How to Live in a Ford Festiva:
By Ghost Dancer
This is a series of posts made on the Yahoo Group, VanDwellers by
Ghost Dancer. He is the owner and founder of the group. As of this
writing, 11-7-05, he is still an active member of the group, and would be
glad to answer any questions about living in a small car or van. Just
click here: Yahoo Vandwellers
First Post: #4350 Jan 3, 2004
But ... What do I camp in? Well, I have changed from the truck &
camper. I still have them but I don't use them, I've found something
better. I wanted to get back into another van but being nearly broke
from my injury and the resulting loss of work, I needed something that
would get great mileage. What I found, quite by accident, may surprise
you. I couldn't find a van that would get 30 to 35 MPG (not even a mini
van) SO, I sort of made one. (And it gets 40 MPG highway & 33 MPG
city)
What am I living in? A 1989 Ford Festiva! Everything behind the front
seats has been removed including the rear seat. Kinda like stripping
out a passenger van. The passenger seat can now recline back into a
flat position. And by adding my clothes bag at the front edge of the seat
I convert the seat into a bed. I added a gel-cell battery (house pack) to
the back in what was the area behind the rear seat. And with the seat
gone I added a board to separate the living area from the storage
(trunk) area. The battery is behind this board. I also carry my 10-liter
shower bag in the "trunk" and put it on the rear deck (above the trunk &
just inside the rear window of the hatchback) to heat during the day. I
use a short 3gal bucket (and 3 trash bags) for the port-a-pot. I can cook
on an LP stove & use a small ice chest for a sink & cold food storage.
It is rather tiny, but it is a comfortable home. And since I have lived
in a pickup cab (without the camper) I now have more room. A Ford
Festiva RV, kind of like a micro-micro-mini-van.
Dancer
Second Post: #4737 Mar. 7, 2004
Highly Modified! = gutted?
Well, no.
Not yet anyway.
Once I decide that I really like it, {Yea right, it barely had 91,000
on it in mid Sept. Now it has over 105,000 on it. The new tires have
been rotated two times! Much to the tire guys surprise.} I'll do a
re-build of the interior. At that time I'll completely gut it out for a full
insulation & rebuild.
Highly Modified =
A full, self supporting, electrical system.
A class "1" receiver hitch.
Auxiliary fuel & water storage.
On-board solar heated shower.
Sleeping quarters for one.
Cooking area & LP stove.
Insulated ice box.
Dining, reading, relaxing area.
Money Safe!
And a very high tech, or rather HIGH POWER communications setup.
***** Hence the little car's nick-name, "RC-2" *****
It got a new set of (4) tires, $80.00 at Wally World, just after I got the
title. I sent the title off to be transferred & ordered a set of plates &
insurance. I got everything back in 12 days. In those 12 days I'd put on
the new tires, removed the rear seat, and found a way to sleep in it.
Then I put on the temporary plate, added a 60" stainless steel whip
antenna to the roof & a CB radio under the dash AND "Radio Control
#2 was headed north to the folks house in Illinois. Turns out that I got
over 40MPG on that trip! Looks like a KEEPER?
But, once I got to Illinois, We made some insulated window covers for
RC-2. On the trip north the fuel gauge didn't operate properly, (still
doesn't) and not knowing how far I could drive on empty I took a 5 gal.
G.I. can along for extra fuel. (It was the only can I had on-hand!) And
I carried a pair of 3 ltr. bottles of water. And my solar heated shower
bag is an *MSR* 10 ltr. bag that I fill with potable water (or I fill it with an
MSR **Mountain Safety Research** water filtration pump) so as to keep
it clean for double duty as shower & water supply.
About the electrical system. In the rear of the car I carry an auxiliary
battery. A "house" pack unit. (Blue top Optima gel cell.) It is charged
through a continuous duty relay. The only time that the house battery &
the car battery are connected is while the car is running, therefore
charging both batteries together. This house pack operates the car's
stereo, a cooling fan, two interior lights, a weather alert radio, a Garmin
3+ GPS unit, a mobile FRS unit, a 600 watt (soon to be upgraded to
1200 watt) inverter, and the CB radio system. {A Galaxy 66 with a
Texas Star DX-500 linear, a Galaxy 88 with a Texas Star DX-350 linear
and a Uniden 55 kept on channel 9 plus 1 scanner and two scanning
shortwave radio's.
The car is also wired for 110 volt power with an inboard distribution
box and charging pack to recharge the house pack should I stay
hooked to shore power for a few days. When I'm on shore power I can
use a 700 watt (milkhouse type) heater and a lamp to read by. This
summer I'll add an AC unit & a microwave.
The money safe.
