Sleeping on the Road
 

Hi everyone.

My husband & I are going on a budget trip to Anchorage-Denali-Seward this Aug. We're thinking of renting a mini van with the idea of possibly sleeping in the back if needed. Do you think this is a good or a stupid idea?

I guess we need more information from you:

Are you driving from Miami, Quebec, Houston, or Fairbanks? Or, perhaps, flying into and out of Anchorage for the trip?

I suspect that MOSQUITOES will be quite prominent at that time of year, and that at least in certain areas they could make your plans very uncomfortable.

Having said that, I do believe that Alaska is great for a low-budget trip. The driving and sightseeing along the way is truly 2nd to none.

I doubt there are more scenic areas on earth that have roadways that make them as accessible to automobiles.

If you pay close attention to combatting the mosquitoes then I suspect that you'll do reasonably well with your plan.

But do give us more info about the trip you're planning.

We are flying into Anchorage on AUG. 21st and plan to drive to Denali and onto Valdez and Seward in a mini van. I'm really wondering if it is acceptable, or legal, to pull off, perhaps in a public parking spot, and sleep in the vehicle. If it is a problem we'll rent a small RV.

I would respectfully suggest that you sleep on the shoulder or even further <b>OFF</b> the road.

Yes, please pull off the road and disengage the ignition and motor before you start napping.

Do you mean in case of an emergency - that you can;t find a hotel? Or do you mean every night?

Are you both very short and skinny?

Won;t you need a shower? A toilet?

Do you think the people that rent the minivan to you will OK this - using it as a hotel rather than a car? Or hadn't you planned on telling them? (Don;t you thinkk they'llnotice you've been living in it for a weel in AUGUST?)

(I know there are some people in NYC who do this - but it's because they're homeless. And if the police find them they move them along.)

I can;t imagne anyone doing this voluntarily!

I've never done the pull-over-at-a-rest-stop-for-the-night thing, but I have used the car in place of a tent before while camping and it has been fine. We did this quite a lot with a Chevy blazer. With the back seat folded down, a sleeping pad, and a sleeping bag, it is quite comfortable.

I don't know anything about the laws in Alaska - whether or not it would be legal to camp out on the side of the road like that.

Try www.rv.net and click on &quot;Open roads forum&quot; I am sure you will get all the info you need. Even though it referes to &quot;RVs&quot;, it cover all type of camping styles..
Have fun!!!

Thanks to all for the jokes, the exclamations and especially the helpul comments/information (J_Correa and Traveler24 -very helpful). I wish New York homeless people had as many concerned people around them. The world would be so much nicer for them.

I've never felt comfortable with just pulling off the side of the road... there's a good chance an anti-social property owner will come banging on your car window. Or a state trooper, if you're in a spot that's been deemed unsafe (I don't know if it's illegal, but you won't get arrested for it, just shoo-ed off to find another sleeping spot). There are tons of state parks with parking lots... whether overnight parking is allowed will be stated on the park's little info board, and any associated fees.

I posted this in regards to another Alaska visitor's concerns, and it applies here too:

You'll be able to find campsites to drive into, stick your $10 bill in the pay booth and fill out a ticket for your windshield, but you have to know where to look for another site in case one is full... this is where the Milepost is handy, to find another spot nearby. We've always been able to find a campground in the summer for our RV or car to park in and catch a few winks, but we're pretty familiar with the roads around here being residents.

Another thing about van-camping: Campgrounds always have bathrooms, and nearby businesses have &quot;Pay Showers&quot; because it's very common to have people who are tent-camping and need to clean up (not to mention residents who get by without running water). So don't worry about those issues, you'll get by just fine. The only thing I'd worry about is keeping cool in the van when you're parked (we had this problem in our Honda Element)... if there are no screens on the windows, mosquitoes will come in, and they are fiesty this year.

