RV Living The Nomad Life

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:43 pm

I was wondering if any burners do any full time RV living? I have grown tired of my job and my life in Reno and have been pondering buying an RV, taking my dog and touring North America. Working when I need money in what ever city I'm in. Ideally i think it would be awesome to start on my journey right after the burn and end it the next years burn.
Any tips or just thoughts about it would be greatly appriciated.

regionalchaos · Post by **regionalchaos** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:54 pm

My friends aunt does this. Apparently she loves it.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:09 pm

bdeywoo wrote:I was wondering if any burners do any full time RV living? I have grown tired of my job and my life in Reno and have been pondering buying an RV, taking my dog and touring North America. Working when I need money in what ever city I'm in. Ideally i think it would be awesome to start on my journey right after the burn and end it the next years burn.
Any tips or just thoughts about it would be greatly appriciated.

I thought about doing this back when I was considering leaving Texas to live on the west coast somewhere. The plan was to buy a travel trailer to pull behind my Tahoe, visit Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and some of the places in-between, and end-up at Burning Man '06, after which I would make a decision about where to go live and work for the next few years (or maybe forever). In fact, I was going to start a blog about what it's like to "hit the road for a while" since that seems to be a common desire among the disaffected.

Because I'll be changing career fields eventually this year I decided to just stay here because it'll be a lot easier than trying to move AND change career fields at the same time.

My plan didn't include being able to find work wherever I was (I was going to lean on savings). Honestly, I really don't think that it's realistic to think you're going to be able to find short-term employment wherever you are. Most employers hire illegal immigrants for that kind of work nowdays. I could be wrong and if I am I'd hope someone would correct me but it's not something I would rely on for income if I were you. It SEEMS that most people who are full-time RV nomads are either retired doing it on savings and pensions or people who travel with trade shows, etc. for a living.

If you're seriously considering it you should ask around on the message board here: http://www.rv.net/forum/ . LOTS of RV'ers on there including some who do it full time and there might even be some who are doing what you want to do. It's a very active and friendly forum; I go there for all my RV questions. Here's the "full time RV'ing" forum: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... rum/33.cfm

Let us know what you decide! I'd be interested in hearing how it goes.

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:27 pm

Thanks hugh, Ya thought about the "immagrant work" too. Mostly it would be on savings but I am lucky enough to have a couple of close friends and relatives with businesses sprawled around the country who have already commited to some "hard under the table labor" but really the majority of it would come from savings. i kinda figure I may just end up somewhere I like and stay or come back to jolly old Reno. Of course this has been on my mind for a year or so now and i'm finding the "thought' much easier than the "action" of doing it.
I'll def check out those forums.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:22 pm

There's also a huge mailing list/forum gig called FOTR (Families On The Road) comprised of folk who do this part and full time. Awesome resource, found them when I was living in Sacto and working down here, tho a lot were either transient workers or retirees.

bb

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:44 pm

http://www.monk.com/display.php?p=Home

tweetybird · Post by **tweetybird** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:47 pm

travelling is great and inspirining and magic and beautiful as it is trying & frustrating. i have done a great deal and in all forms (international on buses/hitchhiking/car/following the dead/travelling at times with lotsa $ and others without. i haev however not done it with an rv but nonetheless will throw in my 2 bits on travel. after 2 months of it most want a homebase. if you are going with soemone make sure you can withsatnd the pressures of the road-being with them 24/7 etc. national forests are your best bet but may be an issue with an rv. things to think about: price of gas, diet is hard to maintian on the road, staying in touch, it helps to be a jack of all trades to pick up work, networking with burners around the country would be your biggest asset. if you have the means and oppurtunity do it but it does wear you down and once you get bit by the travels bug it will always stay with you or you may find a place that you want to setle down. when you find a cool spot stay for a while and really see it. i went to central and south america last winter with the intention of going from san diego to santiago chile and hit a wall in ecuador and came back to the states. it is better to really see one region than to go all over searching for a better place. after a while you will want the comforts of home and familiar faces and normalcy(to an extent). do it. wander but make sure you have a place to go back to if $ runs out or rv burns up or you break up etc. the worst part about travel is the reurn when you have limited $, resources and it is cold. once i went to asia and returned to freezing cold weather with $10 to my name, an uninsured vw filled with all my stuff literally thrown in it and had been fired from my last job. i ended up lving in it while it was -5 outside and selling plasma so i could eat. moral of the story is set aside a chunk of cash to hit up on the flipside. anyway be on your way.....

