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Roadtripping: A Budget Friendly Guide to Living on Wheels

Roadtripping can be one of the most enjoyable ways to travel and is a fantastic way to experience many different sides to many different places. It can open your eyes and allow you to see things that not everyone would. You can travel at your own pace, visit your own areas, and choose to spend as long as you want in the places you love the most. However, when you combine roadtripping with attempting to spend as little money as possible, it can be all of that, but with even more fulfillment and reward.

Here I’ve put together a short and handy guide to roadtripping on a budget. This is based on travelling with a pre-camperized vehicle of some sort, whether it be a fully decked out sprinter van with 12 solar panels and a shower, or a rusty hatchback with a mattress in the back. For most (excluding gas), accommodation is usually the highest expense while on a roadtrip, so this guide is directed towards those not interested in paying for a bed. This is geared towards those planning on living out of their vehicle and the different things you can do to make it easy, safe, cheap, and most importantly, enjoyable.

PREP:

First thing’s first, a huge part of travelling is the part before you actually do any travelling, the preparation. You’re definitely going to need at least a little bit of money saved up before embarking on your roadtrip. How much you save is going to vary depending on how long you want to travel for. The type of vehicle you’re driving and living in also plays a role. Remember to keep in mind potential mechanical expenses as well as travel insurance. I would also highly recommend getting a CAA membership or something that enables you for roadside assistance. You’re car might be in great condition now, but you never know what hairy situation you’ll find yourself in once you set sail.

ENJOYMENT VS SAVING MONEY:

Everyone has got different levels of enjoyment when it comes to travelling and exploring new places. To some, they want to see and do everything, others might only want to check out the highest rated areas, and some are only there to snag that classic fantastic insta banger. Some places (many places) you will come by have their reputation built upon you spending money. Now If you decided for yourself that you are going to spend time at that place than it might be a good idea to have a list of priorities. It’s so easy to lash out and drop a hundred just like that. Maybe not go to that super cool looking restaurant for dinner and instead slam down a slice of pizza from the street vendor for $3 (face it, you’re never going to be upset after eating pizza). Yippee, the money you just saved from skipping that cool Japanese place just got you another 500km of gas on the road. Now I’m not saying you should only eat food from a cart, because I realize part of enjoying a new city or town is trying out the local cuisine. I’m just saying for example that if you’re in a town that is famous for its mountains, landscapes and hiking, then it might be a smart move to focus on that, what you actually came to see. Find your line between saving money, and spending enough to enjoy the trip.

OVERNIGHT PARKING:

The make it or break it of every roadtrip: accommodation. So, you’ve got your vehicle all set up for everything you need to have a good nights sleep. Awesome. We can all deck out our rigs in whatever fashion we so desire, but if you can’t find a proper place to park and bunk up for the night, the whole vehicle setup thing is kind of useless. Forget about the hotels, motels and airbnb’s. Even some hostels can be overpriced. The list I have created below works well not only in larger cities and towns, but also when covering long distances on the highway. Do your best to research the area you will visiting prior to arrival because every location generally has it’s own set of rules. Despite the list below, nothing however, is going to beat staying at friends and families places along your route. So think about who is out there that you may know because getting the luxury of spending a night indoors can be huge depending on how many straight days on the road you’ve traveled.

Walmart - A roadtrippers haven. Walmart is hands down one of the most consistent overnight sleeping friendly spots in North America. Safe, well lit, enough people around but not too much foot traffic, and most important of all, fully legal unless otherwise posted. You can even get lucky and hit a 24hr Walmart so you can use the washrooms and get a midnight snack if you want. (Pro tip: Keep a bag of granola in your vehicle. After your nights sleep in the parking lot, go inside Walmart and pick up two cups of yogurt for 50 cents each to mix with your granola. Enjoy endless breakfasts for $1 per day). The other great thing about Walmart is that it’s usually big enough to park around the corner next to the building and get wifi for the night as well. When initially pulling up for the night, I’d firstly do a couple laps of the lot and double check there are no city bylaw posts on the poles disallowing overnight camping (if you’re in a stealth camper you might be able to slip by as it seems that security often only busts RV’s). If you’re feeling sketched out, paranoid, or unsure if you can, Walmart is often found amongst several other closeby department stores with large vacant lots.

