OFF THE GRID

Live in a Van, Trailer,

Truck, or Motorhome

By

JJ Luna

Contents

1 – Travel on the QT

2 – Off the Grid in a Fiberglass Egg

3 – Convert a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer

4 – How to Heat or Cool Your Trailer

5 – How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

6 – The Ultimate in Stealth – a Truck

7 – Home is Where You Park It

8 – Motorhomes to Everywhere

9 – Security at Home and Away

10 – Solitude, Hobbies, and Part-Time Work

KEEP UP-T0-DATE

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PREFACE

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The information that follows is based upon my own experiences living on the road, dating back to just after World War II. If you can imagine yourself in any of the following categories, this book is for you!

Save on Your Rent Payment

In hard times, one of the best ways to cut expenses quickly and for as long as you need relief, is to stop paying rent. True, even an old truck or cargo trailer will cost something, but often these pay for themselves in less than a year. A bonus is that when you sell it, you may get the major part of your money back.

Low-Cost Vacations

The cost of lodging, even on a three-week vacation, can easily run up to $2,000 or more. However, if you’ve got a light-weight fiberglass or converted cargo trailer—set up for cooking—even a two or three month holiday may be affordable.

Permanent living

Tens of thousands of Americans and Canadians live full time in a motorhome. There are prices for all budgets, from just over $2,000 to well over $1,000,000!

High Adventure

Travel up the Alaska Highway—a trip you will never forget!

Personal Privacy

The quickest way to assure yourself of total privacy is to travel in a van, trailer, truck or motorhome. This is called Travel on the QT.

Chapter One

Travel on the QT

“A sweet Tuxedo girl you see, Queen of swell society, Fond of fun as fun can be, When it's on the strict QT.”

— from the1891 minstrel show number

called “Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay.”

“QT” means different things to different people. Here are a few of them:

·  Cutie

·  Quality Time

·  QuikTrip (A chain of convenience stores)

·  QuickTime (A movie format designed by Apple)

·  Quick Test (A cognitive screening test for children)

·  QT Hotel (New York)

·  Quart, as in two pints

·  Quiet Trader, a cargo version of the BAe 146 jet.

It appears that QT started out as an abbreviation of “quiet.” When used as an adverb, it means “on the quiet,” stealthily, secretly, clandestinely, in confidence.       Example: “John told me on the QT that his girlfriend Jennifer took off two days ago, but that he just hired a PI to track her down.” (However, if Jennifer is driving, and pulling a small self-contained travel trailer, then as long as she obeys the traffic laws and pays cash for everything, John’s hired PI will strike out.)

The information that follows is written especially for those of you who wish to someday do one of the following:

1.  Travel from A to B (or A to Z) without undergoing the frustration of airport security and the exasperation of having to prove who you are in order to board an aircraft or (in most cases) stay at a hotel or motel.

2.  Take a week or two off from the daily grind and simply relax away from home and off the grid.

3.  Spend an entire season on a plot of land (perhaps your own) along a stream, a river, a lake, or near the sea.

Before we discuss my favorite solution, let’s talk about some alternatives:

COMFORTABLE CARS

To quote author Robert Kiyosaki, “There is a difference between being poor and being broke. Broke is temporary, and poor is eternal.” If you are from my generation (born in the 1920s), then, like me, you’ve most likely slept in a car at one time or another. Taking advantage of that fact, one car manufacturer came out with special model specifically designed for the purpose, as explained in this question and answer exchange from the Yahoo! Answers website:

Question:

“My daddy got some land from my grandpa that died, and in a garage there was this old goofy looking car that had a name on it called a Nash… is that like made by Chevy or Ford?”

Answer:

“Your question was a blast from my past… My father owned two early 1950s Nashes. Besides its bathtub-like aerodynamic body, the Nash was known for its front seats that folded completely down, basically forming a spacious bed. When I was a young boy, my father and I would sleep in the Nash while on fishing trips. The fold-down seats also had a reputation (as the story goes) with teenagers as an ideal impromptu location for romance…”

Author’s choice

For a decent night’s sleep, I recommend a six-passenger Mercury Grand Marquis LS, any year. The wide leather seats can sleep one in front and one in back. Reliability is excellent, as shown in back issues of Consumers Report. These cars were favorites of older buyers. Mileage is often low. Condition may be excellent because many are sold merely because the driver is too old to drive any more.  They sell below blue book values because younger buyers prefer smaller cars. I recently bought a 2001 Grand Marquis LS for some friends from Mexico.  Miles, 83,240.  Price, $2,970. The car runs like a Swiss watch and gets 22 mpg on trips.

CAMPER VANS

Although no other major car manufacturer followed Nash by making cars whose seats converted into a bed, vans took their place. Volkswagen created a Van/Camper that has assumed names such as Eurovan, Microbus, Westfalia Camper, Panel Van, Kombi, Samba, Pick-up, Westy, Multivan, Weekender, and Vanagon. Older models are available at the price of a used cargo trailer but no matter what you call them, Volkswagen vans are small, small, small. However, if “small” doesn’t discourage you, order one of the camper conversions manuals from Amazon.

OLD MERCEDES VANS (Europe)

I am indebted to Travis, 25, one of my “How to be Invisible” fans, for the information in this section:

“My experience with Camping/RVing consists of spending the last four of nine months living and traveling around Europe with my girlfriend in a 1977 Mercedes Van (the precursor to the Sprinter Van). It is old and ugly, but it is reliable. The Mercedes diesel hasn't let us down yet. It’s about 16 feet long, 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall inside. I love the fact that our van has windows almost all the way around, providing lots of natural light.

“Our goal when buying the Mercedes was to maintain a low profile. It gives the appearance of not having much money, but doesn't look like you are homeless or

a threat.

“For security on the van, we added bars across the plastic windows and exterior padlocks on the front doors. We have not had one problem with people coming up to us, breaking into the van or vandalizing it. When we park and leave it, we keep all the curtains open and the interior clean and organized, so anybody looking in can see there is nothing to steal.”

In Travis’ opinion, there are three or four basic requirements for traveling and camping around Western Europe:

·  A fresh water tank with electric pump hooked up to a sink. 60 liters lasts 2 weeks of full-time, but sparing use for 2 people.

·  For females, a Porta-Potti.

