then you can access the forums where there are many topics of importance to vandwellers are discussed and bandied about. Anyhow, if you do a forum search for "Laren, hot water bottle or heat", you will come across his methodology, where he takes warmth from his interior van heater, channels it through a container box with multiple water bottles inside. The container is insulated and becomes a thermal storage unit. By varying the insulation surrounding the storage unit, he controls how the heat is slowly released through the night. Now, obviously this is not going to give you tons of heat, but he claims it keeps the internal temperature of his insulated van bearable. Also, the system would be easy to implement, cost very little, and be extremely safe. I don't know how much driving is necessary to charge the system, but it would be an interesting concept to explore.

Left: Coleman Camp heater, with catalytic element. A similar size heater, the Mr. Buddy heater uses a open flame concept. I would only use these heaters in an emergency, not as a day-to-day heating source.

3/ Small Portable Propane Heaters - These come in both open flame and catalytic design, you know the little heaters for camping or small spaces. I don't care for these because of several reasons. One, the fire risk. They aren't really built for durability, they are easy to bump into and knock around; they have high temperature external surfaces. That could spell disaster in a small contained space, with yourself and pets moving about. Two, exhaust gases. These units are vent free, which means they use the oxygen from the interior space, and vent the exhaust gases into the same air volume. The one you breath and live in. There are too many documented examples of death, resulting from these units being incorrectly used in enclosed spaces, when the all-important ventilation necessary was compromised. The low cost doesn't justify the risk in my mind; I'd rather do with no heat instead.

4/ Compact Airtight Fireplace - Some people use small wood fireplaces, but I think they would be unpractical and unsafe. In the confined space of a 'mini' or full-size van, I can't really them working out. In a larger step or box van, with open spaces and clearances, for sure. They do use small wood stoves in school bus conversions, where there is lots of space. However, the smoke plume from the flue would not help your urban stealth mode, probably attracting the police or fire department. But used out in the country, way cool.

Left: Newport Marine solid-fuel microfurnace. Mounted on a fire-resistant panel, with a 3" flue, it's size is 16" high, 8" wide and 10" deep. Uses wood, charcoal briquette or coal. Retails for approx. $500, but there could be a cheaper version out there.

5/ Propane Camper or RV Furnace - If it wasn't for the prohibitive expense, this would be the way to go. You wouldn't be tied to shore power, and you would have safe heat anywhere. But, the cost. The cheapest brand new system I've figured out, would run somewhere around a $1,000 to implement, and would only work for a full-size van. The only system I could figure out for my mini-van, would run about $2,000 to install. But, you could take the system from your present van to the next owned van, reducing the extended cost.

Left: Atwood Everstar 8012-II propane furnace. The standard type RV unit, it produces 12K BTU/hr and it's size is 21" long, 12" high and 9" wide. Although it has a bulky size, it can be placed in cabinets with tight clearances, costs around $400 for the unit and draws only 1.8 amp current.

Two photos, to the right and above: Propex Micro Furnaces. If I was going to install a heater in my minivan, this would be my choice. Very high tech., very compact but very expensive ($800+ for just the unit). They put out around 3-4K BTU/hr, are very safe and efficient.

A system like this requires an internal furnace, exterior propane storage, gas plumbing, control and safety systems, and a house battery system for 12 volt system requirements. This is usually why you see them in vehicles which are commercially converted for van camping. It's a lot of processes to deal with, and unless you are very capable, probably best left for the professionals to install. You could be able to pick up a used system, but you would have to diagnose it's safety and operational value. Could be dicey.

Left: Platinum Cat Heater. Although the Olympian Wave brand is more popular, I would prefer this unit. It is vented, so the unit doesn't dump moisture and exhaust gases into the interior air.

Right: Force 10 Marine Cabin Heater. If I had a full-size van, this is the unit I would go with. It produces 6K BTU/hr and is 16" high and both 8" wide and deep. Retailing for around $450, it doesn't require a house battery system for electrical system power; a big savings. It is also vented, removing harmful exhaust gases and moisture via a 1" flue.

For my mini-van and my lifestyle, options 1 or 2 would suit me. If I had a full-size van, I would definitely consider option 5. What's going to work for you, you must decide. But whatever you do, please, please, please - consider safety first over saving money; option 3 is very risky! It's better to pile on a bunch of comforters, instead of risking your life. Think about it. Happy Trails!

Keeping Warm, Part One

2008-02-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Left: It's cold outside!

Yup, the dreary days of winter. An article of the Hobo Stripper's, Mr. Buddy, reminded me that most of you probably (or will) vandwell in the frozen hinterland. You are experiencing freezing or below temperatures for a continuous four months. Brrr! I am lucky, or intelligent (I doubt that!) Where I vandwell, the average winter low temps. are around 5 degrees Celsius, or 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty balmy in comparison.

But, what if I wanted to live/work at a mountain ski resort for the winter. I have actually researched and spent some considerable time thinking about extreme winter vandwelling. Once, I went winter survival camping in the mountains; I was amazed how I could be more or less comfortable in that situation. I learned a lot about staying warm with minimal protection that trip. In this article, I'm just going to talk about keeping just yourself warm, not trying to heat the interior of your van.

Left: At least, it gets cheery and bright!

Obviously, clothing is key. Modern tech. materials, such as thinsulate insulation in coats and solar fleece in tops, work great; old tech. materials, such as wool, are great for socks and toques. I utilize a layering method of clothing, using more or less layers to compensate for various temperatures or outside conditions. But, during the day I don't have a problem staying warm; I'm driving with the heat on, or I'm at work, the gym, a cafe/library, shopping or at my friends'/folks' place. I don't really use my van as a bed sitting room. It's only during the night, when I am sleeping do I feel the cold.

Because of the limited space in my van, I decided to have just a raised platform bed placed in the centre, slightly to the back. It affords me lots of storage underneath with a nice size mattress. But it also places my sleeping position in the approximate center of the 'back'. I find that when you are really close to a exterior surface, you can feel it's coldness by the close proximity and drafts. I try to distance myself from those cold surfaces, as much as possible. I also utilize insulation systems on those exterior surfaces, either by carpet on the floor, liners on the side and roof, reflectix on the windows, and so on. Trying to stop drafts in the sleeping area is very important, so I use curtains sealing off rear and side doors, and between the sleeping and driving compartments. Again, it's like you are cocooning yourself, as much as possible away from the cold outside.

My bed is raised up off the floor as much as practical, not just for storage, but for warmth as well. Cool air pools by the floor, and warmth radiates towards the ceiling, so it's good to position yourself higher when sleeping. The plywood platform and the thick 6" foam mattress insulate me from the cool air below. I use a comforter below me like a featherbed, and I use two heavy duty comforters (total 4'' of insulation or more) on top to hold my body heat close. The human body creates around 250 BTU's per hour; it's what keeps you warm when just wearing a coat outside. But, when you are sleeping, you produce less body heat by not exercising, so you need thicker layers to store it. I also sleep with a wool toque on my head, full body longjohns and wool socks.

Right: You can get sleeping bags like this rated to -15 degrees F, and lower

This is all I need, 'cuz temperatures at night rarely dip much below freezing. But, if I was experiencing even colder temperatures, I would use more insulate layers. Tara, the Hobo Stripper, uses a very thick layer(8'' or so) of down comforters on top, and she sleeps through extreme lower temperatures (-30 degrees Fahrenheit, oh, man!). That's a bit too cold for me; I would definitely be considering an auxiliary heating system under those conditions. But it demonstrates what you can do, if necessary.

I'm sure you are aware of space blankets. They are those flimsy, foil emergency sheets that work by reflecting your body heat right back at you. Cabela's, an online camping/survival outlet, markets something similar, but much more durable. It's still a thin sheet, but with one reflective layer sandwiched to a nylon tarp. You could use this as your very top layer of bedding, shiny side down, above your comforters, to further hold in heat and reflect it back at you. Unmodified, this sheet does not breath, and wouldn't let the moisture of your body's sweat escape. You could experiment by punching multiple small holes in it with a grommet hole cutter, allowing some air circulation to wick away dampness, and it would still work effectively.

Left: Reflective tarp from Cabela's

You could take this principle even a little further. Imagine a small tent-like enclosure, just above and all around you on the bed, above or just around the mattress. You could use a reflective material like reflectix or the reflective tarp mentioned before. This would create a cocoon just above you, which would trap and reflect body heat in the airspace just above you. You would have to allow for ventilation for you and moisture release, but again I think it could be very effective.

The use of various insulative layers around and on you, and using some ingenuity of design and forethought can keep you warm under many conditions. But in extreme low temperatures, I think an efficient and safe heating system, assisted by insulating your van is the way to go. I'm going to cover that in a subsequent article. The methods listed here can take care of you down to a pretty cool night; they are very economical, easy to implement/use and are effective. Keep bundled up!

Below: Sooner or later, winter begins to thaw. Yeah!!!

Sentimentality Tour '07 - Rocky Mountain Way

2008-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Above: 'Aero', back in Banff, AB

ED.Note - You can click on most of the pictures for a larger view.

After driving from the west coast to the east coast and back again, almost 10,000 miles over six weeks, I was getting closer to home. To see the Rockies looming larger on the horizon, reminded me why I had decided to move out West, 24 years ago. The raw majestic beauty of the mountain peaks drew me like a moth to the flame. Tonight I would be back in Banff, AB, and ready to reintroduce myself to old haunts.

I had originally planned to spend a few days in Banff, one resort town which had been an old stomping grounds. But, some people had moved on, and the place had really changed. Banff has started mimicking that upscale (read expensive) resort facade, I like to call 'Whistlerfied', instead of the rustic skibum scene. Saloon type bars like the Cascades (the Zoo), the original King Eddy and Silver City were gone or dandied up. I had a great time hanging with some ol' buds, but decided to leave town sooner than planned.

Left: View of Lake Louise, in front of the Chateau

The next day I cruised to Lake Louise, then up the Banff-Jasper Parkway past the Columbia Ice Fields to Jasper. The glacier behind Lake Louise is almost non-existent this time of year. I used to spend months back country skiing there. The photo displays the area; it's one mile to the end of the lake, but then it's around seven miles past there to the base of the mountains directly behind it. It's a really cool valley, surrounded by high peaks and full of twisted terrain. During the winters' high snowfall, there are avalanches that fall off the back peaks, sometimes 3-4 times daily. From the hotel, they look like dry ice mist or fog being poured over the top ridge, and it sounds like thunder. From on the glacier, it blows your mind, the raw power of nature.