My opinion only. NO I would not just plan on pulling off the road, stay in established campground. A lot of pull offs anyway, have no &quot;overnighting&quot; anyway. But I question this tight of a budget? You really don't want a bed at least every other night??? I had to sleep in a car a couple times 20 years ago and never again, was never rested. At the very least, as mentioned, stay in campgrounds with showers and toilets, forget anything else. :)

I've never been to Alaska, but ..

are there Walmarts along the route? I know that Walmarts &amp; Sams Clubs actually encourage RV'ers to park (unless prohibited by local laws), the thinking, I guess, is that they'll come in the store in the morning for the snack bar and supplies. I would imagine there are also truck stops, where one can pay for a shower as well. I have slept in my car and even in the open bed of a pickup truck, so I'm sure you'll do just fine. BTW- love your reply: <i>&quot;I wish New York homeless people had as many concerned people around them...&quot;</i> You've got to publish a trip report afterwards, OK?

Marilyn,
We have been there in late Aug and early Sep with no mosquito problems. Using campgrounds, or maybe BnB's would be better. Some bb's with shared bath, can be gotten pretty cheap as well as some plain motels. Use the credit card a little and worry about paying off when you get home. These trips don't come that often!!! Do they???

Hi again. We are staying in some inns and state park cabins. Some of the cabins have amazing views and aren't near any other structure (very excited about that!).

Are mosquitos bad at the end of August? We are tent camping outside Denali.

Try taking a tent along to sleep in. We fly into Anchorage every year , sometimes twice, and travel in different directions from there. Have always found someplace to camp. Nice camp areas are easy to find everywhere in Alaska, established or not. You will enjoy.

Hi, Yeah, why not sleep in the car? I do that up and down the Alcan each time I go to the U.S. to see family, even in the winter. It's not because I can't afford to stay in hotels, campgrounds, etc. Safety's not an issue, I don't feel, as a single woman. I love the freedom that this many thousands of open miles provides, to stop where I feel like it. So many outrageously beautiful spots! And even with 1.5 million of you visiting our beautiful state, it's still not unusual to feel like the sole human beings within your viewshed. Mosquitos are waning, thank goodness. I've been trapped inside since mid-May (finally bought a headnet this year). It's the light that would bother me. The few times I've traveled in the summer around Alaska and slept away from room darkening blinds, I had a hard time staying asleep past 4 a.m. and was cranky all day. Eye shades might help.

I still can;t believe you're thinking of doing this in a rented car. Think of the next poor person - do they want to be driving a car you've ben living/sleeping in for a week- ick!

My friend, Gustavo, works at Alamo, here in Vegas. They clean the cars between people. Use sprays and stuff to fix the smells.

I think you should sleep in the van, as long as it is big enough and you feel comfortable. I have been planning my trip and have switched from tent camping to cabin/b&amp;b type of things because I suddenly became fearful of the whole bear thing. It is very very expensive, hard to find anything for under $100 per night. However, there are some cabins in some remote places for $25 (try Quartz Lake).

I suggest that you pull into a campground and pay the $10 fee or so fee for camping and then just sleep in the van instead of a tent. It will be safer and you will have access to their bathrooms and showers and other facilities.

After reading your post I thought about doing renting a van and sleeping in it, but with 3 people it would not be a good move.

Also another suggestion: try the Lonely Planet website, people there tend to be a little more adventurous (nature of the different guide books' target markets) and they will be able to give you some real first hand experience information about this.

HAVE FUN! You will be there after we have already left. (We have very similar destinations/itinerary)

I agree with mingum. In my earlier traveling days I camped quite a bit. If I was trying to make time cross-country, we'd sleep in the car/truck/SUV, but at a KOA or at least National Forest Campground. Canada has wonderful free roadside campgrounds. We often did not want to take the time to set up camp, but wanted to have restrooms (and a hot shower in the morning - KOA). There are crazy folks everywhere, but I'd feel safer in a campground then just in a pull-out on the side of the road.

If you do the mini-van route, stop by a Wal-Mart or similar and buy a foam eggcrate mattress pad. Roll it up during the day if you want, but it would be nice to have some extra padding at night. They aren't expensive so just throw away at the end of the trip.

