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Life from my Honda: Camping and Traveling for the Next Few Months

130K views 264 replies 25 participants last post by  Green Machine 
#1 · (Edited)
Map Atlas World


Hitting the Road
Hi! So possibly a few people have come across my previous thread regarding my sleeping platform build and other camping related changes I have made to my '99 CR-V. Well, after planning the trip since this past spring it is finally time to hit the road!

Having spent about 2 weeks worth of time camping in the CR-V (broken up over a number of weekends), I know it can be plenty functional and pretty cozy in there. And yeah, that use of "cozy" does include a bit of the euphemistic sense of the word, too. It is damn tight living out of a Honda CR-V. But it also is cozy in the sense that I feel comfortable and provided just enough space to feel relaxed. I decided to go the car-camping route instead of just using a tent for a few reasons. I saw others had done it (Rock Climber Girl and cdlenfert, among others) and thought it looked more fun this way. I knew I would be traveling for a while and leaving in winter, so having a warmer and more secure place to lay my head definitely had its appeal. I picked this CR-V up off of Craigslist with 190,000 miles for $700. In the last year and a half I have put another 23,000 miles on it and invested in the needed repairs. I figured that if a 15 year old Honda with over 200k miles isn't a perfect candidate to be turned into a rolling bed, what is?

If there are any places that people can recommend checking out, please share! The route is very rough, basically down the east coast ----> over the south through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona ----> North through Utah to Idaho ----> West and then south through the interior of California ----> and lastly North, up the California coast from the southern end of the state and eventually ending in Portland, OR. This is both a road trip and a move for me, just finished graduate school and ready for a new place to live.

So over the coming months I will be posting here and on a Facebook page (for the non-Honda centric family and friends, etc) as I travel along. The first few weeks will be pretty dull travel-wise as it largely will be just seeing family and friends as I make my way down the east coast. But check back in later as once I reach the Southeastern U.S. the pictures and video will start to pop up. I bought a year-long National Park pass and plan to put it to good use, with the Everglades likely being my first NP. Loading the CR-V up in the 19F garage yesterday definitely have left me excited to hit Florida...
 
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#5 ·
Hah! Is that advice or part of a premonition?

Yeah, I am hoping to minimize the time on the interstate. With roof rack and AT/S tires, the CR-V doesn't like to cruise much above 60-65mph now anyway (not without noticeably lower gas mileage at least...). I have the time, plan to take the scenic route as often as possible. The east cost will largely be the exception to this, my time will be at its most scheduled for this stretch when it comes to seeing family and friends.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Roof rack Sport utility vehicle


Land vehicle Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Automotive carrying rack


Land vehicle Vehicle Bicycle wheel Bicycle Bicycle frame

Bought a tire-mounted bike rack from a friend, perfect for a gen1 CR-V

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Sport utility vehicle Compact mpv

The bedding was removed for the photos. The mattress roll and other sleeping stuff is likely going to remain piled up in back for a few weeks, won't really do any camping until Florida or so.

Concrete mixer Tree Drum Vehicle Games

Relocated my lobstah to the roof rack as the bicycle bumped it from its former spot on the spare tire. The water jugs and gas can are empty for now, likely won't really need them until I am further west in different national parks. Once the water jugs are filled they will actually sit inside the vehicle when driving, probably on the passenger seat or passenger foot well. Don't want too much weight that high up, prefer to avoid the chances of a rollover.

Vehicle Car Auto part City car

The underside is definitely packed fairly tight! The bucket might be relocated to the roof rack later on if need be.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part Family car

My wardrobe. Shirts, socks, etc. are all in different bags on the ceiling. The wooden slats help keep the cargo bungees from sagging too much.

Tire Automotive tire Vehicle Auto part Automotive wheel system

I chose to keep the cooler inside the vehicle rather than the rack, wanted to minimize raising the center of gravity too much. Had to remove the center table between the front seats to make a better fit.
 
#9 ·
You're probably well on your way by now, but I'd recommend you reverse the orientation of your bike on the rack to get the wheel out of the exhaust stream. Don't ask how I know this will help.
Good luck and I look forward to the pics and updates.
 
#16 · (Edited)
This is a fair point, just took a look at it a few minutes ago and made some adjustments. The bicycle tire looked fine so far, would like to keep it that way. I shifted the bike further back on the rack and straightened the front wheel. The wheel was turned before in order for the rear hatch glass to clear the handlebars but that isn't necessary now that the entire bike has been shifted. I tried to flip the bike 180 degrees and re-mount it but the issue then is that the bike is less centered on the CR-V, the back wheel sticks out more than a foot off the side of the vehicle, made me nervous it might get clipped.


Tire Automotive tire Bicycle wheel Wheel Rim


Tire Automotive tire Auto part Wheel Tread


Room Vehicle Technology Building Automotive exterior
 
#10 ·
Best of luck in your travels. Never seen a CR-V put to such good use like that. Very cool. Well thought out and packed.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for saying so! I have done what I could with my fairly limited funds and skills, been a fun project up to this point so should be interesting to see how everything works over a longer trip. ;)
I think some first gen CR-Vs might be reaching a condition/mileage and thus price that will justify some less typical uses. It is hard to find a more well-rounded vehicle as far as possible uses and they hold up really well.
 
