Why I joined this group....

[free2enjoy]

To learn....

....from those that have become or are becoming the master of their own lives physically, mentally, and spiritually.

These are the people that relearned how to say "no" when "no" is the authentic answer to the expectations of culture.  We all did it as a toddler but more than likely that answer was punished out of our vocabularies to some degree.

IMO, the path to self is the path to having the courage more and more to say "no".  

I'm really amazed by the intelligence here, the sincerity, the politeness, and the eagerness to help others regardless of any kind of "status".  Thank you!

For me, I learn from observing the extremes.  I've seen extreme wealth on TV or in the movies.  I've lived a life of too much stuff as a middle class professional, and I'm currently living with all my possessions in a 5th wheel.  When I separated from my wife for good, I only took a few items and left the rest for her.  

But even the 5th wheel is too much in many ways and I'm looking for the sweet spot that meets my needs.

Now the other extreme I'm studying is the vandwelling.  I think this also more or less includes tentdwelling.  This is too extreme for me for a couple reasons....I'm 6'3", and when I hit the road fulltime, I will have my gf and a business to bring along.  I wouldn't be able to do it fulltime but I could see doing that here and there.

So I know a van alone won't work BUT I'm devouring all the ideas I can find from Bob's videos to see how vandwellers thrive and it's amazing!  One of my favorites was to see the portable clothes washer for $100.  Mostly, I wear very simple clothes and I could see where that washer would take care of most all of my routine washing.  My 5th wheel has a washer/dryer but I don't need that.  I simply need clean clothes and a sustainable way to get them clean so that daily life isn't a life of doing chores all day everyday.  There's no purpose in going back 150 years in time, making life an unnecessary inconvenience.  We have machines to do our labor and this washer is an excellent example of how to have a simple, affordable life that is also efficient in my labor.

So again, thanks to Bob and to all of you that are living the free live, innovating ways to make life easier (therefore enjoyable), and for sharing those methods with the rest of us!

Andrew

 

[Trebor English]

But even the 5th wheel is too much in many ways and I'm looking for the sweet spot that meets my needs.

I have found that just a minivan holds what I need.  It enforces a level of minimalism that I don't have the will to do without the boundaries.  We each have a unique sweet spot.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I've lived a life of too much stuff as a middle class professional, and I'm currently living with all my possessions in a 5th wheel.  

I can relate: A lifetime of accumulated stuff. 

A ball and chain accumulation of possessions that in my case, fills a house and 3 out-buildings. 

 

[lenny flank]

I have found that just a minivan holds what I need.  It enforces a level of minimalism that I don't have the will to do without the boundaries.  We each have a unique sweet spot.

Hah, I grew up as a backpacker in Pennsylvania. Spent an awful lot of time up on the Appalachian Trail.

So for me, vandwelling was a step UP  in comfort level. 

 

[WanderingCanuck]

I remember where the idea first started for me. There were some renovations being done where I work and a contractor had their cargo trailer parked outside with the doors open. It had shelves and counters down each side, and in the nose there was a sink and coffee maker. I heard a little voice in my head saying "with a slightly different layout, I could live in there". The idea has blossomed and evolved as I've done more research.

As I said in my introduction post here, I figured I was unique in my way of thinking. Since then I've been amazed at how popular the idea of vandwelling is. It points out just how poor a fit the "typical" lifestyle is for many people.

 

[SoulRaven]

I've lived a life of too much stuff as a middle class professional

Me too.  I started realizing that I was in a "golden cage"... my need to have a place to store my stuff kept me in career that I hated more every year.  
The need to acquire more stuff and to store it is not just an American disorder, but it seems like we've perfected it to a science.  
I've been on the road, living out of a 6x12 cargo trailer for almost a year, and still have a storage unit in Colorado and still carry around way too much stuff in my trailer and truck.  
Some addictions take a while to die.  Some never die, you just have to fight them everyday.

 

[DLTooley]

Consider the space outside your vehicle when deciding how much space inside you really need.

I supported myself for awhile slowly selling off stuff from the storage unit, sort, sell, trash, repeat. Storage units do make good spots to meet up.

 

[geogentry]

But even the 5th wheel is too much in many ways and I'm looking for the sweet spot that meets my needs.

Now the other extreme I'm studying is the vandwelling.  I think this also more or less includes tentdwelling.  This is too extreme for me for a couple reasons....I'm 6'3", and when I hit the road fulltime, I will have my gf and a business to bring along.  I wouldn't be able to do it fulltime but I could see doing that here and there.

