Greetings, figured I'd drop an introduction of sorts. I'm William, 39 - going on 40 this coming June. Born in Alabama, but have spent more time in Ohio than anywhere else. Haven't taken the literal plunge yet; however, I'm sort of been reflecting a lot on my life and what I'd really like to do more than anything else is, I dunno - get out and wander. It's something I never had the means to do when I was younger - my 20s were one personal crisis after another, and my 30s were/are the predictable wage slavery, so I never took any time for myself. Unmarried, unattached, but I do have a small house to sell(and I mean SMALL, not expecting a big return on the thing), and loads of personal possessions to sort through and either sell or donate. Career? Not much of one to speak. I've spent most of the past decade in a number of lower-level administrative positions for Libraries and Educational Institutions.
I honestly just want to spend the rest of my life wandering about, seeing the country(and possibly our neighbors to the North), and maybe enjoying life for once.
Plans? That's a good one, because they're minimalist - everything from my preferred build requirements to what I'll do for money. I DO plan on cashing in about 40K I have in State-retirement(don't worry, not even years for a pension), with which the minimal amount I'll get back on the house - using that to pay down my cards, buy a van and give me a head-start.
Speaking of a moving home, my requirements are startlingly minimal: I don't need custom cabinets, I don't need an ELABORATE electrical system(though I DO want solar...heavy tech user, unfortunately) something like 400-600 watts of flexibile panels, with about 150 amp hours in batteries...4 outlets. No running water, no fridge, maybe a roof-fan, but I'm not sure about cutting holes in the roof of a vehicle. Insulation? No idea because I'm not sure if I would really need the elaborate insulation I've seen on some builds. Heat/cooking? Propane seems like not a bad choice, but with the solar set-up, I could probably do okay with an electric blanket or pad and a low temp sleeping bag. Speaking of sleep? 14-inch, raised base...a cheap one and I can get by just fine with a twin. I use a full now, but only use about 60% of it. Cooling? Well, ventilation seems a primary concern hence the roof-fan, roof-top a/c seems wildly inefficient so I'd probably forgo that.
I just want a nice, non-descript, RELIABLE, stealthy, place to sleep, stay warm, and plug my PC into.
Income? Well, I figured I'd give the work-camping thing a try. If I can make 18K a year take-home, working only 6 months overall, I'd be set.
So...I mean, I suppose I'm here because I have no idea where to start on everything.
I honestly just want to spend the rest of my life wandering about, seeing the country(and possibly our neighbors to the North), and maybe enjoying life for once.
Plans? That's a good one, because they're minimalist - everything from my preferred build requirements to what I'll do for money. I DO plan on cashing in about 40K I have in State-retirement(don't worry, not even years for a pension), with which the minimal amount I'll get back on the house - using that to pay down my cards, buy a van and give me a head-start.
Speaking of a moving home, my requirements are startlingly minimal: I don't need custom cabinets, I don't need an ELABORATE electrical system(though I DO want solar...heavy tech user, unfortunately) something like 400-600 watts of flexibile panels, with about 150 amp hours in batteries...4 outlets. No running water, no fridge, maybe a roof-fan, but I'm not sure about cutting holes in the roof of a vehicle. Insulation? No idea because I'm not sure if I would really need the elaborate insulation I've seen on some builds. Heat/cooking? Propane seems like not a bad choice, but with the solar set-up, I could probably do okay with an electric blanket or pad and a low temp sleeping bag. Speaking of sleep? 14-inch, raised base...a cheap one and I can get by just fine with a twin. I use a full now, but only use about 60% of it. Cooling? Well, ventilation seems a primary concern hence the roof-fan, roof-top a/c seems wildly inefficient so I'd probably forgo that.
I just want a nice, non-descript, RELIABLE, stealthy, place to sleep, stay warm, and plug my PC into.
Income? Well, I figured I'd give the work-camping thing a try. If I can make 18K a year take-home, working only 6 months overall, I'd be set.
So...I mean, I suppose I'm here because I have no idea where to start on everything.