·  A retractable awning on the side: “If you want to spend time sitting outside the Trailer, it's very helpful to have some shade/cover from the rain/sun.”

·  A comfortable bed.

If cooking is required, then he suggests you add a three-way refrigerator (12-volt, 110 volt, and propane), along with a two-burner propane range.

CONVERTED BUSES

The initial cost for an old school bus with a gasoline engine in good shape runs between five and ten thousand dollars. The biggest single feature of these buses is how light the interior is, largely because of all those windows. The biggest problem with heating or cooling is … all those windows!

If you Google “converted school buses,” you will find more information than you will ever need from those who have made the conversion. If you’d prefer a “real” bus that’s been converted, check out www.busnut.com.

TENT TRAILERS

A tent trailer is really just a tent with wheels on it. When it rains, this trailer can be just as soggy and miserable as a tent that sits on the ground. Such trailers are difficult to heat, and lots of outside noise will come in through the canvas walls. Wind, too, can be a problem. One tent-trailer camper reports, “One night a strong wind caught the extension I was in, ‘rolled’ me out of bed, and folded me back into the camper!”

On the plus side, tent trailers are relatively cheap and you can pull one with even a small car. Just don’t camp in areas where bandits or grizzlies roam—either can rip through a canvas wall in seconds.

MOTORHOMES

A motorhome, of course, can solve all your heating, cooling, and furniture requirements. With the current price of fuel, it should be easy to find a good motorhome at a price to suit your budget.(Unless you plan to travel full time, fuel prices are not nearly as important as the annual depreciation).

Note: A common mistake made by most first-time RV buyers is that they consider the floor plan to be the most important aspect of their RV. In contrast, experienced or educated RV buyers focus on the chassis or frame, drive train, engine, suspension and exterior construction when selecting a particular RV model.

Chapter Two

Off the Grid in a Fiberglass Egg

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude

will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.

—Henry David Thoreau

Before World War II, my parents lived completely off the grid. Our home was an uninsulated 20-by-20-foot tarpaper shack located along the Minnesota-Ontario border. As soon as I was old enough, my job was to carry water from a neighborhood well, split and carry wood, and take out the garbage and waste water. We had a path instead of a bath, and we used that toilet even when the temperature dropped to 45 degrees below zero. Light at night came from candles or from a kerosene lantern.

This was during the Great Depression, but my sister and I never once felt deprived because we were more fortunate than many of our neighbors. My father was part owner of a small grocery store so we had plenty to eat, and he owned a 1934 Chevrolet sedan and a one-cylinder inboard motor boat. This put us solidly into the middle class.

Obviously, electricity, indoor plumbing, central heating, and hot and cold water are not absolute necessities, as any serious camper will confirm. On the other hand, I am not advocating a permanent return to the Simple Life, although later on I will talk about one couple who did just that.

At the present time, even some millionaires live off the grid while traveling, as evidenced by luxurious travel trailers, all terrain specialty vehicles, and motor homes that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, in the context of this book, “off the grid” refers to low-cost solutions:  used vans, cargo trailers, small travel trailers, school buses, and very old motor homes. Most can be had for well under the $10,000 mark.

SCAMPS AND CASITAS

These small trailers can be pulled with many cars and SUVs. The most popular ones are sometimes referred to as fiberglass eggs. When you first see one of these jellybeans rolling down the Interstate, you may say to yourself, “Oh, how cute!” I specifically refer to the Scamp 13 made in Backus, Minnesota, and the Casita 13, currently manufactured in Rice, Texas. It is no coincidence that they look identical.

Back in 1971, only the Scamp was made. Details of what happened later are somewhat foggy, but what is known is that in 1983 a Scamp employee quit, moved to Kerens, Texas, and started producing an identical trailer, which he called a Casita. For some reason—perhaps advertising—Casita now outsells Scamp even though I personally think the Scamp is a better-built trailer.

In either case, both trailers are unique because their owners actually name them, and in quite an inspiring fashion. Examples of names of trailers currently on the road include Nest Egg, Eggscaliber, Eggstream, T 4 2, Inn EggsIsle, Cadilegg, No Yolk, Snuggy Buggy, The Albino Twinkie, The Coconut Cottage, Cream Puff, Pea Pod, Muy Poco, Cuckoo’s Nest, and Backroads Bunkhouse.

Some years ago I decided to buy a Scamp 13 and use it to get away from time to time in order to do some serious writing. Using Craigslist, I found one in the Pacific Northwest that was for sale by a man in his eighties. He had ordered it a year earlier, but there was a long waiting list at the time.

When the Scamp was finally delivered, this man's arthritis had become so severe that he was unable to get down on his knees to handle the discharge pipes from the holding tank. We settled on a price, I counted out a stack of $100 bills, towed it home, titled it in the name of  one of my limited liability companies (LLC) from New Mexico, and called it Poca Casa [Not much house]

Scamp Pros:

It is light in weight, as shown in the table below. (The Scamp 19 is a 5th-wheel trailer.) The weights shown are taken from what actual owners have reported, rather than from the bare, dry weights listed by Scamp. They reflect a trailer that is loaded up and ready to go, with propane bottles filled and water in the tanks.

Interior length

Interior width

Interior height

Approx. travel weight

Scamp 13

10’

6’6”

6’1”

1,800 – 2000 lbs

Scamp 16

13’

6’6”

6’3”

2,500 – 2,700 lbs.

Scamp 19

17’10”

6’6”

6’3”

Over 3200 lbs

Note that despite their small size, these trailers have a propane furnace, hot and cold running water, a bathroom, a closet, cupboards, and a kitchen range and sink.

Scamp Cons:

Scamps lack a roof rack on which to carry extra luggage, a canoe, or a kayak. A roof rack can also be used, along with a tarp, to keep the trailer in the shade. (See chapter 4.) Most of the floor space of these trailers is taken up with the kitchen, the furnace and the bathroom. In my own Scamp 13, I tried to work in the dinette, but the cushion was uncomfortable and the table was not the right height. I invariably take a 30 minute mid-day nap every day but to do that in the Scamp, I had to lower the heavy table, add another board, and then put in cushions to fashion a bed. After the nap, of course, I had to reverse the procedure, and then do it all over again if I wanted to stay the night.

Further, the uncomfortable cushions were no substitute for a real mattress. After the first night, I bought a sponge mattress to put on top of the Scamp’s thin cushions. This was better but it was nothing like a real bed. As for the bathroom, its only use was for storing the extra mattress during the day, because I didn’t care to bother with filling and emptying the holding tanks.

