Future plans - what am I missing?

[Vivid-Dawn]

Cyndi said I should start a new post about something I breifly mentioned in another thread, and get some input about it. So here goes. 

Right now, I'm living in the basement of my dad's house. Even though he's 80 years old, he's in relatively good health - BUT an accident can happen at any time (he got in a bad car wreck a few years ago when a teen driver hit him and flipped his car over, and only survived because he was buckled up). He has a Will, but it's very simple and no doubt will go through Probate AND my greedy mom (if -she- is still alive at the time) will contest it and demand more than her designated share. If everything goes okay, I might end up with $75,000 ...if that happens, I would much rather get a manufactured/modular home. But if we have to go through Probate, lots of contesting in court, etc. and deal with all those court/lawyer fees and drain it that way, I'll be lucky to get $10,000.

I do NOT want to live in an apartment! Sure I qualify for low income housing, but it seems they're always crappy places. Everybody else has a bunch of young kids screamin' around the place, untrained dogs barking, foot stomps upstairs at all hours. UGH! I'm a grumpy old woman, want to be all by myself, and able to choose where I stay.
I hate surprises... unless they're the good kind, like winning the lottery, or getting something "on the house" the few times I eat out So I'm trying to plan for my future, and using the worst case scenario as the main plan.

Going on the assumption that I get to keep $10,000 to start my new life, here's how I plan to utilize it.
I have considered a Class C, but I don't want to bother with all those holding tanks inside it and the maintenance of them.
Buy a full sized van. I would like windows, PLUS I've heard cargo vans are more expensive/hassle to insure. "Customize" it with a twin air bed, camping potty, wood stove (for heat, cuz in Utah winter is 4-6 months and propane 24/7 will be EXPENSIVE...I can get free firewood all the time), and a little propane camping stove to cook on in the summer so I don't roast myself out with the wood stove for that LOL ) I'm debating about the shower thing. I'm okay with taking sponge baths 6 days a week, and going to a gym for my weekly shower (I do this now, because I have to go up 2 flights of stairs to my dad's spare bathroom, and that effort is horrible on my weak heart!). To save money on laundry I am going to get a couple buckets and do one for washing with a plunger thing, and the other bucket for rinsing. I also have a little wash tub and garden sprayer to use to wash & rinse off dishes (I do it while camping, it works great!)

Another option is to get an SUV and a camping trailer (solid, not pop-up...don't think I could do winter in one of those!). A'course that means insuring 2 vehicles, which might be too expensive for me. But that way, I can park the trailer somewhere, and just use the car to go do errands and my hospital visits - which lately is about every other month! In Utah, you can have a trailer on BLM land for free for 2 weeks, then you gotta move. I could just rotate between 2 or 3 parks.

Budget: $460+
$50 storage unit rental
$60 cell phone
$100 fuel (I plan to boondock within 15 miles of places every day...not much travel - if not doing the BLM thing)
$200 groceries (I need 2500 calories just to maintain my 80 lbs weight, any less and I lose!)
$50 cat food, litter, savings for vet bills
??? propane
??? vehicle insurance
!!! savings for emergencies like mechanical failures

I get $753 monthly. I am taking a 3 week class next month to learn to do small engine repair, and I've been watching lots of YouTube videos. I also have a neighbor mentoring me. I've already done a snowblower last year, and working on 2 lawn mowers right now. I figure I can rent the storage unit and sort of use it as a shop, and if I get good enough with skills, I can hopefully make up to $300 monthly in good weather fixing up and selling power equipment.

I have an oxygen machine that I need to use sometimes. I can live without a microwave, and can charge my cell phone on the vehicle's engine battery, but the oxygen needs another power source. I am going to need a solar kit/battery bank to give me at least 200 watts to run my O2. I know nothing about solar, so hoping I can get somebody local to help me with that, and hopefully have room on my roof for enough panels. This is really the only thing I'm really worried about right now.

I think I have a decent plan? Input?
On another group I joined, the moderator said he could tell I was new at all this. But instead of being helpful, he was kinda "you're going to fail" attitude when I was asking about stuff. I think I'll stay here, you guys are so much nicer!

