Traveling... Lots of questions

Okay, so, this summer, I'm interested in just getting in my VW van and driving away. Far, FAR away from this closed-minded little hell hole. Anyway, I've been thinking about this for a while and I'm prepared mentally, but I'm not quite sure about a few things.

1) Gas. How do you people that live in your buses/vans for long periods of time afford gas? I've given thought to making/selling hemp jewelry and clothes and stuff. Is there any call for that? If so, how do you find people interested in it?

2) Places. Are there any places that are known to be super fun? What about any that should be avoided?

3) Food. Is it a good idea to pack as much non-perishable stuff as possible and then stop every week or so and get fresh veggies and stuff?

4) Methods. Do you drive from location to location with little stopping in between or do you try to stop every X hours? The most I've spent in my car is a week, and I have a feeling that travelling nonstop like I do might get old after month 1.

Blah... Thanks for reading all of this. Anyone who answers these questions becomes my god.

 

Alternative fuels are possible and you can get some free, Veggie oil conversion is deceptivly easy (diesel only)

 

Yeah, but don't the engine mods required to run on alternative fuel cost a few thousand dollars? I heard it was like $3,000 for a VW vanagon to go from gas to veggie oil, and that's just... a lot of money I don't have. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

 

I recommend research. Google and more google and you'll find folk talking about this type of stuff. do you play an instrument to busk for your gas money? Have you ever dumpster dived, spanged, or vended food? You can also register with a temp agency and work construction or factory work for a few days at a time while living out of your van. Some places won't let you though, so it's best to check in with the police station or community services center to find out when you hit a town. Best of luck to you.

 

i dunno about the situation in america, but over here if you get a peddlars licence from the police you can trade legally on the streets with out getting moved on. you can sell either handmade stuff or stuff you've bought wholesale.

it might be worth checking out the wholesale joblots on ebay and carrying round jewellery and stuff to sell. go for anything unusual coz if people see something they've never seen before they are more likely to buy it coz they probably wont get the chance again.

if you play an instrument then busking is always a good way to earn a few pennies.

if you plan on living in a vehicle full time its worth settling down for a month or so now and again and finding temping work, coz selling stuff and busking is great for day to day living expenses, but it wont pay for big bills like van repair, tax, insurance, MOT etc, (or whatever the american equivelent is)

i usually travel most the year then settle down for a couple of months in winter to earn the money to keep my vehicle legal and have a bit in savings aswell, so that if the van breaks in the summer when i want to be having fun, then i wont need to find work to fix it.

again, dunno about america, but my general advice about finding parkups is to head to the middle of nowhere. you are less likely to be disturbed by people and the noise of traffic. it is lovely to sit and watch the sunset in a beautiful setting and to have only the sounds of nature to accompany you.

parking up in builtup areas is a nightmare. its really hard to find a loo for a start coz you cant exactly squat in someones front garden! over here people passing by hassle you aswell and shout abuse, so thats another good reason for finding somewhere quiet.

depends on what food storage you have in your van. if you have a fridge it makes things a little easier. i tend to go for non-perishables mostly and buy fresh stuff every couple of days to top it up. powderd milk is always good to have coz unless you have a fridge then normal milk perishes really quickly.

it depends on how much you like an area. if you find somewhere beautiful where the people are friendly and the potential to make money is good then theres nothing stopping you staying for a few weeks.

being on the move just for the sake of it is a bit pointless. it uses up loads of petrol/diesel/gas and you miss out on lots of things. my advice would be to just go at whatever pace suits you, but if you stay in each place at least a couple of days then you can explore your new environment and see things you would otherwise have missed if you'd just carried on driving.

you may now kiss my feet!

peace and love
stardust
xxx

 

Good luck getting a peddlers license in the US. I've never even heard of such a thing. Some cities will let you sell stuff in public.. but in general it's something they can and will fine you for. Just use some common sense if you are selling stuff.. festivals and gatherings/ fairs... etc.. big gatherings of people are usually the best places.. don't sit on the side of the road doing it unless you are sure its ok.

And yes playing an instrument is one way to make a little pocket change.

I always go with soymilk.. one because I love it.. two because it doesn't need to be refridgerated and lasts for about 2 weeks.

for food your best bet is buying non-perishable items to last you a while and buying fresh fruits and veggies once a week or so. Trader Joe's has great prepared healthy foods and is surprisingly cheap.

And I agree with stardust that you can't just travel travel travel...unless you are loaded. You need to stop to enjoy the towns, make some extra money etc. My advice is take any little side job you run across. Usually if you meet a few new people and ask you can almost always find someone that needs some work done. If you are smart with your money you should have no problem travelling from place to place and making some money along the way.