Do any of these describe you? Do you ever fantasize about wandering around the country or the world for that matter, in an RV or perhaps a van?

I grew up on a farm in a poor area of southwest Virginia known as Appalachia. TV was in its infancy and like many children of that era, after seeing a TV for the first time when I was about 8 years old, I became fascinated with it. I was with my parents, visiting an old general store for groceries, which was typical in the mid to late 1940’s in the rural south. The store keeper had a TV sitting at the end of the counter that he stood behind when waiting on customers. The screen was perhaps 9” and built into a huge cabinet that contained all the electronics to make it work; a far cry from the flat panels approaching 100” that are in most homes today.

The show on that small black and white screen was an old western movie where the good guys in white hats were chasing and shooting their six-guns at the bad guys in their black hats. Western movies were big hits in the days of early TV.

The typical cowboy was often labeled a drifter, meaning he had no home, no regular job and he just “drifted” from town to town often looking for work as a cow puncher.

Today, drifters don’t ride around the country on horses as they did in the days of the American cowboy; they drive vehicles. The drifter of the 1880’s would today, probably be called a “nomad” and drift around the country in a van that’s been converted for living in or a skoolie, a school bus that’s been converted into a motor home, or a more traditional motor home which is classified as a Class A, a Class C or a Class B. These latter 3 classes are more likely to be owned and traveled in by people of means who do not wish to give up their comforts of home when traveling. They typically go out for long weekends or vacations and park in modern campsites with wi-fi and cable hookups and sit inside in the comfort of air conditioning and watch the latest movies on their large flat panel TV’s.

The drifters or nomads are the modern day cowboys. No, they’re not looking for cows to punch, brand or drive on long trails to the railheads, but rather, they enjoy the freedom
that drifting around the country in their converted vans and skoolies give them. These nomads follow the nice weather.

There are plenty of nomads living such a life east of the Mississippi River, but the vast majority travel west of the Mississippi River as that’s where the BLM (Bureau of Land
Management) land is plentiful. This is land owned by the Federal Government and most of it is open to the public that can be used for free camping. Some of the BLM land is managed more closely than other parts. For example, where it’s more closely managed by Rangers, one can camp for 14 days then must move to another area at least 25 miles away. Where it’s not so closely monitored, one can camp for as long as they wish.

Arizona is a preferred place for the nomads to travel to. Arizona has some 1.4 million acres of BLM land and the weather in the winter is awesome. The Sonoran Desert of
southwest Arizona is where you can find thousands of nomads during the winter months. This part of Arizona has more than 300 days of sunshine per year. While I was there, I had nothing but sunshine every day. The temperature during the days was low to mid 80’s and low to mid 40’s at night. The humidity was less than 20 percent the entire time; just about perfect. Nomads are not the only people drawn southwest Arizona, thousands of snowbirds from the frozen north also migrate there during the winter. During the winter, the area around Quartzsite, Arizona is booming. During the summer months, it’s just too hot to camp in the desert with temperatures in triple digits daily, so the nomads again, follow the sun and nice weather and head to northern Arizona near to and north of Flagstaff, where the elevation is over 7000 feet. It’s much cooler at these higher elevations of northern Arizona or Colorado, or Utah, but again, traveling to higher elevations. Just because one may travel north does not mean it’s cooler; one must search out and go to the higher elevations to get relief from the heat. The snowbirds also head back north to their summer homes and the area in and around Quartzsite resembles a ghost town during the summer months.

I traveled to Quartzsite, Arizona in my converted van in January to experience the area for myself. I initially had wanted to arrive there around the first part of January to
experience the RTR, but because of a scheduling conflict, arrived after the RTR had ended. The RTR is the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous. This is an event that a real nomad;
Bob Wells started in order to educate others on how to live and survive as a van dweller, etc. Bob has lived this lifestyle for many years and swears he would never live in a “sticks and bricks” home again. When Bob first started the RTR some 8 years ago, only a few people showed up in the desert to hear him speak. This year, the estimates of the attendees according to Bob and the Rangers, estimate the crowd to be near 4000. That is a lot of nomads showing up in the desert to see and hear Bob putting on a seminar. It has become so big, that he now has a volunteer staff to help him as well as other speakers to speak on various subjects relative to this lifestyle. The RTR lasts for the better part of 2 weeks. It’s a great place to learn about living in a van, converting a van or skoolie, building out vans or various other types of vehicles, installing solar panels, batteries, etc and the list goes on.