On an extensive camping trip through the American and Canadian Rockies, we did set up full camp one time but slept in the Blazer. It was in Yellowstone and I wanted metal between me and the bears. We unloaded stuff and stored it in the tent and slept in the SUV.

Folks sleep in vans, cars, SUVs all the time. Enjoy your trip.

We're also thinking of renting a mini-van to sleep in for a week. Is it safe to assume that ALL mini-vans have seats that fold down to make 1 even-level surface behind the driver seat that is suitable for sleeping? We typically find the best rental car deals are on priceline, but since you can't choose your rental company, we need to be sure of this.

It is not safe to assume that because only ONE mini-van has the store'n'go seats. After 20 years in assorted vans, mostly Caravans and Voyagers, I love my Town and Country with the seats that fold down into the floor to create a flat surface.

Many SUV's have seats that fold down to create a flat surface, but that surface is higher than the normal floorboard.

I would be very surprised to find rental vans with the store'n'go seats.

When I need flat surfaces in my van (which is most of the time) I've had to take the seats out and store them in a garage or storage unit.

So if I understand you correctly, it IS a safe assumption that any rental minivan will have seats that can be removed. In which case, I can see if I can remove them when I pick the van up, and just leave them with the rental company.

remdog99: I seriously don't see how folks can give you legitimate info on a thread about Alaska when you plan on sleeping in your rental van in San Francisco and Napa (per your other thread).

I cannot believe ANY rental agency - especially one in SF, would allow you to remove the seats and leave them while you take the vehicle away.

And I also don't think you will find places in SF or the other places you are going where it will be OK to sleep on the side of the road.

Either 1) make reservations for campgrounds, or 2) rent a regular car and w/ the savings (from not renting a van) stay in motels . . . . .

No, it is not a safe assumption that you can rent a van, remove the seats, leave them with the rental company and assume they will still be there (undamaged) to place back in the van. Who the heck at the car rental would accept such responsibility? Do it, and I bet you will be paying for &quot;lost&quot; or damaged seats.

The only option I could think of would be to rent a storage unit and store the seats while you are gone. But, none of the above would be a workable solution for me.

Tent camp - in campgrounds!- from your rental van or stay in motels. Good luck to you if you decide to leave van seats behind at Avis/Hertz/etc. and expect them to still be there - and in undamaged condition - when you return.

I am pretty sure you won't be able to leave the seats with the rental agency, but you could take them out of the van each night when you camp. Just be sure to cover them with plastic in case of rain...
I think you'll do best if you stay in campgrounds and have a tent, just in case you get a van that doesn't work as well as you hope.

My girlfriend once drove from Oregon to Alaska with her husband and two kids in one of those volkswagen campers. They had a great time, but of course they had a sink, stove, window screens and actual bedding.

We're trying to avoid tent camping because of the schlep of a tent, mattresses and sleeping bags on the plane. Also, sleeping in a vehicle offers more freedom to sleep just about anywhere.

Someone has suggested that SUV's may be a safer bet as far as fold down seats for sleeping purposes--anyone have experience with this?
R

The freedom to sleep just about anywhere?? Are you going to SF and Napa as you say on your other post? If so - these are not places out in the boonies - they are cities. You really cannot expect to sleep on the side of the road. You also apparently are going over to the coast - there are camp grounds - I would not try to sleep on the side of hwy 1. And you won't be able to sleep on private property.

I don't think you are being at all realistic/sensible.

Hi, I live in Anchorage. There is no such thing as a budget trip to Alaska. My take is, if you cannot afford to stay in a hotel during your stay in Alaska, you cannot afford to visit Alaska. It is a very pricey place to vacation or live. While you might shave off $$ by sleeping in your car, that probably will not make up for the cost of your food, gas, entertainment, etc. Most people want to experience activities that are unique to Alaska, such as fishing ($200 per license, per person, not including cost of gear, waders, bait, etc.) or a sealife-seeing cruise out of Seward (again, starting around $200 per person, not including your train or plane ticket). It honestly doesn't sound like you have the finances to enjoy yourself in the state at this time, unless you want to just sit in your car and wander around the city.