New Wheels

Announcement: In March, I bought a van. Right now it’s at a local shop to remove the seat rails from the floor, and the headliner from the roof. This is necessary disassembly before I get it ready for camping.

Purchased from Pahrump Chevrolet on March 7, 2020.

Prius’ Future: I will keep my Prius because I really love it and will continue to use it as much as possible. The Prius will be my vacation “cottage” 😊.

Although the van is larger, I hope to maintain a minimalist lifestyle.

Reasons for a Van: I've always considered myself living out of the Prius except to drive, sleep, do personal hygiene, and for storage. Since I started my work with Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA), however, I'm inside a lot more to use the computer. So, I find myself not setting up my kitchen to cook, nor standing up and moving about as much. Plus, I have a cargo trailer that I can't tow. (Many thanks to my assistant Phyllis for pulling it when used for HOWA business.)

The headliner will be removed to put on a 16" fiberglass high top from
http://Fiberine.com  I'll be able to stand up inside to cook!

The Purchase: For those 3 reasons -- to cook, stand, and tow – I started looking for a van about a year ago. One of my search criteria was to find a van from a private party in NV to avoid dealer prices and sales tax. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find one from a private seller. So, I finally broke down and got a van from the Pahrump Chevrolet dealer. Except for the higher costs, the buying experience was a positive one.

Before we took all of the bench seats out.

Other Pros & Cons: Although I plan to keep my minimalist lifestyle, I will still incur additional costs with the van. Fuel usage will be much greater than the Prius. Plus, I'll need to purchase and install a solar power system to keep devices charged, loosing that benefit of the Prius as well. My insurance and registration costs increase, as does my carbon footprint. But, the van has much higher ground clearance to go further into the back country which I love. And, I now have room for a dog companion when the time is right.

The floor after taking out the bench seats, and before
 the rails (under carpet) are removed. 

The Build: I plan to do a no-build build by using furnishings I already have. I’ll try different configurations until I find the best set-up for me and my needs. Unfortunately, removing the bench seat attachments from the floor, and taking down the headliner with its air bags has been a challenge. Thankfully, I found a local shop to do that prep work for me.

Here are some details:

• 2016 Chevrolet Express Passenger Van RWD 2500 LT
• White, Regular Wheelbase, 36000 miles
• 6.0L V8 Vortec engine, 6-speed heavy-duty automatic transmission for towing
• Passenger van for windows all around, 6 of the 10 windows open
• Regular wheelbase for a tighter turning radius than an extended length
• Purchased with funds from my cashed-out Roth IRA, owned by myself (not HOWA)
• Plan to:
• Mount running boards,
• Install a hitch to tow my 6x10' cargo trailer,
• Keep all windows unobstructed to retain my view and connection to the outside,
• Make curtains and screens for privacy and airflow without bugs,
• Insulate interior plastic panels and trim, as possible,
• Have a plywood floor put in, secured to van floor, and covered with sheet vinyl,
• Do a no-build build with items purchased when I tried living in my cargo trailer,
• Attach furniture and other items to plywood floor for safety,
• Purchase a Fiberine 16" Aerodynamic High-Top, reinforced for storage, solar & roof vent,
• Get a 100W solar power system to charge 12v electronics (no fridge or 110v items), and
• Store my Prius in Pahrump for errands, and for long and/or fun trips.

In Closing:  I’ve camped in lots of different ways. I’ve been mobile living out of my Prius since 2009, full-time since 2017. In addition, I’ve camped under the stars, in tents, a teardrop trailer, Class C motorhome, and a converted cargo trailer. So far nothing has suited me like the Prius. Although well thought out, transitioning into this van still comes with some unknowns. So, I consider this new situation an exploration of possibilities and comfort. My hope is that it’ll be a good fit for me.

Life Remains Good

Since I haven't posted in almost a year, I thought I'd give you an update.

Bob and Suanne on a You Tube Video talking about 

Homes On Wheels Alliance's Emergency Fund for Nomads. 8/19

After 10 years of retirement, my good friend Bob Wells and I co-founded a nonprofit called Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA), which is a 501(c)3.  I am the Executive Director and Bob is the President.  We are building a Board of Trustees of eleven members.  We help those in need within the mobile community.  As with any start-up, the hours are long and work challenging.  Yet, the rewards have been great.  Not only do I love our mission, but I enjoy and admire the people I work with.  And, to top it off, I've been able to remain a nomad, spending lots of time in nature.

An amazing rock formation called "Feathers," hundreds of feet tall 

over a campground at Frenchman's Coulee in Washington State.  

