We are back from @overlandexpo PNW, and it was a really nice trip. It was great to meet many of you, and the event seemed a lot more chill/calmer than the Flagstaff Expo. Yvonne and I put 2,125 miles on our jeep (camper #1) and we caravanned up to the event with @theroadchoseme (camper #2), so in total, the two campers totaled something like 4,000 miles on the trip without any significant problems. It was a good first big test.
Now that we are back home, it’s time to start thinking about laying out the interior of Yvonne and my habit. It should be a fun summer/fall project. It was nice to sleep in the camper all last week with nearly nothing in the habit. It helped us get a feel for the volume and make some decisions about the layout and systems that we want. I think we will try to keep it simple and light weight.
Also, after spring 7 days a week in the shop over the last 10 months setting up the shop and building the two campers, it was really great to be outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Traveling and getting outside is what this is all about after all, so it was motivating to hit the road for a while.
Despite the fact that the camper is a box and not exactly aerodynamic, we were actually fairly pleased with our mileage. We averaged 18.2 mpg over the entire trip and we got more like 20.4 mpg on tanks were we predominantly drove 55 mph. So, the vehicle obviously likes driving slower (no surprise there). Even at +65 mph with a headwind, 18.2 mpg as an average seemed acceptable.
Wabi-sabi Overland 