Fascinated, From South Carolina :)

[mereidmo]

Hey all, I've been watching CheapRVLiving on youtube quite a lot lately, and I'm getting quite interested in the RV way of life. I don't know if it's quite for me yet, but it is quickly becoming apparent to me that as I'm going to be on disability soon (I'm only 33 but health isn't good) I'm not going to have enough money to survive in a regular home whenever the day comes that I can't depend on another family member living here with me. Before I was interested in RV's on any level, I was interested in tiny homes, so the idea of living small in general appeals to me.

It's going to be years before I ever do begin to live out of an RV, but I want to take all the time I need to research and make my mind up.
I'm thinking either converting a school bus or finding a class C would be my best answer yet, but many things can change over the next few years,
so I'm keeping an open mind.

Community is very important to me. I've been quite lonely the past few years and I want to put myself in an environment that is friendly and helpful and take my place to "join the ranks" I guess and offer others the same help that I imagine would be offered to me. I'm just guessing that's how it'd go because of all the videos I see that say Rv'ers are so good to each other. 

What also appeals to me is that people with alot of mental/emotional problems seem to find healing out in nature, and I'm wondering if that's what I need for my own issues.

Some of my main concerns though come down to how complicated solar technology seems to me, as far as getting all the numbers right to understand what you need. I love being on the computer and I consider myself a gamer and I know computers take a lot of power. Also there's
no way I'm giving up air conditioning LOL.. So making sure I have enough solar and battery banks is EXTREMELY important to me.

I'm not afraid of driving a large vehicle, in fact I always wanted to be a truck driver but I feel like doing it for a living would be just too much for my anxiety. Lot of things you have to be responsible for in a split second as a professional driver..

Anyway I'll wrap it up now, thanks y'all!

Reid
Lexington SC

 

[ValerieP]

Hello! I just downsized from a house to a Travel trailer- and it wasn't easy! I also moved from South Carolina to Nevada and have then bought a van. I'll live out of a van and a travel trailer. Solar is important to me, too- but so incredibly complicated! Good luck!

 

[Trebor English]

Reid, welcome to CRVL.  

Comfortable air is important and there are many ways to attack this problem.  The obvious thing is to move.  Changing latitude and elevation really help.  I have a 95 year old mother in law who needs daily attention so I stay in central Florida.  What I have done is expose myself to heat to get acclimated, then I seek shade.

There are people who contribute to this forum who do the impossible of running air conditioning with solar power.  There is no recipe for a system where you just set the thermostat and pay no more attention.    

There are ways to be comfortable that are affordable.  You need just the right equipment for your situation.

Welcome aboard.

 

[SoulRaven]

What also appeals to me is that people with alot of mental/emotional problems seem to find healing out in nature, and I'm wondering if that's what I need for my own issues.

Well, as someone who has been a bit of a misfit all of my life, I find that being by myself  provides healing itself.  I have had problems in the past getting along with people, and that hasn't changed.  But if you want to have the ability to be by yourself and also interact with people , you can most certainly do that.  

Some of my main concerns though come down to how complicated solar technology seems to me, as far as getting all the numbers right to understand what you need. I love being on the computer and I consider myself a gamer and I know computers take a lot of power. Also there's
no way I'm giving up air conditioning LOL.. So making sure I have enough solar and battery banks is EXTREMELY important to me.

I am also a computer geek, and have taken electronics classes , as well as physics classes , several times in my life. I'm still confused by battery  technology... there are more than a few really helpful and knowledgeable folks here.  In fact, if not for one person in particular, I would still be struggling.  So, don't worry, help is available.  I'm not going to mention any names in public, but I'll be happy to communicate privately with you as to who has helped me the most.  

Personally, I hope you find the same level of contentment that I have found!  I've been doing this since January, with a break outside Pueblo , Co.  

Pat

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Reid to the CRVL forums! 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. highdesertranger

 

[ArmorAbby]

Welcome!!
Iagree with pnolans. Embracing solitude can be a really good thing. I've always been the odd one and always a loner. Maybe this is why our types find Vandwelling so much more appealing. (I'm in a renovated van, not an RV). Im not good socially and pretty much always feel awkward or overanalyse a conversation after it happens. No neighbors is such a load of stress off of me [emoji14]
As for being afraid of solar.... before this community I had never even jump started a car battery or done anything on my car. Since I started fulltiming, Ive set up a relay type isolater and 200 watt solar system. Some of the people here are very knowledgeable and helpful. When you consider the age of this forum... realize that is also an indication of the many years of experience belonging to those here who started way before us. You have a community here to help you, even if not in person. Communication here is pretty solid.
I love it and I hope if you make the decision to take the plunge, you have as good a time as the rest of us.

 

[Almost There]

Welcome to the forum!

Really when it all comes down to it, solar is not that hard!

What makes it difficult is some people come at it from a background in sticks and bricks where electricity is taken for granted. All things are possible with solar but not all things are practical. Figuring out what you absolutely can and can't/don't want to live with is important.

Basically the first thing one  needs to figure out is how much electricity you have to have to live the life style you want to live.

From that the next step is to match your battery to your power needs. The type of battery will partially depend on how much power you but also how much room and where you're willing to place your batteries.

The battery charger is sized to fit the battery bank.

The solar is sized to fit both your lifestyle and the battery bank. If you have enough room on the roof for the solar you need then it's good, if you're short on roof size then it's a case of figuring out where and how else to accommodate the solar panels OR going back to the beginning to figure out what you can live without.

There's lots of people here who can ease you through the learning curve. Just remember to climb that curve at the pace you are comfortable with rather than trying to cram it all in to your head in massive study sessions...it's not like school where there's a test tomorrow...

 

[rvpopeye]

Just start a thread with one question at a time and soak up all the info that will appear.............................