CottonTexas
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2016
- Messages
- 60
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Hello everybody, I'm Cotton. I've been lurking for a minute, and I thought I'd drop in and introduce myself.
I'm a 35yo Texan and Navy veteran. I'm medically retired even though I still have all of my limbs which sometimes embarrasses me to talk about, but I figure y'all don't seem so bad - I've read from a few others on here that are like me, and besides it's relevant that I'm on a fixed income from the VA which has a lot to do with my motives to going back to 'dwelling.
I had my first experience a couple/few years ago in an extended cab F150 w/ 8' bed and a camper top. Adventures began when I discovered that my landlord was stealing hundreds of dollars worth of electricity from my house to run a mechanic shop (Yes, a full-blown, compressor & lift, spray-booth - friggin' shop) next door. So I hit the road within 48 hours of saying, "Thanks for the rent refund," and I lived ~5 months rent-free while I saved up some money, and then fell in love with the freedom that came with the whole experience of 'dwelling. It was a hail storm that beat down on the aluminum camper so badly that it became devastatingly leaky, and it was time for me to move back into a brick & stick apartment.
For my second go-'round, again my landlord was stealing from me - this time it was my tools from my apartment (yes, these are the kinds of places I can afford - shady, at best), and instead of getting all legal-shmegal with the guy, we agreed that I would break my lease without mutual consequence. So after I got my tools back, I packed up into my regular cab Ranger and hit the road again in the middle of Texas summer. I had my aluminum topper thermal coated, insulated, and finished with textured plastic interior paneling which was great while it lasted. Folks were always telling me how professional it looked in there, but unfortunately that aluminum top just wasn't built to handle a couple hundred pounds of extra padding and spray-foam so the frame cracked - yet again causing catastrophic leakage. I've since decided that a camper top is just not a practical way for me to do what I'm trying to do here. This last time was for 6 months, and now I'm staying with family while preparing for my return to 'dweller-status.
I've recently purchased (well, financed) a piney 5 acre plot close to family for cheap that I can call base - a safe place to park for me though it doesn't have any improvements at all right now. I've got a lot of prep and research going on; a driveway culvert and mailbox still need to be acquired as well as the all-important van - the van being the obviously most pressing as I fully intend to go mobile ASAP.
Sadly I haven't been feeling well lately (TMI: I've caught a pretty bad cough), but it's what gave me the chance to find this site. I never meant to post an entire book, but I admit I'm shocked to find this site full of 'dwellers, and I think it's just awesome that I found CRVL.
Elated, Cotton
P.S. I found the Tips & Tricks thread to be remarkably helpful.
I'm a 35yo Texan and Navy veteran. I'm medically retired even though I still have all of my limbs which sometimes embarrasses me to talk about, but I figure y'all don't seem so bad - I've read from a few others on here that are like me, and besides it's relevant that I'm on a fixed income from the VA which has a lot to do with my motives to going back to 'dwelling.
I had my first experience a couple/few years ago in an extended cab F150 w/ 8' bed and a camper top. Adventures began when I discovered that my landlord was stealing hundreds of dollars worth of electricity from my house to run a mechanic shop (Yes, a full-blown, compressor & lift, spray-booth - friggin' shop) next door. So I hit the road within 48 hours of saying, "Thanks for the rent refund," and I lived ~5 months rent-free while I saved up some money, and then fell in love with the freedom that came with the whole experience of 'dwelling. It was a hail storm that beat down on the aluminum camper so badly that it became devastatingly leaky, and it was time for me to move back into a brick & stick apartment.
For my second go-'round, again my landlord was stealing from me - this time it was my tools from my apartment (yes, these are the kinds of places I can afford - shady, at best), and instead of getting all legal-shmegal with the guy, we agreed that I would break my lease without mutual consequence. So after I got my tools back, I packed up into my regular cab Ranger and hit the road again in the middle of Texas summer. I had my aluminum topper thermal coated, insulated, and finished with textured plastic interior paneling which was great while it lasted. Folks were always telling me how professional it looked in there, but unfortunately that aluminum top just wasn't built to handle a couple hundred pounds of extra padding and spray-foam so the frame cracked - yet again causing catastrophic leakage. I've since decided that a camper top is just not a practical way for me to do what I'm trying to do here. This last time was for 6 months, and now I'm staying with family while preparing for my return to 'dweller-status.
I've recently purchased (well, financed) a piney 5 acre plot close to family for cheap that I can call base - a safe place to park for me though it doesn't have any improvements at all right now. I've got a lot of prep and research going on; a driveway culvert and mailbox still need to be acquired as well as the all-important van - the van being the obviously most pressing as I fully intend to go mobile ASAP.
Sadly I haven't been feeling well lately (TMI: I've caught a pretty bad cough), but it's what gave me the chance to find this site. I never meant to post an entire book, but I admit I'm shocked to find this site full of 'dwellers, and I think it's just awesome that I found CRVL.
Elated, Cotton
P.S. I found the Tips & Tricks thread to be remarkably helpful.
