Delurking

[Nolavalkyrie]

I've been doing research for the past few weeks and haven't posted anything. So, this is my official jump into the deep end.

I don't yet have a rig. I am currently looking at an Avion and a Streamliner. I know for a fact I'm going vintage and that the idea of living inside square walls leaves me bored.

I just exited a horrendous, 20-year marriage and I'm living on a shoestring budget. I have no permanent residence and just decided to throw myself wholeheartedly into a trailer as my living adventure, because - why not! I'm 52, disabled and there's nothing keeping me from writing my own script at this juncture of my life. Now, I just need to get the trailer, tow vehicle, sell my car, dispose of my years of accumulated clutter, etc., etc., etc., and then get on the road - oh, after making the requisite repairs to any vintage trailer that I'll be able to afford.

Still, I'm excited to have a goal to work towards, no matter how long it takes....

Julianne
(Who would like to be out of NOLA before summer 2013)

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Nolavalkyrie

I've been doing research for the past few weeks and haven't posted anything. So, this is my official jump into the deep end.

I don't yet have a rig. I am currently looking at an Avion and a Streamliner. I know for a fact I'm going vintage and that the idea of living inside square walls leaves me bored.

I just exited a horrendous, 20-year marriage and I'm living on a shoestring budget. I have no permanent residence and just decided to throw myself wholeheartedly into a trailer as my living adventure, because - why not! I'm 52, disabled and there's nothing keeping me from writing my own script at this juncture of my life. Now, I just need to get the trailer, tow vehicle, sell my car, dispose of my years of accumulated clutter, etc., etc., etc., and then get on the road - oh, after making the requisite repairs to any vintage trailer that I'll be able to afford.

Still, I'm excited to have a goal to work towards, no matter how long it takes....

Julianne
(Who would like to be out of NOLA before summer 2013)

Julianne - first of all "shoestring budget". Inexpensive Airstreams are generally basket cases. Avions are built better more robustly - especially the older ones - and aren't quite as popular so you could be on the right track there. You're not going to find a $3000 Airstream that doesn't need $15,000 worth of restoration to make it roadworthy - and by roadworthy I'm talking about a strong dry floor, leaks repaired, seals fixed and new axles and tires, and some kind of heating. That is an aluminum tent. You might get a roadworthy Avion for $10K-12K.

Oddly bigger Airstreams and kin lose more initial value than smaller ones on sale price... but that means a big gas hog tow vehicle.

First - do the yard sale/garage sale thing with as much as your clutter as is possible. Even if you get $2 for a $50 purse, it's still cash... and it could add up to several thousand dollars overall.

Secondly - get VERY real about how much money you'd save trailering - it's not as much as you think with fuel costs factored in. Unless you go small you're not talking about a 1/2 ton truck, and my tow vehicle for example gets about 18 not towing and about 14 towing. It's a Chevy 2500 Silverado quad cab long bed diesel. If you stayed at 25 feet or below you could get by with a 1500 Chevy or 150 Ford, Or a 1/2 ton Suburban, Tundra, etc. Unless your "daily driver" is a bicycle, you're going to put a lot of bucks in the fuel tank.

Thirdly - where are you going to stay? Campgrounds are getting higher priced as their energy (electricity) costs go up. Municipalities and individual merchants make it difficult for you to camp in parking lots though most WalMarts are OK and many Cracker Barrels have RV spots behind them. The Moose Club also has RV parking so if you want to be a "lady of the Moose" ... join!

Fourth - and if you hate it, what then? I've been fulltiming for six years and don't really yearn for a house but the thrill ... well it's like a real marriage. At some point you look up over the morning paper and look at your husband of XX years and think "Oh, sh** - He's still there!" I need to crawl under the Airstream and lubricate the stabilizer jacks - it's a nasty little chore I've been putting off for too long. (Maintenance rallies are always good. They get you in the mood and there's always someone to help if you get in over your head.) Do you know if you're claustrophobic? Lots of people have sort of a low level sensitivity to small spaces. They don't freak out in five minutes, but after a week or two they're twitchy.