I'm not hiding money from a would-be thief. I hide it from the highway
patrol. If they find you are carrying more than a few hundred bucks they
think you are a drug smuggler. And then they rip your van apart
looking for their proof. If they find any proof you go to jail and if they
don't find any proof they just go away. That is they leave you standing
on the side of the road with your van torn all apart and things scattered
all over. They are supposed to help you put it back together but some
hot call always comes over the radio and they all scramble away. It
takes about 10 minutes for 15 men and 4 dogs to trash your van! You
can bet that the next officer will be along in about 20 minutes to write
you a littering citation and/or call a tow truck if you are still there. In the 3
times it has happened to me I've never recovered any damages. Only 2
officers were officially there for just a few moments and could not
possibly have done that much damage. 13 other officers were in that
area and they didn't see anything wrong. "Sir, you must have been
vandalized while you were away from your van. Did you see anything
happen?"
They have a machine that can see the bar code of cash money. The
little strip at the end of a bill. It tells them how much the bill is worth
and how many of them you have! I now wrap mine in foil and store them
in a fireproof safe lined with more foil. Does it work? I don't know, but
I've not been pulled over lately and told how much cash I have on hand.
And maybe now with my hair shorter and more age in my eyes, maybe I
don't look as much like a drug runner as I might have before. I'm not
saying you should hate the police. It is that which remained
mis-understood that is often feared the most. Be positive and educate
rather than to hate. Some of us are just different. Not wrong, just
different.
Ghost Dancer
Third Post: #9340 Aug. 14, 2005
I lived in the micro car for 15 months & still use it as a daily driver
and weekend camper. Micro mini van? 1989 Ford Festiva. Somewhat
shorter than a VW rabbit, but with a hatchback. Resembles a two door
Dodge Omni or a Subaru Justy, both of which are larger. The car
currently has 4250 amps of 12 volt storage, 1250 under the hood
& 3000 in the house pack. A 1200 watt inverter (Now unhooked
because I don't use it.) & a 600 watt inverter. Rather than "ham" radio, I
have a high output (1000 watt++) CB/10 meter with a roof mounted
108" antenna. (Not a typo, I use a fiberglass & copper 108" not the
common stainless steel 102") Hence the name "RC-2" "Radio Control"
#2, the #1 was about 15 years ago, an '80 Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta was
a VW rabbit clone, the Festiva was made by what became KIA motors.
Two shortwave radios (DX-380 clock radio & dash mounted DX-394)
the factory radio. A Sharp 15" LCD/VGA TV monitor. Computer (Sony
Vivo) with 5.1 surround sound wired into the cars factory speakers + a
woofer added. HEARD! 200 watts front, 200 rear, 300 woofer. I could
play CDs or watch DVD's or regular TV. One of the seven antennas on
the car. At one time, it had a 120 volt fridge & microwave. But I kept
burning the food & couldn't balance a diet. Inside & outside lights (lots
of them, SEEN!) and fans.
By Ghost Dancer
This is a series of posts made on the Yahoo Group, VanDwellers by
Ghost Dancer. He is the owner and founder of the group. As of this
writing, 11-7-05, he is still an active member of the group, and would be
glad to answer any questions about living in a small car or van. Just
click here: Yahoo Vandwellers
First Post: #4350 Jan 3, 2004
But ... What do I camp in? Well, I have changed from the truck &
camper. I still have them but I don't use them, I've found something
better. I wanted to get back into another van but being nearly broke
from my injury and the resulting loss of work, I needed something that
would get great mileage. What I found, quite by accident, may surprise
you. I couldn't find a van that would get 30 to 35 MPG (not even a mini
van) SO, I sort of made one. (And it gets 40 MPG highway & 33 MPG
city)
What am I living in? A 1989 Ford Festiva! Everything behind the front
seats has been removed including the rear seat. Kinda like stripping
out a passenger van. The passenger seat can now recline back into a
flat position. And by adding my clothes bag at the front edge of the seat
I convert the seat into a bed. I added a gel-cell battery (house pack) to
the back in what was the area behind the rear seat. And with the seat
gone I added a board to separate the living area from the storage
(trunk) area. The battery is behind this board. I also carry my 10-liter
shower bag in the "trunk" and put it on the rear deck (above the trunk &
just inside the rear window of the hatchback) to heat during the day. I
use a short 3gal bucket (and 3 trash bags) for the port-a-pot. I can cook
on an LP stove & use a small ice chest for a sink & cold food storage.
It is rather tiny, but it is a comfortable home. And since I have lived
in a pickup cab (without the camper) I now have more room. A Ford
Festiva RV, kind of like a micro-micro-mini-van.
Dancer
Second Post: #4737 Mar. 7, 2004
Highly Modified! = gutted?
Well, no.
Not yet anyway.
Once I decide that I really like it, {Yea right, it barely had 91,000
on it in mid Sept. Now it has over 105,000 on it. The new tires have
been rotated two times! Much to the tire guys surprise.} I'll do a
re-build of the interior. At that time I'll completely gut it out for a full
insulation & rebuild.
Highly Modified =
A full, self supporting, electrical system.
A class "1" receiver hitch.
Auxiliary fuel & water storage.
On-board solar heated shower.
Sleeping quarters for one.
Cooking area & LP stove.
Insulated ice box.
Dining, reading, relaxing area.
Money Safe!
And a very high tech, or rather HIGH POWER communications setup.
