WOMEN ONLY: Calling full-time FEMALE nomads

[VanKitten]

When I was a full time nomad (1999 - 2016) the only thing I didn't like about it was never knowing where I was going next or when.

I was employed at the race tracks, and with every meet packing and unpacking..living in the car looking to get settled at the next place ...then do it all again in a couple of months.

This time, I will be the one deciding when and where....and no packing and unpacking!

 

[bobblefrog]

After years of planning and months of renovating I'm finally on the road.  While my life right now won't accommodate full time I have this six month trip planned - slowly out to Quartzsite and then back again late spring (from NC).  All I know is there hasn't been a day yet that I haven't questioned my sanity.  I hope it gets better.  I think the big things I didn't anticipate was that I don't really LIKE being alone–or driving.  I know - you'd think I'd know that at my age.  I used to always like driving.  Loved road trips.  But it has been a very different experience driving an older vehicle.  Wind, thunderstorms, mechanical issues, feeling homesick - not knowing what problems the next day will bring and what new bill will have to go on my mounting credit card debt.  I read Kat's post from last month about feeling overwhelmed and totally empathized.  

When I full timed before, I loved the community, but looking back we weren't on the road that much - I had a companion and we would stay for a place for a month before moving to the next.  Completely DIFFERENT lifestyle.  

I don't know, maybe I just haven't learned to relax into things yet (and go with the flow).  Perhaps once that kicks in I'll start enjoying.  But like yesterday, I was at this absolutely beautiful rest stop and I couldn't enjoy it.  I wanted to turn to someone and say "isn't this cool"?  Let's bring out something to grill and stay for awhile.  But not having anyone with me I just felt this internal pressure to get back on the road to my planned Wally World destination.  Because THAT is something to reach for - LOL.

Of course as I write this I recognize I have had some good moments.  Just that my emotions right now are like a pendulum.  All over the place.  And I can I learn how I want to travel and do this if I don't try different things?!  I'm really not trying to complain but not sleeping well and feeling a bit weepy and just wanted a chance at commiseration and sisterly encouragement.

Well trying another mechanic this morning to see if they have any ideas about my issue.  Hasn't stranded me but the tension of waiting for the problem to occur again is wearing.  I'll be posting more now that I'm on the road.  Hope to meet some of you at the RTR

 

[DuneElliot]

I also understand the feeling of wanting to turn to someone and say "isn't this cool" or "let's go hike..."

I love this life and the freedom it brings, but I'd really like to be sharing it with someone too.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I've been on the road full time for exactly 3 weeks today. The thing I dislike the most so far? The bloody stuff problem. Every time I need something, it's buried. Then I dig to find it. When I need another thing, it's buried by the pile I just created when I was searching for the first thing. I have piles of stuff everywhere. God forbid if I had to be on the road right now with 60 minutes warning, I wouldn't be able to put things back safely for a while without shoving the stuff willy-nilly in every crack and crevass.

But, in all honesty, one of my nicknames for years has been the "stuff queen". I've been back to the house twice to jettison debris. Hubby will be coming here to NM for a few days and I'll hand more stuff over to him when he leaves. I'll not be able to do that shortly. Hopefully the sale of the house will close next month, but that will leave me no place to drop junk off. Hubby will be going full time in his van when the house is sold, So I won't be able to dump stuff on him. More donations to the Gospel Rescue Mission on their way...

Stuff. Gack!!!
Ted

 

[VanKitten]

As I am now moving more and more of my stuff into the RV...I am rethinking some of it. There is a fair amount that is going to the goodwill now before ever getting put in.

For weeks I was just putting thing anywhere I found a bit of room. As a cabinet was finished..stuff got put there. I was hauling everything around in the car (been homeless since end of July). Just needed to get all that stuff out of the car. But now, I have chaos in the RV

I will be weeks resorting everything and reorganizing. Guess it will keep me busy!
Oddly, I am looking forward to it. Since I am a bit of an organization freak, this presents a challenge.