I later tried to fit a folding chair and a tiny adjustable table into the so-called “open” space in the center of the trailer, so I would be more comfortable working on my laptop, but adequate space was simply not there.

Scamp claims that its 13-footer, equipped with the bathroom, will sleep two people. True, but the double bed that converts from the dinette runs across the trailer. This means that when the sleeper in the back gets up in the night, he or she needs to crawl over (and wake up) the sleeper in the front. This is not a happy feature, which is why I recommend the 13-foot model only for one adult plus a small pet. The Scamp 16-footer is slightly better, but the floor space is still extremely limited.

For me, the lack of open floor space is a deal-breaker. However, if this does not matter to you, then by all means go for one of these fiberglass eggs. Check Craigslist for used Scamps. It may be worthwhile driving up to 500 miles to get the model you want.

Due to the lack of floor space, I sold my Scamp. I still liked the idea of having a small, light-weight trailer as a mobile home office. However, it would have to have a sturdy table, a comfortable office chair, an easy chair for relaxing and reading, and a decent full-size bed. Further, it would be great if it had a rooftop carrier for my Clipper canoe, and some way to carry a friend’s motorcycle or small all-terrain vehicle (ATV).

Most of all, the trailer still had to be light enough to be easily towed by either our Lexus V8 sedan or our Toyota Highlander. An additional benefit would be that it might not look like a travel trailer at all. See the next chapter for an ideal solution.

Chapter Three

Convert a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer

The wisdom of life consists in the

elimination of non-essentials.

— Lin Yutang

This is my favorite solution to traveling on the QT, There are two extremes to converted cargo trailers, and both serve the same purpose, just as a Kia or a Jaguar will both get you from point  A to point B. At the low end of the scale, look for a used steel single-axle 6 ft. by 12 ft. (interior dimensions) enclosed trailer on the Internet. The interior height of such trailers is usually limited to six feet and they are almost never insulated. (For serious use, insulation should be added.)

The main cargo trailer brands are:  Interstate, Haulmark, North American, Pace American, Cargo Express, Horton Hauler, Carmate, Mirage, Challenger, Cargo Mate, Transhaul, and Wells Cargo. Because these are steel trailers that will eventually rust (some call them “throw-away” trailers), look for one that is no more than a few years old.

I found an excellent used trailer on craigslist.com. A pre-owned 6 x 12 Interstate was up for sale at a village about 80 miles away from where we live. This particular trailer had two factory-installed windows, a rarity in cargo trailers. The asking price was $3000. I offered $2500 and we settled at $2800. In addition to driving 160 miles round trip, and paying the sales tax and transfer fees, I spent $890 to add the following:

·   Standard roof rack, rated at 500 lbs. Installed

$150

·   Custom work to alter the roof racks and install parallel bars and hooks for an overhead tarp

340

·   Spare rim, tire, and tire cover

210

·   White 12 x 30 tarp

55

·   Wall to wall carpet (a remainder from a carpet store)

95

·   Hole drilled in the floor, plug added, for an extension cable

40

The reasons for the roof rack and the tarp will be explained in a future chapter, as well as the details on what must be included to make the trailers livable.

THE HIGH END OF THE TRAILER SCALE

By “high end,” I mean top-of-the-line quality from hitch to tail lights. The smallest practical interior size for single occupants is 6 x 12 feet. The one shown below was custom-built by Royal Cargo Trailers from Middlebury, Indiana, for $12,000.  It served me well for many years, until I sold it to Andrew, a vagabond from North Carolina. At last report, Andrew was a happy camper—still traveling with the same unit.

For two occupants, I settle for nothing less than  a size 7 x 14 or 7 x 16. Quality starts with a premium manufacturer that builds using nothing other than aluminum (including the wheels), factory-installed windows, insulated double walls and ceilings, a wedge front, and a raised roof so that a six-footer still has a few inches overhead to spare. The quality continues when you add an independent 12-volt system with a deep cycle battery, and an interior wall and door to separate the area in the wedge front.

Who builds a top-of-the-line all-aluminum trailer?

Don’t be fooled by the word “aluminum.” There are a numbers of builders out there who build cheap aluminum trailers, but you get what you pay for. Watch out for those who combine aluminum and steel. Due to the electrolysis between the two metals, it is the rare builder who will not eventually have problems trying to combine aluminum with steel.

Although Royal Cargo builds fine trailers, they are a bit expensive.  My favorite manufacturer is Featherlite, located in Cresco, Iowa. Other than Featherlite, most of the major builders are clustered around Elkhart, Indiana. The entire RV industry is centered around the Amish workers who live in that area and work on small farms. The Amish have an excellent work ethic, take pride in the quality of their craftsmanship, and do not believe in unions. The RV industry is very cyclical, with more workers needed in rush times than in slack times. When not needed at work, the Amish are content to return to their farms, and can be called up again on short notice.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TRAILER

If you buy a V-nose trailer, one nice addition is to add a wall that encloses that section. A car radio and speakers can be mounted on the front. Behind the door are the battery, spare tire, tools, and a Porta-Potti. The e-tracks found horizontally along each side wall are for strapping down folding tables and chairs. The wall shown in the trailer below was built and installed by a cabinet maker. The floor is commercial vinyl.

Stealth Travel

Buy a cargo trailer with no windows. Put in a wall with windows that open, screens, and perhaps even a screen door. This wall runs right next to the rear barn doors, parallel to them. When you stop to camp, open the trailer’s back doors and fasten them to the sides of the trailer. The second wall will now enable you to see out and to have both light and ventilation. (To see out in other directions, install peepholes.)

Some used cargo trailers are priced lower if they have commercial advertising on the sides, because it is assumed the buyer will have to remove the signs or paint over them. However, it’s sometimes just as well to leave the signs as they are.

Chapter Four

How to Heat or Cool Your Trailer

Not too hot, and not too cold, but just right.

— Goldilocks and the Three Bears

If you camp only in full-service campgrounds, then the obvious way to have things “just right” is to carry a portable 900/1500 watt ceramic heater and install a rooftop air conditioner. However, since this book is about camping off the grid, let’s dismiss any solution that requires more power than normal batteries and an inverter can supply. I will also assume that your trailer is insulated and that you do not camp under extreme weather conditions.

