If you are unhappy with a gf and a job, I think you have a right to leave. A gf and regular job are not contract arrangements like a marriage or an enlisted term with the military -- those parties can come after you if you just up and leave -- but a gf and a regular job are "at will," i.e. both parties can terminate the arrangement whenever they want, for any reason -- although there's probably a "good" way to do it and a "bad" way to do it.
$100k in savings puts you in the top percentile of folks here, I think. Just look at the number of posts along the lines of "I have no money, and I just bought a $2,000 van that is falling apart. But I need to leave right now, and I really want to do this so..." And then they a post a few weeks later along the lines of "I broke down. Stuck and no money. Please help."
I am a compulsive planner. That isn't always a good thing, but I couldn't imagine setting out with an unreliable vehicle and no money. I'd be scared to death on the road. And I know that going on an adventure unprepared is a recipe for disaster. I watched a documentary recently about people moving to Alaska (sorry, don't remember the documentary name), and there was a segment where a young settler was roaming around the backwoods showing the cameraman abandoned cabins.
It was eerie. It's apparent that a LOT of people try to just move to Alaska all the time, and have done so for decades. The guy showed cabins that were clearly built in the 60's and 70's, with that era's fashion and architectural senses on display, as well as more recent cabins abandoned just a few years ago. All told a story: crappy handwork, insufficient insulation, etc. And you could almost see the people, like in a vision, arriving at their new lot full of energy and hope -- "This is it, honey. We're gonna do it. We don't have money, and we don't know anything about Alaska, but we'll do it." In your mind's eye, you can almost see them in winter, huddled over a dwindling fire in -40 weather, ice forming on their eyebrows, misery and desperation in their eyes. And by the springtime, they were gone... whether it was a few years ago or 50 years ago, and all that is left is the eerie, abandoned cabins.
It's also apparent that people try this lifestyle and quietly abandon it all the time, like new Alaskans, because it's just too hard to do with no funds. There is a sticky on the forum somewhere with a list of blogs run by members. Click on all of the links and you'll find that half of them are dead blogs -- abandoned years ago or recently, but dead. Someone recently linked an article here that was written by a guy who started a new vanlife (along with his girlfriend) in an unreliable vehicle. It was hell for them. It kept them awake with stress. I have no doubt that a few really tough and motivated people can do it, just as a few really tough and motivated people can arrive in Alaska with nothing and make something happen. People either underestimate what it takes... or they overestimate how tough they are. Bob made an excellent video recently about the vanlife "fairy tale" and makes a similar point, warning against setting out with no emergency fund and an unreliable vehicle.
Anyway, sorry for the soapbox rant that has little to do with your situation! Bottom line is you are already more prepared financially than probably 90% of folks here who are doing it. I would definitely get a reliable van if I were you, and I would spend money on making it more reliable (engine/transmission, suspension, brakes, good A/T tires). Then I would do the build-out. That's just me.
$100k is an interesting amount. It's way more than an emergency fund, but it's not really enough to live on. Withdrawing 4% gets you $4,000 a year -- or $333 a month. That helps out tremendously, but it's not sufficient for most people, from what I've understood. There are people here who survive on that much, but more people report that they "thrive" on more, probably closer to the $1,000 a month you mentioned. I've read RV blogs where people spend $3,000 a month. How do you plan to make money on the road? Anyway, $100k a huge buffer and will allow you to prepare well and meet any emergency you may come across on the road. That's worth a lot right there. I can't wait to see pics of your van and to hear more about your story and plans.
badmotorscooter said:
if you have personal issues the nomad lifestyle won't automatically fix them.
As Buckaroo Banzai once said, "Wherever you go, there you are."
