My new Condo next month

[Ichingcarpenter]

A few of you know I'm getting foreclosed on.

I'm trading in my car for it even-steven. I have about 30 days before they remove my stuff
from my condo. I've been fighting the foreclosure since December and decided that
since a few the condos here are being auctioned at way below market value and
others are not selling, I'm gonna cut my loses and go on the road. I will have
more to live off of without my mortgage payment.

I hope to make the trade this weekend.

[seemslikeadream]

1. That is exactly what I have been looking at to buy!

:hi:

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Its an 81 ford

Low miles and looks aerodynamically modern. They say it has just 67k miles on it.

I will see it tomorrow.

[Cant trust em]

2. If this van's a rockin....nt

[babylonsister]

3. Wow.

Do you plan on checking out other states? Might even be a freeing experience-who needs all that stuff anyway. I hope you bring your computer with you. Keep us posted, Ichingcarpenter, and good luck!

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. I just formulated the plan today and will see the rig tomorrow.

The only thing about the computer is getting free wi-fi on the road and campgrounds.
I do plan to travel to other states a little at a time.

[snappyturtle]

4. Good for you! Sorry to hear about your foreclosure though. That must

be tough. We're barely hanging on here so we may meet you down the road! If that happens, I'm going to view it as an adventure and enjoy everyday.

[Ellipsis]

5. Sweet! n/t

[EFerrari]

6. We've been having the same battle here.

You'll have to tell me how you like your new wheels.

[eleny]

8. Do look into being a campground host at Federal campgrounds

They look for responsible people to host at the campgrounds. You can do it all year round if willing to travel here and there. That way you can stay in warm climates.

You'll be a "full timer" now. Lots of folks doing that on purpose.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

Edited to add: Also check with KOA campgrounds. They look for campers to work for them, too. That way you can get wifi and other convenient hookups.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Excellent idea

I'll look into it.

[eleny]

10. Yes and do read my edit as well about KOA campgrounds

:hug:

[Ichingcarpenter]

19. KOA campgrounds cost $30 a night

So, I don't think I'll do that often.

[GentryDixon]

22. The Federal and State campgrounds are very reasonable.

You can also invest about $20.00 for a Woodalls or Trailer Life camp directory. They give all the amenities, price etc. Most now have WIFI and cable.

Good luck!

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. Thanks I will do a search ..... this is all new to me.

I appreciate your input and support.

I finally broke down a little today and shed a few tears.
It felt good

[blues90]

26. $30 per night ? jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to park and sleep . hell , I would just roll into some wallyworld parking lot and if anyone bugged me I'd tell them I broke down waiting for the repair truck to arrive then blow out in the morning. Or pull off the main highway and park off some road away from people and sleep with a gun.

[Ichingcarpenter]

29. Never owned a gun except for a 22

But I'm thinking about a handgun after this weekend
and being on the road alone. I have been rated as a sharpshooter years ago.

I'm also looking at a small electric or gas powered bike/scooter too.

I haven't figured out my intererary but plan on going to state and national parks.
I'm not too hot on cities. Anyway this conversation helps getting my mind
around what the fuck I'm doing.

[blues90]

36. yes , it will be different being on the road .

But the truckers do it and there are many other people out there in RV's. Get an XM radio just to stay connected to some of the shows and that will keep familar voices around. It was 1981 but we did find independant places to park over night at maybe some still exist.

Still I do feel parking in some 24/7 huge lot will let you go un-noticed.

It does help to have someone to share the experience with but being alone is an adventure but you never know what the road trip will bring , you just never know.

It beats the hell out of being stuck in some room share deal or most other options out there and you get to decide when to move , when to stop and how long if it looks good.

You can bypass the cities and travel through states depending on where you are headed that are more with open space , we went through the center of the US from FL to Calif through Kansas and farm lands and trust me there is lots of open space out there to pull over in.

All I knw if I were in your position that's the option I would take , the RV life because there are no ties.

[dysfunctional press]

32. i think that for that $30 you also get electric and water hook-up...?

:shrug:

but $900/month could probably pay for a decent apartment.

[Ichingcarpenter]

34. I think I will do that once a week

My neighbor offered me a room for at half as much but I think in the long term
I need to really look at my options for long term help.

[Greyhound]

12. You know, that is looking pretty appealing to me right now as well.

Gas prices will suck, but the idea of getting rid of all my shit...

I hope it works for you and please check in from time to time, I enjoy your posts.

[Fireweed247]

13. you know that really sucks...

...but at the same time that looks like fun! Want to get away from the bad economy and sucky society altogether?
Have you considered a trip up the Alaskan highway?...ever seen a world without fences and billboards? I drove up from Cali after college....never could return to my former way of being...there are camping spots everywhere-for FREE! in the most beautiful places you can imagine and then some!

