After an 11-day journey to explore Cao Bang, Ha Giang and the northern mountainous provinces in 2022, this summer, Thu Thao and her husband (34 years old, Hanoi) decided to take a trip across Vietnam. .
The family of 4 planned to drive from Hanoi to Ca Mau cape in 15 days, but too many interesting things made it take them 31 days.
Throughout the trip Ms. Thao’s family lived on a mobihome (mobile home) – a popular form in many European and American countries but still quite new in Vietnam. The 16-seat car was converted into a mini apartment with a full bed, kitchen, sink, toilet, electricity and clean water system…
Ms. Thao shared her husband – Mr. Lam Son (36 years old) is a person who loves to travel and explore. Previously, the 8X father often traveled by motorbike with friends. Later he felt guilty about leaving his wife at home to take care of their two children. In addition, missing his family makes trips no longer complete.
This is what prompted Mr. Son to learn and start building a “mobile home” with his wife and children to explore. .
In 2021, Mr. Son converted his car into a “mobile home”. ” Firstly. When the car was completed, the Hanoi family began to get used to short journeys such as exploring Cuc Phuong forest and picnicking in Kim Boi (Hoa Binh)…
Planning to go during the Covid-19 epidemic Xuyen Viet couldn’t do it, Ms. Thao and Mr. Son and her husband spent time overcoming the limitations of the improved car to have more convenient functions. After more than 2 years of “addiction” to mobihome, the couple renovated their 7th car. This is said to be the most perfect “mobile home” version for this family.
“I transferred the previous cars to families with the same passion. My finances are limited, so every time I accumulate more money, I change the car to a higher model to buy better equipment.” Mr. Son said.
“Mobile home” Mr. Son and Thao’s current husband and wife were converted from a 2010 16-seat Ford Transit. The car has a folding single bed located right behind the two driver’s seats. This is the place for Mr. Son to sleep. Behind the car is a assembled bed sized 1 5m x 1 65m for Thao and her children.
“My family has gotten used to life in the car. Even though the car is parked at the beach and forest on the island Or in a busy city, the whole family still sleeps well,” Ms. Thao said. During the journey to Nha Trang, my mother and sister also traveling here so the whole family moved to a hotel. That night the whole family struggled to sleep and felt it was very difficult to sleep. From then on, our family completely slept in the car,” she added.< /p>
The 6m2 car is equipped with a 280AH backup battery that can be charged once Used for 2 days and 2 nights. The backup battery uses the car’s charger, so every 100km or so the battery will be fully charged without worrying about lack of power.
The vehicle is equipped with a 220V air conditioner specifically for mobihomes, a ceiling light system, an exhaust fan, a 60-liter refrigerator that can make ice – cool a water tank containing 100 liters of clean water to serve family activities. wastewater storage system.
The car has a compact bathroom but enough to serve the needs of 4 members. The kitchen area has a sink and shelves where the mini gas stove is placed…
“I have designed a ventilation fan in the kitchen area to ensure the cooking process does not create unpleasant odors” Mr. Son share.
Within 31 days This family drives a “mobile home” along the road by sea to Khanh Hoa, then Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City, moving throughout the western river provinces. After spending a few days exploring Phu Quoc, they continued to drive back by sea through Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan…
According to calculations, the trip cost was about 40 million VND, 15 times higher than the cost of the trip. normal family activities. In which, the cost of gasoline is about 15 million VND, the road fee is 2 million VND, and the food cost is about 20 million VND. Previously, the cost of buying and repairing a car was about 300 million VND. The cost of converting the car into a “mobile home” is about 120 million VND.
It took Mr. Son and his wife nearly two years to prepare for the trip. In addition to the car conversion time, they look for a suitable itinerary, choosing beautiful, pristine destinations that are not too crowded or places with interesting customs and traditions.
To ensure the health of the couple On a long trip, Mr. Son and his wife, Thao, only drove for no more than 4 hours, equivalent to about 200km per day. Usually the family wakes up at 7am, watches the sunrise together, swims in the sea, then wanders around to explore typical local breakfast dishes such as porridge soup in Dong Hoi, beef noodle soup in Hue, Quang noodles…
At 9:00 a.m. the family started moving to the new location. At noon, they usually have a light meal and rest for about an hour. They stopped at the new location before 5:00 p.m. so their children could swim and play in the square areas.
In the first days, Ms. Thao mainly cooked for herself. When coming to the Central and Southern provinces, this family spends dinner to enjoy local cuisine.
“When traveling by mobihome, everywhere is home. You can park your car at the tree gas station along the coast… Food is also stored in the car. If it’s time to eat and I can’t find a restaurant, I’ll park in a shady place and cook my own snacks,” Ms. Thao shared.
Mr. Son often chooses Park your car overnight in places that are not too deserted and have stable security to prevent any unexpected events. There were two nights when they stayed on the coastal road of Phu Yen and Vinh Hy Bay because they got here too late.
During the journey, they encountered a few incidents such as the car sinking in the sand in Quang Nam. swamp in Tri An lake. “After a few years of traveling by mobihome, my husband and I have become accustomed to such incidents. I often run across the main road and ask the locals to help push the car or rent a crane. The cost ranges from 300,000 – 600,000 VND depending on the place. ” Mr. Son said.
After the trip, Thao and her husband saw that their two children were strong and resilient. more bold. The two children communicated confidently and quickly greeted and made new friends. From city kids who are afraid of the sun, afraid of heat, afraid of big waves. After the journey, Kem and Kay enjoyed diving in the waves.
“Life on a car of only 6 square meters also teaches the children to be neat and tidy. This is truly a journey of traveling and learning with our family” Thao and her husband shared.< /p>”
