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Grex > Cars > #131: What Does Your Car Say About You? | |
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| 18 new of 46 responses total. |
gull
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response 29 of 46:
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Jan 29 15:18 UTC 2004 |
It depends on where you plan on sleeping. If you'll be staying at
campgrounds, a tent is fine. If you're going to be sleeping in truck
stops and highway rest areas, you can't pitch a tent and you need the
extra security of a hard-sided vehicle.
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keesan
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response 30 of 46:
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Jan 29 16:48 UTC 2004 |
I can't sleep in a truck stop or highway rest area, they are much too noisy.
How secure is a hard-sided vehicle with the windows open for ventilation?
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gull
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response 31 of 46:
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Jan 29 17:20 UTC 2004 |
Depends on how far they're open, naturally.
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rcurl
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response 32 of 46:
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Jan 29 18:54 UTC 2004 |
You need very little ventilation at night. If it's freezing out, the
windows might ice up a little from your breath, but no harm in that. (I
crossed the country once in February in my wagon-bed. I stayed mostly in
State parks (not many people were camping in February!). The cat got used
to it and would go out the window to do what cats do and then would return
and climb into my sleeping bag with me.)
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keesan
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response 33 of 46:
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Jan 29 20:13 UTC 2004 |
Try sleeping in a closed car in August and you might think you need more
ventilation. Even a screened tent gets pretty hot and moist inside. A
screened tent in a snowstorm was more comfortable once the wind picked up and
dried things out a bit. People exhale moisture. It condenses on cold
surfaces and then drips on the sleeping bag and if it is down, the bag no
longer insulates.
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slynne
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response 34 of 46:
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Jan 29 20:31 UTC 2004 |
Yeah. I just want something so that I can sleep in rest areas. When I
go on road trips, I like to drive until I am tired, pull over to sleep
for a while and then get up and start driving again. Sleeping in rest
areas is cheap and also would save me the hassle of trying to find a
hotel that allows dogs.
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rcurl
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response 35 of 46:
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Jan 29 21:34 UTC 2004 |
Re #33:that's why leaving a couple of windows open a crack is useful. But
even August nights are usually cool. Condensation is not a problem in a
car, if the roof liner doesn't have places from which moisture can drip.
(However there was one night in Death Valley when it was too hot to sleep
in the car, so I slept outside. This turned out to be interesting as the
desert floor was crawling with insects, although none of the biting
variety.)
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mdw
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response 36 of 46:
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Jan 30 02:35 UTC 2004 |
Most states don't want you to sleep in rest areas -- probably for
various reasons like pressure from the motel industry, concern about
drug dealers, the homeless, and other "undesirables", etc. Basically,
this means you can't stay the night, and you can't set up a tent or
otherwise make yourself at home. I don't know of any state that forbids
getting a "nap" - the simplest solution I've found is to park away from
the busy part, put the front seat all the way down, and use a blanket,
pillow, etc., to make myself a bit more comfortable. It should in
theory be possible to sleep 1 hour and drive 2 hours indefinitely,
albeit not much fun.
People on motorcycles have a few more options, mostly due to the
motorcycle being smaller and easier to hide, but also because of the
clothing and such. For instance, anything that's good at 70 mph is
generally also going to keep you warm while you sleep under the far back
picnic table, and most bugs can't bite through it either. The
motorcycle itself can be rolled off the pavement and out of sight.
The opposite extreme seems to be motorhomes. There's a whole culture of
people who've retired, sold their house, bought a motorhome, and live in
it year around, up north in the summer, down south in the winter.
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keesan
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response 37 of 46:
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Jan 30 11:51 UTC 2004 |
Bicycles are even easier to hide and they get a lot more sympathy, except if
you are too close to a big city. If you are in a car, people will tell you
to go to the nearest state park, only 30 minutes away by car but three hours
by bike. There are less bugs on a picnic table than under it usually. One
time we tied our tent to the legs of picnic tables when it was pouring rain
and we were under a picnic shelter with a cement floor that would not easily
take even steel stakes. Unfortunately the local men's club that built the
place extended the floor out beyond the roof. And did not slope it outwards.
