2001 Ford E350 Extended High-top van [split from 1986 Dodge B-250 ...]

[debit.servus]

:huh:   A week?  That takes an hour, perhaps two to do the entire job.



Where are you reading this?  Certainly not on this site.  We have members all over the globe, as well as all over the North Americn continent.  AZ happens to be the warmest place in January.  


...


In the past people WORKED and there was no SSI.  They walked.  You are in the same boat as everyone else today.  The only way to get ahead is to WORK.  Get an education.  Nobody is going to give you anything. 

Prove this point where you could work an average job in the past, and have even 3 times more disposable income. 



...

You can not afford cheap, how are you going to afford modest?  :huh:

...

1-2 hours for you because you have mechanical knowlege.

Arizona is great for a few months a year, with deserts AND forests.

Lets see... Most families two generations ago, one parent only needed to go to work to pay all the bills; with some disposable income left over. Today, to have the same quality of life as it was two generations ago both parents need to work full time jobs with the children in daycare. Not saying the past was rosy, just the amount of work to afford a middle class life was waay less than it is today. My generation is on track to live a Mexican life with an American income, thanks to previous generations robbing both the generations before them and robbing my generation before we were even born (robbing the unborn). $10 smartphones, $0.98 cent flip flops, $1 large drink at MCD, free apps to play on the bus & $5 toasters; EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, EVERYTHING IS COOL WHEN YOU'RE PART OF THE TEAM!!!!!!!



Eventually I desire to get to modest. If I had money I wouldn't do half the things I do now to save it.

 

[Txjaybird]

They think since I am not working every day of the week with little to no sleep I am a lazy asshole.

A.     Who are "They" that you refer to?


Yes I do consider myself a furry boi, and attend this furry club event in San Francisco called Frolic.

B.     IMO this is way TMI however the question was asked. 
  

I know my current income of $7640 a year will barely support my dream life.

C.     I have never thought it a good idea to discuss my full income in public, my family members have no idea of my income that I live on.


I am working for the latter. As spending hours to save a buck is not something I desire to look back on at age 70.  

D.     Sometimes when a person has more time than money they might be considered wise to spend  more of the time they have to get what they need but do not have the money for.


_____I am getting tired of people boasting how they live well while exploring the country on a $7000 a year income without fully sharing the other costs (how their average day is like, set-up costs, trial-and-error, time spent to achieve savings/discounts etc.) and any benefits that subsidize/offset the cost of living (like eating at the homeless shelter twice a week, subsidized healthcare, living with family, bartering for goods/services etc.).
Then through very low standards say they're living comfortably (set the bar low enough and any standard of living can be defined as "comfortable") 

E.     If you dislike to be judged by others......why do you do it?   You have a right to your opinion however I do not think you, or I, or anyone has a right to decide that someone has a  low a standard of life if it is  the life they have chosen for themselves.


_____Also, I have read some "savings stories", which are full of holes. Through my knowledge of true DIY costs (money, time, energy, skill, tools, cooperation etc.), know that the costs involved is not just money. Some "savings stories" read as glorified, cheery, best-case-scenario writings about a DIY project that ended up monetarily costing 1/10th or less than what a ready made or machine-shopped version would cost.

F.     I like these stories with happy endings of money saved.      Here is another for you.....on Tuesday I drove about 10 blocks  {.50 cents of gas} bought a working older  H.P laptop for $10 at the local mission store.........got my old bats & old farts discount of $2.00 = $8 lap top ...son has already installed ubuntu  {whatever that is} and when I learn that system he will teach me how to download my files on to the "new" laptop.  Since we are both retired I do not feel that we 'lost'  any $$$ for our time and saved a few $100.00's on the laptop.          
                                      There's a happy ending for you!   


_____Anybody else getting tired of hearing this?

G.   Nope.......Not in this low standard house hold/life style    :angel:


I once saw this on a bumper sticker      "IT'S TO BAD A CLOSED MIND DOES NOT COME WITH A CLOSED MOUTH"
  I TRY TO KEEP A "OPEN MIND" HOWEVER I FAIL MISERABLY  ON THE "CLOSED MOUTH" PART! 