 

[DuneElliot]

I've been in my RV since the beginning of August. It took me a while to get organized properly as I initially only moved 500yards down the road. And now, two and half months on, I am still getting rid of stuff and de-cluttering...stuff I would use consistently in a house but am not really making use of in the RV.

 

[Almost There]

It's a never ending process!

2 years after moving in to the van full-time, I just went through my clothing storage yesterday and pulled about 3 grocery store bags of excess clothing out.

I had one tote of 'go out to dinner' clothes that I almost halved. Does that mean I don't get out to dinner often enough...probably...  

Some of it was old decrepit t-shirts that needed to go. How many do I really need to have on hand for the few occasions that I have the forethought to know that I'm gonna get dirty...

 

[Blanch]

I've almost finished a year and a half in the TT. I still have too much of this and not enough of that..... and I continue to wonder how I manage to lose things in the trailer. I live in 250 square feet, how can I lose something? It is all an ongoing process. I stopped by my storage unit and can't figure out why I kept some of that stuff. I plan to have the storage unit empty by summer 2018.

Becoming a minimalist, after a life accumulating stuff, wasn't a straight line for me. More of a meandering process. And it continues. It


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[bobblefrog]

Oh yes  - the STUFF - the STUFF I was so sure I'd need - ROFLOL.  Clothes.  Hmmm.  In order not to draw attention to myself, I've just been wearing t-shirts and jeans.  Which is about 1/8 of what I brought!  Pots and Pans.  Hmmm.  Guess what.  I don't WANT to cook.  I don't know why I thought I'd have all this time to do things i didn't in a sticks and bricks (or want to do then!). That bird feeder and bird seed I'm going to suction cup to the window when I'm in one place long enough?  Well, verdict is out on that.  Cat needs some distraction.  Like Kat I'm an organization freak, but like Ted, the piles are wearing on me as I have to keep moving things around to get what I want!  The bike, seriously?  Like I am ever going to get it off and on the rack since I had to have help to get it up!  I don't even like it.  It's 21 gears of grumpiness.  All those freaking throw pillows?  Cute but that means I have to make the bed (crawling up in a loft on the bed while trying to make it)...insanity, all of it insanity - LOL.

Although I will report I'm better today.  I got stuck in two days of high winds that in my rig just isn't doable.  So I found a little city campground and splurged for electric hookups, a hot shower, a dump station and free wifi (which is amazingly good) for two nights.

I STILL hope to meet some traveling companions - or someone to hook up with now and again.  This is such a cute town - cobblestone streets and three museums, right on a little lake - but did I go check it out?  No...however it was cold and windy and I had work to catch up on so I guess I have an excuse. Campground is completely empty except for me - a little creepy but only availing myself of the facilities.   

We'll see if the mechanical issues are fixed.  Good mechanic that the BF had used on the way over to NC after first buying Juno.  Didn't charge a lot and understands carbs.  I had already suspected a vapor lock of some sort (only happened about 3-4 hours into driving as the afternoon got warmer) and he says that with my model and year it's almost a given.  He test drove it and like I already knew, cold or first hour or so no issues.  Then took off the air filter and he could see the fuel line (metal) was resting on the water pump.  That heats up the gas to vapor and causes a bubble that is especially problematic when accelerating and deaccelerating.  He reshaped it and insulated it and they gave me the part number for an heat shield I can install between the carb and manifold if I continue to have issues (it can boil in the carburetor as well).  

Don't know why I went on about that BUT who knows who might have an older vehicle and this would help since it's a fix anyone could do.

Tomorrow I'm driving half a day to Denver and temps into the 80s so it will get a get a good test.  Fingers crossed.

 

[duckwonder]

Can you get a rig that you can use where you're not setting up and breaking down camp?  I would think in a Class B or C or van you wouldn't have to do that.  

