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

Guest · Jan 9, 2011

Hi Vickie, Good to see you here.........hope to see you on the road one day....I love your humor and quick wit.... Bri

Guest · Jan 13, 2011

Bob, really love this forum. Are windows expensive to put in a cargo trailer. russ

twokniveskatie · Jan 13, 2011

VanFan said:
Hi.  This is Vickie from Vandwellers.  I'm pretty sure I first learned about Vandwellers on this site, which continues to be a wonderful resource.  The forum looks great! I have a van, but don't live in it.  I like knowing that I could and dream about traveling and/or camping more often.

akrvbob · Jan 15, 2011

Are windows expensive to put in a cargo trailer. russ

I bought my windows off Ebay, where they are inexpensive and plentifull. I was amazed at how many were available. I bought a pair of brand new windows with a dark tint for $200 ($100 each) I needed them to be tall and thin to fit between the ribs. Mine are 18x36 and open vertically. I am very happy with them. I installed them myself. It isn't nearly as hard as you may think. You hold the inside trim up to the trailer and trace it onto the wall. Then you cut it out with a jigsaw. It isn't that hard. You will have to buy some butyl tape to apply to the window where it is screwed in, put the window in and drive screws in to hold it. I think it took me a couple hours each. Bob

sings69 · Jan 17, 2011

Hey there Bob! Jim W. here. I'll be known as sings69 here on the boards from here on out. And hello to all who read this. I got turned on to vanning as a 16 year old kid. My 1st. job was as a Carnie. (Yes, Carnival worker) I and a friend had a custom van we lived in during the off season. Winters here in the Midwest (Chicagoland area) can be brutal..We survived with a 2 burner coleman stove, & when not using snow banks, a styrofoam cooler held our food. Mostly lunchmeats, prepared foods, Twinkies, etc. I've loved it ever since. So as an older man now, I bought a (well equipped in my opinion) 79 Dodge Van 200. Its got wall to wall paneling, a Porta potty, frig, & a sink. It sits at my brothers house (My Mom lives there) and I find every occasion to go out there to visit, and I stay in the Van. It has a sports theme. She's still in pretty good shape body wise, with hardly no rust, & only 65,000 original miles. I do just fine with a solar powered lantern for light (works GREAT if anyone wondered) a portable Dvd player, cassette player, & cd player. All work through my 12V power inverter either through the lighter or a Road Pro portable battery/Charger. I'm a single guy now, whos kids are grown, and I love my Van. I never move it & therefore hope she lives forever! or, at least as long as I do. What a life! If anyone cares to see her you can go to freewebs.com/sportsvan/ and have a peek. I hope to make some new friends here, and look forward to talking to some of you. Take care all. God Bless,  sings69

wheelsoffreedom1776 · Jan 17, 2011

The forum rocks Bob. 

tomsteel · Jan 19, 2011

Hello all, name is Tom.  I have been lurking on the various van dweller type groups for about 2 years now.  Decided this was a good time to finally introduce myself.  Currently I am not on the road but have a target of the end of the year to get out and get moving <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> My wife will retire at the end of the year (I already am) and we look forward to leaving  South Florida and heading out west, would have loved to have made the RTR this year but just not in the cards. Well that is all for now, thank you Bob for what promises to be a great forum, and what is truly one of the most informative web sites I have ever found on the web. Tom_S

akrvbob · Jan 20, 2011

Welcome everybody! The RTR will be an annual event for as long as I am around! I would very much like to have a RTR for both the East and West coast but need to find someone back East to take charge. So far it has been very easy for me, but there does have to be someone to find the location and act as a hub of communication. When and if I find that person back East, we will have one there. Hi Ed, I am still looking too! There are numerous elidgible and extremely desirable single women here. Whether there would be that "spark" that is necessary, you just never know.

dragonflyinthesky · Feb 7, 2011

I'm new here. Diane, an artist writer 57 yr old woman preparing to go on the road late fall 2011. I bought a vintage Shasta Astrodome for a few hundred bucks I'm fixing up my eclectic way to live in and sell my children's books and art out of, art fests etc.  Have done lots of primitave camping for weeks at a time when kids were young and I was still married. Thanks for this web site, it is wonderful. My man friend found it in an artical in the Dayton Daily News (Ohio) yesterday.

akrvbob · Feb 7, 2011

Hi Diane, and welcome, glad you are here! The website was in a local paper, that really amazes me, whodathunk! Any chance you could send me a link? Okay, we can all join in now on the chorus, "Your so vain, you probably think this song is about you, about you!!!!" They don't make music like that anymore! Bob

1oleman · Feb 7, 2011

As if you didn't already have the big head!

dragonflyinthesky · Feb 7, 2011

("Then you drove your <A title=Learjet href="https://vanlivingforum.com/wiki/Learjet" target=_blank target=_blank>RV</A> up to <A title="Nova Scotia" href="https://vanlivingforum.com/wiki/Nova_Scotia" target=_blank target=_blank>Nova Scotia</A> to see the total eclipse of the sun") Most people don't know that Carly did an alternative stanza, sited above first.  It didn't seem as impressive so she went with flying a Leerjet instead and the song caught on. <A href="http://www.daytondailynews.com" target=_blank target=_blank>www.daytondailynews.com</A>  Life section+travel+"Public parks,networking groups stretch RV travel funds" I could not find the link but my Jim should be able to.  I may scan it if we can't get the link.  Try this: <A href="http://www.nationalpost.com/travel+budget/4196500/story.html" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.nationalpost.com/travel+budget/4196500/story.html</A>Couldn't find the local link, which makes me think this story was picked up by other sources from the authors.