So I know a van alone won't work BUT I'm devouring all the ideas I can find from Bob's videos to see how vandwellers thrive and it's amazing!  One of my favorites was to see the portable clothes washer for $100.  Mostly, I wear very simple clothes and I could see where that washer would take care of most all of my routine washing.  My 5th wheel has a washer/dryer but I don't need that.  I simply need clean clothes and a sustainable way to get them clean so that daily life isn't a life of doing chores all day everyday.  There's no purpose in going back 150 years in time, making life an unnecessary inconvenience.  We have machines to do our labor and this washer is an excellent example of how to have a simple, affordable life that is also efficient in my labor.

Andrew

Hello free2enjoy,

I would liike to throw out my opinions here.  I suspect some of them will be worth even less than you pay to hear them but maybe it they will provide enough fertilizer to provide food for thought.  Then again maybe not.

You dont say how long you have been living in your 5th wheel but I suspect not long.  And from what you say you are not on the road full time yet.  May I suggest that you spend some time on the road before making that final decision?  Certainly more than a few months.  The purpose being so that you have the time to actually experience what you need, and don't need.

- That Sweet Spot -
I certainly cant tell you what that will be for you.  That depends on entirely on what you feel is needed to make your life comfortable.  

You do have a lot to take into consideration though.  The more machines you have to make your life convenient the more power you are going to require. How much power will depend on your choices.  Where do you intend to get this power?

Where are you going to be parking?  That affects a great many of your choices.  Water, food, power and waste are HUGE factors, depending on where you stay.  How much water are you willing to carry and how far to the nearest supply, same with food.  Power we touched on.  And waste, both general and human.  How much human waste you carry and where you get rid of it affect a lot of your decisions.

You mention being a certain height and that van dwelling will not be enough.  Why?  A lot of couples are doing van dwelling and have for a long time.  Your height is not a factor really, since I lived inI lived in a van for 2 years and am 6'6".  How much room you need will decide a lot.  

And then there is your gf.  BOTH of you need to make some of these decisions.  You are going to share the company of each other 7 days a week and for the greater part of 24 hours a day.  Trust me, if she is not happy you're not going to be happy.

This site is a rainbow of the Nomadic lifestyle.  You will find someone on here to answer the how to questions once you know which ones to ask.

 

[free2enjoy]

Geo,

I’ve been living first in my Class A then in my 5th wheel for about 2 years and 8 months is the same campground. I’m an airline pilot by trade and when i separated from my wife for good, I simply hit the road with my motorhome, wondering what life would be like fulltime in it.

What amazed me was the campground. The full timers are amazing and the seasonal folks too! It’s the first time since i was a kid that i felt like i was in a real neighborhood with real neighbors. In fact today i installed a new 18’ awning on my rig and three neighbors eagerly jumped in, climbed ladders, and we got the job done quickly.

I used to camp as a kid in Northern Michigan with the scouts and loved it. I also grew up living on a creek and spent a lot of time in the woods and miss it. South Florida is extremely boring but i ended up settling here for the job market.

My gf loves tent camping and camps several times each winter season with her boys in the scouts. So the two of us are going to combine our experiences into this new life on the road once her youngest is done with high school.

We are both up to our ears with how expensive everything is. All this money given to banks and insurance companies while the roads get more and more congested with people simply taking their marching orders from jobs and calendars.

I also get so bored traveling the same roads over and over again, etc..... When I’m flying i get to see amazing scenery but i crave to be on the ground living it. In the past i also checked into becoming a park ranger for retirement.

We are going to start making practice runs with her T@B and her pickup. I’m about to do a solar install on that camper and I’ve played around with solar a few years ago.

In order for me to “retire” early (I’m 52 now) i need to take my home business on the road with me so that is a driving factor in the configuration of our rig. I make, bottle and ship some health products and so that means carrying with me empty bottling. If she was free from parenting today, we could live just fine on the road with that business.

So I’m looking at a cargo van to pull about a 20’ trailer. But not having been on the road, especially with boondocking in mind, I’m not sure how much we are limiting ourselves from enjoying remote areas.

Besides containing the business in the van I’m also considering having a large water tank, solar, and more which might mean being able from time to time dropping off the trailer (campground storage?) and taking the van for camping with tents. I don’t see us doing that as a full time.

I see full time traveling and camping as a new chapter in my life that has been festering since i was a kid. In the meantime until we can hit the road, I’m going to be renting my 5th wheel and the T@B, building my business and most importantly learning all i can from you and all the others so that we get off to a good start!

Andrew

 

[free2enjoy]

I’ve known my gf for 21 years. If i hadn’t been married at the time, we would’ve been a couple then. Her life has run its course parallel to mine and in recent years found our way to be together. She’s my intimate best friend and vice versa. We make a great team!