HOW TO HEAT YOUR TRAILER

My Scamp 13 came with two propane tanks (mounted outside) to run a furnace inside. The furnace took up a lot of space and the fan was so noisy that it woke me each time it kicked in. Another problem was that without a 110-volt connection, the fan had to draw on the battery for power, and in time would drain the battery.

For both of my converted cargo trailers, I used a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Heater, manufactured by the Mr. Heater Corporation in Cleveland Ohio. This is a catalytic heater that uses no electricity and does not need to be vented to the outside. Unlike most other heat sources, catalytic heat is formed by a chemical reaction, rather than combustion.

(Note: a window must be opened slightly while the heater is in use in order to remove water vapor and CO2, and to supply oxygen. It can be used at any elevation up to 7000 feet. Above that elevation, a low-oxygen sensor will automatically turn the heater off.)

There are many benefits to catalytic heat. First of all it radiates heat out its front, so the results are similar to sitting in front of an open fireplace. This allows the rest of the trailer to remain cooler. Best of all, it is quiet. The unit uses disposable one pound propane tanks that are available in any store that sells camping supplies. Walmart usually has the lowest price. (In the unlikely event you need to run the heater full time, it can be connected to an external 20-pound propane tank.)

Timely Warning from a Reader in Montana

“I've been camping a lot lately in deep snow, sometimes bitter cold, but I’m keeping the cargo trailer warm with catalytic propane. Tell your readers that if they use these units, to keep a couple of Carbon Monoxide Detectors inside their trailer. By the way, I took a mandatory CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) class. I asked the instructor about the quality of CO detectors and what the difference between them because they vary significantly in price. The answer shocked me. ‘They're all the same,’ he said. ‘Some just last longer than others.’ So, I went out and bought mine at Walmart.”

KEEPING COOL AT NIGHT

If you use your trailer only to sleep in overnight, just open the screened windows and run a small 12 volt exhaust fan in the overhead vent. If you camp in an area where insects are not a problem, there are no close neighbors, and no bears around, you can also open both the entrance door and the barn doors in the rear. Even better, add some wide boards to your rooftop carrier and sleep up there.

Tip: I once added a flat platform to the top of a 1953 Chevrolet station wagon. At first, I only used it to deliver large signs. Later, however, I added 18-inch sides that folded down when on the road. Unless it was raining, I sometimes saved money on sales trips by taking along an air mattress and a sleeping bag and spending the nights up there. If you sleep on the roof of your trailer, this system may work for you as well. Make sure you remember to always raise the sides. Otherwise, if you get up at night, that first step down could be a bummer.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR TRAILER IN THE SHADE

Before SUVs ever came onto the scene, Land Rovers were being built for Generalissimo Franco’s Guardia Civil (Civil Guards). Summer temperatures rose to 105° in southern Spain, and even higher in the desert of Spanish Morocco. These vehicles had no air conditioning. What they did have, however, was a double roof. Land Rovers at that time were even boxier than they are today, and the roofs were flat. A second roof was mounted over the first, with a space in between (as shown by the red arrow). Except for narrow supports, the sides and ends were open so that air passed freely under the second roof. The lower roof was therefore always in the shade.

A MODERN APPLICATION

In the 1960s, one of my businesses in the Canary Islands was making photo murals for offices, bars, and resort hotels. I needed some special way to deliver these pictures, which were mounted on particle board, because they were up to five feet wide and twelve feet long. The solution was to build a metal rack that held a plywood platform over the entire car. The rack was held up by pipes that were attached to the front and rear bumpers.

One summer we decided to drive to the Spanish mainland, so we took this car—an Opel Commodore complete with overhead rack—and boarded a ferry that took us to Cadiz. We drove off the ferry early one morning and headed north to see the ancient Roman ruins in Mérida. Cars in those days were not normally air conditioned, although we did just fine until we stopped for gas at about 11 a.m. When I opened the door, it was like walking up to a blast furnace! All that had saved us on that trip through southern Spain had been the rooftop platform which kept us in the shade.

If your trailer did not have an overhead ladder carrier, you can obtain one at any dealer of enclosed cargo trailers. Viewing these carriers from the front, they look like the letter “H.” Before the carriers are installed, have the vertical parts that extend above the crossbars removed, as shown below:

Once you join the two ladder carriers with a 12-foot parallel bar, the side view will then look like this:

As shown on the cover picture of my pre-owned Interstate trailer, a 12- by 20-foot tarp can then be stretched over the top of the trailer, thus keeping it in the shade as well as acting as an awning that protects the side with the door from both sun and rain. Although tarps are available at hardware stores, they are usually blue or green, whereas silver or white let in more light and IMHO just look better.

The white tarp shown here was ordered at Amazon.com, but tarps of all sizes are available elsewhere on the internet and sometimes at the big box stores. The 12 x 20 tarp is best used with a brace made from three lengths of 1.5 inch PCV pipe but a smaller tarp may not need these braces, and will be easier to handle and less subject to the wind. If insects are not a problem, a tarp can also be used to provide privacy when the barn doors are left open for ventilation. Just drape it across the top and down the open end.

Chapter Five

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

A good laugh and a long sleep are

the best cures in the doctor's book.

—Irish Proverb

My 6 x 12 Interstate trailer, pictured in the previous chapter, did not contain a bed because it was my “day” trailer. I’d leave home just before dawn and park it along a mountain stream about 50 miles from home. If the day was for writing, I’d include an office chair and a large table. If for reading or just thinking, I took along a comfortable easy chair and a footstool. For my mid-day siesta, the easy chair unfolded to turn into an old massage table (picked up at a thrift store).

F

OUR LEVELS OF COMFORT

Foam Mattress

A foam mattress is all you will get in many lower-price travel trailers and motorhomes. Providing you get the right mattress, that may be all you will need in your travel trailer. To get started on your search, go to Amazon.com and look for a “Firm Foam Mattress Twin XL Size," by Natura Beds. This mattress is 80 x 38 x 9 inches, weighs 34 pounds, and can be rolled up during the day. It sells for about $240.

Air Mattress

If you wish to keep the space as open as possible in your trailer, the ideal solution for sleeping may be an air mattress. Its advantages are:

· Low initial investment. A twin (36” x 75”) sells for as little as $40.