Left: Columbia Icefields

Driving up the B-J Parkway was awe inspiring. I had to concentrate on the road, 'cuz the scenery is spectacular. You start looking around like a kid in a candy store. If you like sightseeing, cruise this highway one day. You won't be disappointed. Halfway up to Jasper, lies the Columbia Icefields, a majestic glacier that once seemed that it would cross over the highway. You can't tell from this photo, but it retreated back at least several hundreds of yards from previous positions, that even I remember. Folks, global warming is a reality and the glaciers are shrinking. I don't any proof, I've seen it.

I was looking forward to the next town, Jasper, with real anticipation. I had enjoyed living there, for almost 3 years, and it was like a homecoming. For me, Jasper and my hometown remained 'true to form' after all this time. They were the two friendliest places on the whole trip. Everyone I dealt with or visited, was glad to see me, and made feel right at home.

Although the Atha-B bar was no longer kickin', the Whistle Stop still rocked like the old days. I spent the first night in town partying with 'new to me' locals, went to a house party/jam and spent the night. The next day I caught up with ol' friends, and it was just great. This is a town, where you can do no wrong. Yeah!

Left: Lac Beauviere, view by Jasper Park Lodge

I'd been on the open road for a long while, and was overdue for some downtime. I wanted to zigzag my way back to the coast, slowly and with deliberation. I needed to hit some back country valleys for 'stationary' solitude. I needed to let myself catch up with all the memories and visions which cascaded through my mind.

Left: Ingersoll Mountain, Burton, BC

The Arrow Lakes region of the West Kootenays is a great place to go, if you want to get away. From everything. There are a few towns, but that's not much for a couple of lakes that seem to stretch for a hundred miles between wild mountain ranges. The weather was great; dry, warm late summer. Luv it! All I can say, is the photos don't due justice to the area. Check it out if you can, one day.

Right: Facquier, Lower Arrow Lakes, BC

I spent some days just camping by the lake, lettin' time slip by. Eating, drinking, playin' guitar and singing to no one, 'cept the breeze. I thought about how great it would be to have a cabin here. Or maybe somewhere in the interior of BC. I don't know, that's too hard to think about right now. Have a dip, soak up some sun and sip another beer. I ain't goin nowhere. Time has stopped. Rocky. Mountain.. High...

Someone once said, "All good things must come to an end" or something like that. It was time to get down the road. I was going to zip across the Okanagan Valley, up to the Chilcotin region then cut down to Whistler. The Okanagan Valley is BC's wine and fruit region, it's nice but I wasn't stopping this time. I wanted to get up to Clinton and Lone Butte way, before I headed down the Sea to Sky Highway, #99.

Left: Grassland Canyon, South Chilcotin region, BC

The lower Chilcotin region is way different than where I had just come from. Instead of lush thick forest, it has variations of dry arid land, and then there are lakes, rivers, forests, it just changes all around. Very cool.

Right: A different view of the Chilcotin region, thick forests with a mountain river

Friends of mine have a ranch up this way. I stopped in over night; we did a little horse back ridin'. I was sore for days 'cuz I ride once a decade or so. This is an area I have thought about home steadin' some. It's not too far north, and it is still relatively quiet. We'll see, ya' never know. Ian and I sat around the campfire that night, playin' a little geetar. He almost had me talked into becoming his neighbor. Not yet, I still have trails to ride.

Left: Treacherous valley before Lillolet, BC

It was the last highway towards the coast. The sign read, #99, the Sea to Sky Highway. I turned right, to head toward Lillolet; at that moment I figured I just had driven around 11,000 miles on my trip so far. But this stretch of road is too cool. Chewed up twisted canyons and thick uninhabited bush is the best way I can describe it. Between Lillolet and Mount Currie, it is buried by snow for the winter. Any wildlife you can imagine, grizzlies, cougars, eagles - they all call this area home.

The canyon just before, driving by and past Lillolet is the one craziest roads I've ever ventured on. I was stoked!! Just before, in the canyon pictured above, the road snakes along the left side of the canyon. There's only a couple feet of shoulder, then the ground slopes down at a 30 degree angle and over a cliff down to the raging river below. No railing, no curb. If you drove off the road, I swear they would never find the wreckage. Later, you go through this series of switchbacks, bridges and carved out roads clinging to the side of cliffs, over the river chasm below and up the other side. I can't describe it. I wish I'd put a video camera on the dash looking forward. Wow.

Above: Serenity on the Duffey Lake Road

After that is the Duffey Lake road over to Mount Currie. There is nothing but wilderness, thick bush, raging rivers, nobody for sixty miles or so. It was like a cocoon of forests, left alone by man, except for the road which snaked back and forth over a river on single lane wooden bridges. Everything got very still through this stretch, except for the forward movement of my van heading toward the approaching dusk.

Above: Old home cabin in Whistler, BC
Below: View from my old porch of Whistler Mtn. The ski run to the left will probably be the Men's Downhill course for the 2010 Olympics

Eventually, you come down to the Pemberton valley, and I cruised through to Whistler. My old neighbour, Dave was waiting for me with steaks to grill, and plenty o' beer to drink. For almost 5 years, Dave and I lived in separate sides of the cabin pictured above. Our backyard was Sprout Mountain and frontal view was Whistler mountain across the valley, with Creekside down below.

Those five years were a whole chapter of my life path, and too long to cover here. But for the next four days, I hung out here, in the village and around Whistler valley. Lots of friends, lots of drinks, lots of good times. The folks here are high energy and fun, fun, fun. Only inevitable responsibilities took me away from here, but, I may head back some day.

The last ride. A short drive down to the coast. It was late October '07, the nights were getting longer and cooler; I could feel the change of the season. With the night falling, I drove to Vancouver. Thomas called me to meet him at the Jimmy Dean Tavern. As I stepped out of the van into the light evening rain, it hit me. Time to stop. Home, after 11,300 miles, home again in Van-Coo-Coo. I walked through the door and bellied up to the bar. A modern nomad. Back home from the road.

Why am I a Vandweller?

2008-02-10T13:47:00.001-08:00

People ask me this all the time. Why would you want to live in a van? Don't you miss the comfort and security of an apartment/house? The truth is, there are many reasons why I live like I do.

1/ Adventure - All my life, I've craved adventure. I've always admired the notion of exploring distant mountains, sailing around the world or living in a back country cabin. Although unable to do all that, I knew the composition of my life path was going to be different. At one point 25 years ago, I decided I didn't want the 'norm'. You know; college, career, marriage, house with white picket fence in the 'burbs', and so on. I wanted to really enjoy living my life; exploring, experiencing, travelling around a whole bunch. I didn't want to spend my life working away just to pay the mortgage and car payments, and put off my desires until I could afford it. 'Now' was the time to live, not some point down the road.

Left: Arrow Lake, BC

So, I left behind my engineering career and city life in Toronto, ON, and headed West. I landed up working in the mountain resorts of Alberta, namely Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Resort work life revolves around the 4 month ski season and the 4 month summer season. Which meant every 6 months, I had a 2 month holiday. This is when I became a part-time vandweller.

I bought a VW van, outfitted it with part of a Westfalia camper creating 'Waldo', the Magic Bus. Waldo and I travelled all over Canada and the States during those 2 month holidays. I had cheap transportation and accommodation; I could go wherever I wanted. Even when I was working and living at the resort hotels, I could getaway for great weekends.

2/ Rental Cost and Choices - Years later, I was living the 'norm' in Vancouver, BC. You know; career job, fancy apartment, bills and such. At one point, I realized that I had drifted back to a lifestyle that I didn't really want. I didn't move out West to live in a big city, I wanted an alternative rural lifestyle. It was time to get the hell outta' Dodge. I had just bought an Aerostar van, for weekend camping trips. So, I streamlined my belongings and picked up a excellent 6 month work contract in Whistler, a resort 2 hours to the north.

When I got there, I was faced with an accommodation shortage. Apartments were scarce and very expensive. Being the warm part of the year, I camped out in the van while looking for a place to live. After a while, since I was only going to there for six months, why didn't I just van camp for the duration. I was taking showers at the rec centre, tailgate cooking at parks or eating at friends'; making do just fine. I would have a extra net savings of around $650/month, which also helped 'sell the deal'. I became a full-time vandweller.

3/ And So it Goes - Once things were finished in Whistler, I got a lucrative contract back in the city. Once again, apartments were pricey and scarce, while rundown and not very appealing. I considered every alternative, while couch surfing with friends. I was on the internet, and came across vandwellers.org and more vandwelling websites. The choice was obvious; by adopting some stealth mode to my vandwelling routine, I could do it in the city. Again, the savings were too hard to pass up, and the challenge was intriguing.

Above: Vancouver's downtown core

4/ The Modern Work World - The era of working for one employer, for the majority of your working life, is long gone. Corporations, governments, contractors and resorts hire employees on short term contracts (up to one year), and for many of us, it can provide a very lucrative and advantageous lifestyle. You get lots of variety, with different challenges, environments and coworkers all the time.

But, it often requires moving locations from one city to another, over to the islands, then to a small town or maybe a resort. It doesn't make sense to establish a permanent home; you would be leaving it behind all the time. If you try to setup an apartment as you go, you gotta' drag around furniture, order utilities, sign leases and so on. Too much hassle and too much wasted money/time.

By being a vandweller and working in this modern environment, I have a symbiotic lifestyle. For me, it just makes complete sense. I can go and live/work, whenever and wherever I want. I have unlimited choices with no shortage of opportunities.

5/ Independence - Because of the freedoms explained above, I am in a position of great abundance. I work when I want to; I am building savings towards the future; I enjoy time off for personal pursuits that I used to dream of. If I don't like a job or area, I can just leave; I have nothing holding me back. I luv it!

Everyone will have their own personal reasons for however they want to live, and I certainly have mine for being a vandweller. Sometimes, I think about settling down in one area, and that will happen one day. But for now, it's the open road and the next opportunity. Roamin' the land like a modern nomad. So, what's it going to be for you, it's your call.

Buying a Vehicle - More on Form Follows Function

2008-02-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

I glossed over the different types of vehicles you could buy last blog post, but here are some pros and cons for you to consider.

