Smoky Mountain National Park is the first stop on my van adventure. I’ve been to the park several times, so this stop is mostly for getting used to living in the van.
The biggest challenge, so far, has been dealing with the heat. I’m not used to being outside in the upper 70s or low 80s all day long. I pretty much have a rechargeable fan blowing in me during the day to help keep me cool. I also brought an oscillating fan. That can move a lot of air in the van while only consuming 43 w on the power station.
I also have an EchoFlow Wave 3 portable AC. I been under-whelmed with it so far. It did help cool down the van enough to sleep one night at Lake Jordan. But with my current power setup, I’m having a hard time keeping it and my refrigerator charged. The frig definitely take priority. But when I stay at a campsite with power, I’ll be able to keep the portable AC cranked! And top off the battery on the power station and refrigerator as well.
Power management will be another item to deal with. I spent several hours on different days with the van parked in the sun so the solar panels can recharge the power station. Sam and I sat in the shade during that time, but it was still warm in the shade. At some point, I will probably add two more solar panels to the roof of the van so the power station can recharge more quickly. It sure is nice getting free power from the sun!
I should have known this, but pets are not allowed on the trails at National Parks. That will have a big effect on my visits, since I like wondering the trails and taking pictures. One option is to board Sam for a couple days, so I can go out on hikes. Alternately, I could wait and take Sam on hikes on BLM lands.
For added living space, I bought a pop-up gazebo tent. Been sitting in it while working on the blog post. Sam and I sat in it for a while Sunday night during a light rain shower. Definitely, a nice space if I want to relax in.
Starting tomorrow, I will stay at different state parks as I work my way north and east to Badlands National Park.