[tabatha]

14. Good luck. It could be a neat experience.

[LSK]

15. you might want to get familiar with this messageboard

http://www.rv.net/forum

I have been thinking about the RV thing also. My parents do it half the year already.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. I'll bookmark the link

I feel this is the best way to do the Grapes of Wrath thing
while I can

[shanti]

24. i'm sorry about your foreclosure tho - that really sucks

you may be on the cusp of a national trend tho:) hopefully, it can be a positive experience for you.

[shanti]

23. my parents did it too for about 10 years.

until dad got sick and couldn't travel anymore. they had a fifth wheel and then sold it. they loved being snowbirds and traveled all over the u.s.

[Ichingcarpenter]

27. Well, this isn't the old days my pension was almost wiped out.

its more of a survival thing since I have a very limited budget now.

Travel will have to be slow for me.

I do appreciate your input.

[blues90]

17. Looks like a good move.

A bit over a year ago I was looking at RV's so my wife and I and 4 cats would have at least a roof and some were cheap on the internet listings. Old ones but cheap. I have already gotten rid of almost all of my stuff.

Trouble was at the time the gas was so high that we would have to drive a bit and wait because most RV's get about 8 MPG. I have an old vw that's worth something to someone which I was going to sell.

If it were just me I would have done it but my wife was not ready for this sort of life and it is not just my decision.

We don;t have a house to pay but our rent is not so cheap so we barely hang on there and now it's quit smoking time so we can continue to get through this or we will be living in the VW squareback.

These are some really scary times and some actually many have no options.

When we moved from horrid southern FL to L.A. I had a 69 ford econoline E-300 and I fitted it with a mattress over lift out plywood panels and under it we stored what little we had and stayed at KOA campgrounds and it was ok , $8 per night and many had showers but then we were only in out early 30's and that was 30 years ago.

I wish I kept a van to this day if I could have kept it somewhere and I was looking for something to drive that was not a gas hog and sold the van in 1991. You just never know where life will take you or where you will end up , all to do with hind sight and the shock of the last 8 years.

These days freedom seems best , freedom to move at will and not have to decide what you can keep and what you can sell and what you have to leave behind or pack any of it up , just get behind the wheel and drive off. Hell Yeah.

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. Well, it looks OK but I'm getting it inspected by a Mechanic Monday

Still a scary transition, but I've had neighbors this weekend that will help me sell my stuff. I hope to make
my way east to visit family then finally sell the sucker and move to Denmark in late spring.

I'll keep you informed on the RV after I have it inspected Monday.

[EFerrari]

20. DENMARk?! Good god. That's a big change.

Your pix remind me of the Airstream I lived in on the ranch for a couple of years except your RV is twice as big.

I was very happy in that little space. It felt great to unload all that STUFF.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. My Kids are Danish/American

I can get help due my kids being Danes/American and the Maastricht Treaty

[EFerrari]

28. It must be nice to live in a country that honors treaties!

:)

[Robbien]

30. Interesting choice

A complete life change.

So glad to see you found this opportunity. Keeping my fingers crossed that everything checks out okay.

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. Opportunity in a crisis....wei ji

Is just looking at a precarious moment

Number 64 in the Iching


THE JUDGMENT

BEFORE COMPLETION. Success.
But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing,
Gets his tail in the water,
There is nothing that would further.

The conditions are difficult. The task is great and full of responsibility. it is nothing less than that of leading the world out of confusion back to order. but it is a task that promises success, because there is a goal that can unite the forces now tending in different directions. At first, however, one must move warily, like an old fox walking over ice. The caution of a fox walking over ice is proverbial in China. His ears are constantly alert to the cracking of the ice, as he carefully and circumspectly searches out the safest spots. A young fox who as yet has not acquired this caution goes ahead boldly, and it may happen that he falls in and gets his tail wet when he is almost across the water. then of course his effort has been all in vain. Accordingly, in times “before completion,” deliberation and caution are the prerequisites of success.


excuse me but I've started drinking a little beer and smoking a little
and that's what I rolled.

[Born_A_Truman]

33. If you're looking for free, check out Niland (Slab City)

http://www.slabcity.org/

My folks used to go there years ago and "California Gold" did a show on it on PBS. It's a bit rough around the edges and there are some real characters there but it's free.

I know many of the private camp grounds are limiting the ages of RVs to newer models and that sucks, so check that part out online or in the RV campground manual suggested.

I don't know if the national parks pass gives a discount on camping but check that out as well.

I would love to just sell everything and travel around the US and see the country but my husband isn't into it at all. Maybe someday he'll change his mind.

[Ichingcarpenter]

37. What a great place to check out

Many thanks on that one. It even fits on the route going east.

[Mike 03]

35. I'm sorry you are going through this trauma. It must be awful. But your decision seems very

creative and liberating. I hope things work out really well for you. This could be exciting and positive.

[Ichingcarpenter]

41. 'Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.'

'We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.'

I really wish I could get a banker's bailout, I really do and not have to change
that much. But I've been talking about moving to Denmark/Europe since 2004
but decided to stay and help change things for 2006. I've warned DU
about the coming depression/meltdown but didn't take my own advice and
sell my condo back then after it was burned down by an arsonist
and then restored, I could have gotten a decent profit.