Left: Chevy Astro minivan

1/ Minivans - This is the type of vehicle that I use. You can usually expect decent fuel mileage in the area of 17-18 mpg in the city, and around 22 mpg on the highway. Good fuel economy is important if you are plan to drive a lot on a tight budget. Space is also tight; you'll need to be very organized. I like two particular models, the older Chevy/GMC Astro/Safari and the Ford Aerostar. These vehicles were built light truck tough; they have proper chassis with rear wheel drive; they can handle some payload and are proven performers. You can buy a used one for a reasonable price, and they are boxy in shape, which make them easier to build out. I also call them midivans; they are larger inside than most of the new front wheel drive minivans. They are easy to park and maneuver through city streets, or twisty dirt roads. One warning though, the Aerostar is very tight for space under the hood when servicing; patience is required.

Left: Ford E250 cargo van

2/ Full-Size Van - The average vandwellers choice. Fuel economy is usually around 14 mpg in the city, and 18-19 mpg on the highway. With more space comes less fuel efficiency. It depends on your preference and budget. For many people who don't travel as much, or use their vehicle for long distance daily driving, the extra space is most welcome and affordable. Ford, GMC/Chevy, Dodge are all good dependable vehicles, but, I still seem to prefer Fords or GMC's. These vehicles are built truck tough; they have proper chassis and rear wheel drive which can handle good payloads and abuse. They are boxy, so they can be easily built out for living in, and are proven performers. The 3/4 ton size van is a good mix of heavy duty running gear, suspension balance and handling for a built-out van. They are still not too large for city use or tight spaces when parking, and can be used for stealth parking if prepared properly. My dream van would be a Ford E250, with factory dual fuel (gas and propane) if possible, with a I-6 300 cu.in or small block V-8 engine.

Left: Fully equipped Camper Van

3/ Camper or Conversion Van - These vans are pre-built out vans by outfitting companies, for either camping or limo service, built on the full-size van platform. They can be a solution for some people, but you are buying someone else's idea about layout, creature features, etc. Because they are already kitted out, they come with a higher price tag; the extra weight will effect the fuel efficiency to varying degrees; usually around 10 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway. It's pretty obvious someone is living in a camper van, though you still have good stealth with a conversion van. They are made with the regular or extended version of the full-size van, so they operate similarly.

Left: GMC Box Van

4/ Box Van - These are usually the one ton version of a full size van, modified with a large cube or 12'-14' box over the rear chassis. They are usually classified as commercial vehicles, so, there are challenges involved with parking, insurance, and operation regulations/expense. They do have lots of room in the cube, but again you lose fuel economy ( 7 mpg in the city, maybe 10 mpg on the highway). They are difficult to park on city streets, pretty tricky/heavy to drive on dirt roads, and expensive to service/buy parts for. Some people prefer this type of vehicle, but I believe that unless you really want one, the average person would be better off with just a standard van for ease of retrofit, service and economy.

Left: RV Motorhome

5/ RV or different class Motorhomes - These are the preferred palatial vehicles of the older generation. They will usually have a built-in washroom, kitchen area, big bed, and so on. Think bigger price tag, more custom parts with specialized servicing, lower fuel economy, no stealth factor, difficult to maneuver and park. But, you have very comfortable digs. If I was living only in the country, and could find cheap camping/RV parks, they would be nice. But forget about easy operation in the city, and long distance traveling/daily driving would be expensive (8-10 mpg combined driving).

For myself, I like vehicles that are commonplace and mechanically stock, like my mini-van or a full-size van. Parts are available everywhere; from dealerships, parts stores, wreckers whethor new or used. Because they are stock vehicles with only cosmetic mods, they are readily serviceable by many garages, and are easier to work on for the home mechanic. When you get into specialized or commercial vehicles (types 3-5), your options for parts and service become more limited and expensive.

I believe fuel economy is a paramount consideration for the nomadic vandweller. Last year, I went on a 11,700 mile road trip with my Aerostar, which cost approx. $2400 for fuel in Canada (pretty good). With a lightly equipped full size van, the same trip would've cost $3100 (not bad); a fully modified camper van, $3900 (oh, oh!); a RV, $5,800 (ouch!). I live a streamlined lifestyle, so I prefer having the economy of a smaller, less equipped vehicle, instead of a palatial RV. I like being able to allocate my money to other choices, instead of just fuel!

ed.note - MPG ratings listed here are an approximate average for US gallons, larger Canadian gallons result in a 20% higher rating. But, Canadian gas costs more per same size unit!

Buying a Vehicle

2008-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some quick guidelines to buying the van you need, versus something you really don't.

1/ Decide on what you want: There are quite a few criteria you'll probably face when purchasing your new home. That's right, home. Changes your perspective a little bit, eh. Year range, model type, amount of money to spend, fuel economy, vehicle quirks; these are all important factors. But, take some time to look around and research your desired vehicle. You want to get it right, as much as possible the first time.

2/ Form Follows Function: When I bought my van , I was only getting something to camp weekends in, so I bought what I call a midivan, an extended Ford Aerostar. But, if I had been buying a van to be my home, I probably would have bought a full-size Ford E-series or equivalent. That would provide more living room inside, with only a 20% sacrifice in fuel economy. If I lived in a colder climate (snow on the ground for 3-4 months), I would definitely go for the full size. Depending on where you live, you might want a camper van or RV, but those are not really suitable for urban stealth sleeping or efficient fuel economy. Think about your choice!

Below: My '89 Ford Aerostar. Paid $1500, still has only 103K miles on the clock after two years driving, no rust, no leaks. The bare minimum for a full-time vandweller, but good gas mileage and reliable!

3/ Money range (Fuel Economy): Without a doubt, this will be the deciding factor of what you can buy. For myself, I have always taken a long time (weeks, if not months) to find my vehicles; I shop for the best deal, buying the vehicle for as cheap as possible. If you are in a hurry, you might make a rash decision you will regret later.

I like buying vehicles that usually are ten years old or more, but haven't been worked too hard, with not more than a 100K miles on the odometer. Also, fuel economy is a consideration, so I avoid large blocks engines. I also like that vehicles that are very commonplace; there will be lots of parts available, and service will be provided almost everywhere.

4/ Mechanical Condition: When buying a used vehicle, ascertaining the mechanical condition is paramount. If you buy something cheap with tons of miles (200K +) on the clock, then you will spend thousands to fix it up, and you'll still have a worn out vehicle that will break down anytime. If you keep it long, you'll end up rebuilding the vehicle. That's why I suggest you get a vehicle with around 100k miles or less; it should have lots of life left in the engine and drive train, and should be reliable requiring only regular maintenance for a few years.

Insist on taking the van for a good test drive before purchasing, and try to get some highway driving in it. I usually get the owner to drive the vehicle at first, so I can listen for noises (turn the radio off!!!) that indicate repairs needed. I also observe their operation while driving; are they doing something to compensate for repairs necessary. Then I take over to see how the vehicle feels; is the front end loose, the brakes working properly, the vehicle accelerating fine? Do all the lights work, the stereo, the air conditioning, etc.?

Check it over ruthlessly, for you're the one stuck with the problem after you drive the vehicle away. Take something to lie on, and check under the vehicle, looking for leaks and overall condition. Ask questions about the vehicle and for any receipts, so you varify alleged repairs and odometer mileage. Owners usually value their vehicle on it being in proper mechanical shape, so if it isn't, that lowers the resale value. Why? Because you'll be stuck with the repair bill later, adding more to the overall expense of the purchase.

5/ It All Depends: Whatever vehicle you buy, hopefully you can use it for a long time. If so, it's gotta' feel right to you, and there are so many variables to be considered. Take your time!! You're the one with cash in hand, so you are in control. Get what you want and need, not just what someone is trying to sell you. Happy motoring!

Sentimentality Tour '07 - The westward road.

2008-02-02T16:14:00.001-08:00

Above: Ontario fall colours beginning to show

When it was time to leave Toronto, I was looking forward to the ride back to my adopted homeland, Coastal BC. But, that area is located some 3,000 miles west of Toronto, so, I had some driving to do. I wanted to spend some extra time in places I'd lived before (Banff, Jasper, Whistler), which meant I travelled quickly through Northern Ontario and the Prairies.

Left: Cottage country, 2-3 hours north of Toronto

Travelling north of Toronto and eventually heading west, you travel up and over the Precambrian Shield. This huge land mass lies across the northern area of Ontario, Quebec and parts of Manitoba. There are thousands of lakes, surrounded by rugged rocky shores, dense forest and wilderness. I spent many summers enjoying the cottage counties of Haliburton and Muskoka, while growing up in Toronto. The Shield seems to go on forever; once I got to Muskoka county, I didn't get out of this type of geography until Manitoba, over a 1,000 miles later.

Left: North shore of Lake Superior

One lonely stretch of wilderness along the Trans-Canada Hwy, is between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, skirting the north shore of Lake Superior. The highway went up and down over tall hills and deep valleys, cut by glaciers through the deep rockbed of the Shield. The shoreline displayed craggy rockfaces carved by the erosion of time. Once in a while, there would be an exposed sandy beach, in one of the many bays off the highway.

Left: Sunset close to Terrace Bay, north shore of Lake Superior

This is one stretch of highway, I suggest you stay away from the semi trucks. They speed down into the valleys, to pick up momentum for the slow hill climb up the other side. I camped along the north shoreline twice; the open expanse of water is so great, you feel like you are on an inland sea. You are, they just call it a lake. The winter storms are legendary here, and the wilderness never ending.

Left: Terry Fox Memorial

At Thunder Bay, the Trans-Canada cuts northwest up over the Shield, away from Lake Superior past Dryden and Kenora, and eventually down to the Prairies. I stopped for lunch at the Terry Fox Memorial. In the early 80's, Terry was a victim of cancer, who decided to make a great sacrifice. Despite great pain and a artificial leg, he attempted to run across Canada from coast-to-coast, to raise money and awareness for cancer research and treatment. He motivated our whole country, and the image of Terry running was on the nightly news. Unfortunately, he only made it to Thunder Bay from the East Coast; still a great achievement considering his affliction. On his memorial, a quote of his says, "Dreams are made, if people only try. I believe in miracles, I have too... because somewhere the hurting must stop."