· Reasonable comfort. In any contest between a thin foam mattress and a thick air mattress, the thick air mattress wins. The one I use at home for overflow guests is the Coleman Dorm Translucent Twin Quickbed, available in many sporting good stores and at Amazon.com for about $40.

· Stores easily to free up space for daytime living. The air mattress can be deflated in minutes and then stored in the tow vehicle. When it’s time to get the job done, the battery-powered pump can inflate the mattress in a couple of minutes.

Rollaway Beds

Ignore the cheap ones, they aren’t worth buying. Try some of the better ones made by Leggett & Platt. (Google the name to find sellers.) They weigh about 50 pounds and are the next best thing to a “normal” bed.

Normal Mattress and Box Spring

If you do not normally need the space for hauling a motorcycle or an ATV, and if comfort is a top requirement, then put in your trailer the same twin bed or queen bed that you would use in your own home.

If there are two of you, an alternative solution is to make a 30-inch wide table that runs across the trailer and position it parallel with the back doors. The table will double as a bed. The shortest companion puts a mattress on the table (which will be about 68 or 70 inches long) and the other puts an air mattress on the floor, parallel to a side wall, and with the foot of the mattress against a back door.

Noisy Environment, Loud Music?

I never leave on a trip without my Bose QC 15 noise-canceling headphones and a few extra AAA batteries. As long as you can sleep on your back, you can drown out even the loudest music from a boom box—the headphones are much superior to ear plugs.

— — —

Chapter Six

The Ultimate in Stealth – a Truck

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

— Leonardo DaVinci

Really old trucks sell for very little, but you can expect them to have 300,000 or 400,000 miles on them. The best place to find a reliable used box truck (also call a box van) is at a dealer who sells ones that have been returned after being leased. The mileage on these trucks is usually around 100,000 and they are usually in very good mechanical shape, as well as having been repainted and detailed.

Shown here is an older Ford E350 Cube, priced at $9,500. A truck such as this can be even better than a converted cargo trailer when it comes to “stealth” camping and travel. One truck camper, after having gone through a divorce that almost cleaned him out, was renting an apartment that was 60 miles away from his place of work. He tells what happened next:

“I found an old, beat-up box van for $1500 which was all the money I could scrape together. It had a Chevy van nose with a 12 foot box and a roll up door in back. It was perfect, so I bought it and moved in.”

Over the course of time he added a battery, generator and inverter so he could have 110-volt lighting and also watch TV. In addition, he insulated the roof and walls and added some windows. But where did he park it?

“After I bought the van,” he says, “I didn't know where to go with it so I slept in the parking lot of the store where I worked. No one even noticed me! The great thing about the box van was that when I parked in front of any large store, it looked like it belonged there. I lived in that van for six years, never once paid for parking anywhere, and was never bothered. Of course, I was considerate and never did anything to bring attention to myself.”

I once bought an acre of land along a mountain stream near the North Cascades National Park from a grizzled old fellow whose business card read Roy Randolph: Knot Tyer and Mountain Man. Roy had been a well-paid telephone company technician in the Seattle area until 1977 when he and his wife decided they wanted to simplify their lives – and simplify they did. They bought a used box truck, fixed it up, bought some acreage in a cedar forest, and as far as I know, they are still living there.

Here is a quote from a man who spends his summers on a farm near the shore of Lake Superior. Winters will find him traveling and working in Texas or Florida.

“I live in a 6'x9' delivery truck that I converted to a living space. I used second-hand materials where possible. I have a solar panel to charge the battery, and a skylight to see the stars. I get about 19 mpg. A space so small is not for everyone, but on nice days I can go to a park, which becomes ‘my’ backyard.

“I travel to see friends and I have plenty of time to offer them help… I haven't really been harassed at all by the authorities, although I do play it pretty safe. There are plenty of secure, legal, free places to stay when on the road. I am always welcome to park in the driveway or on the road of the places I work. (Walking to work is one of my prerequisites for any job.)

“As far as the Internet goes, it is pretty easy to get access with a laptop equipped with Wi-Fi just about anywhere. Even without a laptop, I can go to the local library where access is usually free.”

Most of us, however, would find a 6 X 9 foot space to be too confining. Here’s what another traveler has to say on that subject:

“Probably the minimum size would be ten feet behind the driver. It's uncomfortable if the inside dimension doesn't provide stand-up space. For my six-one frame, a five foot ceiling equals a sore back. I think a perfect vehicle would be a one-ton size truck with a 12- to 18-foot box behind the driver's compartment. The truck rental companies, such as Budget and Penske, frequently have these trucks available for sale.

“The boxes are usually made of wood and fiberglass, have wood floors, and an aluminum ceiling–this is excellent. The best are those that provide access from the cab to the box. Unless you're claustrophobic, the lack of windows is a plus. You have windows up front and Plexiglas ceiling panels can be inexpensively installed to let in sunlight. A hinged skylight will offer access to the solar panels, while allowing some heat to escape.

“Another great vehicle to consider is a boxy aluminum step van similar to those used by UPS and FedEx. If the total length of your vehicle is no more than 24 feet, it will fit in the standard parking place.”

The majority of campers are happy with merely keeping a low profile as they travel. However, if you prefer to travel completely incognito, then a box truck does make for a great stealth home, especially if you can find one with a small door between the front and back. Throw in some high, narrow windows that look like vents, add a skylight and  keep it clean.

Small is Better

I just received the following e-mail. It’s from Rick, 55, based in southern California:

“A few years back I needed a large truck while building a cabin retreat in the mountains. I found an unbelievable deal on a 24' Volvo cab-over truck, and loaded it with tools and materials. I thought about using the truck as a stealth camper when I was finished with the cabin. It has plenty of floor space (8' x 24') and has no advertising, so I could travel incognito – right? Wrong!

“The truck weighed over 26,001 lbs, and had air brakes. That required a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and the State Patrol knew it. The truck was a constant target. I was suspected of transporting illegals (Mexicans) for hire, transporting illegal drugs, and cargo transport for hire without the proper permits. None of this was true but I was always being watched.

“I was a target for stops and inspections. I was treated like a criminal and always had to prove my innocence. I was about as clandestine as O.J. Simpson at a KKK convention. Small is almost always better. A low-slung Isuzu 12' box van is common, and graphics on the side stating ‘Bill's 24 hour Plumbing’ might attract a lot less attention.

