| Conversion van camping doesn't give you the | | | | |
| luxury of life in an RV, nor the discomfort | | | | The secret to heating a conversion van when |
| of sleeping in a tent. It can be tough to | | | | camping is to give up. Enjoy meal time |
| safely heat a van at night, but it's cheap | | | | warm-ups, but unless you have electric power, |
| compared to an RV, and you can go places they | | | | I don't know of a safe way to heat a van all |
| cannot. We spent more than 25 nights sleeping | | | | night. Instead, you can heat yourselves. Wear |
| in our conversion van last year. | | | | warm clothing. Bring more blankets than you |
| | | | think you'll need. Prepare a thermos bottle |
| Life In A Conversion Van | | | | full of hot coffee each night, so it will be |
| | | | waitng for you in the morning. You get to |
| Make your van into something that's useable | | | | warm the van when you make it, and warm up |
| for you, especially if it's going to be your | | | | yourselves drinking it for breakfast. |
| residence for days or weeks at a time. For my | | | | |
| wife and I, this meant having space to move | | | | Advantages Of Conversion Van Camping |
| around. We took out the two middle seats | | | | |
| which, I convinced Ana, would be good | | | | Traveling and camping in a conversion van |
| armchairs for the living room. Then we had | | | | costs less than in an RV. The initial cost is |
| enough space for dressing or cooking. The | | | | a lot less if you buy used, as we did, and |
| bench-seat in back folds out into a | | | | the cost of driving it is substantialy less. |
| comfortable bed, so we were all set for | | | | We averaged 18 miles per gallon on our last |
| camping. | | | | cross-country trip. Most recreational |
| | | | vehicles are lucky to get half of that, and |
| When traveling, you need a system of | | | | they're very expensive to maintain. |
| organization to keep your space inside the | | | | |
| van livable. After our first long trip, we | | | | Compared with tent camping, a van is much |
| noticed the many things we never used. We got | | | | more comfortable. Even if you backpack, you |
| more efficient after that. We're also able to | | | | are probably going to drive some kind of car |
| keep the space open, despite carrying many | | | | to wherever you go. With a van, you can come |
| things, by using plastic storage tubs you can | | | | inside if it starts to rain. If you're |
| buy almost anywhere. They stack well, and if | | | | backpacking a long way from home, you can |
| you need more room at night, you can put them | | | | save on motels on the drive to and from the |
| on the roof. They're rainproof with the lids | | | | trailhead. |
| snapped on. | | | | |
| | | | Camping can be more comfortable in an RV, but |
| Heating A Conversion Van | | | | not in all ways. It's nice, for example, to |
| | | | park anywhere. We've taken naps in parking |
| Camping in a van can be cold at times, as it | | | | lots, and nobody was the wiser, thanks to |
| was for us in the deserts of Arizona last | | | | tinted windows, curtains, and the |
| winter. We started the van and cranked up the | | | | inconspicuousness of a van. At a free |
| heater once in a while, but only for brief | | | | campground in Florida we got the best spot, |
| periods. The danger of carbon monoxide | | | | on a bank overlooking Lake Talquin, because |
| poisoning is just too great to leave the car | | | | our van was small enough to fit there, unlike |
| running while you are sleeping. | | | | most of the RVs. |
| | | | |
| We also cooked to heat up the van. Our | | | | It's great to be able to drive anywhere. In |
| propane camp stove burned very clean. Any | | | | the conversion van, camping wherever we are |
| time it was cold, it was time to cook dinner, | | | | when it gets dark is no problem. Finally, |
| breakfast, or tea. This heated up the van | | | | some larger RVs drag a car around because the |
| nicely. Again, because of carbon monoxide, I | | | | big rig just isn't practical for daily |
| wouldn't recommend ever sleeping with a | | | | driving. Our coversion van is a second home |
| propane burner going. Still, sometimes a | | | | AND our primary vehicle for shopping or going |
| quick warm-up is all you need before you | | | | to work. That's flexibilty. |
| crawl under the blankets for the night. | | | | |