Thought I'd say howdy...

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Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
13
Reaction score
11
Location
Oklahoma
Howdy folks! ...There, I did it!

Thought I'd put a few words together to introduce myself. I've registered here and sometimes go by DeeCeeDoc, but in real life, I'm a David and definitely not a "Doc". (Confused yet? ...long story)

Anyway, I ran across some of Bob's material three or so years ago and was fascinated with the idea of traveling and/or living in a van. Looking forward toward my retirement days, I kind of set the idea aside with a mental bookmark at that time.

Now, with slightly over a year of retirement under my belt and wondering what I might "do" going forward, it recently dawned on me again that maybe I should at least give this a try... hopefully make some new friends, travel the country some and see the sights. In an earlier part of life, I traveled for several years as a sales representative and never really took the time to do much much of anything but work. If nothing else, I want a decent rig that will allow me to do the same again, but at a healthy, more relaxed and enjoyable pace.

Personally, I think it won't be much of a leap on my part once I'm able to get started. I'm a genuine minimalist at heart (always looking to get rid of something I don't need or use often) and have for the last three years have been living in a small 200 square foot "cabin" structure. The entire interior I've "built out" and it has pretty much everything a person can need and pack into a 200 sq. foot space. Other than a couple of small exceptions, all built entirely from scratch by myself using common lumber and materials, in a very rustic theme. I call it my "Retirement Man-Cave".

I'd like to be able to say that I'm ready to get on the road, but the minivan I already own has a mystery issue of some sort that seems to be unsolvable and that keeps me from getting started right away. Being on a fixed income these days, I don't want any added debt so I've started saving to pay cash for a different vehicle. Hopefully, I'll have something usable by early spring of next year.

I've already watched dozens upon dozens (upon dozens) of videos, read a ton of material, including Bob's book (as well as others) and have a nice "wish-list" of goodies that I'll need already pigeon holed at Amazon.

That's about it for now... hope I'll see y'all out there soon.   :D

-Doc-
 
Welcome to the CRVL forums Doc! Sounds like vandwelling will be a good fit for you - either part or full time. Keep us updated on your progress!

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.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.
 
Welcome to the forum, DeeCeeDoc! Hope you will enjoy this foray into the van dwelling life. You could start out right where you are and camp out in the minivan there in the driveway. Why wait for something better, you could be having fun right now.

I started out in a pickup which was not easy to live in but I had 4 wheel drive. I had camped in it for a month the longest I had lived outside in the past. I think my first campout was at wal mart, and most of my camps after that were in national forest. 

Eventually I upgraded to a used cargo van which I love the living set up. But there is no 4 wheel drive in it so I am more limited in where I can go. There are a few trade offs. Well good luck, and hope to see you on the road.  -crofter
 
crofter said:
Welcome to the forum, DeeCeeDoc! Hope you will enjoy this foray into the van dwelling life. You could start out right where you are and camp out in the minivan there in the driveway. Why wait for something better, you could be having fun right now.

Howdy crofter and thanks for the welcome and input!
Heh.. I already live in a fairly rural area here in N.E. Oklahoma, up on a ridge or hilltop with a great view and a mile of gravel between the cabin and highway. Since you mentioned it though, in colder weather and especially on those with some sun shining, I already enjoy going out and spending hours in the van, reading and watching nature, enjoying the warmth provided by the sun.  :) 

Unfortunately, I still have a few more things to gather up before doing much in the way of cold weather camping (propane stove and good sleeping bag primarily), but since I live in an area surrounding a nice sized lake, there are plenty of (paid) camping options all around me. At any rate, it's the "traveling and seeing" part of van life that I most look forward to, with the camping just an added bonus while making it all affordable.

Thanks again,
-Doc-

p.s. - I've added a pic showing a view from my little front porch
 

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Nice view, and welcome. I second crofter's idea, just because you learn your way around and tackle things before you're on the road. See ya out there!
 
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