【バスキャンピングカー】高速道路SAで転々と車中生活して見えた現実問題3つ

【バスキャンピングカー】高速道路SAで転々と車中生活して見えた現実問題3つ

Good morning. Yesterday, I couldn’t find a good spot to sleep in Shirakawa-go. So I got on the highway and slept at the first service area. It was cold that morning, so I turned on the air conditioner. Today, I’ll stop by a shop or my garage and just bring a blanket. I’m currently at the highway oasis of Johana SA in Toyama Prefecture. The day before yesterday, I left my camper van service in Aichi Prefecture. I drove on public roads and mountain trails. From today, I’ll be traveling mostly on the highway. Driving on public roads and mountain trails, I noticed that there was almost no body roll and it was very comfortable. I barely felt any leaning when cornering . The drive was smooth, so I arrived on time as predicted by Google Navigation. The only other issue was vibrations from bumps and other vibrations, but the ride was also very comfortable. There was no feeling of bottoming out, and it seemed like I wouldn’t be too tired on long highway drives. Regarding the size, which I was worried about, it felt just as good as my own camper van. I didn’t notice any drawbacks to the long body length. It’s 624cm long. The overall width is 2m and 1cm. At 201cm, it fits perfectly into this parking lot. The other side is also within this line. It’s 271cm tall. It’s slightly lower than a camper, so it should have less wind resistance. It doesn’t have the banking of a camper, so it should have less air resistance. One thing I’m concerned about on this highway trip is the roll, which is great on regular roads. But how does this feel at higher speeds? I’m curious to see if it can navigate tight curves like highway entrances and junctions with stability. The other thing I’m concerned about is straight-line stability. My camper feels unsteady and unstable at speeds above 80km/h. How about a bus-converter? I’ve heard it’s very stable. I’ll try it out at 90km/h and 100km/h. Aside from the driving experience, I’m also concerned about the insulation and soundproofing, which are weaknesses of this bus-converter. I expect service areas and parking areas to be quite noisy, so I’ll sleep in it to experience that. I’m also looking forward to enjoying my highway trip. This time, I’ll be stopping at many service areas in the Hokuriku region. I’m traveling while enjoying delicious food. My highway route will take me across the Hokuriku region, from Toyama Prefecture to Ishikawa Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and Aichi Prefecture, before taking me from the Sea of ​​Japan to the Pacific Ocean. Finally, I’ll be driving on the Isewan Coast Expressway, which is subject to strong winds. I plan to cover approximately 400 km. After driving on the highway for a while, I noticed something: it’s very stable. I’m currently driving at around 70-80 km/h. There’s absolutely no wobbling behind the wheel. And even though I’m right in the middle of the wind, it’s still perfectly stable. It’s amazing how different a cab-over camper and a bus-over camper are. Next, I’ll turn left onto the Hokuriku Expressway. There’s a fairly sharp R at the junction, so I’ll experience cornering on the highway here. Even though I’m turning, it’s very stable. It’s amazing. It doesn’t lean at all . I’m entering the Hokuriku Expressway. The cornering performance here is amazing. It’s 2.7 meters high, but it’s incredibly stable and barely leans at all. This is due to the wide tread width between the tires. As someone who drives a camper camper, I was surprised by the cornering stability. I stopped at a service area. This isn’t a highway oasis, but a regular service area or parking area. It’s long, so will I be able to park without any problems? I stopped at the Oyabegawa Service Area. I brought a blanket from the garage. I was able to park. Thankfully. This service area isn’t very large. There are about 50 spaces for small cars. There aren’t many for large vehicles either. There was a little space in front. About this size. The back just sticks out a little. If I move a little further forward, I think I’ll be able to fit without any problems. Parking spaces at service areas vary depending on the location, but they’re set a little longer. Even a car over 6 meters long like this one fit. A service area allows me to rest in peace. There’s a convenience store, so I’ll buy some non-perishable food. I bought a few things. After going to the restroom, I’ll sit in the car and think about what to do next. They had my favorite “Toyaman” bean paste. I’ll enjoy it with my coffee. The full glass windows give it a great open feeling. The smoked glass makes it difficult to see inside from the outside. The combination of “Toyaman” and coffee is fantastic. The crispy outside and moist inside of the pie crust complement each other’s deliciousness. Even on the highway, a bus stop is the best place to take such a relaxing break. Thank you for the meal. I could stay in this space for