Greetings from Texas

[Crow]

Hi, my name is Dwayne, please excuse me for not properly introducing myself sooner, I've been hanging out here for a bit already.   I'm a 59 year old male currently living in a Dallas suburb, Garland.  Four years ago I took an early retirement from the corporate world, I'm drawing a small pension that I'm able to get by on for the time being.

For the past few years it became obvious my wife didn't have much interest in staying married any longer.   I've tried to coax her along but as time goes by, the symptoms only increase.   The thought of starting over on my own, alone, at this age did not appeal to me at all.   I know its terminal.  At first it was downright depressing.

Then I just stumbled across one of Bob Well's videos, I don't remember how, I wasn't really looking for anything like that.  As I watched I realized I was in prime position that I could do something like that too.   The vandwelling life appealed to me greatly, and overnight my outlook went from gloomy and depressing to hopeful and even outright excitement and anticipation.  

So a huge thank you to Bob Wells.   I consider myself well grounded and I would have eventually gotten over the upcoming divorce by my own devices but thanks to Bob, instead of just recovering and trying to get over it, I'm optimistic and eager for my new life!   What a difference!

As I read the posts from all of you and see the challenges some of you face, I felt like a complete idiot for even one second of feeling sorry for myself. I've got pretty good health, and a modest but solid and reliable source of income, through frugal living I have no money worries.   Heck, when I sit back and think about it, I don't have a problem in the world.  I see some of you struggling with health problems, or money, or both, and it makes me appreciate how fortunate I really am.  So thank you all for sharing your lives on this forum and for the help and encouragement you give to us newbs. 

I'm tempted to name some of you in particular whose positive outlook and the love you show to strangers in this forum have really made an impression on me, but I know i would forget some... so... you know who you are

So the plan at this point, we are filing for divorce within the next week, it will be final around the end of June.   It is amicable, she will keep the house since it was hers when we married, she'll give me something for what I've contributed through the marriage.   I'm going to attempt to live in a 2014 GMC Savana ex-Uhaul rental with 25K that I recently bought.  I'm just getting started on it.   A water heater blowout and some ruined floors in the house kind of put the work on hold for a month but I'm ready to kick it in high gear now.    I've cut some insulation and plywood for the floor, I'm going to paint the plywood with Kilz and I have some peel & stick vinyl tiles that I'm going to put on it.  

I've got a pile of hardware to install:

• a roof vent fan (not Fantastic but similar)
• 2 100 watt solar panels from Renogy and a PWM controller (Thanks to SternWake and others for sharing their expertise)  Still need to get batteries, I'll get those last so they'll be fresh when I'm ready to hit the road.  Planning on a pair of T105's.
• Ladder racks for the solar panels
• Aftermarket car alarm with a motion sensor and two-way remote (I've already installed)
• 4 camera mobile DVR system that will do triple duty as a security system, a dashcam, and a backup camera.  Go ahead, point and laugh, I admit it, I'm a gadget junkie.   But really, if my entire life is centered around this vehicle and it contains everything I own, I want to protect it as much as I can.
• Polyisocyanurate insulation, 1/2" sheets on the floor and sides and doubled up on the ceiling.  Not planning on encountering a lot of cold weather

I keep hashing over and changing my mind on how I want to build the bed and some cabinets.  I'm not a carpenter, and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.   After I get the flooring and insulation in I'll just go with whatever I have in mind at the moment and hope its right.  I need to get on the road in about 2 months when the divorce is final, as long as I have a bed in by then I can work the rest out later and just basically use camping equipment for water & cooking needs in the meanwhile.

If anybody has any kind of advice on the build or life in general by all means fire away.  Thanks again to all of you.

In case you've never seen a white van before:
[img=640x360]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x235/crow57/Resized_20170213_152955_01-2.jpeg[/img]


Original U-haul configuration:
[img=640x475]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x235/crow57/IMG_20170308_120021.jpg[/img]

Floor insulation & plywood cut:
[img=640x480]http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x235/crow57/IMG_20170412_144042_1.jpg[/img]

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Dwayne 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. I don't know if you already got the official welcome but you got another one right now. highdesertranger

 

[Gunny]

Welcome from the Northside of Ft Worth. I'm not sure "congratulations" is the appropriate word for getting divorced, but welcome to the forum.

Rob

 

[Crow]

Welcome from the Northside of Ft Worth. I'm not sure "congratulations" is the appropriate word for getting divorced, but welcome to the forum.

Rob

Thanks 50 mile neighbor, by golly I'll take that congratulations, if not for the happening of it then for the positive outcome of it.

 

[ArtW]

Welcome! And Congratulations, if not for getting a divorce, then at least for it being amicable, and in Texas where, absent any kids, the damage that can be done is minimal
I'm down the road a bit in Garwood, (near Houston) which folks always want to think is Garland LOL
My own divorce was amicable, and me and my ex treated each other fair, it's so much better than way, and it doesn't make the lawyers rich and the divorcees broke
I have a freind who's a family law attorney, and he always tells his clients
"you can split the assets fairly, or give most of them to your respective attorneys"
Here's a couple 'quick n dirty' builds, not mine, I just thinks they're cool
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2014/12/van-life-crisis-1-week-no-skill-van.html

 

[Crow]

Yeah, had to do a double-take on Garwood... "wow, this guy doesn't even know the name of his hometown".. hehe

Those links are perfect, that's just what I needed! I think I've got time to at least get a plywood bed platform built, nothing too fancy but some hinges so each end will lift up for storage underneath, and get the solar installed, for the rest I can use a lot of this guy's tips to get me started. Thanks man!

