Trying to decide

[Lostinspace]

High all. I live in NW Florida above Bonifay. Work in Tallahassee, rent a room from a couple.

In the past I've had a fiberglass trailor, Love Bug. We went all over the place in it. One time rented a full size MH. Took it to Key West to finish up an engineering job. Wife and daughter in it. I've had an '89 ford conversion van for many years, long since gone.

I'm 66 have SS coming in. And if I could sell the farm could pretty much buy whatever I wanted. But I'm thinking more of a high top van minimum. Possibly a box van, mini bus, or what have you. Then build it out like i want.

Wife has passed away some 5 years ago, so it's me and the dog. Have children in the Atlanta area, Columbia, SC and one in Monterey. All post college, married/divorced.

I'm mostly working because I don't have enough to really retire. Got laid off 4 years ago from engineering and have been working at 1/3 the salary I used to make for the last two years. I've been banking a lotl of it. So if I could sell the farm like I said above I could cut expenses in a major way and just travel.

I almost forgot, I ride bikes. Have a '06 Yamaha XT-225 dual sport, '06 Suzuki V-Strom road bike and a '89 Kawasoki KLX 500, the Baja type bike. So I will need a way to haul at least the 225 to ride. I have a trailor I could use for two of them. Just depends on what I would be doing. 4 years ago I went out to Silverton CO for a week, rode the high passes with a bunch of guys and gals. Then we all went over to Moab for another week and rode the 'red rock' desert trails. Liked the the Colorada high passes best. Lots of fun. It being BLM lands we did dry docking, I stayed with a buddy.

So I have pretty much gone through the site trying to narrow down what would suite me. I've been hanging out on all the Craig's lists for this area. A couple of hundred miles in any direction. I almost have decided on the minibus with a diesel hopefully. Or alternately a box van or cut away van also diesel. Used prices seem to run from 5k to 10k. More toward the higher end for diesel. Either of those I could build like I want.

So am I on the right track here? Any comments are welcome. I noticed one guy here is rebuilding a Toyota '70s mini or micro MH. Did he ever say why he went that way? Can't remember the name right now. Found it, Josephusminimus. Hope spelled that right. My iPad wouldn't let copy and paste it for some reason.

Thanks all, Wade

 

[Lostinspace]

Now that I'm registered I need to go back through and look at all jpg's I couldn't display because I wasn't registered.

Wade

 

[stude53]

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Welcome. Wade! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wave.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #008000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>You might try looking in local Government Surplus sites for a high van or mini-bus. In my area (NC) the best site is GovtDeals, that sells unneeded stuff from fire departments, local&nbsp;gov. agencies, schools, etc.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #008000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>I bought my current daily driver truck (88&nbsp;GMC pickup) with a rebuilt 350 engine for under $900,&nbsp;put new tires on it, and have used it for three years now, with a few repairs&nbsp;here and there. Mine belonged to a school district. I have also acquired some materials on GovtDeals to use inside a van, once I find the one I want.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #008000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #008000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Bob</strong></span>

 

[Guest]

Hi Wade...sounds like you are in the right place. Welcome from New Mexico. So sorry to hear of your loss of your partner....that is indeed a tough damn deal.<br /><br />Well guy, you have found a home with us here. Jack (josephusminimus will likely fill you in on his choice)...there is someone here with every cheaprvliving device you mentioned.<br /><br />I too ride and like to have something along with me when I am in the van. My lifeboat is a Honda CT110. The nice thing about the little guys is that you can carry them on a receiver hitch mounted bike rack. Your XT sounds perfect to me. In fact you have a nice stable of bikes...it would be nice to carry them all! LOL<br /><br />My friend Paul...who lives fulltime in a Lance slide in camper on a pickup, has gone the utility trailer route, he has a BMW GS and a Klr 250 along with a bicycle. The utility trailer gives him some extra storage as well as a little workbench and place to carry his tools and riding gear.<br /><br />As I am sure you have surmised, there are many reasons for and ways of mobile living. Some here are minimalists and love to have and live on almost nothing, some stay in one place, even the cold north and some like myself have a home on a piece of ground and pharte around on the road whenever and wherever I want. <br /><br />I rarely think think of things as "either/or".....way too limiting for me and I have been doing this stuff for a very long time. Gratefully, I don't have to limit myself. I look at the world as my playground and love other countries and cultures and love to immerse myself in them every so often.<br /><br />My friend Paul doesn't have to limit himself either and spends as much time with his rig parked at an RV park and off on his bike touring and rally-ratting, as he does boondocking on BLM or USFS land somewhere. Drops into Mexico once in a while as well.<br /><br />It would be great if you could make one of the RubberTramp Rondies we have and you could meet some of us and look at rigs to your hearts content and get a better idea of how and who these fine folks do and are.<br /><br />Welcome to the life and have fun doing your thing....<br />Bri