hours. I always buy this Japanese confectionery called “Toyaman” whenever I come across it. It pairs well with coffee and is delicious. There’s another type with fresh cream, which is also delicious. It must be refrigerated. If you come to Toyama Prefecture and see it, please give it a try. I just looked it up online and it seems to be a Toyama Prefecture specialty confection that won a gold medal at the National Confectionery Exhibition. This smoked glass is amazing. I usually close the curtains even for short breaks because I’d make eye contact with people outside. But with the smoked glass, I don’t have to worry about that. It’s a pain to put up the curtains or shades every time. I stopped by the garage today to do some things and ended up running late. I found a highway oasis in a parking area in Ishikawa Prefecture, next to Toyama Prefecture, so I’m going to spend the night there. It’s the only parking area on the Hokuriku Expressway with a hot spring. I often go there. Since there’s a highway oasis, I think I can park even in a compact car park. It’s almost 5 PM. I’m currently renovating my garage. A construction worker happened to be there, so we got talking and it got late. I’m currently building a large carport so I can do DIY projects even on rainy days. It’s like expanding the garage. I’ll share that with you in a video when it’s finished. I’m going to sleep early tonight and start a long trip tomorrow morning. Since I’m here, I’ll time my full acceleration from 40 km/h to 80 km/h while merging. Let’s start. I’m currently at 60 km/h. I’m currently at 70 km/h. I’m now at 80 km/h. There’s a traffic jam. The car was slow to respond when I first accelerated, but after a delay, it shifted down a gear and accelerated. After that, it accelerated all the way to 80 km/h, allowing me to merge smoothly. I also felt a sense of acceleration, like my back was being pushed back into the seat. The engine is a 3-liter diesel, so the torque is excellent. I have no complaints about the power. We’d been stuck in a construction jam for quite a while, but it finally seemed to clear. The traffic started to flow smoothly. I’d been traveling on the highway at about 80 km/h up to this point. The ride quality was excellent, just like on the local roads. There were no strong jolts like in a camper truck. Even over fairly large bumps, the shock absorbers absorbed the impact beautifully, making the impact gentle for the driver. Just like on regular roads, there was no bottoming out, and the ride was gentle, like riding in a cradle. Some people prefer to feel the impact of the road more directly. However, on long-distance drives, this level of ride comfort will make a big difference in fatigue levels. There’s a highway oasis on the left, so head that way. It’s pretty empty. The edge was free, so I parked there. The parking area is on the other side. This side is the highway oasis. The highway oasis at Tokumitsu Parking Area was the first in Japan. It was the first on the Hokuriku Expressway. I managed to fit it into the width of the parking space. I aligned the back with the sidewalk. The lines are starting to fade, but I think they’re probably about 1 meter out. There’s enough space in front for trucks and other vehicles to pass through. There are plenty of streetlights within the highway oasis, so it’s bright and not at all scary. There are plenty of regular parking spaces available. The large truck parking spaces fill up early. As Japan’s first highway oasis, there are plenty of shops. The convenience store is open 24 hours, which is very convenient. There are also many restaurants. A container hotel opened nearby a while ago. This is it. It’s popular. Best of all, this parking area offers direct access to the ocean, which is great. If you cross the bridge on the other side, you’ll reach the parking area on the other side, which leads straight to the beach. The hot spring is next to this container hotel, so it only takes a minute or two. I’ll set up my car for sleeping, then take a bath. First, I’ll put up the curtains around the driver’s seat. My car is set up for sleeping. As expected, this walk-through from the driver’s seat to the back is very convenient. It’s wide and low, making it easy to move from the driver’s seat to the back and passenger seat. It looks like it’s going to be pretty cold tonight, so I’ll close the curtains on the driver’s seat and back as well. Closing them also changes the atmosphere. The whole thing is wrapped in accordion curtains, giving it a more private feel. Now I’ll grab my bath kit and a change of clothes and head to the hot spring. It’s right off the highway oasis. I’m quite chilled, so I’ll warm up. They’re open. It’s empty today. There are hardly any cars. This is the entrance. It’s dark. ? I can’t believe it. They’re closed. I checked the restaurant’s website. They should be open today. It says they’re closed. The end of October is my day off from drinking. It just happened this