To learn more about Bob Wells and his RTR, go to YouTube and check him out. Put his name in the search bar as well as his brand – CheapRVLiving. His website is: www.cheaprvliving.com. If you have any interest in this lifestyle or just curious about Bob or the RTR, check it out, I think you will be pleased with what you find.

I’ll write more about this subject at a later time, meantime, here are some photos I took while living in my van in the Sonoran desert and other areas of Arizona for a few weeks in January and February.

Desert sunset.

Desert sunset

Desert sunset

Typical desert road. No markings except as shown.

Most roads in the desert resemble this. Washed out when the rains come and if one is driving a low van, getting stuck is almost a certainty and one could be stuck for a very long time until help came.

All set up. Someone left me a nice fire pit. Note the large Saguaro Cactus in my backyard. The desert is my backyard and it’s awesome!

My first meal in the desert. Nothing like a bowl of Chili when camping.

An awesome view of one of my many hiking trips.

Unique rock formation just off one of the state roads. Notice the picnic table bottom left of the rocks. Great place to enjoy a picnic on the road.

Lake Mead, a playground in the desert.

Parker Dam, Parker, AZ. Note the lone fisherman.

London Bridge. This is the original London Bridge from England. A local (and obviously well-heeled) businessman purchased the bridge, had it dismantled, shipped to its present location at Lake Havasu City, AZ and re-assembled across Lake Havasu.

Walkway along Lake Havasu. London Bridge is behind me.

Walkway along Lake Havasu with London Bridge in view.

What’s a trip to Arizona without checking out the history. This is the courthouse in Tombstone, AZ. The home of the famous (or infamous, whatever your preference), gunfight at the OK Corral between Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday vs the Clanton’s, etal.

Part of the original OK Corral, Tombstone, AZ

The main street, Tombstone, AZ. Notice the dirt street. Trying to keep it looking as authentic as possible for the tourists. Shows daily in the streets including a reenactment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. There is actually a population of some 1500 people living here presently with a very nice and modern high school just on the outskirts of town.

This is quite interesting. The “Crib” itself is about the size of the “Tiny Houses” that are becoming popular in this country today. Furnishings consisted of a bed, dresser, small wood burning stove and for lack of a better word – porta potti.

I had planned on visiting the Grand Canyon while in Arizona, but once I got as far north as Flagstaff, I ran into snow. (Flagstaff is over 7000 feet above sea level). The Grand Canyon is some 80-90 miles north of Flagstaff. I happened upon a Ranger in a restaurant and I asked him about visiting the Grand Canyon with this snow coming down. He advised me to postpone my trip till nicer weather. He said one road was already closed there and he wasn’t sure about the others. Based on this, I decided the Grand Canyon could wait.

I did not take as many photos as I had hoped to. I just got caught up in all the beauty around me and forgot to take pictures.

I did take some video during my trip and I’ve been trying to edit it to make for better viewing. So far, my video editing software is not cooperating, but once I get it together, I’ll post it on my blog at: www.wanderingwithbill.com as well as on my YouTube
channel.

Until next time…

There are an estimated one million full time RV’ers in North America, many of whom do not recognize the van dweller as a legitimate RV’er. Their vision of van dwellers is usually one of an old decrepit van or trailer sitting in a mosquito infested RV park near a swamp. But the truth is far from this picture. The Full Time van dweller is gaining in popularity alongside the traditional RV’er. For the most part, one visualizes the RV’er as one living in a class A, class B, fifth-wheel or travel trailer, but rarely a van. The RV’er (including vans) is fast becoming the lifestyle of choice for many retirees as well as the younger generation who do not like the cubicle lifestyle.

