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lowercase24
May 7, 2007, 6:56 AM
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I am about to embark on a year long (or longer) trip and am planning on doing a lot of climbing. Currently I have an old (98) civic that I am going to be selling to get something a little bit more practical for the long haul on the road. The options that I have been seriously considering are a Subaru Outback and some sort of van (Chevy Astro etc...). I'll be staying at campgrounds, going backpacking and spending a little time in the city on and off again. Do people have advice as to how they fared in a Subaru on the road on a long trip? Would it work out well with a large cargo topper and sleeping in the back during bad weather? As I see it, any van where i can clear out the seats would work great for foul weather and be fairly inconspicuous in the city. I've seen plenty of threads talking about cars for cragging, but not a lot for living out of. Thanks in advance for the input! Brad
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rc_vinay
May 7, 2007, 7:28 AM
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see the result...!
(This post was edited by rc_vinay on May 7, 2007, 10:24 AM)
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charley
May 7, 2007, 11:13 AM
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I have had chrysler plymouth mini vans. I have looked at chevy astro's but they are more like a truck. I have two cots 6' long and 22 or 24 inches wide and a foot high. All of our camping gear, clothes, and climbing gear are under the cots. Most of our stuff is in plastic tubs with lids. Two fit under each front section and one under the back section with packs also in that section. The boxes can help support you or cause corners to poke you if your matress/pad is not good enough. We have used this system for years and love it. You can sit in the front seats to read or pass time in bad weather or just go find the library or movie. The seats in the van are more comfortable if driving all day.
(This post was edited by charley on May 7, 2007, 11:14 AM)
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tellicomtnman
May 7, 2007, 11:29 AM
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Something else you might want to consider throwing into the decision pot: a truck with a camper cover. Many people will then build a carpeted, plywood platform about the height of the bed so that they have a great sleeping surface and lots of room underneath for storing gear and supplies. Plus, you have the option of 4wd and more clearance than a van or outback.
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tradmanclimbs
May 7, 2007, 11:34 AM
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I have lived in a honda civic, a westy, a vanagon, ford aerostar and currenty road trip in a dodge Grand caravan. The gas mileage of the civic is great everything else about it sucks for long term liveing. The westy and the vanagon werer the best for liveing but the worst for driveing and fixing. No doubt about it if you drive a Volkswagon your gonna be doing a lot of fixing MY GF has a westy and i still prefer to roadtrip in my grand caravan. It drives much better and even though it's not as roomy, the bed is much more comfortable. I put curtains in the minivan and built a plywood bed. good storeage under the bed. I used 4" furniture foam as a mattress, real sheets and comforters. its sweet. Only drawback is you have to cook outside. 23+ mpg Hwy
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tradmanclimbs
May 7, 2007, 11:42 AM
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The real bonus with a minivan is that when you pull the curtains it looks so inconspicious that you can crash in most any parking lot and not get hasseled.
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hillbilly
May 7, 2007, 1:09 PM
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Howdy, look at sportsmobiles for an option. With gas prices up full luxury comfort is cheap and dependable.
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tradmanclimbs
May 7, 2007, 2:14 PM
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I forgot. i have lived in the back of pickup trucks as well. way more cramped than van liveing. The 4X4 option is a consideration for Desert climbing but I have seen mini vans, westies and honda civics in most of the places that we climbed in a pickup truck so the van wins with the comfort and you don't have to go out in the rain to get into bed. Also pretty cool to go in the back and crash while your partner is driveing.
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crackmd
May 7, 2007, 2:31 PM
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I don't understand this post hillbilly. Maybe I'm missing an attempt at humor here. The SOLE reason I have not purchased a Sportsmobile is the dismal mileage they get (even in diesel). If you've heard of a sportsmobile that gets better than 15 mpg please let me know.
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watchme
May 7, 2007, 3:14 PM
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Go for the van. I just bought another minivan after owning a truck with a topper for a few years. Mine is all wheel drive (toyota previa), get's OK mileage, and has way more room than a truck or Subaru. I have also owned a dodge caravan. It was pretty nice too (until the tranny went out).
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tradmanclimbs
May 7, 2007, 3:40 PM
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The key with the minivan setup is the deck for storeage and sleeping and especialy the curtains! Curtains make it so cool. Nothing like tearing off a piece parked at the scenic overlook when you can hear the tourists outside babeling away totaly clueless
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csproul
May 7, 2007, 3:55 PM
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crackmd wrote: I don't understand this post hillbilly. Maybe I'm missing an attempt at humor here. The SOLE reason I have not purchased a Sportsmobile is the dismal mileage they get (even in diesel). If you've heard of a sportsmobile that gets better than 15 mpg please let me know. My 4x4 diesel sportsmobile gets ~15-17 mpg...yes it is dismal. If not for the 4x4, I suspect I'd get around 18 mpg. If I had to do it again, I'd for sure not get the 4x4 and I may even consider one of the Dodge Sprinter Sportsmobiles that reportedly get 20+ mpg. BTW, I also own an Outback and it doesn't get much better...only ~22 mpg. I have done many road trips in both and I'd pretty much roadtrip in any van vs the Outback.