24hr Diner/Gym - Denny’s isn’t just great for its pancakes. 24 hr diners are sometimes the more reliable way to go because they can be found in smaller towns where the big department store lots don’t exist. These smaller diner’s have a higher chance of having less security officers patrolling around, and are often quieter with less foot traffic. These diners are also safer if you ever need people close by. The same role is played by fitness gyms.

Rest Area - The classic. Definitely noisier than others in terms of traffic, but if you’ve already spent weeks on the road than it sounds like crashing waves on a tropical beach (actually though). Rest stops can be found everywhere and is arguably the safest way to go. Equipped with bathrooms, water, and a place to cook both dinner and breakfast it’s a logically great place to bunk up. If you’re going to be pulling up somewhere when it’s dark and leaving early in the morning your best bet is to skip finding a campsite and settle for a rest stop. There are several large cities where you can drive 20 minutes out down the main highway to a rest stop and drive back the next day if you’re stumped on finding a safe place to sleep inside the city. You’ll probably find a bunch of others doing the exact same thing.

Residential area NOT in front of houses - This is would sort of be my last resort, although if you’ve already done research on certain neighborhoods that are in the clear, than it might be the most convenient. The issue is that when you are parking near houses where people are living, you never really know if they are checking you out. Even if you think you’re pretty well hidden in the dark, people get suspicious, and they already know what cars park on outfront on the street every night. You also might not know what the city regulations are on street parking. Because every town is different, and it could be a general state/provincial law that makes parking where you thought was fine actually illegal.

“Vans Joy” - Interior of our Mazda 5 roadtripping vehicle

There are many many other places you could potentially and safely bunk up for the night, above are just a few reliable solutions. A popular alternative is a church parking lot. Churches are everywhere and there’s a good chance it would be a lot darker and quieter than a supermarket parking lot. I’m not the biggest fan of taking the church route because I’d rather not burst into flames upon midnight. I also don’t know the church schedule and would not want to wake up in the morning to a service taking place. Additionally, and depending on how strict the town your in is, you won’t be blending in at all, and it will be very obvious you are sleeping there. Another alternative is a larger hotel parking lot. I’ve used this a few times in the past with success. The concept is to park and blend in with the other vehicles. Nobody will question why vehicles are parked there overnight. The only reason why I wouldn’t really recommend this is because many hotels use parking passes and security will usually do a lap and make sure there are no un-licensed visitors in the lot.

TAKING SHOWERS:

Simply put, you don’t really all that much. Deal with it. If you’re doing lots of driving, chances are you didn’t do all that much sweating. You don’t need to shower every day. Showers while in campgrounds are a given. But, showers while on the move can be a little bit different. Most cities and towns will have rec centers with pools. If asked politely, they’ll usually let you use the showers no problem. Or you can spend the few dollars and go for a fun time dip & dive in the pool. Fitness gyms are the alternative. Just ask politely to use the shower and they most likely wont charge you any drop in fee. The other alternative if you’re a hardcore mountain dude who don’t need no facilities you can just jump in the lake. The last alternative is just use your trusty wet wipes, they really do work well.

THE ESSENTIALS:

Depending on what your setup is in your vehicle these items may or may not be useful to you.

Wet wipes - Yup, the MVP trophy 100% goes to these guys. Every day you will use them. Washing dishes, done. Taking “showers,” done. Wiping your bum, done. Cleaning your coffee stained shirt cause you went over that bump on the highway too fast, done. They are versatile and very inexpensive, about $2 for a pack of 80 from Walmart (lasts 1-2 weeks (based on how often I shower)) Paper towels/napkins won’t work cause they aren’t moistened. Wet wipes have literally eliminated the need to use a sink for me wherever I may be. Yes, they may be classified as wasteful, but you also don’t use any water, so pick your popsicle.