can't sit still · Post by **can't sit still** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:55 pm

Tweetybird, that story was so good it was worth telling twice. I did some of the same stuff. Headed for Tierra del Fuego,,,crapped out in Lima.
Did Europe and the Overland with Topdeck. Oz on Australia Pacific.

Worked 10 yrs taking motorhome caravans to Mex. and Alaska. My best year was 10 mo. in a sleeping bag. Did motrocycle caravans too but ,that involved more blood.

Single travel is sometimes a bit dicey. It mostly has to do with health. I was on a bus from Dal lake to Jammu and I wanted them to leave me on the side of the road to die.

I've met hundreds of full-timers. If you have some blue-collar skills that you're really good at, you can get work easily. I haven't seen any migrant labor guys who could build custom cabinets or re-wire a house. or build a shop. If you can fix boats, you'll never struggle to find work.

There are other alternatives to think about. http://caretaker.org/sample_listings.php
http://www.floatplan.com/

Life is too short.
I've found that if you walk into a building supply or truck parts place, they always know someone who needs help that has some brains.

You need a self-contained rig at least 20 ft long[for 1 person]. You need this size for your long term sanity. Don't tow, carry a scooter. Look for a job that is centered around a project. Finish it and hit the road ,,,,or stay for another project[or a woman] If you just pull out from an unfinished job, it will be hard to come back when needed.

If you're a member of Lions or some other service club, they'll sometimes let you hook up at their building. They'll help with a job too.

I spent most of 15 years on the road. It's fun , but it's not for everyone.
Dan

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:44 pm

bdeywoo wrote:Thanks hugh, Ya thought about the "immagrant work" too. Mostly it would be on savings but I am lucky enough to have a couple of close friends and relatives with businesses sprawled around the country who have already commited to some "hard under the table labor" but really the majority of it would come from savings. i kinda figure I may just end up somewhere I like and stay or come back to jolly old Reno. Of course this has been on my mind for a year or so now and i'm finding the "thought' much easier than the "action" of doing it.
I'll def check out those forums.

Well, another thing you might think about is the same thing but more slowly -- that is, stay longer in one place at a time while still not settling in one place -- you still get the psychological effect of wandering and not feeling tied down but you get to know where you are, get to know people, etc. Not sure if I'd tell people who don't know that I'm wandering, though -- people might be less friendly if they knew you weren't sticking around. I dunno.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:53 pm

Oh yeah something else I thought about -- if you are going to do this, do it with a truck / trailer combination. This is what I was going to do instead of an actual RV. The downside is you can't ride in the trailer while it's moving (e.g., passengers), but the upside is that you can park the trailer and take the truck to work/shop/explore, etc. The other upside is probably gas mileage (particularly if you're doing the homebase/explore concept as suggested). Also, if it's just you and someone else, you probably don't need a trailer bigger than 20' or so. Ebay seems to be a good source for trailers until the spring (it seems people sell their old ones in winter and get new ones for the spring/summer season). One HUGE upside of the truck/trailer combo is that getting a truck fixed is a LOT easier and cheaper than getting an RV fixed (a specialty). Also, I think trailer parking at national parks and RV parks is cheaper than RV parking. Finall, since there's no engine and other expensive and complicated things on a travel trailer to break, you'll get a lot more for your money with a travel trailer than you will with an RV. Can you tell I've looked into this? (For burning man and for the whole "hittin the road" thing.)

