Hi from south Alabama...

[Birdy]

Sitting in south Alabama and newly registered here. I go by Birdy, my husband Woody, and we're in the latter stage of life.

Married in 88, spending most of our lives in the Midwest, we tent camped, were avid hikers, biking railways, canoeing, etc. We love wandering around historical and natural landmarks, and living small. I am labeled an artist and younger, "was born with an atlas," traveling with parents to almost all 50 states, he grew up on farms, union metal worker, skilled woodworker, hunter and outdoorsman.

Woody and I counted almost 20 rigs throughout the years, from a 7ft Scotty, fiberglass Casita, Class Cs, and other trailers, ending a year ago with a Solitude 5th wheel.

After retiring, we traveled the US full-time for almost 8 years, lots of COE parks, workkamping sometimes. Then costly hardships with a diesel truck, loss of debt to a larger rig, some not so smart choices. We then moved into a campground maintenance job, made enough to get the 5th wheel sold and moved into a patio home rental almost a year ago.

And this is not us!!! For one, we're becoming rent poor, especially for anymore traveling. Had to furnish a place we thought we'd make home, ready to sell out ONCE AGAIN. We miss the outdoor living, new views, acquaintances, the aliveness.

I do worry and hesitate, I'll still make the wrong choice as life is much different as we've grown older, but in turn we feel like it will one day be the last act. We decided if anything happened to each other, we'd at least find this more affordable as a solo. And how much happier than being stuck in a home style that doesn't fill our nomadic desires.

So here we are. We've not traveled by cargo van yet. Over the last few months, exploring and weighing this choice, the pros heavily weighed out any cons. When we took off full-time in 2013, I used forums extensively and they are invaluable. Of course, we want to take off sooner rather than later, but imagine 2025 will be our year. Thanks for you sharing tips, stories and inspiration. Hope I can offer maybe some of my ideas or experiences of interest to help others at this forum.
One slow step at a time!

 

[bullfrog !]

Welcome! Your experiences are similar to ours. We are now more stationary but still are in an RV at least until we can’t keep up with the maintenance. We have only moved seasonally the last few years (twice a year) but hope our grandkids get us doing more camping type trips soon!

 

[Birdy]

can’t keep up with the maintenance.

His job got way too much for one and not sure how he even got us through being able to sell 5th wheel. End up with carpal tunnel in both hands and a needed ulnar nerve release that is causing much havoc in the use of his hand or arm right now. Slow healing. Grateful our cards fell right to escape that merry go round, he was getting to old for 40+ hours a week. Grandkids, yes before they get too old.They sure give so much back to us in life!

 

[maki2]

You will get back on the road even if everything is not perfection when you need to move out. Many of us leave with our living quarters being a work in progress. A fractured wrist meant I had to leave with no cabinet drawers or doors on my cabinet framing and the electrical circuits not fully completed. I made do with plastic drawers and bin boxes and bungee cords and finishing the cabinetry job and final wiring of outlets and lighting while of a total, scratch built from new interior on the road. I am a 70 year old woman working and traveling on my own!
It all came out nicely despite the inconvenience of having a broken wrist, it just took a bit longer to do. There are two of you, you got this, it is less convenient to do a build while on the road but it does not have to keep you from leaving when you need to.

In case you think I do not understand what it is like to have carpal tunnel issues…..,I had carpal tunnel surgeries on both hands nearly 40 years ago when working at Boeing as a Rosie the Riveter. I got a whopping 2 days time off after each surgery but at least while I still had to work I did not have to do any really heavy lifting or do things that literally impacted the incision area such as using a River gun for several weeks time after the surgeries. Fortunately I am fairly ambidextrous so I got by but it sure was not fun to have to work and use both hands while healing up. But I had to stay employed.

But at least you are there to pitch in on the work of cabinet building! Go for it girl! You have a great mentor available!

