So if you wanted to live in a van....

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Me personally I would bring a G17 mos with red dot. 22lr revolver of choice. And a 22 rifle. If I wanted to reload then a lee hand press w dies. But I wouldn’t be to keen on reloading in a van. Primers are explosive. So if you have a couple thousand and get into a bad enough wreck. Imagine a few thousand primers going off at once.
 
Mrs and I were traveling home from San Antonio and headed straight east to the TX coast. We hit the gulf south of Galveston and drove on a deserted section of beach for probably 5 miles. We saw very few people...it was surreal. We are accustomed to the Florida coast that is packed.
I know 5 miles is some beach....:cool:, but honestly...it could have been more like 10 miles. It was unreal to us. Cattle on one side of the state highway....gulf of Mexico on the other!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: . There were several scattered rv campgrounds along the way. A few buildings on stilts...and that's it.
Here's a pic taken from the passenger window of Mrs ' f150 while driving ON THE BEACH.View attachment 1084573

Along the stretch of beach we struck up a conversation with a newly retired couple from Wisconsin. They travel in their (really nice) camper van. They belong to PLANET FITNESS and go there for showers every few days or so.
Mrs and I have talked about seeing Alaska this way some day. Just getting a hotel room every few nights for a real shower and bed. It seems I'm more interested than she is.....;).

As for firearms, I would be pretty content with my sr9c 9mm with weapon light and a few holster options and my 12ga 870 loaded with three #4 buck and two slugs.

I also have a sweet little '94 Winchester in 30-30 that would probably get to tag along...
View attachment 1084572
Wouldn't be driving through Canada with firearms, would you? Bad juju.
 
Hand issues?
For rimfire I would prefer a revolver.
This would be a option to keep a 22 WMR handgun company, https://www.chiappafirearms.com/product.php?id=185

Thanks for sharing the video, joneb!

I like the 22 WMR option, really great for light recoil and much louder than a 22 lr in my experience.

I made the mistake of selling a S&W 351 PD revolver I had some years ago. If I were to go with a revolver in 22 WMR, that would be my pick. They haven't become less expensive over the years from what I have seen online.

I have heard only good things about the Ruger LCRs. That 3" barrel looks to be the ticket for getting the most out of the 22 mag.
 
I can't imagine changing anything from my current carry set up, regardless of living arrangements. Compact 1911, no matter where I'm sleeping.

On van living, it's all I can do sometimes to tolerate the Mrs (and she, me) when we can put 2 rooms and a ceiling between us. We'd need one of those prison vans updated with a soundproof divider.
 
I can't imagine changing anything from my current carry set up, regardless of living arrangements. Compact 1911, no matter where I'm sleeping.

On van living, it's all I can do sometimes to tolerate the Mrs (and she, me) when we can put 2 rooms and a ceiling between us. We'd need one of those prison vans updated with a soundproof divider.

That is one of my wife's main concerns about vanlife too, way too much togetherness. My argument is that you ideally would mostly be out in nature, but I guess I haven't done a good enough job selling the idea.

Howland, what model and caliber is your compact 1911? I have considered that option, and do not have one right now. I had a Colt 9mm 1911 Defender once, and it performed well and was built like a tank. A bit too heavy for carry for me, so I let it go.
 
I’m 3-5 years out from full retirement and wife is probably 2. We want a comfortable travel trailer/fifth wheel for extended trips. Depending on where we go, I’d probably have a pair of 9MM’s, a .22 pistol, a 10MM pistol, a long gun, and a shotgun with me. Might find room for a .22 rifle. Definitely have a snubby .38 tucked away somewhere.

Theft would be an issue for sure…probably have a metal box bolted somewhere on the rig.

if I were doing the van thing, I’d probably make room for some of the same gear, but less ammo.

Reloading on the road would not happen.
 