week. It seems they’re closed today. I checked the website carefully to make sure this wasn’t happening, but it didn’t work . Thank you for your hard work. It can’t be helped. I slowly warm up inside the car. The sea breeze chilled my body. I turned on the air conditioner. This camper is equipped with a 300Ah lithium battery. The air conditioner’s heating consumes a lot of power, but since it’s not the middle of winter, I think it will last overnight. Warm air came out quickly. As the inside of the car warmed up, I had a non-alcoholic beer and took a short break. I was a little depressed because I couldn’t take a bath, but now I’m starting to enjoy myself. A truck is resting next to the camper with its engine running, but I can’t hear it very well. It’s covered with curtains, so it feels like the sound is absorbed by the fabric. Right now, the air conditioner is the loudest sound. It feels like the engine is coming from a distance, so it doesn’t bother me at all. This is a space for a normal car, but there’s about five trucks parked next to me, taking up the space. But I can’t blame the driver. Rest times are regulated by law. However, due to lack of space, I have no choice but to violate the rules. The drivers in the field are the ones who bear the brunt of the rules. Thank you for your hard work. I use Amazon frequently. I decided to move to Toyama Prefecture in the Hokuriku region because Japan’s improved logistics system means I can receive the same service no matter where I am. I’m grateful. We need consumers like us. I hope we can help each other and create more places where drivers can easily rest. I hope the parking problem can be fundamentally solved. I’m hungry, so I’ll make something with what I have. This is Kanazawa Curry GoGo Curry, purchased at the service area earlier. This is rice. I also have eggs and vegetables from yesterday. I’ll use these to make grilled curry fried rice. I also had some meat from the convenience store, so I’ll add that. My microwave is malfunctioning and I can’t use it. So I’ll fry everything in a frying pan at once. I want to wash my hands. This camper has hot water. There’s a water tank capacity meter here. This is a 51L fresh water tank. This HOT one is 40L and dispenses hot water. Press this to see how much is left. This HOT uses the heat from the car’s engine to heat itself. So, while driving, hot water is naturally produced. This side is cold water, and this side is hot water. Now, hot water comes out. It’s warm. It’s amazing that hot water comes out. And since it’s engine heat, it’s eco-friendly. It seems you can’t reheat it. It will be lukewarm the next day, but it will still be warm enough. Today, I’ll be cooking on this side of the table. I ‘ll throw everything in and make grilled curry fried rice. I’ll add the instant rice and purchased vegetables and stir a little. I’ll also add the meat and egg and stir. Finally, I’ll add the GoGo curry and it’s done. Grilled Kanazawa curry fried rice is complete. It’s a bit rude, but I’ll prepare a small plate and eat it directly from the frying pan. It’s very hot, but it’s delicious. The rice is slightly toasted, so it’s fragrant, and so is the curry. This GoGo curry is rich and pairs well with the rice. And adding the egg was a good choice. Because I’m eating it straight from the frying pan, it’s piping hot and tastes even better. It warms me up. Thank you for the meal. My body is warm now. I cooked with the windows open to prevent odors from building up, so the inside of the car was cold, but my body was hot—it felt like I was in a hot spring. It wasn’t torn. I was able to cook without making a mess. Instant rice is truly excellent. You can eat it without heating it in the microwave with just a frying pan. It can also be stored for a long time. I’d like to keep some in a camper like this. Now full, I’m getting sleepy in the warm car. I change into my pajamas and brush my teeth. This sofa is just wonderful. It’s as soft and feels as the sofa in a school principal’s office. This dinette, if you remove the table, both the second and third seats fold flat. You can even sleep here. Today, as yesterday, I was planning to sleep in the rear bed because it was spacious and comfortable, but today I’ll unfold the dinette and sleep here. It’s going to be quite cold tonight, so I’ll turn on the air conditioner. I close the partition curtain on the rear bed. This will reduce the space a little, which should improve the efficiency of the air conditioner. I was afraid that if I left it on while I was sleeping, the electricity would go out, so I set it to a timer and went to sleep. But here’s the problem: First, I had to fold the second seat flat. There’s a string here, so I pull it. It moves. Now I’ll move it this way. It’s facing the other way. Next I pull the backrest. It does fold down, as expected. It looks like it will be flat now. I bumped into it. It looks like the top part can come off. I got it. It ‘s flat