Swankie was absent, but is ALIVE!

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swankiewheels

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MODIFIED VANDWELLING
Warning, long post!

I am selling (OR raffleing off?) my van... my SwankieWheels (as seen in Oscar-winning movie Nomadland). I am "up-sizing!"

It's a blessing and a curse. I feel like I am betraying "vandwellers!" I feel almost ashamed and embarrassed to upsize! So I have been holding off with a public announcement.
Also, I had wanted to surprise my son in April 2023 by pulling into his baseball diamond (YES he bought a house in CA with a freaking baseball diamond) and just sitting quietly inside my new home, out in left field, until they came to kick me off their property. But I could not contain my joy any longer so I told them!

Like I said, I was also waiting to go public with my upgrade because I felt like a traitor to the vandwelling community, to be giving up "van dwelling." I fell guilty, like I am bailing out by "up-sizing!" I surely hope no one feels that way about me.
So, here is the rest of the story.

Last spring, while I was breaking camp on BLM and also helping my best friend pack up and move to Yuma, I had a serious medical scare. Before I got done with those tasks, I became unable to walk. For 14 years, I carried a pair of crutches around and never needed them. Suddenly, I could not walk!?

A few weeks earlier I had donated my unneeded crutches from 2005 knee surgeries to a local thrift store. Wouldn't you know... then I would need them myself. So, I hobbled to van and drove back to the thrift store, honked my horn and asked to buy back my crutches, while sitting in the van. I struggled on crutches to finish loading up my camp, and my friend hired a couple guys to load his U-Haul... and we caravanned off to Yuma.

He is no longer able to do much for himself, due to medical problems and I was in no condition to help much but a vandwelling couple we knew came over to unpack him and organize his place. I just sat on the shaded patio and listed things for sale online and collected money. After 3 days, we all felt we were leaving him in good condition... where he could manage his own life in spite of his limitations.

My plan at that point, was to continue to Colorado for a second shoulder replacement surgery… I could no longer lift my left arm to shoulder height. I was worried about that and worried about a fast-moving wildfires in New Mexico that I might have to drive through or detour around. I was worried about my hips and the threatened loss of nomadic living freedom. I was stressing out!

What was I to do if I could no longer walk? Where would I live? How would I cope with being forced off the road like my friend and so many others? But how could I ever set up my complex camp (shade tarps, outdoor carpets, a work bench, etc.) again? I knew I could not happily or safely deal with any of that, and felt surely I would loose my mind.
But one step at a time.

I managed to get past the New Mexico wildfire and was relieved beyond words to finally arrive in Colorado Springs (where my shoulder surgeon is located) but exhausted and still fretting over all those unanswered questions. So, I just got a hot meal and parked in a safe place I knew about... and crashed for five hours.

When I woke... I drove straight to Urgent Care. I walked in on crutches, even though my hips seemed better (?). After discussing the situation with doctor and marveling how much better my hips felt... I asked if STRESS could trigger such severe inflammatory response in the body? I was looking at the crutches curiously wondering why I was even using them now. It was as if the pain and inflammation was just melting away right before our eyes. The doctor said absolutely, stress could do that! I walked out of Urgent Care hardly using the crutches... feeling totally shocked at the physical improvement/changes in my body in just 24 hrs.

I drove on to my friends' home and got trailer and van parked. Made an appointment to see my surgeon who concluded I did need the other shoulder replaced. Got that scheduled and lined up my local support system to assist (I would not even be able to pull up my own britches!). Also saw a hip specialist in same orthopedic office who x rayed my hips, saw no major problems, and said I had good space left in the joints and with modification in my lifestyle, I could avoid having to have them replaced also. Good news. New good word…. MODIFCATION! (Now crossing long-distance backpacking goals off my bucket list!)

But still that unanswered question haunted me... what would I do if I could not remain free and nomadic, if I could no longer walk? It was an overwhelmingly alarming thought, for which I had no answer.

