I have about 140 square feet of covered private space that features outstanding panoramic views, an open fire place, and a BBQ area that brings the outdoors in. Romantic cozy one bedroom with surround led string lighting and a wall to wall picture window with sunset or sunrise views. The home can rotate or move as you wish. The space saving design of the outdoor kitchen makes cooking very simple with a gas appliance and a charcoal grill for that deep flavor.
My eyes slowly open and the grey headliner seems close. I shift my head on the pillow to look outside and the tarp tenting colors everything with a blue hue.
“Yep, still here.” I mutter and close my eyes again maybe hoping I will end up somewhere else when I open them again.
I must stoop over and almost touch the cardboard lining the truck bed floor with my hands as I shuffle from the bed to the edge of the now open tailgate. Either I jump down or use the little step ladder I carry depending on the site setup. If I’m in a site where the tent is set up, I use a ladder. Last night I stayed in a campsite so I could access wi-fi, laundry and showers. Those things that are taken for granted are things I miss having easy access to. It’s more expensive too. I don’t use power or hookups for RV’s as I’m off-grid. My only power is my truck’s battery and charging system. So I only need a tenting spot but it can soon add up.
The morning routine (as-it-were) depends on where I am. There’s kinda 3 options. In the bush with a small shovel (don’t be that person who leaves shitty toilet paper strewn about where someone will find it), campsite facilities or split between a home depot (good toilets) and the side of the road for a pee.
Coffee in a two cup Lavazza coffee boils on the Coleman single burner stove. Creamer is in the cooler in the truck by my bed. This has been an experiment with coolers. An Igloo big enough to hold a block of ice and creamer, milk, cheese, some veggies and any drinks besides water. Bags of cubed ice are like $4 and lasts 24 hours maybe 36. A block costs $6 but can last up to four days before it’s just a cold water tank. Food products go in sealable plastic bags and the block is either suspended with string or put on top of cartons. I wrap the cooler in an insulated jacket and it makes a huge difference.
Over the coffee I check emails, hit Indeed.com and look for work, a quick social media check and then the decision part of the day. Where now? The last sentence holds a key in this decision because of Wi-Fi. Data ain’t cheap. Some campsites advertise they have Wi-Fi but it’s actually just a Shaw customer portal with a guest access of 500MB free. Over 7days. LOL. Yeah, that goes quick especially how even Instagram is becoming about video. That eats data like my big Hemi truck drinks gas. Fun, sure but it’ll cost ya.
My truck is a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 SLT. The 4 door crew cab and an 8 foot box with a closed side canopy. My gear is confined to two 16”x22”x22” boxes. One for food and the other for utensils, and site stuff. The Coleman cooker, the cooler, a 6 US gallon jerry can for water, and a foldable chair. There’s a foldable table too for campsites and a 18” charcoal BBQ. My clothes (enough for a week), toiletries, camera kit, electronics, tools and a small tub for bits and pieces are in the truck cab but packed so you can’t really see any of it unless you can actually look down into the truck. People notice you less without looking like you are moving house.
Everything I described can be packed into the truck in such a way that I can still easily access the bed and the truck looks like a local truck with an empty roof rack if I want parked in a Wal-Mart car park. Always a last resort but I did it twice in Langley, outside Vancouver.
I can set up or tear down in about twenty minutes now if I use the full tenting. It is affordable, versatile and although it doesn’t look as cool or as expensive as the rooftop tents, it’s very effective.
I wash every day either using site showers, truck stop showers or hot water and flannel when I’m off-road. Rivers and lakes are everywhere but they are freezing so only an option for when it’s really hot or I just can’t resist. Laundry is done at either a laundromat or camp site every 5 days. It’s expensive too at between $3.50 - $6.00 per machine per load.
I haven’t really explained how I came be living in my truck. My rental lease was running out and I wanted to move back to Vancouver Island to be closer to my sons. I started looking for another job. My lease ran out and I didn’t want to rent somewhere in Vancouver but I had to work out my 14-day notice at work. So I took a risk. I had been talking with another company and it looked very promising but then communication stopped. Kind of strange but whatever. However I had already left my job and had been staying in the truck for a couple weeks. I decided to take some time out and visit my family and camp and take photos. Ideal. Given my health issues over the last year and paying off debts from my business going under in the pandemic, I needed a break and although I didn’t have much money I could go a month and be okay.
Well, there might be a lot of work around right now but finding a good job is still not that easy. Besides, so much of my days were spent driving or finding an overnight spot or getting today’s food or just doing the basics that each day was flying by. And so was each dollar I accrued from my last job.
So, I have an interview in two days for a good position and given my financial situation and the lack of housing around here, I will probably have to continue at a campsite until I can find a rental unit. What I’ve found it’s a very slippery slope man, and I’m not a quitter and I will get into a house and employment soon.
I leave hoping those are not my last words LOL!! And yes, I have been taking some photos too.
Cheers,
Robin
When the pandemic hit I watched a very good year go away email by email, cancellation by cancellation. I've managed not to lose my house but it's still close, two full years later, three full Spring seasons of lost work. I dumped my warehouse and moved my "small production company" into friends barns and basements and wherever I could cadge free space. I thought it might be for nine months or a year. It might be another year or two to build back a clientele. I totally hear you on how easy it is to have one uncontrolled misstep that leads into an awful cycle. My little cottage is stuffed full of the last things from the warehouse, mainly project things and broken things or that bucket of clamps that each cost $60 and need a ten cent part. It's a feral mess that I wiggle through and here at the end of the summer concert season I am trying to shove some things deeper into storage while getting out others. It's incredibly depressing. As the house became an equipment locker, I quit having friends over and the social isolation of the pandemic increased. This summer has been busy and my mood has lifted with some social interaction but I still can't have people over -- there's nowhere for another person to sit. I totally hear you on how hard it is for us humans to be alone. Glad to hear there's a bit of hope with a new place and work and getting out of the truck. I really enjoy your writing and its resonance.