[aargee]

Originally Posted by Mynameis

Suggestions/ comments are most welcome!

We've nearly done this out of compulsion not out of need to do it. What happens are below; not limited to the situation but out of time...
1. You stink after couple of days
2. Bum goes numb no matter even if its all 1000s of smooth highway
3. You get road sick right after 2-3 days if you're doing it for first time. Probably after a week even one has a strong grit
4. Food is one of the big culprit; may be for few days one can enjoy the hedonic food, but after a week or so the body starts craving for the adapted food
5. Unless the scenic keep changing it become monotony, even if its going to be hills all the time, one starts to get boring after a while
6. Falling sick (headache) is a biggest concern & if it turns out to be a threat if they're the lone driver. Pls don't even ask about motorcycles here

Basically the more number of days you get away, you get adapted to being to more difficult situations

[haisaikat]

If the idea for living in a car is to avoid COVID then I would say better to stick to sanitization protocols and stay at hotels eventually for convenience and safety unless we have a secured camping ground. I am more afraid of unwanted locals / hulligans creating a mess with me and the car than inhaling Carbon Mono-oxide.

However car camping makes sense if we want to ditch the cost of over priced hotels who are nowadays providing you with pseudo room discount only to recover more than the discount on meals. The real challenge seems to be the logistics, for example caravans on rent cost a bomb and kills the purpose of cost effectiveness apart from the sense of adventure. Otherwise if you plan to convert / mod your own car for making it suitable for car camping then that itself requires a good initial investment but not sure how to make these mods legal.

https://campmonk.com/blog/10-vehicle...to-a-camper-77

[pandabear]

I saw a video on YouTube where a Scorpio has been modified to include a bed for emergency sleeping. The design was mind-blowing that it involved no permanent modifications to the Scorpio.

PS: I am not the YouTube creator just taking the liberty to share it here so others can benefit.

https://youtu.be/UhjFLmZBfF8

[landcruiser123]

Wouldn't advise due to safety concerns. Capming can also get tough after many days on the road even with an RV.

The folks in US also have public laundaries, good emergency roadside service, RV hookups (for power + water), sewage dumping stations etc.

Originally Posted by Mynameis

Personally for me, safety will not be an issue since we will be just two men (Btw my friend is a hodophile and always ready for something adventurous!), whenever we intend do such a trip. But yes, with a girl/wife/family, safety issue

Whether 2 men or a man + woman, people ganging up = big trouble. Also, rural police may harass you as camping/nomadic life is something they mostly can't comprehend.

Perhaps I need to stop seeing those Youtube videos from the US and Europe, and live with the reality .

I'd say things are different in every part of the world. For relaxation and to cut off from the world, I used to do a yearly trip (whenever I visit India now) to my native places (paternal & maternal) on a shoestring using 2nd class train and buses. India offers some beautiful places to explore and opportunities to meet some very interesting people. Many of us city folk are too caught up in our busy life and such a trip makes us (me at least) appreciate the simpler things in life from the locals.

[rrsteer]

The thought of a car camper, was one of the reasons I bought an old Hiace recently. Yet I wont camp in a car anywhere in India - its just not safe. But, what I have been doing is renting one room in a nice property, where I'd have to rent two, park the car in the property and and then me and my daughter sleep in the car in our sleeping bags.

My go to travel destinations are always the hills of Himachal, so this works perfectly. We'd rent an upscale property through Airbnb and then put the van to max use. Cooking at this time is just restricted to Tea/Coffee and eggs.

Some pics below from a trip we did earlier this year. The last pic was taken as it started snowing soon after we wrapped up our tea session among the picturesque hills.

[KAUBMW7]

Most of us on this forum love traveling and driving especially, but i'd be surprised if >1% here plan to do this.. whilst my daughter has always been asking for a 'camper van' road trip, the only way that is gonna be possible is on one of our travels abroad.
India simply isn't a place for such a trip cause we neither have the infrastructure (camp sites, roads, local destinations, etc) nor the vehicles for rent or worthy of buying and needless to mention the biggest pain point is safety, or the lack of it.
We may as well continue doing road trips in our car and take the night off at a good hotel or in an Air BnB/ other similar places.

[vredesbyrd]

Oh well. You've hit close to home. I've thought of this many times. Trip to Leh/Spiti. Just two people per vehicle. Fortuner/Endeavour with all but front seats folded. Luggage secured with safety nets. Nice squishy and warm bedroll with princess pillows. Stove, MREs, DSLR tripod and rum for ice cold night skies. A convoy of total 3/4 such vehicles exploring the less visited sites and camping there. Sleeping in the car would still be better than a rickety tent.

[Lowflyer23]

Only issue will be morning routines (talking India-specific, where its so rare to have a campsite, unlike some developed countries). For that, after waking up, can drive to nearby fuel pump/ Fast food places, etc. Still its not practical for like 7-10 days continuously. So basically, this is the only issue that comes to my mind.