Last year I was wondering if I had enough movie money to buy a toy hauler, but Covid was driving prices out of sight. My research found a toy hauler brand (ATC) that was all aluminum... no wood to rot or mold and no materials to off-gas. Wow, with all my chemical sensitivities, how perfect would that be? (to be continued)
 

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(continued from above!)

I found a guy (Boondoctor.com) who lived in the Quartzsite area and specialized in tricking out these toy haulers for off grid living. He was having an ATC Gathering (Jan 2022) at his ranch. He invited me to attend and to show the Nomadland movie to the group.

I had a chance to see his ATC and those of other attendees. How perfect would that be? So, what if I could no longer walk... I could just ride my ATV or scooter right up the ramp and into my living room. And I would no longer have to set up outdoor furniture and workspaces or have to deal with weather issues interrupting my projects.

Having a toy hauler like that would solve so many problems. One issue vandwellers have is not being allowed to sleep in "homemade" campers. Another issue is many RV parks will not accept older rigs (15-year-old rigs are often rejected). These ATCs are so timeless looking, even if over 15 years old, they do not look it! Design stays pretty much the same.

So, I spent most of last Spring looking at them online, pricing them from the factory, only to learn prices were skyrocketing, almost doubling and new orders from the factory were being back-ordered many months. In addition, Quality Control was slipping, and many new customers had complaints. They have since laid off one hundred people due to drop in sales. I concluded I would have to table the idea or just forget that dream altogether. I felt frustrated.

So... I settled in and lined things up for my surgery... I decided I would have to single-task from now on! Surgery was next... then figure out the rest... the next step!

One of the issues with a new ATCs from the factory is they are not really tricked out for boondocking off grid and only have 100-200 watts of solar. Boondoctor.com puts a value of $25,000 for his off grid solar system installs. That added to the almost doubled price of the trailer... put them out of my reach. So, I just figured it was a dream that could not become a reality at this time.

No sooner did I get my surgery scheduled and everything lined up, did Boondoctor John post his personal 4 year old ATC for sale - already tricked out for off-grid boondocking (over 1600 watts of solar and batteries that will outlive me!). Also, it is four years old… so built pre-Covid while Quality Control was still higher at ATC. And John had already fixed all other minor issues. He was upgrading to a larger 5th wheel ATC. When I called on phone, John began giving me a sales pitch… but I interrupted him saying it was not necessary, I was already sold… I did not give it a second thought... I just bought it!

They set it up for me on their ranch in Arizona and I was welcome to remain on the property as long as necessary. All the power I needed to run air conditioners in hot desert sun, during 100f+ temps, water, dump station. Staying on their ranch was security for them as well, as they were leaving for a couple of months.

But, I had to wait for surgeon to release me before I could return to AZ and sellers left a week before I got there. But it has worked well. John and his wife returned and showed me all the ropes. I now have everything moved in that I plan to keep. The rest of my stuff is in my old cargo trailer, and I will donate it all to other vandwellers during the RTR (Rubber Tramp Rendezvous) in January.

I will be selling/raffleing? my van (featured in the movie, so maybe I can get more than market value for it???) (3/4-ton truck). It is ready to go... year old battery bank, 720 watts of solar, large inverter, refridge and freezer, microwave, and the bed is made. Tuned up last week. Toss your stuff in and drive on down the road. I will be buying a 1-ton crew cab diesel pickup needed to tow this beast as soon as I can find one, hopefully by January.

So... this is now my forever home... I am never moving out! I will remain nomadic as long as I can drive... and when I must park, the new trailer will be acceptable anywhere. And most likely I can get friends to move it seasonally if I can't.

There are no more limitations! I can go wherever I choose for as long as I am able to drive. If I can no longer walk, I can just ride my "toy" up the ramp and park in my living room. LOL

I love moving something into a space, knowing I don't have to move it again. And I have room to spread out my genealogy and get it all finished. Yippy. I am a happy camper.

