starting young, parents not entirely supportive

[K1ngN0thing]

I'm about to be 24, still living at home. Car's broken down for the third time and I'm fed up with it. I don't want to spend money getting it looked at only to find out it's going to cost more than it's worth to repair. Would rather just sell it as-is and put that money toward a loan down-payment. I found the perfect class C with a new engine (only 2k miles) that gets 15 mpg at a very reasonable price. I can afford a 20% auto loan down-payment but might have problems getting it as I don't have proof of income, just a spreadsheet showing what I make on ebay. My dad's trying to tell me I should just get the car repaired and drive that, get a job, make payements on a condo, etc. Everything you'd expect. "How are you going to make a living from an RV" "You have to do something with your life" "You can't live in an RV for your entire life" "What are you going to do when it needs repairs" and everything you'd expect. I know for a fact I can make enough to sustain my life in an RV between ebay and other online work. I plan to spend a lot of time at a large state park, and I can alternate between sleeping there and a nearby walmart if need be. I can fill up on fresh and probably even dump my black there. It's a large park, with multiple sleeping spots that I can alternate between in order to avoid looking suspicious, and even if I am confronted, I don't think it'll be too big of a deal as I used to work there. This is something I've been thinking about for months and never have I felt like I had a clearer plan. Prior to this, the thought of slaving away to afford rent and all the rest made me miserable. I didn't bother thinking about the future because I felt trapped. All I need are the basic utilities an RV provides and internet access. While I'm making money on ebay/the internet, I plan to further develop my JAVA programming skills. I've made a couple of dead simple games for Android and would like to continue in that direction. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to establish a revenue stream through that, reducing the work I need to do sourcing inventory for ebay. I also have a blog on handheld video games, which has a patreon associatd with it, which brings $15/mo at the moment and will probably continue to grow, albeit slowly. Whenever I've had "real" jobs, I've been the mots miserable. I wasted money on things I didn't need to combat the dull grind and wasted my free time. Now that I've been working on means of self-employment, I value every dollar, and spend very little on things that aren't absolutely necessary.

My computer was blocked from the router today so I'm typing this from the family Nintendo Wii. I feel like I'm being strongarmed into giving this goal up because they see it as ME giving up but that couldn't be further from the truth. If I had 30k in the bank I'd still choose this route. I just wish I'd known it was an option sooner. /rant

 

[One Awesome Inch]

You know what? You are 24 years old and to me that makes you a man. A man capable of making his own choices. Yes 24 is on the young side, but you are not 15. You've worked the 'grind' jobs to know they suck and they are not the path you choose. Its your life and your set of choices to make. Another perspective is that since you are young, if you proceed this way and everything goes to the crapper, as your father implies it will, you can always just start over again having gained some invaluable wisdom in the process. Many of life's lessons cannot be taught, they have to be experienced for oneself.

Now personally, I would go Class B rather than Class C (cheaper on gas, less conspicuous) but thats just my opinion. The only thing that I would strongly suggest is to invest in some sort of education or trade that you can always rely on. Once you have that knowledge, such as a skilled trade (mechanic, electrician, machinist) nobody can take that away from you. You can either build upon it and pursue it wholly or just fallback on it if your internet business style plans fall thru. Personally, I would not choose to plan 100% of my income off internet based revenue for the rest of my life. Having some sort of recognized credentials such as a skilled trade, accountant etc would give you more peace of mind.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your dreams. Think things thru and make a plan to move out of your parents house and onto the path of your choosing. If you think things thru carefully and thoroughly you will be successful.

 

[jimindenver]

Sounds like the beginnings of a plan. Living in a RV can be great but go in blind or unprepared and it will suck. You need to do research into RV's, their cost and up keep plus a realistic budget to support the life style. You may not want to see it but there is a lot of brutal downsides and cost both here and on RV forums. The first thing is it's not cheap, second is class C's don't get 15 MPG, third is they break down, just plan on it. Once you have an answer to all of the what if questions, you are ready to go.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Another thing is that you need to have $2000 to $3000 minimum saved up that you dont ever touch as emergency funds. If your van/rv gets stolen, crashed, fire you are screwed without emergency money. That money brings peace of mind because no matter what may happen, you are prepared.