The trip up to Dryden and over to Kenora reveals more lakes, rocky crags and thick forests. It seems like it will gone on forever, 'cus it does. Eventually though, you get through. You pass a time zone marker, and the sign says you are entering Manitoba. I stopped, got out and looked back at Ontario, my native province. My life had started there, but, I still felt it was not meant to end there. I drove on into the night west toward Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Left: Prairie country road

The next day, I drove north off the Trans-Canada, to the lake country of Manitoba and Saskatewan. I'd had never been to this area, and I had always wanted a quick look. The prairies are pretty flat, farming countryside, so these huge lakes have always picqued my curiousity. The region has some rolling hills, and except for some river valleys, it is mostly pretty flat. You can see for miles and miles, over the open expanse. In the lake country however, there are some huge lakes. In the glacier age, Manitoba was apparently almost completely under water. These lakes are what remain.

Left: Lake Manitoba shoreline

Driving northwest from Winnipeg to the Narrows, at one point I was heading parallel of the lakeshore of Lake Manitoba, a quarter-mile to the east. But, I couldn't see it! A quarter-mile from a 50 mile wide lake, and I couldn't see it! I took the next dirt road west, drove 250 yards west, and there it was. The land is so flat, that if the water level rose 10-15 feet,it wouldn't be 50 miles wide anymore; it would 80-90 miles wide.

Left: Grain Elevator, near Ste. Rose, MB

Although you would think the Prairies would be boring, actually, that's not true. A couple of valleys caught me by surprise. One was Lake of the Prairies, and the other was the Q'uappelle Valley. You would be driving along through flat farming lands, then, down into a valley by a big lake in cottage country, with different trees, water-skiing, camping, etc. If you kept going, 5 minutes later, you drive up the other side, and you are back into flat farming land again. Weird!

Left: Church in Lebret, SK

There were lots of places of interest, different areas and wildlife, I didn't realize existed on the Prairies. There was way more deer that I knew lived there; with numerous warning signs on the road. In the Q'uappelle valley, I was driving through a kinda modest town, around 100 or so rather run down houses. I look over to my left down by the lakeside, and here is a magnigicant stone church! Completely out of character with the rest of the town. It's obvious that religion is alive and well in these parts.

In the morning after camping by Lake Q'uappelle, I hiked up to high ground. There was major storm clouds to the northwest, and some clearing of the storms to the southwest. I decided to cut back down to the Trans-Canada, and cruise quickly towards Banff. It was a rainy day; you couldn't see much in the way of scenary. As it cleared later, I could see the mountains looming on the horizen. I was getting closer to my adopted homeland, the Rocky mountains of Alberta and BC. I smiled as I drove toward the sunset. Homeward bound!

Below: Rocky Mountain High!

My Native Homeland, Toronto and area.

2008-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

Left: Evening Toronto Skyline

On my Great Canadian Sentimentality Tour '07, paying homage to my birthplace was the focal point. On the way east, I stopped and worked the Port Credit Blues and Jazz Festival, staying for about a week. On the way back west, I stayed in the Toronto area, for around 10 days. I can only touch on some of the memories, for there are too many to write here on one page.

I was originally born in Weston, which is a northwest part of Toronto, Ontario (T.O.). But, I actually grew up in Peel county, just next door to the west. Our first house was out in the countryside; my father, his brother and my grandfather built it in the late '40's. In 1968, we moved down to the lakeshore community of Port Credit (P.C.), where I became a young adult. Although I didn't technically live in T.O., I consider it to in my hometown area.

Left: Ontario countryside

When I started to get close to T.O., I felt my 'roots' beginning to grow. I recognized the countryside, the 'lay of the land', the woodlots and rolling fields; I knew this countryside like the back of my hand. As a youth, I cycled and hitchhiked throughout Southern Ontario. As I drove down the main highway of my home county, the wave of memories versus the present day vistas, was like being in a surreal movie. Funny, no matter how things change, they still remain the same.

Down by the lake (lake Ontario), P.C. waited for me. I cruised into town, and booked myself in the Ol' Newport Hotel. I was going to be very busy for the Festival, and I wanted a convenient location for my base, about 5 min. walk from the site. Also, it was excellent stumbling distance from all the parties of the next while. And what a hoot is was!!!

Left: Credit River down in the town. Park area to the right, was the site for the Festival.

The Festival rocked!!! Three days of blues, jazz, fusion, you name it. Buddy Guy, Downchild Blues Band, Powder Blues Band, Lighthouse, The Lincolns', Detroit Women; there were too many acts to list. Two stages featured acts from noon to midnight; and on the Saturday, we closed a main street down for the afternoon, and had over 20 acts performing spread out over 4 blocks.

Left: Downchild's Donnie Walsh and Chuck Jackson. Chuck, originator and main organizor of the Festival, is an ol' P.C. friend. I've seen 'Chuckwagon' perform many times, most notably back in the day, with Cameo Blues Band at the 'Izzy'.

Every night, there were late night jams until 3am, in some of the local watering holes. Old friends walked up to me, shaking their heads when they recognized me. When the final show was over, I was satiated by music, past the point of no return. When it was over, and the park was completely cleaned up and back to normal, it was unreal; Was it just a dream?

On the way back from the East Coast, I visited the sights around T.O., my friends and family spread out in the area. I tracked down the family homes; my grandfather's, and my two immediated families'. My original house was long gone, torn down to make way for an expressway. My home down in P.C. was still there, but, my grandfather's house had the greatest impact on me.

Left: Grandad Bill's house, the first original family home in Canada.

My Grandad Bill was a great guy. He built this house around 1919 ; he and grandma had just emigrated from England after WWI. My dad was born and grew up here, and as a child, we would visit them every Friday night. No longer alive, I missed them both as I stood in front of their modest house. Tears welled in my eyes as I walked away, overwhelmed by the memories.

Toronto is the centre hub of Canada. Known as the country's financial centre, it is also a multi-cultural mecca. As a young adult, I enjoyed great entertainment, different ethnic cultures and prosperous employment. For some, this city is not very friendly, but growing up here, I knew multitudes of people. Leaving here was difficult, when I originally moved away. Seeing old friends and family was very emotional to say the least. Although, I admit my life in T.O. was great, certain things about the city reinforced why I had left. The traffic was insane, and there were way too many people for me. There was always the ever-present 'hum' of the city, while I appreciate the quieter life.

Left: Chinatown in Toronto. It's size rivals many in the States.

Left: The original front facade of Maple Leaf Gardens.

One of the qualities of T.O. I miss the most was the entertainment. The last month, before I moved away in '83, I went to concerts like The Who, U2, Roxy Music and so on. There were lots of great pubs to see bands, like the El Macombo, the Izzy, the Gasworks, the Riverside..... The old Maple Leaf Gardens was not just a classic hockey shrine to me; it was where I saw Pink Floyd during the Dark Side of the Moon tour, the Rolling Stones, the Who, George Harrison, David Bowie, and on and on.

Left: Convocation Hall, U. of T. grounds.

Throughout my travels back east, i was engaged by appreciation for old architecture. Out West, there aren't many buildings that are over 150 years old, and many heritage building were not protected from being torn down. Not so in ol' T.O. I enjoyed walking through the University of Toronto grounds, where many old buildings are fully functional. One of my particular favourites is Convocation Hall. It is a fair size hall, holding around 500 people; it has a round floor, and is basically a upright cylinder shape, with a parabulum roof. The acoustics are amazing; I had the pleasure to see J.J.Cale and Sonny Terry/Brownie McGee perform here.

After runnin' around T.O. for 10 days, it was time to move on. I had done what I wanted to do, and I had satisfied my curiosity as to why I had moved away, 24 years ago. Although a great place, T.O. was too busy and crowded for my liking. I felt like I had paid homage to my hometown; time to journey back to BC. 'I'll be back, one day...', I told family and friends, over and over again. Hey, I am a Nomad, after all!

Sentimentality Tour '07 - Eastern Canada

2008-01-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Left: Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island

Below: Fishing Boats in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Below left: Waterfront Montreal, Quebec

At the end of summer '07, it was time for a road trip. But, just not any road trip. One that would take me from coast-to-coast in Canada. 11,700 miles long with the side trips. $2400+ fuel cost. 2 months. The Great Sentimentality Tour '07, a country-wide road cruise!

Although, the trip was from the west coast to east coast and back again, I'm just gonna cover random thoughts from the return trip. The stimuli was overwhelming; a never ending cascade of new vistas and familiar sights.

Left: Basilica-Notre-Dame, Montreal, Quebec

The return swing started in Prince Edward Island (PEI). This island province is the smallest in Canada, with both farming and fishing communities. PEI potatoes and mussels are famous through the land; I've eaten tons of both. The island is very progressive with trying to create renewable energy sources. On many farm fields above the crops, you'll see large wind turbines creating electricity. By 2020, they project they will produce almost 30% of the power needs of the island by wind power.

Left: Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Ontario

A trip to the East Coast wouldn't be complete, without recognizing the fishing heritage of this region. When John Cabot, an European explorer, first came to this area, it was said that his ship was slowed down by the fish above the Grand Banks! Although many of the fisheries have been closed due to depleted stocks, they still go out. In Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, there were fishing nets spread across the ground, being repaired and down the road, lobster traps piled high on the docks. Nothing tastes as good as fresh lobster cooked right away, with butter and plenty of beer.

In Halifax, Seamus and I paid homage to the old site of a favourite hallowed hall. For me, the Misty Moon Tavern was a 'classic' bar; I saw the Tragically Hip play here, many years ago. You could get up really close to the stage, and see everything. The locals were super-friendly, and good times were had by all. There is another bar in it's place now, but for me and others, you could never replace the Misty Moon (sigh).

Francine laughed with me over old times and drinks on a street cafe in Moncton, New Brunswick. I had to struggle with her thick accent; her heritage is a mix of French and English Canadian, so she thinks in French, and hesitates before she speaks. It was great to visit her in her homeland, for I met her originally in Jasper, Alberta (3,000 miles away). We took a side trip to the Bay of Fundy, a picturesque coastal area, and ate more lobster! Mmmm!

In Montreal, Quebec, I met up with Jenny on the Old Port waterfront. We went across to the man-made island, which was the original Expo '67 site. I had visited the exhibition, when I was nine years old, with my family. The original Habitat buildings were still there; they were a futuristic design for apartment dwellings (see photo above). It was bizarre to see them, a distinct memory from my childhood. Montreal is a vibrant and cultural city, with great restaurants and lots of entertainment. I wish I could have been there for the annual Jazz Festival. Oh, well.