  
                             NOW I'M DONE        TEXAS JBIRD

 

[GotSmart]

Debt;  I will speak plainly.  No meanness or belittling intended.  

All of my children are just older than you are.  One is in a wheelchair.  She works 3 days a week, and also has an online store selling hand made items to a specialty targeted customer. She puts in 12 hour days.  Another has two children, and works opposite shifts from her husband to be able to save to build a house.  The youngest is 24.  She had 10 years work experience, and a 4 year degree, including a semester in Europe.  She did this on her own! The pint is they are also millennials.  Without a entitlement mindset. 

Any one of these girls can go online, and with a 5 minute search and study, can troubleshoot a household HVAC system.  Parts is parts.  Find the broken one and replace it.  

I have the experience to be able to repair many failed parts.  But anyone can troubleshoot and replace.  

If you do not like the way it works today with income inequality, just remember that back then we had constant wars and plagues to keep the work force members more valuable.  Look up "The Forgotten Men"  Or there is this tactic used today in other countries.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-korea-covered-mass-abuse-killings-vagrants-040603497.html?ref=gs

Once again,  NOBODY IS GIVING YOU ANYTHING. You have to work for it. Sitting and whining online only makes you a whiner.  

As for your personal life and income... Keep it personal and safe.  TMI can only cause problems. There are crooks, as well as people who will get violent because your choices do not match their idea of what should be.

 

[akrvbob]

Again, Frugalistas are professionals at redefining a "good" life.

I do know this is the CHEAP RV living forum, and so most people on here are poor bois like me. Is there a "modest" RV living forum some where on the internet?

Debit.Servus, you are wearing your welcome here very thin. Maybe it's time you leave here and go find a forum you like, since you seem to be dedicated to mocking and belittling the ideas behind this one. 

You've tried hard to show us all how wrong we are and how right you are and you have failed. My guess is we are all much too dim to rise to your level of enlightenment. 

You need to stop now. 

If you stay, all posts belittling other peoples ideas will be deleted. If you persist you will be put on moderation. Once on moderation your posts will be scrutinized much closer and be deleted much quicker. You want to avoid that.

This is your only warning.
Bob

 

[Milk Hauler]

I tried to warn everyone. Read between the lines he posts. He's trolling us!

Sent from my SCH-S968C using Tapatalk

 

[debit.servus]

Hellow, Tons of work dismanteling the DODGE van has keep me busy. Between getting rid of the DODGE, downsizing, liquidating and giving away stuff, moving out and fitting out the FORD there has been no shortage of work on my plate.

I don't troll people, I am expressing the emotions to people from a boi who has been deprived for 3 years travelling anywhere of distance on the road. This IS My Year! It's my turn to spend the entire summer on the road!

 

[highdesertranger]

so the Dodge is gone? how much did you get for it? highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

No the DODGE hasn't sold yet. Just re-listed it on Craigslist under Auto Parts section (as it doesn't pass California SMOG). 

From Another thread:

For the FORD van I am "central planning" the water and electrical. I have an old entertainment center furniture piece that I plan to repurpose as the kitchen cabinet, since it's built strong and with real wood unlike the DODGE vans kitchenette. This will be the hub for the water and electrical systems with auxillary substations spidered out to. This way if I have to change vans in two years I am not spending weeks dismantling the water and electric and can have everything permanently installed like it was in the DODGE van.

Plan to house electrical junctions and run loads out of circuit breaker boxes (Like the Siemens E0816ML1125S Surface Mount, 125 amp, 8 space, 16 circuit load center) or in plain wooden "spice cabinet" wall mounted boxes if they're affordable (What is the generic name of this type of houseware). Placing them on the sides of the TV cabinet where they'll be easily accessible and workable. The design of this hub will focus on minimizing dead space, this includes when it comes to fitting all the kitchen appliances on the shelves of the entertainment center.

