Hi All

[FLgirl]

Well it seems I will likely be living in my car soon.  My house rental lease is up next month.  I can't find decent paying work and I can't afford to keep living where I am nor can I afford even the cheapest apartment near here so I have nowhere to go.  Luckily I found Bob's youtube videos and have watched most of them as well as many others who are living this life.  I just want to say thank you for that!  It really helps me feel less worried about my immediate future and hopeful that it actually will be a grand adventure and not something to be afraid of.  I feel more in control of my destiny, thanks to your videos and positive supportive attitude.  You don't know how important that is to me right now! 

I am still trying to plan as best I can on my limited budget and I'm not sure that I can swing a bigger vehicle but right now I have a small SUV with a car payment so getting out of that might be a good thing.  There's only a little equity in it though, just maybe $3-$5,000 depending on how much I could sell it for and I can't sell it outright because I'd have no car at all in the interim so there's that.  I'm also not mechanical at all so I would be blindly selecting something else and worry that it would be a worse decision than just sleeping in my car which has only 13K miles on it and very reliable at this point.  Problem is that my son will be with me and he is a 6 foot tall adult but essentially disabled.  He won't go to live with his Dad because his Dad has been abusive in the past so we will be on this adventure together and my car is really NOT that big!  I think we could swing it but it would be very cozy to say the least.  So this is my first dilemma to solve and I'm not sure how to solve it.  I have looked at trailers but my car can only tow 1500 max so that makes it difficult as well.  I'm kicking myself now for trading in my Tahoe for this, but hindsight is 20/20 and I can't look back now.

I have family in the Northwest so my thought is to head out that way as they tell me there are decent paying jobs out there to get.  My only income right now is from my Ebay sales and that is only around $500 a month and my car payment is $300 and insurance is $75 so you get the picture.  It's not looking too rosy right now!  I have some health issues that make it hard for me to do anything very physical for work and of course, my son sometimes requires a lot of attention so I am limited in what kind of work I can really do as I have to be available to him when he needs me.  I'm in my 50's so not old enough to retire yet so I will need to make at least some income to manage until then.

So that's about it for now.  I have done a lot of research already and now I guess I just have to decide what to do next.  My options: Tent?  Cheap! But my son is afraid of a tent and would not do well if forced to have to sleep in one.  Perhaps I could sleep in it and he could sleep in the SUV but I'm not sure he'd like that either because he'd then be worried about me in the tent.  Trade in the car for a van?  Possibly!  Unless it is a cargo van though it won't give us that much more room.  Cargo trailer?  Possibly but the tow weight would be maxed most likely and I can't really build it out very easily physically.  Travel trailer?  I've been looking but I can't really find anything light enough and cheap enough thus far.  Some are just too small inside and claustrophobic.  We'd have to be able to stand up.  Class C?  Too spendy on gas and mechanical fears, lack of other vehicle to get around.  Class B, most are too spendy to buy, same problem with having another vehicle to go to work in while son is in camp.  So there you have it.  Too many choices and none that work quite right.

I guess that's enough of an introduction for now.  Any and all advice on these decisions would be very much appreciated.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Pop up tent trailer. Enough room to stand up / cook / sleep / light to pull.

 

[FLgirl]

Pop up tent trailer. Enough room to stand up / cook / sleep / light to pull.

Thanks, I have been looking at ALiners because they are not a tent material on the sides which as I mentioned my son has an issue with.  He doesn't feel safe with that.  I haven't seen one that is cheap enough yet though.  I've seen very few other travel trailers that are tall enough inside which I really wish there were more of in the ultra lite variety.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Where are you at; what state/town?

 

[SoulRaven]

Maybe this is too personal, but is your son an adult? If so, does he qualify and/or is he getting services/SSI/Medicaid in connection to his disability? I know that FL had a very long waiting list when we considered moving there. It was 8 years long and that was probably 25 years ago. We have an adult son with DS who is 30, but he doesn't want to travel so we are now transitioning him into day/residential services.

Your towing weight will severely limit you. Aliner might be the only possibility to get two sleeping areas, even then you'll be limited to their lighter models. The last 2 pop-ups we had weighed in at over 2,000 lbs. With vans, you would almost have to have the high top with the extra bed above, which isn't easy to find as I looked for some time and just not many out there.