My old rig was named “SwankieWheels!” So, may I introduce you to “SwankieR Wheels!” (I am not bailing out... Swankie will always be a vandweller at heart.)

Never give up, just modify!
Swankie, the "modified vandweller"
 
Well Swankie! You are an inspiration. Im still in my sticks n bricks but its getting closer. Im almost 72 so I have some limitations but most of my parts still work. I was hoping to make my first RTR in January but I don't think my rig will be ready. I want a schoolie. Long story. But Im working on it. I'll see you down the road.
 
Charlene! You won't remember me (we've never met in person), but I remember your early journeys. The last email I got from you was in 2014, probably sent through a Vandwellers spin-off group list. I can't believe you still have Swankie Wheels. (I still have my '96 Express., Moby.)

It sounds like a toy hauler is a perfect solution for the next phase of your inspiring life. I am very excited for you! Just wish you'd had the fortitude (LOL) to wait and sneak up on your son as you imagined doing. That would have been so freakin' funny!
 
Hi Nomadland Movie Fans.

20210130_142329.jpg

SWANKIEWHEELS is For Sale!

SwankieWheels, as seen in Nomadland, is for sale. This is a piece of movie history, featured in the 3-time Academy Award winning movie, Nomadland, it is ready for the road with solar system in place and everything needed for nomad life.

SwankieWheels is a 2006 Chevy Express 2500 cargo van, extended, with just over 162,000 miles. Runs great. Cargo trailer was heavily loaded but van did not even know if was back there. Swankie bought it in 2004 with 2,400 miles on it and has driven it to all 48 states since, kayaking each state along the way. She has driven it places a 2-wheel drive van should not go!

Swankie built out the van herself, including all the wiring. Swankie Wheels was first written up on Bob Wells’ CheapRVLiving… in March 2014 (An Inspiring Vandweller: Charlene’s Story) (https://cheaprvliving.com/kb/inspiring-vandweller-charlenes-story/). In 2017, Jessica Bruder featured Swankie in her Book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.

In 2020, it appeared in the 3-time Oscar-winning movie, Nomadland, with a major scene between Swankie and Fern (Frances McDormand) being filmed inside this van, where Swankie tells Fern she is dying.
20210130_141948.jpg20210130_142027.jpg
Writer Angela Hermann summarizes this history in Dec 2021 in Talking with Charlene Swankie who appears beside
Frances McDormand in the film “Nomadland.” (https://nuvo.newsnirvana.com/arts/t...cle_67d117a4-81a6-11eb-80a8-3b8110786b7a.html ). (Well, Swankie didn’t see that one coming…. she didn’t even know who Frances was… had never heard her name until the day they began shooting together!)

Due to a need for more indoor workspace, Swankie has up sized to a larger rig and is making SwankieWheels available to the next loving owner, or movie memorabilia fan.

The van: 2006 Chevy Express 2500 Cargo Van, extended, 162,000 miles, 2-wheel drive, gasoline, two air conditioners. Additions: Roof Rack, Front Spare Tire Mount, 6 new tires 2022, trailer hitch.

Vandwelling modifications: Solar power system, Freezer, Refrigerator, Microwave, twin bed/mattress, wheel-well storage boxes, several plastic cabinets, FanTastic Vent fan with remote control and rain sensor, walls & ceiling insulated and paneled. 10-gal black water tank-plumbing incomplete.

Starting bid is $25K. Would consider trade for good 3500/350 diesel pickup crew cab. Details on trailer provided on request.

Email swankiecharlene at gmail dot com for full description of all features, upgrades, and maintenance records.

Please share. Thank you,
Swankie
 
Happy to hear this worked out so well Swankie. I hope this also takes away some stress and helps keep you stay in comfortable working physical condition for longer. I've always fantasized about parking the van and opening the rear doors and driving out the back on a motorcycle or ATV.
 
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