Hi -- intro post

Van Living Forum

Help Support Van Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Dingfelder

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 29, 2018
Messages
1,654
Reaction score
75
Location
Oregon
Hello everyone!

This is my first post here.  I hope to get to know members over time, to find some good advice and to help where I can.

I've been watching Bob's videos and similar ones for at least a year now.  I'm still more than five years from my earliest possible retirement date under social security, and my job just ended, as I knew it eventually would.  I have been a caretaker for an elderly neighbor, a man that my family has known for decades.  Meanwhile, I've been living with my folks just a few houses away, paying rent, getting along.  Anyway, my client/friend's infirmity followed its natural course and he is now in a foster home being cared for night and day.  I had been his night caretaker, and his elderly wife had struggled to take care of him during the day for many years.  We all care for each other, ,but it wore all of us out, I can tell you.  I'm also a guardian/conservator for an elderly lady, now also in a foster home.  Unfortunately, though there is immense risk and responsibility in that, there is rarely any money at all.  So while I kind of still have one of my jobs ... it's in the sense of a responsibility rather than an income.

 I live in a small city that is pretty dead employment wise, and at my age, I'm far from first choice for many jobs.  So I worry for my future.

That's also because I was told it's time to move on by my mother, who wants to sell her house.  In fact I was told I have two months.  Bad timing, being without a job and all.  Double whammy.  Oh well!  

I've never enjoyed throwing money at landlords, because I want to be able to easily move to find work if I have to, because I anticipate needing to live extremely cheaply no matter when I retire, and because I would love to feel I have a secure roof over my head that nobody can take away from me, I have wanted to buy a trailer and a truck to tow it.  Nothing expensive.  

Anyway, I bought a Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup travel trailer.  It's a 2017 model whose original owner bought it in 2016.  I'm now in the process of deciding what to throw away and what to keep in my mind.  The trailer is parked at the house of the senior I had been taking care of.

However, she wants to sell too ... so the ground isn't quite firm beneath my feet anywhere.

Luckily, she has a truck she will need to sell ... and I need a truck to tow that trailer.  Maybe things will all work out fine?  

Anyway, I look forward to talking with all of you.  Please bear with me, as I've never done anything like pretty much any of this in my life, so I'm as ignorant as can be.  Still, I'm optimistic that it's not impossible to pull things together and have a reasonable life, whether on the road, parked somewhere forever, or for a while.  I'm here to explore my options and chat with like-minded people.
 
Welcome to our forum, it's great to have you here.

Travel trailer living, in the right location, is pretty nice.
 
Welcome Ding 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
 
Riverman said:
Welcome to our forum, it's great to have you here.

Travel trailer living, in the right location, is pretty nice.

Thanks!

From your signature, I can see you have the experience to know, too.
 
highdesertranger said:
Welcome Ding 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

Thanks!  And thanks for the link, I'll go check it out.  :)
 
Welcome to the CRVL forums..

Much to consider when it comes to tow vehicles, so many options....
 
Dingfelder said:
" ... so the ground isn't quite firm beneath my feet anywhere. ..."

"... Maybe things will all work out fine? ..."

"... Still, I'm optimistic that it's [ ] [possible] to pull things together and have a reasonable life, whether on the road, parked somewhere forever, or for a while.  I'm here to explore my options and chat with like-minded people."

Welcome!

I relate to your statements!
 
Deal Breaker said:
Welcome to the CRVL forums..

Much to consider when it comes to tow vehicles, so many options....

A neighbor is going to sell me her truck, it looks like.  It needs some work, and I think that will bring down the price.  Hope it's something I can afford.  It's a huge GMC, should be more than enough to tow my little 16 footer.
 
Welcome, Dingfelder! I also have a GMC Truck and had to add sidebars to it to help me get in and out of it!
 

Latest posts

Top