Widowed, which vehicle to keep or sell both?

[Sky]

Hi,
Long time since I posted. I never got on the road. I am physically undependable to myself, more like an 80 year old energy wise.

I come to the collective wisdom here to advise me what to do about these vehicles!

I have a
2002 Mercury Villager 6 cyl minivan, 123k miles Gutted of back seats.
2005 Saturn Ion 4 cyl 194k miles

I need to sell one. Or if you think neither should be kept. Im loathe to have to buy something else unless you guys think that I should spend the money and get another vehicle.

My husband died last month, so it is real hard for me to make decisions!

Thank you

So sorry for your loss. Really while the Saturn is more reliable it has a lot more miles on it which means it will be needing more expensive repairs faster. Twer it me I would sell both before they deteriorate further while market is up in order to glean more money from them. Do you need a vehicle and could you get an auto payment on a newer or less used one? More importantly do you have friends or family to help you do these things? Not sure where you are located but have have good friends with CF and they have told me how I should create a rental unit at my land because it is the kind of place people with CF and Immune/allergy disorders and or electronic smog sensitivities could look to rent for their health. Anyways consider No NM in rural areas if you need a healthier sunny arid environment and I do let RV'ers visit. In my thoughts sincerely take upmost nurturing care of yourself.

 

[Sky]

So I watched this youtube. Living under 1000 over the winter in New Mexico. I am surprised by this because he says these are campgrounds with electric. I never heard of being able to live in a vehicle with electric for that amount of money. This intrigues me, because campground means never alone, and electric means comfortable temps in vehicle it seems like an easier way for starting out.

As NM resident I want to clarify that if you get an annual pass once you drive into a park office and purchase that is all you need and can move from one park to another without paying any additional. Now the added cost is whether your at an electric site which used to be a flat daily fee. Also you get the cheaper price if your a senior whatever the age of that is now, ? 61,2,3,4,5,? https://newmexicostateparks.reserve...e=common&commonPath=/htm/NM_AnnualPasses.html

 

[Sky]

You have given useful advice. I CAN afford to stay just as I am. I have 2 vehicle discount so 25 a car so 50 a month. I will explore local day trips in the van and spend a full day cooking/eating and being out in nature, come home to bed. That ought to do me a lot of good.

Also I used to belong to this and you can find some cheap places to park and many more secure as well. It is available nationwide and solicited land owners when it first began. I myself have found craigslist and forums as well as word of mouth worked better for me and myproperty. https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/discover/texas/corpus-christi

 

[ORANGE]

Sky you are very sweet. Thank you. I think that my options are wide open when I can get widow's social security in less than 2 years. I think it wont be good to do anything completely different with unexpected fluctuating expenses (vanlife) versus these sort of fixed expenses I have now. I only have so much savings, and I am unable to add to it. Also then in 2 yrs I WILL have SS income and could take a car loan for a much better vehicle depending on whether I am keen to boondock fulltime.

My vehicles will last for 2 years I hope. And if I HAVE to trash one, Id still have one more. I would not want to take out savings to buy a vehicle.

I had visited Albuquerque and fell in love with the white colored sun (never saw that before) and the drier feel, the elevation wasnt bad to me. But when I visited Colorado Springs I wanted out of there after a few days of massive headache even though the elevation wasnt hugely different. I bet Id like far N NM or far south CO.

 

[Sky]

Sky you are very sweet. Thank you. I think that my options are wide open when I can get widow's social security in less than 2 years. I think it wont be good to do anything completely different with unexpected fluctuating expenses (vanlife) versus these sort of fixed expenses I have now. I only have so much savings, and I am unable to add to it. Also then in 2 yrs I WILL have SS income and could take a car loan for a much better vehicle depending on whether I am keen to boondock fulltime.

My vehicles will last for 2 years I hope. And if I HAVE to trash one, Id still have one more. I would not want to take out savings to buy a vehicle.

I had visited Albuquerque and fell in love with the white colored sun (never saw that before) and the drier feel, the elevation wasnt bad to me. But when I visited Colorado Springs I wanted out of there after a few days of massive headache even though the elevation wasnt hugely different. I bet Id like far N NM or far south CO.

I like Querque as far as cities go and except in the summer when it is real hot and smoggy and imagine I would find Colorado Springs to toxic to appreciate any good about it. I ended up here for health and economic reasons and just cannot do the overcrowded,stressful and electronically as well as environmental smog of such places. Imagine that I prefer air I can actually breath and can see the stars and clouds, well when they are not chem trailing or whatever one believes those planes making streaks that last a---loooonng time are. LOL Anyways sounds like you have the best plan yet and will be in my thoughts for your healing from all this. Do give a holler if and when you visit New Mexico.

 

[vagabondpilot]

Sky you are very sweet. Thank you. I think that my options are wide open when I can get widow's social security in less than 2 years. I think it wont be good to do anything completely different with unexpected fluctuating expenses (vanlife) versus these sort of fixed expenses I have now. I only have so much savings, and I am unable to add to it. Also then in 2 yrs I WILL have SS income and could take a car loan for a much better vehicle depending on whether I am keen to boondock fulltime.

My vehicles will last for 2 years I hope. And if I HAVE to trash one, Id still have one more. I would not want to take out savings to buy a vehicle.