#11 ·
I agree with turning the bike around as another stated so the low tire isn't near the exhaust tip. I've personally melted plastic tubs on a rack on the back of my Sol and also fatigued a spot on the front wheel of my bike from the heat out it.

If your not gonna be sleeping in the back for now, throw most of the stuff inside off the roof for better mpg.

Please run it through a car wash once out of crap weather.
 
#13 ·
If your not gonna be sleeping in the back for now, throw most of the stuff inside off the roof for better mpg.
That isn't a terrible idea! Once I hit Rhode Island I will be hanging out for a few days, think I will move at least the foot locker inside the CR-V. Want to maintain decent rearward visibility, that should be low enough to not entirely block my view...
 
#17 ·
Wondering if you could make that roof rack more aerodynamic somehow to improve on your mileage? Maybe one of the material bags, also making it somewhat water/wind proof while your at it. On the cheap, I'd say a tarp, but they just fall apart and are noisy as crap.

Eiher way, as wolf mentioned, great use of the CRV. Makes a great Bug-Out vehicle!

Reminds me once 4 of us in 2 pickup trucks hid in an "closed for the season" camp ground and camouflaged the vehicles and tarped a wall to hide the little fire we had going.

Road trips are great, here's to your great road trip G.M., enjoy! :cool:
 
#19 ·
Correct, and any aerodynamic methods help! Those Thule ski racks are a great idea, but they ain't cheap.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hah! I have heard people refer to car camping on neighborhood streets as "stealth camping", but no clue what to call camping secretly in an off season campground. That is pretty funny! How long were you guys there?

I had been thinking about maybe using a tarp to cover everything on top, probably could get it pretty taut if I use some bungees or "stitch" the tarp closed with rope. Any boost to gas mileage would be appreciated, worth a try! And an extra layer of defense against the elements can't hurt. I have two tarps with me, a cheapo tarp that is still in the packaging and the heavy duty tarp from the PVC canopy side project. The heavy duty tarp might be good choice, it is roughly 6' x 8' if I remember correctly, pretty perfect size to wrap the roof rack without having too much extra. Plus the grommets are 18" apart, probably could take the slack out of it pretty well.

Staying in New Hampshire currently and then onwards to my native Rhode Island, hangout for a few days, will have some free time to tinker with the set up. I already wanted to grab a few things that I locked away in the roof rack anyway, as good a time as any to try and refine the formula.
 
#21 ·
Since you're on a tight budget and I'm sure you don't want to have to invest in a new bike front tire, I'd recommend you either bungee the bike in at the bottom, towards the spare or take the front wheel off all together to get it out of the exhaust stream. If it was me, I'd take it off and hang it on the rack prior to putting the bike on the rack. It's captured that way and isn't taking up any needed space. It may be OK now while the air is cold, but when the temps go up (and they will) the exhaust is going to cook that tire/tube to the point it won't be safe to use.
As to tarping the stuff up top, remember, if it isn't done tightly it'll become a big sail and slow you down even further than if it weren't there. To do it properly I think you'd have to put the tarp up on the car before loading the rack so there isn't an open leading edge to catch the wind. I say this based on years of observing over the road truckers and looking at how they tarp loads. The best jobs don't 'flap' in the breeze.
 
#22 ·
That is a good point about the air temperature and the bike tire. After the NH to RI drive yesterday I checked the bike tire and found it to be as cold as everything else but it did cross my mind that once I leave the northeast and hit warmer weather the exhaust may have a much larger impact. Glad to hear someone else say it. Considering I just bought this set of tires for the trip (the old set are in a tub on the roof, much more street oriented) and would hate to see one of them needlessly wrecked, won't take much effort to tweak the setup. I like the idea of hanging the front tire on the arms of the rack, no real inconvenience and errs on the side of caution.

The tarp will be a project for another (warmer) day. I want to spend some time on the roof weeding out any extra weight and very carefully coming up with a good setup for covering the load. If not done well the tarp is just going to create even more drag and completely defeat the purpose, so want to not feel rushed by the cold. I might ship a few things onward to Oregon, eliminate extra weight. Once I start seeing the warmer weather I will put some time in up there, refine the setup.
 
#25 ·
Love it that you got such a great vehicle for $ 700.00. Even with that many miles,it sounds like you figured out it would be exactly what you would need. These older cars can do very well especially when they are loved and well maintained. Enjoy your accomplishment!

You certainly know how to utilize space in a CRV. Let us hear how you are doing on your trip. I bet your CRV will do well and this is a great bonding experience. Let us know when you hit the 500,000 miles mark. We will all send you a grand toast!
 
