Introduction

[Miztiki]

Hello everyone! I thought I should introduce myself before I start posting questions.

I'm a country girl but I married a man whose career requires him to be in Houston (fer cryin out loud). Being in this big city drives me crazy and breaks my heart, so I've recently come up with a plan to help me cope. I'm going to go on extended camping trips so my dogs and I can get away.

Aside from marrying a city slicker, I also have a really bad back. I can't just pack up a tent and go camping anymore. Motorhomes and the like are not my style. Truck campers are ok for a few days or a week but not longer, not the way I want to camp.

My family is all 1400 miles away in Michigan so I'll definately be spending time there. I also want to travel the country, camping out in the middle of nowhere at every opportunity. Alaska is way up on my list! I need something that will suit me for extended trips in all sorts of environments and weather and what's on the market doesn't work for me.

I've come up with a camper plan to suit my needs and I'm quite excited about it! It's a cross between a truck camper and a wall tent. Sorta. Click on the following links to see proposed pictures of my camper.

Here's the camper driving down the road:

*  http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Miztiki/Copy3of73123096.jpg

Here's the camper set up for short term or fair weather camping:

*  http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Miztiki/Copyofpopupcamperbox.jpg

In that picture the camper is still up on the truck.

Here's the camper set up for long term or winter camping:

*  http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Miztiki/popupcamperbox.jpg

In that picture the camper is off the truck and lowered to the ground.

Lastly, here's the camper set up on both sides for really extended camping (like when visiting family) or for when hubby can join me:

*  http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Miztiki/totalsetup.jpg

The camper will be about 6x6x8 and it's purpose is to store and transport my stuff (all the way up to the ceiling). That should hold alot of stuff! I'll spend my time in the tent(s), not the camper, so there will be no bed or kitchen table set up in there.

The wall on either side of the camper will fold down and become the floor of the tents. The (custom) canvas will extend out from there, like a pop-up or hybrid camper. The camper can stay up on the truck or be lowered via jacks, like a truck camper.

All of this will make it possible for me to get out of this city and go "tent" camping without having to unload and load all of my gear (thus saving my back). Clever, eh?

The reason I joined this site is because I'm looking for energy options and an understanding of how they work. I can't start building my camper until I know how I'm going to power everything. I don't know anything at all about generators or batteries or solar energy but I'm trying to learn.

I'm a pretty simple person and am happy as long as my basic needs are met. I need a way to cook food, and also keep it cool/frozen. I need to wash dishes. I need to take a shower. I need to stay warm in the winter. I need a light source...

I've been exploring my energy options for a few weeks now but it's overwhelming because I don't have even a basic understanding of how stuff works. I could sure use some help!

I'd like to have various sources of energy available on the camper so that I don't have to rely too much on noisy generators and trips to town. I'm also a bit cheap and can't see paying out the nose for a little fridge when I could probably make one myself, if I only understood how they work that is.

I can see how a black plastic shower bag can be heated in the sun, and I can see how a solar cooker can heat up certain foods. My dogs will learn how to earn their keep wherever possible too. I hope y'all will be able to help me explore the options available so that I'm able to get back in the country where I belong, if even for a short while. My dogs and I do not like living in the city, so any help in getting us closer to the road outta here is welcomed!

I'll have many questions over the coming months. I look forward to meeting you all and learning from you!

Miz

[willib]

Very artistic pix!

I have relatives in Houston and there are several Texans on this board.

look into refrigerators for Campers , some have the kind i would love to have , no electricity needed , they run on kerosene , for a little background they were invented by Einstien in the early '1900s

[wooferhound]

This should get you started on the basics . . .

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_systems.html

[disaray1]

Hi Miz. Pull up a chair and join in the fun.  Neat camper ideas you've got there. I built a camper for my neice a few years ago that had similar elements to what you've draw. Her camper was based on a Dodge Caravan. It had a bed (3x6) inside with lots of rear storage underneath. She packed a large tent that connected to the big side door that made her living room/kitchen. All of her stuff fit neatly inside, and it took about an hour to set-up or break down. The van got about 25mpg allowing for cheap operation. She and a friend spent over a year traveling around the states, including Alaska. They had a blast. Total money spent on the camp rig was about $2800, and the van was $2200 dollars of that.

  You could also consider ultralight camping. This is my preference, as I don't like to stay in KOAs and the sort...seems I always end up next to someone in a motorhome running a genset til midnight.   Ultralight camping is minimalist and not for everybody, but if you like to get away from the crowd and see/experience the unbeaten path without lugging around 50+lbs of stuff, this is the ticket. My fully loaded pack (for a week trip) weighs in at 26lbs, and it could be lighter. My tent weighs in at 3lb 10oz, stove with fuel about 1lb, 30deg down bag less than 2lbs and the Go-Lite backpack weighs a scant 1lb 12oz. You could even buy the dog packs to make them carry all of your load, provided they're not chihuahua or shi-tzu. Another plus to this style of camping is that I rarely pay to camp. I park my car in a safe spot, and take out on foot a few miles until I find the right spot. 15 minute set-up and enjoy.

 Have a good time, however you go, and enjoy the board.

 David

[Miztiki]

Thanks for the starting links and all. I had started to look over that one link but then...

My husband surprised the heck out of me the day after I signed up here. He's a geotechnical engineer and was approached by one of the big oil companies. They have some plans in the works off the northern coast of Alaska and asked if he'd be interested in working up there for 3 years. !!!

If that happens then my whole camper idea would be pointless, so I'm going to hold off asking questions for a while so that I don't waste anyone's time. Instead of finding out how generators work, I may need to find out how to not get eaten by a polar bear!

Even if we do end up in Alaska, I'm sure I'll want to gain from the knowledge of you all since things are so hard to come by up there. Oh my gosh, Alaska! I am so sitting here giggling over the thought of it! WooHoo!

Miz