 

[K1ngN0thing]

Sounds like the beginnings of a plan. Living in a RV can be great but go in blind or unprepared and it will suck. You need to do research into RV's, their cost and up keep plus a realistic budget to support the life style. You may not want to see it but there is a lot of brutal downsides and cost both here and on RV forums. The first thing is it's not cheap, second is class C's don't get 15 MPG, third is they break down, just plan on it. Once you have an answer to all of the what if questions, you are ready to go.

This particular C has had most of its guts replaced. It's got a new engine with 2K miles on it so that's probably why it gets what it does. It's a 22 footer, and has a more aerodynamic form factor that most Cs. Seller says he's put around 10k into restoring it but has grown tired of the project. Says it's mechanically sound and all it needs are some inconsequential things like light fixtures. I'd post the name but I'm afraid someone might snatch it up before I do xD.

If it breaks down, I have AAA and can be towed home, which won't be far (gonna stick close for the time being, learning to fly and all). Solar panels will take care of most of my energy requirements. Propane should last a while as I only plan to use it for the stove/oven. Heat will be an electric space heater. I drink nothing but water 90% of the time, which is free. I'm not too worried about expenses. $500/mo seems like a reasonable estimate which I'm confident I can make, and while I don't have 2k in cash reserves, I do have around $1500 worth of inventory. I'm not at the ideal starting situation, but I really don't have a choice seeing as my car's junk. I can't afford to put money into it and I have no intention of buying another one only to sell it later for an RV. Might as well do it now and take the challenges as they come.

 

[Chancebond]

Ah, I see my age is mentioned in there!

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Quote from above (You know what? You are 24 years old and to me that makes you a man.)
True words. Sink or swim it's time to leave the nest. I will speak up for your parents though.
You need to be grateful they care and want you to be successful and safe. I'm grateful to the people in my life that are worried about me and I'm 61 years old. This is a hard concept for most people, living minimally and in our society and you, we, pretty much look like failures. Figure out how to make your plans and make it so.

 

[rvwandering]

I don't want to quash your dreams but the fact that you wrote "I'm about to be 24, still living at home" leads me to believe that you have never been out on your own, taking responsibility for your own expenses, so I can understand your parent's concern. You'll have a much better chance of succeeding if you build up a reserve fund. My advice is buy the RV and use it as your daily driver. It's small enough for that. Stay at home as you fix it to suit you. If possible live in it in your parent's driveway. Do not use anything from the house. This will give you a good idea of expenses and what it takes to actually live in a RV. For instance you will not be able to use an electric space heater if you're using solar as your only source of electricity.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Patrick46]

Well, (in MY opinion), I'd suggest that you fix the car.

a.) you'll have a decent running reliable vehicle

b.) you can sell it for ALOT more than if it's broke down and not running properly. ($$$ towards your van/RV)


and for a reality check...older motorhomes will NOT get 15mpg's! I've been around them for a long tyme and have yet to see one...ever!
A newer one with an aerodynamic shape and FI may get near that, but that's nothing your bank account can handle.

oh, and on the bank account...forget about getting a loan for this.
A banker will want a proven source of income, some sort of collateral, and maybe even a co-signer (seeing that you probably do not have a credit history.)

Sorry brother...just the truth of it. (I'm not one to feed you BS)

I'd say fix the car, save money in the meantime, and once the car is squared away, then sell it and use the money to buy a van (for cash). You'll have fun fixing it up to what you want, you'll have something you can drive everyday without hassle, and you'll be money ahead. (sorry, but class B's are too spendy as well.)

I'd also suggest getting a part tyme job of some sort. You need to show yourself and others that you can handle responsibilities. (think outside the box...it doesn't have to be Mc D's)

 

[jimindenver]

This particular C has had most of its guts replaced. It's got a new engine with 2K miles on it so that's probably why it gets what it does. It's a 22 footer, and has a more aerodynamic form factor that most Cs. Seller says he's put around 10k into restoring it but has grown tired of the project. Says it's mechanically sound and all it needs are some inconsequential things like light fixtures. I'd post the name but I'm afraid someone might snatch it up before I do xD.