KatieinKansas · Feb 7, 2011

Very cool!  Congratulations, Bob!  I read the comment about your site on the 2nd link that Diane posted.  ...And, hey, I'm impressed... Very good song that you pulled out of the pocket.  ...But, I doubt that it applies to you.<div> </div><div>Katie</div>

oldnjung · Feb 8, 2011

Hi Bob and Everybody, Been "boondocking" this site and Phalia's long enough! Financial and health circumstances have resulted in my wife and I strongly considering the Van/RV life. That and Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn being one of my favorite all time stories. Hilda has lived in one small town her whole life, while I have lived in 4 states and travelled quite a few more. But, she is up for adventure living! I am so impressed with the knowledge, creativity and "journey's" of everyone!  We live in the SanJoaquin valley south of Fresno and I am surprised by all who travel so near. I have two vans, both 1996. One is an Aerostar extended 4.0 liter w/electronic 4-wheel drive. The other is a 1996 Econoline 150 Conversion High Top (at least 5'4" interior). 5.0 or 5.7 liter. Don't know which. Hilda made blackout backing for the existing curtains. I am putting fiber board (peg board w/out the holes) over some of the windows. Bought but not yet installed two 14 inch roof vents. THAT  will be the first scary remodel project. Have tried waterless shampoo and bucket/cal litter potty. (Not together!) That's about it so far. Would like to know if one of the Vans at the RTR was also a Ford Conversion. Looks a lot like mine. jb

akrvbob · Feb 8, 2011

Welcome JB and Hilda. Sounds like you guys have a bad case of itchy feet. You are very lucky! Either of your vans would make a great home, but for two the Ford E150 has more room. There were several Ford conversion and regular vans here. I would prefer the high top though.  I am a campground host up near Shaver Lake, which is directly above Fresno/Clovis taking 168. I will be there in early to mid-May and I would be very glad to help you with your conversion. I have installed numerous vents and would be glad to do it with you. I have all the tools we would need, you just need to bring the vent and mastic tape. If that is too long to wait, I will be in Pahrump, NV (60 miles due west of Las Vegas) in March and April and you are welcome to come over and I will help you with your conversion. But that is a fair distance away. Both those offers go to everyone in the group! Bob

danelady · Feb 8, 2011

Hi Bob..I just realized that this is a brand new site! Awesome! I see you have a 4x4. The more I think about it the more I realize that's what I'd like to get. Something to get me down a dirt road and back again. 

akrvbob · Feb 9, 2011

Hi danelady, yeah I spend most of my time on public lands so i want to be able to get further back when I want. My first choice would have been a 4x4 van, but they are hard to find and very expensive, so I got a F150 4x4. With a pickup you are limited to a camper or trailer, I've had both. Another option is a small RV and tow a jeep or a Suzuki Samuri. Those are both very popular. The RV gives you lots of comfort and the jeep gives you 4x4 and much better gas mileage to use as your daily driver. Since you are a OTR trucker, towing would be super easy for you. Bob

oldnjung · Feb 9, 2011

Thanks so much Bob! Don't know, but would love to come to Pahrump before it gets too hot. Definitely see you at Shaver and take you up on your offer. We are "converting" the conversion in a non-permanent way. That way if we change our minds the new owner won't have to fix much if they don't like it. I will begin taking pictures, upload to my desktop, but from there I am very inexperienced. (Note the elongated photo of the two of us). Have cut "boards" with factory white coating on one side, to fit most of the back and side windows. Will attach with velcro (which is more expensive than I like). So far, they, and the blackout curtains have proven to be extremely private with the added bonus of insulation. It is still getting into the 30's at night south of Fresno. Am making screens for cracking the front windows, and creating driver and passenger side sunshades (Thanks Dan the Handyman). At this point, we plan to take cooking stove, microwave, desktop computer in storage box and use either a folding plastic table (anchored with handles/selfseating sheet metal screws in the plastic liner, and velcro straps) or desk. I think I have to crawl under the van to unscrew bolts holding rear folding seat, but will double check. I have made a bed platform with storage boxes before and it worked great, and plan on doing that again.  I learn and do mostly by "trial and error" (lots of error), and many more trips to hardware stores than planned. Don't know why people would want to see the mess and hopefully success I make, other than I love reading about, and seeing the pics of theirs! So, will upload pics and descriptions when I can. Would that fit under the "show your conversion process" post? Will try and figure it out, but advice is gratefully received! Thanks again, jbnh

cyndi · Feb 9, 2011

Hi Bob!!!  <waves to Homer and Bob from dirtville>

danelady · Feb 9, 2011

Thanks for the info Bob,there are so many decisions,so I'll just take my time. Flew through Quartzite again today. I was blowin' the air horn from the highway just cuz I was happy to see everybody out there in the desert and I can't wait till my life slows down a little and I'm able to watch the rocks grow old too.

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

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