 

[TMG51]

As someone whose dad died earlier this year, I find the discussion of monetary value to be quite second to the death part. I also chose to live in a van irrespective of income so I can't speak to the higher end of your ambitions.

But it sounds like you need a solid van setup with a couple hundred watts of solar. If I were near you, I'd offer to help with the install; in lieu of that you'll still get plenty of advice here.

 

[highdesertranger]

so I just responded on the wood stove thread about putting a wood stove in a van. while I am a fan of wood stoves, in a van I feel there is just not enough room. on the Dickerson(a very small wood burner) you must keep a 8 inch clearance around it. so 8+8+the width of the heater = about 26 inches on the sideways measurements and about 16 inches deep. this is a fairly large area of dead space to remove from the inside of a van. keep in mind you can't have anything above the heater too. so you a going to lose 10/12 cubic feet of storage. not to mention the need of a fireproof wall to mount it on. are you going to have this space inside a van?

can't you just move a couple of hundred miles south to AZ for the winter? save a lot of headaches.

btw most insurance policies allow you to tow with no additional cost. the trailer is covered by the tow vehicle. check to make sure this is your case.

if it was me I would find a cheaper phone plane and get rid of the storage(money pit).

highdesertranger

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

I'm sorry if it made it seem like I want my dad to go now, so I can start a new life. I'm actually hoping he'll stick around for at least another 10 years! (his dad made it to 96, and my older uncle is still goin' strong too!). He's the one who basically raised me, so I'm very close to him. Even if I didn't share the house, I probably wouldn't be far... even my sister chose to live just down the street, so she visits several times a week.

 

[WriterMs]

I'm sorry if it made it seem like I want my dad to go now, so I can start a new life. I'm actually hoping he'll stick around for at least another 10 years! (his dad made it to 96, and my older uncle is still goin' strong too!).

Vivid.... I think I may be able to straighten out a bit of confusion here on the part of some of us.

For most of us, being able to live mobile in a van or other rig is something we very much want and look forward to. So at first glance, someone planning to use inheritance to "buy" this lifestyle is a little like saying: "I can't wait until he dies and then I can live my dream."

HOWEVER, if I understand your description of your situation, what you are REALLY saying to us is that you now live in your dad's house. And you are trying to figure out how.... upon his death... you will be able to live.. how you will survive. Do I understand correctly?

I'm not trying to put words in your mouth or speak for you, but I have to say I took your eagerness for info the wrong way at first.

 

[ramblingvanman]

I think you have it right writerMs. That is how it strikes me. She is just trying to plan for her future.

 

[ilovemyvan]

Hi Vivid,

You are a very special person to live with your aging father, I'm sure it's not a bed of roses every day. You are wise to make plans for your future and find out all you can ahead of time. It'll be difficult enough for you to deal with the lost of your father when the time comes. It will not be a good time for you to make major decisions. Have you thought of what you will do while your father's estate is in probate? Will you be able to stay in his house while the legal battle is going on?

Van vs SUV-travel trailer. This is entirely up to you. It's a personal preference. Are you an outdoor person or more of an home body? The answer could help you decide. It's easier to live in a van if you enjoy being outside otherwise the walls will start closing in on you very fast if you spend most of your time in the van. A TT offers more room to move around and doesn't feel as claustrophobic.

I personally would not feel safe with a wood stove in the van, too small. A suggestion for you to help visualize how small a van really is. Tape the exact size of the van floor space somewhere in your house, then tape off the space that your bed, kitchen area etc. will take. Be sure to use the exact measurements, you'll be surprise how little room you have left.

I think you gave it a lot of thought and you have a pretty workable plan to start with. Like most of us you will make changes while you live in the van if that's what you decide to do. I was wondering what are your plans for refrigeration?

I envy your mechanical knowledge. It will be useful along the way, no doubt.

