The name says it all!

[MarkWith2Dogs]

Hi all! Glad I found this place. I, Hailee, and Winnie (the two dogs) will be hitting the road within a month. I had been planning on doing this for a while, but life has intruded and forced me into becoming a nomad sooner rather than later. I don't even have a van yet and will be limited to a total of $1500 getting started. Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated! We plan on heading to warmer climes right away (currently in Chattanooga) as a heater won't fit into my limited budget. Hoping to spend no more than $1000 - $1200 on the van so we will have a few dollars to do some basic outfitting. I'm currently bingeing on youtube for advice.

I'm actually looking forward to this life change and hope to make lots of new friends! Feel free to drop us a line!

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Mark, Hailee, and Winnie to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[AMGS3]

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum (Hi to your puppers, too!). So what kind of vehicle do you have now? And what size of dogs do you have?

I ask because for many people starting off, though it may not seem ideal, they use or make-do with what they have until they can get something better. With you and two friends that would entirely depend on your sizes and wether you have a vehicle at all right now (your OP just indicated you did not have a van yet) and wether that vehicle could be made "comfortable enough" for sleeping (at least for now). And that's an entirely personal thing - Maybe you're a really tall person, or a person who can sleep anywhere... Anyway, I brought it up because sometimes people don't consider that as an option, starting out with the vehicle you have.

Again, welcome to the forum to the three of you.

~angie





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[MarkWith2Dogs]

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum (Hi to your puppers, too!). So what kind of vehicle do you have now? And what size of dogs do you have?

I ask because for many people starting off, though it may not seem ideal, they use or make-do with what they have until they can get something better. With you and two friends that would entirely depend on your sizes and wether you have a vehicle at all right now (your OP just indicated you did not have a van yet)  and wether that vehicle could be made "comfortable enough" for sleeping (at least for now). And that's an entirely personal thing - Maybe you're a really tall person, or a person who can sleep anywhere... Anyway, I brought it up because sometimes people don't consider that as an option, starting out with the vehicle you have.

Again, welcome to the forum to the three of you.

~angie





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Thanks, Angie! My pups are in the 50 lb range each and my car died several months ago, right after I became disabled. Life has been giving me the 'ol stinkeye lately, lol. My landlords starts eviction proceedings against me tomorrow, but my brother and his wife have scraped up $1500 for me to hit the road with. Sleeping in a car with the pups would be a challenge, to say the least, so I'm looking for a van.

Thanks again!

 

[AMGS3]

Best of luck to you, it took a while for my disability status to be approved, but not too long (about a year I guess). I remember I kept thinking 'too bad it didn't take this long for the actual disability (not just the paperwork)'.

Best of luck, keep your head up, things will get better.

~angie

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[Almost There]

Welcome to the forum!

I hope you can take this in the spirit in which it is intended! Hitting the road with a van that is that low priced could likely be a recipe for disaster.

Most vehicles in that price range require several thousand dollars in repairs almost immediately. This could leave you stuck in an unfamiliar place with no money for repairs and no support structure for you and the two dogs. We hear and see numerous heartbreaking stories of breakdowns with expensive repairs on here regularly.

PLEASE, Please do whatever you have to do to make sure that you and the 2 doggies have a plan that ensures all of your well being.

Suggestions: use the vehicle you've got until you can afford to buy better; find a driveway or a room (friend/craigslist etc) where you can live in your vehicle until you can save enough  money to handle emergencies. Work a second/third job or whatever it takes to have enough money before you leave town.

If there is only one video more that you watch make it this one:

 

[travelaround]

I came here looking for cute dog pictures. They are arguably one of the most popular things on the internet.

Welcome to the forum.

I hope you're considering the high cost of gas, especially with an old van.

Almost There just gave you some wise advice. Especially this: "find a driveway or a room (friend/craigslist etc) where you can live in your vehicle until you can save enough  money to handle emergencies" ... I agree. Adjust to the vehicle before driving it out of state, if you can.

Also, agree on Bob's "Don't Crash and Burn" video.