You could go with a mini trailer, it would provide security and sleeping better than a tent, but no one would be standing up inside although I believe wee trailer will build to one's specs. If you have any camping equipment already you could use that or buy 2nd hand. Mini trailers like: http://www.runawaycampers.com/ or http://www.weetrailer.com/ with both of those located in FL.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome FLgirl 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. highdesertranger

 

[FLgirl]

Where are you at; what state/town?

I live in Central Florida

 

[FLgirl]

Maybe this is too personal, but is your son an adult?  If so, does he qualify and/or is he getting services/SSI/Medicaid in connection to his disability?  I know that FL had a very long waiting list when we considered moving there.  It was 8 years long and that was probably 25 years ago.  We have an adult son with DS who is 30, but he doesn't want to travel so we are now transitioning him into day/residential services.

Your towing weight will severely limit you.  Aliner might be the only possibility to get two sleeping areas, even then you'll be limited to their lighter models. The last 2 pop-ups we had weighed in at over 2,000 lbs.  With vans, you would almost have to have the high top with the extra bed above, which isn't easy to find as I looked for some time and just not many out there.

You could go with a mini trailer, it would provide security and sleeping better than a tent, but no one would be standing up inside although I believe wee trailer will build to one's specs.   If you have any camping equipment already you could use that or buy 2nd hand.  Mini trailers like:  http://www.runawaycampers.com/ or http://www.weetrailer.com/ with both of those located in FL.

Yes he is and yes disability is a possibility that we have discussed and will have to do soon if he decides to do it.  I don't think I will be in Florida for much longer so I'm not sure where we'd file for it yet.  First we need to figure out how to get out of here and on the road.  I have looked into those small trailers but I don't like that they are basically a bed on wheels with no other space and no headroom.  That makes them not much different than my car.  I did see one somewhere a while ago that I can't seem to find again which looked like a cargo trailer with a couch/convertible to bed at one end and a fireplace/heater at the other end and small shelf.  It looked taller but I have been unable to find that type again now.  It was a new manufactured trailer for about $6K but like I said I can't find it again.     Something like that could work or maybe one of the lightest Scamp types?  They are so popular though that prices are somewhat high on those types or else they are wrecks for less.  One other option is to trade in the car for something bigger that can tow more to increase my options but in any case I don't want to tow anything big anyway.  Minimal to get by is what I am thinking.  I am not comfortable driving something long and cumbersome.

 

[SoulRaven]

Sounds like you are talking about the wee trailer, formerly called the wee roll. I get their feed on FB and they use that photo. I have been following Scamp-type (molded fiberglass) for some time. Scamp is pretty heavy, even the lightest is heavier than you might think and extremely tiny, but look for older units and the Burro and there are a handful of others similar, running around 800 to 900 lbs. Good websites to watch: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/ and https://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard and good luck with the search !

 

[Putts]

^^^^Yup. Good luck, you can do this, one step at a time.


I may be talking to myself here, but that's how it seems to be done.

 

[FLgirl]

^^^^Yup.  Good luck, you can do this, one step at a time.


I may be talking to myself here, but that's how it seems to be done.

I have to remember that.  One step at a time, because it's a whole lot to try to do at once and I keep getting frustrated and confused and not getting a whole lot done.  Thanks for the reminder!

 

[JeriLynn]

Hi, FL Girl, It sounds like you have some serious decisions to make. Should you decide to head west, you may try couch surfing and crash your way for free across the country. Google it for the site address.

 I am planning on doing some work camping when I retire next year. You might want to check into that. Some national or state parks provide volunteers with a space for keeping rv and I heard that some have cabins.  Also, there are some paid positions also.

 I have looked at rv parks all over California and southern AZ trying to find an affordable place to retire. I don't want to live full time in a vehicle. I tried it a few nights and like you, I want to stand up. I bought a 5th wheel trailer that will be kept at a senior park in Desert Hot Springs, CA.  The rent is $370 a month and we have to pay for at least 5 months a year. I also found a very nice senior park in Quartzsite, AZ that was only $180 a month. Of course it is way too hot in summer, so most people head north. 