I'm sorry you had to deal with the pompous jerks on other sites. You won't find this here. Oh an other suggestion, try to avoid renting a storage. The catch with those is that you're never closed by when you need what's in it. As for the souvenirs, a lot of members here have mentioned taking photos of them. Would that work for you?

I wish you all the best and you have all my admiration for helping your father.

Nicole

 

[cyndi]

Hi Dawn! Your plan sounds very do-able and well thought out

I searched for my class C for four years, drove it for 3 and then sold it. For the exact reasons you mention ... too much responsibility with all those systems needing maintenance. Plus I couldn't get to a lot of places. And parking could be a P.I.T.A. Even getting in and out of gas stations could be challenging. Especially of you spend half of the year in old New England where the small towns have a tiny gas station clearly not meant for RVs to pull through and narrow winding roads. Sometimes, I can't believe I drove that class C on these roads!

It took two years to find my van. If I decide it's not enough room, I'll add a small travel trailer or cargo trailer. I don't think that'll be necessary but it's possible.

thanks for hanging out and taking care of your Dad. It can be hard, but it's also a gift a lot of people don't get to appreciate.

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

Yes, you guys are right. I want to stay home as long as possible. In the meanwhile, I like to be prepared and have a Plan A, B, C, so I don't get overwhelmed at the last minute with everything at once. The idea of mobile living is rather fascinating, and I'm sure it'll be a fun adventure when I get to it...but I'm not rarin' to go just yet
And like I said, even though I do qualify for low income housing, I don't want to do that. I have visited friends and relatives in those places, and while I don't like to be prejudice or stereotyping, they usually aren't the most sane/safest places to be.

I talked to a lawyer the other day (actually went to a seminar, then talked one-on-one after too) about better options for the whole estate thing. A trust would be optimal, but my dad is stubborn and doesn't want to hassle with re-doing everything and all the paperwork. "The will is good enough". The lawyer said that during probate the only person who really has any authority on if I can stay or not is the executor, who is my dad's younger brother. I very highly doubt he'll shove me out, and will give me time to get things settled. And while the house is up for sale, I think I could stay, but obviously would have to leave right when it did sell. The sale of the house is actually where I'll probably get most of my money to get started on my own.

I am very much a homebody, and don't really go out much. Living in a vehicle won't be much of a bother for me. Being only 80 lbs, I do get cold easy and if it gets below 50f, all I want to do is stay in bed and bundle up. I got plenty of stuff to keep my occupied in that situation - read books, needlework, internet, sleep (with my bad heart, I sleep 12 hours a day anyway!). If anything, it's my cat that might get cabin fever long before I do I have started leash training her, so I will take her out to the park for exercise and change of scenery - maybe even during some of the "warmer" days in winter.
It would be nice if I could go somewhere that's warm all year, but I like my doctors here too much. I am in a heart support group on FaceBook, and it seems 90% of people are always complaining that their doctors don't listen to their concerns, or dismiss them, or don't communicate treatment options good enough. My doctors - both GP and cardiologist - are wonderful, and address anything I need/want properly. I would hate to risk losing that just to save money on propane October to April LOL And I would have to come back in December anyway, for my sister's birthday (7th) and Christmas. I think my nephew would be mad at me for ditching out on that!

The storage unit will be for a shop, not for really keeping my belongings in. There's no way I'll be able to haul around machines I'm working on in a motorhome of any sort, so I would keep them in the storage. Tinker on them during the day, then go boondock for sleeping at night. It would basically be like most people going to the office for the day, then go home for the night. Does that make sense?

And yes, I have asked my sister about getting a trailer and just keeping it on their property, but her husband is totally against that idea. So, I'll have to find my own place(s) to stay.

Anyhoo, my top 3 concerns are heat, power, and finances. I could even do without the off-grid power, if it wasn't for my oxygen machine. It seems like most RV parks don't let vehicles older than 10 years be there (and it seems under 10 years are out of my budget), OR the lot rent is kind of ridiculous. So I'll just boondock!

 

[SoulRaven]

You did not say what part of the world you live in but with your medical conditions South Florida is the best place for you in the winter.