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:59 pm

I've considered doing the same thing, only my plan involves working for 3 months and living off the savings for the rest year, and then going back to the seasonal work, rinse, repeat.

I think Hughmungus is right on about the trailer vs. RV, however, there are other options.

I really like the Dodge Sprinter Vans (originally made as Mercedes), they're diesel, get 30mpg, have high-top versions (big enough to stand up in), and have plenty of room for 1 person. They are pretty plain looking, so you won't get hassled should you need to sleep in a parking lot at night (unlike an RV or trailer). They're pretty expensive right now(about $30k new) because they're still new-ish and haven't really caught on in the U.S. like they have in Europe.

You can buy the cargo van version and customize it however you like, add shelves, a bed, a hammock, a fridge, whatever. I prefer that over the usually hokey set ups of most trailers/rvs (a bunch of crap I don't need or want and weird stuff that only works to sell it on a showroom floor).

http://www.dodge.com/sprinter/
check it out: http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp ... e_number=1

can't sit still · Post by **can't sit still** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:03 pm

Chai , you're right about the Mercedes. I originally looked at the 406 D mercedes van. The big drawback to trailers is that tons of free camps only have small spaces. I spent most of 15 yrs on the road. The best vehicle is the one that serves you best.
Dan

RV Reporter · Post by **RV Reporter** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:44 pm

Hi,
I'm a reporter for RV Living magazine (www.rv-living.com) and we're doing a story about people who bring their RVs to Burning Man. I'm looking for anyone who'd like to be interviewed about your RV experiences on the Playa. I think it would only take 10-15 minutes on the phone. Write me at [email protected].
Thanks!
Russell

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:32 pm

RV Reporter wrote:Hi, I'm a reporter for RV Living magazine...

... and you need to check your messages.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:05 pm

WTF?

Hi,
I'm a reporter for RV Living magazine (www.rv-living.com) and we're doing a story about people who bring their RVs to Burning Man. I'm looking for anyone who'd like to be interviewed about their RV experiences on the Playa. I think it would only take 10-15 minutes on the phone. If you're interested, write me at [email protected].
Thanks!
Russell

Great. Eplaya SPAM. Post your request in the thread and wait for comments...which usually arrive. I hope this isn't the start of a trend.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:13 pm

Kinetic IV wrote:WTF?

Hi,
I'm a reporter for RV Living magazine (www.rv-living.com) and we're doing a story about people who bring their RVs to Burning Man. I'm looking for anyone who'd like to be interviewed about their RV experiences on the Playa. I think it would only take 10-15 minutes on the phone. If you're interested, write me at [email protected].
Thanks!
Russell

Great. Eplaya SPAM. Post your request in the thread and wait for comments...which usually arrive. I hope this isn't the start of a trend.

So you got the PM too? Looks like he spamed it everywhere...

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 6:57 am

Got me too. I told him to buy a ticket and just go.

Post by **actiongrl** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:36 am

You guys, that's ridiculous. "Post a comment in a thread and wait for replies" is HOW YOU USE THE EPLAYA TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE YOU WANT TO KNOW.

A reporter wants to talk to burners who RV. I sent him here and even warned him that some people might react to the old tent-vs-RV argument, but that it was the obvious place to go put a PERFECTLY FREAKING HARMLESS request for someone who wanted to talk to burners who RV; if you don't want to reply, don't reply! He's not selling you anything, and there is nothing wrong with him telling his story.

If you don't have anything nice to say about a perfectly reasonable request, can I please at LEAST ask you guys to not email the poor man and be assholes?

This place...my word.

Post by **actiongrl** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:39 am

Does it even occur to you that some users of this place might actually WANT to tell a journalist their story about how they transformed their RV into a giant robot and took it to the desert because they're RV enthusiasts and, perhaps, even readers of the magazine?

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:41 am

AG,

I don't think you have the whole story here, people aren't angry because he posted in this thread (which I agree is a totally appropriate place to do so), people are upset that he pm'd the same request to many, many people, which is kinda the definition of spam.

