Traveling the continent

markz

100 TW
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Jan 9, 2014
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Canada and the USA
in a vehicle, which would you choose? Just you and your ole ball 'n chain.

An old cheap full sized wide body van from the 1980's with a rebuilt engine and trans built for propane and gas (have to look into that more), install a custom pop up roof with solid flip up panels (not fabric) for driving aerodynamics, custom rear slider for extra space while parked.

Wide Body Camper Van
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRoOX8czTLI
I'd make ^that one a single rear wheel instead of a dually, and extend the wheelbase out a bit so the rear bumper doesnt bottom out going over bumps.

How much extra fuel do you think the extra width would consume?
...and is it worth it to do a pop up roof, for fuel savings?

One thing I never liked about fabric pop ups, is the noise from outside easily transmits to the inside, especially in the morning, with the birds chirping.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7npuVQUCSXs/maxresdefault.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/32/c8/6832c8abed2a13ec2610b9fa979818b2.jpg

http://images.canadianlisted.com/nlarge/rare-for-1981-vanguard-wide-body-motorhome-chev-chassis-dual-w-11000_8955879.jpg

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/usedphotosna/40558849_934.jpg

https://www.classicvans.com/images/camper-vans/221-pleasure-way-excel-ts-wide-body.jpg

Check this out, foldout extension room
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I49GWdaVCv8

Spacious! That is a 20' sea can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hGR8kOPT7U
 
I'd build a bigger version of the SB Cruiser trike,
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67833
with a expandable "camping" trailer that could carry the dogs, their food and stuff, and my food and stuff, and tools/parts to fix critical things that might break on the road, as well as a generator and gas to run it (as much as I hate that, it might be necessary between cities and charges).

Of course, that all would depend on me winning the lottery to free me from the need to work for a living. ;)

If I did, I'd also build the trike and trailer from all-new materials actually intended for their purpose, so I could be sure of their dependability (I've had some issues iwth some of the recycled materials used over the years not being up to the more stressful purposes I used them for, like this recent example:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67833&start=625#p1339930
so I'd want to use new stuff I could count on to prevent that).

Solar charging from panels on the top of the trike and trailer would be great but impractical; I couldn't carry enough to make up even a small portion of the power I'd have to use to haul this around. :/ I'd probably build some in anyway, but they'd just be a kind of backup / trickle charging vs what I'd rely on to stay charged.
 
With gas this cheap, I'm dreaming about a 37 footer. Motor coach I mean. The idea in my mind is never drive it farther per day than you can ride the e bike. So at 50 miles a day, not that big a daily cost. Then camp a few days, riding 25 miles one way and back, then the other. So you get to ride 100% of the road you drive.

That dream may never happen, but right now I have a pretty good cheap conversion van. 2000 model. Unfortunately not a tall one, nor one with generator and AC, but it has some decent room inside, and it can tow up to a 25 foot trailer. Right now I just have a small open trailer, which I may convert to a chuck wagon/bike/motorcycle carrier. Just the van, it will not be much travel with the wife. Bigger van able to tow 30 foot would be better, but this van runs great, and semi empty, gets 15 mpg. Hook up a trailer, and it will get no better than a 37 foot motor home gets, which is why I just want one of those. Might be possible in 3 years when my SS starts up. Meanwhile, I am looking for a decent deal on a 20-25 foot trailer. Both retired now we could travel, and will some doing motels. But I'd like to move to the mountains for weeks at a time in summer. That requires a better bathroom than a port o john in a tent outside the van.

I tried the bike camping, and frankly its fine if you don't plan on any sleep. Two nights and I was hammered, so screw that. I'll be doing some week long trips, not far away, soon as the weather gets back into the 60s 70s. Take the kayaks and bikes to the lake for a week or so. Then when hot weather comes I have a nice cool spot scouted out at 8000 feet, only 75 miles from home. A camp that actually has a good cell signal too.

But with a real motor coach, a tour of the west would be the idea. Up the rockies, then down the sierras. Take a whole summer to do it. Sloww cruise, so you ride it all, and spend only about 70 bucks a week on gas. Visit ES guys all the way of course.
 
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