Conversion Van Camping Tips

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