3 Totally Different Nomad Setups.
In the past few years I’ve had a few “campers” and while they’ve all been phenomenal in their own way, they each excel in certain areas, so for anyone looking to start the vanlife without the van, here’s some of what I’ve learned.
Quick hike to 7600’ on a recent trip to Sequoia National Forest.
My first camper build was in my 2007 Ford Ranger 4x4. I bought a super flimsy topper for $20 on craigslist and built a simple platform style bed. It had 3 compartments, a 10”x48” space at the front and back with a 45”x40” space in the middle built with a few 2x10’s and ¾” plywood. Each section was on hinges that opened forward to gain access to its contents, I covered everything in some cheap carpet to prevent splinters and keep the air mattress in place. I had spare parts and less used tools up in the hard to access front cubby, my crash pad/axe/camp chair in the big center compartment, and then all my cooking and other quick access items in the easy to reach portion at the back. The only bad part of this build was height restrictions so with a regular air mattress I had maybe 10” of room left for myself. I ran 33” General Tire X3’s with no lift, just cut up fenders and a disconnected sway bar which were plenty for any trailhead or camp spot I wanted to access. This camper setup took me on my biggest single road trip to date, 16 days and nearly 5,000 miles from Arizona to Montana, down through Colorado and New Mexico, and back all with a canoe securely on the roof. It has taken me through 45 states and into Canada, driven beaches on the east and west coast, and it took 199,950 miles to let me down, overall super happy with that truck and i may one day resurrect it for some more adventures.
Quick lunch break on a road trip through Yosemite National Park.
After blowing the motor in the trusty ole ranger, I picked up a 2009 Honda Fit. It’s a 5 speed manual, gets 42 mpg ish, and is plenty comfy for River and I. When I purchased the car I had about 75 miles to commute everyday so it was a very economical vehicle, and two years later it still runs great and gets me anywhere I’ve asked it to take me. About a year after buying the car my dad and I built a camper in the back which you can read about here. One huge downfall with both the ranger and honda, no fridge. I know I could’ve bought one but they’re bulky and super spendy, and I could never justify spending so much on what would only be used occasionally, not to mention the electrical system to go with it. I still own the Honda and will likely keep it for awhile, this car has made many recent adventures a little more attainable. With high gas prices, the extremely high cost of living, and having very few days off work, the Honda has been perfect! I regularly would leave Phoenix on a Friday evening to go Colorado(12+ hour drive each way) and be back to work Monday morning. Doing this trip in my Ranger would be triple the cost at least and not worth it for such a quick trip, but I’ve done it 8-10 times in the Honda over the past year.
100 feet from the beach in Malibu, California.
And finally, my 2020 Toyota Tacoma and 2021 Winnebago MicroMinnie, both of which have been great. Some future plans for the Taco include a rooftop tent, suspension upgrades and bigger tires for more serious trails, along with plenty of extra lighting. As for the camper I most appreciate having a fridge and bathroom and my truck being far more capable, and reliable, than the Ranger, it’s been a huge upgrade and I can’t wait to get it out on some actual adventures. So far I’ve run a few hundred miles of trails in the Tacoma and it’s handled everything flawlessly as expected. It’s been fantastic having a camper and with how much time I spend working, the last thing I want to do is sit in a tiny car at the end of the day. I’ve found this size camper to be pretty ideal for River and I, and with any luck we’ll be getting this setup out on some big adventures very soon. I have a CDL Class A and tow semis for a living currently, but I’ve never really pulled too much with a pickup so this will still be a big adjustment for me, as such I’m excited to get this thing out on a quick test run to find out what all I need if I ever decide to pull it everyday. That test trip is about a month away so stay tuned for that update.
All in all these three setups have all been great, and although I didn’t full time in either the Honda or the Ranger, I did spend a few two week road trips in both and was pleasantly surprised with each. Part of why I bought a Tacoma is for the offroad capabilities, I really miss that from the Ranger even though I did run some relatively rough trails in the Honda. I’m looking forward to seeing what this Winnebago with the Explorer package can do.