I WARNED DU ABOUT THE BANK LOANS FROM THE FEDS
AND THE LOSS OF M3



http://www.nowandfutures.com/articles/20060426M3b,_repos_&_Fed_watching.html

THIS WAS A BIG ONE:

Fed added in temporary reserves to the banking system :

http://search.us.reuters.com/rsearch/rcomSearch.do?blob=Fed+added++in+temporary+reserves+to+the+banking+system+&site=US&srch_Tab=&srch_Results=&srch_MoreResults=

[greendog]

38. Get yourself a Free Campground Guide

http://www.freecampgrounds.com/fcwright.html

I used guides like this to save a lot of money several years ago when I spent 6 months on the road.

You can also park in the 'front' lot at many truck stops. Leave the truck parking out back for the 18 wheelers. Also, Wal-mart allows RV parking at many of their locations.

[Dappleganger]

39. Try to get free wireless

many McDonald's and Panera offer free wifi. Here's a good website to do a search:
http://www.openwifispots.com/

If you don't have a computer with you then you can also go online at an Apple Store, public libraries or universities. You may even be able to sneak into a motel lobby and use their customer computer which they often have in their lounge areas.

I hope you keep a blog, too. You can use Google documents to keep it online and then upload to many free blogging sites. Consider signing up for a Twitter account and encouraging your friends to join so that you can twitter updates along the way.

Best of luck!

[Ichingcarpenter]

42. I've looked into the computer and wi-fi thing and found your link

It is a critical link to my mental and physical survival, is open free access to the internet
while on this personal journey of my life.


I have 40 films on my hard drives and
have already converted and committed all of my music, film and photographs to Digital
but have kept the hard copy. I think a lot of the hard copies will be expendable now.
I've even converted some of my medical record to digital.


I plan to by an iPod Touch, so I can put it on my Dash and pick
up hot spots. I can use VOIP skype on the iPod touch
to talk to Europe and other people that use skype.


The iTouch also as an application like the iPhone that
gives a audio warning when one is near. My iPod doesn't have that.

If the signal is good enough then I can do a sit down video conference
with my iMac on the RV's kitchen table.

See?........ I'm already decorating my new condo
I appreciate that.



But I really appreciate the live blogging and twitter idea.
I've had people for years tell me I needed to blog

OK, the next step for me.

[Dappleganger]

47. that's a great plan

Being a Mac person myself, the Touch has been invaluable to me. It has great wireless reception and have never had issues with it picking up public signals. There are a ton of free apps so that it can help you stay organized and in touch.

Just make sure you keep an off-site backup of everything in case you're in an accident or the van gets burgled. That would be horrible! :(
Dropbox is free and you can upload a bunch of stuff to Google as well.

[bonito]

40. Getting a replacement motor or trany for that would be no problem

Anywhere, and not expensive either, I think your good to go and am envious.

[Ichingcarpenter]

43. Hey...... I thought about that

I bought a 81 FORD 150 Truck New, I liked the Truck except for the battery.

Chrysler and Ford had a lot of RVs Van Conversions, GM
not that much.

Parts and repair will be cheaper...
Man, I hope mechanically checks out.

I was also told today that I need to
check out the RVs electrical and
plumbing.

That's why the inspection Monday

[bonito]

45. Cool if your in my neck of the woods be sure to check in

I'll fix you up on the cheep in no time,and with a few beers in the pm.

[BlooInBloo]

44. Yikes. Rood Ruck!

[MagickMuffin]

46. Check out this blog: The Adventures of Tioga and George

http://www.vagabonders-supreme.net/blog/blog.html

George has been RVing since '84. He travels around the country and blogs about his adventures on the road. He has a lot of useful info but traveling and where to stay for living cheaply.

I've been wanting to do this for years, but as it is now I have way to much stuff (hard to downsize) and never had the money for the purchase of a Class C RV.

[Buns_of_Fire]

48. Don't forget Desert Dutch!

Free Campgrounds in Southern California / DesertDutch.org He does a lot of free/low-cost camping, and has taken mucho pictures along Route 66 (as well as in Slab City). Fascinating guy, with a bright orange (!) RV.

You might also want to check out:
http://fulltimerver.com/
Beginners Guide to RVing

I know, it's a bitch the way you're getting into it, and you have my sincerest sympathy. But that said, this could be that window that opens when the door closes. (And I'm jealous as hell!)

[riderinthestorm]

49. My dad lived in one very similar to that for 3 years when he retired.

He wanted to travel the US so he bought one of those and lived in it 24/7 for more than 3 years. He loved it. Loved the lifestyle and convenience. You should look into a PO box for mail, or get a relative/friend who will receive it/forward it since getting a job without a permanent address can be tricky.

Good luck. Life CAN be an adventure. Hopefully this part of your life will be as interesting for you as it was for my dad.

[MagickMuffin]

50. Be sure to post after seeing your new set of wheels

You mentioned you would get to see it today, and would like to hear the follow up.