The Experiment

Last year, I bought a used 1 ton Ford E350 Super Duty cargo van, with the intention of turning it into a camper van that I could take off in and travel, but leave the STEALTH camper trailer at home in Illinois. You know, when the frost got on the pumpkins here in central Illinois, just load a few things into the van and lock up the trailer and head out for warmer temperatures. I had got it insulated really good with 1" sheets of insulation, put up some nice paneling, built a bed frame for a nice 8" thick twin size mattress, and built a nice cabinet with a 15" diameter sink, and laid down some nice thick carpet......then things got sidetracked!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My 88 year old stepfather passed away, in March, and threw a wrench in my plans to get the van conversion done.......I had to move my 93 year old mother to an apartment and get her settled in. I go in every morning and fix her breakfast, take her wherever she needs to go, keep her bills paid, do her shopping for her and just hang out with her most of the day, then return to the STEALTH camper trailer for the evening. Where I am parked, about 4 miles outside of town, I have a deal, a SWEET deal with a friend who owns the property.......he lets me park the camper here, hook up my 30amp power, and use his water/sewer/wifi, in exchange for a whopping $50.00 a month for electric, plus I mow his nearly 5 acres of grass and keep the place looking nice. Now, that is a SWEET deal!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, the van conversion really needs to get finished!!! Winter will be here again real soon, and the trusty Farmers Almanac says its going to be worse, WORSE than last year!!! And last year was a real BITCH of a winter!! Personally, I was OK.....I stayed snug as a bug in a rug inside the STEALTH camper trailer, with my electric blanket and electric heater and my trusty Coleman LP fired heater......there were days at a time I didn't even leave!! But this year, I have my mom to worry about....and since I'm the only child of the 6 that lives close by, it falls on me to take care of her. She won't be here forever, and the opportunity for me to hit the road will be waiting when moms time is done........but, need to get the van finished!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, thats where I'm at. I don't have a lot left to do on the van interior, just a couple minor things. The solar power situation is still needing to be resolved....I'm considering bypassing it altogether and just buying a good Honda 2000 watt genset to top off the AGM deep cycle batteries every day, so I would have sufficient power to get through the night. I have all the solar equipment, as well as a roof rack for the van......BUT, I was thinking about using the roof for extra storage when I am travelling.......decisions decisions decisions..........

Hey!!! I'm back!!! Really!!

Greetings to anyone who may be still checking in on this sorry excuse of a blog!!! Yes, it has been several months since I have posted anything....a lot has been going on, and I tried a few months ago to post but could not even get in to the blog.....anyway, somehow it let me in today, and I will return tomorrow with more details as to what is going on and where I am and what I am doing. Hope I can generate some followers!!