So, Yiayia’s Waggon is too large.
Well, it could maybe be the right size for staying put but it’s definitely too large for traveling. It’s uncomfortable to tow and it can’t go everywhere I want to go. And I still feel oppressed living with so much stuff.
The vanlife is calling.
Now, it’s going to be some time before I can afford a van. And I did specifically outfit my truck for camping. So what I’m doing is parking the Waggon in Mississippi to be the nucleus of my Southern Base.
Then I close on a house in North Carolina. A house?!?!?! A townhouse. Yes, that is waaaaaayyyyyy too big. I plan on letting other people rent most of it. I just need a home base for when I’m here where the kids are. Might as well make my Eastern Base be the home base for residency. So I’m probably gonna claim a bedroom with attendant bath and rent out the rest.
Then I can finish outfitting Hilda the Truck for camping. That’s going to mean taking out all the tool shelving and adding comfort things. Like, you know, a bed. And insulation.
Hilda is pretty sub-optimal for living in. Not a lot of room. No standing up. No way to get from the cab to the bed without exiting the vehicle. I think I might have finally killed the leak in the roof, but not completely sure.
Not ideal, but she’ll do while I save up for a proper van.
Details:
- Must have a place for the bucket toilet and requisite sawdust.
- Must have a place for the cat litter box and requisite litter.
- My car fridge may die on me, so a bigger DC cooler fridge may be called for. That may mean another battery.
- Sigh. Probably going to have to go propane for heat and cooking. If so, will need one of those stubby little tanks because I’m not gonna continue with bottles.
- Mobile office is gonna be a big design challenge.
- Roof fan/vent is a must-have.
- I have ample mosquito net to get creative with. Hate the skeeters.
- Signal booster? I dunno, I had really good results with signal on the trip out right up until planting myself on the Carolina coast. Even in absolutely nowhere, Kansas I had decent signal.
Still toying also with the idea of getting a utility trailer and fixing that up instead of the back of the truck. That would improve my ability to bring the scooter back, to comfortably house a bed, to set up a workstation, and, you know, stand up.
Per the usual, I look to the Universe to give me opportunities and coincidences. And If I start making a decision, I ask the Universe to block it or bless it, so I know whether I’m on course or not.