The advent of the Internet has spawned a new type of worker; the teleworker or telecommuter. More and more people are now working from home or other venues including from RV’s. This has allowed not only retirees to travel, but a younger type of nomad can now travel and enjoy this great country before they are too old and perhaps not able to enjoy themselves. Let’s not forget the business owner who can easily run a small business from the road. No one will ever know that you’re not in some cubicle in some office in town, when you may actually be on that beautiful beach in Mexico. Not only can you still work while enjoying this lifestyle, but a large portion of all your expenses might qualify to be written off as a business expense. *

Enter the van dweller.

Because the younger teleworkers may not have the capital retirees do, the younger generation seems to be the ones more inclined to be a van dweller. The younger generation appears to have more of a minimalist attitude than the retirees. Being a minimalist lends itself more to van dwelling for obvious reasons – vans do not have much room to store all those needless items like a larger RV.

The van of choice for those desiring to live and travel in is the Chevrolet / GMC or Ford work type cargo vans that one might see construction crews using. These vans are larger than so-called mini-vans and some are built out to afford one most of the conveniences of a larger RV, except perhaps a shower and some even have a small personal shower that one can use inside an enclosure that is easily set-up outside the van.  I’ve also found that van dwellers will stop at truck stops and rent a shower for a few bucks like truck drivers do. Some have gym memberships with nationwide gym facilities where they shower. Some large laundromats have shower facilities so doing one’s laundry and grabbing a shower at the same time can be had. It seems van dwellers are not lacking for anything. Next would be the Sprinter vans. These vans tend to be quite a bit more pricey as they are tall and afford one room to stand and can be built out comparable to a class B motor home. A lot of the Sprinter vans are built on a Mercedes or Dodge chassis and many of them include a diesel engine compared to the traditional van.

Vans are easier to drive and park compared to larger RV’s. My research reveals that one of the primary reasons people are choosing vans for living and traveling in is the fact that a lot of money can be saved from having to park in expensive RV parks. Van dwelling, sometimes referred to as “stealth camping” is a luxury that RV’ers cannot enjoy. A nondescript van can be parked in a regular parking space and therefore can be parked and fit in nicely in a town or city neighborhood, thus saving the occupant an expensive night in an RV park. Vans can also take advantage of camping off grid, off-road camping on dirt roads, BLM land, etc that RV’s are just unable to traverse. Most van owners are buying portable or even fixed solar panels to install on their vans affording them the ability to have power for essentials while off grid. A good solar system can be purchased and installed for less than $500 that will meet most needs. Today, most smart phones can be used as a “hot spot” to provide Internet for a laptop computer. When in a town or city, it’s very easy to park a van near a McDonalds or Starbucks or any other restaurant that offers free wi-fi and take advantage of it… with a cup of coffee or a cheap meal.

I have come across several van dwellers with 2 people living in them and a couple even had a dog there as well. What a great way to live, work and play. And, if one tires of their location, all you have to do is put the key in the ignition and you’re off on another adventure. I recently met a young woman living such a life and she told me she works from her van all across America. I asked what she does to earn money to live on and she told me she is a photographer. She takes photos as she travels and sells them to stock photo companies. I’ve met several who earn income by buying and selling goods on eBay and or Amazon. So, if there’s a will there is a way, so the old saying goes.

For the retired person or the one who is not retired but is able to telework and loves to travel, this lifestyle is ideal. You can have your own home, wake up in your own bed, cook your own meals, and for a very little money, you can travel almost anywhere in North America your heart desires and stay as long as you want. In my last blog, I mentioned that Jason told me he lives on $20 per day quite easily. His biggest cost is gasoline, simply because he likes to move around. The average mini-van will get approximately 20-22 MPG on the road. The average cargo type van will get somewhere around 14-16 MPG and the larger RV coaches are lucky to get 9-10 MPG. Again, another advantage of having a van.

Until next time…

* (DISCLAIMER) I’m not a lawyer, so this is not legal advice, but if you talk with your attorney or accountant, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the write-offs you can qualify for).

