Vandwelling 101- A Day In The Life Boondocking

Good morn. I've turned on the stove and made my coffee. 

The bedding has been put outside on racks to air. It's a good second use for my flea market table legs. I air my blankets every morning and bring them in at sunset. It's an old custom with good science behind it. 

We all shed skin cells and hair every day. Airing the blankets and quilts after shaking them keeps the dust mites down and the bedding fresh. Surprisingly making your bed in the morning doesn't allow mattress or bedding to air and it will be a hospitable environment to mites and other crawling insects.

I've put solar items in the front window to charge things up. 

Yesterday,  using only one $3 solar light from Walmart, I charged up 5 AA batteries with no real effort.  That meant fresh batteries for two flashlights. 

I sleep in until the sun comes in the front windshield and starts to warm up the van. Thar conserves the amount of propane I use. At night I shut all windows an hour before sunset to allow the sun to warm the van up. I turn the stove on for approximately 20 minutes., I put a heavy cotton robe on, a crocheted hat, and wool knee socks on to stay comfortably warm. I snuggle with Kira in the blankets and either watch videos, read, or listen to an audiobook. 

Vandwelling 101- Making $ On The Road

There are many ways to make money while on the road. I'm not talking about begging or busking, but real work and real skills.

First of all, let's redefine jobs or working. Instead of a traditional 40 hour job that you work for someone else, let's look at what skills you have that someone else will pay you to do.

I don't have any marketable skills you say...bull is what i say.

A job is anything someone will pay you to do. Let's confine all discussions to legal skills and honest labor. Let's also stay or of questionable areas. No selling paraphernalia "for tobacco use only."

People are busy nowadays. Some of the odd jobs they will pay you to do are: cook, clean, do laundry, yard work, walk the dogs, watch the children, water the garden, weed the garden, clean out a garage or storage shed. 

In the winter, shoveling snow and sidewalks can be very lucrative. 

In New Mexico, code enforcement issues like weeds or painting the house number on the curb is another good way to earn money. 

If you are willing to work, you can often find ways to make money legally. 

I am able to accept payment from debitcards and credit cards using the PayPal Here app and the PayPal card reader. The app is free, the card reader is also free. 

PayPal charges a small fee on each transaction. It protects both the buyer and the seller. The money is available instantly in my PayPal account. I have the PayPal debit card so i can instantly use the money at any store or withdraw cash from my account.

I can advertise free on Craigslist, the OfferUp app, or the Letgo app. 

It is important to have more than one way to make money. 

Today i picked up a writing gig, editing and fixing up a resume. Every few dollars adds up. 

See ya down the road,

Lou

If you enjoyed this blog article, consider donating $1 at paypal.me/LouBurgess

Vandwelling 101- revisiting free entertainment

I get tired of being online on social media. I also like going where there is no internet or cell signal.

So, what can you do for free entertainment?

I love having audio books on hand. My second favorite...the old time Radio drama serials. You can find many of them online and download for off grid listening. I'll often put one in while doing routine cleaning or organizing tasks. There are millions of books out there.

Don't discount the old battery operated walkman Cassette players. You can find old audio books cheap or free out there on cassette tape. I used to have a box that was 2 ft by 2 ft by 6 ft full of the old cassette audio books. Use the solar yard lights with AA battery as a solar battery charger. Borrow the cassette books on tape from a library. Copy using the old dual deck boom box. Listen at your leisure.

That old smartphone that's no longer hooked up to the internet, it's a cheap mp4 player now. Chances are you have one hidden away in a drawer. You can transfer movies, songs, and digital Audiobooks to it by usb cable from your laptop.

Taking photos. I bought a canon elp digital camera complete for $5 at a Flea market. It works great. It came with a 32gb SD card. Easy enough to slip in my Laptop and copy. I have an old universal battery charger that charges the battery.

Then there are crafts like knitting, crocheting, or weaving. You cut your old clothes and cloth items into one inch spirals. You roll them up like a ball. You ate them set up to crochet rugs, blankets, or weave. The old ways from our great great grandparents.