Mrs and I were traveling home from San Antonio and headed straight east to the TX coast. We hit the gulf south of Galveston and drove on a deserted section of beach for probably 5 miles. We saw very few people...it was surreal. We are accustomed to the Florida coast that is packed.
I know 5 miles is some beach....:cool:, but honestly...it could have been more like 10 miles. It was unreal to us. Cattle on one side of the state highway....gulf of Mexico on the other!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: . There were several scattered rv campgrounds along the way. A few buildings on stilts...and that's it.
Here's a pic taken from the passenger window of Mrs ' f150 while driving ON THE BEACH.View attachment 1084573

Along the stretch of beach we struck up a conversation with a newly retired couple from Wisconsin. They travel in their (really nice) camper van. They belong to PLANET FITNESS and go there for showers every few days or so.
Mrs and I have talked about seeing Alaska this way some day. Just getting a hotel room every few nights for a real shower and bed. It seems I'm more interested than she is.....;).

As for firearms, I would be pretty content with my sr9c 9mm with weapon light and a few holster options and my 12ga 870 loaded with three #4 buck and two slugs.

I also have a sweet little '94 Winchester in 30-30 that would probably get to tag along...
View attachment 1084572

My daughter and SIL are in Rockport this week on vacation. I prefer the TX coast when it’s NOT 100 degrees! LOL

AF, you should have hollered at me when you were headed to San Antonio. We live in New Braunfels and I’d have met ya for lunch somewhere and maybe burn up some ammo! Next time….

I like your 30-30 idea! Also think your Ruger 7.62*39 would be a good choice!

I think a .357/.44 lever gun would be a great idea too.
 
My daughter and SIL are in Rockport this week on vacation. I prefer the TX coast when it’s NOT 100 degrees! LOL

AF, you should have hollered at me when you were headed to San Antonio. We live in New Braunfels and I’d have met ya for lunch somewhere and maybe burn up some ammo! Next time….

I like your 30-30 idea! Also think your Ruger 7.62*39 would be a good choice!

I think a .357/.44 lever gun would be a great idea too.
Haha..!
We spend a week in Gruene at the honky-tonk!
I hunted pigs in Seguin .
We are all over New Braunfels!
Definitely next time!
 
Haha..!
We spend a week in Gruene at the honky-tonk!
I hunted pigs in Seguin .
We are all over New Braunfels!
Definitely next time!
Dang, I’d have met you out at the Gristmill for a burger and onion rings! I live near Natural Bridge Caverns.

Where in Seguin did you hunt? You have folks out there?

My friend owns the Schultz Saloon downtown in Seguin. My daughter lives outside town in the countryside.
 
I like your 30-30 idea! Also think your Ruger 7.62*39 would be a good choice!
I really like the combination of an easy carrying compact pistol and a formidable long gun for the car/camper/cabin where you stay.
I have taken the short Ranch rifle on several road trips. It's pretty comforting with its 20rd mag, even if it is a bolt gun.
 
Van life presents the problem of theft, either it's contents or the entire van. To protect firearms and other valuables it is easy. A small safe or strong steel box
welded or bolted to the floor might work. The other problem is theft of the van. I would rig some sort of hidden cutout switch to disable the ignition / starter so
the engine couldn't be started. Maybe an electric fuel pump with a hidden switch to disable gas flow so the van couldn't be driven away.
 
Not exactly the van life, but back in early to mid 90's I lived in Austin and worked at a computer software company. I lived in a plain jane apartment near Zilker Park, and with the influx of tech companies and the huge growth boom, my apartment rent more than doubled within 6 months. I was single, no pets, had a very austere lifestyle so I decided to just live out of my car.

I worked the 4-12 shift, and could come in at Noon to pick up extra hours if I wanted. I had a gym membership that gave me easy access to showers and all that entails for about $35 a month. After I gave away what meager furniture I had all my stuff easily fit in the trunk of my 4-dr sedan. Most nights after work we would head for a brewpub where someone in our work crew's girlfriend worked and we could drink cheaply, then often retired to someone's house for an after party or just to hang out. Occasionally I would meet a nice young lady and stay overnight with her a night or two, sometimes on a rotating basis Austin being what it was back then.