You can live lot rent free in the South water management camps that have an 8-day stay limit per campsite.

For instance you can stay 8 days at Dupuis equestrian campground then 8 days at DuPuis family campground (no big RV's but vans and pickup with caps OK) head north to reprovision at Walmart and the Dollar Tree in Okeechobee Florida then take US 98 to the S-65C lock campsite for 8 days then to Hickory Hammock equestrian campground 8 days which are both located near Lorida Florida.

You can run this cycle every 32 days and it's about 105 miles round trip, there are at least a dozen people that do this in RV's with half of them being Canadians.

 

[GotSmart]

Have you looked into Senior Housing?  There are places that will rent you a small place with others over 50 or 55.  No children, extremely little drama. 

My inlaws live in a senior Mobile Home park in CA, and it is a nice community.  The cats even get along with the dogs.  They have a work shed in the back yard.  Everyone knows everyone else, and watches out for each other. 

Just another option to look into.

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

I'm in Utah right now.
I am seriously thinking about looking into going to Arizona for the winter. I'll just have to double check about how that works with my Medicaid and SSI. For some reason I remember reading on one of my annual reports that they want to know if you've been out of the state for more than 30 days, because I guess that means you're not a true resident? *shrug*

I would love Senior housing! Or any adult-only place (for some reason, I just can't stand little kids. Barking dogs are tolerable, but not screaming rugrats). But I'm only 37, so I got another 18 years go to. Depending on how the place is set up, if it's regular rental I might be able to get financial help with it. Medicaid/Medicare doesn't seem to like to help with assisted living, though, unless you REALLY need it. I can do my own stuff...cook, bathe, grocery shopping, so I'm not considered as needy as somebody who can barely get out of bed.

You guys are being awesome with actually trying to help. And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm shooting down any suggestions, just clarifying some things that might make alternatives not applicable to me, or how I might have to re-arrange certain details of a suggestion.

 

[cyndi]

Many places accept people with disabilities in senior housing. I'd check that out.

I'm on SSDI . I change my state of residence quite frequently, to suit my needs. (usually for insurance purposes)

Both Medicaid and SSI are federal programs. I wouldn't think the rules could vary, that much, from state to state. Getting answers is tricky, though.

There's a discussion on SSI, here: https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-S...-where-I-should-ask?highlight=social+security

and here
https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Social-Security-USA-ONLY-FISCAL-SOURCE?highlight=social+security

 

[Ella1]

I use O2 also, and it does present a logistical problem. My concentrator is pretty big, because I use 3LPM constant flow at night, and the same or more when awake, when I use it. I am also severely sensitive to chemicals and fragrances. Because of that, I have an air cleaner that is bigger that my concentrator. SO, I don't carry the concentrator--no room. I use E tanks instead. I go through 2 a night. I can carry 8 I think, which gives me some for day use, and I do carry the M6 and D's, too, for day use. The E tanks weigh about 12 pounds each. I have a list from my O2 provider of their locations and I can switch tanks at various locations.
Maybe you can use the smaller concentrators. I can't because my flow is 3 or higher, the others only provide 2 lpm. Or, maybe tanks would work for you. (If you can use the tanks, you don't need electricity for them, and I think the new smaller concentrators work off batteries. But, if you use the smaller one, they take the 3lpm concentrator away. You can't have both, so be careful.
Best wishes.

 

[surfer]

If the KERO-SUN MOONLIGHTER didn't need 2 to 3 feet of clearance I'd suggest it because it's 3 IN 1: HEATER, COOKER AND LANTERN.

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For a wood stove I would suggest (& copied from):
https://www.unforgettablefirellc.com/kimberly-wood-stove/
The Kimberly Wood Stove 

When Roger Lehet and his family made their residence on their 30 foot boat during a winter on Puget Sound, they struggled to keep themselves warm and dry while they developed the Kimberly™ gasifier wood stove. Never could they have foreseen that their highly efficient small wood stove would one day be selected as one of 14 finalists out of 261 entries in the Wood Stove Decathlon, sponsored in part by Popular Mechanics magazine.