If it breaks down, I have AAA and can be towed home, which won't be far (gonna stick close for the time being, learning to fly and all). Solar panels will take care of most of my energy requirements. Propane should last a while as I only plan to use it for the stove/oven. Heat will be an electric space heater. I drink nothing but water 90% of the time, which is free. I'm not too worried about expenses. $500/mo seems like a reasonable estimate which I'm confident I can make, and while I don't have 2k in cash reserves, I do have around $1500 worth of inventory. I'm not at the ideal starting situation, but I really don't have a choice seeing as my car's junk. I can't afford to put money into it and I have no intention of buying another one only to sell it later for an RV. Might as well do it now and take the challenges as they come.

What is wrong with the car if I may ask?

It seems that if the RV broke down, you could get it towed back home and be in the same situation as you are now. You have $1500 in inventory but you need much of what it sells for to purchase new inventory to sell. Solar is neat when the sun shines but to have a big enough system can be pricy. 200w is a starting point along with 200 Ah of battery and that's good for the RV's needs and some play if you are lucky. certainly nothing like a space heater. Even if you did have the panel and batteries, the inverter big enough cost the bucks. So now you need to know the workings of a RV and understand solar.

How much do you currently pay for at home? Rent, food, utilities, insurance, AAA, gas money all has to be accounted for.  Blow a tire and you sit if you can't get another so you had better make sure the AAA is the type that handles RV's. Ours runs $250 a year.  You might want to check on any limitations in the state park and that parking at your Walmarts is allowed, water is free most of the time but dumping can cost you money.

Now you may feel like this will be freeing and in some senses it will be, well until you find out nothing takes the shine off like being poor.  Wait until you need to chose between buying gas or food and always scrambling to just survive. I know, I've been self employed most of my life and have been there many times. I started this company and held a full time job until it was proven to support us. Even then it we were not doing "well" for at least 5 maybe 10 years. We keep a fair amount of money set aside for those times and weigh every purchase carefully. We know that even after 30 years, it could easily fall apart tomorrow.

I'm not trying to pop your balloon, just get you to see things from all sides. It's how an adult does things in life before they take action unless forced to. I would have loved it if someone had sat me down in the beginning and said now look, this is what your are going to be dealing with and how to fix it. My folks tried but you know how that is right, the thing is all these years later I see that they were right all along.

In the end at 24 you are not learning to fly, you have been flying with a safety net. Get yourself set up to live like you don't have it before you leave and the likelihood that you will be back there will be greatly reduced. It will take more planning, saving and what not, but it will be worth the effort in the long run.

 

[msbarth]

I have a 27' motorhome and believe me it does not get 15 MPG, in reality it gets 7 MPG.  No one is trying to get you to give up on your dream, we are just trying to get you better prepared so that your dream will not become a nightmare.

If you are not able to connect to electricity to use your space heater then you will need to use the propane heater.  It costs about 50 dollars to fill my propane tank and it will need to be refilled about every 3/4 days if it is cold. 

 

[K1ngN0thing]

I don't want to quash your dreams but the fact that you wrote "I'm about to be 24, still living at home" leads me to believe that you have never been out on your own, taking responsibility for your own expenses, so I can understand your parent's concern. You'll have a much better chance of succeeding if you build up a reserve fund. My advice is buy the RV and use it as your daily driver. It's small enough for that. Stay at home as you fix it to suit you. If possible live in it in your parent's driveway. Do not use anything from the house. This will give you a good idea of expenses and what it takes to actually live in a RV. For instance you will not be able to use an electric space heater if you're using solar as your only source of electricity.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

I was planning to use it as my daily while I fixed it up at home, but my parents didn't like that idea for whatever reason, even though it's no different than getting my car fixed and staying here for the time being. As I said, they're just trying to stop me. Maybe I'll run the idea of living in the driveway by them.

