Roadtrek Wanted: Tiny RV Hows and Whys

Thing is, I think I have it all planned out pretty okay for the most part.

My family wants to become full time RVers. We want to see the country while Keebler travels around to his tech jobs. We want to travel the music festival and green eco-festival circuit selling our wares. We want to visit our friends who live all over, and we want to be free.

I don't want a large RV, I want a Roadtrek. *chuckle* Most folks can't tell the difference between a Roadtrek and a van, and the things get comparable gas mileage to my car right now... We won't have to worry too much about parking in a place that isn't made for RVs, because it looks like a van.

I found one for 9k that runs great with a little rust a fella is trying to get rid of a couple of states from here, but I'm not sure I could get a loan for that much on my income, but I know my credit is alright. I was planning on both boondocking at walmarts around the country and stopping in to visit friends along the way (I have friends all over), only popping in to actual RV places to dump black water and reload clear for the most part. Not much black water to contend with if ya stop in at the store/park to potty and go to the Y for showers when ya gotta. The Y honors their memberships at any location nationwide, and they're everywhere.

Remember, I've lived under a bridge. *grin* I was the cleanest hippie under that bridge too, bathed daily in the public bathroom of the local library. Most folks are shocked at how easy it is to live with nothing. Heck, the only reason I want a premade motorhome instead of just a box van that I can pretty much convert myself is because social services looks real down on folks raising their kids in a vehicle if it doesn't "have all the amenities". Last thing I need is CPs on us for living our dreams.

There's even a place to set up here in town when we're not travelling. They have a pool, community center, bomb, fallout, and tornado shelter... It's nice. All for $300 all utilities included as their monthly fee. Of course for just an overnighter it's $25, but really, who needs more than one night to download the blackwater if you're just going to be heading out again? I'm more than willing to give up a few things now in order to get what I really want later. Been doing that all my life, and I'm still waiting for later. :P Something always comes up.

We could all live quite happily in our little car here in the city as is, but we'd have uncle watcher on our butts so fast it'd make our heads hurt.

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Being on assistance really bites when you are trying to make it on your own. We live better than most single income families who have a 40-60 hr/wk worker, just because we get assistance with rent and food. Heck, we get assistance with clothes, haircuts and school supplies too. Just because we live here and fall so below the poverty line like we do.

Kinda hard to beat comfortable and free, especially if you get punished for working. Each of the three places we get help from takes one dollar of assistance from you for each three dollars you earn... That's working for nothing. Not getting any better of a life, not getting any better of a situation, no reward whatsoever. The only way people get off of assistance is to personally need off of the public dole so bad it hurts, and you have to be willing to really take risks and suffer for that goal. It's really no wonder there aren't more people leaving welfare in droves. let's see; Sit on your tush, relax, and make money, live pretty well, and do what you want for the most part, or work 40 hours or more a week, send the kids to the public indoctrination facility, spend less time as a family, and not live any better than you did for free. Most people, people in general, being lazy like they are, would choose the first option in a heartbeat. Sad but true. And the government wonders why people don't get off of welfare... Ponderous.

I can get off the assistance easy, take me maybe a month, but if we fall on hard times again, or if we have some other trouble and need the help again, we'd be pretty screwed to say the least. Housing assistance takes about two years to get onto after applying, and getting kicked out of your house only takes one month of not paying the rent on time.

Our stability/safety isn't something I'm willing to risk. It's called the welfare trap, and it is a pain to escape from. And scary.

Before I go take a flying leap towards success, I want to be sure there's a safety net there for me if I fall. Like a small RV, a trailer, or a place of our own. It's all about lessening the risks associated with becoming as free as possible. We could buy a $20k house in 5 years on what we make right now as a family. It will be even less time once Keebler gets a job. Sure it would be a lot of scrimping and saving, but that's something I can handle with style and grace.