Hello I Need Advice

[lydiagirl]

I am searching for a new way of life. I am a 55 yrs of age. I am so tired of living in a small apartment alone. I want to travel, however, have to admit I am feeling very overwhelmed. I am the type of person who has to plan out everything and prepare for anything that can possibly go wrong. I cant even decide on what I want to travel in. If anyone could share with me how to start I would much appreciate it.

Thank you

Lydia

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Lydia to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

well I would get a van and some camping gear and join one of the "Caravans". that will sort it all out for you.

highdesertranger

 

[cyndi]

Welcome! Many people share their journey, how and where they started, in their blogs. Reading some of those blogs, from the beginnig may give you a starting point.

I'd also begin taking camping trips to see if your current vehicle might work for you.

You're on the right track. Asking questions, planning slowly, and building a network right here

See? You do know what you're doing!

Here's am list of members' blogs. some may not have been recently updated (like mine) but still contain relevant information about starting out
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=2824

 

[JD GUMBEE]

One fun thing to do is put a mental lock against any purchase until a preset date of your choosing.
With that mindset, check out the different styles of RV/van/trailer at dealers near you.
Even a few local ads that catch your eye.

 

[lydiagirl]

highdesertranger,

Thank you so much that helped so much. I was leaning towards a van. Joining the caravan sounds less scary knowing I wont be alone out there.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Welcome Lydia! Here is a link to the Caravans ... https://www.Meetup.com/caravans/

 

[Thorhacker]

I am searching for a new way of life. I am a 55 yrs of age. I am so tired of living in ...

Hello. I am a man, a bit older,  in a similar situation. I'm leaning toward a good used van, about five years old plus or minus a coupe years to take a depreciation hit. The problem is finding a good used one. It looks like one has to search far and wide through RV ads and learn what to look for in checking it out - not easy as you can't test everything. Good luck. 

 

[maki2]

At the root of many people's issues is a basic fear of making any decisions, even the small ones. Making larger ones for many feels absolutely paralyzing. So you need to learn to manage decision making in a logical way to reduce the stress.

There are a lot of books out in the world for helping people work their way through a list of decisions when making major lifestyle changes. A workbook type will be helpful to you and it will keep you on track by focusing on one or two things at a time instead of getting overwhelmed.

Set you goal, do some visualizing of yourself in your new....whatever vehicle in whatever location. Watch some videos that show people's builds. Imagine waking up in the space and doing normal types of chores. Just the step by step stuff that is your typical weekend morning routine. Then imagine the bed time routine. Next fill in some daytime routines be it driving, doing some income generating work or communications, reading or studying. Working on a hobby. The reason for the visualization is that it will help you understand your minimum needs for space, function and storage.

Do you want a lot of windows or do you want no windows for maximum privacy and a sense of security?
Do you need desk or workbench space?
Is one of your hobbies cooking?
Are you traveling with pets?
Are you going to be camping in extreme weather...in the 90s or below freezing?
Do you want to travel into more remote areas or will you be sticking to easy to get to places?

Make a list of potential types of vehicles across the top of a large sheet of ruled paper
Make a long list of the types of questions above, add your own as well
put check marks in for yes when you get a positive result and an X for no it won't work

Now you have a way to compare you needs to a vehicle type such as one looking at in a video tour.

types of vehicles
car
minivan
full size van
step van
box truck
school bus/ transit bus
motorhome
cargo trailer
RV trailer
popup tent trailer
tear drop trailer

Don't forget that you need to look at your budget to see what you can afford that is reliable, that is a very important factor.

 

[solona]

I've been binge watching all the how-tos on YouTube. Bob has one on how to choose a rig and there are videos on just about every topic.

 

[JReader]

Thank you for the suggestion of using visualization techniques in the ongoing process of choosing my next vehicle. It definitely helps. For some time I have been swinging like a pendulum: do I go completely minimalist, or compromise with a vehicle that better balances home type amenities, along with fuel economy considerations. The other thing is, I'm heading into my middle 50s but my brain still refuses to accept my newfound autumnal limitations. Coupled with the fact that I'm about 6-1/2 ft tall, I'm beginning to question whether a minivan will be ultimately comfortable enough.

Again, thanks. Now when this cold spring weather finally subsides, I'll need to get out and do some actual practice!

-J.

 

[mbgalvez]

I've been binge watching all the how-tos on YouTube. Bob has one on how to choose a rig and there are videos on just about every topic.

Ive binge watched too, specially right after the RTR 2019!

 

[Willy]

Don't forget the ever so versatile truck+slide-in camper combo. ..Willy.