Well, (in MY opinion), I'd suggest that you fix the car.

a.) you'll have a decent running reliable vehicle

b.) you can sell it for ALOT more than if it's broke down and not running properly. ($$$ towards your van/RV)


and for a reality check...older motorhomes will NOT get 15mpg's! I've been around them for a long tyme and have yet to see one...ever!
A newer one with an aerodynamic shape and FI may get near that, but that's nothing your bank account can handle.

oh, and on the bank account...forget about getting a loan for this.
A banker will want a proven source of income, some sort of collateral, and maybe even a co-signer (seeing that you probably do not have a credit history.)

Sorry brother...just the truth of it. (I'm not one to feed you BS)

I'd say fix the car, save money in the meantime, and once the car is squared away, then sell it and use the money to buy a van (for cash). You'll have fun fixing it up to what you want, you'll have something you can drive everyday without hassle, and you'll be money ahead. (sorry, but class B's are too spendy as well.)

I'd also suggest getting a part tyme job of some sort. You need to show yourself and others that you can handle responsibilities. (think outside the box...it doesn't have to be Mc D's)

I don't think this engine is from 1983, so I don't understand why a more modern engine wouldn't get more mileage. http://www.rvt.com/Winnebago-Warrior--1983-Branford-CT-ID6007271-UX158972 tell me what you think. The problem with fixing up the car is I have no way of knowing what that's going to cost until I pay to have it looked at. It could cost me half of my reserves, and then I might barely make that back. The car originally belonged to our neighbor, who gave it to my dad once they got a new car, and now my dad's given it to me because it was having problems and wasn't reliable. Since I've owned it, it's broken down twice. I don't see how it's worth it to keep putting money into it.

I'm not interested in living in a van. I want to be able to stand up and take a shower. A van would be temporary, and a waste of money in my opinion.

What is wrong with the car if I may ask?

It seems that if the RV broke down, you could get it towed back home and be in the same situation as you are now. You have $1500 in inventory but you need much of what it sells for to purchase new inventory to sell. Solar is neat when the sun shines but to have a big enough system can be pricy. 200w is a starting point along with 200 Ah of battery and that's good for the RV's needs and some play if you are lucky. certainly nothing like a space heater. Even if you did have the panel and batteries, the inverter big enough cost the bucks. So now you need to know the workings of a RV and understand solar.

How much do you currently pay for at home? Rent, food, utilities, insurance, AAA, gas money all has to be accounted for.  Blow a tire and you sit if you can't get another so you had better make sure the AAA is the type that handles RV's. Ours runs $250 a year.  You might want to check on any limitations in the state park and that parking at your Walmarts is allowed, water is free most of the time but dumping can cost you money.

Now you may feel like this will be freeing and in some senses it will be, well until you find out nothing takes the shine off like being poor.  Wait until you need to chose between buying gas or food and always scrambling to just survive. I know, I've been self employed most of my life and have been there many times. I started this company and held a full time job until it was proven to support us. Even then it we were not doing "well" for at least 5 maybe 10 years. We keep a fair amount of money set aside for those times and weigh every purchase carefully. We know that even after 30 years, it could easily fall apart tomorrow.

I'm not trying to pop your balloon, just get you to see things from all sides. It's how an adult does things in life before they take action unless forced to. I would have loved it if someone had sat me down in the beginning and said now look, this is what your are going to be dealing with and how to fix it. My folks tried but you know how that is right, the thing is all these years later I see that they were right all along.

In the end at 24 you are not learning to fly, you have been flying with a safety net. Get yourself set up to live like you don't have it before you leave and the likelihood that you will be back there will be greatly reduced. It will take more planning, saving and what not, but it will be worth the effort in the long run.

There's no spark. The day it broke down, while I was on my way into the city, it lost power while I was driving it, which means no steering. When my dad still owned it, that happened to him on the highway. The problem with waiting is I don't want to sit here for another year. There are no class Bs on the market in my area, and this is the only C that gets comparable mpg. The ad's only been posted for a month and I'm afraid I'll miss my chance, if I haven't already.