Your On-Grid or Off-Grid Living Solution…

As seen on the Tree House Masters and Tiny House Nation television shows!Heats your boat, RV, yurt, cabin, shop, or tiny house.Requires just 6-inches clearance on sides and back of flue.Heats bigger spaces, up to 1500 sq. ft. of well-insulated space.Highly portable, weighing just 56 pounds.Perfect for emergency preparedness.Saves hundreds of $$$ in installation costs with a unique venting system.Makes installation easy for the Do-It-Yourself-erOffers its cook top surface for on-grid or off-grid cooking.Optional accessories (coming soon!) will generate electricity, bake, and heat water.

Ultra Efficient…

Produces just 3.2 grams/hour, less than half the allowed EPA emissions.Is EPA Certified, CSA Certified, UL-Listed.Is Washington State EPA Certified, the toughest state standards in the United States.Burns up to 8 hours on a single load of fuel, providing a good night’s sleep.

Quality Engineering…

Made in America from domestically produced stainless steel.Designed for many years of trouble-free service.Five year, non-prorated warranty.

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An install of the Kimberly in a 1989 Toyota Odyssey 4x4 motorhome:

Blog:
http://timmystoyota.blogspot.com/p/information-on-kimberly-wood-stove.html

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If you choose not to dedicate X square feet of space for heat that you will only use  half of the year I would recommend a portable heater like the Mr buddy. The other six months of the year you can keep it in the storage unit and have something, like lawn chair, more appropriate for summer in your rig.

Its a half a dozen of 1 and 6 of another, give up the square footage for 6 months while heating with wood (& gain some of it back while not in use) or buying propane for six months of the year. The amount of $ spent on the Kimberly initially will eventually go up in 'smoke' using propane. The Kimberly not only heats & feeds you it also gives the option of power & hot h2o while in use. That could save on the amount of solar gear. I don't know, the more I write the more I think the Kimberly fits your plan. Some of the storage you'll loose having a wood heater can be replaced at work, the storage unit. You'll have access to it every day you go to work. ?

 

[highdesertranger]

I am impressed with the Kimberly stove, but 4k just for the stove. to much for me. highdesertranger

 

[surfer]

Eighdesertranger
I am impressed with the Kimberly stove,  but 4k just for the stove.  to much for me.  highdesertranger

Yea, I was just getting back on to warn about that. I didn't remember it at 4k. Thought it was 1,500 range (still a lot).  Can buy a lot of propane with $3500.

 

[highdesertranger]

or you could buy a less expensive stove. actually this is the first time I have seen a price on these, up till I only saw "coming soon". highdeserthanger

 

[surfer]

Guess a person could get lucky and find a rig they want with a Kimberly already installed.
https://westslope.craigslist.org/rvs/5231179324.html

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

My oxygen concentrator is portable - only weighs 10 pounds. Each battery (I have 2) lasts up to 2 hours... so I have 4 hours total. BUT each battery also takes 2 hours to charge back up. The brochure kept saying all this stuff about giving you more freedom.... yeah, right. 4 hours is not a lot of freedom, in my opinion. When I go out for a day, I'm out for 8+.
Oh well. Good news is my doctor figured out I don't need it all the time anymore, only when I'm really active. So now I only use it while I'm walking around. Then when I get to wherever I'm going and can sit (like to a fishing spot, then I sit and fish with it turned off), I can turn it off as long as my body oxygen levels stay above 75% (I have one of those little finger monitors). And because of the weird way my heart/lungs "plumbing" is, I don't need a high flow, because I'm not supposed to let my levels get above 90% cuz that makes my heart work TOO hard. Crazy, huh? LOL

I've been thinking more about the heating thing. If it's safe enough, maybe I could mount a 20 pound propane tank to one of those little cargo shelves on the outside of the van, and run a hose to the inside and hook it up to a heater like this: http://www.mrheater.com/portable-buddy-heater.html
I have one now (even though I haven't used it in years) and it got pretty warm. Maybe I wouldn't need much propane after all if I just ran it a few hours at a time.