Category Archives: Projects

Anything for a Buck

At the end of it all, I can find categories of sample budgets that can be driven down to zero, the cheapest gas stations and states in which to buy it, and other means to reduce expenditures if you live full time on the road. But there is a key component that hasn’t been talked about it, and it is perhaps the most important: How to make money on the road. In a cost driven world, it seems relatively counter intuitive to just live off your coffers, waiting for the bank statement to bleed to zero and then calling it quits on the journey set out on so many years ago. To live the life to the optimal state, you would want to take the trips you want to take, visit the places you’d like to go, eat at the restaurants you want to try and so on and so forth. I’m sure some couples can scrounge together some dollars instead of just draining their saved accounts from their prior life, but there are couples who are on the road now who are journalists, app developers, lawyers, and other professions who provide income and sustainability to their mobile lifestyles.

Take Jodi Ettenberg from legal nomads (www.legalnomads.com/). She was a lawyer before she got up and left her life in the corporate world for the road. What initially started as a year long journey that revolved around food, she now travels full time in pursuit of her dreams. She works as a freelance writer, in addition to updating her blog her travels keep her busy with writing, and has clearly garnered interest by others who have paid her to write for travel blogs and other online outlets. She also speaks at events, and this comes back to her travels and website, so it appears that maintaining an active online presence is a good start. She lists several ways that people can make money on the road, and I think that several of these are interesting options. The first is a service called WWOOF (https://wwoofusa.org/) which is work exchange on organic farms as means to supplement housing costs.

I personally think this is a great way to produce a living on the road. It offers anybody who wants it a chance to work to offset housing costs, as well as provide food opportunities for those workers. Food is a tremendous cost on the road, and at a place like this you can learn about food, how to prepare it, how to find cheap and still good alternatives to foods you  may have purchased regularly beforehand. I think that a program like this, while spread out currently in the United States, there are several programs in each state, and a good starting off point for income, as well as knowledge of food.

Another aspect she talks about how she makes money living full time is G Adventures, and it involves brand management, and also when you have a partnership with them she writes for their blog. So that comes back to online journalism, which is a popular outlet for income. Since all you need is a laptop (or phone these days, hell maybe even watches soon) to write about your travels, more and more full timers are finding success with blogs, travel journals, and websites who desire their articles and experiences. Brand management is not something I am very much so experienced with, but it involves partnerships with companies that can afford to pay for your travels in exchange for services. That doesn’t necessarily seem as plausible as writing online, but it is an alternative that only requires a laptop or other media device, so it is feasible in a mobile lifestyle.

I think that several opportunities are out there for the taking to provide income on the road. I would like to travel the world and caddy at different country clubs, but that on the other hand is a journey that will have  to wait. In the mean time, it is worth looking at every online writing chance, and goods for services outlet, anything on the road. In a world where prices are ever higher, living off of a bank account can not continue, we must adapt and grow to the changing world around us. So, get out there, write about your travels, work on a farm, whatever it takes, as long as it can keep you on the road for as long as you desire, that is the ultimate goal in the mobile lifestyle.

People are Actually Doing This

One of the biggest things that I gained from peering over the GoRVing Reddit is that real people actually live like this. We knew that micromobility drew the attention of a lot of retirees, families on vacations, and enthusiasts dreaming of giving up their normal lives in search of a life free of burden- on the road.

What we were hoping to find were real people that were doing this full-time. People that were living, working, and succeeding at this lifestyle on the road. Reddit gave some preliminary exposure to a few different types of people doing it.

The Watsons 

http://live.watsonswander.com/

On the front page of GoRVer’s Jeremy and I found a post leading to another blog called WatsonsWander. It’s the blog of Tim and Amanda Watson, a couple in their 30’s who live full time on the road and have been since June, 2012.

Suited up in their 25′ Airstream, they have simultaneously traveled the country and earned a living over the course of their 1035 days, (and counting), on the road. They find it interesting that so many people are always asking them questions as to why they chose this lifestyle, and they really only have one answer: why not? Their sense of adventure and the enjoyment that they got from it was too big for their small town. So, because their types of work allowed it, (Tim-a web developer, and  Amanda a writer of online travel articles), took off. They seem to have it fairly figured out. They face a lot of problems, but they attest to the fact that they can live like this because of the strength of their relationship.

