Hi, I'm Bob, owner of cheaprvliving.com.

[dragonflyinthesky]

<b>Welcome Princess, can't wait to hear about your life on the road.</b><br><b>Dragonfly</b><br>

 

[Toyotaman0808]

Welcome!! I have found lots of good info here!!!

 

[stude53]

<p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Welcome, Princess</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Always nice to greet newcomers to the site ... even if not new to fulltiming.&nbsp; </font><font size="3" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Tell us more about your rig, and post some pics, too, please.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">I learn more every day here.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Arial">Bob (aka stude53)</font></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3" face="Arial"></font>&nbsp;</p>

 

[livin.free.in.a.minivan]

I salute you Bob and all of you free spirits here! I have been living in vans, an old ferocement trawler with no motor, a pontoon houseboat, a shed, house sitting and now in a ford freestar minivan and I am very content with this type of living arrangement as it allows me greater freedom from having to earn money 12 months a year and the ability to move effortlessly if an opportunity presents itself.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is precisely an opportunity to work in Alberta this winter that will prevent me from going south to escape the cold that has prompted me to join your forum. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm interested in winterizing my minivan for -20c to sleep in. I have taken out all but the front 2 seats and am considering insulation on top of the stock interior and&nbsp;installing a Newport propane fireplace/heater. The heater is vented with an ingenious double chimney that vents the hot gases out the exterior, larger diameter pipe while heating a smaller interior pipe that draws in cold exterior fresh air. Check it out <A href="http://www.boatownersworld.com/dickinsonmarine/propane_fireplaces_p9000.htm" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.boatownersworld.com/dickinsonmarine/propane_fireplaces_p9000.htm</A><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Would anyone have experience with this arrangement or offer tips or experience sleeping in a minivan in -20c with some degree of safety and comfort ( and STEALTH!)<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; My thanks and admiration goes out to all of you!&nbsp; <BR>

 

[stude53]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Welcome, livin.free<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Can you post pictures of your van?</p><p style="margin: 0px;">That heater seems too pricey and maybe too large&nbsp;for what you need. There is a lot of info on insulation and heaters here; maybe try the search to see what others have done, although most have more space than you will be working with.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Bob (aka stude53)</p>

 

[livin.free.in.a.minivan]

Thank you Bob,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I will post a picture of my rollin' livin' room soon and I've submitted my questions in the proper forum.( The newbie CAN learn). May you all spend the winter in a warm place or in a snug little rollin'&nbsp;space!<br>

 

[WanderingRonin]

Hello Bob,<div><br></div><div>My name is Rod. If I haven't signed in yet, my apologies. Thanks for this great site. I've been sleeping in my van for nearly a month now. I gotta say I am definitely hooked! I look forward to reading everyone's stories and learning from those who went ahead of me in this journey towards happiness and freedom.</div>

 

[kycat1]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Hello Bob</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Roy here, Have been a lookey Lou for a while now, soon to be a part time full timer. (part year) I live in Oregon, and welcome any info to help me convert my new(to me) 98 hi-top Ford 150 passenger van. I have the seats out except the rear fold down seat. Have a 4 inch pad on for sleeping. Am thinking of taking the fold down out to put in a twin bed along the side. Anyone with thoughts on this, pointers ect. Please do so. Thanks Roy</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Guess i should intro myself. I drove truck and charter bus for the past 38 years. And am now retired. Live in Mcminnville Oregon. Am a total Kentucky basketball fan.With sat. radio, can now tune into each and every game. Look foward to traveling the Wa, Or, Ca coast. Many times.</p>

 

[kycat1]

<p>

Hello to all, this is James Smith&nbsp;and GRAYDAWG is the bus I am currently living and trying to remodel as I go, a slow progress. It is a retired Greyhound bus, I am a 50 year old single fellow, for now anyway not many single women want to come aboard, and the bus is a 1964 PD 4106 #2229&nbsp;and is a work in progress. I also have 3 Labs that live with me Jake a 7 year old yellow male, Amberlynn a 3 1/2 year old gold female and one of their pups a 2 1/2 month old cream or white male I named Traveler, because he was born in a bus on the side of Hwy 80 well actually a trailer park that's on hwy 80 but the first one sounded like a song,&nbsp;as soon as I can acquire another camera I will post the upgrades, I have the pictures, I took when I bought the bus, but the camera since died, but no recent ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;James<br>

</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Hay James, how is the conversion going? I have put many a mile on and in a 4106, and a 4104. That was was 35 years ago. It is a great bus. Do you have any trouble getting parts? Anyhoo, good luck. Have fun. Roy</p>

 

[romani10]

Thanks for building a great site, Bob! There are many of us out here who will glean a lot of info from here.

