Hurricane Irma survivor is (finally!) escaping Miami and becoming a nomad

[USMC_Winger]

Hi, folks!

I joined this forum to meet new friends who are like-minded nomads who can give me some advice and guidance.  I'm buying a cargo trailer, and I intend to convert it into a camper so that I can live on the cheap while I get back on my feet financially.  While I already own many of the tools I need to do the conversion, I don't have a place to work on the trailer.  Any suggestions, advice, or help would be appreciated.

A little background:  I'm a disabled veteran from California who's been stranded in Miami for far too long.  I found myself unemployed, homeless, and broke after I experienced a series of mini strokes and some serious medical problems just before the category 5 hurricane smacked Florida in 2017.  My goal was to recover physically to earn and save up enough money to buy a small trailer/camper to live in and relocate to where the cost of living is much lower and the winters are mild, like Texas.  (I used to work in Houston, and I've driven across Texas numerous times, so I have some familiarity with the area and climate.)

While I was homeless last year, I found a low-paying job in the Miami area and worked as much overtime as my company would give me.  I've been saving every penny I could to reach my goal as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, I recently lost my job and my apartment lease expires this month, so I'm about to become homeless again.

Until I get my housing situation fixed, relocate, find a new job, and have some income coming in again, I'll be on an extremely tight budget.  My plan is to pick up my trailer in Georgia (if it meets my expectations) on April 18th, then head to Texas, where I'd like to become a resident again.  I'd like to register my trailer and SUV fairly soon after I arrive in Texas, although I need a Texas home address.  Perhaps I can rent a driveway for my SUV and trailer for a modest amount, and the home owner will allow me to use that home address for the DMV paperwork.

For the past two months, I've researched cargo trailer conversions, stealth camping, free camping in National Parks and on BLM land, and watched relevant Youtube videos, read blogs, and lurked this forum and read the Forum Tips, Tricks & Rules.  Any other advice?

Thanks!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome USMC-Winger! I won't include the Tips and Tricks since you've already found them
It sounds like you've thought this out and are well on your way to a successful vandwelling journey. The only advice I have is to take it slow, buy just what you need to be comfortable until you live in the trailer for a while.

 

[ckelly78z]

When a tight budget is a main concern, follow the K.I.S.S. principle, and keep it simple, maybe even sleeping in your SUV in stealth mode if the trailer doesn't work out. You could possibly get a P.O. box at the local post office, or UPS store, and use that address for registration, and job searches.

 

[cyndi]

Welcome and thank you for your service and sacrifice! I'm sorry to hear your going through such hard times

 

[USMC_Winger]

Thanks, all, for the advice.

@ckelly78z, I've looked into the P.O. box solution and found that the Texas Dept. of Public Safety won't allow P.O. boxes for the driver's license address. (https://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/18/drivers-license-addresses-no-longer-help-police/). Looks like I might have some explaining to do if I use a UPS address, too. I'll call the Texas DMV and DPS tomorrow to see what they suggest for the rootless among us. (They'll probably tell me to steer clear of Texas! Ha!)

@cyndi, thank you for the kind words. I've been through worse, so I'll get through this difficult time, too. It's just taking me longer. Getting away from Miami and out into the fresh air will do me a world of good. My neighbors smoke 6 - 7 packs a day, and I have difficulty breathing, as well as allergies. I can't wait to get out of here!

@all, I must confess, I've never towed a trailer before. A friend helped me put the trailer hitch on my SUV today, and I took a closer look at the wiring connector for the brake lights. It's 4-pin. My trailer has electric brakes. Is the 4-pin connector adequate, or do I need the 7-pin connector to activate the trailer brakes when I hit the brakes in my SUV?

Another thing I wonder about: I haven't been camping in 40 years, other than deploying to the field in the Marine Corps, but those aren't really campgrounds. My Honda CR-V only has 8.1 inches clearance. Can I reasonably expect to drive on the dirt roads with a trailer when boondocking in national forests or on BLM land? Do I need a 4x4, or should I stick to urban camping with my CR-V?

Thanks!

 

[Cammalu]

I believe you can join the escapees and get an address in Texas.

More info here
https://www.escapees.com/education/domicile/texas/

 

[highdesertranger]

the biggest issue with cars or the newer SUV's driving off road is the tires. P(passenger car) rated tires are not your friend off road. LT(light truck) tires are your friend. actual 8.1 inches isn't that bad for ground clearance. highdesertranger

 

[ped]

When a tight budget is a main concern, follow the K.I.S.S. principle, and keep it simple, maybe even sleeping in your SUV in stealth mode if the trailer doesn't work out. You could possibly get a P.O. box at the local post office, or UPS store, and use that address for registration, and job searches.

Great advice here. Dont self-sabotage by biting more than you can chew. You dont actually NEED much. You can make it comfortable later.

