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Many families and couples go van camping as an economical and comfortable option when compared to RV and tent camping.
You can take a trip with just the bare essentials, or you can pimp your van and try to make it a home-away-from-home. The choice is yours, and this article is intended to give you some tips and benefits on van camping.
What Are The Benefits of Van Camping? Economical – the van can be sufficient enough to carry all your belongings, and big enough to sleep in. It is also less expensive to rent, purchase, maintain, and fill up (gas), than a recreational vehicle.
Easy To Maneuver – The van will not handle much differently than your everyday vehicle, so it will be easier to park and handle during your camping trip.
Convenient – can be used as another vehicle for frequent use.
Tips For Successful Van Camping Use a propane heater at night to keep warm Don’t just pullover for a nap when you get tired. There are city and state laws that you should abide by such as:
Vehicles may not be parked in the same spot for extended periods of time.
No sleeping in vehicles on public parking lots, or on the side of road.
Park your recreational vehicle in the appropriate rest areas.
Eat at actual restaurants and avoid eating at the rest stops.
I have never paid so much for fast food in my life, as I did when I stopped to eat at the ones available at a rest stop in Ohio.
The restaurants take advantage of the fact that you are probably vacationing, in a good mood, and have a few dollars to spend on eating out.
Take the seats out ahead of time, if you think you will need the extra space.
Add a U-Haul trailer or tailgate trailer for extra space. They are small and economical to rent. Install a roof rack for kayaks, canoes, bikes, etc. Use plastic storage bins that can be stacked to keep everything organized and to prevent from taking up too much space.
Van Conversions
If you are one of the happy campers that wants to turn their van into a mini version of their home, here are a few links to help you with your vision.
Converting a van can give you unlimited opportunities to make your vehicle as personalised as you want it. Camping is a great example of the sort of specialised changes you can make to your van and the many accessories and extras that are available for a commercial van.
You can turn it into the near perfect companion during a short break or long holiday away. The advantage of having much more space and more manoeuvrability can sway even the most affluent caravan enthusiast towards a well equipped and modified van.
In the past, when people thought about camper vans they would immediately conjure up images of Volkswagen vehicles, but with the popularity of vans such as the Ford transit many people are beginning to see the opportunities they hold. Here are just some of the accessories that can be added to your van to make it as camper friendly as possible:
Furniture kits
Furniture kits are a great way to include many of the features you are used to at home in your van and all of them are designed to be as space saving as possible. Everything from kitchen units with sinks and washboards right though to folding tables and storage cupboards can be fitted within your van and provide you with all of the mod cons to help you and your family enjoy a camping holiday.
Roof Conversions
Many people have roof conversions fitted to their vehicles to give you that little bit more headroom, this is not the case with larger long wheel base models but still applies to vehicles like the connect model van.
Windows
A lot of people will immediately think that sleeping and living for short periods of time inside a van to be an extremely dark and dingy affair, which is why fitting extra windows can brighten up and make a much more personalised space. You can also get blinds that are not only decorative but also very practical when privacy is needed.
Much like furniture systems, bed systems provide wonderfully comfortable sleeping and at the same time are incorporated within the vehicle to give the utmost use of available space. Many bed systems can be installed as dual purpose units, doubling up as seating or other storage bays.
As you can see there are countless ways to convert your van to give you the best possible use of space, there are even more options available that you can find either online or through the help of your local commercial van garage.
This article was written by Thom Sanders on behalf of Foray Vans who offer [http://www.forayvans.co.uk/page/the_new_ford_transit_connect.html]Ford Transit Connect vans at great prices as well as other great Ford [http://www.forayvans.co.uk/]Used Vans for Sale. Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Converting-Your-Van-for-Camping&id=6286325] Converting Your Van for Camping
Although this question seems straight forward, there are many possible answers to what are the best foods for a long camping trip. The answer will depend on many factors.
Are you backpacking, car camping or traveling in a camper van or RV? Do you eat meat or are you vegetarian? Will you eat just about anything as long as it tastes good or do you like to eat mostly healthy foods with a few treats in between?
Since I am a vegetarian who likes to eat healthy foods, my answers will reflect this way of eating. I will discuss the best foods for a long backpacking trip as well as foods you can bring on a long trip across country in a camper van or RV.
The Best Foods For A Long Backpacking Trip
For a long backpacking trip, you will need food that gives you lots of energy and that keeps well. If you know what types of plants are edible close to your campsite, all the better since you will be getting fresh food that will spice up your camping trip.
Here are some examples of what you could take with you:
1) dried fruit such as cherries, pineapple, mango and apple 2) banana or plantain chips 3) a variety of protein bars such as Vega, Luna or Clif 4) trail mix 5) soy nuts 6) a variety of nuts 7) granola and dried soy mylk 8) foil packed meals such as Indian food that can be warmed in hot water 9) quick cooking pasta and vacuum packed flavored tofu with seasoning 10) tofu jerky
The Best Foods For A Long RV or Camper Van Trip
Depending on how much space you have and your preferences will dictate how many or how few of the following items you can bring.
The idea is to inspire you to make a list of possible meals based on the items you bring so here we go...