Occasionally when it was necessary, I'd find a secluded spot to park my car and crash for the night. I eventually found it was easier to pick spots like truck stops or business parks that were pretty safe back then, when I didn't have anywhere else to crash. Weekends I spent and campgrounds fishing and hiking or visiting family. Zilker Park opened about dawn so a lot of time I'd go there and sleep by the river until it was time to go eat and go to work. It was actually pretty idyllic. I did that for about a year and a half until I met my soon to be wife and moved up to Fort Worth where her family and mine lived. Then 30 years doing the domestic thing. The only firearms I has back then was a Winchester model 97 riot gun and another short barreled shotgun that was marine-coated mainly for using on my boat.

I'll be retiring from my full time faculty job sometime within the next 5 years, and I've been looking hard at what van-lifing setup I want to get. I am more into comfort than I used to be, and I want to have a bathroom and wet shower capabilities, though I'm fine with those being outside setups since I plan to stay mostly where it is fairly warm in my travels. There are a ton of great videos on YouTube showing different setups from ostentatious to low key. I still plan to have a reduced size home base somewhere, and probably won't get to go more than small trips at a time until my cats pass away, though taking one or two with me may be feasible. Folks are doing some great things converting their SUV's like my Forester to have capabilities for weeks at a time with solar setups for Jackery's and small electronic freezer and fridges with minimal input needs. I already do this for 3-5 day excursions and it works great so far.
I will certainly design my long-term setup with capability to deep hide a few firearms, and I've always had a propensity to carry a short barreled shotgun or now a Shockwave with mini shells than a handgun. I just can't see myself with a one ton dually and a 35 ft trailer. But to each their own. One person's need is the next person's need is the next person's luxury.

Maybe a thread will pop up where I can talk about how I lived out of an old abandoned 18' travel trailer on a piece of land in the forest I had on a lake for about 2 years after I got out of the military.
 
It's the SIG Ultra compact (same size as the Defender you had) in .45
The only thing lighter I've carried any is a SIG P238, but haven't carried it in a holster much. I don't notice having the .45 on , so something lighter isn't a necessity for me.
Thanks Howland, may have to look into that one. Been following SIG P238's online, might as well add that one to the "list".

Becoming a minimalist with guns isn't the easiest thing to do.
 
Not exactly the van life, but back in early to mid 90's I lived in Austin and worked at a computer software company. I lived in a plain jane apartment near Zilker Park, and with the influx of tech companies and the huge growth boom, my apartment rent more than doubled within 6 months. I was single, no pets, had a very austere lifestyle so I decided to just live out of my car.

I worked the 4-12 shift, and could come in at Noon to pick up extra hours if I wanted. I had a gym membership that gave me easy access to showers and all that entails for about $35 a month. After I gave away what meager furniture I had all my stuff easily fit in the trunk of my 4-dr sedan. Most nights after work we would head for a brewpub where someone in our work crew's girlfriend worked and we could drink cheaply, then often retired to someone's house for an after party or just to hang out. Occasionally I would meet a nice young lady and stay overnight with her a night or two, sometimes on a rotating basis Austin being what it was back then.

Occasionally when it was necessary, I'd find a secluded spot to park my car and crash for the night. I eventually found it was easier to pick spots like truck stops or business parks that were pretty safe back then, when I didn't have anywhere else to crash. Weekends I spent and campgrounds fishing and hiking or visiting family. Zilker Park opened about dawn so a lot of time I'd go there and sleep by the river until it was time to go eat and go to work. It was actually pretty idyllic. I did that for about a year and a half until I met my soon to be wife and moved up to Fort Worth where her family and mine lived. Then 30 years doing the domestic thing. The only firearms I has back then was a Winchester model 97 riot gun and another short barreled shotgun that was marine-coated mainly for using on my boat.

I'll be retiring from my full time faculty job sometime within the next 5 years, and I've been looking hard at what van-lifing setup I want to get. I am more into comfort than I used to be, and I want to have a bathroom and wet shower capabilities, though I'm fine with those being outside setups since I plan to stay mostly where it is fairly warm in my travels. There are a ton of great videos on YouTube showing different setups from ostentatious to low key. I still plan to have a reduced size home base somewhere, and probably won't get to go more than small trips at a time until my cats pass away, though taking one or two with me may be feasible. Folks are doing some great things converting their SUV's like my Forester to have capabilities for weeks at a time with solar setups for Jackery's and small electronic freezer and fridges with minimal input needs. I already do this for 3-5 day excursions and it works great so far.
I will certainly design my long-term setup with capability to deep hide a few firearms, and I've always had a propensity to carry a short barreled shotgun or now a Shockwave with mini shells than a handgun. I just can't see myself with a one ton dually and a 35 ft trailer. But to each their own. One person's need is the next person's need is the next person's luxury.