To finish off the eastern portion of the trip, I visited the nations' capital, Ottawa. Butsy still lives there, and we crossed the river back over to Hull, on the Quebec side. We reminisced of how we used to party the Chaud', another former hallowed dance hall in the Eastern Townships. No kidding, this bar could hold around 1,500 people upstairs, and 400 downstairs in a separate bar. Bands would play 'til 3 or 4 in the morning, performing 5 sets, not just 3. The dance floor was huge, and we'd rip it up there, whenever I visited Butsy and crew. Those were fond memories (another sigh).

No matter where I went, I was always struck by how beautiful eastern Canada is in the late summer. There were familiar sights from my early adulthood and I got to spy many more passing by my van windows. The ability to just go wherever and whenever I felt, because I travelling in my van, was freedom to no end. To have friends, throw open their arms and homes, was humbling. Maritime hospitality is still number one in my books!

The next swing of the trip is my native homeland, Toronto and Southern Ontario. 'Bye now.

The World I live in

2008-01-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you forget to look around and see the beautiful world we live in. So, this article is going to be a little travelogue of my 'neck of the woods', the Gulf Islands of BC, Canada. These islands lie in protected waters behind Vancouver Island, from the open Pacific ocean.

The climate here is one of the mildest in Canada. If it snows, it usually melts by morning. A heat wave in the summer, may last a whole week, with highs only around 90 degrees F. No extremes, for our weather is moderated by the ocean's water. They refer to this area as a temperate rain forest, so not only are we surrounded by the ocean, we get tons of rain during the cooler half of the year. The islands are very green, lush and thickly forested, except where inhabited. Although more people have moved here, the islands are still rural in nature. Folks here try to preserve the natural beauty of the region, and most are environmentally conscious.

I've always joked that the area has it's own time zone, slo-mo. People work hard here, but, they take their time when out and about. In the main village of my home island, people always say hello, stop and talk. There is a good sense of community. For most of the year, there is a weekly market for local produced food stuffs and crafts. There are live shows with local and imported talent, in various halls and pubs. Lots of artisans live on the island, and they are several galleries and art exhibitions. The summer here is very busy, with tourists and locals mingling at various events, markets, and so on.

The islands boast many beautiful vistas to enjoy. Small farms still exist here, and the land is kinda 'hill and dale'. You usually are going up or down, even if you travel a short distance. There are hiking trails, hidden little beaches and lakes; lots of natural beauty to enjoy. The ocean is at our doorstep, with yachts, kayaks and fishing boats plying the local waters.

The main reason I live on Coastal BC, is the 'lay of the land'. I've got ocean and mountains, cities and wilderness, forests and concrete jungles; all within a short distance from each other. It is my favourite region in Canada to live, and as long as I live in Canada, this is where I'll be. Even though I'm still a Nomad, this is the region I will eventually settle. 'Cuz in my heart and soul, I'm an Islander.

Security

2008-01-24T11:19:00.000-08:00

On the Vandweller's forum lately, there has been a lot of talk about security. People have asked a lot about how to defend themselves, when out on the road. When you are living in a van, you are 'out' there, and I believe due diligence is wise. If you take care, you should be able to enjoy vandwelling, without living in fear of what might happen.

I grew up in a big city. That taught me there are lots of people, you don't want anything to do with. I developed a sense of what I call, 'street smarts'. It's a mode, or set of behaviour skills, that show strangers that I don't take 'crap', but, I don't instigate anything either. I move through 'bad' areas of the city with 'purpose'; I don't portray myself as a 'potential' victim. I minimize my time when spent in these 'down and out' areas, and I don't leave my van unattended for very long.

When you are sleeping in your van, you are vulnerable. So, I take extra care. I don't night park in urban areas of frequent or violent crimes, such as industrial or 'skid row' sections of the city. I park in urban suburbs, where there are lots of people around, and lots of more expensive cars than my van on the road. This minimizes the chance of someone bothering me, or breaking into my vehicle to steal the vehicle or contents.

I thought about having a weapon, like a hunting knife, or bear spray. But, if you introduce a weapon into a conflict, you better hang onto it, because it can be taken from you and used against you. I believe in other modes of defense. For example, most thieves are gutless. If someone is breaking into your van, confront them with an angry stream of profanity and they will probably flee. When passing a potential mugger on the street, if you portray that you are not an easy mark, they will usually leave you alone. But, the best defense is to not be in those areas in the first place, to minimize chance encounters with 'bad' people.

Obviously, I lock my doors, when asleep. Even in the country-side. Not for just protection from humans, but from curious bears and cougars, which are common in the woods of BC, Canada. If these animals are hungry, they aren't afraid of nothin'. Just because you are out in the country, doesn't mean an asshole might try something. So, I keep my awareness level up; again, I protect myself from being a victim. Choosing your campsite wisely, out of sight and out of mind, can save you a lot of unwanted attention.

When dealing with strangers, I trust my 'gut' instincts. I am wary of dangerous situations and act defensibly when appropriate. For example, when I see someone broken down on the road, I pull over and call out to them from inside my van, with the engine running. That way, if any shenanigans begin, you just drive away.

Although I keep alert, I don't live my life in constant fear. I conduct myself in a relaxed awareness, minimizing hazards. My 'street smarts' mode, a kind of a passive-aggressive behaviour, doesn't create any unnecessary conflicts, but avoids them. I've talked my way out of several 'sticky' spots, slipping away unscathed. I believe avoiding conflict, by conducting yourself wisely in the first place, is the best possible defense.

"The clever man solves a problem, the wise man avoids it." - Author unknown.

Changes

2008-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm out of the big city. Goin' to the country-side for a spell. Goin' back to live on a little island, before moving into the medium-size city, on the big island.

For the next while, three months or so, I'm going to live and work on one of the Gulf Islands. This group of islands is close to Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia from the Mainland. Yup, back to being an Islander again. I have some family and work commitments, and I want to do some renovations on 'Aero', my van.

It's always an adjustment, living on a island, 20 miles long by 10 miles wide. I mean, it's really cool, a mixture of nature and people, but for me, it's small. I lived here before, and there is only so many nooks and crannies to explore. As a Nomad, I love open roads that lead away to remote wilderness, those unpopulated beaches and lakes, quiet valleys and majestic mountain ranges. When I'm here on the little island, I can't just go anytime; I have to wait and pay for the ferry to shuttle me over to the open road. I know it sounds trivial, but I feel stifled somehow, and sometimes, it really effects me.

Fortunately, I am going to be very busy. I have two houses to do renovations on, for my folks and a neighbor's home. Some painting, finish carpentry, odds and sods, whatever it takes. My folks need my help in their personal life, and I'm going to be closer for a long time. They are both elderly, and I'm making sure they are comfortable and safe, helping with their home and affairs.

'Aero' is going to get an interior makeover. Although, I've had a platform bed in the back for a long time, I think I'm going to put in a plywood floor, and put in a higher and better-built platform. I want to create better privacy panels for the windows, etc. I'll have some how-to articles, as well, some articles showing my methods for vanliving. Usually, I like to be rather bare-bones in my approach, but, lately, I've been wanting a creature feature or two.

Oh, yeah, the big law suit should be very soon. Earlier in my blog, I talked about the constitutional lawsuit against the anti-camping bylaws, which is the main reason for hiding my identity. For a few years now, the numbers of the homeless on foot, have been climbing quickly. They started camping in city parks, in the larger cities, using tents or whatever to protect themselves. Well, that didn't work for the authorities and the 'establishment', so they evoked anti-camping bylaws, and an ancient 'chatteral' bylaw. Even though these folks had nowhere to go, with the city shelter's capacity already overwhelmed by 10 to 1, the cities criminalized the homeless. To make matters worse, the 'chatteral' law, allowed the police to seize bed rolls, tents and backpacks, from the helpless 'offenders'. Nice, eh, nothin' like kicking a poor soul, when their down and out.

Well, the homeless got some pro-bono lawyers, and are taking the cities, the province and the country to Supreme Court, on a Constitutional lawsuit. The anti-camping law, is apparently in contradiction to our Charter of Rights, which is kinda like the US Constitution. If the homeless win, it will set a common law premise, which will apply in all jurisdictions, throughout our country. If you need to sleep 'outdoors' in a public park, due to financial or other hardship, the authorities will be powerless to stop you, unless they provide an alternative, like a proper tent city.

How does this affect you and me, as vandwellers? Well, if the cops roust you at night, they probably just get you to move on. But, the authorities consider us to be vehicular homeless, so in some cases, they have found vandwellers, both north and south of the border, to be breaking the anti-camping laws in those jurisdictions. In my area, if these laws are stuck down, it will lessen their authority, and increase our personal freedom. Maybe this will force the authorities to recognize that vehicular dwelling is an option, that could be supported like they do in a program in Santa Barbera, CA (see blog entry, 1/09/'08). We'll see.....

Anyways, that's all for today. I'll step off my soapbox, and get back to my tinkerin'. Bye, now.

The Network

2008-01-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends..." excerpt, Beatles' song.

I'm a lucky guy. I have friends and family, spread out across this large country. It is an informal network, for which I have appreciation and gratitude. For some crazy reason, lol, they put up with me. Maybe because I always give more than I receive. Maybe because if they need help, I am there. My family have always been my best friends in the world, despite the usual difference of opinion. If you are my true friend, your my friend for life, period. That's the foundation of my network.

A strong network is based on relationships, and it takes time to build a relationship.

When you live in a van, you are out there. I vandwell in a Ford Aerostar, so, it's not really disposed to 'cocooning' in, like a regular home. You begin to appreciate dropping over to a friend's place, to watch the game, have a beer and slice. You are grateful, you can go jam on the weekend at your friend's studio, where you store guitars and gear. You enjoy seeing your folks, to cook dinner while doing laundry and later, tinker on the van.

And I appreciate, they are always glad to see me. ;-)

When it comes to work opportunities, my network are my eyes and ears beyond my horizon. They hear about great job leads, commitments and contracts, that I may have never known. One of my friends is an employment councillor; she guides me sagely, and is impressed by my extensive network.

Regarding job choices, everyone you know probably has an opinion of what you should be doing. Most of the time, you don't want to hear about it. But, if your stuck, it doesn't hurt to listen. They know about your strengths, abilities, limitations and reputation. They are familiar with your past, probably enough to consider what might work for you or perhaps suggest something you would never consider.

Volunteer work lets you help others, but, it also lets you help yourself. When doing volunteering, you'll be expanding your network, usually with an entirely new group of people. For example, I am a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. I've done both volunteer and paid work with them. There are Legions across the country, where I'm welcome to drop in. I meet local people of all walks of life, and quite often get offers for casual labour or renovation work. It helps them get someone they trust, and it helps me find work.

