mamajack wrote:
Hello, truck campers! I've only ever camped in a tent or a camp trailer for short periods of time in decent weather.
But I have an almost-eighteener who plans to move out soon. She's a good kid, no trouble at home; this isn't about getting the heck out. It's just an adventurous girl with the usual restless wings, who wants to try adulting in her own way...by moving out in the dead of an Idaho winter to live in a cabover she paid $600 for and has been fixing up. Which leaks a bit. And doesn't have a furnace.
She's also a falconer and will be accompanied by her hawk, an American Kestrel named Clara Hazmat.
As her parents, we've decided the best we can do is let her move out with as little to prove to us as possible, so that should the experiment fail, coming home won't be any harder than necessary.
So, what I want is real nonjudgmental input about the logistics and practicalities. In particular, is there any safe way to heat a cabover (remember, no onboard furnace--and no shore power either, though the truck has that) while she's not in it but Hazzie is?
This girl is an A student, passionate about falconry and very committed to it, unusually cooperative and helpful at home, and very, very determined to tackle this adventure. I just want to help her do it as safely as possible. Arguments against her doing it aren't what I'm after here, although I'm willing to hear cautions and things to consider--especially if there are solutions and suggestions offered.
We think it may be a short-lived experiment that she will revisit when the weather gets nice (and she's safely graduated from high school!).
im not a girl but I did the same thing when I was a kid... a lot of kids dream about it but dont have the opportunity to carry out the dream.... and it makes little difference what the gender of the person is who is dreaming about it.
here is what I know to be fact...
she wants your support, but NOT your opinions.
she doesnt want you to suggest or tell her how to do it, its HER adventure.... she is plenty smart enough to know when to ask for help.
heating is going the be the very largest issue..
Im not sure how far away from a power source she will be, but AC shore power is by far the best if at all possible... a space heater will sustain life in a camper, and be cheaper than heating with propane.... any catalytic heater that you may use will create a moisture problem in that small space.... there are few other options other than a outside generator running full time...
some of the few other options may include a marine diesel stove, or solid fuel heater, or a very small conventional wood stove... anything used inside should be "direct vented" to the outside... but the catalytic heaters claim this is not necessary when using them.. BUT.. they can still burn all the oxygen out of the air.
by the time one buys or sets up any type of experimental heating methods, one may be better off buying a lot of power cord to carry the power to the trailer and be done with it... lots to think about.
the one thing you DO need to stress, is to have her read up on CO poisoning, and the causes... the very chance of carbon monoxide poisoning is NOT something to take lightly, especially when living in a small closed space in cold weather....
she will learn what works for her in her life, and the experience will prepare her for the real world much quicker when living alone without help, than she will living under your roof or with a rented apartment full of room mates...
she will have her share of inconveniences, but she will learn from them and be absolutely fine....
get her a guitar... so if, and when, she has some free time to feel lonely, she can pluck on it and maybe learn to play. its a great past time...
dont invite her for dinner... to her it will feel like you dont think she is capable of getting enough nutrition by her own choices...
the leaks can be solved with a tarp tied over the roof... let her try to do it herself... it may blow off and she can do it again.... when she begins to complain about the tarp not staying on, give her some suggestions to try, but let her do it UNLESS she specifically asks for your help....
she knows where a warm home is, and if it gets too severe at "her place", she knows what to do...
she NEEDS her freedom in this adventure, as she is only trying to experience independence without totally leaving home and going out into the cold cruel world where failure is highly probable without some experience with "independence"....
it will build character within her, and it will eventually allow you to know in your heart that BOTH you AND she will be absolutely fine in the world without your advice attempting to steer her thru it...