***** Hence the little car's nick-name, "RC-2" *****
It got a new set of (4) tires, $80.00 at Wally World, just after I got the
title. I sent the title off to be transferred & ordered a set of plates &
insurance. I got everything back in 12 days. In those 12 days I'd put on
the new tires, removed the rear seat, and found a way to sleep in it.
Then I put on the temporary plate, added a 60" stainless steel whip
antenna to the roof & a CB radio under the dash AND "Radio Control
#2 was headed north to the folks house in Illinois. Turns out that I got
over 40MPG on that trip! Looks like a KEEPER?
But, once I got to Illinois, We made some insulated window covers for
RC-2. On the trip north the fuel gauge didn't operate properly, (still
doesn't) and not knowing how far I could drive on empty I took a 5 gal.
G.I. can along for extra fuel. (It was the only can I had on-hand!) And
I carried a pair of 3 ltr. bottles of water. And my solar heated shower
bag is an *MSR* 10 ltr. bag that I fill with potable water (or I fill it with an
MSR **Mountain Safety Research** water filtration pump) so as to keep
it clean for double duty as shower & water supply.
About the electrical system. In the rear of the car I carry an auxiliary
battery. A "house" pack unit. (Blue top Optima gel cell.) It is charged
through a continuous duty relay. The only time that the house battery &
the car battery are connected is while the car is running, therefore
charging both batteries together. This house pack operates the car's
stereo, a cooling fan, two interior lights, a weather alert radio, a Garmin
3+ GPS unit, a mobile FRS unit, a 600 watt (soon to be upgraded to
1200 watt) inverter, and the CB radio system. {A Galaxy 66 with a
Texas Star DX-500 linear, a Galaxy 88 with a Texas Star DX-350 linear
and a Uniden 55 kept on channel 9 plus 1 scanner and two scanning
shortwave radio's.
The car is also wired for 110 volt power with an inboard distribution
box and charging pack to recharge the house pack should I stay
hooked to shore power for a few days. When I'm on shore power I can
use a 700 watt (milkhouse type) heater and a lamp to read by. This
summer I'll add an AC unit & a microwave.
The money safe.
I'm not hiding money from a would-be thief. I hide it from the highway
patrol. If they find you are carrying more than a few hundred bucks they
think you are a drug smuggler. And then they rip your van apart
looking for their proof. If they find any proof you go to jail and if they
don't find any proof they just go away. That is they leave you standing
on the side of the road with your van torn all apart and things scattered
all over. They are supposed to help you put it back together but some
hot call always comes over the radio and they all scramble away. It
takes about 10 minutes for 15 men and 4 dogs to trash your van! You
can bet that the next officer will be along in about 20 minutes to write
you a littering citation and/or call a tow truck if you are still there. In the 3
times it has happened to me I've never recovered any damages. Only 2
officers were officially there for just a few moments and could not
possibly have done that much damage. 13 other officers were in that
area and they didn't see anything wrong. "Sir, you must have been
vandalized while you were away from your van. Did you see anything
happen?"
They have a machine that can see the bar code of cash money. The
little strip at the end of a bill. It tells them how much the bill is worth
and how many of them you have! I now wrap mine in foil and store them
in a fireproof safe lined with more foil. Does it work? I don't know, but
I've not been pulled over lately and told how much cash I have on hand.
And maybe now with my hair shorter and more age in my eyes, maybe I
don't look as much like a drug runner as I might have before. I'm not
saying you should hate the police. It is that which remained
mis-understood that is often feared the most. Be positive and educate
rather than to hate. Some of us are just different. Not wrong, just
different.
Ghost Dancer
Third Post: #9340 Aug. 14, 2005
I lived in the micro car for 15 months & still use it as a daily driver
and weekend camper. Micro mini van? 1989 Ford Festiva. Somewhat
shorter than a VW rabbit, but with a hatchback. Resembles a two door
Dodge Omni or a Subaru Justy, both of which are larger. The car
currently has 4250 amps of 12 volt storage, 1250 under the hood
& 3000 in the house pack. A 1200 watt inverter (Now unhooked
because I don't use it.) & a 600 watt inverter. Rather than "ham" radio, I
have a high output (1000 watt++) CB/10 meter with a roof mounted
108" antenna. (Not a typo, I use a fiberglass & copper 108" not the
common stainless steel 102") Hence the name "RC-2" "Radio Control"
#2, the #1 was about 15 years ago, an '80 Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta was
a VW rabbit clone, the Festiva was made by what became KIA motors.
Two shortwave radios (DX-380 clock radio & dash mounted DX-394)
the factory radio. A Sharp 15" LCD/VGA TV monitor. Computer (Sony
Vivo) with 5.1 surround sound wired into the cars factory speakers + a
woofer added. HEARD! 200 watts front, 200 rear, 300 woofer. I could
play CDs or watch DVD's or regular TV. One of the seven antennas on
the car. At one time, it had a 120 volt fridge & microwave. But I kept
burning the food & couldn't balance a diet. Inside & outside lights (lots
of them, SEEN!) and fans.
Living Happily in a Ford Festiva
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By Ghost Dancer