A bit overwhelmed

[Crystal831]

Hi. This is my first post and I'm new to the site. I've been checking out Bob's You tube channel for awhile and have gotten some great information, so it's time.  I've been full timing for 3 years, although in a stationary spot that I've gotten a bit too comfortable in. I bought a beat up old Airstream a few months ago, cheap and have been fixing her up. I picked up an 1975 Argosy 25 ft. (the only model that Airstream actually painted) and decided in my infinite wisdom to strip her back to bare aluminum and polish her up. Needless to say, I've done more scraping sanding and polishing than I ever wanted to and if I had known then, I wouldn't have touched this thing. Ah, but ignorance is bliss. I figured if I was going to live out the rest of my days in a trailer it was going to be a classic. Anyway, I'm now finding myself overwhelmed and a bit scared. It's one thing to think about all the freedom and taking off but the closer I'm getting, that little voice is my head (the one with all the doubts) is squawking (can I do this, what will I do with all that time, is my rig too big, too small, What if the dog gets sick, etc). So I thought I'd put it out there and take the power out of that little sucker. Besides there's no way I can afford the rents where I live anyway, I'm committed. The only major thing I need to do is come up with a more reliable tow vehicle. I've got a 2004 Ford F350 with the dreaded 6.0L diesel and it spits, bucks and surges like a horse on crack. I figure I'll get five  miles out of town and it'll die and my new adventure will be a bust. The Airstream's interior was gutted prior to me owning it (that's a whole other thread) so it's nice and light and I remember back in the day you were supposed to be able to pull these with just about anything. So I'm looking for the right tow vehicle and Hazel (my dog) and I will be on our way, just a couple of girls out for the time of our lives. So, thanks and I'm looking forward to getting to know you folks.

 

[Queen]

Hello and welcome! That is quite a job on that Argosy, got any pics?? I figured just polishing an Airstream would be more than I'd want to tackle... you have more guts than I do!

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Just keep reading, Crystal, and you'll find that all your worries have answers and while it's definitely scary (just buying a van was scary for me!!!), in no time you'll wonder why you took so long... that's what they say anyway... Welcome!!

 

[hepcat]

Welcome Crystal!

Wow... a '75 Argosy... you know that the end caps are steel and can't be polished, right?

So... this thing is gutted... you've got an aluminum tent on wheels! Good luck with your build-out.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Crystal !

There are thousands of people out here doing the fulltime thing.
Problems are more rare than your inner voice seems to think.
If you have one , you get it fixed and continue on .
Just like if you weren't on the road .......
A repair fund is a good idea even for a new vehicle.

Those are nice trailers . We'd love some pics !

 

[Wabbit]

Hi Crystal and welcome to the forum. I am also in just a basic steel tent. Looking at what others did with their vans and how easy it looked was the wrong impression for me to get lol. I haven't ever used power tools, no carpentry or building experience(was in middle management and then went into computers) so I really get that whole overwhelming thing. However, I keep doing projects I can, cut myself a lot of slack now even if the projects aren't perfect. I'm not a perfectionist, but was used to doing a decent job when I took up a job. So the not being good at something is abit of an ego buster. Keep at it, ask questions, and then keep at it some more. Best of luck to you!

 

[cyndi]

Welcome to the CRVL forums, Crystal! We'll be happy to encourage and advise! We like pictures, too!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Welcome! You got this! One step at a time!

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Oops, posting by mistake. Sorry.
Ted

 

[Gigi]

Crystal, I am launching in less than 2 weeks and last week was REALLY hard for me. I had those voices too. I was in the midst of selling things and hauling things to donate and such and it all just hit me. I think it's normal. I think of the 18 year old going off to college. The excitement of a new life and new experience is there but it's also breaking away from a place of "comfort". I realized I was just leaving my comfort zone and yeah, for some of us that can induce a lot of stress and angst but I kept telling myself this was "normal" it was was "growing pains" and that when I had all my comforts...I wasn't happy-- I dreamed for this life-style and soon the yucky feelings took care of themselves and now I feel happy and grounded having gone through it. Be gentle with yourself and know we are here for you!

 

[Bud Smiley]

Welcome, enjoy, etc...

I'll add in my advice which is that these things can seem really intimidating at first and the only way to change that is to start working. Once you actually lay hands on something and see how it works, the rest goes more smoothly.