now. Finished. Next is the third seat. This one also has lots of strings, so I pull them. I pull this. It moves. It fits perfectly on the other side. It looks like I just need to fold this down last. I pull the string to fold it down. As expected, this isn’t easy either. There’s one more mysterious string. It seems to move like this. Is this what you remove? I got it. Then I pull this and it flips over. I pull the bottom string. Finished. It’s flat now. I’m not sure I’ll be able to put it back down when I wake up tomorrow morning. This bed configuration seems difficult unless you do it a few times and get used to it. There’s a gap here, so you should be able to fill it by putting a mattress in or moving the sofa bed. But I’ll sleep like this tonight. It looks like the aisle here could be filled, too. It’s amazing. It’s spacious. My feet don’t reach the edge, so the bed seems about 185cm long. It’s not that wide, so I’d guess it’s about 80cm to 90cm. It’s about the size of one adult’s bed. But I don’t think it’s a problem at all. When the interior is quiet, I can hear the engine of the truck next to me, but it doesn’t feel too loud. It’s not as soundproof as a camper van, but it’s still not too loud. I thought it would be more audible and reverberate inside the car, so this is surprising. There are many things you can’t really know until you actually sleep in a car. I think I’ll be able to sleep soundly. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s long highway drive. Good night. Day 3 of living in a car. Good morning. The sofa bed was very comfortable, so I was able to relax. Like the rear bed, it had good cushioning and I didn’t feel like I was sitting on the floor at all, which was nice. It was cold this morning, but it’s getting warmer as the sun rises. The thermometer inside the car is currently at 23.9°C.(75.02000℉) The thermometer outside reads 18.6°C(65.48000℉). Last night’s lowest temperature was 12.7°C(54.86000℉) outside, and 13.3°C(55.94000℉) inside. The temperature inside the car dropped to almost the same temperature as outside. The driver’s seat, which has even less insulation, seems to have dropped to 10.8°C(51.44000℉). It’s even colder than the outside temperature. I think this is due to morning radiative cooling. So there is some insulation, but with so many windows, it seems that van conversions are much less insulated than cab-over conversions. Now, let’s get changed. This dinette will be converted into a facing sofa again. Before that, we’ll move the second seat. It used to face this way, but when people sit in the back, they normally sit facing forward. I’ll try that out. Pull the string here to raise the back. It’s very easy. Is this supposed to be a headrest? There’s a place to insert it at the top. Now it’s finished. You can ride forward-facing. Now, let’s convert it back into facing sofa mode. I’m not sure if I can do it, but I’ll check each part one by one. The dinette sofa is now complete, facing each other as before. There’s a lever under this chair, and I turned it to move it. What did you all think about the bed unfolding? I found it a bit of a hassle. If I owned this camper, I’d sleep primarily in the rear bed, and I might even build a part myself that would allow me to cover this side with a board so I wouldn’t have to unfold it as much. Now, I’ll have my morning coffee. We’re traveling a long distance today, so I’m heading out now. The ocean views here are spectacular, and I wanted to go see them, but I’ll save that for next time. It’s getting hot, so I checked the thermometer and it’s now 26.6°C(79.88000℉) inside the car. It was 13.3°C(55.94000℉) this morning, so there’s a temperature difference of about 13°C(55.40000℉). While I’m there, I’ll use the restroom. There’s a souvenir shop here, so I’ll stop by for a bit and then head off. The weather is lovely. Waking up right on the highway is the best. There’s a convenience store right there. The biggest advantage of camping on the highway is being able to leave immediately. After all, if you’re traveling from home, you’ll end up leaving late because you’re getting ready. On the highway oasis side, there’s a convenience store, beef bowl restaurant, tsukemen restaurant, udon restaurant, and souvenir shop. Even though there’s coffee in the camper, I ended up buying coffee at a convenience store. I think this is a pretty common habit among camper owners. Convenience store coffee is better than the coffee in the car. It tastes better, but the spill-proof container is perfect for long drives, so I buy it. Next, I’d like to take a break in neighboring Fukui Prefecture or the prefecture after that, Shiga Prefecture. After about 30 minutes of driving, I arrived in Fukui Prefecture. The camper is very stable, so long distances feel shorter. After driving for a while, I noticed that it doesn’t get stuck in ruts at all. With a camper, if you get stuck in a rut, the steering is taken away. It feels like you’re being buffeted by a