Questions for introspection

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MG1912 said:
For one, it's true.  People are generally honest about whether or not they have rigs and are living on the road.  There's nothing wrong with not having a rig yet or not being on the road now...
When I started posting on here I had lived in a rig in the past, but at that particular moment in time was flat on my back after one of my back injuries. I was planning on dwelling in my pickup which I later did, after the back rehab was over. I got a lot of hope on here and quite a few ideas, so let's not discourage anyone. 

To tell the truth, I have no idea if anything I posted at first was useful to anyone. I am sure that I was writing out of a lot of physical pain, so might have been less than stellar ideas.

One of the designs I posted back then which is still in use, was the bucket toilet build.

-crofter
 
I am serious when I say that my ADHD is very suited to life in a van.

Everything from going to the gym in the morning, looking for sleeping spots, working on all the aspects of the build, having minimal possessions, establishing routines, regular dinners with friends/family, heading to the mountains on a whim with no packing or prep, and talking about vanlife nonstop is good to both control and provide an outlet for how my brain works.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk
 
lab_nomad said:
These are questions for those who are living either full-time or part-time in a van/rv/car/etc. 

What things about your personality, habits, interests do you think made you suited to vandwelling? 

And also, were there some things about yourself that arose after you started vandwelling that you were surprised you had in you? I hope that question makes sense. I couldn't think how to word it.



Getting back to the OP...
My passion was backcountry canoeing. Going out paddling for from eight to my longest 40 days. And an off Shute of that was I got set up and hauled canoes and kayaks coast to coast. I literally lived in my truck for weeks at a time. So in my desire to come out and live in my truck I decided my criteria had to include the ability to stand up. I had an old truck camper and my goal was just to rebuild it. But by the time I got past the point of no return, I was committed with what I started. So my camper... showing the lack of carpentry skills from a mile away (haha) is my abode. When I go home... I plan to stay in my camper and keep revising and such. Lots of inspiration from everyone here... thank you all both full and part time nomads. We all have nothing when we’re born and will have nothing when we’re gone except the experiences and friendships we make in between.
 
I lived in a car and that’s vastly different from any larger vehicle including a sprinter or van. Especially when you’re not 20 anymore and have a bad back among other things.

I had a vision of a build that would make it more comfortable and I found a company that makes plans for two particular SUVs (neither one mine) but the same idea. As the ancient Greeks said, there is no new thing under the sun. And I have someone who can do it for me when I have the money.

Since I can’t fix anything or even do much work I need something super reliable and my Honda is one of the best cars out there (kept my last one 15 years) so rather than buy something I have to put a lot of money into I will fix up my car but I can’t live full-time forever like that. For all the reasons stated and more.

I also found gas, more frequent maintenance, showers, not being able to store food, having a place to work my part-time jobs which require a fixed address etc all the problems of living in a car ended up costing almost as much as rent/utilities. When I sat down honestly it wasn’t a big money saver.

If you’re a nomad because you’re a nomad then it’s a wonderful way to live. But for me it’s because I had/have to.

So if you’re sitting in your comfy fitted out van judging what is a community that is made up of an incredibly diverse group of people then get off your high horse. And those people who blow a gasket and need help probably didn’t plan and buy a $185,000 giant house on wheels for a reason.

And no highdesertranger, this is not bickering. This is anger at judgment.
 
I loved my life as I lived it but then a change came cause I was always a 'loner type' and minimalist type for sure, and a slight control freak over my life and I lived it as I wanted.

Now I want different, to follow my other calling of 'been there done that as I wanted and enjoyed' but now change is coming.

monster roamer type.....let me out in life to roam free from the 'set norm' and just leave me the hell alone type HAHA

So yea when I get kid in college it all goes, I pull up ties and do ME thru all this as I want cause in the end, if I buy a place and settle, then that is what I want, when I want it, til then no friggin' ties to no one or nothing.

So just doing me as it needs to be done :) to get what I want as I require it. I don't always put me first, but me time is coming and when it does full in, I won't stray from that path at all til I feel I must.

freedom is looming as I want it, I will grab it.
 
lab_nomad said:
What things about your personality, habits, interests do you think made you suited to vandwelling? 

And also, were there some things about yourself that arose after you started vandwelling that you were surprised you had in you?

- I'm introverted, independent, self-defined, self-motivated, flexible. I'm okay with a degree of uncertainty. I'm curious. I have few needs.

- I can be happy not showering twice a day.
 
jacqueg said:
I spent my first 3 or 4 decades trying to "fix" myself,  to please all the folks...
Well, phooey on that.

Yup!
 
We Americans are in large part descendants of people who left family and home in some other country and came here seeking something - often, an adventure! We have that pioneer mentality in our blood.