Found while scouting for Caravan locations, 7/19.

HOWA's first birthday is in a week and I'm proud to say we have already helped several people and are currently accepting applications for three other fully-funded programs -- Nomad Emergencies, Minivan "Home On Wheels," and Solar Panel Kits.

In addition to the above efforts, HOWA has an active Caravan Program, where those in the mobile community can meet up and camp with others.  Furthermore, we are deep into the planning of the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, large gatherings where we expect at least 9,000 people who attend to learn and build community together in the Desert Southwest in January.

A dirt road in New Mexico, amazing views while scouting

Caravan locations, 3/19.

As you can tell, this is not my typical blog post from my retirement years.  One day I'll get back to the luxury of travel by whimsy.  Yet, for now, what I'm doing is equally fulfilling and liberating.  HOWA's work is truly important, my colleagues are a joy to be around, and the community connections have been amazing.  People are good.  Nature remains my solace.

When I decided to take the Executive Director's position, I knew my life would radically change.  I fully expected that I would get back into working long hours and take an active leadership role.  I also knew that this position would require me to become a public figure.  That's been a transition as an introvert who had previously preferred to lead an unobserved life.  Although I'll continue to grow in this role, I'm accepting its changes and challenges.

I love being in my Prius during a rain, the sound on my roof.

Here is the location of our last Minivan Build (across the way), 6/19.

Even though I'm an introvert, I've always liked to perform and teach.  So, the little bit I've shared the camera and stage with Bob (already a full-on public figure) has been kind of fun.  The challenges for me come from being recognized in public, which is kind of unsettling.  Typically people are truly appreciative.  The hardest part, as expected, is being openly critiqued, criticized, and hated on.  That hasn't happened too much; but, as with all negative comments, they take on a life in my head that becomes larger than the many positive comments put together.

My skin is growing thicker.  I'm ignoring the haters and listening to helpful critiques.  Most importantly, I'm focusing on those who I want to help.

Full-time nomading, aka vanlife, vandwelling, rving, is coming into its own in the media.  For example, Bob was recently interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning, a couple of documentary film makers are sharing a camp with a Caravan right now, and a major motion picture about this lifestyle is in post production.  Who would have thought!  I'm glad for the publicity.

Taking a nice break in a forest at sunset in Western Washington State, 7/19.

For all of the camping lifestyle's inconveniences, the benefits -- being in nature, traveling the backroads, sharing campfires among friends, and its affordability -- make it a way of living that I want to promote.   It's the antithesis experience to our society's consumerism, turmoil, distrust, and readiness to fight.   Here, I have the freedom to just to be.  Here, I've found like-minded others.  Here, I embrace myself.  And, if I don't like "here," I've got the wheels to move.

Like a Tall Glass of Water

Maple Bay State Forest, August 25, 2018

I'm calmer now -- sitting, surrounded, quiet.  Just a half hour ago I knew I had to get out, or get to.  I'm not sure which, maybe both.

What has happened to me?  I've changed.  Or, maybe I'm just now letting myself be myself, know myself.

For this past week, I've been in Small Town America visiting loved ones.   And I've been camping in a fairly upscale RV park next to a small patch of woods.  Yet ...

Yosemite National Park's Tunnel View, 2009 

A half hour ago every cell in my body was crying out to leave, to return to my home. Not a conventional home or place, but Primal Nature.  You may think I'm talking about "Nature" as something like the famous Tunnel View at Yosemite which is truly spectacular, awe inspiring, and primal.  But, I'm really talking about places that are much more ubiquitous.

Redwood National Park, 2011

  It's the "being" that I crave -- the "being with," "being in" nature, that feeling of smallness and completeness under a forest's canopy, within a desert's sprawling vastness, or beneath the Milky Way's arch in an intensely dark and bejeweled sky.

Joshua Tree National Park, 2010 

For right this minute, though, I've found an ancient forest.  A small patch this state has set aside.  I found it on my way to a possible dispersed camping spot.  I stopped on a whim after seeing signs on the highway.  I followed a rough, overgrown road to its end.  I don't have the required recreation pass to be here; so, I won't stay longer than it takes me to make this blog post.

Maple Bay State Forest, August 25, 2018

But, I'm calmer now, satiated.  This feeling is similar to when I've been dehydrated, drank a tall glass of water, and experienced that visceral sense of satisfaction -- meeting an exact need, exactly the way it needed to be met.  Every cell in my body says "thank you." 

Drinking it in.  August 25, 2018

The satiation is real, but temporary.  When I leave here, I know I'll need to spend more time in nature again, just as I'll need to drink water again.