“I never really looked at myself as a minimalist”, Jason said, as he explained his reasons for selling most of his worldly possessions, bought a van and hit the road as a nomad. Jason is part of a growing number of people of all ages, opting to down-size and deciding to enjoy their lives more. Many are moving into tiny homes, RV’s or just hitting the road in other types of vehicles. Jason opted to purchase a van and travel this great land.

This trend is commonly known as Van Dwelling and is not just an American thing; but is spreading all over the globe. I think a lot of us find this very interesting, not because they have failed in their lives but do so willingly and are pretty happy in doing so. Although my research has found that some folks do live in their vans and cars, out of necessity.

Jason told me he has met quite a few folks like himself that just got tired of trading hours for dollars and walked away from boring, life-robbing jobs to hit the road. Jason has a nondescript van that can blend in almost anywhere. He refers to his mode of travel as, “stealth camping.” He says this type of vehicle affords him the ability to park virtually anywhere and sleep free, because no one looks at his van as being a typical RV, much less one’s home. He, along with his Australian Sheep Dog Brody have spent many nights in typical city neighborhoods due to the fact his van “fits in” and no one is aware that he is enjoying a good night’s sleep there… for free!

Jason also takes advantage of other free places to park for the night, such as Walmart Stores, Sam’s Clubs, Cabelas, most truck stops and BLM Land. He and Brody have been on the road for over 3 years living like this and have explored nearly the entire country.

I asked Jason how much it costs one to live a lifestyle such as his and he tells me he can easily live on $20 a day, mainly because he does not stay in expensive RV parks or campgrounds. He will occasionally stay in a campground just so he can take advantage of a hot shower and use their laundry facilities. He does park and sleep in his van at truck stops quite often as most allow it – again at no cost. Most large truck stops have shower facilities for truckers and Jason will take advantage of that at a minimal cost.

In summary, it appears to me that Jason is on to something. I would say that Van Dwelling is all about living a fun filled life, different from our normal lives wherein we spend money in trying to buy fun for life. People who do live in vans are not homeless; rather they have a home where ever they park their van. They spend less and have more freedom much different from the average person who works long hours every week just to try and keep up with their mortgage and other debts.

FOOTNOTE: I’ve been retired for several years now and love to travel. In this regard, I bought a van and converted it to a camper and decided to try out Jason’s mode of travel. I decided to take a short trip to test this out. I drove to Florida and spent several days on the Atlantic side. I took advantage of rest stops on the freeway where I spent a couple of nights. I found out that most rest stops provide security and will let you spend the night. I even saw some large RV’s parking there for the night and would even roll out their slides. That seemed a little much as it gives the impression they were there to spend a lot of time. I almost expected them to let out their canopy, set out their chairs and light up the grill. I spent one night in a Walmart parking lot and woke up to find about 12-15 other vans and RV’s parked around me. Something I had never paid attention to previously.

(Can’t get much “stealthier” than a soccer-mom van!)

All in all, a very nice trip with no cost for any overnight stay.

After being back in Atlanta for a few weeks, I decided to try a longer trip. I headed out for Wyoming and Utah with plans to visit some National Parks.

I’ll let you know about that trip in my next blog, but I will say this, so far, I’m loving it!

If you are looking for some adventure in your life and being a nomad is appealing to you, then Van Dwelling might be a good fit for you as well. When you do live like this you would soon realize that people living in a van by a river or by a beautiful lake or in a southwest desert or a lush, green National Forest just might be living a life better than the rest of us.

Until next time.

“Travel. As much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life’s not meant to be lived in one place.”

I hope you like this post. I would also like to ask you to read it all the way through, because at the end, I’m asking some questions to get you involved.

Most of you know that one of my passions is traveling. I must confess I am a wanderer at heart. My folks moved a lot when I was a youngster; I went to 9 different schools while growing up. That might freak out a lot of people, but I looked at each one as a new adventure. After School, I joined the U.S. Air Force and had the good fortune to travel to many different countries around the world. After my Air Force commitment was completed, I entered the corporate world and had the good fortune to again, travel internationally. When I retired from the corporate world and then my own business, I continued my love of travel and made several trips to South America. I’m now working on my bucket-list which includes curtailing International travel and traveling more domestically.

