In the last year or so I’ve taken myself on a few solo road trips. Okay, maybe more than a few. Many of my friends have spread themselves out across the United States and I like to take the time to wander into their lives. Driving is way cheaper than flying, plus I live in a van, making it the obvious choice of transportation. The road trip is a classic American concept, but taking on multiple days and thousands of miles alone isn’t typically what comes to mind. It may feel a bit intimidating at first, but there is truly something calming about wide open roads and being in exclusive control of the radio. In the end, it’s totally worth it so I’ve put together these tips for how I survive a solo road trip.

Make a Loose Plan

Having a loose idea of what route I plan to take is always my first step. Whether I’m google mapping a direct route to a friend’s house or bouncing from sight to sight, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what roads I’ll be driving. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally driven an hour in the wrong direction because I didn’t pay better attention to where Google was taking me. Remember though, loose. Try not to over-plan where you stop each night, you never know what unexpected activities or detours you might find along the way! Since my home is my backseat I don’t have to worry much about where along my route I stop. Still, I try to have a parking area in mind just to be safe.

Make Sure Your Ride is Ready

Hopefully, this step is pretty obvious. The last thing you’d want is to be broken down and alone in the middle of nowhere. (Trust me I’ve been there, though luckily, I wasn’t alone.) Whether you have your oil changed, fluids topped off and tires checked, etc. by a mechanic or by yourself doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that you feel confident in your vehicle’s ability to get you where you’re going. And remember that it’s necessary to keep up this maintenance on the road. Take care of your vehicle and she’ll take care of you!

AAA Roadside Assistance

I super recommend having AAA in case of emergencies. Basic membership can be as low as $40 and they have roadside assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year anywhere in the US and Canada. This is a huge comfort, especially when traveling alone.

Tell Someone Your Plans

My family has become pretty relaxed about me traveling all over the world by now. But part of that is because I’m always keeping them updated on my plans. Sometimes it can be tempting to not tell anyone where you’re going so you can feel that “true solo road trip freedom.” But that feeling will fade quickly if you go missing or get stranded somewhere. It’s a hell of a lot easier to be found if someone has an idea of where you’re supposed to be. Now, I promise that despite my convincing, solo road trips aren’t some kind of horror movie. Being careful and intelligent about your decisions is just good common sense and can help you out drastically in a pinch. It’s always a good idea to have someone watching your back, and they can only do that if you keep them in the loop.

Inflight Entertainment

Spending hours on end in your car alone with the scenery is nice but it also has the potential to get really boring really fast. And on those long haul trips through B.F.E. you never know where you might lose cell reception or even the radio. So a good rule of thumb is to always have a few playlists or podcasts downloaded just in case. Personally, I find podcasts (Timesuck, The Adventure Zone, Wine & Crime, etc.) to be the most stimulating and they always help me avoid drowsiness. 

Set a Driving Limit

We aren’t superhumans, and driving can take a lot out of anyone. Set a limit to how many hours you’ll drive in a day. That number will be higher for some than others and if you don’t know yours just take it slow and steady. I can drive up to 15 hours in a day and be alright but it’s still not something I do often. Normally a 10-12 hour day is more reasonable and I’m always paying attention to my mind and body and respecting my limits for each new day.

Stop and Stretch

Every time you stop for whatever reason make sure to do a few stretches. Stretching is a great way to release tension from those cramped up muscles and it will also help wake you up if you’re feeling drowsy. Map out a few places along your route where you can stop for gas or the restroom and get that stretch in. 

Truck Stops

A pro tip is to stop at truck stops over rest areas and smaller gas stations. They usually have big restrooms, showers if you need them, food, drink, gas, auto supplies, and some sort of restaurant. They’re also not isolated like rest stops and when solo road-tripping this can help with security.

Pay Attention to Your Gas Gauge

You’re probably thinking duh, Casey. But trust me, it happens. I’d never run out of gas in my life before I started long haul road-tripping. It’s easy to forget when your tank holds 35 gallons and there’s no handy little low fuel light to warn you. Keep an eye on that gauge and if your out in the wilder parts of the country have an idea of where your next fill-up will be.

Bring Extra Gas

This is KEY and seriously a huge peace of mind tip. You will be so damn thankful that you’ve got that extra few gallons when it keeps you from being stranded and gets you to the next gas station. (Or just one where gas doesn’t cost $4 a gallon.) 

