Hey Todd, Yeah, I’d like to get solar added to mine as well. Where are some of the places you’ve traveled to in it to shoot?
Hey Michael,
We’ve been several places:
• Arches NP twice
• Yellowstone and Tetons numerous times.
• Crater Lake NP-Oregon
• Glacier NP
• Wind Cave NP - South Dakota along with Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park,
Deadwood.
•Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Missouri, Arkansas,
We do a lot of camping in Colorado, mostly In the Routt National Forest, Rawha Wilderness, Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Todd Grivetti
Hey @Michael_Torkildsen - I will be interviewing Max Foster on the podcast tomorrow here in Durango. He has been travelling full time in the RV for about a year now, so be sure to tune in to that one. Cheers man!
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I’ve spent the last 8 years living out of my 4runner for months out of the year but plan to join the full-time travel trailer crew with my wife this summer. We plan to get an Outdoors RV trailer, the 4-season is especially important to us as we hope to use it for some winter ski adventures too. Hopefully, we’ll see some of you out there!
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You won’t be dissapointed in OutdoorsRV Jason. We love ours. It’s the TimberRidge 25RDS and absolutely love it! Just unwinterized and getting ready to go. Enjoy.
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Tuning in now, Matt!
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I can do a weekend out of my Xterra but not months! You’re a braver man than me.
Hopefully I’ll see you on the road this year.
@Todd_Grivetti Great to hear! We’ve been looking at them for a year and went to the Denver RV show just to make sure it was what we wanted. The difference in build quality between most of the others was immediately apparent.
@Michael_Torkildsen It definitely starts to get cramped over time but as long as the weather is good it’s been pretty nice. There were some winter trips below zero that definitely had me wishing for somewhere warmer.
Chiming in late, but with a worthwhile addition on that point. We have solar on the roof of our 22’ Lance and love it. But there are times when there’s no choice but to park it in the shade.
In light of that many fellow Lancers are adding portable solar panels to their kit, allowing them to find sun for the panels when needed. It’s become so overt that I know folks who no longer buy their trailers with installed solar. The most popular portables appear to be the “suitcase” models that fold and latch for ease and damage prevention in storage.
One word of advice: Think security. Portable solar setups are popular theft targets in some campgrounds. Most folks who use them add security cables and locks.
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@Jason_Hatfield I can imagine. And there was two of you in it?!! What size camper are you looking at?
@Hank_Pennington good times on the solar options. So you are saying go with the solar suitcase but secure it to the vehicle?
That’s right. Cheaper (and a whole lot easier) than installing permanent panels, but easy to steal if you don’t secure them to your rig or the picnic table or a handy tree. I don’t recall all the brands, but Renogy comes up with high marks in the discussions I’ve read. Amazon lists more brands in addition to Renogy.
@Michael_Torkildsen It was mostly just me in the 4runner but she joined me fairly often. We’re looking at a 25’ travel trailer, likely the Outdoors RV 21DBS. Our best compromise between size, comfort, accessibility, and weight.
These are the Reogy panels we’re planning to have in addition to our rooftop solar: https://amzn.to/2JsLfUE
Kudos to adventure
If/since you have been on road for 2 months, maybe start a new post about it…
What image making opportunities have you found ?
If your a new resident in the wilds, how has your approach to image making changed compared to being an occasional visitor in nature?
What have been the unforeseen challenges?
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Hey @stevenm, I bought the TT (travel trailer) two months ago but was only able to get down to Texas to get it a week ago, so I haven’t been on the road yet. But I will document the adventure and keep you all informed!
Sounds good! One word to keep in mind as you set up your trailer: Boondocking.
Park Service campgrounds, state campgrounds, and even many private campgrounds are being overwhelmed and reservations often have to be made months in advance, even years if there’s no cutoff date. Meanwhile unimproved campgrounds and a whole lot of public land see comparatively little use. But NO HOOKUPS.
My wife and I seldom know where we’ll be in a week, much less months or years. So we’re devoted boondockers, even if our trailer is too low for most 4WD roads. We park it where we can, disconnect, then use our 4WD or bicycles for day trips into the hinterlands. And for accessing lots of places beyond the tourist destinations, your bike will definitely become a friend. Just figure out how to carry it with your TT.
BTW- If bikes tickle your interest we’ve found Bontrager Trunk Bags to be ideal for long days with camera gear and personal supplies. Unzip the side pockets and panniers drop down for jackets and meals and non-fragile stuff. Cameras and lenses go in the rigid central compartment.
Only one word of advice: If your bike is not a step-through, beware of the temptation to mount your tripod in the top bungees. It sticks out behind far enough that you’ll hang a leg on it as you dismount, a sure formula for a face full of dirt. Ask me how I know! I use a couple of leather straps to hang mine under the handlebars, but bungees would work too.
Hi Michael,
My wife and I are trying to fit the mold of the millennial hipster as much as possible, so we full time in our converted school bus which we’ve lovingly named Diane Ourbus.
We’ve been on the road full time since Sept. 2018 and are loving it so far. Since this is our first summer in the bus we’re finding creative ways to adapt to life without AC.
The bus is kitted with solar, so assuming there’s decent weather for it we can boondock as long as we have water, which with 63 gallons + aux is ~2 weeks, unless we have the swamp cooler going daly which guzzles water like crazy.