(This post was edited by csproul on May 7, 2007, 3:58 PM)
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lubby
May 7, 2007, 5:00 PM
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I have an Outback. Not spend more than a week out in it. I dont see spending a year in it. Sleeping in the back is doable but I am fairly short (5'7") and it is not that easy to find comfort. I got a box for the top now so I can haul a goodly bit of gear. I guess for one person w/gear sleeping mostly outside it is not a bad way to go - good milage, go anywhere, blend in - but I would go with a van or something you can move aroud in and set up a bed. Climbing a lot is tiring enough... sleeping in comfort is very nice. I have a couple friends with Sprinters (Dodge tall van) and they are very happy with their setup. One has the longest version with stove, sink, fridge, etc. A micro-RV with >20MPG.
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crackmd
May 7, 2007, 5:15 PM
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csproul wrote: crackmd wrote: I don't understand this post hillbilly. Maybe I'm missing an attempt at humor here. The SOLE reason I have not purchased a Sportsmobile is the dismal mileage they get (even in diesel). If you've heard of a sportsmobile that gets better than 15 mpg please let me know. My 4x4 diesel sportsmobile gets ~15-17 mpg...yes it is dismal. If not for the 4x4, I suspect I'd get around 18 mpg. If I had to do it again, I'd for sure not get the 4x4 and I may even consider one of the Dodge Sprinter Sportsmobiles that reportedly get 20+ mpg. BTW, I also own an Outback and it doesn't get much better...only ~22 mpg. I have done many road trips in both and I'd pretty much roadtrip in any van vs the Outback. I'm hoping at some point in the near or far future that hybrid vans come along and I can have sportsmobile convert it for me. There is currently a Toyota Sienna minivan that is being sold in Europe and Japan, but that wouldn't be real practical to convert to a sportsmobile. The Sprinter is rumored to be coming out in a hybrid version in the next 5 years. I really like the feature of 4WD and high clearance though which the Sprinter doesn't offer. Guess I'll just wait and see.
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lowercase24
May 7, 2007, 6:46 PM
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Thanks a lot everyone for the feedback. It sounds like a mini-van (or van) is the way to go. Having all that storage space and a comfy bed for bad weather sounds like a huge plus. Heck, if I find I don't need all of the space I could always sell the van on the road and pickup a different car/truck. :) The idea of not being able to realy sit up much in the subaru if the weather is bad and being short on storage space seems like a big pain...
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tradmanclimbs
May 7, 2007, 6:54 PM
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Its really cool with a van actually haveing a little bit of privacy and indoor living space. When you are on the road for extended periods of time ocasionally you just want to curl up in your little house and chill. that ain't happening in a compact car.or even in a pickup truck unless you have a pony camper on the back. they are a pain to drive with and suck up the gas I am told??
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reg
May 7, 2007, 7:14 PM
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crackmd wrote: csproul wrote: crackmd wrote: I don't understand this post hillbilly. Maybe I'm missing an attempt at humor here. The SOLE reason I have not purchased a Sportsmobile is the dismal mileage they get (even in diesel). If you've heard of a sportsmobile that gets better than 15 mpg please let me know. My 4x4 diesel sportsmobile gets ~15-17 mpg...yes it is dismal. If not for the 4x4, I suspect I'd get around 18 mpg. If I had to do it again, I'd for sure not get the 4x4 and I may even consider one of the Dodge Sprinter Sportsmobiles that reportedly get 20+ mpg. BTW, I also own an Outback and it doesn't get much better...only ~22 mpg. I have done many road trips in both and I'd pretty much roadtrip in any van vs the Outback. I'm hoping at some point in the near or far future that hybrid vans come along and I can have sportsmobile convert it for me. There is currently a Toyota Sienna minivan that is being sold in Europe and Japan, but that wouldn't be real practical to convert to a sportsmobile. The Sprinter is rumored to be coming out in a hybrid version in the next 5 years. I really like the feature of 4WD and high clearance though which the Sprinter doesn't offer. Guess I'll just wait and see. i can't stand this - my heads going to explode! WHAT is a sportsmobile? my vote would go to a van - big time. we have a 95 e350 ford 1 ton w/7.3 tubo diesel. when empty and driving like i had an egg on the gas pedal ( did this for a week) i got 23mpg - with sofa/bed and cabinets/table top combo and gear (camping, biking, climbing, etc) we avg 18-20mpg. with the 40 gallon tank - i can run it 500 miles and have some in reserve. the engine loves to idle so when camping you can run a/c or heat. the final plus for disel is they'll last 300,000 miles! downside for me: my wife hates it - calls it "the beast" (she changes her mind after lying around on the sofabed watchin DVD's with a glass of champgne and total privacy. got a nice little porta pot in there too - tucks right under the counter.
