With my boyfriend's Sienna totaled he's offering to buy mine, giving me the opportunity to transition to a larger rig with a bit more room to breathe.
I'm pretty overwhelmed by the possibilities. So far all three vehicles I've transitioned to living in have been a last-minute thing, some crisis accelerating the timeline to get one soon and make it work immediately. That isn't happening here--yet. So it's time to re-evaluate and think everything through before proceeding.
1) I've decided I want more room than a minivan. I've proven to myself I can survive in a minivan, it can work, but I would most definitely be more comfortable in something larger. More comfort = less stress = reduced anxiety. Now, this transition is scary in and of itself because in most areas of Seattle anything larger than a minivan will be targeted for break-ins. I know this from previously being in the Chevy G20. Moving back to that size or larger will necessitate less time in the city and less preferred parking spots when I am there. The compromise in stealth is difficult for me to accept, but this is coming from someone who medically has to wear a gas mask when out and about due to severe MCS. So sure, stealth is compromised, but when you live the unusual people around adjust. It's not always easy but it does work. I have to keep reminding myself that.
2) I've come to realize I cannot do the build myself. Gosh, this one was a hard pill to swallow. You all have seen how creative I've been with the minivan--creative solutions are my strength; build-outs not so much. Managing my own health requires more hours than a full-time job, and physical and mental disabilities play a huge role in limiting how I use my windows of off-time. In an ideal world I'd have all the resources I need to learn how to do a build-out at my own pace, but at this stage in my life I have to accept that it isn't going to happen anytime soon, and I only hurt myself when I place my expectations too high.
3) Even though I cannot do a build-out myself, I'm realizing that I personally have a "need" for several things many would consider luxuries, specifically a shower, laundry solution, and kitchen. Due to my severe MCS, I'm unable to use most showers, either public or private--the shower water must be filtered and the air completely clean of most product residues for me to safely remove my mask. A wrong guess has life-threatening consequences. My "solution" has been to simply try not to care that I haven't showered in months and wipe myself down with baby wipes when I get the chance. Laundry is a similar story--washing my clothes in a machine that has typical product residue contaminates my clothing in ways that makes me very ill, and sometimes they are not salvageable from that. I understand it may be difficult to believe, but you don't have to--you need only believe that I feel I need a laundry solution I'm fully in control of. Currently laundry only happens every few months because the one place I can do it is rife with PTSD triggers for me. The kitchen is a similar story--I have extensive widespread food allergies that are extremely difficult for restaurants to accommodate. Even when they do, there is often the risk of contamination and it really sucks for that to keep happening. I'm realizing that most who are happy living in their smaller rigs don't need to do a lot of cooking/food prep, and for me that's needed in order to have a healthful diet that includes variety.
4) Though I'm planning to go larger, MPG and mechanical soundness are two major considerations, since repairs and gas are the two main expenses I worry about and I'm low income at $733/month. I am working on a long-term job solution but at the moment am still pretty profoundly disabled.
So far I'm thinking my options are...
I'm starting to realize buying an older RV might be my best bet....I'm reluctant to go that route because I very much prefer DIY setups in terms of quality and feel, and also want to lean towards off-grid as much as possible. In addition it's going to be more difficult to decontaminate a used RV from all the products of previous owners, in fact many would be ruled out based on that alone. But I'm also trying to be realistic about what's doable and going to be the best fit for the essentials that make my life work.
Thoughts? Ideas? Input? I'm all ears.
I'm pretty overwhelmed by the possibilities. So far all three vehicles I've transitioned to living in have been a last-minute thing, some crisis accelerating the timeline to get one soon and make it work immediately. That isn't happening here--yet. So it's time to re-evaluate and think everything through before proceeding.
1) I've decided I want more room than a minivan. I've proven to myself I can survive in a minivan, it can work, but I would most definitely be more comfortable in something larger. More comfort = less stress = reduced anxiety. Now, this transition is scary in and of itself because in most areas of Seattle anything larger than a minivan will be targeted for break-ins. I know this from previously being in the Chevy G20. Moving back to that size or larger will necessitate less time in the city and less preferred parking spots when I am there. The compromise in stealth is difficult for me to accept, but this is coming from someone who medically has to wear a gas mask when out and about due to severe MCS. So sure, stealth is compromised, but when you live the unusual people around adjust. It's not always easy but it does work. I have to keep reminding myself that.
2) I've come to realize I cannot do the build myself. Gosh, this one was a hard pill to swallow. You all have seen how creative I've been with the minivan--creative solutions are my strength; build-outs not so much. Managing my own health requires more hours than a full-time job, and physical and mental disabilities play a huge role in limiting how I use my windows of off-time. In an ideal world I'd have all the resources I need to learn how to do a build-out at my own pace, but at this stage in my life I have to accept that it isn't going to happen anytime soon, and I only hurt myself when I place my expectations too high.
3) Even though I cannot do a build-out myself, I'm realizing that I personally have a "need" for several things many would consider luxuries, specifically a shower, laundry solution, and kitchen. Due to my severe MCS, I'm unable to use most showers, either public or private--the shower water must be filtered and the air completely clean of most product residues for me to safely remove my mask. A wrong guess has life-threatening consequences. My "solution" has been to simply try not to care that I haven't showered in months and wipe myself down with baby wipes when I get the chance. Laundry is a similar story--washing my clothes in a machine that has typical product residue contaminates my clothing in ways that makes me very ill, and sometimes they are not salvageable from that. I understand it may be difficult to believe, but you don't have to--you need only believe that I feel I need a laundry solution I'm fully in control of. Currently laundry only happens every few months because the one place I can do it is rife with PTSD triggers for me. The kitchen is a similar story--I have extensive widespread food allergies that are extremely difficult for restaurants to accommodate. Even when they do, there is often the risk of contamination and it really sucks for that to keep happening. I'm realizing that most who are happy living in their smaller rigs don't need to do a lot of cooking/food prep, and for me that's needed in order to have a healthful diet that includes variety.
4) Though I'm planning to go larger, MPG and mechanical soundness are two major considerations, since repairs and gas are the two main expenses I worry about and I'm low income at $733/month. I am working on a long-term job solution but at the moment am still pretty profoundly disabled.
So far I'm thinking my options are...
- Used RV
- Buying a DIY van conversion from someone else
- Buying a shell and trying to find someone to convert it for me
I'm starting to realize buying an older RV might be my best bet....I'm reluctant to go that route because I very much prefer DIY setups in terms of quality and feel, and also want to lean towards off-grid as much as possible. In addition it's going to be more difficult to decontaminate a used RV from all the products of previous owners, in fact many would be ruled out based on that alone. But I'm also trying to be realistic about what's doable and going to be the best fit for the essentials that make my life work.
Thoughts? Ideas? Input? I'm all ears.