I'm in a Class B and it takes quite a lot of moving things around to set up or tear down, it's do-able with my sciatica, but i am careful and my back has actually strengthened doing it.  Your situation could be different, and it matters that you are in pain doing certain things.  I like the Class C idea, but it is awesome to consider all the options.  It's possible in my class b to lay a regular twin size mattress on top of the bed when it's flat.  I don't do that because the memory foam helps me, but twin size stuff will fit on my bed, I'd check some measurements for that first thing when looking at vehicles because it is so important.  Class C, much less to move around, sounds like, and could fit a regular mattress.  It's possible to rent a class C for a weekend.  A weekend can teach me more than being at home, and a weekend is more manageable and more fun!

 

[heron]

Don't know why I went on about that BUT who knows who might have an older vehicle and this would help since it's a fix anyone could do.

There are few things more annoying than an intermittent issue with a vehicle. The amount of time and worry and freaking aggravation one can invest is mind boggling. Especially if you're on the road. Or have kids. Or not much money. It surely doesn't help your ability to relax and enjoy things. I'm very glad to hear you have a likely solution.
I know what you mean about being able to appreciate things by yourself. Weird, isn't it? It gets better with time and work. And, these days, you can always take a picture, if you have a smart phone, and share it that way. (I finally got one, so I'm all excited.) People used to say of me, I'd talk to a fencepost if you put a hat on it. It was probably true, but I learned a lot about wherever I was, or whoever I was talking to. There were always people around, so felt safe doing it, and I liked it.
Hang in there.

 

[Sleep]

Like all of you have done or are doing, I am in the purging stage. I honestly don't know why it has taken me so long, I had  hoped to be long gone before now, but it's probably fear of the unknown. Sound familiar? Although I have made a few major strides and plan on loading up the van with things for Goodwill this week. I'm not to worried about what I'm taking, but more so about the build and electrical. But I think I have decided to head out for the van build for a short time to see what some others have done. Maybe I will be inspired! Anyway I hope to end up in Ehrenberg before the end of November ready  for full time living. Oh and as long as I have my little  (4 legged) Bella girl with me,  I'm not to worried about being lonely.

Safe travels for you all.

~Sherry

 

[hausmutti]

I’m not on the road, but just doing trips in my van.  However, I’m preparing for the eventual living in my travel trailer. Been downsizing like crazy at home. One thing I find myself doing during the day is making a mental note of what items I use every day.  Then I can view other things in my house through that eye and am able to get rid of more and more.

 

[mothercoder]

Can you get a rig that you can use where you're not setting up and breaking down camp?  I would think in a Class B or C or van you wouldn't have to do that.  

I'm in a C and the only thing I do is to take the coffee pot out of the sink where it rides.  Sometimes there are a few other things in the sink that I put on the counter but that's all the setting up I do.

If you end up with some sort of camper you won't really have much to do to set up.  When do you plan to launch?


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I'm on a very limited budget so a Class B or C would not be a possibility.  Really not possible to find one in my price range even if I sold the Suburban and used the funds from that.  I've thought about a van but then I would have to build it out and with my arm I'm not able to do that.  I would have to pay someone to insulate and finish the walls, ceiling and floor for me.  That gets expensive.  I've been looking at Weeroll trailers because I can get one finished and just add a bed, storage and some kind of kitchen.  But even that is stretching the budget.  I've also thought about a conversion van.  Again, the concern is mostly about a bed.  Putting a traditional twin in a van eats up so much space.

 

[mothercoder]

Is that an option for you?

As I told Suanne, trying the life is really not an option.  I don't have something I could try it in and renting something is cost prohibitive.  I have no vacation left for 2017 thanks to my injury.  Winter on the east coast isn't a good time to try and go camping and if I wait until spring then I'm down to a couple months before retirement and really should have my decision made by then. 

It seems not matter what I choose to do, I am going to have to take a leap of faith and hope that it's the right decision.  I've considered getting an old camper for a few thousand $$ instead of spending more.  If I don't like the lifestyle, not much lost.  If I do like the lifestyle but don't like the camper, I can move forward from there.  But then there's also the selling cycle to consider.  If I wait to buy until I'm ready to retire, that's prime buying season and prices will be at a premium.  But if I buy this winter, I have to store the thing the for several months plus likely tow it several hundred miles since the RV supply in my area is woefully limited. 