Plastic spork - Meet your new best friend. You only need one and you should store it within reach while driving. This plastic fantastic tool ultimately saves you from needing to bring along any other utensils. A plastic spork cleans real easily with wet wipes, and can be used to spread things on toast, and eat any meal of the day.

Rechargeable batteries - Depending on your vehicle setup, rechargeable batteries can vary regarding their usefulness. I am talking about rechargeable AA and AAA batteries. For us, they were essential every day when it got dark outside. Some rechargeable batteries can be pretty expensive to get a bunch, but can also be a smart investment if you rely on them for things like lanterns, fairy lights inside the vehicle and flashlights/headlamps for hiking. I purchased a USB charger that could charge AAA’s and AA’s when plugged into the cigarette lighter. As a result, we always had full powered lights in the vehicle and in our flashlights every night.

Two burner stove - You are 100% going to need a good kitchen setup to cook your own food. Without a decent stove, you’re headed either towards the bottom of your bank account real fast or diabetes from too many Mcdonalds fries. I do recommend a two burner vs. a single burner because when you pull up late at night at a rest stop you’re not going to be in the mood to wait twice as long to cook your meal.

The app Maps.me - I am going to assume most of you guys don’t have an unlimited data plan and that you aren’t going to be paying for international roaming. The app Maps.me is a free offline route planner and map. You can choose to download cities/states/provinces and even entire countries. Once your selected map has been downloaded you’re all set to use it offline on your phone. Google Maps can do a similar thing, but the downloads on Maps.me take up way less room on your phone. You can even route to destinations offline and use it like a GPS (I would not recommend doing this long distances as sometimes it routes you down much slower streets).

Pasta N’ Veggies - A picnic table special

LAST MINUTE TIPS:

Don’t draw attention to yourself - When the time has come to go to sleep and you’ve decided to bunk up on whatever slab of concrete you’ve ended up on, don’t draw attention to yourself. You never know who could be watching you and the last thing you want is a bunch of people knowing your sleeping in your vehicle. Be aware of things like brushing your teeth, cooking food and going pee around your vehicle as those are all obvious signs. Do your best to pull up, shut the engine, and head to bed as seamlessly as possible. The best way is to set your vehicle up so you don’t even have to open up your door.

Cook dinner before it gets dark - If your kitchen is built inside the van, then it wouldn’t really make a difference. But if you’re cooking your dinners outside your vehicle, try getting the meal made before sun down. Everything is easier and quicker when you don’t rely on a headlamp. Also, making dinner during daylight in a park is a normal thing you would see, but as soon as it’s dark, nothing ever normal happens in a community park.

Got a roofbox? Congrats, now you’ve got a fridge - While this is obviously not 100% accurate, if you happen to be travelling during a time when the temperature drops overnight, you can store various food items up there to keep them from going bad. Please remember regulations in different regions regarding animal-proofing and storing food items responsibly.

Collect cream + salt + pepper packets from fast food chains - Every time you find yourself inside a fast food chain while on the road, find the corner where they stash all the condiments and grab a couple of handfuls to go. Find a spot in the vehicle where you can keep these items. Cream is great for your morning coffee and thickening up sauces and quick meals (the small packaged creams don’t need to be refrigerated), and salt and pepper are perfect for spicing up your cooked dinners.

Chat with others doing the same thing - Chances are you’re going to run into plenty of other travelers doing the same thing as you. Talking to them not only is great for sharing stories, but other roadtrippers could have come from a place you are planning to go to and can give you valuable advice for saving money and things to be aware of.

Now that I’ve filled your brain with some juicy information regarding living on the road, it’s time to finish that epic roadtrip music playlist you’ve started and get out there! Needing inspiration? Check out my slideshow documenting 10 weeks on the road here. Hate slideshows? No worries! Check out my travel page for photos to fuel your stoke here.

7 People, 14 Bags, 1 SUV, 2 Weeks in Iceland - Yes it can be done.