Some of my network are ex-bosses or fellow workin' buds. They are always ready to give me a 'heads up' on the local scene, keeping me in the 'loop'. Somebody once told me, 90% of jobs are never posted in the paper or online. I believe it, because I've lost count on how many jobs I received, through personal recommendations.

I bask in the hospitality of my friends and family. I sift the trickle of confidential job offers, picking out the gems. When you are a Nomad, it's nice to get by with the help of friends.....

Freedom

2008-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

"Freedom, give it to me,
That's what I need now..
Freedom to live,
Freedom, so I can give...." - excerpt, Jimi Hendrix song.

Freedom, the siren's song for the Nomad. For half my life, I've been a Nomad, seeking my desired existance, while luxuriating in freedom. Free to choose when and where I live or work, because I have no permanent ties, anchoring me down. Free.

Most of us probably watched our parents' generation, live and toil the majority of their lives, indentured to the consumerate system. They graduated from school, got a good job, got married and bought a house, then spent 20 or more years paying it off. They didn't have the freedom to quit a job, or move to a different area easily. The house and other commitments tied them down to the rut, they had signed up for.

I tried to follow in my dad's footsteps. I went to university, studied engineering, while working as a draftsman in Toronto, ON. But, memeries of the ocean, mountains, skiing and adventuring, tugged on me. I looked around the huge office where my cubicle was just one of many, where the banks of flourescant standards, bathed me in a sickly excuse for light. I decided then and there, this would not be my life for the next 30 years.

Since I've been a Nomad, I've lived and worked, in many towns and cities of British Columbia and Alberta. Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, Kelowna, Penticton, Whistler, the Gulf Islands, Vancouver, Victoria, Sooke. I've enjoyed years of living in all of them. I've travelled to Europe, Central America, the Caribean, New Zealand and Australia. I've logged numerous 100+ day winter ski seasons, 100+ day summer mountain biking and fishing seasons. I've enjoyed many road trips, into the States and across Canada; last year, my Sentimentality Tour '07, took me coast-to-coast of my beautiful homeland.

You can't do that if you have a mortgage, that you struggle to pay off. You can't take months off to travel any time you want to, when under the burden of such a huge debt. Sure, I haven't had my own house, yet, but look at the life I've lived. The world at large has been my home, and I have no regrets of my path.

Vandwelling further serves this purpose. Instead of wasteing money on rent, while working commitments in different places, you save even more money. You can work less, travel more, have more free time, whatever you want. I have no debts, only savings. Your personal freedom has grown exponentially, because you have ability to get up and go, at a moment's notice. If things aren't working out in one place, just leave. Turn the key and drive!

Happy Trails!

The Zen of Urban Stealth Parking

2008-01-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

For myself, the most challenging part of my urban vandwelling day, is parking for sleep at night. Parking restrictions, police and nosey homeowners are obstacles to deal with. Everyone will have their own experiences, but, I'm going to share my routine.

The first factor that will determine where you park is the type of van you use, ie. mini or passenger van, cargo van, cube or box van, RV or camper van. I think that your vehicle should blend in with the area you park, that it looks like it belongs there. For example, I use a 'soccer-mom' minivan, so it parks easily and looks right in place in an urban suburb neighborhood. No one gives it a second glance, which is what I desire. No undue attention. If I tried to sleep in a RV on the same street, the cops would be banging on the door in no time.

I drive around during my daily routine. I go to work, I picnic at different parks, I hang out in different places; where and when I park at night, it's only for sleeping. Before I go to a night sleep spot, I am prepared and ready to do just that. When I park my van, I try to minimize the lines of sight from houses, so hopefully, they can't watch me getting in and out of the 'back'. My van has all the privacy panels up and my bed is prepared to jump right in. I don't get out of my van, I just quickly slip into bed, when I think no one will notice. Because of prying eyes, I don't want to give anyone a clue that I am sleeping there, so, I try to minimize any moving around or noise, I just read a little and fall off to sleep. In the morning, I take a quick peak around to see if anyone might notice, then, I get in the front and drive away.

I generally go to bed around 10 pm, and get up around 6am. Most people are getting dozy that late in the evening, and they usually aren't up or wide awake that early in the morning. That way I slip in and out, of any particular street 'block', usually undetected. If someone notices my van in the evening, I'm already gone first thing in the morning, so they forget about it. I also don't use the same block, night after night; I don't like to go back again to the exact same block for at least a month. That way, I don't become a focal point for any concerned, blockwatching citizens. I like urban 'blocks', that have most of the houses, split up into apartments; in those areas, there are lots of people coming and going, and lots of vehicles parked in the street. Perfect for my style of night parking.

Although this routine is really a lot of effort, it becomes second nature after a while. In these areas, I feel safe with people around, and my van blends in with lots of parked vehicles, reducing the possibility of someone wanting to break in or steal it. It's usually pretty quiet at night, but, in the city you are going to have some noise; you get used to it.

Sometimes, I utilize a parking lot. I know of two pay parking lots ($2 fee, 6pm to 8am), where there is no night time attendant, they are fairly safe, and you can get in and out, 24 hours a day. Walmarts in this area, still allow overnight parking, good for a occasional night. Sometimes a shopping mall, with no overnight parking restrictions, can be used carefully. But, because there is little or no other vehicles around at night in most lots, I feel you stick out like a sore thumb. A target for thieves or cops/security to hassle you.

On the weekends, I'm gone out of the central city area, to go adventuring or visit family and friends, parking in their driveway, etc. When I return to work, I drive into the city on Monday morning, so I usually only have to stealth park four nights a week.

Whenever night parking, I use my 'gut' feelings, when judging a potential spot. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't, so go somewhere else. There are so many choices, and it's usually easy to find a better one, just down the road.

A Future Neighborhood

2008-01-17T00:33:00.001-08:00

Lots of stealth night parking, and lots of picnic areas. All within five miles of potential employment, health clubs, etc. Good stuff!

The Art of the Turnaround

2008-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

No, it's not some modeling catwalk technique, or odd ball driving move. When your out in the wide world, you're bound to meet someone who wants to impose their self-perceived authority and/or superiority on you. The 'turnaround', is when you calmly walk away from them, head held high as they realize they were wrong. For anyone, this technique is useful for dealing with cops or nosey-parkers.

A couple of weeks ago, I was parked on a rather busy urban suburb street. I went to sleep with no incident, but first thing in the morning, I was approached by the house owner, across the street from my parking spot. I could see that he wasn't in the mood for social niceties. Damn, I hate dealing with clowns before my morning coffee. OK, I had to remind myself, what would Gandhi do now.....

"Excuse me, hey, excuse me...." he threw at me, scurrying my way. "Morning, Can I help you?" I calmly replied. Puffing and obviously ready to tear a strip off me,"Did you sleep here last night! Huh!", he accused me. He started going off on this tangent, how I didn't have the right, and that he should phone the cops, etc. I listened to his verbal diarrhea, replying calmly and politely, slowing disarming his stance. I wanted to confront him, but that would only prolong his tirade. I did reply though, pointing out that I didn't want to drive when exhausted, and that I had slept longer than I meant. That I hadn't done anyone on the street any harm or nuisance, and as far as the cops were concerned, they would just tell me to move on, which I was already doing. His self-imposed power shrank against my polite, calm and measured replies.

But, although I just wanted to leave, I decided I wanted this idiot to feel like the dumbass he truly was. I looked for the weak point in his armor, listening to his simpering drivel while seeming to commiserate with him. Then I noticed it.

Defense, counter-attack, parry, lunge! Got him!

"That's a Legion pin, isn't it?" I queried, pointing at this lapel. "What's that to you!" He gruffly replied. I formally introduced myself as a fellow Legion member, stating my name, branch location, and that I also did volunteer work there. He shut his cake hole up, while he realized that he had stepped in his own shit. You see Legion members are supposed to be community-minded, you know, conduct themselves like a Good Samaritan. To anyone. I further strengthened my position with Legion small-talk.

I enjoyed a peculiar pleasure, watching this guy's face wince, while his balls shrank to the size of two frozen peas.

"I got to go.." I countered, as I made ready to leave. "Hey, listen.." He said. "You can park here anytime. No harm done, right." "No, I wouldn't want to impose on this nice neighborhood." I politely replied. As I drove away, a big grin spread across my face.

All this took place in only five minutes or so. The 'turnaround' worked like a charm. Later that day, I met up with Jenny. I still had flashes of the same grin on my face. A good day, all and all. I got to put clownboy in his place, and I got the girl! Sometimes, ya' just can't do no wrong.

RV/Van Racing

2008-01-15T01:13:00.001-08:00

A Honourable Ending to your RV or Van!!!

Go Green, Be a Vandweller

2008-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

I know. Sounds like a contradiction; driving a gas guzzlin' van, how could you even consider yourself an environmentalist. Hear me out.

From the forums, etc., it seems that most of us vandwellers drive older vans, which we have refurbished into useful and efficient machines. In other words, we have 'recycled' and are 'reusing', vehicles that were probably a few years away from the wreckers. By decreasing the need for another new vehicle to be produced, we eliminate the manufacturing, mining and all processes involved.

Although, we drive vehicles that don't have the best fuel economy, I find my driving routines allow me to just as 'green', as most auto commuters. Daily, the average car owner drives, around 17 miles to work, 17 miles back home, and maybe, an extra 6 miles for shopping, etc. That adds up to 40 miles driven per workday. Because I am mobile, and don't commute from a fixed place (suburban stick house, etc.), I can decrease my work commute, by simply changing my neighborhood. I get all my daily 'needs' within a 10 miles radius area, so my workday driving usually adds up to only 20 to 25 miles.

Man-made hothouse gases are considered the prime cause for global warming. Various hothouse gases are CO2, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, unburnt hydrocarbons and methane. I know they all contribute to the problem, but, CO2 is by far the major pollutant.

My understanding about vehicular sourced CO2 production goes something like this; if someone knows better, please correct me and I will edit or erase this premise. As long as your vehicle utilizes a catalytic converter, when you burn a gallon of gasoline, you create a specific amount of CO2 (approx. 20 lbs. per gallon). So, your resultant CO2 production is not based on how new your car is, or the MPG rating, but, how much volume of gas you burn daily, weekly, etc.

Because my personal driving routine involves less miles driven, I generally use the same or less gasoline than the average commuter, even though my MPG rating is lower. Hence, my CO2 production, is the same or significantly less. But, that's not the big payoff!

