Tundrawolf
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2018
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
- 3
Hello,
I have several vehicles including a Toyota Dolphin I had to strip down to the bare chassis due to rot, and a 99 Dodge Ram Van conversion (Legendary conversions). I am planning on rebuilding the Dolphin RV as the year I spent in it was wonderful, I loved being able to take it camping, etc.
The honest truth is that I live to camp, I love to camp, it is impossible to be depressed or anxious in the forest, it is so beautiful.
Using the van as a work vehicle has been hard on it. I removed the crappy fold out bed and the two captain's chairs, as I am single, and just have my two dogs.
Setting up my TV, a small generator, lets me entertain myself, and a queen size inflatable bed makes for a nice camping time with my dogs. I cook outside over a fire usually. My desire is to get as far away from civilization and other people as I can so I am never where there's water or electricity. At campsites it seems every ten minutes someone in a loud motorcycle or quad or side by side or truck is flying by, kicking up the dust, shattering my solace. This isn't camping to me...
Presently I own 5 acres of land in Arizona, that I want to put a house on, and rent it out to people as horse property. Using that money, and income I make on the road, it is in my heart to become a nomad, at least part time.
Also, I enjoy writing, and have written a handful of long novels, about 5,000 pages worth involving a fictional race of people (It's science fiction). I LOVE to write. And writing in a wilderness setting is so freeing. I would love to drive my van into the wilderness and just write for days and days on end.
Presently, I am also learning to draw, to help illustrate my stories.
The van i have has the V6 in it, and gets really good gas mileage, in the low twenties, to high tens. It lacks power, but I am not trying to get anywhere fast.
I keep scouring my local junkyard for a van with a high top, which I will remove and place on my van, when I do find one.
Another conversion I was considering was making my van a 4WD by putting it on a 4WD chassis (I am good at welding and fabrication). At the very least, outfit it with a limited slip rear differential. The Toyota DOlphin is also being converted to a 4x4, as a 4low gear would help pull the thing better in 4 low, because it only has a 4 cylinder.
Things I am interested in are stealth camping. Being undisturbed in the wilderness.
Oh, and the van needs the transmission rebuilt, which I will do myself, soon. I also have a handful of trucks, all of which are 4wd. I do love taking my camper shell equipped trucks out camping and going remote places, and camping in there. I have 240 watts of power on the big 4x4 diesel truck, and I have approx 4KW in panels I can use for the other vehicles, my RV, and my van.
Presently I have a lot of "Stuff" and it is tiring to me. A lot of it is electronics, tools, equipment, automotive parts and even scrap metal that all is valuable and everything has a use. But to live minimalist inside a van or small RV truly appeals to me. Being "Free" appeals to me.
Presently I work at a job that I am good at, but sucks the life out of me. It is constant drudgery. I wake up, eat, go to work, slave away, go home, work more, watch a few hours of youtube, eat again, go to bed, do it again. For days, weeks, months, years, decades. I am working myself to death, death is the only way out of this "life". e point? I have a lot of stuff. SO what! It helps me not.
Before, I worked helping to feed the homeless and the hungry and made a total of $40 doing it for 6 years of work, I had a roof over my head and food, but that was it- and it was some of the best years of my life, helping people.
If I can focus on my writing, my drawing, work for 6 months out of the year, and take a year off, that sounds like a dream to me.
Not sure if I'd keep my "stuff" in a storage container on my land while I travel, or what. Maybe it's too far ahead to consider that.
For the van, the Roadtrek 170 floorplan is ideal, and that is what I will do. Right now it's just "open". A swivel passenger and possibly driver seat are in the future. When I get the high top, I may have 900-1,200 watts of solar, 2 deep cycle agm batteries, and some manner of pure sine wave inverter. Presently I also have a small Yamaha inverter generator which can supplement that as well.
Future upgrades include shortwave, a cell booster (Like Bob has in his videos) for internet. I do like exploring, hiking, and I am a survivalist, but I do also love to binge Netflix in the wilderness, I know, haha.
Composting toilet sound great. Small on demand water (Tankless) heater... I need a shower, and know how to use the smallest amount of water.
A sunroof that opens for me to peer through.
I have been enchanted by Bob's videos online. Right now it gives me a goal, something to work for/to, rather than endless days of drudgery who's only hope of cessation is death itself. (If that sounds depressing, that's because it is... I long to be in nature, not the walking dead working stiff!)
My two rescue dogs are my life and my family and I love them, they are coming with me, that is not negotiable.
I am fairly skilled at many trades, including construction, plumbing, welding, automotive, solar, and electrical/electronics, these are things I can use to help my fellow RVers, nomads, and people who may need help repairing something. It also helps me to stay on the road, parts notwithstanding.
I have written a lot, but I am a novelist, sorry!