 

[Lostinspace]

Bob and Brian, thanks for the welcome. And Bob I'll look into the 'GovDeals' too. Maybe I'll get lucky and find just the right vehicle. I was reading some of Paul's posts and he seems quite the guy. Love that BMW and sidecar he has.

Again thanks for the welcome.

Wade

 

[Guest]

<span id="post_message_1275498706"> I was reading some of Paul's posts and he seems quite the guy. Love that BMW and sidecar he has.</span>

<br /><br />You may mean Ara Garaughian. He posts here.&nbsp; Paul doesn't belong to any of the van or cheaprvliving forums.......he has come to the RTR though....<br /><br />Ara now has a tweaked Ural rig....<br />Bri

 

[yesican]

Hi Wade welcome to the forum.<br />&nbsp; There are a few bikers here...I have a KLR 650.&nbsp; Use to have a V Strom which was MUCH faster, better on gas, but center of gravity was too high for me.&nbsp; The faster the Vstrom went the smoother the ride...I was headed for a ticket because it just always wanted to go fast.&nbsp; So now I have the KLR...grandmotherly speed but will go anywhere!<br /><br />Rae

 

[Lostinspace]

Hey Rae. Thanks for the welcome.

I agree the center of gravity is too high on the V-Strom. It's a joke calling it a dual sport. It's definently a road bike, but oh what a road bike. Mines a 650cc, I put the V-Strom 1000cc rear sprocket on, which gears it up. It's like getting a seventh gear. I did it for gas mileage and it gets 54 mpg. And it still will out accelerate most anything on 4 wheels if need be.

A couple of years ago when I was out of work I loaded it up with tent, sleeping bag and home made panniers and took a road trip up and back down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Something I always wanted to do. Great fun.

But for commuting to work and back in Tallahassee I use the Yamaha XT-225, much more maneuverable. I take the scenic way, over the canopied streets, to the room I rent. It's a little longer but much safer staying clear of the cagers. Oh and it gets 72 mpg. Hard to beat that.

Wade

 

[blkjak]

welcome .... blkjak

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Welcome aboard, LIS!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Great username, BTW!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[Pikachu711]

Welcome to the group Wade!

 

[Terry]

Sounds like your in about the same situation as me, just a bit further along the way. I'm currently caring for my wife and hoping it will last a long time but will sell this dump and find somewhere else, hopefully along the west coast somewhere when the time comes. We're in Pensacola for now, I lived most of my life along the gulf coast somewhere, or at least near by. Kinda like to be close enough to get to "A" coast line for just hanging out and maybe some fishing. I have an older high top GMC van and love the height. Can't stand up without bending my neck to lower my head a little bit. I bought the high top to be able to stand up and help my wife maneuver around inside. I would have been OK with a regular van by myself. Used to stay in my van(s) while traveling for work and they were all regular height. My take on the trailer is like Bob's. I will get a 6X10 or 6X12&nbsp; enclosed trailer and make some comforts in it that will fold out of the way when needed to carry stuff with me. I want to get a bike for cheap transportation without having to run the van every time I want to go somewhere near by. Butt that's not a biggie though. I figure I'll buy something, somewhere to call my own and have an address. Either a lot/acre or two or some place already setup with some kind of building/shop/house/mobile home but that will be the time to buy a larger trailer/camper if I need to. A smaller enclosed trailer will serve the purpose for a while and be a mobile market for my sign business if needed.