Which brings me to another point. When I refitted the DODGE interior, I was appalled at all the wasted space behind, in between and walled off. I see this in cars and trucks as well, the ribs in the FORD walls have so much deadspace it makes me want to cut them out! Ofcourse there will always be some deadspace even in the best designed spacecrafts, as eliminating deadspace is impossible. The aim should be to minimize deadspace especially in places where space is at a premium, like inside a van.

 

[debit.servus]

Acquired http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-hitch-extender-69881.html to solve the platform scraping problem. Plan to buy www.amazon.com/Swing-Option-SC400-Mobility-Carriers/dp/B004I8168K/ so I can open the back doors to access everything behind said doors. Plan to keep the platform on full-time now as it's not scraping on parents driveway, and it will be the home for the propane tanks, generator and gas for the generator. Also plan to stow the the 2-stroke gas scooter on the platform as well.

Finally got everything out of the DODGE and got pictures of it so it's ready to sell.

 

[GotSmart]

Acquired http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-hitch-extender-69881.html to solve the platform scraping problem. Plan to buy www.amazon.com/Swing-Option-SC400-Mobility-Carriers/dp/B004I8168K/ so I can open the back doors to access everything behind said doors. Plan to keep the platform on full-time now as it's not scraping on parents driveway, and it will be the home for the propane tanks, generator and gas for the generator. Also plan to stow the the 2-stroke gas scooter on the platform as well.

Finally got everything out of the DODGE and got pictures of it so it's ready to sell.

On the swing away bar unit.  Read the reviews carefully.  There are complaints about it bending and becoming unsafe,  It also MUST be unloaded to use the swing away option.  Instaling it is a 2 man job. 

Check your weight limitations, as I think you might be planning on overloading it. 

That is only the swing away bar, and not the rack.

 

[debit.servus]

On the swing away bar unit.  Read the reviews carefully.  There are complaints about it bending and becoming unsafe,  It also MUST be unloaded to use the swing away option.  Instaling it is a 2 man job. 

Check your weight limitations, as I think you might be planning on overloading it. 

That is only the swing away bar, and not the rack.

The bending is a concern, they probably tried to swing it away loaded.

MUST be unloaded? Really? Is there a swing away bar or swing away platform that can be swung while loaded? If not, I will need to find or build some kind of retractable support wheel(s) that are mounted to the platform and support the weight of the loaded platform while swung out. The wheels would be large enough to not sink into dry dirt but small enough to not take up too much space on the platform. Other than that some suspension cables might be needed to handle some of the extra weight loaded on the swing away platform.

Lets see what I plan to have on it full-time:
-Spare tire (until if/when I get a spare tire carrier on the back door)
-2200 Watt HFT inverter genset (will change before July as a used holy HONDA EU2000i genset can be had for as little as $50 more shipped on EBAY), the Honda doesn't need a protection plan as it won't go bust in a year even with no maintenance.
-Wooden box for inverter genset as I desire to enclose it to protect it from theft and cut noise down further (The goal is to run the genset in a busy WALMART and have it noticeable only in the adjacent parking spaces).
-Extension cords from the inverter genset to inside the van.
-2 propane tanks, with four milk crates to house them.
-Hoses to convey the propane to appliances inside the van.
-10-30 gallons of gas for the generator (in the six gas cans I acquired).
-Two dozen bungee cords to secure every thing down with at least 2 points of securement.
-A dozen locks to lock the platform and what's on it down so even the most desperate thieves will go for an easier target.
-Maybe: the under 40 pound 2-stroke 49cc gas scooter from ScooterWholesales.com.


Since the FORD is heavier duty than the DODGE, I imagine the front end can handle some weight past the front bumper. Could somebody find me a commercially available FRONT-END 2" hitch reciever and let me know the max working tongue weight before damaging the van? If no commercially available FRONT-END 2" hitch reciever is available, please help me find a compatible 2" reciever kit or a close match. I put front-end in all caps as front-end recievers are much less common than back-end, and to specify that I am looking for a FRONT-END reciever.