------------

Disabled - can mean so many things - and a lot of them aren't going to be compatible with living in an Airstream for the long term. The small bath and narrow door can be real problems.

Let me suggest you try to borrow a friend's small trailer - even if it's an SOB (square old box) for a couple of weeks. If that goes well, proceed. If not, seek alternatives.

Paula

[Nolavalkyrie]

Paula,

Thanks so much for the informative reply. Actually, you touched on many things I've already considered - except the maintenance rallies. I didn't know those existed.

Fortunately I'm not claustrophobic. In fact, I live in one room (pretty much) as it is.

I just exited a horrible 20-year marriage. I have nothing tying me to one place, I love to travel and I'm adventurous by nature. I majored in geology in college and the old rock hound in me would love to get back into the field. I'm good at fixing things and I'm confident in my ability to learn just about anything.

Having said that, I don't expect this to be a breeze. And, I've been researching monthly full timing budgets online. It's amazing what you can find online if you dig hard enough. While I am on SS disability, I am not physically impaired and, yes, I actually have two bicycles. Bicycling is the one exercise I actually enjoy. I didn't have a car for a long time and did everything from grocery shopping to taking my clothes to the laundromat on my bicycle. You can do anything with a little creativity and desire.

I'll be living in the trailer on my parents property in Indiana during refurbishing. And that will be my home base during the initial shakedown trips.

I have no expectations of buying a trailer, buying a tow vehicle and then hitting the road the next day. I have dreams, but I've lived long enough to be over the extreme recklessness period of my life. Fortunately I don't think I'll have any problems selling my current car. It's a first generation hybrid and still gets 48 MPG in the city.

I agree with the idea of garage sales, although I've done enough of them that I know what a pain they can be to put together. Still, the benefit can't be discounted.

So, other than making a supplemental income on the road, which I will have to do - and I have a number of ideas about that also - I think this is doable. But, finding a place to live, supplementing my income, dealing with day to day issues and on top of that, being stuck in one place, is something I would have to deal with anyway.

This way I have a chance to knock off some of the items on my bucket list, which oddly enough, all involve visiting someplace else...

Julianne

[Foiled Again]

Less expensive but still cool option: IF

If you think you can tolerate a REALLY small trailer - consider a Casita or Scamp. They are fiberglass and egg shaped like the Airstream and are small enough and light enough to be pulled by many cars and small SUV's. There are many other brands of small egg trailers available. There was even a "scrambled egg" rally here in VB recently. Here's a Canadian rally I found on youtube. The squarish ones, some green, are Travelux brand - made in Canada.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_EFU...eature=related

I do know of a few people who spend months on the road in theirs, then return to their home base - which is their kids house - for the holiday season. These are so small they take up two parking spaces. No one seems to notice them when they're parked in a church parking lot, etc.

I used to always stay in campgrounds, but now I've gotten very comfortable traveling and staying in state wilderness areas, etc. with no hookups. While at home, I still enjoy the full hookup route. Your limiting factors are batteries, fresh water and full waste tanks. Make sure you disconnect the umbilical from the truck so the trailer won't drain your driving vehicle's battery!

If you hit a campground every 3rd or 4th day you can drain your black and gray tank, refill your white tank and recharge your battery - even use the camp showers if they are nice for a LONG hot shower.

Used fiberglass eggs don't depreciate all that much, so you might even consider buying new. If your current vehicle is a small hybrid, you might have to move up a bit, but still not to anything that's a total hog. And if your parents are agreeable, you can store a few tubs of out of season clothing at their place... (or buy at thrift stores - use one season and discard).

-------------------------------
Working on the road: "Wheel Interested" has been doing just that. You might search some of her threads. Two common ways to make money are work camping - work at a campground in exchange for campsite and stipend, and seasonal work - for example working at Amazon for the Christmas season. They have programs to welcome camper/workers every fall.

Paula

[AWCHIEF]

Does anyone know what the two toned gray trailers are?

[prudencepb]

I believe the two-toned trailers are Scamps with new paint jobs.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by prudencepb

I believe the two-toned trailers are Scamps with new paint jobs.

Thank you, they really stand out from the other Scamps.