 

[Birdy]

Rosie the Riveter

Two days!! That had to prove the strength you carry within! Couldn't have been easy. Boeing eh? I've had some time with Caterpillar and understand the factory floor. Inspiring to read how you go with the flow, get it done and I'm reminded somehow it eventually goes back around and we end up OK once again. You're right, I'll have a good director, we do make a good team. His healing has us allowed us to readjust, he's a young 75yo, me 67. We've been told nerves come back slowly and they're hopeful he'll have hand use by December. And not a surgical screwup. He had to go back twice. Oh do I hope so, hard to watch him unable to live like he wished.
I do have a question or I can search somehow, how do or where does one work on their vehicle after they hit the road? I know lighting up a generator in the woods unlikely or wished for. Suppose we could seek out family's driveway. Maybe there are options to rent a space. Curious what others do.

 

[maki2]

I built all the cabinets in this photo myself while traveling using a 1,000 watt generator, 150 watt inverter, 150 watt solar panel and hand tools and battery tools along with a small corded jigsaw, router and sander. Home Depot broke down the larger sheets of plywood for me as I could not transport 4’ x 8’ plywood.

You truly do not need to have a full workshop to do nice looking work. You just need to adapt how you do things. You can get by with a modest amount of electrical.
That is the all new interior of my 53 year little fiberglass trailer I bought as a derelict rehab project. It had to be totally gutted out down to the bare fiberglass shell. At least I got to get a new frame made for under it and did the gutting, adding new insulation and the wall panelling while I had the use of a parking spot at a friends workshop where there was a big commercial dumpster. With a cargo trailer you do not need to do that kind of prep work before it can roll down the road. Not saying it is easy to live out of a work in progress interior. I did buy a popup screen room and that helped a lot to use it as a work space in the forest and at the LTVA in Quartzsite. Plus I travel with a folding, adjustable height, aluminum scaffold table that will go as high as 36”. It makes a great workbench and outdoor kitchen counter or seating or dining table.

 

[Birdy]

I built all the cabinets in this photo myself while traveling using a 1,000 watt generator, 150 watt inverter, 150 watt solar panel and hand tools and battery tools along with a small corded jigsaw, router and sander. Home Depot broke down the larger sheets of plywood for me as I could not transport 4’ x 8’ plywood.

You truly do not need to have a full workshop to do nice looking work. You just need to adapt how you do things. You can get by with a modest amount of electrical.
That is the all new interior of my 53 year little fiberglass trailer I bought as a derelict rehab project. It had to be totally gutted out down to the bare fiberglass shell. At least I got to get a new frame made for under it and did the gutting, adding new insulation and the wall panelling while I had the use of a parking spot at a friends workshop where there was a big commercial dumpster. With a cargo trailer you do not need to do that kind of prep work before it can roll down the road. Not saying it is easy to live out of a work in progress interior. I did buy a popup screen room and that helped a lot to use it as a work space in the forest and at the LTVA in Quartzsite. Plus I travel with a folding, adjustable height, aluminum scaffold table that will go as high as 36”. It makes a great workbench and outdoor kitchen counter or seating or dining table.
View attachment 36044

What a beauty! Your setup is all so enlightening and inspiring! It just came out so beautiful, can tell you're highly skilled with your tools! Thku for sharing! You're giving me much to think about.

 

[maki2]

My assembled cabinet wood door frames are drying inside my popup screen room while getting coats of water based varnish.
As to working while camping in a National
Forest that is exactly where I was doing that project. Just keep things nice and tidy while you work and do not park so close to other people that you annoy them with noise.

 

[Birdy]

What a super cute rug! Love the color! And expanding roof! I see the the table, looks heavy duty. I'll be looking into that. And guessing a clam like tent, we're planning on similar set for extra space.

 

[Birdy]

*rig!

 

[maki2]

Those cabinet door frames were made with poplar lumber from Home Depot cit with a little Japanese handsaw and miter guide. Then assembled and fastened with A Kreg jig screw system.
Here is a YouTube video about the Zetsaw. I ordered zetsaw jig and the saw that is used with it from Amazon. The Keegan jig for the drilling and joining with screws came from my local Hardware store but is also sold on Amazon.