They are huge advocates of the lifestyle and could never turn back to a conventional one. They have installed solar on their roof and have blogged the improvements of their Airstream over time.

Pippi Peterson

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRTQUJWAFkzsxNbFriAZnYA

Pippi is a young woman who lives and works fully on the road. She took a chance on living fully in an RV but took the chance. She wasn’t financially capable of owning her own house or apartment so she bought a used vehicle, she owns her own home, (mobile). Her bills, (in total), are less than $500 a month. I have not found a full explanation as to how she affords this but I am speculating that she funds her travels on blogging, her YouTube Channel (which has over 1.2 million followers), and she belly dances on the side. Her video that explains briefly how she lives like this Workcamping, or working in exchange of utilities, rent, or even goods like propane. She is also a web-designer and a graphic designer but seems to freelance. Pippie also recommends trying to be an extra in films, software developing, or creating an app to support yourself.

Some comments to her videos explain that many people will do book keeping, copy writing, investing, or phone counseling on the road.

Capture

Despite the variability in work; The freedom is the biggest appeal to her. This seems to be why young people try to live these laid-back lifestyles- the freedom to do whatever, go wherever, live whenever, be whoever.

Is it my ignorance of those daring to be different that sees some skepticism in her success with living like this?

Varied Families on the Road

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/quitting-life-to-hit-the-road-in-an-rv-111822306057.html

  • Emily and Mark Fagan
    • Older couple (Emily 54 | Mark 60)
    • Kids had grown, yearning to give up everything for a life on the road.
    • They have been on the road for 8 years.
    • “Travel in Their Blood”
  • The Kellogg Family
    • Family of 14. 14. 14. Two Parents, 12 Kids, and a dog. 14 + Dog.
    • Kids ranging from 2-21 (home schooled)
    • Dan (Father) Software Developer.
  • Becky Schade (30)
    • Works 3-month seasonal retail jobs in National Parks
    • Dates on the Road.
    • Hated 9-5, wanted to live full time on the road.
  • Kristin and Jason Snow
    • 32 year olds, 3 dogs.
    • Kristin-Boondock Marketing- an online digital marketing company.
    • Jason- Works for WordPress.
    • They like Route 66.

 

Can recent college grads live like this too?

Varying Pro’s and Con’s

Everyone seems eager to share their take on pro’s and con’s of mobile living. Here are a few different viewpoints:

Tim and Amanda Watson (http://www.watsonswander.com/who/)

  • Pros:
    • Ease of maneuverability
    • Ability to visit many places where larger trailers and motorhomes can’t go
    • Living together in a small space & spending virtually all of our time together has made us realize the strength of our relationship
    • Easy and quick to clean a house that is under 200 sq. ft.
    • Lack of space means we are forced to adopt a minimalist lifestyle
  • Cons: 
    • Very little room for indoor entertaining
    • No personal space – nothing is private
    • A small mess quickly makes the trailer feel like a disaster zone
    • Lack of space means we have to be selective when it comes to those creative projects that we both love so much

RealDealVillarreal commenting on a GoRVer’s post

http://www.reddit.com/r/GoRVing/comments/31dkc3/living_in_an_rvtravel_trailer/

  • Pros:
    • Cheap living.
    • I also like that it’s not a hotel room,
    • and after you live in your RV for a couple weeks, it starts to feel like home and more comfortable/personal than the alternatives while traveling.
    • It also has a few cool things that my house didn’t have,
      • like a sound system with inside and outdoor speakers.
  • Cons:
    • By far, the worst aspect is the increased maintenance over what you would expect with a conventional home.
    • You need to know a bit about plumbing and electrical, because you will eventually have to fix something;
      • RVs are not really built for full-time living, so things will wear out faster.
      • You also have more on your plate as far as upkeep-
        • “Do I need to go get propane filled today?”
        • “How’s the level of the gray tank?” etc.
    • The physically smaller space can also take some getting used to, but it’s not terrible.

Pippi Peterson- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1EIdQN5rq0

http://thervnomads.com/2014/06/20/the-pros-and-cons-of-full-time-rving/ An abbreviated list.