Maybe a thread will pop up where I can talk about how I lived out of an old abandoned 18' travel trailer on a piece of land in the forest I had on a lake for about 2 years after I got out of the military.

Thanks citizenconn, sounds like you are way ahead of most of us on the vanlife experience. I have enjoyed some of the Youtube channels like Foresty Forest to get a feel for vanlife. This guy does vanlife in Canada, which is a major accomplishment in my humble opinion.

I think someone else mentioned the Shockwave previously in this thread, and that makes some sense to me as well.

Best to you with your retirement plans, it sounds like you have some great options to explore.
 
I have been following the vanlifers for some time, and I while I would like to adopt the lifestyle and have the freedom, my significantly-better half wants nothing to do with it. I defer to her, but I can still imagine what one handgun (pistol or revolver) in 9mm or 22lr/mrf would work best for that lifestyle.
.............
Sorry, but what does living in a van have to do with anything? Saving space?
If the reason you want a handgun is self protection, a .22 would be a terrible choice whether you live in an apartment, a McMansion or the proverbial van down by the river.
If the reason you want a handgun is plinking, a .22 is a great choice.

What an odd thread.
 
Sorry, but what does living in a van have to do with anything? Saving space?
If the reason you want a handgun is self protection, a .22 would be a terrible choice whether you live in an apartment, a McMansion or the proverbial van down by the river.
If the reason you want a handgun is plinking, a .22 is a great choice.

What an odd thread.
Hi dogtown, I understand how this thread might seem odd if you are not living in a van.

My guess would be that one would want information on the best options if they were contemplating vanlife, thus the thread.

If you have any constructive comments, I would be interested in seeing them.
 
Hi dogtown, I understand how this thread might seem odd if you are not living in a van..
Well, you AREN'T living in a van are you? Aren't you just contemplating "vanlife"?
I asked a question dude........what does living in a van have to do with anything related to the choice of a handgun??

My guess would be that one would want information on the best options if they were contemplating vanlife, thus the thread.
If you have any constructive comments, I would be interested in seeing them
Pretty sure thats what I did:
If the reason you want a handgun is self protection, a .22 would be a terrible choice whether you live in an apartment, a McMansion or the proverbial van down by the river.
If the reason you want a handgun is plinking, a .22 is a great choice.
 
Well, you AREN'T living in a van are you? Aren't you just contemplating "vanlife"?
I asked a question dude........what does living in a van have to do with anything related to the choice of a handgun??


Pretty sure thats what I did:
If the reason you want a handgun is self protection, a .22 would be a terrible choice whether you live in an apartment, a McMansion or the proverbial van down by the river.
If the reason you want a handgun is plinking, a .22 is a great choice.
Well if you aren't or haven't lived in a van or car or a tiny home or anything remotely related to the topic and have nothing constructive to offer on the topic, why not just skip the question, dude. Because even discussing the issue seems to get your ire up. Respectfully.
 
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Well if you aren't or haven't lived in a van or car or a tiny home or anything remotely related to the topic and have nothing constructive to offer on the topic, why not just skip the question, dude. Because even discussing the issue seems to get your ire up. Peace.
I asked a question of the OP, not you. If my question offends you then ignore it.

If answering my question offends the OP's sensibilities, causes emotional distress or rubs blisters on his eyelids...he can ignore it as well.

And my question is valid as were my comments.
 
I asked a question of the OP, not you. If my question offends you then ignore it.

If answering my question offends the OP's sensibilities, causes emotional distress or rubs blisters on his eyelids...he can ignore it as well.

And my question is valid as were my comments.
I think someone needs a hug.






I meant me. Everything isn't about you....
I'm just kidding you, dude.
4987745-Willie-Stargell-Quote-It-s-supposed-to-be-fun-the-man-says-Play.jpg
 
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