Prepping for the vandweller life

[skydivevandweller]

Hey everyone. I stumbled on this site today and was surprised at how great this community seems!

I'm in an transitionary period of my life right now and my company is opening an office in Denver. I'm going to use it as a reason to escape the east coast where I've lived all my life and fill my life with more adventure!

What better way to do it that sell all my crap and start living a life of simplicity and travel!?

I'm a software engineer so I can work basically anywhere I have an internet connection. My boss is aware of my plans to go to Denver and live there a while and help establish the new office, and then move on and travel - he's OK with it and I'll keep my cushy job and salary!

Currently I'm doing lots of research, reading a ton, and searching for a van. I'm leaning towards a Roadtrek or Rialta at this point as my first motorized home.

The plan is to travel around to different skydiving dropzones (which are very RV friendly and most have hookups) and work during the week from my van and then skydive on the weekends!

Travel + skydiving + freedom + limited amount of stuff + simplicity seems like a winning combination to me! I'm looking forward to reading more here and learning lots (already learned a lot from the gun thread)!

 

[PastTense]

Welcome!

How much equipment will you need for skydiving?

 

[skydivevandweller]

Thanks for the welcome!

How much equipment will you need for skydiving?

Skydiving doesn't need a whole lot of equipment (all of which I already own)... just a helmet, a full-body suit (folds up quite small), and the parachute rig which is about the size of a medium-sized backpack. People make it a lot more complicated sometimes, but that's all you really need. Those items would fit under the back bed storage area of the Roadtrek with no problem and tons of room to spare!

 

[caseyc]

Welcome to the club! Sounds like a good plan with plenty of adventure! You going to get a new Roadtrek?! I'm jealous, haha!

 

[skydivevandweller]

Looking for a cheap "starter home" (lol) on craigslist right now. My budget is about $10k and hoping to get something 1996-2004-ish with 120k or less miles. From what i've read, the Roadtreks are great machines.

I'll eventually move up in "home" as time goes on and I confirm that this is the lifestyle I want to live!

 

[caseyc]

Oh, okay, yeah there are peeps on this forum with the older style RoadTreks. I believe the older versions are built on a Dodge chassis, and the newer ones are by GMC. Either way, having a fully self contained vehicle is pretty slick.

 

[blkjak]

welcome .... blkjak

 

[Patrick46]

Hey Skyman!! (I aint' typing out your entire name)

Hello and welcome to the asylum!! You sound like you'll fit in just fine! Your plan sounds like a total winner!! (hey...if I come through Denver...will you take me up????)

Skydiving is on my bucket list, and I get charged whenever I see good skydiving videos. (Point Break gives me chills!!!)

It's too bad you're on the East coast, as I live right on the Oregon coastline, and I've got a good friend who has an older but very clean and well maintained Dodge RoadTrek up for sale.

Post up pictures of whatever rigs that happen to catch your eye, and we'll give you our joint educated opinion of it!!

Patrick from the Coast

 

[cannedsquatch]

Well, I'm jealous, at my height and weight, I can't skydive... However welcome to the forum, hope you get all the help you need...

 

[akrvbob]

When I was in Moab, UT I did my first skydive--quite a thrill! Both of the instructors lived in their vans! It's a life that very easily lends itself to vandwelling.

I think you have an outstanding plan! A Roadtrek would be perfect! However, Pleasure way also makes a very good Class B, so keep an eye out for them as well. Do not buy a Rialta!! They are not reliable at all and the MPG isn't worth it.

Forgive me for assuming, but it sounds like you may have a bigger budget than most of us. If so, give serious thought to a Sportsmobile. They make custom Class Bs and specialize in adventure 4x4 vans. New they are crazy expensive (but worth it!). But they generally have some used ones in their lots. If I had the money, they would be my first choice!
http://www.sportsmobile.com/
Bob

 

[skydivevandweller]

Thanks for the great welcome, everyone!

@akrvbob, I'm definitely not doing this because of money issues. I'm completely out of debt and have a good job that will allow me to work on the road. I just have a desire to travel, own less stuff (the big one here... i literally hate how much stuff I own), and generally live a simpler life. I'm frugal though, so this lifestyle should lend itself perfectly to that! I appreciate the tips on the other manufacturers. I'll definitely check them out and see if there are any used ones in my area.

@Patrick46, Unfortunately, I can't take tandems. You've got to have years of experience and an instructor rating to do that, but I'd definitely go up in the plane with you and you could watch me jump out before you go with your instructor! Here's a video from an event at my home dropzone last weekend... I'm the one in the white helmet:

---

I get charged whenever I see good skydiving videos.

Also, check out this great video from the Australian Parachute Federation -