  • Pros
    • Travel
    • Personal Growth
    • Less stress, lack of routine
    • Simplicity
    • Easy Clean-Up
  • Cons
    • Smell
    • Maintenance
    • Crowded
    • Clutter comes easily
    • Big average generational gap

GoRVing

Exploring Modern RVer’s Through Reddit:

We have looked at a few forums over the course of the semester and have found a lot of information about who inhabits these Micromobile dwellers. Most of these bloggers and posting people have been out of the age group that we’re looking to really understand. The other day I decided to look towards where younger generations post about literally whatever crap they want to: Reddit. For a site that has sub-Reddits of information ranging from the thoughts people have in the shower, “Shower Thoughts”, to pictures of big rocks, “Megalith Porn”, to cooking, animals, current events, and yes- even RV users.

After typing in RV and Reddit to Google, I found the sub-Reddit called GoRVing. The description of the page in the side bar reads: A Reddit dedicated to anyone interested in RVing. From road trips, advice, or buying and selling; please come share your experience or take some advice.

What I found here were a collection of advice-givers, advice-seekers, story-tellers, monthly discussion topics, and most interestingly- countless jumping off points for discussion. I’ll sift through a bit of the findings here and spring into some more detail in other posts:

  • A new word and a new definition
    • Overlanding: The self-reliant travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principle goal.
  • People are extremely passionate about their vehicles/dwellings
    • People asking for help on parts to restore their ’77 Titan’s
    • People asking for advice on anything
      • From waste needs, to advice on leaks, to bragging about their DIY’s.
  •  People literally quitting their life and tackling a full-time mobile lifestyle
  • People trying to translate a digital community into a physical one.
    • Many posts looking to meet up with fellow RVer’s on the road.
    • Many Resources for finding a campsite.
    • A help resource, accessible from a mobile device- anywhere.
  • People looking to buy, sell, upgrade, or show off their new unit.
  • People love to tell stories.

The biggest thing that I got out of this jumping off point was this:

I think that we have been trying to figure out how people live like this, and why people live like this- but there is no right answers, only good ideas. Although people are actually doing this, actually succeeding at living like this, no one has figured it out perfectly yet. The answers to the problems people face and the advice that people seek will constantly change, just like the landscape around the users. Mobile problems for micromobile users.

 

Solar Power

Solar power is a viable expense for RVs. Go Power! offers a sizing calculator to see which solar kit fits best for the consumer [1]. Also it offers a “solar map” that shows the United States by month and how much solar radiation a region of the country receives [2].

Solar Power for extended time

How Solar Works

 

The Wynns are using solar power for their RV and have a helpful video explaining their system [3]. They bought a Go Power! solar kit for $4000 off of Amazon.com which comes with the following:
– 160 watt solar charging kit, 2 x 160 watt expansion kit
-3000 watt pure sine wave inverter for AC power
-30 amp pulse width modulated digital solar controller
-75 amp smart battery charger
-DC inverter install kit and Inverter Remote

On sunny days, they bring in over 25 amps, but even during cloudy days they bring in around 10 amps. Wynns recommend adding solar power to your RV if you normally are wild camping or boondocking.

Through further exploration of the Wynn’s website, over the years they have upgraded their solar power systems and most recently have been using flexible solar panels. As of two days ago, they posted their review of using solar power after one year [4]. With their flexible panels they have found some of the negative qualities about them:
– cupping of the material (concavity)
-surface scratches from having to clean it
-gouges from tree branches when driving through forests
-the panels are glued and easier installation but then they are unable to tilt them up to receive maximum sunlight

Though they have not noticed any less quality or less amps that are brought in. The flexible ones are more light-weight and have a warranty of 10 years but then the tempered glass solar panels have a 30 year warranty. Yet, it should still be considered that in 10 years from now the technology of solar panels will have advanced so keeping the same solar panel for 10 years is ideal before purchasing a more efficient one.

This is the Wynn’s overview of solar power usage from 2011 [5].

Basic Medium Heavy
Power lights, run a fan, keep house batteries charged Power lights, run a fan, charge cell phones, laptop and watch 2 hours of TV a day Power lights, run a fan, charge cell phone, laptop, watch 2 hours of TV a day, use electric kettle, electric blender, run the microwave for 5 minutes
12 volt Basic System 12 volt medium system 12 volt Heavy Duty system
55 watt module 2 – 140 watt modules 6 – 140 watt modules
Charge control Charge control Charge control
25’ module cables 25’ module cables 25’ module cables
10’ battery cables 10’ battery cables 10’ battery cables
Fuses, fuse holders Fuses, fuse holders Fuses, fuse holders
Average use per day: 220 watt hours Cost $478 1120 watt hours Cost $1,175 3360 watt hours Cost $12,708
2000 watt pure sine inverter/ charger, AC hook up wire, remote inverter controller
*battery bank not included *recommended 200 AH battery bank *recommended 600 AH battery bank

Most websites speaking about RVs using solar panels refer to Go Power! as the company of choice. DoItYourselfRV.com says how to expect to pay $200 for every 100 watts of solar power.

