Lefty
Active member
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Hello everyone.
Been lurking on the forum for a little while. I had bookmarked CRVL years ago but since I was still working I didn’t have the time. I’m now 65 and been retired since 62 and thought it was a good time to jump in. I guess I’ve always had a severe case of wanderlust.
About me:
As I said, I’m a retired, single 65 year old male, and an Army veteran. Own my home and 2011 F-150 with no credit card debt. Not much in savings (<$10K) but $1,800 in SS and another $1,000 a month in pension but that’s expected to go belly up by 2025. I’ve spent 45 years as a high functioning active alcoholic which I’d have to admit is the reason I’ve never married. But thanks to my higher power I haven’t had even one drink in ten years. No children other than my two fur kids Huey and Carly, who rescued me. There are no words that adequately express what they mean to me. Thanks to politics the few family members I have have distanced themselves from me. Other than 3 good friends no other people in my life. Health wise, other than rheumatoid arthritis and depression which the VA has been helping with I guess I’m in ok health. Been an introverted loner most of my life. Even with the issues I consider myself a lucky guy as long as I have my 2 kids. Hobbies include but not limited to all things computers (very much a geek), photography, metal detecting and star gazing with my Celestron Nextstar.
My plan:
I’d eventually like to be a nomad 24/7 BUT I’ve let my house fall into disrepair and I need to correct that before I can even think about taking off. That’s going to take every bit of a year or longer to resolve as well as $$$. I’m thinking since my pension is going bust maybe I can recoup some of it by renting my house but I’ll need to make those repairs first. Also, retaining the house gives me a bit of security. In the meantime when not working on the house the kids and I can do some local boondock camping which will allow me a slow and thoughtful transition into the lifestyle. I intend to mod my truck by completely removing the rear seat and fabricating storage for that area. Nobody would know it by looking at me now that I used to solo backpack all the time and even climbed a few mountains in the cascades so I’m no stranger to being self sufficient and camping and I still have a shit load of different tents to choose from. So me and the kids can spend the next 12 to 18 months tent camping while working on the house. I’d eventually like to be in a Lance 650 or a Palomino BackPack SS-1251 (used of course) which according to my research are about the only 2 slide in’s that would be feasible sticking in a ½ ton F-150.
In anticipation of the next 12 to 18 months tent camping I just ordered an Alpicool LGT50 and a Dokio 220 watts fold-able solar panel. I’m thinking when I’m ready to go full time nomad I’ll be that much ahead of the game. Geeze! I just scrolled up and realized I’m writing a novel here. My apologies. I promise I’m not normally this long winded. Looking forward to talking to you all and if you made it this far in my essay thank you.
Hello everyone.
Been lurking on the forum for a little while. I had bookmarked CRVL years ago but since I was still working I didn’t have the time. I’m now 65 and been retired since 62 and thought it was a good time to jump in. I guess I’ve always had a severe case of wanderlust.
About me:
As I said, I’m a retired, single 65 year old male, and an Army veteran. Own my home and 2011 F-150 with no credit card debt. Not much in savings (<$10K) but $1,800 in SS and another $1,000 a month in pension but that’s expected to go belly up by 2025. I’ve spent 45 years as a high functioning active alcoholic which I’d have to admit is the reason I’ve never married. But thanks to my higher power I haven’t had even one drink in ten years. No children other than my two fur kids Huey and Carly, who rescued me. There are no words that adequately express what they mean to me. Thanks to politics the few family members I have have distanced themselves from me. Other than 3 good friends no other people in my life. Health wise, other than rheumatoid arthritis and depression which the VA has been helping with I guess I’m in ok health. Been an introverted loner most of my life. Even with the issues I consider myself a lucky guy as long as I have my 2 kids. Hobbies include but not limited to all things computers (very much a geek), photography, metal detecting and star gazing with my Celestron Nextstar.
My plan:
I’d eventually like to be a nomad 24/7 BUT I’ve let my house fall into disrepair and I need to correct that before I can even think about taking off. That’s going to take every bit of a year or longer to resolve as well as $$$. I’m thinking since my pension is going bust maybe I can recoup some of it by renting my house but I’ll need to make those repairs first. Also, retaining the house gives me a bit of security. In the meantime when not working on the house the kids and I can do some local boondock camping which will allow me a slow and thoughtful transition into the lifestyle. I intend to mod my truck by completely removing the rear seat and fabricating storage for that area. Nobody would know it by looking at me now that I used to solo backpack all the time and even climbed a few mountains in the cascades so I’m no stranger to being self sufficient and camping and I still have a shit load of different tents to choose from. So me and the kids can spend the next 12 to 18 months tent camping while working on the house. I’d eventually like to be in a Lance 650 or a Palomino BackPack SS-1251 (used of course) which according to my research are about the only 2 slide in’s that would be feasible sticking in a ½ ton F-150.
In anticipation of the next 12 to 18 months tent camping I just ordered an Alpicool LGT50 and a Dokio 220 watts fold-able solar panel. I’m thinking when I’m ready to go full time nomad I’ll be that much ahead of the game. Geeze! I just scrolled up and realized I’m writing a novel here. My apologies. I promise I’m not normally this long winded. Looking forward to talking to you all and if you made it this far in my essay thank you.