Not my cup of tea at all, as you yourself have mentioned the lack of camp sites and suitable facilities. Also as GTO rightly said there is nothing like a cozy bed after a day long drive however capable your vehicle may be.

The other major factor is the safety :
Throwing nails at state highways and eggs at car windscreens is fairly common in remote areas of India. You simply don't want to camp at unknown area at night without knowing what might happen to you, the passenger or the car.This idea of living in the vehicle might seem adventurous and exciting at first but can turn out to be completely the opposite.

You might be fascinated with the RV and camping culture of US and Australia but you will have to look at the on ground scenario considering many people have lost their source of income due to covid, thefts and crimes will increase a lot more especially in tier 3 cities.

Lowflyer23

[sup?]

Originally Posted by Mynameis

I have always wanted to do a road trip for a few days, where we live in the car itself for the entire duration of the road trip and basically do all on own, including cooking food/tea. I think it will make for an experience to remember. Also, I feel it will make our bonding with our machine even stronger

2 people, a seven seater car where both rear seats fold flat (for the mattress to lay flat), a mattress, blankets, pillows, portable lights, blinds for windows, water cans, portable stove with gas cartridges, few utensils to cook and eat, important medicines, First aid kit, toiletry items, small car fridge if possible (to keep beverages/chocolates), grocery, etc.

Only issue will be morning routines (talking India-specific, where its so rare to have a campsite, unlike some developed countries). For that, after waking up, can drive to nearby fuel pump/ Fast food places, etc. Still its not practical for like 7-10 days continuously. So basically, this is the only issue that comes to my mind.

Suggestions/ comments are most welcome!

If anyone has done such an adventure, would love to hear and see their experience!

Thanks!

My wife and I have done this in Iceland for 8 days and in Norway for 11 days. We rented a Grand Vitara in Iceland and only a Polo in Norway. The Grand Vitara experience was quite comfortable with us able to stretch our legs. The Polo was not so comfortable but still manageable. This was 4-5 years ago and we are both relatively fit. But there is always the danger of a cramp/sprain when sleeping in such cramped spaces and doing this could spoil the enjoyment of your entire trip.

Of course Iceland and Norway have campsites with very clean baths/toilets at almost every village/town. Scandinavian countries also have the right to roam law which basically says you can stop and camp anywhere (Even on private land with permission) as long as you are not causing any damage. We did this on our first day where we just stopped after midnight on an unobtrusive stretch of a beautiful road with snow capped mountains to the side.

I would never do this in India with our safety and infrastructure issues.

[Ulysses]

Mod note: Post edited for readability, paragraph breaks helps. Thanks.

My two cents as an motor home/camper van enthusiast;

1. In India, traveling off grid by road itself is a dangerous proposition, so camping would be even worse anyways.

2. However, if one is ready to take that risk, there are a few reasons, why camper van can be better than staying in hotel

3. For example, on long road trips through main national highways, there are numerous dhabas which are normally quite active through day and night (for truck drivers and buses). One can park the camper van in such place (relatively safely), instead of breaking journey intermittently in search of a decent hotel, especially if one is arriving at a town at an odd hour

4. There are many eco-resorts which are basically tents inside an enclosure. Instead of staying in those basic tents, one can book the resort and stay inside camper van, which would provide better facility and comfort

5. Specific to Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu, the coffee estates are some of the most scenic spots with bare minimum facility for stay. But these are safe, normally with some kind of enclosure near the manager's bungalow or outhouse. A camper van would be an excellent alternative to visit such places and stay overnight without compromising on comfort

6. Same applies for forest rest houses in national parks. It is difficult to stay there with old smelly beds and mosquitoes, however they have spacious compounds and generally safe. Camper van can be an excellent alternative to enjoy raw nature with creature comfort.

Regarding the choice of vehicle, in my personal opinion, modified Tempo Traveler is the best option, followed by VCROSS or Tata Xenon with a canopy at back. I am personally not in favor of roof top tents as these are the most vulnerable to nature, animals and miscreants. One can have a small bath cum toilet inside tempo traveler as well (modern chemical toilets are almost smell free) and cooking is possible both inside and outside depending on situation.

In long term I think many hotel and resort owners would encourage camper van and build facilities as it would be much cheaper to maintain compared to rooms and might attract more tourists, considering the COVID like situation would be the new normal

[dicor]

Dude just go ahead and live your dreams. Anyone here telling here about safety, security boredom are their personal thoughts and after reading those, you will have fair idea about all possible situations you can land in. If you think you can manage, go ahead.

Untill I was 30, I travelled a lot and used to sleep in truck / Jeep (M&M Major) / Scorpio / Tempo Trax. (My dad has transportation business). Many times we cooked food (khichdi and onion) on highways when stuck in road jams.

Post wedding, I bought XUV5OO (only because it's rear seats can be converted to a flat bed). But travelling with wife introduced the new dynamics. I am listing down the things which I realized only when my better half started travelling with me.

