Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[natty dread]

A second vote for a Sunrader.

A third!

[Dr. Crank]

Some cool ideas in this thread. I am in the process of building a sleep platform for my Forrester right now. Will take pictures and post in tech talk when done.

How long do you think that platform will be? I'm just curious because the Forester, and every other SUV that gets half-decent mileage, seems to be too short for a proper platform. But I'd like to be proved wrong.

[DeathVan]

A third!

Natty: Is that 4x4?, just looking at the hubs has me wondering.
-sick ride though, and I miss Hood (sometimes)

-and Mike, if she ever gets out of the shop the van is great, but the DeathVan is killing me right now (???tie rods, unknown franken-front end from the conversion)

-Good thread, I don't want to freeze anymore and I took the generator off the roof. Looking forward to seeing these mules in action.

[montanamike]

A third!

4x4 sunrader, those things are rare! Is that yours natty? got any more photos?

[monkeywrenchMoose]

How long do you think that platform will be? I'm just curious because the Forester, and every other SUV that gets half-decent mileage, seems to be too short for a proper platform. But I'd like to be proved wrong.

Here is a link to the thread in tech talk. If you have any questions, ask them in there, I check that thread more often than this one.

[ame="https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203626"]Subaru Forester Sleeping Platform - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]

[DAFTC]

How long do you think that platform will be? I'm just curious because the Forester, and every other SUV that gets half-decent mileage, seems to be too short for a proper platform. But I'd like to be proved wrong.

[begin well-behaved vehicle swerve]

I don't think that's necessarily right. To state the incredibly obvious, it depends on how tall you are.

Friend pulled the back seats of his VW Golf and built a simple 2x4/ply platform w/storage. He and GF claim it's pretty comfy/enough room to stretch out. Pretty sure the Forester, CRV, Rav4, etc. all have at least as much space between the front seats and the hatch as the Golf.

That said, I don't think I could make it fit (6'1") since I've felt scrunched in an Outback w/the front seats pushed all the way forward.

Monkeywrench - that's a nice setup.

[/thread swerve into 'burbs, now returning to vans with pee-holes and one-off 80's toyota awesomeness.]

Also - is anyone else not just a little bit impressed with the massive ski wall in the DeathVan's pic? Is that a repost or something?

[Slaag Master]

my friend is selling an rv here in sandy utah - $500 - drives - needs some work - i think it is '70's maybe '80's model

[Dr. Crank]

Cheers, Monkeywrench. Thanks for posting that other thread.

DAFTC - I'm about the same height as you. Slept in the back of an Outback last winter. It was survivable, just a little tight. Actually I think the biggest thing is that the seats don't fold flat.

Used to have a Taurus wagon which absolutely blew, except that it was ideal for sleeping in. They don't make cars like that anymore, which is mostly a good thing. It seems like a hinged platform would make all the difference.

[Eldo]

In many vehicles where the rear seats fold forwards but will not lie completely flat, it's because of the height of the seat cushion. Remove the seat cushion (usually a few bolts and hooks) and the seat back goes all the way flat.

Of course it means leaving the cushion at home or trying to store on the passenger seat.

[Vitamin I]

Even a little Honda hatchback works better than one might think. [ame=https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1196505&postcount=73]My Honda post[/ame] in an [ame=https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80702]old thread[/ame].

.

[SkiingtheBackcountry]

Used to live in a Subaru. Got married and now we live in a 1990 Chevy G20. 2 people + a dog that takes up the ENTIRE bed at night. (Not sure what's wrong with me that I submit to the dog in my sleep, but that's another conversation...)



Where to park?
Aside from plowing regulations, we haven't had a hard time. Just park wherever you are. For winter travel, a hard high top is obviously preferable to a pop top. We often sleep in grocery store parking lots. Ski area policies vary, but where there's a will there's usually a way.

How to stay warm at night?
This seems obvious, but just use lots of blankets and/or sleeping bags.

