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!!

Winter has arrived!!!

Here we are just 2 weeks into December, with winter officially a week away yet, and I woke up this morning in the STEALTH camper to find this!!

Isn't that a beautiful scene!! Of course, I can say that because I don't have to get out in it and go anywhere!! I have plenty of food and water in the STEALTH camper to last for days.....I have checked on my parents 5 miles away in town and they don't need anything...and even though I have 4 wheel drive, the roads are a mess so I'm just going to sit it out and wait for the state and county road crews to do their thing!!

It seems like I have seen an over abundance of snow in 2013!! I was here in central Illinois last year at this time and we had several light snows...then in the spring I went workamping in South Dakota and the 1st month I was there we had over 4 FEET of snow over a 4 week period!!! And now, here I am back in central Illinois, and looking at our 2nd winter storm already, and its still officially autumn!!??!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ But, the countdown to Spring has already begun!!! Less than 100 days to go!! Hope everyone is safe and warm wherever you are!!

A new experiment

Greetings all, from the frozen north! Cold and wintry here in central Illinois this first week of December. Had our 1st (last please!) measurable snowfall this week, maybe 3 inches. Bitter cold at night, but I am as snug as a bug in a rug inside the STEALTH trailer! Because I am actually hooked up to 30amp power, I can run my heater and electric blankie all night long!!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Things are well here. My aging parents are getting along somewhat OK,but I can see them going downhill a little bit more every time I stop by...stepfather only has 1 kidney, congestive heart failure, on oxygen 24/7, and the doctors say he could go anytime. Plus, they told him a month ago he needed dialysis, but he said no....so, we play the waiting game. Eventually, his 1 kidney will just poison him to death...or his bad heart will just give out. Would be nice if they could just lie down to sleep, and not wake up. Would be better than watching him suffer each day, taking all those damn pills.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have been thinking for some time now about trying something different, and have taken the plunge this week and taken the 1st step to making a dream a reality.....by buying this------

Another angle......

Its a Ford E350 Econoline cargo van.......1 ton chassis/V8/AM-FM stereo/ICE cold A-C/AT/PS/PB......In really good shape for its age.....

Was used as a delivery van, and has a walk thru cage behind the front seats to keep cargo from sliding forward into the drivers compartment...am leaving that in place!! The bed hardly looks used at all....

I have seen lots of people take a van like this and convert the back into very comfortable living quarters!! My plans are to do the same thing with this!! Put a ladder rack on the roof and place the solar panels up there. Take out the passenger seat and place the AGM batteries and the inverter in the floorboard,and use the rest of that area for storage area. The back I will naturally insulate heavily, install a vapor barrier, and then some nice paneling. Mount a 37" flatscreen to one wall, and put the pop up antenna on the outside wall. Drill a hole in a back corner and run a HD extension cord out thru it so when near power can just plug in!! Oh, I can see it all so clearly in my head!! Get that all done, then when I retire for good, be ready to hit the road and boondock!!! NO MORE SNOW for this kid!!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My friend Bob Wells over at www.cheaprvliving.com is doing the same thing and has been for several years now, quite successfully too! My gosh, go on YouTube and type in "VAN LIVING" in the search bar and you'll be amazed how many are doing it!! I can hardly wait to get the renovations done on my van and get out there with them all!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope everyone is well, safe and warm wherever you may be!!

Still Alive!!