crosswind. However, this camper doesn’t get stuck at all. My Camroad has wide treads on the rear, so the tread width of the front and rear wheels, i.e., the tire width, is different. However, the camper is the same width front and rear like a regular car, so I can drive smoothly without getting stuck in ruts. It’s really comfortable. I’ve now reached the southern part of Fukui Prefecture, but I’m just a little bit away from the border with Shiga Prefecture, where I’ll be crossing a series of very steep mountain passes. I’ll actually drive up the hills and the mountain lane with its steep climbs to feel the power. The weather is nice today, and it feels great. There are no service or parking areas for a while until we cross the mountain, so I take a short break at the Nanjo Service Area. This area also has a roadside station, so I can enjoy service area cuisine. I’m a little hungry, so I’ll buy some rice balls and a drink. Yokkoi Shoichi! (This is a Japanese joke.) I bought a few things. I’ll open the window a little and eat with the curtains closed. These curtains are really convenient. I bought heshiko rice balls and salmon and maitake mushroom rice balls. I’m sure they’ll be delicious. Also interesting, they were selling sweetfish roe. I also had coffee and kaitenyaki to accompany my drive. It has red bean paste inside. I wipe my hands. I’ll try this heshiko rice ball. The saltiness of the heshiko goes well with the rice. The rice also has a dashi-like flavor. It’s very delicious. Next is grilled salted sweetfish. I never thought I’d be able to eat something like this at a service area. I bit into it in one go. It was so delicious. It was fatty and packed with meat. I got a bargain. Eating delicious food while traveling might be the happiest time of my life. Thank you for the meal. This base vehicle, the Mitsubishi Rosa, has a very spacious interior, so it’s convenient for eating meals. I’d rather eat here than in the back seat. Around here, we enter the mountains. There are many steep climbs and sharp curves. I’m currently ascending the hill lane. My speed has dropped a little, so I press the accelerator a little harder. This maintains 80 km/h again. In addition to the climbs, there are also a series of sharp corners. Even on these steep climbs and in the hill lane, pressing the accelerator a little harder accelerates. It feels just like driving a normal car. You can’t tell just by looking ahead how a campervan-mounted vehicle drives. A truck just passed me, but it didn’t shake much. Another one came. It barely shook at all. It’s very stable. I’ve entered Shiga Prefecture. From here, the road is flat all the way. I’m a little sleepy, but I’m going to keep going, heading to Gifu Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, and the Isewan Coast Expressway. Finally, I’ve left the Sea of ​​Japan and reached the Pacific Ocean. This is the Isewan Coast Expressway. I’m currently driving over a bridge, and surprisingly, there’s not a single breeze today. The Isewan Coast Expressway is known for its strong winds, but when I checked my weather app earlier, I saw a wind speed of 1 m/s. I never thought something like that would happen. This is the first time I’ve seen such calm winds on the Isewan Coast Expressway. It can’t be helped, given the weather. I’ll be driving on the highway again tomorrow morning, so if the wind is strong, I’ll experience the crosswind. I’m heading to the parking area just around the corner. I’m taking a bath and resting at the beloved Kariya Parking Lot. It’s crowded. I’ve arrived at a highway oasis. There was a space on the side, so I parked there. I managed to find a spot. It’s almost full. There was one space in between, but there were cars on both sides, so I was a little scared, so I gave up. This was the only space available. I parked as close to the edge as I could. The car next to me was large and parked to the full width, so I was a bit nervous, but I managed to park. I backed up until I almost hit the wheel chock. It only extended this far in front, so I think it should be fine. It’s quite long, but it’s only 2 meters wide, so it fits in the parking space. I also pulled as close as I could to the other side. There’s so much space at the driver’s seat, I think I’ll be able to get out even if a car gets all the way to the width limit. I was nervous about parking. It’s the fourth night here, so it’s fine, but if it had been the first day, I probably wouldn’t have been able to park. I wish there was an around-view monitor in the driver’s seat so I could see the scenery from above. It’s been a while since I last visited Kariya Parking. The best thing about this place is the bath. I’m heading straight to the hot springs. There are a lot of campers parked there today. That’s a JP STAR “Happy1” and a Vantech “ZiL520.” There’s also a Hiace camper. Just looking at the parking lot is fun. Now, I’m going to warm up in the bath. It felt great since I couldn’t take a bath