van vs car camping

Im starting to think the dream of living in a van and climbing for a year or two is out of the picture for me but I would still like to do a 2-3 month road trip.

I am wondering how difficult it is to car camp for a period like that. I have a newer subaru forester that I would take. Taking the car I own instead of buying a van and rebuilding the interior would save me a lot of money and possibly extend the length of the trip (and the number of beers I can afford) but would be less comfortable and limit the ability to sleep in walmart parking lots and a the like. I have spent a month straight in a tent without shower, but it was winter conditions so things could have been stinkier...?

As far as areas I would go, I would like to spend time in CO and Washington, probably BC, more interested in trad and alpine climbing. Not really looking to go cragging. Oh, also, I would most likely be taking my gf who climbs so theres that.

anyone have any input on which method they prefer?

I car camped Colorado for 3 weeks last summer in a midsize sedan and ultralight one man tent. Campsites are frequent and cheap, with plenty of free spots to be found if you know where to look (Off of long forest service roads, or a short hike into many hiking trails).

I would have been happy to keep going for another month. Never felt cramped, until a buddy joined for the last week and a half. Living out of a car is easy until you have to share it with somebody. Girlfriend may be a different story. ;)

I wish I had your freedom!

if you had a hitch on your subie i would suggest maybe just picking up a towable popup for 1-2k

ColeT wrote:if you had a hitch on your subie i would suggest maybe just picking up a towable popup for 1-2k

Will this make it much more difficult to find places to park/camp? I have zero experience with campers so I dont know where they are welcomed and how hard they are to tow on mountain passes etc.

If its just going to be a couple months, and not a new mode of living, a car will work. Sleeping in the back of a Subbie is not ideal but it's decent. For obvious reasons a van is the way to go for extended trips or for living.

I lived in my pickup (with a shell) for a year and it was pretty doable but I always had van envy.

Car= No conversion, Cheapest solution, least comfortable, most conspicuous
Truck = Minimal conversion, Cheap-ish, pretty comfy w/ dry weather
Van = Depending on properness/breadth of conversion things can be spendy and time consuming, super comfy and inconspicuous, finding the right van can be a pain too.

I have a friend that lived/traveled and climbed for 3 years living out of his car with his dog...and I bought a motorhome that I plan on remodeling and living out of this summer..its totally doable if you can simplify

Being able to sleep in a vehicle is infinitely better than tent-camping, both in comfort and efficiency.

I did a 3 & 1/2 month road trip last summer and was faced with the same question. I owned a stock Chevy Blazer (mid-size SUV), and I couldn't afford a new car. I was flying solo, which made it easier, but I still did some work to maximize the space. I built a shelf system out of pallets and carpet scraps to fill one corner of my 'trunk' space. I built my own roof-rack so that my crashpad could fit under the bars and still allow for the rocket-box and two whitewater kayaks. I used bungee cord and netting to create some 'random clothes' space in the ceiling area and in the window recesses. Also, get some big fanny packs to hang on your seats for organizing small items. This allowed me to sleep inside the car without having any gear outside. It was full, but it worked better than tent-camping.

Play around with the idea of taking your car and sleeping in it. It may be possible, maybe not.
-Pack light.
-Look at getting the biggest roof box you can find.
-Look into getting a 1 & 1/4 hitch added for a cargo platform in the back.
-Get your windows tinted.

If you can't afford a van, you could probably find an old truck to fit the bill. That would likely be a decent compromise between luxury and price.

Good luck on your trip!

Or go climb in California, where you only need a tarp and a sleeping bag. Sleeping bag doesn't need to be water resistant.

Once or twice a summer, you'll have to toss the tarp over the bag for a bit.

But you may have to deal with a fair bit of smoke in the air.

A Subaru forester is more than big enough to crash in in the occasional walmart parking lot. I'd say take the rig you've got. You can organize in tubs such that you can move em to one side and throw down a mat in the back in a pinch. Investing in a nice sleeping bag liner will help keep the stink down in the tent and such, and showers aren't so hard to come by at various campgrounds/rec centers/lakes. If you don't already have one a big-ish roof box will help keep in the car clutter down. Keep crag packs and the camping gear up there. Stash your gear out of site in a rubber bin in the car as well as crash pads (they are easy to move around to sleep). Keep a duffel for clothes and a separate laundry bag for your dirty stuff (put that in the roof box). You could tint windows, or just stitch some simple curtains to hang up on the side windows (a few thumbtacks into the headliner should hold them up and wont leave noticeable holes, you can even thumb tack small binder clips up so you can just clip em on). if you have a sunroof consider making a bug net you can put across it in similar fashion so you can keep some air flow going at nights.

Jake wander wrote: Will this make it much more difficult to find places to park/camp? I have zero experience with campers so I dont know where they are welcomed and how hard they are to tow on mountain passes etc.

Well if your going to BC, i'm assuming squamish. It would work pretty well. most people just leave their vehicle in one spot and walk to the cliff. it wouldn't work so great in a walmart parking lot so you do limit yourself.

i also second a lot of other peoples votes on a large roof top carrier and just sleeping in the car. thats what i currently do with my kia soul for trips longer than a weekend

did that with my gf for a stint at twall and worked well (roof top carrier and car sleeping)

My two cents…

I've dirtbagged for 6-8 months at a time. In cars (outback and civic) and in vans (ford and VW).
The VW was my favorite, the ford was the plushest and the outback was doable.

But this is better than a vehicle, IMO. It will cost less than a decent pop-up,bumper pull. When the weather turns foul, it helps to have board games, cards, a lantern and a wood burning stove.

The TML deluxe Josh! Awesome :) Hope you're doing well buddy.

Random thoughts:

Serious pros and cons, but for 2-3 mos the Forester might be the way to go since you already have it. A dark tint would be money well spent for privacy. +1 on the roof box also.

I have a 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan that I love when I'm alone. It gets crowded fast with my wife even though we're both short. I would imagine having enough LENGTH would be pretty important for sleeping in the Forester every night. I've crashed on the floor of a friend's full size van while he has slept on the bed, and i've been impressed how much better/bigger it is for sleeping and hanging than a minivan--that has been a disappointment with the Sienna. So I can't wholeheartedly recommend a minivan for 2 people.

Old vans are cheap but the gas is a killer if you're trying to cover a lot of ground. If you're staying in place for multiple days they're less painful on the wallet--but if you're staying in place for multiple days it's also a lot easier to find a good tent spot somewhere. That's a big advantage of sleeping in the vehicle--EVERYWHERE is a campsite, instantly. I love that. It's also kinda fun to spend the night in the minivan parked in a sea of big rigs--pretty much every dirt lot, every wide shoulder, off of every freeway exit between LA and SF becomes a giant truck stop at night. A Subie with a pop-up trailer would fit anywhere.

Walmart doesn't mind you at all, trailer, van, whatever (tho I imagine they might draw the line at a tent). They tend to be brightly lit though; get an eye mask or long beanie if you're light sensitive.

I lived in my van this last season for a few months and it was great. It's not the fanciest van but it runs great and I decided not to build it up and that saved me a lot of money. I just took the middle row out and slep on a thick pad or a crash pad. I highly recommend a van over a car or truck (I've slept in all of them and the van prevails by far in comfort [and style!]) I bought four bins for storage and they stack nicely behind the back seat. I mostly slept in national forests and outside of national parks. My girlfriend lived with me part of the time As well and it was still lush and enjoyable.

I've gathered that Wali- world doesn't appreciate too long of stays (more than a couple days) I recommend national forests and rural areas where you won't be a bother to others.