Bob's most recent youTube

[highdesertranger]

never say you are living on BLM/FS to anybody. if Mr. Ranger or anybody else asks tell them your camping. highdesertranger

 

[travelaround]

From the Klamath National Forest website:

"You may camp in any one "dispersed camping" location (i.e., non-campground area) for 14 days and you may stay a total of 30 days per year on the forest."

https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/klamath/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=13053&actid=34

Stay a month and then move on. Good idea.

The Klamath National Forest is where I used to live, and of course, I'm planning to go back there to see friends.

 

[Dingfelder]

See pic.

Depending on how you look at it, I guess ... something about that picture says something very beautiful about life and about America to me.

 

[RoamerRV428]

 The balance works for me and it would not confined to a van. I can imagine that there are those that give up on the lifestyle simply for lack of comfort too.

This is true for us also.  Comfort is key if we are going to use this as our home. We will be using an RV and truck also.  Comfort is a true and needed issue for us if we are to be able to handle full time and with hubby's health issues for his back, any crouching, squatting type isn't going to work for us.  Standing tall and some comfort is what we do require and this can be done by choice for us luckily



One thing I got from Bob's video is know thyself and don't pretend you can live without certain requirements on the road.  Everyone has their limits and personal requirements.  Be sure to know yours and what is required for comfort and more on the road to make it a good experience and lifestyle for yourself.

 

[bullfrog]

I guess the next step after determining what your needs are is to try to realistically try to figure out what vehicle/camper/motorhome will meet those needs that you can afford and maintain (emergency fund) for the next few years and what you will do if those needs should change over time. This is perfect world stuff as despiration can alter what we think our true needs are as opposed to what we would like comes into play. Whether you can put up with something less than you want still meeting your true needs while saving money to get what you want. Unfortunately there is still a minumin amount of funds required to be able get started. It is different for everyone dependent on your skills and your true needs and even how well you can deal with controlling your wants while maintaining enough of an emergency fund. Several have tried to give guidence as to how much of an emergency fund you should have but many think or try to beat the odds by starting with too little either because of wants or despirate situations. Living anywhere other than where they are seems better to them when in reality it may require life changes that are not acceptable to them or will not meet their true needs causing them to crash and burn. That really bad part is spending so much of your emergency fund for your choosen way of living that emergency situations cause you to crash and burn when you could have done with less and met your true needs while continuing the long road to save for you want. If you truely like this camping way of nomadic life and have enough funds coming or are able to make enough on the road even working seasonally it can be done with much less funds than buying and maintaining a house while meeting your true needs if not your wants. I may want a million dollar motorhome with a million dollar lot on the ocean but in my case it ain't gonna happen but I have been able to do a job I enjoy, live in an old motorhome that now doesn't run in site of Lake Powell in a beautiful place for 15 years, barely, now getting to trave a few months a year, which is much better than going broke, doing a job I no longer enjoyed, trying to maintain a house in a city.

 

[travelaround]

One thing I got from Bob's video is know thyself and don't pretend you can live without certain requirements on the road.

Interesting .... we each heard what we needed to hear in that video.

For me, the high roof is needed because I intend this van to last quite a few years and since I'll be living in it, I don't want to bend over all the time. However, I used to have a low roof van and enjoyed many happy hours in it, sitting in the back to look out the windows and enjoy nature, or reading books. I was happy there. Being older now, I'm thinking that standing in my tiny home is important, and it is something I can have, so that's my intention. Also, must have certain amenities.

I spend 95% of my waking hours in one room of my 2br apartment... it is my office room where I have a writing desk, computer desk, and TV. I think a van will provide all the space I really need for one person. If it was to be two people, I'd be looking at RVs or TTs.

 

[MrNoodly]

I spend 95% of my waking hours in one room of my 2br apartment... it is my office room where I have a writing desk, computer desk, and TV. 

I was much the same, living alone, working from home, using about a quarter of my house. "Why am I knocking myself out making money to pay the mortgage and upkeep on a place I use so little of? What do I really need? What do I actually want?" Well, it wasn't a house.

 

[WanderingRose]

I like that Bob speaks the truth, straight talk, being kind but not mincing words.

One thing about setting out on a permanent or part time nomadic life is that you not only have to have an emergency fund but a means of replenishing that fund when you have to draw on it.

He makes an excellent point about the need to live beneath your means, saving something for that rainy day which will undoubtedly come.

The tightest of fixed, shoestring budgets is not going to expand on the road for this purpose, any more than it will when one is stationary.

When you are really, really pinching pennies, staying in one place means a better and more predictable safety net when there is an emergency, medical or vehicular, in my experience.

 

[MrNoodly]

...you not only have to have an emergency fund but a means of replenishing that fund when you have to draw on it.