 

Sources:

[1] https://tools.carmanah.com/src.web/GoPowerCalculator.htm?state=RvDiv

[2] http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1961-1990/redbook/atlas/Table.html

[3] http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/extreme-rv-solar

[4] http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/flexible-rv-solar-issues-review

[5] http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/solar-power

[6] http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-solar-panel-kits-systems/

Forces Driving (micro)Mobility

San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York- the cities that recent college graduates have historically flocked to following graduation. Today, these cities still have fresh grads coming year after year but not as exclusively- there are rising competitors in the market. Those competitors include San Diego, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Portland, Buffalo, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and the fastest growing population of recent grads in the city of Denver, Colorado according to the October 20, 2014 New York Time’s Article, “Where Young College Graduates are Choosing to Live.”

On March 8th of 1987, The New York Times published an article entitled, “Where Young People Choose to Live”. Focusing solely on the wants and needs of young people choosing to live in New York City, the article discussed what they were really looking for an apartment. These ideal concerns included having a rent less than half of their salary, their own bedroom, safety, and generally comfort. Others would rather spend money on travel and entertainment over the quality of their apartment. All of these concerns we can find applicable to a micromobile user- one seeking comfort, the ability to travel, general safety, and affordability.

But what can we take away from the patterns of where people are living, why they are living there, and what they are looking for when discussing this topic of micromobility?

We may arguably be able to dwindle all of these considerations down to a single overarching force: the economy.

In this country, is the common labor trend determined by if people tend to follow jobs? Or do jobs follow people? It used to be that people would hear of a prosperous city, those in the likes of New York, San Francisco, or DC, and move their in search of new opportunity-so people used to follow jobs more. As mentioned above, that is not necessarily the case anymore and it appears that jobs are following people. A December 10, 2013 New York Times article, “Why are Americans Staying Put?”, explains this to be as a result of a less mobile workforce that has developed in this country.

There are fewer hubs of economic prosperity and more outlets.

The cost of living is relatively similar across the board.

And we are finding our cities to become less and less specialized, with related industries being found in almost every major metropolitan area.

People have less of a need to move today and the trend is shifting towards jobs following people. If people used to pick up and move towards work, then the age of the internet can largely be blamed for the decline of this pattern because it more or less ensures job security. Today, a person can seek specific jobs and get hired before they even pack a box up. It increases the quality of a move guaranteeing purpose and setting one up for success.

These concepts make me question as to why people would want to be more mobile, or have the ability to be more mobile, if the workforce is becoming less and less mobile? These articles are expressing that the internet is a major cause of this but I wonder if it is also a major effect of this.

We have had many discussions in our study pertaining to how people are able to live a micromobile lifestyle full time- mentally, physiologically, but specifically financially. Of course most of these full-timers are retired, or static in a park or community- but what about those who aren’t? Those that are younger, fresh out of college, starting a family, or those who truly prefer a nomadic lifestyle. We have begun to understand why these people would want this but we question as to how they can afford it. To me I feel like the internet is one of the only solutions. Although it is causing the American workforce to be less mobile, I feel as it is one of the biggest factors allowing people to live a life of mobility- working from any location at any time. If jobs are following people, then they should be able to follow a mobile person.

We have an inborn rootlessness with “economic mobility and geographic mobility being closely linked for much of our American History.” (Why Are Americans Staying Put?). All of these trends discussed above make sense with the exception of the recent one, where people have been less likely to move. We finally live in a world where our rootlessness can work cohesively with our economic ambitions, and young people are the ones that can realize that.

In today’s age we have the ability to move if we want to, work in a way that we want to, and take it on the road if we want to. (within reason of course).