Since, I live in my van, I don't have a conventional home (house, condo, apartment...). For me, that home doesn't have to be built, or heated, resulting in a huge net personal reduction in hot house gases and natural resources. I don't have to fill a home with stuff (furniture etc.), again a net reduction of pollutants created. I have a simplified lifestyle, with less needs and less overall resultant pollution.

When I plug my numbers into carbon footprint calculators, I usually come out passing with flying colours. I realize that these calculators are not very accurate, generalizing a lot of factors. But, at least they all confirm, I create way less than the US per capita average of 40 tonnes of CO2 per year! I usually drive 13,000 miles per year; if I could reduce that figure, I would even be 'greener'.

Unfortunately, for vehicle engine systems, there doesn't seem to be any affordable alternatives available, so the basic 3R's still apply. Recycle, Reduce and Reuse. Using internal combustion of fossil fuels, is a 'dinosaur' technology from the last century and should go the way of the dinosaur. As long as we resist change, there's only so much we can do.

Of all the new automobile advances, there is only one that makes sense to me. Check out: http://www.mdi.lu/. Google "the air car", and see the video on YouTube. It's a beginning!

ed.note - Some folks emailed me about this article, chiding me for inferring I was trying to be a 'no impact' man. All I'm trying to do, is be a 'lower impact' man.

My Home, My Van

2008-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

When I first got my Aerostar, I wasn't planning to live in it. It was going to my mini RV, a portable pup-tent. You know, something to go camping for the weekend, and for extended road trips. Little did I know! While up in Whistler, a couple of years back, vandwelling was the thing to do, so 'Aero' became my home.

Most vandwellers usually find a mini-van too small for their needs, but, I have adapted to the compact space. I would define my home on wheels, as a mobile sleeping pod, with adequate storage. I don't cook food in the van; I tailgate and picnic in public parks. I don't wash up in the van; I shower and shave at a convenient rec centre. Working full-time and taking off on the weekends, I don't really hang out in my van, more kinda around it. During the midweek evenings, I'm either visiting friends, going to the gym, library, cheap night at the movies, the pub, and so on. On the weekends, I usually visit my folks, or friends, specially Dave's cabin in Whistler, or jam at Eric's studio in Sooke.

I really only stealth sleep or drive around in the van. The weather here is very temperate, so it doesn't really get cold in the winter (usual lows, 4 degrees C or 39 degrees F), or very hot in the summer (usual highs, 27 degrees C or 77 degrees F). So, it's mellow, no real extremes. This allows me to live comfortably, out of doors most of the time, which a mini-van will force you to do. My mini-van parks easily on congested city streets.

If I lived in a colder climate or wanted more of a compact bed-sitting space, I would definitely go with a nicely setup, full size van. Most vandwellers seem to choose a full size van. When I move to the next city, which is less congested, I'm gonna be thinking a lot about up scaling to a Ford E-series van, for example. You could hang out more comfortably inside, have more storage, etc. We are all different folks with varying routines, wants, needs, and climate, so what works for me, will be different for you. Camper vans, motor homes and cube vans, aren't a option for me. I want reasonable fuel economy, and for me, the ability to stealth park is too limited with these vehicles. However, if I was mostly out in the countryside, they could be an excellent option.

When buying a vehicle, leftover lifespan, mechanical condition, and affordability are prime considerations. I like buying vehicles with less than 100,000 miles, which have been maintained well, and are cheap as possible. I bought my Aerostar for $1,500, with 76K on the odometer, plus spent a extra grand for some glass work, brakes, tuneup and new battery. Vans make an expensive lawn ornament, and the urban parking nazis don't like vehicles that are stationary. I always keep my vehicle it top mechanical condition, for safety and reliability. The Aerostar is still a very common vehicle; new and used parts are readily available, and a lot of mechanics are familiar with them. Also, my 'Aero' gets around 20% better fuel economy than a full size van.

Take your time before you spend your hard earned cash. It took me some searching to find out what I wanted, and get a good deal. Read the forum on Vandwellers Yahoo Group, check out my links to Vandweller's Den, CheapRVLiving, Hobo Stripper & CarLiving, for wise and sage advice by experienced vanners. Talk to trustworthy mechanics and experienced couriers. They'll tell you what's good, and which vehicles to avoid.

Happy Trails!

Money and Common Sense

2008-01-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

"Money, get away; Get a good job with good pay and your OK..." excerpt Pink Floyd song.

The fact is, that in present times, the statement above doesn't ring true. The average working persons' annual income, in my area, is approx. $25K. Meanwhile, the average one bedroom apartment annual rent is $8.4K. Resulting with the average working person spending 34% of their gross income, or 42% of the after-tax dollars, just for shelter.

That means the average workin' stiff, according to the government's own definitions, lives in core-housing need, that being they spend more than 30% of their income for rent. Also, almost 25% of the area's working people, make less than $13K gross income, so it would cost them 65% or more, of their income for housing. Is it no wonder that people are doubling up in apartments, moving back in with parents, or creating innovative housing methods. As well, new building of rental properties has been on a long decline for decades, resulting in low supply and inferior quality units.

This was the crux of the matter for me. If you could even find an apartment you wanted to live in, you had to pay at least $700 monthly for rent, if not, $800 ($9.6K/yr.) or $900 ($10.8K/yr). That's a lot of after-tax dollars! Then you want to fill the place with furniture, put in TV/computer feed, and so on. No wonder people's money seems to evaporate.

That's if you can get an apartment. When I moved back to Whistler a while back, there was no accomodation available. A one-bedroom apartment did rent for $800/mo., but, there were none available. Period. Lots of jobs, but no accomodation. Hmm. That's when vandwelling, first really provided a solution for me. I didn't really want to commit to the area anyway, I was only there for six months. I could save most of the I would have spent on rent, except for a rec centre fee ($50/mo.), for getting cleaned up and recreation. It was a large savings, resulting in an extra $4K in my bank account!

When I moved back to the big city, similar story. There were apartments available, for around $800/mo., usually run down and in sketchy areas. Did I really want that? No! So, I joined another health club, began to stealth vandwell in nice neighborhoods, work full-time and bank cash. I have a nice budget, so I can afford mobility, healthy food, health insurance, recreation and entertainment; and still save money. It seems to come down to this:

1/ Spend the cash to rent an apartment.
2/ Or by vandwelling, have the cash available for a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle.

You tell me, which choice makes common sense.

There's an old tenet of economy, which goes something like, 'Live within your means'. That's what I'm doin'. ;-)

Now that's what I'm talking about!

2008-01-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Check this out! It's a short clip, about Santa Barbara, CA, having a Safe Parking Program for the RV homeless. Click on this : www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rvhomeless-f,0,2016826.flash?coll=la-home-center

This is great! I recently read that Eugene, OR, has a similar program, as well. Now, if only other cities, can open their eyes and hearts, to explore creative and imaginative solutions to the housing crisis.

My style of urban vandwelling, would fit right in with this program, 'cus I just need a parking spot for the night. If the cost was reasonable, I would even pay! For the most part, I am self-contained in my van, utilizing public and private facilities properly, for all my 'out of van' needs.

If only...

Lord, the urbanity of it all

2008-01-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

The stigma... sounds like a b-grade horror movie.

For quite a while, I've been reading posts from the VanDwellers group, about the 'stigma', attached to vandwelling and/or vandwellers. There are posts about 'getting beyond the stigma', 'van dwellers advocate', 'guests of the opposite gender' and 'bad day for van dwellers'. They are all legitimate concerns for us all, but, do they really warrant that much concern.

As a 'stealth' vandweller, I guess I have a different modus operandi. I apologize in advance to all the VanDwellers, who are upfront about their lifestyle of vandwelling. I envy you. Unfortunately, the draconian anti-camping bylaws in this area, force me to vandwell incognito. I just want to live my life, as I choose, free to live and let live. With 'Big Brother' roaming around the net these days, I feel compelled to stealth write this blog! More stigma, I guess.

From all the comments, blogs, and the net group, I perceive our 'subculture' to be intelligent, intuitive, imaginative, creative, adventurous, generous, conservational, humorous, industrious and, for the most part, law-abiding citizens. Why people or society, wouldn't want to know us or let us join them, is beyond me.

It's up to us to express ourselves, by our nature, behavior and individuality, that we don't deserve their derision or prejudice. I've decided to place people into two categories, based on a 'need to know' basis. When dealing with individuals, until they become a personal confidant, I don't really think they 'need to know' about my unique lifestyle. What difference does it make to them? None. Do I hurt anybody by my private lifestyle? Not that I could think of. Is it really any of their business? I don't think so. Could them knowing about my vandwelling, complicate my life? Quite possibly! So, why go there!

My family and close friends, don't have any problems with vandwelling, in fact, they are very supportive and an important network. But, living in a van and wooing the 'fairer sex', requires diplomacy and tact. I believe you need to be honest and portray yourself fairly. But, until a potential date shows some interest, why play your 'cards' too early. I say, let 'em to get to know you a little bit first, before you become the 'nomad'. Actually, I've found most woman enjoy the humour and playfulness of my path. ;-)

The issues, touched by 'van dweller advocate', deserve caution and vigilance. As far as vandwelling advocacy goes, there is a landmark constitutional law suit in my country, about the discriminatory, urban anti-camping bylaws. The provincial capital and province have been remanding the case, but the courts have deemed, that the case must be heard soon, around January 22nd or so. The outcome is not only critical to the 'homeless', but also to us vandwelling nomads. I'll try to keep you informed of current updates.

As far as, 'bad day for van dwellers', what are you gonna' do? All we can do is deal with individuals, as they cross our path; show them we aren't the demons, that the media has portrayed us to be. I hope all goes well for you, in these trying times.

p.s If anyone finds my position or thoughts to be offensive, again, I apologise.

Road Trip

2008-01-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

"On the road agin', I'm always on the road again..." excerpt, Willie Nelson song.

The magical words every Nomad loves to hear. Road trip... Last year, as the BC 'non-summer' of '07 was winding down, I decided it was long overdue. Road trip... But not just any road trip. A good road trip! Hell, no, a great road trip!!? The Great Canadian Road Trip: -Coast-to-Coast- 'Sentimentality Tour' 07. ;-)

Why? 'Cuz. What for? When you get close to 50, you get sentimental about friends, family, places you've been and places you've always meant to go to. These places and people are spread out across the country, in many little nooks and crannies; flying is not an option. Plus, you gotta' be 'mental' to drive by yourself, 11,700 miles (18,837 km.). When? Sept. and Oct. '07. How? Vandwell with 'Aero', paid for with funds saved by vandwelling in 'Aero'. Road trip...