yesterday. It’s getting cold inside the car, so I’ll turn on the air conditioner. A cold beer is the perfect thing after a bath. Let’s have some fun. Car camping. This is the best time. Today is my last night with this bus camper. I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest. This morning we were on the Sea of ​​Japan side, but now we’re on the Pacific side. I drove a long distance today, but I’m not tired at all. If I had driven my own camper van, I would have felt quite a bit of impact, so I think I would have been a bit more tired if I had driven this distance. I was truly surprised by the stability of the bus-based camper van, the “Buscon.” At the end of the day, I got to experience how strong a crosswind would be on the Isewan Expressway, but unfortunately that didn’t happen today. I hope the wind is stronger tomorrow. Now, it’s time to make dinner. There was a Family Mart at Kariya Parking. I bought some yakitori. It’s cold, but I’m going to cook it. I have some bean sprouts and eggs, so I’m going to make Tonpei-style yakitori. I put half an egg in here, then push it to the side. I’ll put the remaining cooked egg in the empty space. Finished. Tonpei yakitori. I made it casually, but it looks pretty tasty. Let’s eat. The bean sprouts are crunchy and very delicious. I used yakitori flavor in the sauce, so it has a strong flavor and is perfect for a late-night snack. It got a little burnt, but that’s no problem at all. As expected, making this kind of egg dish with aluminum foil is a bit difficult. But bean sprouts go so well with this tonpeiyaki. I might even prefer it to cabbage. Thank you for the meal. This time I got convenience store yakitori, but canned yakitori would also be delicious. I’m satisfied with the amount of vegetables I got. The meal is over. I’ll change into my pajamas. The water flow is quite strong, so I can wash dishes just like at home. Tonight I’ll sleep in the rear bed. Having a permanent bed in a camper van really elevates camping. It’s going to be cold in the morning, so I’ll set the sleep timer. Today is my last night of camper life, which seemed long but was short. My impressions from camping on the first day and living in it for four days are different. The length of time you plan to stay in the car will affect how you use the camper and the equipment you need. And whether or not there’s a toilet will also affect where you sleep. Camper vans are truly complex. This was a great experience for me to drive a new type of camper van, the bus-con. Thank you so much to Camper Car Service for lending me their car. I’ll take my final drive tomorrow and check any additional points I’m concerned about. I’ll summarize and share with you what I noticed, what was good, and what wasn’t so good on days three and four . Good night. It’s the fifth morning of living in my car. Good morning. I slept soundly without the chill of the early morning. Kariya Parking has a toilet that cost 400 million yen to build, so I’ll use it. I saw a delicious-looking roast beef sandwich for sale in the parking area, so I bought one. It came with soup. It was minestrone soup. I’ll have that and then I’ll head out. While I was browsing Kariya Parking while I was in the restroom and buying food, I discovered a supermarket . It was in the basement. I’ve been here many times, but this was the first time I’d noticed it. This parking area is amazing. Thank you for the meal. I got some vegetables and it was delicious. I finally had a coffee and headed out. The sun was rising, shining light on my car. So the temperature inside the car is rising and is now 21.8°C(71.24000℉). The outside temperature is 16.4°C(61.52000℉). The temperature outside hasn’t risen much, but the temperature inside the car is steadily rising. It’s a comfortable season now, so it’s fine, but if it were a month or two ago, around September or October, it would probably be difficult to stay in the car during the day without air conditioning. Well, we’re almost at the finish line. I’ll drive safely and stay alert. It’s a beautiful sunny day again today, so it feels great. We’ll arrive at the “camper car service” in about an hour. But we still have time, so we’ll stop somewhere, like a riverbank, to measure fuel economy. We’re still on the Isewan Coastal Expressway. We’re no longer on the ocean, but it’s windy. A windbreak wall has been installed. Before leaving, I checked the wind speed on my app and it was 0m/s. I can’t believe it. It seems the wind has died down even more than yesterday. This area is usually very windy. There’s really nothing I can do about it. I’m currently driving at 80km/h through the junction onto the Tomei Expressway. It’s a tight corner. It’s a high-speed corner. But it turns smoothly. There’s no lean at all. There’s very little roll. There’s a bit of a traffic jam right now. There’s a Mitsubishi Rosa ahead of me on the right. As you can see, it’s completely glass-walled. The rear is glass as well. This