How many nights are spent away from basic services?

They talk!

The panhandlers already told the lot lizzards you have no cash! Don't get disappointed.

 

I equipped my truck so that in an emergency I could do anything I might need. That takes a lot of the pressure off of finding the right place to park for various necessities and chores. That didn't mean I always did those things in the truck, but if the truck stop shower was too dirty, happened once or twice, I'd use my emergency gear in the truck to clean up. I put a big priority on having lots of groceries and being able to cook in the truck so I didn't have to risk food poisoning or settle for undesirable food. I could eat closer to my schedule, even if I got stuck at a customer for more than 24 hours waiting on one last item to be loaded.

The more things you can put under your control, the better you will be in the most uncertain industry I've worked in. You know you are going to eat, sleep, drive, and some other things every single day. Plan for it, equip for it. Nobody can really be surprised they need to do something they have been doing every day of their life, except maybe some truck drivers. A little plannig can make a big difference and you don't have to look, act, or feel like a stray dog. You won't have to littler or pollute. Just remember you can bring anything into the truck if you plan properly.

 

what the heck are the 2x4's for?

 

toilet seat? that's my guess...

 

anybody ever use a coleman camp shower?..... 5 gallon bag, fill it with water, hang it on the the rig and shower at the rest area, ramp, middle of nowhere location? Seems like an easy way to rinse off in a pair of loose board shorts or something.

 

i have one packed already . no reason to be stinky on the road only $8 at wally world

 

I'd as soon eat at a Mexicali tamale stand as ANY "roach coach." When I was in high school, I had a girl friend who worked on one of those things. . .Some of the stuff they serve, I wouldn't feed to a dog that I hated.

 

Oh I learned what not to eat. I did taco bell once...never again. If I have an emergency I can usually hand on until I find facilities. I make it a point to 'empty' at every shower (so nice to sit in a room by yourself and contemplate the meaning of life while dropping a deuce), and when I make a fuel stop if I feel a slight need I'm in there. Also got the immodium just in case.

 

Yes, I tried a coleman camp shower. It's not very durable or convenient. The seams on the water bag will break and you will not like what happens after that because it's gravity fed. Spend $10-20 and get a 1-2 gallon pump-up garden sprayer from Home Depot, Lowes, Wal Mart, etc. The resevoir is very durable. You get very good control of the water flow, on'/off and amount pressure. Fill it about 3/4 full and pump a few times. Don't use the long wand nozzle, but only the short nozzle for control. When I was OTR my beagle/border collie mix came with. I bought the garden sprayer just in case she got into something, she didn't, and then tried washing my hair when I was between real showers. You'll need a plastic tub about the size you would catch motor oil when changing your car's oil.

You can experiment with simulating a shower in the truck, you might try standing in a garbage bag to catch water. But I'd likely use the sprayer to wash your hair/face leaning over the catch tub. Then use a damp wash cloth, soap and a wet wash cloth to wash/rinse the rest of you. Baby wipes are so darn convenient to use I'd try to stay with them unless they aren't working well enough.

 

In a perfect world..Listen,I know what you mean,but,it CAN be a g'#### nightmare trying to find the way out early in the morning..They CAN be bad news..