Now we have acquired something that does not need staking.
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gull
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response 38 of 46:
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Jan 30 15:21 UTC 2004 |
Re resp:36: This varies a lot from state to state. I'm not sure where
you can find out whether it's legal if it's not posted. It's not always
safe, either -- the scum of the earth travels the Interstates. A
station wagon, at least, has the benefit of not looking blatently like a
camping vehicle.
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mdw
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response 39 of 46:
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Feb 1 07:06 UTC 2004 |
The local law enforcement people are almost certain to be up on the
state rules, and are more likely to be friendly if you ask up front.
Ohio and Pennsylvania have lots of rules which they post very visibly -
but of course that varies by state as well. The local tourism people
are another possible resource - although they're likely to be friendly,
they may not be as up on local rules, and they may be unduly influenced
by local motel interests. They'll probably know about state parks and
such however.
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keesan
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response 40 of 46:
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Feb 1 14:39 UTC 2004 |
We got permission from the local police once to sleep in a city park in a
small town in IL, and they even stopped by to check we were okay and that the
local kids were not bothering us. In small towns in the west city parks
invite people to camp in them and even supply free electricity. Anything to
bring in a few tourists. One time we were offered free showers at the fire
station, and the local eating establishment offered to leave their bathroom
door unlocked all night. That is the town where we discovered in teh morning
that what looked like a downtown park was a John Deere sales lot.
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slynne
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response 41 of 46:
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Feb 1 18:04 UTC 2004 |
I have slept in rest areas a lot. Even when they say "no overnight
parking" I will pull in and park overnight while I sleep in the car. I
always figure that if I get caught, the only thing the cops are likely
to do is ask me move on. I have never been asked to move on.
I just put the seat all the way back and get some shut eye. It sucks
though because it isnt very comfortable. A station wagon would be very
comfortable with a futon in it or something and maybe some curtains for
the windows for privacy.
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rcurl
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response 42 of 46:
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Feb 1 20:21 UTC 2004 |
Some time ago on a caving trip into upstate New York we looked for a place
to camp late on Saturday and chose what seemed like a small-town park.
We woke up Sunday morning on a church front yard.
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gull
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response 43 of 46:
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Feb 2 16:27 UTC 2004 |
People who do "stealth camping" in vans have remarked that church lots
are often good places to sleep. If you can figure out where the
parsonage is, ask permission first. Wal-Marts also allow overnight
parking except in areas where it's prohibited by law, but you'll need a
mask or good curtains to get any sleep under those parking lot lights.
Places to stay away from include schools, police stations, and upscale
residential areas.
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keesan
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response 44 of 46:
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Feb 3 14:36 UTC 2004 |
Unused fair grounds are good for camping. One time we tented in a horse stall
with a roof, in the rain. Made it a lot easier to put up the tent.
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omni
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response 45 of 46:
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Aug 24 11:17 UTC 2008 |
A rest area nestled between 2 trucks is very nice.
I drive a rusty 1987 Toyota Tercel. God only knows what that says about me.
My sister has joked that I could leave it running in downtown Cleveland with
a 20 on the dash and all I'd get would be a note saying "no thanks."
I'm thinking of starting a car club. The Rusty Japanese Car Society.
It has to qualify by having at least 100,000 miles on it. 30% of the car
must be rusty. It must be Japanese. I'm thinking of including VW bugs since
I saw a '56 bug with tons of rust on it, but it started right up.
Mine starts in 40 below weather. It also can go from Zanesville to Toledo
on one tank. Of course I was on fumes when I got here.
I'm inspired by Queen Elizabeth. She drives a 71 something. She intends to
drive it until it dies. The Queen is a truck mechanic. She did it during WWII.
That car is really gonna run forever.
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keesan
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response 46 of 46:
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Aug 24 12:31 UTC 2008 |
Our Toyota is 1986. Jim worked on the rust.
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