“Keep it small, make it look like it fits the surroundings, and don't go out of your way to attract attention. Another bonus to the small vans is it may be sold with  an advertising frame. The graphics for a new advertiser can be quickly slid into, or out of, the frame and the advertising on the side of the box can be quickly changed to alter its appearance.”

Conclusion:

Never, ever, buy a truck (at least in the United States) that weights 26,000 pounds or more.

Chapter Seven

Home is Where You Park It

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little

things are infinitely the most important.

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This chapter is about parking your trailer overnight. Times have changed since 1953, when I pulled a home-built camping trailer from Missoula, Montana to New York City. There were no interstate highways in those days. At night we just pulled off to the side of the road anywhere, and went to sleep. (The only time a cop ever bothered us was one midnight near Batavia, NY. He advised us that a serial killer was on the loose, picking his victims from campers along the highway. We moved on.)

Walmart Parking Lots

Walmart or other parking lots where you might stop to get a few hours of sleep can occasionally present a security problem although they are usually quite safe, even at night. However, err on the side of caution. Always park in a well-lit area and do not open the door for anyone unless you know who it is.

A Canadian traveler who spends six months each year traveling in the U.S. writes, “At times Walmart is the best, if we arrive at a town late at night. Why should I unhook the car in the dark, register, back up in an 18-foot pad, hook up, and all that? At Walmart I park, shut the motor off, have a small snack, watch some TV (using a 1500- watt inverter), go to bed, wake up and leave in 10 minutes.”

Campground owners resent the fact that travelers can stay free at many Walmarts. In some towns they have managed to have a law passed that prohibits overnight parking, so be sure to check this out in advance.

Truck Stops

Many truck stops—especially Flying J—actively encourage overnight stops for RVs and travel trailers. Many have (often free) dump stations, as well as Wi-Fi.

Some truck stops have set aside special places for campers to park. If no such space is available, make sure not to park in a “pull through” spot because some trucks cannot use the “back it in” spots. (Our son in Montana, for instance, drives a tractor-trailer with at least one trailer in tow, and sometimes two. There is no way to back such a rig up!)

If you plan to stop at truck stops on a regular basis, pick up a copy of  the annual RVer's Friend: North American Diesel/Parking Directory.

Casinos

Casinos sometimes set aside a separate area for overnight RVs and travel trailers, and are usually happy to have them. Inveterate traveler William Smith, who has lived and traveled full-time in an RV for over fifteen years, has this to say about parking at casinos:

“A few Casinos require that you be a customer in order to park; an entirely understandable requirement. There are some Casinos that allow no overnight parking, or require that you park in their adjoining RV campground at their customary nightly rates. You will also find a few Casinos that offer free RV dump stations, and even a few that offer RV hookups on site.”

Also referring to casinos, RVer Rosie Rosman writes, “You can relax, have a meal and feel secure —casinos usually have good security systems in their parking lots. I feel tacky at Walmart, but happy at a casino. Campgrounds are great but not for just a few hours overnight—too much trouble setting up, apart from the cost.” For a list of casinos that offer parking, go to www.casinocamper.com.

Warning:  Although security is usually excellent at casinos around the country, this is not necessarily true at big-time destinations such as Atlantic City, Reno, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. In such cities, it may be best to check into a normal campground.

Discount Campgrounds in the USA and Canada

Passport America (www.passportamerica.com) serves Canadian RVers with several hundred RV park locations north of the US border, while Happy Camper Club (www.camphalfprice.com), which boasts 50 percent discounts focuses on US travel, with approximately 40 Canadian campgrounds also participating. You may find it useful to join both clubs. For under $100, you can access over 1,600 campgrounds—much less than the cost of "home park" membership programs, which offer just a few hundred locations at a similar price.

Also, check out www.freecampgrounds.com. They feature more than a thousand campgrounds that are either free or charge a nominal fee of $10. Their list includes, but is not limited to: fairgrounds, city parks, malls, tire stores, golf courses, resorts, Amtrak stations, truck stops, K-Marts, Camping Worlds, Chevron stations, reservoirs, state parks, restaurants, and even the Avon Park Bombing Range in Florida. (No bombs will fall during the time of your stay.)

Chapter Eight

Motorhomes to Everywhere

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

— Mark Twain

Several years ago, our good friends Alex and Laura, Mexican citizens who had lived in the U.S. for the past 17 years, decided to return to Mexico. However, they were undecided as to where to move, so they chose to look for a motorhome. After a five-week search on Craigslist, covering all cities within a 150 mile radius of their home, they purchased a 1991 33-foot Fleetwood Southwind with 64,000 miles from a private party for $7,800 cash.

Alex went through it, put in new carpet and window coverings, and made a few minor repairs. The couple crossed the border into Tijuana and took the Transcontinental Highway south to Loreto. Later, they took the ferry across the Sea of Cortez and traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

The Southwind averaged just 8 miles to the gallon but such a long-distance trip was the exception rather than the rule. It is now bedded down in a small village about 30 miles out of San Miguel de Allende. The cost for hookup plus utilities runs about $100 a month. In the beginning they imported used clothing from the U.S. and sold it from village to village, but they’ve since switched to making cheesecake and selling it door to door.

If stealth travel is not a requirement, then it’s hard to beat a motorhome when it comes to full-time living or a really long trip. Speaking of trips, I’m going to digress from the main theme of this e-book to tell you about one I took about four years ago. Perhaps it will encourage you to make a similar trip, motorhome or not. Anything with wheels and a decent engine will do.

NORTH TO THE YUKON

When the Alcan (Alaska-Canada) Highway was punched through the Canadian wilderness (1942-1943), it was often featured in the Movietone newsreels that ran before every film. I was already starting to drive by then, and it was my dream to some day drive what was later called the Alaska Highway. But then came several years of college, followed by marriage, children, a business that kept me far too busy, and then a move to the Canary Islands in 1959.

Returning for a while to the United States in 1988, I did end up taking many trips to my favorite state, spending time in Petersburg, Sitka, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak Island, and Dutch Harbor/Unalaska. However, it was always by sea or by air. In 2007 I decided to make a trip north in my 2002 Toyota Highlander. Normally, the destination of such a trip would be either Anchorage or Fairbanks. In my own case, however, as I’d already driven around Alaska itself many times, I chose to end my trip in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Above all else, I wanted to arrive before the tours of the Klondike II closed at the end of the summer season. (The tour through the old steamboat proved to be even better than expected, and the video shown there is fascinating!)