Nature calls
I those days there was no swachh bharat abhiyan. I extensively used open spaces for pee & poo and rivers for bathing, washing cloths etc. While for pee and poo petrol pumps are good option now days. They are clean mostly. But for bath, it's a problem for her. I have also bought a changing tent from amazon for emergencies.

Safety from humans
For sleeping overnight, now I generally park in a busy petrol pump. At least works in the most of cases. From my doing, I would suggest that don't park besides a police station assuming it's the safest places. You window will become enquiry counter.

Safety from insects
Ofcourse we are not going to sleep windows rolled up. Thus leaving enough opportunities for flies / mosquitoes / reptiles rats to crawl inside. Though you can install safety mesh.
Note: Never sleep with windows rolled up or AC on. You may run out of oxygen inside cabin.

Comfort
I can sleep in a 2X6 bed for many weeks but my wife is habitual of sleeping on king size bed. Sleeping a day or 2 in a confined space is fine but than she will start complaining about the space.

I recently did a Pune to Katni trip (amidst lockdown) and slept in XUV overnight. But no cooking, food was prepared in advance.

[ShivWason17]

Good to see this thread! Reminds me of the days when I used to go for solo road trips. Usually I would just choose a safe and picturesque location to park and just spend the night there. All things needed from a simple flashlight & some small weapon to food arrangements & temporary beddings, were usually present in my car. Although, I couldnt do this continously, one day I’ll just stay in the car but the next day, upon moving to a new location, a hotel/ Airbnb was preferred for that much needed rest. My trips were usually planned like this.

Now that I am married, all this is behind me for obvious reasons. Safety is of utmost priority while travelling. I still carry all the stuff which I used to carry during my solo road trips and usually get many comments from friends and family that my car is my second home. Its a good feeling though!

[Jessierider]

Originally Posted by Mynameis

I

Only issue will be morning routines (talking India-specific, where its so rare to have a campsite, unlike some developed countries). For that, after waking up, can drive to nearby fuel pump/ Fast food places, etc. Still its not practical for like 7-10 days continuously. So basically, this is the only issue that comes to my mind.
Thanks!

Overlanding is a concept of travel that has long existed, in the western world they have ecosystems built in place to facilitate such travel. I have followed a few overlanders and the points I have noticed are below.

Equipment

1. They have a lot of amenities already built into the vehicles, the most most basic of needs like a proper bedding which is high up so that it is safe from animals but ventilated and comfortable enought for the occupents.

2. An invertor based powering system is most often used with attached solar panels to help in charging devices. Overlanders often have refrigerator, so the invertor helps.

3. Most of the overlanders and 4X4 vehicles with huge storage space for all these equipments mentioned above in addition to storage space for the person travelling.

Location

1. In the western world, the far flung places for camping have water connectivity . The often have arrangements for cooking as well.

2. The safety of self and the family are always well taken care of in these places unlike india where the chance of you being robbed or killed is very high.

Overlanding is suitable for exploring places in which we will be far away from civilisation for days together, hence you have all the equipments and accessories to survive and be self sufficient. In india if you drive in any direction for a few kilometres you find settlements and people. Hence, an oyo would work out as a better option than camping in a car.

On the contrary if you wish to go to some remote place and spend a night there then the option of a bed in the 7 seater MUV is a great option but a tent would be a better option.

[Aakash]

After reading this thread, I asked a friend (an enthusiast himself) about his views. Well, his response was 99% what I expected. A strict no.

After a few minutes of thinking, even I came to a few pointers as to why the idea of staying in a car for weeks isn't a good idea atleast in this decade.

1) Completely not safe: You may be parked at the safest of places but no one can escape peeping Toms. And just so you know, the only thing between you and an outsider is glass.

2) Mosquito: I remember back in summer of 2014, my grandfather passed away while we were in Mumbai. And we had to reach Kerala as soon as possible. We hired a driver and set out by road. The driver, somewhere near Mangalore requested us to let him get an hour of shut eye. That hour was the longest because Mosquitoes played spoilsport.

3) Car seat may not be suitable for everyone: To elaborate, a person's physique plays a role in how comfortable they are while sitting for prolonged periods of time. For example, my friend who I mentioned above is lean but I on the other hand, am somewhat well built (in my prime). So it may or may not be the right thing for everyone.

Overall, camper trips, sleeping in tents may seem like nirvana, but in our country, it's still in the development phase. For example, how many places are there in India which have designated tent pitching sites? Or atleast safe camping sites?

[SKC-auto]

I have really like this idea, I atleast think about it atleast once in a day. One day I would surely like to realize this dream of mine.

To do this I have to get an electric van similar to the VW ID Buzz(I like vans), fold all the seats, make a bed. Get an induction stove, cook from the vans power outlet. Stop at a safe place at night hopefully a camp site or a charging place(petrol bunk) turn on the AC with camp mode. I see this is a perfect way to live in a car, but I do not see this happening in next 10 years(due to my financial commitments).

Right now as everyone pointed it's a difficult as you do not have any campsites with plugs points like in advanced countries.