A Summer in a Sienna Camper Van. Rain Won’t Stop Us… But COVID Might!

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

A snowy mountain pass, a narrow gauge railroad, lakes, rivers, the oldest store in the Yukon, and sandy dunes, all in less than an hour’s drive? Feel free to ask questions, and thanks for watching!

[@lindaballard]

Congratulations on you 30th year Anniversary!!! I have so enjoyed your travels. Thank you for sharing. Safe travels.

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

Thank you so much!

[@originalsixx]

What time of the year was your visit to Alaska? Thanks for the video

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

Alaska was in July and August.

[@originalsixx]

Where did you get the cargo box for your van seen at around 35:00?

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

That came from Northern Tool, but there are similar ones (or identical ones) on Amazon, It's aluminum, and I made a simple platform of a couple 5/4" x 4" douglas fir to span and attach to the the hitch rack.

[@hankysinga5942]

Love what you guys have done and and are doing! I've been really curious about how you handle bathroom issues. I do a bit of camping alone in my mini-van and find a bucket or portable toilet works well but can't imagine that being very practical with the limited space with two people. Can i ask how you have dealt with this?

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

That does seem to be a topic this isn’t mentioned too often. In our case (and many others that we have met), we each have a pee jug, according to our specific need. Mary’s is a wide-mouthed type and Doug’s is an orange juice jug. Both are about 2 quarts or so and (thankfully) have tight-sealing lids. Emptied in the woods, at the nearest outhouse, or public bathroom and rinsed well. For #2 Some places had outhouses and rest stops frequently (like Yukon) while others were never seen (like Alaska). In the east, there were many more coffee shops and fast food places with bathrooms. Since nature doesn’t always respect a travel schedule, we also brought a “Luggable Loo”. Basically a toilet seat and cover that snaps onto a 5 gallon plastic bucket. In our case we switched it out for a 3 gallon bucket, which was a bit shorter. Kitchen sized trash bags and kitty litter, and double bagging kept everything odor free and sanitary. Dropped into the next litter receptacle or dumpster isn’t much different than disposing of diapers. When not in use, the Loo and bucket were a place to store TP, a bag of kitty litter, and the roll of trash bags. It often made a suitable chair too. All of this took a bit of patience to get used to, and we didn’t need the loo that often, but it was good to have when we did.

[@muveefan]

What brand of dashcam are you using that shows your speed and coordinates?

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

I have a VIOFO duo dash cam (duo meaning front and rear viewing). Model "A129 Plus Duo" with the optional GPS. There are newer (and probably better) models out now, but I like the manufacturer, despite a few installation challenges and occasional hiccup with the memory card. The GPS is a must-have option, since I would never know where those images were taken when I view them days or months later. It is accurate to within inches. The recorded speed is a nice option too.

[@herc2120]

Thank you! Im considering a used 142k kms Sienna 2015 vs new. Any major issues with your van with your long trips? I guessed the L/100 kms is high?

[@dougmaryhittheroad]

@@herc2120 The best we get is around 8 (I think that's about 30 mpg), but consider that those times we were traveling very slow on back roads. Some entire weeks were 65 kph or less in the Yukon. Highway speeds reduced efficiency. No major mechanical issues other than rocks in the windshield, paint dings, and normal maintenance. Good luck on your travels.