camper has been padded for insulation. The difference from a standard camper is clear. I exit the highway and enter a local road. I find a self-service gas station. I fill up on diesel. I’ve driven 438km. I head to the shade under a bridge. This is the riverbed in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture. It’s amazing. On the way down here, there was a pretty sharp, U-shaped corner. The road was narrow, so I had to make several turns. It’s right here. That’s where the JAF vehicle turned. The JAF vehicle couldn’t make the turn in one go, so it had to make several turns. Let’s calculate the fuel economy. I drove 438.5 km. I used 31.45 L of fuel. At 13.94 km per L, that’s about 14 km, or 1 L of fuel. My fuel economy on the last trip around town and on mountain roads was 13 km per L, so I improved my fuel economy by about 1 km. This time, the store attendant filled up the gas on the way there, and I filled it up myself at the end. What do you think? It’s pretty fuel-efficient. Even though it’s such a well-modified camper, it’s as fuel-efficient as a regular car. And it uses diesel, so it’s reasonably priced. As someone who drives a Camroad-based cab-over camper, I’m envious. By the way, the Camroad’s fuel economy is 7-8 km. At best, I think it’s around 8+ km. There’s a generator on the left rear of this camper. It’s a generator. I’ve never used a generator before. I’ll try it out for a bit. I’ve heard it’s pretty quiet, but I wonder if it’s actually that quiet? It’s stored here. Here’s the rod for the door stopper. I’ll attach it here. I’ll follow the instructions. I’m a little nervous. So, let’s give it a try. Pull this to start the engine. Pull slowly, and when you feel resistance, pull quickly. I’ll try it. The engine won’t start. The engine won’t start. I turn this lever to ON and turn the engine switch on. The eco-throttle is off. The president of “Camper Service” said there was fuel in it. I don’t know this time, so I’ll ask him when I get home. It’s an engine, after all, so I’m a little scared to use it for the first time. I’m also interested in generators, as they’re very useful in emergencies. I’ll ask the president next time. Finally, I’ll share my impressions after living in the car for five days. I learned something new that I didn’t understand on my last road trip. In short, despite the parking restrictions, the driving and living space were among the best among camper vans. I now understand why camper van owners end up switching to a bus-only camper van. Now, I’ll address the points that bothered me, piece by piece. First, the disadvantages. The first is unfolding this sofa as a bed. It was quite a hassle. This type of seat is commonly used in van conversions. This was my first time actually unfolding this seat in a bus conversion. I thought it would be fine to unfold the bed occasionally. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to do it every day while traveling. For up to two people, this permanent rear bed would be fine. For families with three or more, unfolding this bed becomes an absolute necessity. The number of people traveling will likely affect usability considerably. However, since this second seat faces forward, I think the rear passengers will be more comfortable while traveling. The second seat does experience less shaking than the third seat. For those who use the car for everyday use rather than mainly sleeping in, this seat may be more convenient. The second disadvantage is that, once again, I felt the poor insulation. There was a big temperature difference. I guess it can’t be helped, given the many steel parts and windows. Compared to a cab-over camper, I still feel the insulation is weaker. Today is October 30th, so it’s a good season for camping in the car, so I was able to go. I think that if it gets a little hotter or colder, the power consumption of a home air conditioner will increase. I didn’t use it this time, but we have a dedicated heater for campers in the winter. It’s a fuel-fired heater that burns fuel to heat. So I don’t think electricity will be a problem. Cooling this space with the air conditioner would consume a fair amount of electricity. Home air conditioners consume little power, but I’m concerned about whether they’ll cool down in direct sunlight in the middle of the summer, especially since they have poor insulation. I think the previous person’s window would be much more insulating if they were double-glazed like the rear window. Or they could cover it with a shade. You won’t be able to see the view, but that should allow the air conditioner to work to a certain extent, even in the middle of summer. Next is parking. I knew this from the beginning. Even on our highway trip, the parking lot at the Highway Oasis in Kariya Parking Area was narrow, which was a bit of a hassle. It’s 624cm long, so it protrudes 124cm from the 5m parking space. This is the biggest disadvantage of a bus-mounted camper van, which has perfect