Love this! That is not too bad Donetta. Makes me want to trade in my Class A for the Van life. The big downer -- REPAIRS! UGH! I love Harvest Hosts, I also use Hipcamp sometimes just depends on what is available. Although Harvest Hosts does not tack on "other" fees. What is the most memorable place you have stayed?
Thanks so much! Yeah, it can be pretty reasonable if you’re frugal like us. ;)
haha! That would be a big change from a class A to a van wouldn’t it. ;) I love the space those offer but can’t imagine driving something that big - and also can’t imagine the cost of fuel!
Yeah, Harvest Hosts as been completely awesome for us. We rave about it all the time. lol! My husband just did a post about it actually and he listed out several of our favorite stops: https://www.roadlifeadventure.com/p/harvest-hosts-review
Thanks so much for reading and being part of the conversation!
Oh yes. Good point! When we started out diesel was reasonable. A couple of years ago when it hit $7 a gallon we parked on a friend’s lawn and rode it out. But to get there we went through Nevada. Prices were way cheaper. And I got to explore so many little towns. Such a good trade off.
These fuel prices are crazy aren't they?! Definitely makes it harder. But we're trying to just cut back in other areas to balance it out. We sure don't want to stop because of it if we don't have to. :)
Great! Let us know if you have questions about any of it!
This was very fun to read. I’ve done some very cheap and fun trips. It can be like a game to see how cheap I can go. I have travelled with plenty of money and also with very little money; I never really let money stop me from getting out there.
This is great! It's always fun to see how others choose to structure their adventures. Where they choose to stay, etc. Since we hit the road, my wife and I have almost exclusively spent our nights in BLM/Forest Service land. It tends to be quieter than many campground and it's free :) the downside is that it can be much more remote (more bumpy mountain driving), and not as available when you leave the mountain West and West Coast.
We spent two nights at a campground in Utah and a night on a farm through Harvest Hosts, which were both great as well. After spending a few nights in the backcountry, a campground with hookups and a bathroom starts to feel like luxury!
Free is always great isn't it?! Love that you're using BLM land! And we definitely agree those bathrooms and hookups are definitely a luxury! 🚿 Thanks for sharing what's working for you!
Thanks, Corey! I agree that it's great to learn from other people's experiences. We've yet to explore the BLM and Forest Service lands in depth. We did some camping in the truck but haven't been west in the van -- but will be in the next couple of weeks. The bumpy roads in a home don't sound appealing, though, and I wonder how many of them need Four Wheel Drive, which we don't have.
Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome have been our huckleberry lately. And YES ... those nights when we get a shower and a real bathroom are glorious. It's the simple things in life. 😆
Awesome!! We just took delivery of our van and doing a few modifications before we hit the road on Sunday. We also got a Harvest Host membership and eager to use it. I think you are right, van life can be as frugal or expensive as you want. I am most eager to try BLM land out west, well the areas we would be able to access in a low profile vehicle. Lots of research to do. Enjoy every moment!!
That’s so exciting! We wish you a lot of amazing adventures as you begin. You will love Harvest Hosts. It’s an amazing program. Look for those Boondockers Welcome sites to get as many free stays as you can. ;) And we are anxious to explore out west in our van too. We’ve been out there a lot but not in our van yet. Thanks for being part of the conversation!
Congratulations and we wish you an awesome adventure! 🚐 Maybe you’ll see us on the road in the tan van as we work our way west. The Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome has been awesome. We just wrote about that. We’ve also recently discovered some great city parks to camp along I-20 in Nebraska. Feel free to message us anytime if you need any help or advice.
Love this! That is not too bad Donetta. Makes me want to trade in my Class A for the Van life. The big downer -- REPAIRS! UGH! I love Harvest Hosts, I also use Hipcamp sometimes just depends on what is available. Although Harvest Hosts does not tack on "other" fees. What is the most memorable place you have stayed?
Thanks so much! Yeah, it can be pretty reasonable if you’re frugal like us. ;)
haha! That would be a big change from a class A to a van wouldn’t it. ;) I love the space those offer but can’t imagine driving something that big - and also can’t imagine the cost of fuel!
Yeah, Harvest Hosts as been completely awesome for us. We rave about it all the time. lol! My husband just did a post about it actually and he listed out several of our favorite stops: https://www.roadlifeadventure.com/p/harvest-hosts-review
Thanks so much for reading and being part of the conversation!
Oh yes. Good point! When we started out diesel was reasonable. A couple of years ago when it hit $7 a gallon we parked on a friend’s lawn and rode it out. But to get there we went through Nevada. Prices were way cheaper. And I got to explore so many little towns. Such a good trade off.
Checking out the article now.
These fuel prices are crazy aren't they?! Definitely makes it harder. But we're trying to just cut back in other areas to balance it out. We sure don't want to stop because of it if we don't have to. :)
Great! Let us know if you have questions about any of it!
Thank you Donetta.
You're welcome!
This was very fun to read. I’ve done some very cheap and fun trips. It can be like a game to see how cheap I can go. I have travelled with plenty of money and also with very little money; I never really let money stop me from getting out there.
It really can be a fun game can't it. ;) We can't let money stop us - gotta figure out how to make it work. ;)
Thank you. Yes, now it’s a game for us to see if we can get free or cheap. Donetta loves the thrill of that hunt. LOL I’m just the driver.
That’s cool.
This is great! It's always fun to see how others choose to structure their adventures. Where they choose to stay, etc. Since we hit the road, my wife and I have almost exclusively spent our nights in BLM/Forest Service land. It tends to be quieter than many campground and it's free :) the downside is that it can be much more remote (more bumpy mountain driving), and not as available when you leave the mountain West and West Coast.
We spent two nights at a campground in Utah and a night on a farm through Harvest Hosts, which were both great as well. After spending a few nights in the backcountry, a campground with hookups and a bathroom starts to feel like luxury!
Free is always great isn't it?! Love that you're using BLM land! And we definitely agree those bathrooms and hookups are definitely a luxury! 🚿 Thanks for sharing what's working for you!
Thanks, Corey! I agree that it's great to learn from other people's experiences. We've yet to explore the BLM and Forest Service lands in depth. We did some camping in the truck but haven't been west in the van -- but will be in the next couple of weeks. The bumpy roads in a home don't sound appealing, though, and I wonder how many of them need Four Wheel Drive, which we don't have.
Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome have been our huckleberry lately. And YES ... those nights when we get a shower and a real bathroom are glorious. It's the simple things in life. 😆
Awesome!! We just took delivery of our van and doing a few modifications before we hit the road on Sunday. We also got a Harvest Host membership and eager to use it. I think you are right, van life can be as frugal or expensive as you want. I am most eager to try BLM land out west, well the areas we would be able to access in a low profile vehicle. Lots of research to do. Enjoy every moment!!
That’s so exciting! We wish you a lot of amazing adventures as you begin. You will love Harvest Hosts. It’s an amazing program. Look for those Boondockers Welcome sites to get as many free stays as you can. ;) And we are anxious to explore out west in our van too. We’ve been out there a lot but not in our van yet. Thanks for being part of the conversation!
Congratulations and we wish you an awesome adventure! 🚐 Maybe you’ll see us on the road in the tan van as we work our way west. The Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome has been awesome. We just wrote about that. We’ve also recently discovered some great city parks to camp along I-20 in Nebraska. Feel free to message us anytime if you need any help or advice.
Thanks, Carl! We appreciate it. Donetta has great ideas.
I'm going to screenshot this reply. 🤣
I bet you will! 😜
😂
Very cool to see it bulleted like this. Keep trucking.
Thanks! :)