21 Years in a 1973 Dodge Van

Sonik's reply to your post is a good one. Actually I felt insanely constricted when I was an apartment dweller. Much better to be a Dodge Dweller I've found. By the way...now it's over 22 years.

 

Thanks. I'll post and respond when I can. As I stated earlier...I'm cutting back on my gas usage and the damn cable company won't run a line out to my tree 14 miles out in the desert.

 

Once you get a handle on what the difference between neccessity and luxury actually is, it's pretty easy to handle the slight inconveniences of living in this manner. (Indoor plumbing is actually sort of nice, though, especially when it's raining.)

 

Will you be able to collect Social Security and Medicare when the time comes? I don't see why not, but I'm not terribly familiar with the particulars.

 

Funny thing about that. I would have been on the road a month ago but the hardest thing is discarding a liftimes worth of stuff. Its easy to get rid of all the stuff you can sell and dump the stuff thats no good but there is a lot of crap in the middle thats really hard to decide what to do with. I want to drive away with the absolute necessities plus a couple of nice to haves but damn its hard to work out what those things should be.

 

Can't blame you there, it is getting outrageous!

 

Bro, try peeing over the rail of a sailboat in a 40 knot gale while trying to maintain course. You'll never be more glad you're wearing rain gear, trust me.

 

quote (snip) Its easy to get rid of all the stuff you can sell and dump the stuff thats no good but there is a lot of crap in the middle thats really hard to decide what to do with.

Give it away or store it.

gaia

:hat:

 

i just bought an 83` Ford Aviator.its my baby. It has an extended high top roof, a fold in bed,lots of seating, and is comfortable as fuck.i have hung bob marley tapestries all over the inside.its a pretty nice set up, but im in need of AC BADDDD!!!! i live in florida and its the summer time, no fun....the solar power thing sounds awesome, wish i knew how to do it....

Im moving out to California, but i want to camp/live in the big forrests out there....sooo much fun.Im getting a pup soon too, hopefully from the pound.i need to go there.

Peace & Love,
Belinda

 

Hey, Twodogs, that's alright man just keep on doing the free thing. So few know how pass by the crap and really live. Got to have that credit card just to buy into that American dream, ya right. Carry on my Brother, now I have a new goal...........

 

I'm throwing in this link for local NEXRAD radar in your area. So you can watch the storms come in when you log in.

http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?location=USAZ0178&enlarge=true&animate=true


x

 

Hey Twodogs, what did your transmission come out of? The reason I ask is that me and the old lady are both retired and have decided to become gypsies for the rest of our lives. It will take us about a year to get things together. A 3/4 ton Dodge Van is the way we will go, and will probably go with a Diesel engine, turbo with fuel injection, Solar panels and rv roof mounted AC unit. Going to look at a van this weekend that has no drive system, this will will save me the trouble of pulling it out.
Thanks for the idea:cheers2:

 

Once I have my van I will be complete you begin the next chapter in my life

 

Please excuse me for taking such a long break from this thread but I've been busy saving the environment by hanging out in the boonies again. Have you all noticed that the waters are receding and that the polar bears are much more comfortable now?

Yeah...I'll be able to collect Social Security and all that stuff. Won't get much 'cause most of my work for the last 20 years has been for myself and I like myself too much to withhold any money from my paycheck.

Pack only what you'll absolutely need, take everything that you don't need and sell it at a swapmeet. That's what I did.

Good luck to you Belinda. Once you settle into the lifestyle I think you'll find that you never want to go back to the rat-race.

Mine is a New Process 4 speed (Granny, 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears.) that came from an old Dodge school bus. It's pretty much the same heavy duty tranny that's put into most manual shift 4 wheel drive pick-ups. They're great and pretty much bullet proof. Even with my 2 wheel drive van in granny I can go just about anywhere I want to go.

 

Here are some pics taken where I spent the last 11 days.

1-Sugarloaf, a red sandstone bluff that juts out from the Eastern flank of Black Mountain. I camped up on the bluff, at the base and to the right of the conical point. The arrow points to the site where picture #2 was taken.



2-A memorial stone that I chiseled about a year after my father's death. He always loved my pictures from the high places.



3-I like being high enough that I can look down on helicopters...and even hawks and eagles at times.



4-Sycamore Pass.

 

Great Pics. I love following your 'adventure'.

take more and stay safe

 

5-Some ruins.



6-Looking up at some more ruins on a ledge in an overhang.



7-Hawk's nest.



8-The ruins in the overhang from the ledge.

 

9-Two-Spot relaxing in one of the rooms up on the ledge.



10-A window.



11- More ruins on a ledge down in the ravine.



12-Manos and broken metates. The corn grinding equipment left behind by the original tenants.

 

13-Down in the room.



14-This was either the entrance or an escape route in case of an attack. I dont really know. I do know that it was a lot of work making this nice rectangular 8 foot passage. This is the view from inside the room.



15-This shot is from the outside.



16-An oasis down in the canyon taken from where I camped.

 

17-My puppies cooling off after our hike around the base of the bluff. I figured that they'd need to cool off a bit...we were about to hike 400 feet in elevation back up onto the bluff.



18-Two-Spot is certainly enjoying himself.



19-Between the two outcroppings you can make out a sliver of light. That's our route back up to the top.



20-In the ravine itself. Almost back to the top. (Pant-pant-gasp. I REALLY need to quit smoking.)