I have a 27' motorhome and believe me it does not get 15 MPG, in reality it gets 7 MPG.  No one is trying to get you to give up on your dream, we are just trying to get you better prepared so that your dream will not become a nightmare.

If you are not able to connect to electricity to use your space heater then you will need to use the propane heater.  It costs about 50 dollars to fill my propane tank and it will need to be refilled about every 3/4 days if it is cold. 

This is a 22 ft with a Jasper engine. http://www.rvt.com/Winnebago-Warrior--1983-Branford-CT-ID6007271-UX158972
As for the space heater, it looks like I won't need it as it's been outfitted for a furnace. And if it did come down to needing to use propane, I wouldn't be using a full tank in 3/4 days. I'd rather bundle up in a thermal sleeping bag.

 

[BC Guy]

I do have around $1500 worth of inventory.

I have no idea what most of the stuff you have listed is worth, but I know that the 3 old keyboards that you have listed at $30, $70 and $90 are grossly overpriced.  I can find them at local swapmeets for a buck or two.

 

[K1ngN0thing]

I have no idea what most of the stuff you have listed is worth, but I know that the 3 old keyboards that you have listed at $30, $70 and $90 are grossly overpriced.  I can find them at local swapmeets for a buck or two.

Maybe slightly overpriced, but that's because I prefer to start a little high then drop down as needed, but they're certainly not GROSSLY overpriced. I price by what they sell for, and I've sold some for 40, 60, 90, and $130, and I only paid $5 for each. All but a few of these keyboards use mechanical switches and therefore command high prices. If the ones you've seen for a buck or two are indeed mechanical, then I recommend you buy them all.

 

[K1ngN0thing]

The grind of a "real job" does have it's good side, steady income, ability to get a loan if you haven't saved the cash for a purchase (RV?), paying in to Social Security.

I have reached the age of starting to receive SS Retirement (next month 1st check). Several of my friends have started in the last few months as well. However I have a friend a very few years younger who is on very shaky financial footing and has never to my knowledge had a "real job" and will be getting little if any retirement of any kind. If you decide to avoid "real jobs" be sure to start a "real" independent retirement plan. My friend will never be able to stop working to meet his obligations.

I agree with Patrick46 and would recommend fixing the car. I would further recommend that YOU fix the car rather than take it somewhere to find out what is wrong and put yourself at their mercy. At least give it a try, get some tools, read some books, get a manual, join a forum specific to your car model for advice. You will find that getting an RV repaired is even more expensive that a car and a trip to the shop can devour several months of your $500 monthly budget easily. The added security and peace of mind of being able to make repairs is a bonus.

If I was doing it over I would think of taking a welding course in a vocational school and work towards getting industrial certifications. There is a whole community of traveling industrial workers that work when they want and make good money. I did this as an electrician/instrumentation tech/pipe fitter and for the most part enjoyed the people, work and freedom.

Guy

Electrical problems are a pain in the ass to diagnose. I know virtually nothing about cars and the only way for me to rule out possibilities would be to replace parts. Maybe I'll take it to the local shop where I can probably get a reasonable deal on a diag. I'm sure an RV is more expensive, but it's also got more room under the hood to worth with. This car's a Hyundai and everything's on top of everything else. I'm more comfortable using forums/youtube to work on an RV myself than this car. And as I said, I don't think that'll be a problem for the time being as a large portion of its guts have been replaced, and the engine is still under warranty.

 

[minimotos95]

Maybe I'll run the idea of living in the driveway by them.

That's my setup right now, mooching use of the bathroom, kitchen, and one outlet for grid power. I'm still working on my van, and I have to get the rest of my crap out of their garage but the driveway is a great way to ease into it.

I'd rather bundle up in a thermal sleeping bag.

Layering warm clothes and sleeping in a sleeping bag will get you through most weather seen in the lower 48 even MT-ND-MN winters can be survivable without heat, not pleasant but survivable. I paid to heat my van(a small van I might add) with propane for a week and learned it's not efficient and isn't worth it in temps above zero.