driving performance. After driving around in various locations and parking in it, I discovered that it’s surprisingly easy to park in a standard vehicle space. However, there are some places where it’s not possible, so it really depends on the location. Some people might prefer to park in the large truck space. However, personally, I prefer to leave the large truck space open for trucks. So I parked in the standard vehicle space whenever possible. The standard vehicle space is accessible, but I had no problem at all at service stations. Other places include high-standard roadside stations. And I think rural convenience stores are also fine. These are places where you can easily park for free. Other options include paid RV parks and campgrounds. I think you’ll be able to park there without any problems. If you’re planning on just popping into town or a city and parking somewhere, it’s difficult. I often park in town, so I think a camper van about 2x5m is best. The length didn’t bother me at all in terms of driving. The only thing I noticed was parking. On the other hand, this is a good point. As expected, even on the highway, there was very little vertical shaking or lateral shaking. It was comfortable as it drove stably without any rolling even around sharp corners such as highway junctions. It could go further. For example, if I was told to continue on to Tokyo, I could easily do it. I hardly felt tired. The next thing that was great was the straight-line stability. The straight-line stability on the highway was incredible. I often drove at 80km/h, and it didn’t even flinch when I was overtaken by a truck. Even with my hands on the steering wheel, there was no wobble at all. At higher speeds, campervans often have a feeling that the tires lift and the steering wheel wobble. However, this didn’t happen at all. Although I didn’t record it this time, I tried driving at 100 km/h outside of the video. It remained stable. I briefly tried going over 100 km/h while overtaking. It finally felt a bit wobbly. The straight-line stability of the bus-converter was about the same at around 110 km/h and the Camroad-based cab-converter at around 85 km/h. I learned that the shape of the vehicle, the tires, the front and rear wheelbase, and the tire and tire width can all affect straight-line stability. The Hokuriku Expressway in Fukui Prefecture that I traveled this time has many ruts. However, the steering remained stable and I was able to move forward. I’d heard that dual-tire rears tend to cause steering to be lost when driving over ruts, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was very stable. The two biggest advantages I felt during this long-distance drive were straight-line stability and roll. These two campers were truly incomparably stable compared to the Camroad-based camper camper. The next benefit is undoubtedly fuel economy. It gets 14km per liter. It’s amazing. It gets about twice as much as the Camroad. How does it get such good fuel economy, considering how large and heavy it is? I forgot to mention it this time, but it also comes with an awning. It was fully stocked with water. There was only one person in the car, but it was loaded with a fair amount of luggage. And finally, the last good thing: the tinted windows. As a camper, I experienced these tinted windows for an extended period of time, and they were extremely effective. I always close the curtains when sleeping in the car, but there are quite a few times when I don’t take a long break. I eat meals or take a 15-minute nap. The tinted windows made it difficult to see from the outside, which was extremely helpful. The space in the back, where I could quickly and easily rest, was extremely convenient. These were my impressions from this car camping trip. The vehicle’s driving performance was stable on regular roads, but it was even more stable on the highway. A cab-over camper with this driving performance and a width of 2m and length of 5m would be perfect for Japan. This trip was fun. It was a rare opportunity to ride a bus-type camper, so it was a valuable experience. Now, let’s head back to the “Camp Car Service.” We arrived at the “Camp Car Service.” My camper, the “ZiL520,” is being renovated. Is it finished? I’m back. I also had it washed, so my beloved car is sparkling clean. They just explained the renovations to me, and it was amazing. It has been renovated into a very functional and easy-to-use camper. Thank you so much. Now, let’s transfer our luggage from the bus-type camper to the “ZiL520” and head off. I’ll provide a detailed explanation of the renovations in another video. Please take a look!

世界で一台しかないワンオフバスコンキャンピングカー旅。
普段キャブコンに乗っているオーナーがバスコンとの違いを体感しお伝えします。

前半のバスコン一般道旅は

お借りしたバスコンは愛知県キャンカーサービスさんの所有の車です。
待合室として現在使われています。

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◆動画チャプター
00:00 オープニング
00:18 高速道路車中泊1日目
24:03 高速道路車中泊2日目
45:40 燃費結果
48:14 メリットデメリット

#car camping,#car camp,#camping,#vanlife,#japanese camping car