Still an amature

[mad*sparrow]

Hi! I'm so happy to find this forum! I've been considering slowing down for the last few years since the daily grind started affecting my health. I don't make a lot of money and the government keeps thinking that I have too much. What's the point of killing yourself working towards retirement when you realize that you aren't getting any closer financially?

Anyway, I've been looking to do a walkabout for years but didn't know how to get started. I've done my share of motorcycle camping with as little as a tarp and light sleeping bag. I used to sleep in the car when snow skiing. All have thier own adventure. I was even looking to travel to S. America on my small motorcycle until the drug crime/kidnapping got out of control.

So coming across this forum was a Godsend. I have an old pickup that is just begging for a campershell to stealth camp. My biggest worries have always been the extreme temperatures. I figured insulating the enclosure for cold weather would work but the heat still concerned me. With the things I've read here that doesn't seem as bad now. I'm looking for a campershell at the moment and it looks like I'll have to get a new one since I have the unusual nissan pickup with a 6 foot bed. I figure getting a Lee Anderson bed kit to be inexpensive enough to not try to make my own. Any thoughts on all of this is appreciated

I'm going to try to hold out as long as I can with my current job but expect in 6 months I'll be hitting the boondock trail looking for the adventure that comes with a broke wornout old sod as myself. There is still a lot of thr US that I haven't seen and friends are spread out all over the place.

I currently reside in OKC so if anyone wants a cup of coffee and share tall tales message me.

 

[HoboBerg]

Welcome to the forum Mad Sparrow! Sorry I have no advice about the camper shell, but I do have advice about camping in cold weather......turn the key&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />&nbsp;j/k

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Welcome. If it comes to a time that you quit your job, then move somewhere warmer <img src="/images/boards/smilies/idea.gif" alt="" align="absMiddle" border="0" />&nbsp;&nbsp; Where is OKC?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">Dragonfly</span></strong>

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Welcome aboard, MadSparrow!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>With all your experience, this should be a pretty smooth transition for U!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[Pikachu711]

Welcome to the group Mad*Sparrow! Hopefully your adventure will everything you expect when the time comes.

 

[stude53]

<span style="color: #008000;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Welcome, MadSparrow! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /></span></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #008000;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Bob</span></strong></span><br /><br />P.S.- take the time to review a lengthy construct by Johnny Canuck ... many good ideas!<br /><br /><a href="/post/Simple-Survival-Expedition-5172482?trail=15">https://vanlivingforum.com/post/Simple-Survival-Expedition-5172482?trail=15</a>

 

[Coffee Tim]

Hi and welcome MadSparrow, I'm Tim.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm in Benton County Arkansas and by OKC I think you mean Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.&nbsp; Would this be correct?

 

[mad*sparrow]

Hi everybody. Yes I'm in Oklahoma City. Thanks Bob for the link. Read through it to the end. Gave me more ideas then I could have imagined. Tim, I've been in your neck of the woods more times then I can count motorcycle camping or riding the twistys. Love that area.

 

[kycat1]

Welcome aboard Sparrow. I have drove thru OKC many times. (Truck Driver) <br />(retired) A lot go south in the cold weather, and north in warmer climes.&nbsp; Elevation can make a difference also.&nbsp; Lucky me, i can find warm or cool year round here in Oregon. Ya get set up, head out west.

 

[blkjak]

welcome .... blkjak

 

[Guest]

Welcome mad sparrow...glad you found us here. I am with those who suggest that your best adverse weather info will be...to turn the key and go where it is nice. <br /><br />After a lifetime of nomadic living, I find it hard to see why in the heck anyone would choose to live on wheels unless they were to use them to move the vehicle. <br /><br />Movement is the main advantage that vehicle living has.<br />You will hear folks on here living through the most horrendous weather in their rig. Totally puzzling to me.....I just don't get it. <br /> <br />My experience after spending a winter in Alaska in a converted bus, was to head down the Alcan in it to escape the cold weather, then back up in the spring to go to work. Some winters I would leave the bus there at my ex-wife's place in Haines and drive my van down or even take public transpo down and sleep on friends floors to escape it.<br /><br />I gave all the bad weather up and live in southern New Mexico now in a house and leave in my van for the northwest when it gets too hot here.&nbsp;<br /><br />At times it will get a little too cold here in winter so I head to Mexico in the van to stay warmer for a while...<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />If I didn't have this home here in my favorite town and state and was single, I know for a fact that I would take my van to Mexico in the winter and rent a small house or room until it warmed up in the states and then come up for the summer. <br /><br />A couple of years ago I was shown a small house in the town of Alamos in Sonora, MX that was $100 a month....A beautiful and serene little town.<br /><br />I digress....I am missing Mexico....<br /><br />Welcome again and I hope you get a cool topper. If it were me I think I would look for a light hardsided camper like a Six-Pac or something...maybe a FourWheel or All Terrain pop top.<br /><br />Peace,<br />Bri

 

[Journeyman]

Welcome. I used to live on Ann Arbor in OKC back in the early 80's. In FL for now.<br /><br />

 

[mad*sparrow]

Thanks bk2valve, atm I don't think I could afford a new one but I've got time to look for a used one. They are nice but I'm not sure how easy it would be to stealth camp with. I'll see what I can find b4 I commit to anything.

kycat, thanks for the welcome and Oregon has always been a place I've wanted to roam in. I suspect I'll do just that. I didn't know that the state has running hot and cold like AZ does Looking forward to it.

Hi Journeyman, I'm only about a mile away from Ann Arbor. I'm near the fairgrounds atm.

Thanks everyone for the welcome. Looking forward to finding the good temps before the summer hits here again next year.