To let you know, I am revisiting the back door locker idea I had for outer van storage, and yes I know it's a mod which is against the contract and will have to wait until approval or the FORD is paid off and in my name. Same for the FRONT-END hitch reciever.

 

[TMG51]

Generator running in a box sounds like a very bad idea and ought to draw you attention well beyond adjacent parking spaces.

 

[highdesertranger]

generator in a box, the box better be mostly open(expanded metal). there is another thread going on about this right now.
what you need in my opinion is a swing out system on a custom bumper. it can hold much more weight. I think I have posted this on your other thread before if not it was someone else's thread. another plus is the load is up higher so no worries about scrapping. one of these could easily handle the weight of the spare tire, genny, and gas cans. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Do everyone a favor and avoid running the generator in Wal-mart parking lots, even the Honda. It's people that do that that eventually get the parking lots closed to campers.

 

[steamjam1]

Having a generator of really any kind on a van is a bad idea, and not really required. I own a Honda EU2000i generator and there is NO WAY your going to make it quiet enough for a Walmart parking lot. Your better off using batteries, and either a constant duty solenoid connected to your existing alternator, or solar panels to charge them.

I primarily live off-grid now, and I only use a generator when my batteries are really low and its dark out, or need power in excess if what my inverter is capable of. Which 99% of the time, running my laptop, and LED interior lights I can go all night, and still have enough power to use my "Mr. Coffee" coffee maker the following morning.

Your going to end up making your own front receiver, and you can buy rear bumpers with built in swing away gates that will hold tires, gas cans, high lift jacks, whatever. Just be prepared to pay ALOT of money for it.

 

[TMG51]

Having a generator of really any kind on a van is a bad idea, and not really required. I own a Honda EU2000i generator and there is NO WAY your going to make it quiet enough for a Walmart parking lot. Your better off using batteries, and either a constant duty solenoid connected to your existing alternator, or solar panels to charge them.

I very much agree with this, but there are some people who either think it's easier to run a generator than set up solar (and end up with a totally passive system!), or they insist on running home items that are not otherwise feasible off grid. If I recall correctly Debit here requires a minimum of two air conditioners in his van. That might be his main reason for the generator.

I agree it's bad practice to run a generator in a Wal-Mart parking lot - that's right up there with the guys that set up their awnings and bring out the lawn chairs and start grilling. Exactly the sort of stuff that gets "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING" signs posted. But, many people do it anyway. I would suggest that in an urban environment parking off a commercial street at night might be more suitable if you have to run a generator. If in a state park or such, it's also rude to run one for extended periods or late at night as people go there for peace and quiet.

 

[steamjam1]

I very much agree with this, but there are some people who either think it's easier to run a generator than set up solar (and end up with a totally passive system!), or they insist on running home items that are not otherwise feasible off grid. If I recall correctly Debit here requires a minimum of two air conditioners in his van. That might be his main reason for the generator.

Well a Honda EU2000 won't run two A/C units at the same time anyways. He will need more like 4000 watts output for that. I think that for people who want a "home away from home" they should just get class-A, or class-C motorhome that have all that already built in. I saw on Craigslist just the last week a class-C with an Onan 4500 watt gen with AC for less then 4G's. Add a solar panel to the roof, and your done. Down the road ya go!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We didn't use the AC in our RV and don't want one in our van. It's more fun to go where the weather suits our clothes.
But then, we don't stress over fuel and related costs of travel either. Our time and enjoyment are worth more than that.

 

[Gary68]

are the 2 air conditioners there to keep the 55 gallons of water cool?

 

[steamjam1]

are the 2 air conditioners there to keep the 55 gallons of water cool?

Yeah I was wondering about the whole two AC thing. I would suggest buying an old Ice cream van and simply leaving the doors open to the freezers? Or buy a refrigerated van/box truck?