And not just an emergency fund. For example, tires are going to wear out. That's several hundred to a thousand bucks every few years. It's not usually an emergency, just a predictable future need. The same with house batteries. They'll eventually come to the end of their service life. So build those expenses into your budgeting.

 

[ByeBye]

Well, I take issue with the "your story is hopeless" statement. I'm sure Bob's intent isn't to be cruel, just the opposite, but if one believes in the notion of Hope, then no story is hopeless. I'm sure he meant "I don't have an answer for you" or something along that line.

Personally, I don't do the Hope thing too much as I've found putting energy in creating what it is I would have is much more productive than hoping it happens. Hope, imo, is about surviving whereas co-creating our reality is about thriving. I'm slowly learning to be grateful for having all I need as opposed to hoping it gets here. Just seems to work for me.

Noob here but biggest helpful things for me, so far, have been:
1.) No debt. I have paypal credit with a small credit line that I used for 6-12 mo. interest fee. Don't have CC.
2.) Learning what I need (difference between needs and wants) depends on what my goals are. Know my goals, then I'll know my needs and I can explore what my preferences are in having those needs met. Don't automatically accept social norms as 'needs'.
3.) Embracing some degree of minimalism, decluttering as a path to happiness/harmony as opposed to 'being forced to get rid of stuff'. I greatly underestimated the depth of my attachment to 'things'
4.) Support network. This I could use more of but most people don't get it so we have to find it where we can. And, tbh, I'm eclectic old coot and even among fringe dwellers I'm often dwelling on the fringe.

 

[travelaround]

Hopeless? Well, without an emergency fund, van travel is considerably more risky - but if one is willing to work some of those seasonal jobs and put money aside for the future each time, it is possible to succeed. Maybe not so hopeless, if one is willing to work as well as vandwell.

 

[WanderingRose]

R

4.) Support network. This I could use more of but most people don't get it so we have to find it where we can. And, tbh, I'm eclectic old coot and even among fringe dwellers I'm often dwelling on the fringe.

That’s one of the things that drew me to this site, that fringe dwellers are not only welcome but if not the norm are certainly supported and embraced.

Being on the road a lot can be rather isolating, more so for those who already self isolate to some extent routinely, as you may be surrounded by strangers who change frequently.

Wherever you go, there you are, are great words to live by. Thank you, Bob, for the straight talk.

Accept who you are, learn to live with it, don’t expect moving about to create any magical solution.

I agree with the importance of gratitude, and how it improves the quality of one’s life.

 

[travelaround]

Being on the road a lot can be rather isolating, more so for those who already self isolate to some extent routinely, as you may be surrounded by strangers who change frequently.

I'm one who isolates - mostly in my apartment right now. Most of my social interaction takes place on the web, or at church. I know I'll find more social groups as I travel, for example, going to WRTR/RTR, and visiting churches.

 

[Dingfelder]

I was much the same, living alone, working from home, using about a quarter of my house. "Why am I knocking myself out making money to pay the mortgage and upkeep on a place I use so little of? What do I really need? What do I actually want?" Well, it wasn't a house.

I feel the same way as both of you.  While having a comfortable house or apartment wrapped around me is certainly nice, I take up only a few square feet at any one time, so the rest are in a very real sense wasted.  Heck, often you can't even see a room you're not in, and might have no desire to.  So ... effectively ... does it even exist?  And what good does it do you, all the way over there?

 

[RoamerRV428]

Standing is very important to us also with hubby's back troubles and him not getting younger, only older HAHA
We are the same in that our home is 5 acres and horse pasture etc we kept from the sale of the bigger land from our farm.  Even this home is way too large now and maintenance is hard.  Home is going on 35 yrs old now and things are calling out to be replaced and fixed and required and the money we have is not going into this home, it is going on the road with us.  Just biding time to sell and move forward.  This home for us has outlived its use for us.  We don't require space anymore also just like you
We live by 'less is more' and we truly mean it!

 

[RoamerRV428]

I think many find the open road 'as romantic' and don't have the true 'personality' that is required for this type of life.
In that I want to step out of society in a way that suits me just fine.
I am not looking for a 'big change' that will 'make it all better' in any way. I want out on my own. Out of the 'norm' and I am the type of person that doesn't require social interaction other than a fast chat at a cash register paying for gas is enough for me in my day with another human being LOL I can live on very little and in a strange way many would not think as a life but it suits me perfect. Every single person has requirements that are needed if you are 'by choice' stepping into this lifestyle. Suit your few needs that best fit you. One thing about money is it does make life a bit easier when things like tires were mentioned, paying for insurances/registrations etc. No life is free truly if you want something in it like a vehicle or apartment or home or whatever but we can minimize our cost needs truly thru our own living. but again, there are a ton of variables in there for each individual and their needs