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crackmd
May 7, 2007, 7:26 PM
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reg wrote: crackmd wrote: csproul wrote: crackmd wrote: I don't understand this post hillbilly. Maybe I'm missing an attempt at humor here. The SOLE reason I have not purchased a Sportsmobile is the dismal mileage they get (even in diesel). If you've heard of a sportsmobile that gets better than 15 mpg please let me know. My 4x4 diesel sportsmobile gets ~15-17 mpg...yes it is dismal. If not for the 4x4, I suspect I'd get around 18 mpg. If I had to do it again, I'd for sure not get the 4x4 and I may even consider one of the Dodge Sprinter Sportsmobiles that reportedly get 20+ mpg. BTW, I also own an Outback and it doesn't get much better...only ~22 mpg. I have done many road trips in both and I'd pretty much roadtrip in any van vs the Outback. I'm hoping at some point in the near or far future that hybrid vans come along and I can have sportsmobile convert it for me. There is currently a Toyota Sienna minivan that is being sold in Europe and Japan, but that wouldn't be real practical to convert to a sportsmobile. The Sprinter is rumored to be coming out in a hybrid version in the next 5 years. I really like the feature of 4WD and high clearance though which the Sprinter doesn't offer. Guess I'll just wait and see. i can't stand this - my heads going to explode! WHAT is a sportsmobile? my vote would go to a van - big time. we have a 95 e350 ford 1 ton w/7.3 tubo diesel. when empty and driving like i had an egg on the gas pedal ( did this for a week) i got 23mpg - with sofa/bed and cabinets/table top combo and gear (camping, biking, climbing, etc) we avg 18-20mpg. with the 40 gallon tank - i can run it 500 miles and have some in reserve. the engine loves to idle so when camping you can run a/c or heat. the final plus for disel is they'll last 300,000 miles! downside for me: my wife hates it - calls it "the beast" (she changes her mind after lying around on the sofabed watchin DVD's with a glass of champgne and total privacy. got a nice little porta pot in there too - tucks right under the counter. www.sportsmobile.com
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desertdude420
May 8, 2007, 12:26 AM
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The Car Campers Vehicle Food Chain: -Full-on RV. (fits almost nowhere) -Sportsmobile van. (utilized mostly by trust-funders or retirees) -Westfalia micro-bus. (slow and a target for cops) -Pickup truck with a camper shell/bed platform.(my personal favorite!) -Regular soccer mom mini van. (pull out those rear seats) -SUV like a Subaru outback. (you can at least sleep in it) -Sedan. (better off sleeping on the ground NEXT to it!)
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wordless_chorus
May 8, 2007, 1:05 AM
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new M5 wagon just picked one up nice car
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david_smithrock
May 8, 2007, 2:06 AM
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I have done several roadtrips (up to nine months) in my old '86 Subaru wagon, and many 1 month or less roadtrips in my current Ford Focus wagon. If you are 5'8" or less and travel lightly by yourself, the wagon option works well. When I find somewhere I'll be staying for a while, I move everything up to the front seats and push the extra stuff to one side of the interior "bed". I've spent many rainy days lounging in the back reading, and it's pretty comfy for me, with plenty of headroom. (I'm 5'8") If I'll be somewhere car-camping friendly for an extended period, I set up a portable table outside my car and set up a "kitchen", othewise I just pop the rear hatch and cook with the double-burner stove out the back. Whatever vehicle you get, spend the money to get the windows limo tinted. Curtains attract rangers and police. The less dirtbag your vehicle looks the better, so you may want to avoid the climbing stickers as well. I've seen people camped in parking lots in vans getting hassled when they're parked right next to me. Personally, I haven't been woken by a ranger since I removed my climbing stickers from my old subaru back in around '98. Again, it will be tough sleeping in the wagon if you're taller than me, as I sleep angled across the bed and barely touch the rear wall.
(This post was edited by david_smithrock on May 8, 2007, 2:11 AM)
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tradmanclimbs
May 8, 2007, 3:30 AM
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I have privacy glass and curtains. never been messed with in a minivan. You just diggin that tiny car cause you ain't spoiled by van liveing yet your absolutly right about the stickers. imagin being stuuuuuooooooopid enough to have 420 stickers and dead stickers plastered all over the vehicle that has about an eighth of roaches in the ashtray and a quater pound under the spare tire
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scuclimber
May 8, 2007, 5:34 AM
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hillbilly wrote: Howdy, look at sportsmobiles for an option. With gas prices up full luxury comfort is cheap and dependable. Cheap? You must be rich. Van is the way to go. Just an FYI since the OP is from WA, Chevy Astrovans come in AWD and are on a truck chasis. AWD for winter issues and truck chasis for all-around ruggedness and dependable. Of course, mileage is lowered dramatically by AWD.
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