Trailer and Truck, RV or Van?
Portland, Oregon :: John and I go in circles on this topic when we talk about how this trip will work. Should we do a trailer and truck combo? An RV with small car towed behind? Or a camper van?
I’m 98% sure I would prefer the trailer/truck combo.
Pros: “space” of our own, flexibility to drop off the trailer and drive the truck with relative ease, potentially less work, John could drop off the trailer with me and Molly while he chases down people to interview for his book.
Cons: it could be long and therefore difficult to maneuver through a city, some people say hard to drive
Yesterday John brought up the camper van idea again. I’m not sure we could survive the whole year in this. We would be relying on people to open their homes all of the time (which I originally thought would be the best experience).
Pros: very low cost, more compact, easy to maneuver, rely on others more.
Cons: SMALL space, no toilet (unless we got a port-a-potty), no fridge (likely), we would always be driving our “home,” rely on others more.
Some people are hard-core RV fanatics. They swear that this is the way to go. Get a small-ish RV and pull a small car behind.
Pros: small home on wheels ready to go, leave the RV and drive car around town
Cons: BIG, most RVs require a lot of work, might be difficult to maneuver through a city, more challenging to find free/cheap repair help for an RV than a truck.
Maybe we’ll just join the Living Small Tour
Please share your thoughts and experience with us!
9 comments
My vote goes for trailer/truck combo. Trailers are generally all living space while RV uses some space for driving. Also, you will want a separate vehicle for driving away from your “home”. Also, ask someone with experience to check out anything you buy–there are some things you might not think to look at.
Why just three options. How about traveling across the country on bikes?
No matter the vehicle, I definately think you should have Sara Janssen consult on the decor. I think she could even manage to turn the van into a home…
Why make it so easy? Why not go old-school and walk? Or crawl on your knees?
You joke about the walking, but I made that suggestion to Kate.
Then Kate made me imagine the two of us walking down Highway 50 in Nevada, the “loneliest highway in America,” pushing Molly in a stroller, trudging toward another mirage, passing sun-bleached skulls along the side of the road.
Compromise: Kate can drive the vehicle w/ Molly cozy inside, and John can just run alongside…
Someone already wrote the book “Walk Arcoss America” so you should think of something more creative.
two people just looked at renting our apartment today. They just finished a 10,000 mile journey trekking around the country. Wild!
Well I can’t speak for a year long trek, but I sure love our tent trailer. It was a compromise between Matt and I, as he wanted a trailer and I didn’t want to give up the tent. Now tent is a four letter word. But in your case, it could be perfect; compact, easy to tow, can get with bath/shower and small fridge, easy to pop up/down, have your own space, won’t “break down” and inexpensive (especially on craigslist or other resale). Just another option…
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