New to the life

[MajorTom]

Hello All! I am seeking vanlife buddies and info. I will b selling my home in the next couple of months, quitting my job and getting in the road. I’m a little scared but ready. I’m leaving from Fort Lauderdale Florida and I’m looking for a van community with like minded ppl. I have a trip coming up in February to Iceland (not sure if I’ll still do it). Anyway, need some advise - I’m ready to go. Please link me.

 

[INTJohn]

 

[maki2]

Welcome. Not sure about the “link me” statement you made. This is more of a browse through the various sections, ask questions, and leave comments to interact with others forum.

Build yourself a community of friends to travel with. A good way to start is right in Florida if you know some good camping spots. Nomads do go to Florida and the gulf coast to camp. Invite others to come and join you at a good place to camp. There are lots of people who want to make new friends but do not know where to find a good campsite.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the Van Living forum MajorTom. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for here.

 

[MajorTom]

“Link me” means exactly what u did - thank you! I am joining the van life, I have no idea what I’m doing nor where good camp grounds are - that’s y I’m here, to get good info. Do u knw good/safe camp rounds in Florida?

 

[MajorTom]

Welcome. Not sure about the “link me” statement you made. This is more of a browse through the various sections, ask questions, and leave comments to interact with others forum.

Build yourself a community of friends to travel with. A good way to start is right in Florida if you know some good camping spots. Nomads do go to Florida and the gulf coast to camp. Invite others to come and join you at a good place to camp. There are lots of people who want to make new friends but do not know where to find a good campsite.

Welcome to the Van Living forum MajorTom. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for here.

Looking to find some travel friends

 

[Gr8ful]

Welcome Major Tom from Ground Control.

 

[MajorTom]

Welcome Major Tom from Ground Control.

MajorTom to Grnd Cntrl - Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do - except get in a van!

 

[rruff]

I have a trip coming up in February to Iceland (not sure if I’ll still do it).

If that is a tourist trip, it's a strange time to go there... unless you dislike daylight, sunshine, and warmth?

Regarding living in your rig, if you are "a little scared" of a big change in life, then.... that is completely normal! It isn't hard though, and hopefully you'll enjoy it and get in the groove easily enough.

It's easier to find "buddies" in the desert of S AZ is winter, as there are many thousands in the area who have a seasonal home base of sorts. In the summer, people scatter all over.

It would be good to know a lot more about yourself... like what your setup is like, experience you have, what you might need help with, etc.

 

[MajorTom]

I nee

If that is a tourist trip, it's a strange time to go there... unless you dislike daylight, sunshine, and warmth?

Regarding living in your rig, if you are "a little scared" of a big change in life, then.... that is completely normal! It isn't hard though, and hopefully you'll enjoy it and get in the groove easily enough.

It's easier to find "buddies" in the desert of S AZ is winter, as there are many thousands in the area who have a seasonal home base of sorts. In the summer, people scatter all over.

It would be good to know a lot more about yourself... like what your setup is like, experience you have, what you might need help

If that is a tourist trip, it's a strange time to go there... unless you dislike daylight, sunshine, and warmth?

Regarding living in your rig, if you are "a little scared" of a big change in life, then.... that is completely normal! It isn't hard though, and hopefully you'll enjoy it and get in the groove easily enough.

It's easier to find "buddies" in the desert of S AZ is winter, as there are many thousands in the area who have a seasonal home base of sorts. In the summer, people scatter all over.

It would be good to know a lot more about yourself... like what your setup is like, experience you have, what you might need help with, etc.

I need help with everything I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve been a “house dweller” all my life. Selling everything and moving into a van is scary - especially when I know nothing!

Iceland is a tourist thing - want to see the aurora borealis and drive the “ring road” - I knw, but that time of year was good to see it - so ..,

 

[bullfrog !]

Welcome!

 

[INTJohn]

MajorTom to Grnd Cntrl - Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do - except get in a van!

If you have zero experience at this, might be good to rent something for a weekend or 3 to start out then transition into spending a week and so on to get ur feet wet and wade in rather than just jump off the ship in the middle of the ocean and not having a clue how to live like this.

aint sayin; jus sayin
jonny boi

 

[MajorTom]

If you have zero experience at this, might be good to rent something for a weekend or 3 to start out then transition into spending a week and so on to get ur feet wet and wade in rather than just jump off the ship in the middle of the ocean and not having a clue how to live like this.

aint sayin; jus sayin
jonny boi

Time is of the essence - just gotta jump, so all the support I get is priceless and most appreciated do u knw the most reliable portable internet device?

 

[maki2]

When you tell yourself something feels scary you will feel scared. If you tell yourself you are ready to quit a boring life burdened by taking care of a bunch of “stuff” and working all the time to support that life you will quit being scared and start feeling confident. Stop telling yourself scary bedtime stories!!!

 

[INTJohn]

Time is of the essence - just gotta jump, so all the support I get is priceless and most appreciated do u knw the most reliable portable internet device?

Only internet device i use is an ifone. No pads or computers for me.
Dont underestimate a good nights sleep. All thats good about Life starts with a good nights sleep. I use an xped megamat.

 

[rruff]

do u knw the most reliable portable internet device?