I can sit quietly for hours and watch the birds, the animals, the trees, and the lakes. I really believe that a half hour viewing the sunset or the sunrise is beneficial to anyone.

These are just a few of the things i do that are very cheap or free. Try some, see what works for you

See you down the road

Lou

If you enjoyed this blog, feel free ti contribute $1 or more at PayPal.me/LouBurgess

Vandwelling 101-OMG ...I'm Stuck...What Do I Do

Getting stuck...snow or soft sand or mudholes

On my timeline, a friend has gotten stuck a couple of times in soft desert sands. I'm from Michigan. Had to be towed off 4 inch thick ice covered in snow.

Time to pass on a few things I know. This is one of the topics you want to prepare for but hope you never use.

Carry a couple of boards...you put under the drive tires. Older vans rear wheels
Cars and suv or minivan often front wheel drive.
Vehicles have steer tires (the front ) that turn and steer the vehicle. Drive tires move the vehicle down the road.some vehicles are front wheel drive, some rear wheel drive, some are 4x4, some are awd (all wheel drive)

Straighten tires so you're going straight forward or back

Carry a good tow strap.

Know how much your vehicle weighs. Any vehicle pulling you out needs tow capacity to pull your vehicle from dead weight.  Vans 4000-6000 pounds.

If you have tow strap and boards...find someone from the snow belt to pull you out...we are kinda experienced at this.

Also look up and learn weight distribution...it's important

You can use floor mats, old carpet, or cardboard also to increase traction.

Partially deflating tires (carry a 12v tire pump and a tire gauge to reinflate them after getting "unstuck"

Vandwelling 101- It's Cold Outside...Staying warm

It's been some time since I covered cold weather tips. I'm originally from Michigan. I did a couple of winters in my home state. Cold can kill you. So how do you stay warm and safe?

First hang blankets...blankets are not expensive at thrift stores. Look for wool, quilts, crocheted afgans. Each has a use.

Hang blankets over Windows. I use a bungee and Double the blankets over it. Those side barn doors...hang blankets over them. Hang blanket right behind the front seats and across the rear doors.

Your bed...under the mattress or pad...hang a nice heavy blanket as a bed skirt. This cuts the drafts off.  Hang blankets around your sleeping area like the old medieval castle beds. Castles were cold and drafty...so the four poster curtained bed was a necessity.

Get some nice thick hall runner rugs...put them on the floor. I had 3 layers of thick carpet. It made a world of difference. No need to install wall to wall. Just lay them down on the floor.

Park facing east. That morning sun will quickly warm up the van.

Use windshield cover. Those nice silvery bubble window Sun protectors...keep warmth in.

You'll want a wool hat, torque, warm socks. You lose body heat through your head, hands, and feet.

Many a morning in Michigan I sat in my front seat, with my coffee, upright in a sleeping bag. A fleece blanket tossed over my shoulders like a shawl. Now I have a fleece hooded cape. I love it.

Warm socks...warm socks make a world of difference. Put your socks in a gallon Zip lock bag. When your feet get cold and wet...and you have a nice dry pair of socks...it's good.

Do not leave any heater on overnight. Some have woke up to a fire, or died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Just don't. Heaters need at least a foot or two clearance.

You can sleep warmly in sub zero temps. I used nylon sleeping bag inside a bigger Coleman sleeping bag. A fleece blanket for over the head and mouth. Warm socks. I filled 20 ounce pop bottles with hot (not boiling) water and tucked them deep in my bed. Make sure to cap tightly.

You can catch frostbite easily and quickly. Keep several pairs of the 99 cent stretchy gloves in a zip lock bag. If your hands get wet...change gloves immediately. Yes...This one comes from experience too.

You'll want at least a couple of stocking hats. And I still have two of the hats with face masks.

Remember to slightly crack a window...condensation from your breath can make it rain inside.

These are just some of the things I did while living in a van in frigid Michigan winters.

If you find the blog Helpful, feel free to contribute $1 or $2 at www.PayPal.me/LouBurgess

See ya down the road