I decided to head north at the end of August to avoid not only the mosquitoes, but tourist traffic, crowded restaurants, and the ubiquitous “No Vacancy” motel signs. Although there were many campgrounds along the way, I decided to check in somewhere each night. In the Lower 48 I stay at upscale hotels whenever possible, but there are no hotels along the highways to the Yukon. In fact, with the exception of Bell 2 Lodge (www.bell2lodge.com), there are no upscale motels either. Few can even compete with Motel 6s. I checked out every possible choice on TripAdvisor. One traveler said his room was so bad, he wished he’d slept in his truck!

On the way north, I turned left at Prince George and headed east to Smithers, BC, where I stopped to eat and fill the gas tank. Back on the road, I turned right at the junction with Highway 37, which is at the south end of the famous Stewarts Cassiar Highway. About 45 miles north, two black bears crossed the road. I hit the brakes, but the bears disappeared before I could get out my camera.

A Shortcut to Alaska

If a trip all the way up to Alaska seems too daunting, here’s a tip. About 97 miles north on the Stewart Cassiar Highway, you will come to a junction with Highway 37A. The neighboring towns of Stewart BC and Hyder Alaska are just 40 miles to the west (they are opposite Ketchikan, Alaska, although there is no road between the two). This short highway opens up some of the North's most spectacular glacier and mountain scenery

I skipped this side trip, however, as my goal for the day was the Bell 2 Lodge. Everyone traveling the Stewart Cassiar highway stops there (in older books and maps it is referred to as “Bell Lodge II”) to gas up and to get the best burger available between Vancouver and the North Pole. There are no cell phone towers in this remote area, but the Bell 2 Lodge does have a satellite phone. When I was there, it cost $9 a minute, so I didn’t call anyone.

If you plan to stay overnight, make your reservations far ahead. Then, a week before you arrive, double check to make sure you are still on the list. I mention this because I’d made a reservation but when I arrived, they couldn’t find it. (They did, however, juggle things around and got me a room after all.)

Bell 2 Lodge, British Columbia. Note the motorhomes parked next to the highway. All are heading south.

Whitehorse

Two days later I arrived at my destination. Some friends came down from Anchorage to meet me. We had a great time walking the streets, taking the S.S. Klondike tour, checking out the museums, and seeing the “Frantic Follies,” a turn-of-the-century show by professional Canadians who present an evening of clean fun and nostalgia.

Main street:  Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

The highlight of “Frantic Follies” is when the Canadians act out the famous Robert W. Service poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Some of you may remember that when John McCain was running for president, one of the reporters asked him to name his favorite poem. When he named “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” the reporter asked him a “gotcha” question.

“Can you recite the poem?”

To the reporter’s astonishment, McCain recited all 15 verses, word for word. When asked, he explained that he’d learned the poem while in North Vietnam—one of his fellow POWs had tapped it out on the thick walls of his cell, one letter at a time.

Return trip

On the way back from the Yukon, I took the Alaska Highway down to Mile 0 at Dawson Creek, taking many pictures along the way. Many of my fellow travelers were heading south with pickup campers, fifth-wheel trailers, and motorhomes.

From Dawson Creek, I returned to the States via Edmonton, Alberta. I didn’t want to miss the famous West Edmonton Mall (www.wem.ca)—there’s a reason it gets 30 million visitors each year!

Chapter Nine

Security at Home and Away

Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a

bogeyman around, turn on the light.

— Dorothy Thompson

Does the Dorothy Thompson quote (above) apply to keeping your trailer secure? I think it does, especially if your trailer is parked in your back yard. When parked at home, we run a power cord out to the trailer, and keep a light inside of it which is on a timer. The light comes on in the evening, goes off about 11:30 p.m. on again at 2:00 a.m.  and off again at 4:00 a.m.

However, when camping away from home, you may wish to have the windows covered at night so as to not draw attention. Should you hear any strange noises, do not turn on any interior lights. Instead, switch on your 12-volt exterior lights. Here’s what one old-time camper has to say on the subject of keeping the interior dark but illuminating the exterior:

“Now the intruder is outlined by your trailer’s outside lights and doesn't know where you are. Your silence is the greatest pressure you can bring to bear at that point. Their fear of the unknown kicks in and in most cases they will run.”

Another alternative to keep various predators at bay would be to press the panic button attached to the key ring of your tow vehicle, making the horn sound intermittently and the lights flash.

Should you carry a gun?

One of the many problems with carrying a gun is that you might dare to go to places you would normally avoid, merely because possession of the gun provides you with a false sense of security. Here’s what one traveler who does carry a gun has to say on this subject:

“Nothing scares me more than the gun owner with no training, or a three-hour safety course, which essentially teaches them how to keep from blowing their foot off and little else. A deadly weapon is a weapon of last resort. The worst scenario is finding out you shot a 15-year-old that was unarmed, and then meet the grieving family in court. Not something I would like to do. Some folks with little or no training find this out and realize what they have done far too late. The fact that they were stealing your lawn chairs is little comfort.”

Here are a few comments from a man who spent his career teaching proper weapon use to military personnel, policemen and civilians. Although he carries a gun, he says that in 27 years of active duty he only unsnapped twice, and never once did he do so in his subsequent four years of full-time travel in an RV.

“If you fear for your life every time you park, it is probably a good idea not to have a loaded gun in reach… There are documented incidents of husbands and wives who shot their spouse returning from the bathroom. If you carry a weapon of any kind (pistol, shotgun, etc.) there is an inherent responsibility to know how to use it. Get training, and practice regularly, or forego it entirely. Also, have you thought about where a missed shot ends up? Today’s rounds, including the lowly .22, can go through just about any trailer wall and injure or kill an innocent bystander.

“Never go outside to protect your property, or be a macho man. The goal in a survival situation is to do just that, survive. It’s strange, but people who are trained rarely need to use the gun itself. Of course they always run, avoid bad places, and never shoot if avoidable. It is the person who watched too many movies, or is fearful at all times, and carries a gun, with no training but ‘common sense’, that gets into trouble from a false sense of security.

“The only use for my guns so far has been as protection against bears in Alaska while looking in the wilderness for some good diamond willow, or hiking the back trails. It turned out I did not need them even then.”

