New to the life

[MajorTom]

I would say cell phones are your most reliable portable internet device. A newer one that gets a 5g signal would be best. Of course there are areas where you are not going to get a reliable cell phone signal. That does happen. Therefore if you must stay connected you either choose your campsites by checking on signal strength or plan on investing in a Starlink setup.

Thank you very much for all the information. I appreciate u.

 

[LargeMarge]

...selling my home...quitting my job and getting in the road...from Fort Lauderdale...looking for a van community...

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a)
Your phrase 'link me' is uncommon.
I have zero idea of your intention.
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b)
Generally, I prefer to begin with your RequirementsStatement.
This might include:
... age and abilities
... goals for travel -- festivals, work, fifty states in fifty days
... vehicle needs -- reliable or one of those new gadget-loaded; traditional or quirky; small for forests or full-size for standing inside and walking around without hunching
...age of your preferred community -- the under-30 crowd of all-nighters or the sedate any-time-is-a-good-time-for-a-nap over-60 all-tuckered-out by 8:30pm bunch
... mechanical abilities -- built hot-rods or never touched anything greasy and would never; handy with a hammer or called the plumber because that drip is driving me whacko; changed a lightbulb after receiving advice from two priests and getting blessed by a semi-retired Wikkan Wicken Wikka pagan chick.
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c)
2003, we ended-up in an old delivery truck because we need reliable and tough... no fussy delicate foreign long-supply-chain.
Fact is, any failures in our entire vehicle can be successfully addressed using bailing-wire and a bent fork.
A near-failure is an opportunity to refine our duct-tape skills.
.
Our choice of durable and resilient came easy.
Before we built our rig, we were in an ancient decrepit 1984(?) Chevrolet Astro van in Central America with our caravan chums for SCUBA and surfing.
In that one small village, we counted over a dozen Sprinter-type vans down for repairs, some awaiting entire engines from Florida and Arizona.
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d)
2003, we built our ExpeditionVehicle upon a devastating diagnosis.
After a half-century of make-do camping in lesser rigs, we knew clearly and exactly the equipment we need and the junk we could easily avoid.
Within a week of diagnosis, we acquired our foundation vehicle, converted it to our concept of an ExpeditionVehicle -- while selling everything -- and hit the road from Oregon with the vague goal of 'south'.
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Our RequirementsStatement was scribbled and drawn on a brown paper grocery bag.
Your RequirementsStatement doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to work for you.
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Our choice to build instead of buy was also easy.
We delivered factory RecreateVehicles manufacturer-to-dealers and dealers-to-shows.
A year and a hundred thousand miles convinced us a factory RecreateVehicle would crumble to dust the first five minutes on the rough rural roads we prefer.
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We read other RV forums (mostly for the lofty feelings of superiority).
First timers inevitably get suckered by nice decals and dual wine-chillers in the 'Entertainment Center'...
... unless the forum is 'IRV2', and they buy a new BillionBuxBus every season because the ashtray was full.
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You mention campgrounds.
After a few minutes visiting a pay-camp (aka 'mental-ward'), that hair-rending episode convinced us to explore boondocking out in the woods as a way to regain our sanity.
We prefer a spot without a cellular telephone signal.
We prefer quiet and far from those treasured civilized 'amenities' such as sirens and LawEnforcementOfficials patrolling in helicopters.
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e)
Three significant transitions -- quit job, sell home, vehicle living.
Small steps.
If I was me, I might walk a campground, chatting with owners of rigs I could consider for full-time live-aboard.
Inevitably, my idealized PerfectRig© for today will be disastrously inadequate after a few weeks and months of full-time live-aboard.
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f)
You need more cargo capacity than you imagine.
Food and water -- and in our case, tools and spare parts -- plus four-season clothes and toys, all that adds weight.
A stout commercial-truck foundation generally offers far greater GVWR with beefier tires and suspension than a midget van designed for city congestion and small parking spaces.
.
gee!)
Some vans are absolutely essential to impress the cool kids at Van Camp.
To fit in, your Van Camp must-have list requires:
...a 'solar-generator'
...a roof deck for whatever they use roof decks for
... flashing lights, a lazer-show, and loud-speakers
...a Carhartt beanie with the label front-n-center.
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[edited to add]
hx)
Our introduction with plenty of portraits, plus our reasons for our decisions:
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110

 

[INTJohn]

………getting blessed by a semi-retired Wikkan Wicken Wikka pagan chick.

+ 10 for blessing of the ….. WWWW…..chik


bch bum vagabon jon