 

[USMC_Winger]

@Cammalu, thanks.  I already checked out the escapees a few months ago.  $215 is outside of my budget at this time.  I have some savings, but I still have to buy and convert my trailer into a camper, so that I can live in it.

@highdesertranger, thanks.  Good to know.  Right now, I have passenger tires on my CR-V.

 

[Cammalu]

I joined and I thought it was about $40? It’s been a couple years but I can’t imagine that huge of a jump


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[B and C]

$39.95 - https://www.escapees.com/about-escapees/join/

I don't know what you were checking out for $215.

 

[USMC_Winger]

>I can’t imagine that huge of a jump

To get started, there's a $50 enrollment fee, plus the $50 postage deposit, plus the $115 annual fee.  You can save $20 on the annual fee if you're willing to let them forward all your junk mail to you, but that'll probably eat up more than $20 a year in mailing costs.

 

[USMC_Winger]

> $39.95 - https://www.escapees.com/about-escapees/join/

> I don't know what you were checking out for $215.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but the way I read it, the mail forwarding service is separate from the annual membership.  Since I qualify for the veterans' 5% discount with membership, I would pay only $37.99 + $204.25, or $242.24 total for the first year if I were required to purchase membership before I purchase the mail service.

As a member, is it possible to use the escapees' Texas mail address as my residential address without subscribing to their mail service?

 

[B and C]

When I go to the join page https://store.escapees.com/store/join/

All I get is a $39.95 (for U.S. residents) option to join and then a $195 option if you want to use their mail forwarding service. Mail forwarding is an option, not a requirement. An assumption on my part is any mail delivered there will either be sent back or discarded.

Wherever you go, you will need a mailing address whether you use escapees, another service or a friend/family members. Turn in with the post office a change of address form to forward mail from your domicile address to whatever mailing address you use. You will also have to update your mailing address with insurance company, etc.

 

[USMC_Winger]

That's what I thought:  I need to pay for the escapees' (or someone else's) mailing services for my residential mail until I can rent a parking spot in Texas and use that address.  Thanks, Brian.

 

[bonnieE350van]

I am an ESCAPEES member and this is how it works for me...I joined in 2012 so things may have changed since then but this is my experience...
I too am a veteran...my membership fee is around $38 for a year...mail forwarding service is about $95 a year...they will forward all your mail
to you when you call them...I usually get mine sent to "general delivery" in whatever state and town I am near...but always check with the PO to make sure they accept general delivery...I ran into a problem one time in AZ around Phoenix and had to chase down my mail at the central PO
in Phoenix...in addition to the yearly mail service fee you also have to maintain a postage account so your mail can be forwarded to you...

On another note, but related, make sure your auto insurance will accept the address you give them as a legitimate address...mine has just recently informed me they will no longer cover me since I DON'T have a physical address even though Texas State Supreme Court has declared that the Escapee's address is a legal address...
hope this information helps clear things up a bit for you...

 

[USMC_Winger]

@bonnieE350van, thanks!  Excellent info.  Very informative.

Which auto insurance company are you insured with?  (So I don't fall into the same trap when I switch to an auto insurance company in Texas.)

 

[USMC_Winger]

My plan is to leave Miami, Florida, and pick up my trailer in Georgia on April 18th, then head to Texas.  Unfortunately, I don't have a safe place to park and work on the cargo trailer by day and sleep in at night.  I'm looking for a parking location in the southeast along the route between south Georgia and Austin, Texas, to work on the conversion.  (Texas is preferred, since I need to register with the DMV fairly soon.)

I envision a level driveway or backyard with a 120 volt outdoor electrical outlet and potable water (a garden hose spigot is fine) at a home filled with non-smokers.  (I know I sound like I think I'm special, but I'm a disabled veteran, and it hurts to breathe after 18 months in Miami apartments, buses, and work environments.  The residents of this community smoke very heavily, even inside elevators, where it's illegal, but no landlord enforces it.  Why didn't I just move to a new apartment?  This is my 12th move in 21 months.  I've tried.)

I'm on an extremely tight budget and can only afford a very, very modest rent, but free would be even better, given my financial situation.

Any volunteers with a spare driveway or backyard?  My SUV with trailer hitch is about 16 feet long and my cargo trailer, including tongue, is 15.5 feet long.

Thanks!

 

[USMC_Winger]

I'm on an extremely tight budget and can only afford a very, very modest rent, but free would be even better, given my financial situation.

Any volunteers with a spare driveway or backyard?  My SUV with trailer hitch is about 16 feet long and my cargo trailer, including tongue, is 15.5 feet long.

Thanks!

Still looking for a spare driveway or backyard for a very, very modest rent.  I'm currently located in San Marcos, Texas, and still working on converting my trailer while parked in parking lots.

Any volunteers?  Thanks!