 

[gramakittycat]

These folks are giving you good advice.My son bought (no help from anyone) when he was 14 his first car and he learned how to work on it .By the time he was 17 he was fixing my cars and his friends cars and always would have his head under the hood when anyone was working on a vehicle.I have encouraged my kids when they bought a vehicle to buy a Chilton manual in fact I just bought one for my van.Reason ... after my last trip check engine light came on. The shop told me it needed sparkplugs and new sp wires.Price I was quoted for parts and labor Over $450.00 (I drive an '03 minivan 6 cylinder) ! I said thank you very much went to the nearest Auto zone Plugs and wires $75.00 .I paid $60.00 and a 6-pack to have the plugs and wires replaced.

 

[SternWake]

For your Hyundai, join a Hyundai forum. Usually these specialty forums have a member or 2 who know every single aspect to their vehicle and many years surrounding them, and love the detective work of diagnosis, and if it is a symptom they have dealt with before,

Well, nothing beats experience.

Getting the wise to share their experiences should be taught to the young.

Too bad many of the young seem to think they already know everything, and are combative to good advice.

An engine warranty does not mean much at all. You will find that it only covers the actual engine and internals. Say the water pump goes out. Not covered. A 35$ part requiring 700$ of labor to replace. Say 10K miles later and the timing chain starts slapping the cover, Off comes the water pump again, and the timing chain. The warranty provider says the timing chain is faulty and that recompense is the duty of the timing chain manufacturer. Timing chain manufacturer says prove it, gets a lawyer. A 55$ part, 1000$ of labor, which likely comes out of your pocket in the end. You will have made enemies of the warranty provider, they will slap it back together as quickly as possible and send you on your way, without telling you your newish 35$ water pump was already leaking, because most all Autoparts sold today are overseas junk built to fail. 2 months later, you need another water pump, or fail to noitice the leak, overheat the engine, and crack the block or heads.

Warranty coverage? Good luck with that. There are a million different ways to deny warranty coverage, and these places know them all.

Usually vehicles fall apart around a well maintained engine. If the engine was replaced/rebuilt, likely the rest of the vehicle is ready to nickle and dime one to death. The owner has realized this and decides to make it someone else's problem, and out comes the 'for sale' sign. if the engine failed early, that says a lot about the maintenance on the rest of the vehicle. It is so easy and inexpensive to change the oil regularly, and simple engine oil changes will get most any engine easily to 200K miles.

A prematurely replaced engine speaks volumes. It does not mean that it is an ignorable factor.

 

[jimindenver]

So you plan on using the RV dry in cold weather then? With no heat the water system will freeze up and bust even on a four season RV. You will have to winterize every time it gets cold, then flush it out when it warms up to use it. Also, as a daily driver, that thing is going to suck the gas pump dry and you with it. It'll be cheaper fixing the car and driving it than feeding that pig.

Now then as for old RV's. A lot has been done to it but $7500 is a lot for that age of RV. You can pick up class C's from that era fairly inexpensively and the difference in price is going to buy a lot of gas. One may be of a price that you can save up and pay cash for. Even then one of the reasons your folks may be against it is having a RV in front of the house or in the drive way can be a eye sore.

 

[K1ngN0thing]

So you plan on using the RV dry in cold weather then? With no heat the water system will freeze up and bust even on a four season RV. You will have to winterize every time it gets cold, then flush it out when it warms up to use it. Also, as a daily driver, that thing is going to suck the gas pump dry and you with it. It'll be cheaper fixing the car and driving it than feeding that pig.

Now then as for old RV's. A lot has been done to it but $7500 is a lot for that age of RV. You can pick up class C's from that era fairly inexpensively and the difference in price is going to buy a lot of gas. One may be of a price that you can save up and pay cash for. Even then one of the reasons your folks may be against it is having a RV in front of the house or in the drive way can be a eye sore.

It'll buy a lot of gas but increase monthly expenses. Even when my car was running I wasn't using it more than twice a week, and I don't expect I'd be driving the RV daily. As for the winterizing, what about heat tape?