My planned itinerary was as follows:
1/ Leave BC coast, a.s.a.p Sept' 07 - Head East on the 'Beaten Path' ( Trans-Canada Hwy.)
2/ Be in Port Credit, ON - for Blues Festival, Buddy Guy headlining.
3/ Turn around in Halifax, NS - Go Back West on the 'Beaten Path'
4/ Get back to BC coast, end of Oct'07

No hotel/motel rooms booked, no ferry reservations, just phone calls or emails to people along the way. If they are there when I'm coming through, great; if not, no problem, I'll catch you on the return trip. Cell phone for communications. Of course, the trip route was planned with maps, both online and with BCAA paper ones. Just pack and go!!

The trip was amazing! Freedom on the road, set the cruise control and watch the world roll by. I visited James / Darlene in Calgary; Kennie in Winnipeg; John / Marie in Thunder Bay; Charlene in Schribner; Janie in Sault Ste. Marie; Steve in Elliot Lake; Pat in Minden; Merl / Eugene / and at least 30 more in Port Credit, my hometown; Uncle Bob / Auntie Jeannie in Fergus; Uncle Tony/ Auntie Margie in Maple; Uncle Ted / Auntie Joan in Stouffville; Johnnie in Toronto; Jennifer in Montreal; Seamus and Cindy in Halifax; Doug in Banff; Thomas in Jasper; Al in Lone Butte; Dave in Whistler; and so on.

What did I see? What didn't I see. Canada is a beautiful country, coast-to-coast. I could fill pages with my trip, but for now, I'm just gonna' mention a few highlights. The Blues Festival in Port Credit was a gas! I knew people both on and off stage. I was drafted to work the festival, by the end of my first beer off the road. Watching Buddy Guy do his show, from 15 feet away dead centre in front of 9,000 people plus, was like a dream. Unplanned, but stunning! To see bands like Downchild Blues, Powder Blues, The Lincolns, Lighthouse, after all these years, was downright spiritual! Every night at the Legion, were late night open jams with stars, locals, and new talent, mixing it up 'til the wee hours of the morn'. When the wrap-up party for the organizers and volunteers, was finally ending after 3 1/2 days of continuous music, action, dancing, hustlin', we were beat. Next day, when the main stage, beer tents, and fencing were all gone before we got there to do final cleanup, it was unreal, like a dream. Did it actually happen? My friend, Merl, laughed," So you gonna come next year, for the 10th anniversary. The rumour is, we might get the Allmon Brothers, to headline."

Buddy Guy in my hometown, Port Credit

There were surprises and memories, happiness and sorrow, a very emotional trip. Seeing my grandfather's house in Mount Dennis brought tears to my eyes; Grandad Bill was a great guy. When seeing all my old hometown friends, it was like picking up where we left off, without missing a beat. Both Port Credit and Jasper are still two of the friendliest places I know. After 24 hours in Jasper, I was hung over from a house party/jam, with folks I met the night before, having coffee at their table, when Thomas, a long-lost friend, comes walkin' in. The last leg of the trip, four days in Whistler, was anti-climatic, relaxing up at the ol' cabin with Dave. It just never ended, twists and turns; guess I'll have to do it again, some day.

All of the above, was made possible by vandwelling. In a era of financial difficulty, it's great to find a simple solution to provide freedom, pleasure and experiences.

"On the road agin', I'm can't wait to git on the road agin'..."

Rebirth of a Vandweller

2008-01-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

"They call me the Seeker; I've been searchin', lo' and hi'..." - excerpt, The Who song.

About two years ago, I started wanting a van. I missed the freedom of Waldo, the Magic VW Bus; how, I could go camping, visiting, travelling with ease and economy. The VW vans had in the meantime become a rather expensive option, and being frugal in nature, not an option. After looking at lots of vans, I decided to go with something domestic, reasonable fuel economy and serviceability, and commonplace. Although I wasn't buying the van for urban stealth, I like vehicles that blend in, that don't stick out as a target for thieves and joyriders. Hence, after considering the Chevy Astro, I went with a Ford Aerostar. I thought about full-size vans, but at that time, fuel economy was a priority, and I really wasn't thinking about full-time vandwelling, more of a mini-RV.

I took the Aerostar out for some nice road trips; one extended trip across Canada, for 2 months and 11,700 miles was particularily great. When visiting friends and family, I had my own bedroom, if necessary. I started reading blogs and web groups about vandwelling, and started appreciating the concept. Practical, efficent, convenient, opportunistic, economic - a lifestyle option, which mirrored many of my desirable personal themes for living.

My first vandwelling period was living and working in Whistler, BC, Canada. Whistler is known as a world class ski resort, but, it is also a small city, with full-time work opportunities, year-round. I had already lived there for five years, so I have an extensive network, both social and workworld. Although there is plenty of employment, accomodation is extremely limited and very expensive. Stealth vandwelling provided a convenient solution, for a work contract from April to October '06. I showered at friends', the Rec Centre, or jumped in a lake; I cooked at friends' and tailgated; I parked whereever. Eventually, I got a steady campspace on private property, in exchange for some labour.

Since, I didn't want to stay in Whistler for the winter, I headed back to the big city, down on the coast. I found accomodation to be very expensive, around $800 - $900 per month for a basic one-bedroom apartment. After paying no rent for quite a while, I wasn't too thrilled with that idea. So, I just modified my vandwelling routines to suit.

Here we go! A New Year

2008-01-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm happy the Holidays are over! No more hustle or bustle, just the steady cruise of everyday life. It's finally time to get this blog together.

The title of this blog states, 'The Urban Vandweller'. But, I haven't said much about that yet, so here goes. I live on coastal BC, Canada, in and out of the cities. I know I haven't given out my name or any photographs of me, but, I have a reason. You see, we have a large homeless population, and the local city governments are trying to create unconstitutional laws to prohibit them sleeping outside in parks or public spaces. I feel it is only a matter of time, that they turn their attention to the folks that sleep in their vehicles. I don't want to be categorized, marginalized, specified, mandated, legislated, licensed or singled out for any type of bureaucratic attention. I just want to do my thing! Live and let live.

Hence, my main reason for stealth. Secondly, the security aspect of stealth has become important, due to theft and random violence. I've never been paranoid before, but the clowns are becoming prevalent and emboldened. Drugs and desperation are never a good combination, resulting in a very negative effect in a lot of North American cities. So, let's share experiences to help everyone.

Many of the online community speak of the 'stigma' attached to vandwelling (to the unenlightened, read 'homeless'), like we are incapable of affording an apartment, or not able to hard work or support ourselves or whatever. What a load of crap! We are just different, and we live the way we choose. Modern reality has provided us an option; an unique lifestyle to enjoy. I am fortunate that in BC, there are many open-minded people, that accept vandwelling, as an interesting and nomadic lifestyle.

There are excellent reasons for urban vandwelling. First, financial. If you work somewhat, you can afford an apartment, or an vehicle. If you work hard or you make good money, you can afford both. But, do you always want to just make enough to pay your bills. Wouldn't it be great to afford travelling or save money for whatever.

Second, lifestyle flexibility. Even though I spend most of my time in the city, I take off every weekend to rural areas; to visit friends and family, for recreation and exploration, for peace of mind, and so on. With home being your van, you never have to pack - just point and turn the key! LUV IT!

Third, an experiment. Huh? Global warming, voluntary simplicity, rampant consumerism, and the lack of worldwide conservation, are major concerns for me. What could I do to change my life to begin to address some of these issues? Hmmm. I'll live in an mobile space with a 50 square foot floor, minimize my belongings, which for the most part are recycled, and use a significantly smaller amount of energy, less than the average North American consumer.
Just some random thoughts to be explored on this blog. Later....

Happy New Year - 2,008!

2007-12-30T01:44:00.000-08:00

I just want to wish you and yours, a Happy New Year! I'm going to be at a house party in Sooke, BC - jammin' on the ol' guitbox. Cheers ;-)

Where it all began

2007-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

My vandwelling life was bound to happen. In July, 1986, when I was living in Jasper, Alberta, I bought my VW van, Waldo the Magic Bus. Calling the VW 'Waldo' was from my original traveling vehicle, Waldo the Volvo. I turned Waldo into a Weekender, using a Westfalia interior, but no pop top. Perfect for the traveling lone wolf.

This was during a period in my life, when I would spend the summer tourist season working in Jasper or Banff, take two months off, then work the ski season in Banff or Lake Louise. After which I would take another two months off, and repeat the yearly cycle again.

During the 2x2 months off period, I would travel about BC and Alberta, visiting friends and family, going anywhere I felt like. I always had accommodation with me, cash in pocket, and work lined up soon. I travelled through some of the Western States, and tripped back to my native town, Toronto, Ontario. Good times, good times.

Waldo afforded me wonderful freedom, to wonder where ever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Usually during the working seasons, I had accommodation at the hotels, but, Waldo would give me a convenient outlet, when needed. I could take off for the Coast, cruise to the city, go backcountry skiing in distant ranges, and on and on. Waldo was the best!

Eventually, I moved down to the Coast, centered in Vancouver. My commonlaw, Teresa, wanted to stay in the city, and Waldo became a luxury. To this day, I regret letting a woman come between Waldo and me.

From the beginning

2007-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

Today, I begin to write this blog. I haven't done any writing or composition, since high school, so please be patient with me.

The theme behind this blog is to share information, thoughts and concerns, about vandwelling in the urban landscape. You may be employed or not, and you may be in the city or burbs or out in the countryside. Regardless, I hope you will find help here to assist you on your way.

For myself, vandwelling has been a lifestyle I have enjoyed for many years, on and off. I had an VW van (aka Waldo, the Magic Bus), but now I utilize an Ford Aerostar (aka 'Aero'). My reasons for vandwelling are varied, from financial, to convenience, to freedom, to travel or move, to experience the country at large. Because I spend the majority of time in urban areas, I stealth vandwell. I also work full-time, and save substantial money because I don't pay rent or mortgage payments.

Another two themes for my lifestyle are voluntary simplicity and my carbon footprint. I believe that vandwelling begins to allow me to personally address these two themes. I look forward to sharing my thoughts, methods and experiences with everyone, and learning from yours.