Dave
I have several vehicles including a Toyota Dolphin I had to strip down to the bare chassis due to rot, and a 99 Dodge Ram Van conversion (Legendary conversions). I am planning on rebuilding the Dolphin RV as the year I spent in it was wonderful, I loved being able to take it camping, etc.
The honest truth is that I live to camp, I love to camp, it is impossible to be depressed or anxious in the forest, it is so beautiful.
Using the van as a work vehicle has been hard on it. I removed the crappy fold out bed and the two captain's chairs, as I am single, and just have my two dogs.
Setting up my TV, a small generator, lets me entertain myself, and a queen size inflatable bed makes for a nice camping time with my dogs. I cook outside over a fire usually. My desire is to get as far away from civilization and other people as I can so I am never where there's water or electricity. At campsites it seems every ten minutes someone in a loud motorcycle or quad or side by side or truck is flying by, kicking up the dust, shattering my solace. This isn't camping to me...
Presently I own 5 acres of land in Arizona, that I want to put a house on, and rent it out to people as horse property. Using that money, and income I make on the road, it is in my heart to become a nomad, at least part time.
Also, I enjoy writing, and have written a handful of long novels, about 5,000 pages worth involving a fictional race of people (It's science fiction). I LOVE to write. And writing in a wilderness setting is so freeing. I would love to drive my van into the wilderness and just write for days and days on end.
Presently, I am also learning to draw, to help illustrate my stories.
The van i have has the V6 in it, and gets really good gas mileage, in the low twenties, to high tens. It lacks power, but I am not trying to get anywhere fast.
I keep scouring my local junkyard for a van with a high top, which I will remove and place on my van, when I do find one.
Another conversion I was considering was making my van a 4WD by putting it on a 4WD chassis (I am good at welding and fabrication). At the very least, outfit it with a limited slip rear differential. The Toyota DOlphin is also being converted to a 4x4, as a 4low gear would help pull the thing better in 4 low, because it only has a 4 cylinder.
Things I am interested in are stealth camping. Being undisturbed in the wilderness.
Oh, and the van needs the transmission rebuilt, which I will do myself, soon. I also have a handful of trucks, all of which are 4wd. I do love taking my camper shell equipped trucks out camping and going remote places, and camping in there. I have 240 watts of power on the big 4x4 diesel truck, and I have approx 4KW in panels I can use for the other vehicles, my RV, and my van.
Presently I have a lot of "Stuff" and it is tiring to me. A lot of it is electronics, tools, equipment, automotive parts and even scrap metal that all is valuable and everything has a use. But to live minimalist inside a van or small RV truly appeals to me. Being "Free" appeals to me.
Presently I work at a job that I am good at, but sucks the life out of me. It is constant drudgery. I wake up, eat, go to work, slave away, go home, work more, watch a few hours of youtube, eat again, go to bed, do it again. For days, weeks, months, years, decades. I am working myself to death, death is the only way out of this "life". e point? I have a lot of stuff. SO what! It helps me not.
Before, I worked helping to feed the homeless and the hungry and made a total of $40 doing it for 6 years of work, I had a roof over my head and food, but that was it- and it was some of the best years of my life, helping people.
If I can focus on my writing, my drawing, work for 6 months out of the year, and take a year off, that sounds like a dream to me.
Not sure if I'd keep my "stuff" in a storage container on my land while I travel, or what. Maybe it's too far ahead to consider that.
For the van, the Roadtrek 170 floorplan is ideal, and that is what I will do. Right now it's just "open". A swivel passenger and possibly driver seat are in the future. When I get the high top, I may have 900-1,200 watts of solar, 2 deep cycle agm batteries, and some manner of pure sine wave inverter. Presently I also have a small Yamaha inverter generator which can supplement that as well.
Future upgrades include shortwave, a cell booster (Like Bob has in his videos) for internet. I do like exploring, hiking, and I am a survivalist, but I do also love to binge Netflix in the wilderness, I know, haha.
Composting toilet sound great. Small on demand water (Tankless) heater... I need a shower, and know how to use the smallest amount of water.
A sunroof that opens for me to peer through.
I have been enchanted by Bob's videos online. Right now it gives me a goal, something to work for/to, rather than endless days of drudgery who's only hope of cessation is death itself. (If that sounds depressing, that's because it is... I long to be in nature, not the walking dead working stiff!)
My two rescue dogs are my life and my family and I love them, they are coming with me, that is not negotiable.
I am fairly skilled at many trades, including construction, plumbing, welding, automotive, solar, and electrical/electronics, these are things I can use to help my fellow RVers, nomads, and people who may need help repairing something. It also helps me to stay on the road, parts notwithstanding.
I have written a lot, but I am a novelist, sorry!
Dave