It is funny in a way when younger all I did was want. Or I needed a want to make our farm better like that new expensive tractor we worked so hard to pay off Older I got the more I want nothing. I find stuff as a noose around my neck. I want so much less and less in my life it is scary in a way cause my hubby isn't there with me on ''very very'' less is more. I get stroked out when he puts up a table outside the rv when we land at a place. I don't want anything outside of the rv other than a chair to sit my butt on around the fire. Anything after that is clutter to me. Work to clean it up, put it away and time taken out of my life to 'deal with stuff' other than doing something I want to do instead of dealing with stuff I hate stuff anymore!

ok going off on a tangent so I best stop now but our personalities will be a big factor about making it or not making it out there on less.

 

[Sleep]

I really enjoyed this video and wish I had see it last year. Been on the road full time for almost a year. Learned a lot of valuable information and am still learning. Went through my “emergency” fund for the wrong reasons too soon, but took a camp hosting job this summer and will prob work in Q this winter. But that’s ok and I don’t mind because I like the lifestyle. I like the challenges I have had and it gives me a sense of pride to know I can do this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mpruet]

Not wanting to rant, but might end up preaching just a bit.   ;-)


( getting on the soap box)

A lot of folks think that an emergency fund is just another bunch of cash and don't really understand what an emergency is.  This is similar to not understanding the difference between a need and a want. 

An emergency fund should only be used to pay for an unplanned expense which is for something which is required for you to survive.  It is for something such as an unexpected medical expense.  The key word is unplanned. 

If your tires are old then you know a long time in advance that they will need to be replaced.  So replacing the tires is not really an emergency since it is not an unplanned expense.  Long before you have to replace the tires you need to create a 'sinking fund' to pay for the tires.  That means you need to include some money in your budget plans to fund the sinking fund.

Your budget should never be 100% just to pay for your needs.  If you are doing that, then you need to find ways to either lower the expenses on your needs or increase your income.   There will always be planned expenses in the future - those new tires, a new laptop, an upgrade to your power system, additional insulation in your rig, etc.  Those items should all be part of a sinking fund and a part of your budget.  They aren't unplanned so should never come from your emergency fund. 

If you should have an emergency such as a broken leg, then you should immediately start refunding your emergency fund to build it back up.  That means you might have to stop funding your sinking funds a while, or lower your food budget by beans/rice/eggs/cheese. 

( getting off the soapbox)

 

[crofter]

I think many find the open road 'as romantic' and don't have the true 'personality' that is required

I fall in love every time I get behind the wheel and embark on another adventure. It's what I am slaving away for, if I can call having my dream job to be slaving away.  For me it is romantic, and also spiritual time that refreshes and reinvigorates me, a healing of body and mind even as both are exercised in different ways from my everyday.
For me, Workamping on the mountain (in the vehicle I had at the time) was physically and mentally exhausting but wonderful, and broke me out of my stuckness. No more have to, need to, or must.  I became more flexible with each bond I broke away from, with each new way I tried, with each can't that became can. True that there was not health care plan provided or available to me at the time, and economics from a smallish health crisis took my emergency fund. I had about $5 left when I was working again after the season. 
Since the time I was disabled, that drives my economics and is why I'm seasonal or a part timer. When I find anyone who will hire me with my disability I take it and thank God for the opportunity to work.  I still live and work on the mountain, and get to enjoy it every day.     ~crofter

 

[Kenwrite]

I've had the ol' "bad luck/good luck" thing. I took my small share of the sale of the old family home (which I was living it at the time) and bought a 36' 1989 Class A. I was going to get it up to snuff then head out on the open road. That was four years ago.
BAD LUCK: I knew almost nothing about RVs except for what I'd learned on the internet...which means I bought a PoS that I should have run away from. It barely made it 300 miles back to my home county where it's sat on a friend's property. I doubt it will ever go anywhere again on it's own power.
GOOD LUCK: I've lived in it those last four years. No water hook up; I've brought every drop of water into my home in gallon jugs. No sewer hook up; a porta-potty pump truck comes every 9-11 weeks and pumps tanks. No way to drive to propane pumps; I've survived with two Mr. Buddys fed by four 20 lb tanks I take for filling in my car. And my entire electrical power supply is a single 120volt 20amp outlet in a shed next to the RV over a single industrial extension cord.
So I've had FOUR YEARS of learning experience on downsizing, limited resources, tiny living and frugal means, while having the safety net of still working my two part-time jobs. I'm finally saving up for a better vehicle that will actually GO places. When the money's ready, I will be, too.
Yep, Bad Luck & Good Luck. Two sides of the same coin.