When I got to this forum I had a desire to travel. I was here many months before I finally was able to buy a van and travel. I went all-in and gave away most of my possessions, and traveled a very short time because I kept going back to my hometown in the mountains. Then bought property here, etc etc. I'm sure you all know my story by now... I guess the point is that I arrived on this website with a need to make a big change in my life and the van was the ticket to freedom from what was happening before. I'm currently living in a travel trailer with the van and a partially converted cargo trailer parked outside.

It is good that when I first came to this forum I wasn't ostracized because I didn't have a van at that time. It took months of planning but I finally got the van I thought I needed.
 
Im kind of an obsessive thinker, and constantly trying to figure out "what if" situations stresses me out. Having an alternative living situation, and having the ability to flee to anywhere in the event of a zombie apocalypse or some more realistic disaster situation, will ease some of that stress.

Even though I'm a "people person", I still need a lot of alone time, in peaceful places where I can relax, so I frequently go on camping trips alone. I have gradually worsening respiratory problems that now cause me to get out of breath just making a bed, so putting up and taking down tents has really become a burden that takes away the purpose of going on those trips. My Kia Soul has as much room in it as a 3 person tent once the back seats are removed, and I don't have to haul tents or unload gear, so it has made trips more worth taking. The van I'm starting to work on will give me more space to move around on rainy days, and will allow space for a guest in case someone does go on a trip with me.

I've got friends and relatives in other states who I want to visit, but the cost of hotels is something I can't afford, and I feel really uncomfortable staying in other people's homes, so having a micro home on wheels will allow me to visit people I haven't been able to visit (the car set up would seem weird to people, but a camper van will keep folks from trying to get me to sleep in their houses).
 
travelaround said:
When I got to this forum I had a desire to travel. I was here many months before I finally was able to buy a van and travel. I went all-in and gave away most of my possessions, and traveled a very short time because I kept going back to my hometown in the mountains. Then bought property here, etc etc. I'm sure you all know my story by now...
I think you have a great story which emphasizes the value of vanlife and cheaprvliving; lots of people don't know what will make them happy and fulfilled and sometimes they need to try something before discovering what they want/need. 

I also think cheaprvliving is valuable because it allows people to share their stories, in as much or as little detail as desired, without (generally) being judged.  I will share a bit of my story.  If you look back at my early posts, you see that I expressed a desire to get a schoolie and travel with my son doing astronomy.  My son is a fantastic programmer and worked on a masters in anthropology.  He rapidly developed medical issues in Dec. 2014 which have only gotten worse; he has not received any medical diagnosis even though he has seen lots of doctors in the city (with multiple regional medical centers) and been to the Mayo clinic in Rochester MN.  He is in constant pain except when he is asleep and riding in a bus or van would be very painful for him.  He donates his time programming from home for a 503(c)(3) nonprofit, doing astronomy, etc.  If he was suddenly healthy, I would sell the house and get on the road; my son would be free to join me or return to the job he lost when they put him on temporary disability in 2015 (and without a medical diagnosis, getting permanent disability seemed impossible to him).
 
You mentioned 'permanent disability', when my wife went on disability she was told there is no such thing as permanent disability. They may find a cure for what you have. She would receive a letter Social Security every year asking about her work status, and if they found she was able to work her disability could be cut.
 
One of the benefits of age is caring less and less about what others think about me. Van dwelling, or in my case, RAV4 dwelling, enables me to travel on my budget. I won't be a full-timer for another 2 years, but am enjoying the car in camper mode as often as I can....any escuse for a road trip will do.
 
Freelander said:
You mentioned 'permanent disability', when my wife went on disability she was told there is no such thing as permanent disability. They may find a cure for what you have. She would receive a letter Social Security every year asking about her work status, and if they found she was able to work her disability could be cut.
I hate to make this my first post here, upon joining the forum but the misinformation in your post is egregious and potentially harmful. I can understand, and have seen it many times how people get the wrong idea about disability, as it is complicated, and often explained poorly, especially when lawyers enter the situation at the wrong timing. People are often desperate at many points in that awful journey and that leads to a lot of erroneous information.

My wife was a disability examiner for sixteen years.

There indeed is "permanent disability". The thing to it is to either have one of the right (wrong) diagnosis from a disability doctor or to know at exactly which point to file. Many do it at the wrong time and then the whole process is maddeningly more difficult. There of course are temporary 2 as well, and that is the greater part of the claims working their way through the system.
Once you are determined to be "permanently disabled" there is a review done, most often at seven year intervals to see if your disability still exists, but only a doctor can end the disability. The letter has not effect, it is in fact a way to supplement your income, while maintaining your full or reduced payments. Once you are deemed to be of "advanced age", which is usually considered to be 55 or older, the 7 year reviews stop and your disability continues until retirement age. Most cases are deemed to be temporary disabilities, and the details change at that point much more to what you have described in your post, but the fact is that it is the disability itself that once confirmed by a disability examiner and supported by a medical disability doctor that determines the applicants outcome, status, and path through the system.