#26 ·
Thanks! I am grateful that the previous owners were willing to let it go at that price, the trip wouldn't have been likely without this. It has taken an added $2000 to catch it up on maintenance (timing belt, a lot of suspension work, etc.) over the last 1.5 years but that still puts the overall investment inline with typical Craigslist pricing.

And at this age and mileage it just seemed like I could look past future resale value and make whatever I wanted out of it. Not that I have any plans to sell the 'V in the future, I think it will continue to be tinkered with and be my opportunity to become a better shade tree mechanic. Once I hit Portland, OR I can get by with bicycle and public transit well enough to take some pressure off of the ole' Honda! Think I might try to replace the backseats and adapt the sleeping platform to fully fold up into the rear hatch area...
 
#27 ·
I just finished washing our CR-V. I've been down with the flu the last two weeks and needed some sunshine.
It's a balmy 71* today, plenty of sunshine, just a slight breeze and it's only 11:17AM.
Head west young man, head west, that snow picture makes me cold just looking at it.
 
#28 ·
Hah! That sounds pretty awesome right now!

Yeah, I am looking forward to spending time in warmer locations, my friends in New England are going to be pretty jealous once I post my first beach photo. :D Heck, even winters in Oregon are going to be a nice change of pace compared to central Maine...
 
#29 · (Edited)
Cutting across Connecticut
I grew up in Rhode Island but barely have spent any time in Connecticut. The 'Cut has largely been just a state that I had to drive through whenever traveling further south. Following the coast on Rt. 95 is far from a fun time and with the recent winter storm any time spent on the highway was extra unbearable, the wind made it hard to do even 55mph at times. So the day before I left RI I charted an interesting looking route that brought me across Connecticut on some of the out of the way routes. Well worth the extra time, be happy when I can leave the northeast and be able to plan more routes like this.

Vehicle Snow Car Winter Compact sport utility vehicle


Snow Sign Traffic sign Winter Signage

Found a great stretch of road that goes around the Barkhamsted Reservoir, right along the CT/MA border.

Snow Winter Road Nature Tree


Snow Winter Black-and-white Tree Road


Snow Winter Tree Traffic sign Freezing

Spent a lot of time in 3rd gear in this area, whether going uphill or downhill.


Skyline City Atmospheric phenomenon Human settlement Skyscraper

I think this is in the Bronx? The winds had died down by the time I passed through here, made the highway miles much more bearable.
 
#30 ·
Cool scenery, figuratively and literally.
 
#35 ·
Thanks! I feel like a big part of the inspiration for my trip came from reading other people's car travel logs, figured it would be cool to share in a similar way.

I will snap some photos of the camping setup probably in a week or so, haven't camped in the Honda yet! I am planning on spending a longer period of time in Florida, do some camping where the temperatures are always above freezing.
 
#36 ·
Briefly in the Outer Banks
As I was leaving from Norfolk, VA in the morning I figured I was close enough to detour into Kitty Hawk, NC, get to check out a little bit of the Outer Banks. My initial plan when first envisioning the whole trip was to travel the entire length of the Outer Banks but I eventually gave up on that idea, realizing that most everything is still closed this early in the season. Still was great to get a taste for the area before heading back inland to stay in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Residential area Road Sky Town Asphalt


Sand Natural environment Soil Landscape Aeolian landform


Beach Coast Sea Shore Sand


Desert Sand Natural environment Erg Sahara


Sand Desert Natural environment Dune Aeolian landform


Ecoregion Road Landscape Signage Sign
 
#37 ·
Had to visit the Wright Brothers monument while in the area, though didn't spend too much to be honest. Had to get moving to meet up with friends before it got too late, Kitty Hawk definitely isn't very close to "The Triangle". This location marks the first use of my National Parks pass, got me out of paying the $4 entrance fee. I'll take it! The pass should eventually pay for itself once I have visited a few large parks.

Vehicle Road Ecoregion Landscape Car


Monument Landmark National monument Memorial National historic landmark


Head Statue Headgear Wrinkle Smile


Airplane Aircraft Aviation Biplane Vehicle


Statue Sculpture Photography Art Monument


Standing Photography Gesture Vintage clothing
 
#38 ·
Keep the pics coming!
It'd be interesting to hear what you're paying for gas in some of these places too.
I see the bike tire is up out of the way and there's no snow on the CR-V either!
 
#39 ·
Yep! It is getting warmer now, was about 70F here in NC, it feels like I skipped directly to May. Didn't like the idea of roasting a tire for no reason so just detaching it proved the simplest idea. Appreciated the recommendation, wasn't something that I had thought of and I know it can happen. Brand new tires, would not have been cool.

Gas has varied a bit for sure, here in NC the gas is more around $3.40. New Jersey may have been the cheapest though I never actually tanked up there. Think it was around $3.20? I hate having other people pump my gas so I managed to get through the state without needing to. Unfortunately Oregon is the only other state that doesn't allow you to pump your own gas so I am gonna need to confront this eventually once I live there. That or only gas up in Washington across the river...

The CR-V has been averaging 20-22mpg, so now that the weather is nice might try the tarp idea out.
 
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