How can I be a good van-life climber?

Regarding waste management…bucket and chuck-it.  
Worked well on my sailboat, van life and overall Pikey living. 

Dirtbag Betawrote:

Prove it

"Washboarding forms at travel over 5mph on loose, dry surfaces from an irregularity in the surface which causes a tire hop or from acceleration, deceleration, and turning."

"According to MythBusters and their field test, with a 1970 Cutlass Supreme, driving at 5mph and then at 70 mph, they found that yes, indeed, at 70mph, it is a smoother ride and the “high-speed camera footage revealed that the faster-moving wheels literally move across bumps in the road” (MythBusters, “Bumpy Ride“)."

Travel be the same as climbing! Go fast and take chances, or go slow and get out of the way.  

Yep, if washboards were only from acceleration, how do they form on downhill only mountain bike trails? My Tacoma rolls smooth over washboards at 55mph too. Share the roads. 

Daniel Shivelywrote:

Yep, if washboards were only from acceleration, how do they form on downhill only mountain bike trails? My Tacoma rolls smooth over washboards at 55mph too. Share the roads. 

Are you meaning to imply that no acceleration occurs on downhill only mountain bike trails? 

Here's a vanlife tip, when you're living in a beach parking lot take the spots furthest from the beach and not the ones with good views. Extrapolate accordingly for wherever you're living.  

I didn't realize I was going to get more out of this thread but the additional comments got me thinking.

Some of these (legitimate) gripes are not about the van, specifically, but about anyone (in a van or otherwise) who has the time to monopolize all the good spots. Van folk are entitled to beautiful views as much as tent folk, but people that live in the van full time have the potential to just never leave (there's a 2 week rule, but another full timer can jump right in). 

So, I'm absolutely going to (sometimes) take the good spots because I want to enjoy them too, but I'm going to try to spend most of my time in out of the way areas that are not in demand, maybe off old service roads, or yeah, in the back somewhere away from the view.

An aside, I absolutely hate noise, so I appreciate the TV comments. Headphones will be important. One thing I'm looking forward to is never hearing another leaf blower.

Adam Rwrote:

Are you meaning to imply that no acceleration occurs on downhill only mountain bike trails? 

Here's a vanlife tip, when you're living in a beach parking lot take the spots furthest from the beach and not the ones with good views. Extrapolate accordingly for wherever you're living.  

Not at all, I do notice plenty of washboards immediately prior to tight turns where I see almost universal braking occur. I used downhill only to imply the washboards were generally on the uphill side of the turn. Do you encounter many washboards on downhill mountain bike trails aside from areas where heavy braking occur?

I have a 17' casita trailer that i tow with my tacoma and it is a great combo. The trailer is sturdenough to take it on some pretty bumpy roads and get a bit further away from people. We park it  and can drive to a trail head or old jeep road to ride our bikes, injuries have sidelined the climbing.Not having to pack up camp every time you want to go somewhere is a big plus. Also a shower and heater is very nice and no sleeping on the ground.I will never have a cassete toilet because of the mess of dumping it. A dump station at a campground or gas station is pretty easy.

Daniel Shivelywrote:

Not at all, I do notice plenty of washboards immediately prior to tight turns where I see almost universal braking occur. I used downhill only to imply the washboards were generally on the uphill side of the turn. Do you encounter many washboards on downhill mountain bike trails aside from areas where heavy braking occur?

I haven't done much downhill but to answer your original question braking causes negative acceleration, so if it is indeed the case that washboards are from acceleration, that's why you'd be seeing them where heavy braking occurs. 

ETA another vanlife tip. Anything that catches your poop can be used as a wag bag and will likely be cheaper and more readily available, dog poop bag, pizza box etc 

So just because I am in a van I can't park in a nice spot... 

Jared Ewrote:

... it’s not hard to break into a well-paying, mobile career with lots of time off. Really, you can do it in under 5 years at your local community college 

Please expand on this.  What is well paying, and are u getting there in 2 years or after 5 of doing the bs?  Assuming u were referring to travel nurse, other options in the field?  

Frazerwrote:

Please expand on this.  What is well paying, and are u getting there in 2 years or after 5 of doing the bs?  Assuming u were referring to travel nurse, other options in the field?  

I don't have a degree or community college and now work in IT. I just spent 7 years in the military. If I didn't have a family when I got out, I could have done van life. True, I wasn't 'well paid' until I was in my mid-30s, but I supported a family of 5 before then.

Adam Rwrote:

I haven't done much downhill but to answer your original question braking causes negative acceleration, so if it is indeed the case that washboards are from acceleration, that's why you'd be seeing them where heavy braking occurs. 

ETA another vanlife tip. Anything that catches your poop can be used as a wag bag and will likely be cheaper and more readily available, dog poop bag, pizza box etc 

My original reply was an example to illustrate agreement with Stiles post about washboards. Most drivers, riders who travel on dirt surfaces realize that washboards are created by several co factors, notably acceleration and deceleration and or negative acceleration. The comments about how washboards are formed are all a rebuttal of the poster who claim washboards are from “people trying to floor it on dirt roads”. I suppose he could have meant flooring the gas and brake pedal, but Stiles and myself assumed Jared E was referring to the gas pedal, which leaves out the contributing factor of braking, deceleration, and as you pointed out negative acceleration. 

Park your van anywhere you want. Just don’t park it in my preferred spot.

In general, camping rigs (certainly not just vans) are becoming more common at trailheads.  The purpose of a trailhead parking lot is not the same a dispersed site and there is a point when shared access becomes an issue.  Please avoid camping at busy trailheads.

so if I want to recreate from a trail head I can't park there because you don't like the type of vehicle I own.. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

so if I want to recreate from a trail head I can't park there because you don't like the type of vehicle I own.. 

You can park there but don’t camp there.  You’re changing the purpose of the space (and increasing impact). It doesn’t matter if you’re in your Earth-roamer or your pup tent.  In a low use area it may not matter much, but in popular areas it denies access to others.  One camper turns into 20 and the whole place changes.  

you folks are no fun and more than likely complete hypocrites. Don't park here because I don't like your rig but you know damn well you will be doing the same thing in your Subi.. or is everyone on the anti van trip  obey every single rule every time...  I think ya all are full of it. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

you folks are no fun and more than likely complete hypocrites. Don't park here because I don't like your rig but you know damn well you will be doing the same thing in your Subi.. or is everyone on the anti van trip  obey every single rule every time...  I think ya all are full of it. 

Come on man, did you even read Caleb's reply?  Park whatever rig you want for day use, don't camp there regardless of what you're driving.  He went out of his way to not single out vans.

Nick,

You have a point that there's a lot of envy in the world and that this skews our realities. And I don't doubt that I'm more likely to notice inconsiderate behavior when it's perpetrated by the driver of an large, expensive-looking vehicle. I tend to assume that such people are blowing daddy's money--hence their sense of entitlement. 

It does me good to be reminded that there are van-lifers such as yourself who worked hard to buy/outfit their rig, contribute to the sport in meaningful ways, and are conscientious about their impact. Critics such as myself should consider that for every jerk in a Sprinter, there's some number of Nicks out there whom we don't notice because they're behaving like adults.

Thank you.

I'm seeing a forum full of people suggesting how one might behave more like You, and I'm not understanding why you seem to be bothered by this.

Bb Cc wrote:

This is what happened with RailRoads too...

Friggin' Train-Lifers again! Oooo they make me so angry. LOL