Getting ready in NC

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Hi.

I grew up traveling summers in vans, pop-ups, and RV's.  I was a n honorary Camp Fire Girl (my mom ran the troop for my sister and her friends), I was a Cub Scout up to Boy Scout of some level other than Eagle that I don't remember.  In my late teens I did a lot of ... umm ... urban camping .  Then later on I did a bunch of hitchhiking up and down the Eastern Seaboard.  I used to mountain bike, hike, climb mountains, back pack, and have all sorts of adventures.  

Now, I've spent the better part of 10 years sitting behind a desk for money and good health insurance and it's killing me.  I'm done.  I gotta get out.

I'm thinking that I will hire an agency rent out my house.  If it can pay for itself that would be awesome otherwise I may have to sell it.

I am a photographer, leather worker and blacksmith and I need to figure out a way to make those skills pay and they need to do it so I can do it all from the road.  I do of course have 20 years I.T. experience that should also make finding piece work or temp work easy enough if I have to.

I'm torn between a hitop van and a short bus.  I'm also considering a trailer for shop and tools. Having done Grateful Dead tour for several summers I've seen what you can do with a school bus but that just seems too much for me alone right now.  I fear it would also limit where I can go both in national parks and boondooking.

I'm currently working on getting gear together.  I need a good deep cycle battery.  It's good for emergency home use, it will come in handy camping, it will be the base for my solar once I get going.  Once the basic solar generator is together I'll be ready for some extended stays in my local National Forest car camping and getting ready.  Otherwise I have tons of camping kit and so a build should be fairly simple if I build it to fit what I have.

If there is anyone in NC interested in any of these things let me know.

If you're heading through Raliegh (Rt85) PM me.

 

[VanKitten]

The blacksmith part of your reply caught my eye.
Can you shoe a thoroughbred? There is a constant demand for farriers at the racetracks.
You can get a license at the track office...and find lots of work in the barns each afternoon.

Move to another track, and other state, and find work at the tracks there.

Also...the farms and training centers are always looking for them too.

If you like to travel...this would work. Just..if it is racetracks, you will need to keep to higher population areas (where the tracks are)

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard the forums !
You have enough different skills that you should have no problems making money on the road.

 

[eDJ_]

Greetings, and welcome to the CRVL Forum  

You may have advanced in Boy Scouting to Star or Life Scout.  Those come before Eagle.

As I read about your interest in a Van and even a trailer to tow behind it,  I thought you
might want to see my first website below.  It is exactly about that.   The Van is set up with
sleeping and cooking/eating accommodations and storage of clothing, bed sheets & blankets,
towels wash cloths etc. 

The Trailer is the part of the unit that gives it the utility of a Class A motor home.  The nice part is
that it can be detached to leave in camp or a secure parking port while one goes off to tour in the Van.
(and as the Van is set up the tour could be for a couple days before returning back to the trailer with
it's conveniences.

I have specified an apartment size Laundry center in the trailer where a generator and on demand water heater would provide for the pump, water heater, shower, and laundry center.  The toilet is a sealed chemical system to  use if there is no camp ground facility near by.    You are welcome to borrow any ideas you can extract from  those sites of mine if it will help you. 

These are just free information sites for other Van dwellers to study.

All the best !

 

[cyndi]

ZZZ! Welcome to the CRVL forums! I know at least a few people who follow Ren Faire circuits. Your leatherworking skills and blacksmithing could definitely make that a possibility. And you could snowbird at the same time. You have some options!!!

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.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Can you shoe a thoroughbred?

Common misconception about Blacksmiths and Farriers.  Where hundreds of years ago this might have been the case in far flung back waters the two trades were highly specialized by the time roads came in to common use ... and then came back in to common use again.  I've never been much closer to a horse than a parade or a petting zoo.  I don't even remember riding a pony at a petting zoo as a child.  There are certainly lots of Farriers that do artistic Blacksmithing as well there are many many more Blacksmiths that never touch a horse.  I do make stuff out of used horse shoes though.  I work in mild steal.  Think hooks, wood fire camp kits, nail, small knives, fire place sets that sort of thing.  I'm not good enough yet to make a living at it but I've managed to do two years volunteering in a historical re-enactment farm.   I figure time, practice, inspiration, and self promotion will get me  a long way.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Welcome aboard the forums !
You have enough different skills that you should have no problems making money on the road.

Thanks for the encouragement and the welcome.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Greetings, and welcome to the CRVL Forum  

Thanks!
I have some planning to do because I have hard set requirements that I'm pretty set on.  I'm watching videos and getting lots of ideas from seeing what other folks have done in home made builds.
I'm a big guy and a wimpy pre-built isn't going to last long with me living in it.  I need a medium sized work bench for leatherwork and I want that 'inside' so i can work anywhere and because this is project space it can't always be available for other things like cooking etc.  I plan on keeping at least my nice store bought single mattress if not my queen sized.  I've seen some interesting "sheds" on the back of rigs and a trailer would be good for the blacksmithing stuff.

I'm starting small for now and will be taking some trips this summer with an eye on how I would do it with a van/camper.  I'll be taking pictures again and testing my gear.  Seeing what works and trying to remember how I did this so long ago.

 

[akrvbob]

It's hard for me to imagine anything being better for you than a school bus.

 

[muddy]

Zizzer, not sure what type of IT you did but there must be plenty of remote work out there in that field. Cell network is pretty great these days and there are good prepaid plans meaning you can get work done in a lot of places.

 

[DannyB1954]

There are people who travel the fair circuit doing blacksmith work selling crafts. Lots of towns close down a few blocks once a year for craft fairs, then there are flea markets. Maybe make blacksmith crafts designed for RV's. Rope tensioners for tarps, toilet paper holders for buckets, lamps, (thinking about the scissor types that pull away from a wall ). shelf brackets designed for walls that curve in at the top, (like a van). Magnetic coat hooks, whatever.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

It's hard for me to imagine anything being better for you than a school bus.

It's a very daunting thought, buying a school bus not knowing anything about them except what I've read on line.

At least the Ram 350 Hi top that I'm also interested in is a much more common denominator for maintenance and repairs.

A trailer w/ work benches, tools, and all sort of added storage might become more realistic.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

There are people who travel the fair circuit doing blacksmith work selling crafts. Lots of towns close down a few blocks once a year for craft fairs, then there are flea markets. Maybe make blacksmith crafts designed for RV's. Rope tensioners for tarps, toilet paper holders for buckets, lamps, (thinking about the scissor types that pull away from a wall ). shelf brackets designed for walls that curve in at the top, (like a van). Magnetic coat hooks, whatever.

I suppose that coal smoke does advertise itself.

How much do folks run in to burn bans? I remember being disappointed a few times as a kid out west and we couldn't have fires.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Zizzer, not sure what type of IT you did but there must be plenty of remote work out there in that field. Cell network is pretty great these days and there are good prepaid plans meaning you can get work done in a lot of places.

Muddy, love the Clutch lyric.  I'm from PG County MD but I'm getting ready in NC.

[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]University Blvd.[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]New Hampshire Ave.[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Tick Tock Liquor[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Thunderbird![/font]

[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Just over the line to MoCo and they sold liqueur  on Sundays.[/font]

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=small]Muddy, love the Clutch lyric.  I'm from PG County MD but I'm getting ready in NC.

University Blvd.[/font]
New Hampshire Ave.
Tick Tock Liquor
Thunderbird![/font

Just over the line to MoCo and they sold liqueur  on Sundays.[/size]