Most people use cell, although it limits you to places where you can get a good signal. The cheapest unlimited hotspot data plan is still through Visible I think. So your phone receives the internet, and you turn on its "hotspot" setting, then you can connect to its signal with a laptop, tablet, or whatever.

Starlink is another option.

Doing without internet is another.

 

[rruff]

I need help with everything I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve been a “house dweller” all my life. Selling everything and moving into a van is scary - especially when I know nothing!

That's exactly where I was 35 years ago. Then... the day I left and for several months after, I was in total ecstasy.

Check out some builds online. Ponder what you really need, and err on the side of less. Things happen, you deal... and you learn.

 

[maki2]

Time is of the essence - just gotta jump, so all the support I get is priceless and most appreciated do u knw the most reliable portable internet device?

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.

 

[afblangley]

Time is of the essence - just gotta jump, so all the support I get is priceless and most appreciated do u knw the most reliable portable internet device?

I didn't comment on your initial post about quitting your job, selling your house, and moving into a vehicle. But here's my two cents. The why matters. If you're being pushed, that's one thing, if you're drunk on the van life Kool Aid pouring out of YT, that's another. Age matters. If you're 25, that's one thing, if you're 65, that's another.

There is nothing magical about living out of a vehicle. What's great is having the ability to do what you want when you want. Aka freedom. This is achieved by having a sufficient amount of time, money, and health. Ask someone in the Amazon camperforce how much fun they're having. Or working the sugar beet harvest. Or a stressed out YT influencer trying to post enough content to pay for their $150k RV.

I'm not a full timer. I'm not a part timer. I'm an any timer. Which means on any given day I can wake up and say, I'm outta "here", no matter where "here" is. I make a middle class income, but my work is location agnostic and takes only 5-10 hours a week. This was a result of years of decision making and planning, not the vehicle I drive.

I didn't sell my house or quit my job. Buying a van was a game changer because it allowed me to take the comforts of home with me, wherever I went.

I dunno if you're inquiring about a mobile device or a cellular plan. My favorite portable internet device is a tablet. They are available in 3 operating systems: iOS, Android, and Chrome. Equipped properly, they can do almost everything a laptop running Windows or MacOS can do. And many tablets have features that laptops don't: stylus, camera, gps, and cellular capability.

When I'm in my van, I typically have a phone, tablet, and laptop with me. I make extensive use out of all of them. But if I could own only one device, hands down, it would be a tablet. There is nothing that my phone does that my tablet can't do as good or better. Tablets are cheaper to buy and operate. Data plans for tablets (which is required for it to be untethered) are usually cheaper than cell phone plans.

With regard to network prices, MVNOs are going to have the best prices, but speeds can be deprioritized fairly often in congested areas. Furthermore, tower coverage can vary quite a bit. I spread my devices over Verizon and AT&T networks. Visible (Verizon MVNO) is currently offering an unlimited plan for $275 per year, which is probably the best deal currently on the market. Boost Mobile, now has its own network (along with roaming on AT&T and T-Mobile), I'm curious about their coverage and will probably try them in my next device.

 

[MajorTom]

I didn't comment on your initial post about quitting your job, selling your house, and moving into a vehicle. But here's my two cents. The why matters. If you're being pushed, that's one thing, if you're drunk on the van life Kool Aid pouring out of YT, that's another. Age matters. If you're 25, that's one thing, if you're 65, that's another.

There is nothing magical about living out of a vehicle. What's great is having the ability to do what you want when you want. Aka freedom. This is achieved by having a sufficient amount of time, money, and health. Ask someone in the Amazon camperforce how much fun they're having. Or working the sugar beet harvest. Or a stressed out YT influencer trying to post enough content to pay for their $150k RV.

I'm not a full timer. I'm not a part timer. I'm an any timer. Which means on any given day I can wake up and say, I'm outta "here", no matter where "here" is. I make a middle class income, but my work is location agnostic and takes only 5-10 hours a week. This was a result of years of decision making and planning, not the vehicle I drive.

I didn't sell my house or quit my job. Buying a van was a game changer because it allowed me to take the comforts of home with me, wherever I went.

I dunno if you're inquiring about a mobile device or a cellular plan. My favorite portable internet device is a tablet. They are available in 3 operating systems: iOS, Android, and Chrome. Equipped properly, they can do almost everything a laptop running Windows or MacOS can do. And many tablets have features that laptops don't: stylus, camera, gps, and cellular capability.

When I'm in my van, I typically have a phone, tablet, and laptop with me. I make extensive use out of all of them. But if I could own only one device, hands down, it would be a tablet. There is nothing that my phone does that my tablet can't do as good or better. Tablets are cheaper to buy and operate. Data plans for tablets (which is required for it to be untethered) are usually cheaper than cell phone plans.

With regard to network prices, MVNOs are going to have the best prices, but speeds can be deprioritized fairly often in congested areas. Furthermore, tower coverage can vary quite a bit. I spread my devices over Verizon and AT&T networks. Visible (Verizon MVNO) is currently offering an unlimited plan for $275 per year, which is probably the best deal currently on the market. Boost Mobile, now has its own network (along with roaming on AT&T and T-Mobile), I'm curious about their coverage and will probably try them in my next device.

Thank you so much for all your information - really value all of it.