 

—-

Updated Survey 3.1 & The Sealander

Survey Update 3.1

Survey Monkey was the first place I tried to make my survey, I have not read it anywhere but I believe the free aspect of the website is exhausted after 9 questions. Their tools and customizability are great and extremely helpful which makes the process easy and semi-fun. In response to their rules I am trying to successfully break my survey down into two separate surveys. The first focusing on traveling and demographic information and the second focusing on rotational programs. I know this renders the questions out of order but I am trying to get the wording done primarily and then the correct sequence can be made after.


The Sealander

I came across this article on Yahoo.com. It is titled “The World’s Coolest Campers, NOT Named Airstream“. At first I thought this was a stab at Airstream for maybe being too warn out, but then I realized it could also be taken as a compliment. Like Airstream is so cool that we shouldn’t even talk about it because there is no debate… Anyway…

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/coolest-campers-in-the-world-114164451057.html

If the image of any article is this one, I am going to read it. What an intriguing and futuristic looking pod, seemingly floating on top of the water, it easily caught my attention. And how content does that couple look? Pretty damn content if you ask me. The article hosts a wide array of what I am going to call trailers, unlike Yahoo’s usage of the word camper. They range from the Sydney Opera House on wheels to something that looks like something EarthRoamer made [the company I spoke about last meeting]. All in all, a very nice assortment of trailers, but the Sealander is what really caught my attention. The floating-future-pod mentioned earlier.

http://sealander.de/?lang=en

Sealander, Caravan & Yacht, is crafted in Germany by master boat and car builders to produce a unique amphibious vehicle that will cater to all of your adventuring needs. The website boasts that it meets all safety requirements for both land and sea travel for the entire world. Production began of the Sealander in 2012 and prices started at 15,000 euro, which today amounts to $16,239. On land it must be towed by a car but on water it has a 5hp electric outboard engine to propel it. The battery that powers the motor also powers on board amenities for cooking, cleaning, and heating. Unfortunately I have not found out how this gets recharged. What is very interesting is that due to its boat-like construction, a car as feeble as a Volkswagen Golf has the ability to tow it. This then proves to be a trailer/boat that people do not need to buy a heavy hauling vehicle for. Sign me up because these things sound so fun.

Screen Shot 2015-04-07 at 8.18.53 PM

 

Works Sited –

http://www.gizmag.com/sealander-amphibious-camper/19798/

http://www.outsideonline.com/1923511/sealander-camper

 

RV Insulation

RV insulation is vital to travelers who stay for long periods of time in northern states. From viewing a series of videos online, there are innovative and cheap ways to better insulate an RV. Aluminum-sided campers will have less insulation than fiberglass-sided campers. Adding foil wrap on the inside of RV helps insulate [1]. Other methods include the following: using block foam inside and weather strip outside on windows, use curtains on windshield when parked, put rugs down on non-carpeted floors, only leave the slide-outs open when needed since they are not usually insulated well enough like the rest of the RV is, and “skirt” your RV to prevent air flow from getting underneath [2]. Even if not owning a “skirt”, you can pack snow up against the perimeter of your RV to still prevent air flow [4]. Instead of running the propane heater all of the time, electric heaters would be more efficient. Often times it may get too humid with propane heater on, so a dehumidifier would then be needed. A small space heater can be placed in the compartment where the water filter and other pipes are to prevent them from freezing. Gregg Zart created a video blog that highlights what lengths he went to try to prevent his RV from freezing after having moved to Dickinson, North Dakota, the new oil boomtown from the Bakken riches [3]. He insulated most windows with foil, wrapped the hose with foam, yet his water ruptured causing his tub to fill and the toilet to have no water. He then forth needed to use the camp site’s facilities to do laundry and bathroom needs. Overall he was very disappointed in how his methods of insulation failed him during his time of need in -30 degree weather.

IMG_1488 Sierra Exif JPEG

 

The reverse side of this insulation research is how to keep cool during extreme heats. Several methods include: parking your RV facing north to allow for natural shade by mid-day, cook outside with a solar oven, set up a shading canopy to block radiation from transmitting inside the RV. Aluminum wrap can be taped to the outside of the windows. Also another cheap, innovative way to stay cool is to place AC filters on the inside of your window and spritz with water to create your own form of evaporative cooling [5].

Sources:

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GLvKL3-cDI

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgvRP5_TElA

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1oeODwudrI – Gregg Zart

[4] http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/winterize-rv – How to Prepare for Winter inside and Out

[5] http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/keep-cool-extreme-heat-ideas-burning-man – How to Keep Cool in Extreme Heats – Ideas from Burning Man