Thanks!

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 9:40 am

It was the PM that bothered me too. I thought I framed a polite reply, but really, PMing everyone just in case we've been in RVs and want to tell our story isn't rude?

And I stick by my reply: go to Burning Man and add your own story to what folks tell you.

I thought I did quite well resisting the impulse to make up a nice long ficticious story ala MITM.

Post by **actiongrl** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:47 am

OK, so PMs from strangers who ask about a topic you seem to be interested in is spam. Got it.

I was mostly talking to Kinetic, by the way.

AntiM, THANK YOU for choosing to politely respond to the behavior, anyway...lately I have been mourning the loss of our manners when we get online, so I'm glad someone is still carrying the torch.

If the conversation was in person, it would go like this:
"Hey, I'm a reporter, can I talk to you about something you seem to be interested in?" "No, thanks."

It's not that hard. I'm sorry to be so emphatic, but this is a raw nerve for me right now. Thanks you guys.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:59 am

OK, so PMs from strangers who ask about a topic you seem to be interested in is spam. Got it.

Uh, no, mass unsolicited requests for people to provide you with content for your paid job as a reporter is SPAM. (Especially after you've already posted the request 2X on the board within minutes of sending the PMs).

The eplaya is not unlike a party. You wouldn't run up to every person in the room and ask them the same question that you had already addressed to the group at large. The polite thing to do would be to wait until the people who wished to discuss the issue approached you. Reporters aren't immune from having manners, and sometimes when people are rude, they get a rebuke.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:02 am

P.S.

When I first received the PM, I assumed that it was sent to me because I had just posted in the RV thread, I responded politely and even forwarded his message to a few burner friends that have RV's.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:12 am

actiongrl wrote:OK, so PMs from strangers who ask about a topic you seem to be interested in is spam. Got it.

If it was personal, as in a person to person request then no because thats the nature of Private messages. When its the same cut-and-paste request made to everyone, its not personal, and thats what the board is for.

But yes, I understand the reaction on the board could be better. I think what you are seeing is more a reaction to this persons misunderstanding of PM's that is seen as spam.

I think its also a reaction to the spamming bot problem that has people a little trigger happy, it does me.

Post by **actiongrl** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:31 am

Makes total sense. Russell's a nice enough fella. I"m talking to him over email and I have someone who is excited to talk to them about how her Tiki RV went to Burning Man and is now in service of Hurricane Katrina victims, since our man Thumper bought it, and has traveled to Biloxi with the Temple to Temple crew, and has been living in it since the event. There's a story, huh?

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:40 am

Sounds reasonable, if needed I can send an email explaining the reaction so there is not harsh feelings.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:03 pm

Hmm. I'm an asshole. Nice AG.
The posts from others covers it pretty well, I happen to like the fact that he's on here as he can learn things that he can take back and write about...for example tricks for coping with the wind and dust that would be of great benefit to many people who use RV's throughout the Southwestern United States. My objection was to the use of PM's especially when they are broadcasted out to so many people.

I find it interesting that this is the second time in only a few days that someone from the ORG has sent someone over here and they got a very chilly reception. Playaquest did it with the Nevada Ranch post, now we have this. Now I know the ORG staff is busy but perhaps they could squeeze in a few minutes from time to time to drop in over here....and they would have a much better understanding of how the board seems to work. It sure would be nice to have Senior Staff see firsthand some of the problems that Emily, SB and others keep asking for help with....help that is slow to arrive or never comes.

And with that this AG designated asshole will shut up.

Cabanasprings · Post by **Cabanasprings** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:37 pm

Hey Action:

Thanks bundles for your opinions on proper e-playa manners. Great delivery too by the way.

Have your new friends read this thread before they approach the E-playa.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=12064
(How many posts must you make to be accepted?)

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:43 pm

WOW who woulda thought my rapidly approaching mid-life crisis would be cannon fodder for such a deep conversation.

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