When I was young and on the road, I had a permit to carry a handgun. Fortunately, I never attempted to use it. Although I no longer own a gun, I do travel with a stout cane and either a Kubotan or a Mont Blanc Meisterstruck Ballpoint Pen, as outlined in my e-book Dirty Tricks for Savvy Chicks.

— — —

Chapter Ten

Solitude, Hobbies, and Part-Time Work

The great omission in American life is solitude... that

zone of time and space, free from the outside

pressures, which is the incinerator of the spirit.

— Anonymous

Alan Valentine, in The Age of Conformity, writes: “Americans spend so much time in sodden absorption in radio, television and press that little is left for other communication or recreation. Inner resources for self-entertainment are atrophying from lack of use, and personal thought is being made unnecessary by the acceptance of predigested opinion from favorite commentators.”

“We seem so frightened today of being alone,” writes Anne Morrow Lindbergh in her book Gift from the Sea, “that we never let it happen. Even if family, friends, and movie should fail, there is still the radio or television to fill up the void. Women, who used to complain of loneliness, need never be alone anymore. We can do our housework with soap-opera heroes at our side. Even daydreaming was more creative than this; it demanded something of oneself and it fed the inner life… We must re-learn to be alone. Certain springs are tapped only when we are alone. The artist knows he must be alone to create; the writer, to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose; the saint, to pray.”

The foregoing information is taken from the “Solitude” chapter in one of my other e-books. If you are an artist, a writer, a musician or a saint, you already know how to use such time. For the rest of you, read on.

Reading

At a boat show in Seattle, I once stopped to admire a 27-foot all-aluminum cabin cruiser with twin jet drives in lieu of propellers. The sign on the boat said “Boat Show Special, $110,000” and below was another sign: “SOLD.” The cabin was dominated by a large leather easy chair—most unusual for a fishing boat. I asked the salesman about the chair.

“The buyer is a senior pilot with United Airlines. He bought this just so he can head up a river until he leaves civilization behind. Then he’ll toss out the anchor and settle back to read books until it’s time to go back to work!”

You can accomplish the same thing by spending as little money as possible on an old truck or a small cargo trailer and using the balance for buying books to read on a Kindle, Nook, or iPad.

Use Your Laptop

If you are set up with a device to connect to the Internet, or are camping where wireless is available, you may wish to do some serious research in whichever field you wish to explore. Or perhaps you’ve never taken the time to learn some of the features of Word,  Excel, Photoshop, or the latest tablet.

Why not take a how-to-do-it manual along and study some new things? Perhaps you can take along a CD that teaches a new language—the kind where you click on a word and actually hear it pronounced. (Where were those programs when I was cramming Spanish from a dry textbook in 1959?)

Or are you one of the millions who say, “I could write a book,” but have never done it? Now’s the time!

Catch Up on Some of the Old Classic Movies

If you have a deep cycle battery and an inverter, install a flat screen TV and a connection for DVDs. Skip the current trashy movie selections and catch up on the classics. Here are a few to get you started:

Citizen Kane (1941), Casablanca (1943), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dr. Strangelove (1964), Rebecca (1940), The Third Man (1948), Red River (1948), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948), and Gone With the Wind (1939).

I saw each of these movies when they first came out, and after the passing of 65 or 70 years I still enjoy watching them.

Hobbies

Catch up on your decoupage, quilting, crocheting, knitting, sewing, or needlepoint. Try bird watching, astronomy, or wild life photography. Bring along your Swarovski binoculars, TeleVue refractor, or your digital single lens reflex camera with a 500 mm lens.

Starting collecting something, such as certain kinds of rocks. Many collectors own equipment to tumble rocks, after which they set them in pieces of jewelry.

If you like to mess about in boats, catch up on some of the nautical knots you’ve not yet mastered by bringing along Nautical Knots Illustrated by Paul and Arthur Snyder (International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 2nd edition, 2002).

If you are past middle age, you may have old photo albums and boxes of pictures that you haven’t looked at in years. Why not bring them along and sort them out? Toss at least half of them and preferably most of them, because when you die, this will save your kids a lot of work. (My sister and I speak from experience!)

Part-Time Work

When you can travel and live anywhere, you have several excellent options available to you. One is that you can use Craigslist to search the nation for jobs in your field, and when you find the right job, you can move there within days. Another advantage is that you can follow the sun to take seasonable jobs. Resort work in Minnesota in the summer, for example, followed by a seasonable job in Phoenix in the winter, is a perfect example.

One young entrepreneur buys a new cargo trailer, installs a vinyl sign cutter (or plotter), adds the supplies, installs work tables, and hits the road. On the one hand, he visits businesses in very small towns where sales are easy, and at the same time advertises his business for sale. Sooner or later he sells the completely-equipped trailer for a nice profit, and starts over again.

For further information, check out the e-books currently available on my website, www.JJLuna.com. In the near future I plan to publish a new e-book, Work Anywhere. It will include examples about how others make a living online. With such a method you can live anywhere (even abroad) and work from an apartment, houseboat, van, trailer, truck, or motorhome.

A Combination of Stealth and Employment

I subscribe to PI Magazine. The March/April, 2012 issue had an article about the tremendous oil boom in Williston, North Dakota. I read this article first because I know Williston well. My wife was raised on a farm near Williston and our niece still lives there and sends us reports. Given the cutthroat tactics of some oil companies, lawyers are getting into the game and filing lawsuits. They hire PIs to head for Williston to track down and interview witnesses, but with 10,000 itinerants in the area, workers are sleeping in cars, vans, trucks, travel trailers and motorhomes.

“How do you locate witnesses,” the author laments, “without permanent addresses, men living out of pickup trucks who spend the night in parking lots?”

How, indeed!

KEEP UP-T0-DATE

By the time you read this, I hope to have  a new section up on my website for books, videos, and products for both home security and self defense. Also, additional information will be posted from time to time on my blog at http://blog.invisible-privacy.com.

Feel free to email me (jack@jjluna.com) with any comments, suggestions, or questions. Include a picture of your van, truck, trailer or motorhome!

Copyright 2013, Canary Islands Press. All Rights Reserved worldwide under the Berne Convention. Some names have been changed to protect privacy. The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this Report, and the information provided herein is provided "as is." Canary Islands Press makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.