So to sum up' there is a permanent disability status, only a doctor can reverse a disability, the yearly letter is not as you believe it to be, and one can earn extra income while on permanent disability up to the SGA ( substantial gain activity). I hope that clarification may help someone going through this confusing system. Cheers.
 
I worked for the VA for over 20 years, I have seen Vets get their Disability cut off many times, because of the changes in the decision making process, and changes to the law. SS can do the some thing, if they have determined that you are able to work, they can and will cut your benefits. The VA does have a "permanent disability" status, but even that is subject to interpretation. Do you realize that the VA has a number of Vets rated as disabled from Viet Nam because that got VD while in country?

Just because one Doctor has determined your disability is permanent, that doesn't men the next one will come to the same conclusion.

These decisions are decided by a bunch of bureaucrats sitting around the table. Many do not even have medical degrees. The decision is based or what is in your medical records. I know we had one of her Doctors look through the records for anything that could cause concerns at her hearing. Even then she had to wait 27 months to get a hearing.

My wife was told very clearly, that NO disability is permanent, and that Science may find a cure for what she had. You may get a rating of permanent disability, just to find that in a few years that has been removed because a cure or treatment has been found. Or some change to way the disability is rated.

When its the Government is paying the money for the disability, they get to decide who is and isn't disabled.
 
You ae spreading F.U.D and should stop. The laws are uniform throughout the US and I don't know what the V.A. has to do with disability, except you seem to have been misinformed, which is a real shame. The only latitude in disability assessment is in the diminished mental capacity, but again, the reviews are seven years apart. Take a look at the rules if you get assessed with ovarian cancer or pancreatic cancer, and stop telling people this nonsense that there is no permanent disability. You do a lot of harm to people stuck in the system looking for accurate answers. Damn shame, but I'm not too surprised.
 
Freelander said:
When its the Government is paying the money for the disability, they get to decide who is and isn't disabled.


It isn't deciding who has a disability, it is deciding who can have disability income.  The federal govt gives the definition of disability in the ADA, and it is very broad. Most people who have some form of disability are still able to make some kind of income on their own if given the chance. When SSA says a person is, or is  not, disabled for the purpose of benefits determination,  it's only in the context of whether or not SSA believes the person's disability is causing the type of symptoms and impairments that would keep anyone else from working. 

Some workers are either  inexperienced, not very smart, or lack a good grasp on communication skills, or interject their own person opinions into answers they give. I'm sure there are some locations where the entire office branch is full of such workers.  So sometimes some worker will tell you stupid stuff like no disability is permanent. If you think what a worker is telling you isn't right, you go to the supervisor.
 
Pavel said:
You ae spreading F.U.D and should stop.  The laws are uniform throughout the US and I don't know what the V.A. has to do with disability, except you seem to have been misinformed, which is a real shame.  The only latitude in disability assessment is in the diminished  mental capacity, but again, the reviews are seven years apart.  Take a look at the rules if you get assessed with ovarian cancer or pancreatic cancer, and stop telling people this nonsense that there is no permanent disability.  You do a lot of harm to people stuck in the system looking for accurate answers. Damn shame, but I'm not too surprised.
You are the one spreading FUD. What part of "they may find a cure for what you have" do you NOT understand? My wife had an incurable disease yet she was NEVER told her disability was permanent. New treatments come every few years. Maybe its YOU that is uninformed, the Laws change constantly, what is considered Disabled today, maybe curable tomorrow!! 

My wife was "stuck in the system" until she died!! Yes  know what I'm talking about. 

As far as the VA if you REALLY knew how disability works you would know how screwed up the system really is. Unless you have had to deal with the disability system you really to stop informing people about it.
 
Pavel said:
You ae spreading F.U.D and should stop.  The laws are uniform throughout the US and I don't know what the V.A. has to do with disability, except you seem to have been misinformed, which is a real shame.  The only latitude in disability assessment is in the diminished  mental capacity, but again, the reviews are seven years apart.  Take a look at the rules if you get assessed with ovarian cancer or pancreatic cancer, and stop telling people this nonsense that there is no permanent disability.  You do a lot of harm to people stuck in the system looking for accurate answers. Damn shame, but I'm not too surprised.

Maybe a little reading will help you.

https://premierdisability.com/social-security-disability-benefits-permanent/
 
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