There just doesn't seem to be an easy answer.

 

[mothercoder]

Like all of you have done or are doing, I am in the purging stage. I honestly don't know why it has taken me so long, I had  hoped to be long gone before now, but it's probably fear of the unknown. Sound familiar? Although I have made a few major strides and plan on loading up the van with things for Goodwill this week. I'm not to worried about what I'm taking, but more so about the build and electrical. But I think I have decided to head out for the van build for a short time to see what some others have done. Maybe I will be inspired! Anyway I hope to end up in Ehrenberg before the end of November ready  for full time living. Oh and as long as I have my little  (4 legged) Bella girl with me,  I'm not to worried about being lonely.

Safe travels for you all.

~Sherry

Purging isn't a problem for me.  Since I was supposed to do this in August, I started purging everything at the first of the year.  By the time I had my shoulder injury, I was down to a bed, a table, a TV, my kitchen items and maybe 1/3 of my clothes.  And that's the way I've been living for the last 7 months.  I did buy a recliner because I can't be in my bed the entire time I'm at home.  And it really wasn't comfortable to be in my bed after my surgery.  I've been waiting to purge the rest of it because there really isn't too much left.  Knick knacks, some kitchen stuff that I am using right now, patio chairs that I still use on my patio.  My place echos.

 

[bobblefrog]

Heron - you made me laugh with your phrase about the hat on the fence post! I needed that. Actually I talked to a girl today who is living in her Class C with her two dogs, trying to make it work - and I felt so much better afterward. Just a conversation across the road so to speak but it helped me remember that THAT is why I am going through this. I like to meet new people. Looking for that tribe of like-minded women.

Mothercoder - I hear everything you are saying. I way overspent. If you can pull the camper with your suburban? Seems that might give you the best of everything? Keeping your costs down, systems contained where they belong, suburban for storage and ability to unhitch? You gotta have money for the fixes as I am finding out In retrospect just figuring out as I went might have been better - I spent my money on trying to make it perfect for a lifestyle I really had no idea what was going to come out of it. Okay, I have a cozy rig, but I'm also limited/stressed out now by my lack of funds.

Nope the last mechanic didn't fix it either - saw two more after that - and still not fixed. I made it to Denver and have an appt on Wednesday with YET another. Half the mechanics say it's vapor lock, no cure for it - other half say vapor lock is a myth perpetrated by mechanics who don't know how to find the real problem - ROFLOL. I've never seen something so crazy in all my days. I think they are all earnest and trying to help so I can't do anything but laugh at this point and throw my hands up and pull out the credit card for more campground stays.

Although the girl across the way did give me tips for street parking - just it's cold - and I really really hate cold...as soon as I can head south, I'm off!

 

[Sleep]

In retrospect just figuring out as I went might have been better - I spent my money on trying to make it perfect for a lifestyle I really had no idea what was going to come out of it. 

 This should be printed on a T-Shirt for every "Newbie"  :idea:

 

[DuneElliot]

Nope the last mechanic didn't fix it either - saw two more after that - and still not fixed.  I made it to Denver and have an appt on Wednesday with YET another.  Half the mechanics say it's vapor lock, no cure for it - other half say vapor lock is a myth perpetrated by mechanics who don't know how to find the real problem - ROFLOL. I've never seen something so crazy in all my days.  I think they are all earnest and trying to help so I can't do anything but laugh at this point and throw my hands up and pull out the credit card for more campground stays.  

I have heard many times that vapor lock is a myth, just like you've been told...and this comes from mechanics and friends who really know what they are talking about.

What is the issue you are having?

 

[heron]

I don't go to town without a load for goodwill. Which is a very good thing. Things are moving along smoothly, but I'm approaching panic stage, like have I completely lost my mind, taking off in a 29-year-old vehicle with a very frail person? And then I think, well, yeah, I probably have lost it (further). So, what else is new? Barring disaster, we're outta here. Two weeks and a bit, at most.