Bring Snacks and Water

Bring more than you think you’ll need. Traffic can pop up anywhere and those extra snacks can save you in a pinch. It also helps control your hunger when you’re smelling those truck stop Cinnabon stands for the fourth time in a day. More important than snacks is water. Driving is surprisingly dehydrating and when your doing nothing else all day it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. It’s worth the extra bathroom breaks.

Just Go!

Quit finding reasons why you can’t go and just do it! You don’t have to leave for weeks or go across the country. There are plenty of weekend adventures out there just waiting to be had. And remember don’t worry so much about the planning. Have a rough idea of where you want to go, be smart and safe, and have fun. The only one stopping you is yourself.

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One of the most daunting parts of my van conversion was the electrical system. There seemed to be too many parts and I was for sure scared seeing as I, and my wonderfully helpful friends and family, had zero experience with any of it. I spent more time than I care to remember researching online, reading forums and blogs and watching hours of Youtube videos about circuits and fuses and amp-hours and waaaaaay too much math for my liking. I was learning a lot about all the individual pieces and about other people’s setups, but I was still totally unsure of how I could apply this new knowledge to my needs and most importantly, my budget.

Through what I see as one of my greatest moments of mental persistence, I was able to string all of it together and have been enjoying the illuminating fruits of my labor ever since! I made this post for anyone wondering how I did it (or just super interested in solar powering a van). It goes over exactly what I bought, exactly how I connected it all, and why.

Obligatory Disclaimer: This is what I did with my system based on research I did myself. I am definitely not an electrician and working with electricity can be dangerous. It’s always a good idea to be safe, not sorry, and consult with a licensed electrician beforehand.

Solar Power Components in a Nutshell

A solar system is a way to independently collect and convert the sun’s rays into electricity through the use of solar panels and batteries. However, because batteries can’t be trusted to take care of themselves, one needs a charge controller. A charge controller keeps the battery from soaking up more energy than it can handle. An inverter is also needed, this converts the voltage of a deep cycle battery (12V DC) into the voltage used by most of your at-home gadgets (110-220V AC).

How Much Do You Need?

Sizing your solar system is the first step and for me, it was by far the most complicated. The different things you want to power in your van and their electrical needs decide how big your batteries should be and how many solar panels you’ll need. That information will have a big effect on your budget so for me it was super important to figure out.

This part involves some math so stay with me!

First, you have to calculate the number of watts of electricity each item uses. (This can often be found in manuals or safety stickers on your device.) Then multiply that number by the hours you expect to use that item to figure out the total watt-hours (Wh) of electricity.

Watts x Hours = Wh

For example, if you have lights that use 5 watts and you have them on for 6 hours every day, they would use 30 Wh per day.

Let’s pretend your electrical bits use a total of 1200 Wh a day. Since battery capacity is measured in amp-hours (ah) and not Wh you next have to convert this 1200 Wh of power consumption into ah by dividing the system voltage (V). Car and solar batteries are usually 12V.

1200 Wh / 12V = 100ah

But you cant just buy yourself a 100ah battery and call it a day. You never want to fully deplete your battery. You need to double the size because if your battery drops below about 50% there is a large chance that its lifespan will be shortened and/or it will be damaged. So you would want something more around 200ah.

Next, how many solar panels are needed to fully charge your battery each day?

Solar panels are measured in watts. So to find your solar panel size you would divide your Wh of power consumption by the average amount of full sunlight per day in your projected area. (There are plenty of online charts about this.) Remember though that there are always cloudy days or days where you may use more power than others.

(Personally, I bought one 100-watt solar panel before I did all the calculating for my battery sizing. I had a small amount of roof space to work with and I knew the 100wh panel was what I wanted for my budget.)

The last piece is a must-have component for any van solar system. A smart battery isolator. One of these bad boys allows your auxiliary batteries to be charged by your vehicle’s alternator while it’s running. This is perfect for those overcast days or forest campsites and has kept my batteries in the green. Mine also has a button that jump-starts my van battery using the auxiliary batteries just in case I ever find myself in a bind.

Specs On My System

I use a 195ah battery bank charged by a 100w solar panel and a smart battery isolator to comfortably power two strips of LED lights, a compressor fridge, 4-speed Maxxair Fan, and multiple personal electronics.