I had visited Albuquerque and fell in love with the white colored sun (never saw that before) and the drier feel, the elevation wasnt bad to me. But when I visited Colorado Springs I wanted out of there after a few days of massive headache even though the elevation wasnt hugely different. I bet Id like far N NM or far south CO.

Check out the durango area. I have pretty sensitive sinuses and had great luck there and the area just feels safer. Just my 2 cents. YMMV

 

[simply lesa]

My quick 2 cents response!
Use what you have until you know what to change. Orange, I am sorry for your loss and the grief that brings. I hope you have emotional support for that as it comes and goes. I too am older and on a fixed income. I have been part of this community since the beginning. I have property in North Eastern Arizona. I do have 4 seasons and depending on the weather it can be extreme. I am very rural and off grid. I do allow some visits on my property. I'm west of Albq. a couple hours and high enough to not have too hot a summer temps. I have autoimmune (suspected MS), allergies, etc and the weather is good for me here, so is the peace and calm.
Feel free to connect with me for ideas and simple support if you'd like to.
Anything, basically, Is possible. Life changes and changes again and we simply move over to something different than we might have imagined.
Simply, Lesa

 

[Sky]

What a breath of fresh air SimplyLesa a pleasure to hear of your existence as a kindred Independent free spirit just a as the crow flies distance from us in No NM.

 

[Roadtrekgranny]

Hi,
Long time since I posted. I never got on the road. I am physically undependable to myself, more like an 80 year old energy wise.

I come to the collective wisdom here to advise me what to do about these vehicles!

I have a
2002 Mercury Villager 6 cyl minivan, 123k miles Gutted of back seats.
2005 Saturn Ion 4 cyl 194k miles

I need to sell one. Or if you think neither should be kept. Im loathe to have to buy something else unless you guys think that I should spend the money and get another vehicle.

My husband died last month, so it is real hard for me to make decisions!

Thank you

I’m older than most on this forum, widowed 13 year and also have illnesses. you don’t need two vehicles. sell the Saturn keep the van and travel. Even if it is for a weekend with a sleeping bag! Please don’t just sit at home and worry! I travel alone in class B.

 

[ORANGE]

My quick 2 cents response!
Use what you have until you know what to change. Orange, I am sorry for your loss and the grief that brings. I hope you have emotional support for that as it comes and goes. I too am older and on a fixed income. I have been part of this community since the beginning. I have property in North Eastern Arizona. I do have 4 seasons and depending on the weather it can be extreme. I am very rural and off grid. I do allow some visits on my property. I'm west of Albq. a couple hours and high enough to not have too hot a summer temps. I have autoimmune (suspected MS), allergies, etc and the weather is good for me here, so is the peace and calm.
Feel free to connect with me for ideas and simple support if you'd like to.
Anything, basically, Is possible. Life changes and changes again and we simply move over to something different than we might have imagined.
Simply, Lesa

Thank you very much lesa. I will look at your youtube and blog today!

 

[ORANGE]

It is weird just how much my brain tosses back and forth. I think, well, I can pay movers($200) to put everything in storeage I wont be losing everything risking it. So when I think I have made up my mind I see that I havent at all. I dont know if I can ever get "settled" to know what I ought to do!

I know that my van right now can get me anywhere in the country, and I know that the van wont last for years. If I go out and decide to stay I'd have to find another minivan, always being on the lookout and replace before it needs junking.

I know that in a few months I will be driven out because of the smell. A city dump terribly mismanaged, they tried to fix and made it even worse. It started smelling last year. And a couple times this winter my apartment stunk! So I know I will move regardless. There is only one other place I can move is in Alabama, because the owners know me and will rent even though I dont have "income." There would be no other place I can move to in the nation because I will not have any proveable income until 2 years with widows social security. Soooo...

Then I think. It is better to move to AL in a couple of months (transporting A vehicle) though it would cost a chunk of money to do so, but lviing expenses staying the same. It would get me 6 hours closer to the west where all the nomad action is lol. And I can pause and consider. Which is all my brain wants to do these days! To get out of here would do me good as I want to get out of here. I am mostly fragrance free and have a bloodhound super sniffer. No way can I, will I tolerate stench.

So now I am moving because the dump will not be resolved this year.

Am I moving fulltime van or to AL and parttime van?

Any ideas for me?

 

[ORANGE]

I’m older than most on this forum, widowed 13 year and also have illnesses. you don’t need two vehicles. sell the Saturn keep the van and travel. Even if it is for a weekend with a sleeping bag! Please don’t just sit at home and worry! I travel alone in class B.

Hi Roadtrekgranny. Yes it is the 4 walls. And whatever I do next, parttime travel is a certainty, as it will do me a lot of good. Class B's are so adorable! Illnesses and vanliving is showing me that many are doing it.

 

[simply lesa]

Hi Roadtrekgranny. Yes it is the 4 walls. And whatever I do next, parttime travel is a certainty, as it will do me a lot of good. Class B's are so adorable! Illnesses and vanliving is showing me that many are doing it.

Orange, and Granny... Oftentimes we simply need to take a deep breath and step off the comfortable cliff! It is scary and we have no idea what we will land on or how it will look or work! My experienced advice (to myself as well) is to just pick something and go/ do it/ step out...that's where the joy of adventure actually lives!
We can do this - again and again. We are not dead yet!