Non -perishable Items
1) Flour,sugar & baking powder (to make biscuits, pancakes,pizza dough, bannock,etc...) 2) Granola or other dried cereals 3) Peanut butter and /or almond butter 4) Powdered milk 5) Dried pasta 6) Quick cooking rice 7) Spices, condiments and flavorings 8) Canned soups and chili 9) Canned beans 10) Canned pasta sauce & gravy 11) Trail mix, nuts, seeds & dried fruit 12) Popcorn and marshmallows 13) Cooking and salad oil 14) Airtight packed silken tofu 15) Syrup or honey
Perishable foods
1) Eggs 2) Cheese 3) Veggie meats 4) Breads 5) Dairy or soy milk 6) Fruits & vegetables
Do you long to take off on a long camping trip. Live the adventure and discover a joyful way of life.
So, right now, turn off your television, shut out the world, curl up in a warm bed behind a closed door with this ebook loaded on your laptop and travel to a new destination: forever.
Or you can print out a copy and take it with you anywhere and learn at your leisure. Cheap Travel Lifestyle Information http://www.cheapcampinglifestyle.info
The rich culture and history, geographical diversity and the world wide famous French cuisine from the modest comfort of your camper van conversion...a smart, maneuverable and fuel-efficient vehicle. A camper van hire can take you to an unforgettable adventure.
The cosmopolitan Paris will spoil you with it's bustling lifestyle, the warm Mediterranean coast and Provence will soak you up in the scent of lavender fields, the wild Atlantic coast will charm you with small medieval towns and the coast of Normandy in the north part and the tallest European sand dunes in the south such as the Dune de Pyla.
You can hike and bike or even rent a boat on the 240km(150mi) long Canal du Midi, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, tour around the 270km(170mi) of the Loire Valley, also known as the garden of France or enjoy the modern skiing resorts in the French Alps.
And don't forget the beautiful island of Corsica, the last home of the famous French emperor Napoleon. This is merely mentioning just a few of the things worth seeing in France.
You can easily spend months or maybe even years discovering and slowly enjoying everything this great country has to offer. An excellent road network, top quality wine served just about around every corner, enticing scents from local perfumeries and all the culinary superlatives are just the icing on the cake!
And if you have time to spare, Spain is close enough and Italy is not that far away. And other European countries are close by, so...
Van Camping Options France offers a variety of options for van camping. There are well over 10,000 camp sites to suit all budgets and different lifestyles such as naturists and nudists, thousands of camper stops called "Aires de Service" and the France Passion guide offering overnight stays at agricultural farms.
A camper van hire in France such as Nomadvans can take you to most parts of this marvelous country in a hassle-free camper van conversion. It's a drive when you feel like it, and park it (almost) where you want kind of an adventure.
Just remember to clean up the spot you stayed at for others to enjoy and to keep mother earth healthy! That's not really hard to do, is it?
If you want to know how to prepare an RV for a camping trip, you are probably an organized happy camper seeking to get even more organized.
Congratulations on your upcoming adventure and welcome to my article that will help you to prevent forgetting something important. My favorite method of making sure I don`t forget anything is to have a checklist with everything I need and then to check off items as I am packing until my list is complete and the RV is ready to go.
Following are my list of essentials to get you started on your own lists. Of course, everyone is different and so you will probably need to add or delete a few items but it will help you get organized. I love the feeling of being organized.
First of all, you are not constantly stopping at a corner store here and there to get things you forgot. Also, you save money by being able to get the bet deals on items you need. When you prepare well ahead of your departure date, you will be able to make sure you have everything and that you got the best deal on everything.
Of course, when you get to the kitchen section, you will need to postpone getting the fresh items until the last minute but everything else can be prepared weeks ahead of time.
RV Checklist
fill fresh water tank power cords
fill fuel tank
fill generator
pack oil and tools
Keep in mind that my husband usually does this part! (Which is why I`m not super specific here)
Electronics & Maps Checklist
GPS
maps and itinerary
laptop computers
iPhone and power cord
passports
pamphlets and books about destinations
Kitchen Checklist
cutlery dishsoap dishcloths sos pads and scrub brush pots and pans plates cups and glasses foil, saran wrap, baggies paper towel recipe books
Food Checklist
first 2 meals ready ketchup, mustard, relish pasta and pasta sauce pancake mix and syrup canned soup canned beans packaged pasta (KD, Lipton) milk powder sugar flour coffee coffee whitener dry soup sauce mix crackers bread milk eggs cheese veggie meats (we are vegetarian) fresh fruit fresh veggies juice and soft drinks alcoholic beverages
Bed and Bath Checklist one change of linens plus bed made up extra blankets 4 bath towels 4-6 facecloths soap shampoo toothbrush, toothpaste toilet paper kleenex makeup case first aid kit medication sanitary feminine products glasses and contact lenses with solution
Clothing and Leisure Checklist socks and undies pants, jeans,shorts t-shirts, shirts bathing suits sundresses sweatshirts, sweaters jackets rain gear shoes, sandals books, book bag cards and games
Want to get away from it all on your RV bud are on a strict budget? Check out how to go camping on your RV on a minimal budget: Cheap Travel Information
Http:// www.cheapcampinglifestyle.info