Below are affiliate links to the products I used or purchased on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The parts and prices:

• Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel – $120
• Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Deep Cycle Battery – $180
• NAPA 12V 95ah Marine/RV Deep Cycle Battery – ~100?? (this was something my dad had laying around)
• WirthCo Battery Doctor 125 Amp/150 Amp Battery Isolator – $92
• JOYHO 6-Way Fuse Block W/Negative Bus – $14
• Cobra Portable Power Inverter – 800 Watt – $70
• ACOPOWER 20A MPPT Solar Charge Controller – $120
• Misc wire ranging from 4 gauge to 16 gauge
• BougeRV 10AWG Solar Extension Cable (10Ft 10AWG) – $20
• Link Solar Weatherproof Double Cable Entry Gland – $14
• Facon 12Volt DC Touch Double Dimmer Switch (Double) – $26
• InstallGear in-Line Fuse Holder with 150 Amp Fuse – $11
• Blue Sea Systems MEGA/AMG Fuse (100A) – $11

The How-To’s

Let’s start with a diagram of my system.

After all of my research, what I was really missing was a clear image of what my personalized system would look like. I highly suggest making your own diagram so that you can clearly see exactly how each piece connects to the next.

I took a lot of inspiration and based much of my system on “The Minimalist” set up put together by Will on www.mobile-solarpower.com.

Wire Charge Controller and Inverter to Fuse Box

My first hands-on step was to wire both my inverter and charge controller to my fuse box. This method keeps everything organized and allows me to easily fuse my charge controller for safety.

I connected the negative wire from my MPPT charge controller’s battery input to a negative fuse terminal on the fuse box. Then I did the same with the positive wire and added a 20amp fuse for my 20amp controller.

I recommend getting an MPPT charge controller instead of a PWM controller because they are around 25% more efficient at squeezing the energy out of your solar panels. This can be really helpful in a small system like mine. They are more expensive upfront but I decided it was worth the cost.

For my inverter, I did things a bit differently. There’s no need for a fuse here so I just connected the negatives/positives of my inverter and fuse box and that was that.

Wire Exhaust Fan, Lights, Dimmer Switch and Fridge

Next, I connected my two strips of LED lights, dimmer switch, exhaust fan and DC car outlet to the system. I used 16AWG wire left over from the demo of my conversion van for everything in this step.

Wire size is based on the length of the wire and the amount of current going through the wire. You need a size that’s thick enough to handle the electrical current without frying the wire or dropping the voltage so make sure to check any manuals or instructions included for sizing. 

Before I finished off the ceiling and a few other areas of my build I ran any wires that I wanted hidden and made sure to label the ends so I wouldn’t confuse the negatives and positives. 

The fan, lights and dimmer switch had very similar connection instructions. I used an electrical crimp set to connect each negative wire to a negative terminal on the fuse box and did the same with the positive. I also paired the positive and negative wires of my lights and dimmer switch (as per the instructions that were included).

Wire crimping set and hammer crimper similar to the ones my dad owns.

My fridge has a DC plug but I didn’t want to run that all the way up to the dashboard so I installed a DC outlet behind where the fridge sits. This was super easy, I just connected two more wires (-/+) to an open terminal on the fuse box.

This can all sound very confusing if you don’t have any electrical experience but it’s very important to get right and really isn’t as hard as it may seem!

Insert Fuses into Fuse Box

The right fuse size is important for safety. A fuse is an intentional weak point in a circuit so that if the current ever gets dangerously high, the fuse will “blow” which breaks the circuit and saves you from major electrical problems.

Generally you want to choose fuses that are above the max current of the load but below the amperage of the wiring. My blade fuse sizes were determined by instructions/manuals or by a quick google of the product.

Make sure to check all manuals for manufacturer-recommended fuse sizes.

Wire Batteries Together in Parallel

A parallel connection increases your total amp-hour rating but keeps the voltage the same. 

First, I connected the positive terminals on each battery together and then did the same to the negative terminals. Then I connected the negative of one battery to the load (my fuse box) and the positive of the other battery to the load.

Remember that high ah connections need larger wiring to keep the wires from burning out. I used 4AWG wires for this step and also made sure to include a 100amp bolt-on fuse for protection. 

Installing Smart Battery Isolator

The isolator I bought came with very specific installation instructions that also included wire and inline fuse sizes. I mounted the isolator under the hood near the main battery and then connected the positives, grounded the isolator to the metal, and ran a second positive wire underneath and up into the van through a hole I drilled so that it could be connected to the auxiliary batteries.

Mount and Wire the Solar Panel

My solar panel is attached to the roof using a custom made roof rack created by my dad from an old pop up camper aluminum bed frame. Creative isn’t he?

The panel is screwed into the aluminum and that is held on to the rain gutter of the van by some bolts and separate strips of metal. 

The cable connecting the panel to the charge controller runs inside the van through a hole on the roof covered by a weatherproof cable entry gland and sealed with Butyl Tape.

