FrozenTundra
Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2016
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
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Hello all,
Just signed up and figured I'd introduce myself.
I stumbled upon Bob's youtube channel about a week ago and it's totally changing my life. I've always thought about doing a van conversion, but ignorantly had no idea that there were so many people actually living the lifestyle that I've long considered, blazing the way for me, as it were. It's done a lot to demystify the whole concept.
I'm in my mid 30's, currently living in an 60's era mobile home that I have remodeled to suit my purposes, using modern, lightweight building materials to make it comfortable in Northern WI winters. Only really using about 300 square ft of it. I'm right on the South Shore of Lake Superior, in a very rural area. I heat 100% with firewood that I scavenge off old logging sites, and from dead trees that I cut on a county permit system off of public land. I already haul my own water, so I'm used to living without conventional plumbing systems, and I use a small minimalist refrigerator.
Last year I took a 4 week, 6000 mile trip, tent living off the back of a 250cc on-off road enduro style motorcycle. Loved it, but got sick of being chronically wet. I was in North Carolina when they got all the flooding. This summer I took my young daughter on a tour of seven of the Western National Parks, living out of a 2002 Honda Accord Sedan. That was magical, if a little cramped.
Seems like nomadic van life wouldn't be as large of an adjustment for me as for many.
My current plan is to find something like a used Chevy Express or Ford E series style of van. Looking forward to do a "stealth" build based around high insulation and performance in a wide range of climatic conditions. I have years of carpentry and construction experience, and am currently going back to college for a mashup of machine tool, welding, electrical theory and systems, rigging, pump and bearing systems, conveyors, programmable logic controllers...etc. I was considering becoming a millwright, but am starting to wonder if I may be able to take my skills on the road and follow a different path, centered more around adventure and fellowship in nomadic tribal community, vs simply "working for the man" LOL.
Anyway, I'm going to have a TON of questions for you guys, who have already learned so many of the lessons that I need to learn. I hope to take what I can learn here, combine it with my other education and skillsets, to achieve greater physical and spiritual freedom. Ideally, I'd love to become an asset that can help to empower others do the same(cheaply, efficiently, and comfortably) sometime down the road.
I'm absolutely thrilled to be here, and more excited than I've been in a very long time.
Just signed up and figured I'd introduce myself.
I stumbled upon Bob's youtube channel about a week ago and it's totally changing my life. I've always thought about doing a van conversion, but ignorantly had no idea that there were so many people actually living the lifestyle that I've long considered, blazing the way for me, as it were. It's done a lot to demystify the whole concept.
I'm in my mid 30's, currently living in an 60's era mobile home that I have remodeled to suit my purposes, using modern, lightweight building materials to make it comfortable in Northern WI winters. Only really using about 300 square ft of it. I'm right on the South Shore of Lake Superior, in a very rural area. I heat 100% with firewood that I scavenge off old logging sites, and from dead trees that I cut on a county permit system off of public land. I already haul my own water, so I'm used to living without conventional plumbing systems, and I use a small minimalist refrigerator.
Last year I took a 4 week, 6000 mile trip, tent living off the back of a 250cc on-off road enduro style motorcycle. Loved it, but got sick of being chronically wet. I was in North Carolina when they got all the flooding. This summer I took my young daughter on a tour of seven of the Western National Parks, living out of a 2002 Honda Accord Sedan. That was magical, if a little cramped.
Seems like nomadic van life wouldn't be as large of an adjustment for me as for many.
My current plan is to find something like a used Chevy Express or Ford E series style of van. Looking forward to do a "stealth" build based around high insulation and performance in a wide range of climatic conditions. I have years of carpentry and construction experience, and am currently going back to college for a mashup of machine tool, welding, electrical theory and systems, rigging, pump and bearing systems, conveyors, programmable logic controllers...etc. I was considering becoming a millwright, but am starting to wonder if I may be able to take my skills on the road and follow a different path, centered more around adventure and fellowship in nomadic tribal community, vs simply "working for the man" LOL.
Anyway, I'm going to have a TON of questions for you guys, who have already learned so many of the lessons that I need to learn. I hope to take what I can learn here, combine it with my other education and skillsets, to achieve greater physical and spiritual freedom. Ideally, I'd love to become an asset that can help to empower others do the same(cheaply, efficiently, and comfortably) sometime down the road.
I'm absolutely thrilled to be here, and more excited than I've been in a very long time.