In this regard, I recently purchased a van and converted it into a camper and will be hitting the backroads and dirt roads of America very soon. No calendar, no clock, no schedules and no worries! The only thing for certain is I’ll be following the sun as I wander around this great country searching out state and National Parks and other things and places of interest. Even driving to Alaska is on my radar. Hey, I’ve got a bucket-list to complete.

Some of my friends have asked me how one funds such an undertaking.

In addition to my retirement funds, I buy and sell goods on eBay and Amazon plus, I have my own Shopify Store. In the last few years, I’ve done a lot of research and learned a lot about making money on these platforms.

And then I hear, “you’re traveling, how do you find goods to sell while traveling?” “How do you ship it?” “How do you get paid?” Good questions.

Flea Markets: Most people go to flea markets to look for a needed item or just while away time while browsing. I go to flea markets to see what I can pick up for a couple of bucks and then flip it on eBay or Amazon for 80-100 bucks.

Retail Arbitrage: Another excellent way to make money which is quite easy and takes very little time to see the money coming in.

With all the research I’ve done, I could probably write a book on this subject. Now there’s an idea for yet another stream of income! In fact I have one book on Amazon’s Kindle now, but it’s related to my former profession as a Private Investigator.

UPS Stores: Are an online seller’s best friend. Look around; you’ll find UPS Stores in every town and city across this great country. UPS is a major shipping partner of Amazon and since I am a PRO Seller on Amazon, I get to take advantage of Amazon’s UPS rates which are very cheap compared to other logistic companies such as FedEx, DHL or the US Postal Service. I can buy items, take them to a UPS Store and box and ship to Amazon using Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) program.

Amazon FBA: Amazon receives my packages; lists my items on their platform, sells them, ships them, and handles all the customer service including any returns. They then deduct their fees and electronically deposit proceeds directly to my bank account. All this makes selling on Amazon’s platform while traveling a breeze.

Walmart: Has a program similar to Amazon’s FBA Program wherein Walmart is now letting individuals sell goods on their platform.

eBay: It works differently with eBay than Amazon. With eBay, the seller has to take photos of their items, upload them and then list items on eBay’s website. When a sale is made, payment is made directly to seller’s PayPal account. So, a PayPal account is necessary. Seller then packages items and ships to buyer. Selling on eBay while traveling can be somewhat of a pain. eBay requires that seller ships sold items in a timely manner, usually within 2-3 days. Obviously, if traveling and selling on eBay, you would have to carry listed items with you or have someone perform this task for you. Otherwise, you would have to shut your account down while away from your home or office. I have met several people that are retired and travel the country in large motor homes which have ample space to carry items with them.

Merch by Amazon: Another stream of income (and becoming a favorite) is Amazon’s (fairly) new program called – Merch by Amazon.

Merch by Amazon affords one the opportunity to sell “print on demand” T-Shirts on their platform. This is an awesome program where one can sell T-Shirts with no upfront money. You could easily start a business with this model. You simply upload a T-Shirt design and Amazon does the rest. No cost at all to the seller. Your shirt will be printed and shipped usually within a day or so of receiving an order. Not only that, but Prime shipping is free! Amazon has made a significant investment in printing machines which cost something like $500K each and they have several. And, Amazon lets us use their machines at no cost to print and sell T-Shirts. You set your own price as to what you want to sell the shirts for. The only stipulation to pricing is that you make at least 1 cent profit. Therefore, if you were so inclined, you could design and sell shirts to groups such as Little League, churches, organizations, companies, fund raisers, etc. for just a penny over cost. This can be a single shirt or multiple shirts. What a great way this is to design and sell shirts.

Because of my love of “wandering”, camping and traveling, I have taken advantage of this program and have recently begun selling T-Shirts on Amazon’s Merch by Amazon platform. The designs I have submitted thus far are based on a theme of wandering, traveling, vans, van dwelling and camping.

