Is This Really Heaven?

In October of 2012 I visited Melbourne, Florida.  After leaving I told myself that I would someday return and, today is that day!

Melbourne is warm, friendly people abound, prices are good and did I mention that it is WARM...

Add to all of that the fact that it is only a couple of miles to the Atlantic ocean and I'm sure you can understand why it is going to be very difficult for me to leave here in a month or so.  Fact of the matter is; I'm changing my residence to Florida!  No State taxes, Warm weather, Far less expensive to live here than in Michigan and best of all NO SNOW!

Life is good!  I'll update this more as time goes on but for now my Van and I are heading to the beach, the waves and warm weather are calling.

VanAboding: Parking Problems and How To Avoid Them

It seems a little presumptuous to me that because one is or considers him or her self a vandweller (despite the size and configuration of rig one has) that we expect any special privilege or exemption from the standing laws and rules of any jurisdiction. Vandwelling is a "chosen" lifestyle, however, as I see it, the lifestyle doesn't come with "free lunches." We may choose to live in way less square footage than the average "bear" and, probably, we mostly own our "vandwellings" outright - no mortgages or monthly rent bills. But, that doesn't mean that property rights don't still apply. 

There are certainly lots of places where we can park overnight or even for extended periods with full permission and invitation. Some of those places are private property and we stay there at the pleasure of the owners - Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, and Van Mom Karen's to mention a few. The public lands let you know whether it's alright to park and stay for a defined period of time or not. These are all good. There are several networks of folks who are offering the opportunity to "visit" with them and park on their property with a little advance notice - they may be vandwellers or RVers who own property and sticks and bricks houses and enjoy meeting fellow "travelers." There is a group called Couchsurfing.org with about 3 million members around the world who offer their couch (and possibly more often than not a private bedroom) for travelers at no charge as they enjoy the same privilege when they are traveling. Many of them have locations where they can accommodate a vandweller for a night or two. Certainly, as mentioned, stopping by the local police station or town hall and asking where you might stay for a night without being obtrusive, breaking or bending the law and not infringing on anyone else can often yield positive results. The worst that can happen is that you are told there is no place and you'll have to move on. 

Again, my thinking is, most of us have some idea of where we're heading, what towns and jurisdictions we'll be passing through, what prospective amenities exist there (Walmart, Camping World, etc.) and we can either call or email ahead to see if OP is available there. If it isn't, then alter your plans. I do my level best anymore to not set such strict travel plans as to not allow me to modify them at will. 

For those who choose to urban vandwell and do so on either public streets or private property, I guess that's certainly your prerogative and you may get by with it just fine, but if you get caught or cited for it, I don't think you have a leg to stand on or anything to whine about. Some may be full or part time employed in a city or town and wish to remain close to the job. Understandable. However, that doesn't change the letter or intent of the law. It doesn't bend because one chooses to live in a van. Remember, there are "no free lunches" in this world. You're just getting caught up on some past due accounts if/when you get caught. I guess there is always some thrill with feeling like you're "getting away with something." But, sooner or later, the rubber will meet the road and you may be tagged. While not as extreme, I would liken it to someone who rock climbs, base jumps, does extreme sky diving or wrestle alligators (to mention only a few extreme activities). One may do very well for years, but it only takes one loose rock, one snag in the parachute, one miscalculation on when to pull the rip cord when you jump off the building or cliff or loss of grip on the alligator's jaws and it all catches up with you real quick. 

I am not passing judgment, that's above my pay grade. And, I'm not saying that I haven't taken a chance now and then during my lifetime, I'm far from perfect. But, I choose not to make it a habit trying to get away with something that has consequences I may not be happy to have to deal with. We each have our own degree of risk tolerance. My intention is to enjoy all the richness that life offers with no or the least amount of personal risk. You may be different. Like the old saying about buying things, "Buyer Beware." I simply suggest a modified version thereof, "Vandweller Beware."

Wide Open Beaches

I am so very excited that I can hardly contain myself.  This coming weekend will be my departure date for returning to Florida and the warmth of the air and the sound of waves crashing up on the beach.

Snow is slowly but surely approaching Michigan and if I never see another snow flake in my entire life I would not be unhappy at all.  As I travel I will of course keep everyone updated as to where I am and what exciting off-the-wall and out of the way places I discover as I slowly meander to the South.

Quotable Quote Of The Day

I'm always looking for encouraging words to share with others.  It not only makes my day when I see someone smile it makes theirs too.

Here's one that I thought was great.  I hope it makes you smile or at the very least go "hmmmm, now that is so true."

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

The Insider Story

After four very long days and some nights I've finally been able to totally carpet the inside of my stealthy-type van.  The ceiling, walls and floor are all covered with a high-grade dark grey indoor/outdoor carpeting.

Putting it up was no treat.  I tried pretty much every glue-type product on the market and nothing seemed to work.  Finally, after some consultation with a few people at Lowes I decided to try heavy duty Velcro.  AND IT WORKED...well, almost anyway.  Even though this type of carpeting is pretty light weight and easy to work with it still has a certain amount of weight that weighs down and bubbles on the ceiling and side walls.  So it was back to Lowes to buy finished strips of wood to screw up on the walls and ceiling.  This helped to support the carpeting and totally took out all of the bubbles and creases.  Now I am a happy stealth camper and look forward to many years of warmth and quiet while traveling.

Under the carpeting I also put Reflectix insulation.  This was really easy to work with and simply stuck to the walls and ceiling with Duck tape.  I can't believe how quiet my van is now while going down the road.  And, it is much much warmer than I ever imagined it would be.

Even though this was a project that was pretty simple to do (eventually) If you're going to try to do something like this I would strongly suggest that you have a friend help you.  Not that it is too heavy to hold up by yourself while installing everything, rather, it is just easier to hold in place with two people over just yourself.

In the end it looks great, smells like a new vehicle and is quiet and warm.  Really looking forward to getting back out on the road and giving it a good shakedown cruise.  I'm thinking Florida right now but perhaps there will be a stop in Alabama also to check out the sea shore there on the way.  I'll keep you all posted as I travel.

Happy Trails!