If you own a pickup and are looking for an affordable way to travel alone, think about converting your truck into a camper. By investing in a camper shell, you can turn that space into a comfortable, albeit small, living space. Here are some tips.
1. Get a Single Bed
Buy a metal, single-sized bed frame that will fit in your camper. Make it tall enough so you can use the space underneath for storage but not so high that you can’t sit up in bed. Your bed can also double as a sofa during the day.
2. Make Pull Out Drawers Under Your Bed
Plan on one half of your camper area being a bed. Then add heavy duty caster wheels to wooden drawers you can pull out either inside the camper or from the outside. Use these drawers to store extra food or other supplies.
3. Get a Camper Stove
A small camper stove using propane is an easy way to cook many different meals. Propane is affordable and easy to hook up. With a camper stove, you can boil water for tea or coffee and make meals on the road.
4. Also Invest in a Crockpot
You can run a crockpot off your battery while you’re driving. Put the ingredients in the crockpot in the morning, and by the time you reach your destination that evening, you have a hot meal ready. Enjoy the delicious aroma of food cooking while you’re driving.
5. Buy a Small Refrigerator
You need a way to store perishables while you’re traveling. If you get an ice chest, but you’ll need to purchase ice two to three times a week, depending on the quality of your chest. Buy a portable refrigerator instead. You can get one that runs either off your car batteries while you’re driving or off of solar power when you’re parked at a campsite.
6. Invest in Portable Solar Panels and a Portable Generator
Apart from your camper shell, buying portable solar panels along with a portable generator will be the biggest cost of your camper renovation, but you’ll find the extra expense is well worth it. With a portable generator, you can run your refrigerator when you’re not driving. You can also use it to power your cell phone or laptop.
Traveling across the country can be the adventure of a lifetime, but it doesn’t have to break your bank. Renovate your pickup to travel in affordable comfort.