 

[Crow]

And amen on the amicable divorce. People sometimes get caught up in a silly one-upsmanship contest that winds up destroying both of them financially, and with an emotional toll to boot. That's just crazy. Accept that this person has some flaw that prevents them from seeing how awesome you are and move on. Resentment, revenge, anger, hatred... Nah, thanks, don't need none of it!

 

[lenny flank]

Howdy.

I too have a GMC Savannah.

Spent this past winter in Texas--San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. Lots of cool things to see there.

 

[Crow]

Hi Lenny, you picked a good winter to spend here, we had a pretty mild one this time. No snow, no ice storms and we only had one hard freeze here in the Dallas area if I recall. I've been a life-long Texan except for 4 years in the Air Force in Colorado, and 15 years in Tulsa. Born on the Llano Estacado near the New Mexico state line. They have actual winters out there.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard and welcome to the lifestyle too.....

 

[Queen]

Hello and welcome!

Glad you're able to look to your future with enthusiasm, sure makes life sweeter doesn't it!

 

[Crow]

Sure does, like night and day!

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Welcome Dwayne!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the pictures up front LOL... you've done a great job on that floor! I'm jealous... It seems when one has an actual deadline, one gets things done... Me? I'm still being wishy washy about every little decision. Ah well, glad you're here and enjoy the journey!

 

[Dennis]

Looks like a good rig you have there, Dwayne. You know though that you will stand out like a sore thumb with a white van. You and me both. I've been waiting to get some Dr. appts out of the way so I could head west. Looks like I may as well go ahead and do a few more things to my van. I am pretty much set up with camping equipment myself other than a few small electronic dodads.

I lived in Garland for a number of years when I was younger. Attended 5th through 9th grade in GISD before moving. In those days I knew that town like the back of my hand from a bicycle seat.

 

[CottonTexas]

What an inspiring story! I'm glad to hear that you've made the best of your situation, and I feel optimistic that you will take to your new-found freedom with a renewed heart. I'm interested in what camera setup you've got for your van, so I might emulate it for myself - you can't take security too seriously when you've got everything you own in one spot. Best of luck to you Crow, Cotton

 

[ArtW]

Hehe Garwood is just a wide spot in the road, nobody ever heard of it lol

 

[Crow]

 Me? I'm still being wishy washy about every little decision. Ah well, glad you're here and enjoy the journey!

Me too, big time!  I beat every little decision to death sometimes, and it gets to the point where I'm paralyzed and can't do anything because I can't make up my mind.  But now I've got this invisible hand on my back pushing me on so I just have to go with it even if it turns out to be wrong.  I've got some intermediate goals that mean I don't have to figure out every single detail in advance.  I just want to get the bed, solar and roof vent/fan done and I'll feel like I can bug out at any time and finish the rest at my leisure. 

Thanks for the welcome, I'm honored to be here.  :shy: :shy: :shy:

 

[Crow]

I lived in Garland for a number of years when I was younger. Attended 5th through 9th grade in GISD before moving.  In those days I knew that town like the back of my hand from a bicycle seat.

My spouse has lived here all her adult life, she knows every nook and cranny too so i always let her drive...  Which means after 10 years of living here myself, I still don't know my way around that well.  My GPS and phone do though so I do OK.

 

[Crow]

What an inspiring story!  I'm glad to hear that you've made the best of your situation, and I feel optimistic that you will take to your new-found freedom with a renewed heart.  I'm interested in what camera setup you've got for your van, so I might emulate it for myself - you can't take security too seriously when you've got everything you own in one spot.  Best of luck to you Crow, Cotton

Thank you, Cotton.  How'd you come across that name?   Spent most of my childhood working in the cotton fields.   

This is the mobile DVR I bought - http://www.ebay.com/itm/152113738309?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And these cameras - http://www.ebay.com/itm/331947636970?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Although the cameras are bigger than what I thought they would be and I may not use them, I might just get some of the little aftermarket backup cameras instead, and attach them underneath the solar panels on a platform on the roof rack.

 

[CottonTexas]

Thank you, Cotton.  How'd you come across that name?   Spent most of my childhood working in the cotton fields.   

This is the mobile DVR I bought - http://www.ebay.com/itm/152113738309?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And these cameras - http://www.ebay.com/itm/331947636970?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Although the cameras are bigger than what I thought they would be and I may not use them, I might just get some of the little aftermarket backup cameras instead, and attach them underneath the solar panels on a platform on the roof rack.

My granddaddy named me.  My granddad, among many other honorable things, was a central Texas cotton-picker and a stock-tank-digger (like his daddy & his daddy's daddy was), and his daddy named him Cotton when he was born with a full head of fair hair.  When I was little, my nickname was "Cotton-Top" and Granddaddy was called "Cotton," but he departed long ago, and my hair isn't nearly as fair as it once was, so I'm just called Cotton now - admittedly, a fraction of the American war hero and rock-solid family man whom I'm named after, but honored to carry a piece of his legacy.  

I was thinking about mentioning something about the roof-vent & solar panels.  There's a pretty recent thread on here by another user that's trying to mount panels & seems to really wish they'd re-thought the roof-fan.  I'm not so interested in stealth (though it couldn't hurt), but I'll be venting through the floor to keep the roof clean, and perhaps to save room for future panels.  I've been toying with the idea of using a backup camera in conjunction with something smaller & cheaper (web-cams maybe?) to help keep an eye on things.  Be sure to keep us posted on what you do & don't like about your setup as you perfect the system.  Good luck, Cotton