 There are many options for rentals and even work in the Quartzite area during the winter. 

 Lastly since you have a special needs dependent, you might consider doing a Go Fund Me for another vehicle, rv, trailer or whatever you decide to get.  I wish the best for you.

Jeri Lynn

 

[FLgirl]

Thanks for all that good info!  I am a few years away from the 55 age for most senior parks I have looked at and of course, I have my son who isn't a senior who would have to be able to live with me so I haven't looked too much at that option yet but those prices sound very affordable and that is something I definitely would do.  I don't plan to travel non-stop.  My idea has been to have a place in Washington state (where my siblings and parents live) and one in the South, possibly Florida (where the rest of my kids live) and go between them with the weather.  That would be ideal.  There are places like that here in Florida as well where you can buy or place a 5th wheel in a park year round for relatively cheap.  Something like that would suit me fine once I get everything sorted out again and start my migratory semi-retired life. One here, one there and me somewhere in between.    That sounds like the perfect plan.  For now I just have to figure out something suitable for the interim.

 

[videomagic]

Hello and welcome RVgirl. Wishing your all the best in your search an journey into your new lifestyle.

 

[FLgirl]

So I need to be out of my house before the end of the month and have been packing and trying to figure out how to live in a car.  I've been looking for something bigger but not really having any luck and would have to trade my car and finance since I really don't have much cash so it might end up being the car and a tent.  I'm not thrilled about it but feel OK about it, or I did, until my sister freaked out about my 'desperate' situation.  I tried to reassure her that it would be OK and I'd find a way to manage but I got the same reaction from my kids, too.  I wonder how many people here go through this.  It's not like anyone is offering me shelter either which makes it even more ironic to me that they are laying all their fears on me, now, when it is NOT helpful to me in any way, but I really don't even want their help and I'm not asking.  I'm going to try to do this and I want to try to do this, but it sort of set me back a bit on how I was feeling. It shook my confidence a bit that maybe I wouldn't be able to manage but it's their fears and not mine, their stereotypes and not mine.  

Anyway, I just thought I would comment about this and see how other people dealt with their family's perceived ideas about them living in a vehicle.  I am sure if I had an RV it might not be quite as severe a reaction but an RV may not be possible at this point so I am planning accordingly.

 

[ValerieP]

You have to do what you think is best; whatever makes the most sense to you. Don't let your family's fears sway you. You've done the research. They haven't. Hopefully the tent will work with the car. Is your son fearful of all tent types or just particular ones?
Good luck-the initial move out of a sticks and bricks house is the hardest part.

 

[Almost There]

FLGirl, Last January at the RTR I met at least a half dozen women who were in the same place as you are...starting out with a car and no resources to trade it for anything bigger at least until they'd been out living without paying all the rent and utilities associated with a S&B home for enough time to allow them to save.

Pack lightly, let them store things for you if you feel you need it. Set a destination in your mind and plan out where to camp. Use Freecampsites. net for that. It will be somewhat more difficult for you if you absolutely have to pitch the tent because then places like W/M and truck stops won't be available to you. If you can possibly set it up so that you can sleep in the car if necessary then that solves that problem.

If you've got questions about how and where, just ask us here!

 

[FLgirl]

FLGirl, Last January at the RTR I met at least a half dozen women who were in the same place as you are...

Thanks, I'm glad I am not alone on this path. The family drama has continued for me since I informed them of my plans and culminated in my being told in no uncertain terms that I will get no help from my family (parents, siblings), even though I didn't ask for any, and was on good terms with everyone prior to this!  I don't know what has caused such a severe reaction but you know sometimes family is worse than strangers to you.  In my case that is the way it is and always has been, so I am not surprised.  I'm disappointed in them for jumping to conclusions and sucking in general as a family, but not surprised.  I guess I am now just a bum like any other asking for handouts in their eyes and they made sure I knew none were coming, before I ever asked, which I never intended to do anyway.  I sure didn't need this kick in the teeth but I'm pretty good at rolling with the punches after 50 plus years of it.  I'll manage just fine without their help, like I always have.   Onward I go.

 

[Cammalu]

Good for you FLgirl! You have a great attitude. Carry on!


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