A van fitted out for camping allows me to pursue research trips without prohibitive expense. Motels would eat up my entire income, but with a sleeping bag and a box of homemade grub I can compete with academic historians who enjoy grant-subsidized sabbaticals. Most truck stops offer showers, with coffee and hot water for oatmeal, all for the price of a restaurant breakfast. With such amenities, I spent 27 days doing research since Oct. 31 for less than $38 a day.
That includes fuel, but not repairs. My 2002 Dodge Caravan never failed me in 145,000 miles, but I gave it to my wife last year when her car died. Because it was so dependable, I bought a low-mileage 2014 Caravan from a local dealer, but that was a mistake. The ice-cold air conditioning started leaking heavily on the first trip, at the end of summer, and a free refill fended me off until the warranty expired.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.