** I don’t think the links below are clickable, so please copy and paste the links into your browser to view the shirts I have listed. You can also go to www.amazon.com and in the search bar type: wandering but not lost tshirts. That should bring up the shirts that I have listed so far.

Following are my links:

Wandering Van Dweller T-Shirt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQ5LSL8

Wandering Boy Pulling Toy Van
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3RCFKD

Camping T-Shirt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXZCS6G

Wandering Mountain Climber T-Shirt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XQBJPC9

I would be thrilled if you would visit my Shopify Store also and “Like & Share” it. Here’s the link: www.hiellie.com

And, while we’re at it, I would also greatly appreciate a “Like and Share” on my Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/hiellieoutdoors

By the way, I am in the process of setting up a YouTube Channel for uploading videos to while traveling. Once it’s up and I’m on the road, I’ll alert you as to how to check out my videos. And of course, I’ll be posting on my blog as well at: www.wanderingwithbill.com

Now that you know what my plans are, I would like to ask this: Have you ever undertaken such an adventure? If so, please feel free to pass along any comments / suggestions in comment section or email me at: www.billjones411.com to include:

• Ideas for a new header photo for my blog.
• Places / things you might think I would enjoy visiting.
• Topics for YouTube Videos.

I sincerely thank you and…  stay tuned!
bj

For an incredible family-friendly vacation, you may want to pack up the family and head to Ecuador. Ecuador is a relatively small country; about the size of Colorado, but don’t let its small size fool you. Ecuador offers a complete range of diversity; from rain forests to volcanoes to beautiful beaches on the blue Pacific to kayaking white water and snorkeling with sea lions – and much more.

Ecuador’s temperate climate high in the Andes makes the perfect starting point for your family’s adventure. International flights arrive in the beautiful capital city of Quito from numerous departure points in the USA and around the world. From there, you can reach some truly spectacular rural locations in the shadows of beautiful volcanic peaks within an hour or so from the airport. This is sure to get your holiday off to a fun and relaxing beginning, even if travelling with smaller children. You can arrange an itinerary to suit all your wants. If horseback riding is of interest, you may wish to include this in your itinerary. By the way, horseback riding is available for all levels of horsemanship. Feel free to visit and stay at a gorgeous family-run traditional working farm or hacienda with a whole host of other activities from colorful Indian markets, walks, cycling or just checking out what’s going on at the farm.

The enduring fascination of exotic creatures big and small does not fail to engage children of all ages. Regardless of whether you head to the cooler cloud forest with your little ones, which is only a short drive from Quito or whether you venture with your teenagers deeper into the Amazon basin rain forest to spend a few incredible and illuminating days with local tribes in the heart of their ancestral home. Family-friendly riverside jungle lodges can offer specially designed forest walks with professional guides as well as lots of fun activities from making animal models and pictures to learning the essential skills on how to become a forest naturalist, such as recognizing animal calls and spotting minute insects! You may choose to take a refreshing swim in waterfalls, go fishing for piranha, or get face-painting with natural dye, known as achiote!

After all this exploring, you might wish to visit the less developed villages and towns around Machalilla National Park. You may then want to kayak a bit along coast as you keep an eye out for dolphins. From there, you might want to take the family to the Panama hat weavers at Montecristi or try your hand at making jewelry and local handicrafts. From June to November, the humpback whales can be viewed from whale viewing boat tours off the coast in their migration just off-shore. You’re sure to enjoy some up-close viewing of these amazing creatures. Be sure to visit the ‘mini-Galapagos’ Islands at Isla de la Plata. The mini-Galapagos, as they are often referred to are a short distance off shore and (besides the Galapagos) is the only other place in the world where you can see waved albatross** and also blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and frigate birds. The Galapagos are some 600 miles off-shore in case you opt for the real thing. Young children will also enjoy the coast and can be easily reached via a nice highway journey from Guayaquil. Oh, and don’t forget to stop by the chocolate factory on your way. The coast can also be reached via a new highway from Quito or if you prefer, just a short scenic flight from Quito to Manta.