Wire Solar Panel to Charge Controller

The very last step was connecting the solar panel to the system. I took the wires from the solar panel that were already hanging inside the van and connected the negative/positive to their label spots on the controller, and that was it!

That’s All Folks!

That’s basically everything I did to complete my electrical install! It really was the most difficult and stressful part of my whole conversion, but I also consider it the best part. I learned a lot about a subject that I never expected to and I did the whole thing on my own and it actually works!

I tried to think of all the questions I had trouble answering during my experience and I hope this helps anyone out there struggling to make their own budget solar system. If there’s something I didn’t explain well enough or you have questions please let me know in the comments!

Social distancing when living alone in a van really isn’t all that complicated. The frequency of small grocery trips stemming from limited food storage? Very complicated. But why should I social distance in the first place? I’m young and healthy, I’ll be fine. This is all true, but the 17-year old filling up gas after me may have severe asthma; COVID-19 could land him in the hospital and yes, it might even kill him. So what is this imaginary kid’s life worth?

I get why people blow it off, we don’t personally have any reference to base these “fears” on. From our perspective, everyone is just freaking out. And honestly, that’s not wrong either. Lots of people are acting outside reason. (Just go look at the canned section of your local grocery store.) But our governments, and those of the world, aren’t shutting things down for shits and giggles. Economy’s are taking big hits because of these shutdowns. But it’s something that they realize is necessary to curb the rapid expansion of a very new and yet unstudied disease.

Just because something like coronavirus doesn’t seem to affect your everyday life doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to follow along with the safety procedures. We meet and interact with so many more people than we even realize and we swap germs with every single one of them in some way or another. But humans are naturally social creatures, so it makes sense that social distancing is hard for all of us. Unfortunately, it really is the most effective action we can take to put our lives back on their normal tracks.

Wiles, Siouxsie (23 March 2020). “The world is on fire: My message to New Zealanders on Covid-19”. The Spinoff. Retrieved 16 March 2020.

So be apart of the collective, care for the other humans that you consciously and unconsciously interact with because we can be the medicine we need right now. We can be a part of the solution instead of the problem in so many seemingly insignificant ways. Instead of contributing to panic and misinformation we could use this experience to help open up our minds and level up our awareness. Like being conscious and aware of what you’re purchasing and why. Do you really need those baby wipes to get your makeup off tonight? Or could you find a different solution and help save a baby’s bum from some really uncomfortable rashing. 

We all play a part in our society, our collective, and when we as unique individuals can feel a sense of solidarity with each other we can form the conscious collective. It doesn’t matter if social distancing for you is catching up on all those creative hobbies you don’t normally have time for or sitting on the couch and vegging out on video games and Netflix for a week straight. Find what version, or versions, work best for you and live ‘em.

Above all, just remember that we all need each other sometimes. Just because we’re not sick and bored doesn’t mean we need to be jerks. Right now there are members of our communities, of our world, that really just need us to stop being intitled asses, go home and wash our damn hands.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, xoxo,

PS. For anyone worrying about me being out and about and alone in such weird times, don’t! I’m parked in Colorado with friends and we are doing our part to stay socially distant 🙂

The idea for Yogi Go Round has been bouncing around in my head for quite a while now. A more in-depth view of my wanderings, besides just the occasional social media post. So with quite a few incredible experiences piled up in my head, and with my next roam only days away, I’ve finally got the ball rolling!

I was born in small town, Texas where everyone knows everyone else and there’s not a whole lot going on. In high school, my mom and I went on a two-week tour of Greece and I think that’s when everything really started changing. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other cultures and sights this massive world had to offer, of all the food and experiences I hadn’t yet had. I quickly accepted that I didn’t want the 9 to 5 office job with steady pay and a 401k. Nooooo, thank you. I wanted long flights, bumpy bus rides, and crowded trains!

After college, I took my first backpacking trip with my then-partner through South Asia. We traveled around for nine months with no pre-planning and even when times were tough, I was in love. Since then, I’ve gotten my RYT 200 yoga certification, bought a van, self-converted it and started wandering my way around the United States!

I hope to write about my last 3 years of travel here, along with my current adventures and van life experiences. I want to share moments and advice from living van life, my good and not so good times with different countries and cultures and my challenges with continuing my yoga practice while constantly shifting spaces. I endeavor to travel deeper, and all of these things inspire me to continue to strike that Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (mermaid pose) all across the globe!

I’m not exactly sure where this website will travel to, or how it will evolve as this little yogi continues to go round and round this earth, but I’m glad to have y’all around for the ride!