Conversion van camping doesn’t give you the luxury of life in an RV, nor the discomfort of sleeping in a tent. It can be tough to safely heat a van at night, but it’s cheap compared to an RV, and you can go places they cannot. We spent more than 25 nights sleeping in our conversion van last year.

Life In A Conversion Van

Make your van into something that’s useable for you, especially if it’s going to be your residence for days or weeks at a time. For my wife and I, this meant having space to move around. We took out the two middle seats which, I convinced Ana, would be good armchairs for the living room. Then we had enough space for dressing or cooking. The bench-seat in back folds out into a comfortable bed, so we were all set for camping.

When traveling, you need a system of organization to keep your space inside the van livable. After our first long trip, we noticed the many things we never used. We got more efficient after that. We’re also able to keep the space open, despite carrying many things, by using plastic storage tubs you can buy almost anywhere. They stack well, and if you need more room at night, you can put them on the roof. They’re rainproof with the lids snapped on.

Heating A Conversion Van

Camping in a van can be cold at times, as it was for us in the deserts of Arizona last winter. We started the van and cranked up the heater once in a while, but only for brief periods. The danger of carbon monoxide poisoning is just too great to leave the car running while you are sleeping.

We also cooked to heat up the van. Our propane camp stove burned very clean. Any time it was cold, it was time to cook dinner, breakfast, or tea. This heated up the van nicely. Again, because of carbon monoxide, I wouldn’t recommend ever sleeping with a propane burner going. Still, sometimes a quick warm-up is all you need before you crawl under the blankets for the night.

The secret to heating a conversion van when camping is to give up. Enjoy meal time warm-ups, but unless you have electric power, I don’t know of a safe way to heat a van all night. Instead, you can heat yourselves. Wear warm clothing. Bring more blankets than you think you’ll need. Prepare a thermos bottle full of hot coffee each night, so it will be waitng for you in the morning. You get to warm the van when you make it, and warm up yourselves drinking it for breakfast.

Advantages Of Conversion Van Camping

Traveling and camping in a conversion van costs less than in an RV. The initial cost is a lot less if you buy used, as we did, and the cost of driving it is substantialy less. We averaged 18 miles per gallon on our last cross-country trip. Most recreational vehicles are lucky to get half of that, and they’re very expensive to maintain.

Compared with tent camping, a van is much more comfortable. Even if you backpack, you are probably going to drive some kind of car to wherever you go. With a van, you can come inside if it starts to rain. If you’re backpacking a long way from home, you can save on motels on the drive to and from the trailhead.

Camping can be more comfortable in an RV, but not in all ways. It’s nice, for example, to park anywhere. We’ve taken naps in parking lots, and nobody was the wiser, thanks to tinted windows, curtains, and the inconspicuousness of a van. At a free campground in Florida we got the best spot, on a bank overlooking Lake Talquin, because our van was small enough to fit there, unlike most of the RVs.

It’s great to be able to drive anywhere. In the conversion van, camping wherever we are when it gets dark is no problem. Finally, some larger RVs drag a car around because the big rig just isn’t practical for daily driving. Our coversion van is a second home AND our primary vehicle for shopping or going to work. That’s flexibilty.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

Texas public school teachers are appraised yearly. Here’s a quick review of what to expect and what you can do if there are problems.

All classroom teachers must be appraised on the basis of classroom teaching performance, in an area for which they hold certification if at all possible.

Teachers should be appraised every year, unless the teacher has been appraised as proficient or better in every category on the most recent appraisal. If so, the teacher and district may agree to do an appraisal less often, but at least every five years.

The teacher appraisal cannot include evaluation of extracurricular duties, although there may be a separate appraisal document covering those duties.

The appraisal may be based on classroom observation, periodic walk-throughs, and written documentation. The documentation may be gathered from any source, as long as the teacher is informed it may be used on the appraisal.

Either the teacher or the appraiser may request a pre- or post-observation conference. If you have unusual circumstances in your classroom, you should always request a pre-observation conference so that you can prepare the appraiser for what will be happening in your class.

Material for the appraisal may be gathered during the entire school year, but formal observations may not be held during:
1. the first two weeks of instruction;
2. the last day of instruction before a school holiday; and
3. any other day deemed inappropriate by the local school board.

If you have concerns about any observation, written documentation or appraisal report, you must deal with those concerns right away. There are slight differences in your options depending on whether your district uses the state developed PDAS instrument or a locally developed instrument, but the bottom line, always, is don’t wait more than a few days to respond.

If your district uses the PDAS, submit a written response after receiving:

a written observation summary;

a written summative annual appraisal report;

and/or any other written appraisal document.

The response or must be submitted within 10 working days of receiving a written appraisal document, or, at the discretion of the appraiser, within 15 working days.

A teacher may request a second appraisal by a different appraiser after receiving:

a written observation summary with which the teacher disagrees; and/or
a written summative annual appraisal report with which the teacher disagrees.

The second appraisal must be requested within 10 working days of receiving a written observation summary or a written summative annual appraisal report, or at the discretion of the appraiser, within 15 working days.

The second appraisal may replace the first, or the two scores may be averaged, or the second appraisal may simply be added to the teacher’s appraisal file as an additional document. These are locally determined matters.

If your district uses a locally developed appraisal processes, after receiving a written copy of the evaluation, a teacher is entitled to:
a second appraisal by a different appraiser; and
submit a written rebuttal for attachment to the evaluation.

A teacher may file a grievance regarding an unsatisfactory appraisal result under the local grievance policy.

Specific rules, timelines and procedures will be found in the local district policy.

A grievance should be considered if any of the following have occurred:
the appraisal result is very poor;
irrelevant information or bias results in a negative appraisal; or
written rules or procedures have not been followed.

Pamela Parker is a Texas attorney, speaker and author who regularly represents public school teachers. http://ThePeopleLawyer.com