Wow!! I know it has been awhile since I posted anything, but the volume of SPAM I was getting was just becoming a major pain! Between 50 to 60 SPAM messages a day, all from people commenting on an older blog entry, and then including a link to their individual websites....none of them got posted, because all comments have to be approved by me. And then of course, I still have my TROLL Mike to deal with----he is such a silly little twit!! Hey Mike, you still out there?? Hope to see you comment so I can exercise my DELETE key!! lolol......... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Anyway, I left beautiful South Dakota back in late May to return to Illinois. My aging parents needed me here....my 87 y.o. stepfather is in very poor health, and my 92 y.o. mother can't do everything for him anymore. After a 10 day stay in a hospital, the old man is home again, but doing poorly. He only has 1 kidney, and 2 valves leaking at his heart, and retaining fluids...add congestive heart failure, nearly deaf, legally blind, and you got a real mess. I think its just a matter of time now.... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I have the STEALTH trailer parked 3 miles outside of town on private property owned by a friend who lives nearby. I am hooked up to power, and have access to fresh water. Not using the solar right now, after losing my panels to a major hail storm this past spring. But I do have 200 watts of new panels/mounts/tilt bars/controller/monitor all waiting to be hooked up. Was hoping to head out to Arizona this winter and hooking up with Bob Wells from cheaprvliving.com to get the install done, but uncertain right now if/when I will be going anywhere! Don't want to get 1800 miles away and then get a phone call telling me I need to come home..... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Still reading several of fellow traveller blogs and keeping up with where they are at and how they are doing. It amuses me to read about these "modern day NOMADS" camping in their travel trailers/truck campers who claim to be "STEALTH" camping!!! They are not STEALTH camping, they are merely boondocking!! HOW can you be STEALTH camping when you have windows all around your rig?? Pretty obvious when you have a van or a truck camper or a travel trailer parked in a Walmart with windows in it... that in essence---you are boondocking!! I mean, really?? Thats STEALTH?? Get real---you are boondocking, nothing more, nothing less...you have no STEALTH in a rig specifically made for camping! Park your rig in a Walmart or a Lowes or a Kmart lot, and a security guard or a cop is going to KNOW that more than likely you are in there. You are in an RV after all.....DOH!! Thats why you are 100 times more likely to get that dreaded 3am knock on your door, telling you to move on!! On the other hand, I can park my STEALTH trailer in the same lot, and not draw the least amount of attention!! With a ladder rack on top, it looks like just another contractor trailer. Cops don't give it a 2nd look......I can be in there watching tv or a DVD, or sound asleep, and no one has any idea whether anyone is inside or not! How?? IT HAS NO WINDOWS!!!!!! THAT IS STEALTH!!!! Both my STEALTH trailer and my tow rig are kept clean. I don't have an RVIA seal on the side. I don't have a back bumper holding a sewer hose. I don't have a ladder or lawn chairs or a couple of bikes hanging off the back of my rig!! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Well, thats enough of that for now. Hope everyone is doing well wherever you are! Take care.

WHERE, OH WHERE, IS S-P-R-I-N-G??????????????

I have now been in Custer just over a week, and it has snowed a major storm that dumped 18" on us which is pretty well melted away already. Oh, there are still piles here and there, and some still in areas where the old sun isn't reaching, but for the most part that snow is gone........but here we are in a new week and guess what the weather forecast is?? Yup, that's right boys and girls, another major winter storm is on its way in!! This time, it starts on Tuesday and runs for 2 to 3 days, with snowfall totals between 8 and 12 inches!! HUH??? Its the middle of April!!! I'm pretty sure winter is supposed to be FREAKIN OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, I was off all weekend, and went exploring some in the area, and want to share a few pics! The entrance to Wind Cave National Park down the road from Custer. A truly beautiful place, practically deserted of humans but loaded with wildlife! Thats the Beaver Creek Bridge............ Seems to be wild horses everywhere I go here.....there were a bunch at the Badlands, and here was this one, grazing a long ways off the main road, but I got him with my zoom! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, thats it for today! Just going to hang out in the STEALTH camper and let the snow fall......but I will be back! Take care everyone.

What a snow storm!!

It started on Monday evening, and went for the better part of 2 days nonstop!! When it was all said and done, we ended up with 18 inches of snow here in Custer!! The roads were a mess, but the crews quickly got it under control! Just this past Sunday, I was setting outside drinking coffee right here!! About mid afternoon, I cruised up to Mt. Rushmore because I wanted to see what it looked like with all the snow.....the roads were in really good shape, and I had the place almost to myself!! Such a beautiful part of the country, these Black Hills!!So happy to be here!!!