What's more important is how to stay warm in the morning. We use this: http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=116 It has a low oxygen shut off, and also turns off if it tips over. I also bought a carbon monoxide detector, and we're generally careful about giving it a few inches of breathing room.

Power?
If you're interested, let me know. we have a solar panel & 2 deep cycle batteries with an inverter and a power strip.

Internet?
On Verizon, there was a deal with the Palm Pre that offered free tethering for life. It provides a decent wireless signal (good enough for us to work from the road on web design/marketing projects). Most ski areas have decent 3G. If not, we poach hotels.

2 wheel vs 4 wheel drive?
10,000 miles and we only went off the road once! 4x4 would be sweet but it would make our atrocious gas mileage even worse.


Here are a couple reports with photos from the road last year:

http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/...iing_road_trip

http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/...olf_creek_Taos


See you on the road!

[parismt]

have you checked out this site yet, tons of useful info about pow exploring and car camping, like how to recycle your piss

http://powexplorer.com/

[gojrracing]

I am one of the sleeping in a parking lot together with my RV rental. I love to ski rv. It is good to have it.

[SAVOR]

have you checked out this site yet, tons of useful info about pow exploring and car camping, like how to recycle your piss

http://powexplorer.com/

Wow - that is really cool. I took a cople of minutes to go through there and am seriously considering going RV camping this season.

[natty dread]

4x4 sunrader, those things are rare! Is that yours natty? got any more photos?

Yep, had it for 2 years. Only 60K miles. Just finished a major remodel, all new interior and systems. And booming system. Also added a foot to the roof so it's got 6'5" headroom now!
It's actually getting painted now, I'll post a pic after the repaint, but here are a few more pix.

[montanamike]

sick rig natty. I like the roof raising you did. wood/fiberglass?

Also a shot in the dark, if anyone comes across a propane furnace for cheap, especially in the minnesota area, lemme know. I'm getting back in the middle of next month and it's prolly gonna be cold when I move back in to the rv and head west.

[grinch]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...com%2F&h=99417

[DeathVan]

[begin well-behaved vehicle swerve]


Also - is anyone else not just a little bit impressed with the massive ski wall in the DeathVan's pic? Is that a repost or something?

That wall is located in Juneau very near to Eagle Crest (the local ski hill) it is MASSIVE!
-here's another pic (I've posted it before)


-and here's the van up at our main bc hill on the island -Pyramid Mt. (don't camp up there because it's only a 10 minute drive from home)

[mtnbiker/boarder]

^^^^^^^ great f----ing machine....she's mean ...super thanks for sharing....

[natty dread]

sick rig natty. I like the roof raising you did. wood/fiberglass?

Yep molded glass/wood stringers. Done by a boat repair shop, it's a bit heavy but bomber. Here's a pic of the rear portion.

[CallMeAl]

What is everybody sleeping on? This will be my first season of van camping, and I'm wondering if my plan of throwing a twin mattress on the floor will be a sufficiently insulated surface to sleep on?

[montanamike]

What is everybody sleeping on? This will be my first season of van camping, and I'm wondering if my plan of throwing a twin mattress on the floor will be a sufficiently insulated surface to sleep on?

I would think so. I spent last winter on a thin foam pad with a therma-rest inflatable on top and it was comfy with blankets and sleeping bags.

[monkeywrenchMoose]

A good tip I found to keep warm is to throw a blanket over the top of you when you are in your sleeping bag. That way if your arm slips out of the bag, it stays warm.

[That was Pontus]

Futon mattress supplemented with 4" of memory foam.

[regct]

This is my 08' Jeep Liberty sleeper conversion. A hacked up twin bed frame with PVC legs and two pieces of 3/4 plywood. A down sleeping pad, my chick, my dog, and a small AC plug-in heater gets it done. Installation and removal takes about 2 minutes by myself. Lots of storage underneath for luggage and smelly gear.