 

[akrvbob]

Thanks everyone for your kind words, I'm looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at the RTR. We are going to have a great time!! Bob<br>

 

[Journeyman]

Hi, I'm Journeyman, and I'm planning on hitting the road this coming spring. My original plan was to move to AK, but everything I wanted to do fell apart. I still want to get there and travel all over the state, but then leave for warmer climates in the fall. I think I prefer to live in a Mini-Winnie. any ideas on these plans would be greatly appreciated.<div><br></div>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Welcome Journeyman. I think you are in like company. Many of us have plans that fell thru, we just keep on putting one foot in front of the other and sometimes going a different way.<br><b><FONT color=#00ff00 size=3>Dragonfly</FONT></b><br>

 

[stude53]

<p>Welcome, Journeyman<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif"></p>

 

[swankiewheels]

<P>Since Bob wrote "Inspiring Vandweller" on his site (where he said I had kayaked 8 (I think) states... I have kayaked 32 more states for a total of 40. I plan to kayak the last 8 of the lower 48 early this spring.&nbsp; I've learned a lot... my t.v. hardware for the computer stopped working, my PC stopped working, my RoadPro stove stopped working.&nbsp; And somehow I'm just o.k. with that.&nbsp; I continue to downsize the contents of my trailer and get things scanned.&nbsp; Now contemplating going back to work for the upcoming season in the Parks... hopefully on a lake... in order to save money to go to Alaska for my 49th state.&nbsp; I have also learned my stomach has shrunk on the road, since I generally only eat two meals a day... and I was unable to eat a full Thanksgiving Day dinner (just finished the other half for supper tonight).&nbsp; That's a good thing too.&nbsp; I haven't been active on this Forum but will probably be around more often now.&nbsp; Spending the winter in Quartzsite learning to make jewelry.</P>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

@Swankie,&nbsp; I thought your name was familiar, I cked your profile and remembered reading about you.&nbsp; I think you have been mentioned in other blogs. Hope to meet you someday.<br><b><FONT color=#ff00ff>Dragonfly</FONT></b><br>

 

[stude53]

<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">Hey,SwankieWheels and Voyager54,</font></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">Welcometo the forum. Glad you found us and glad I found you.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">I suggest you each start a new topic under "Introduce yourself" and copy the info from here so that more of us find you and properly welcome you.Not everyone comes back here to check.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">Swankie, I have used your story as a reference several times to have others learn from what you have done with your rolling home.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">John, I hope you took pics of your build so we can see another interpretation </font></span><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">of a cargo trailer home. Please share. </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3"></font></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">I am planning to use ideas from folks like you, Swankie, akrvbob, 4x4chvy, johnnycanuck and others in my step van conversion (still in planning and materials/stuff collection mode).</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'></span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style='font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";'><font size="3">Bob(aka stude53)</font></span></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>

 

[MaximumRide]

Hi Bob, would it be possible to have a forum about inspiration and fun stuff to keep us going. with quotes pics and so on?

 

[ready2cDaUS]

<p style="margin: 0px;">hello to all, Names Danny, I am a 32 year old male and&nbsp;single.&nbsp;&nbsp;I own a 1982 E-150 clubwagon and lately i have been getting it roadworthy and have been thinking&nbsp; about becoming a vandweller. Funds being my only issue and i already have the traveling itch. So&nbsp;anyone have any knowledge on how to&nbsp;make&nbsp;money on the road? &nbsp;thank you Bob for this site</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[Ghost Dancer]

I don't spend much time on-line anymore? Too busy out living the life on the Road! <br>I may be an older dawg, but I'm still learning tricks!<br>Ten years ago, I started something to use as an educational tool. Both for teaching and learning! But it was Yahoo based &amp; I tend to have problems with Yaphooy! Glad to find this up &amp; going well! <br>Ghost Dancer&nbsp;