MY LITTLE FLOCK IS GROWING
It’s been another busy few days. Jake is a wonderful friend from the last RTR and he joined us in camp. He works in Los Angeles and got some time off so he came up here to relax and get out of the heat. You would think it would be hard to park on the street of a town as big as Los Angeles, but he has no problem. Whether you live in a van in a city, or on public land, it’s a wonderful life!!
Sierra Sunset
I heard from Judy and Bill that they are on their way here. They are a very nice couple I met last January at the RTR. They are pulling a travel trailer with a Ford van. I don’t think they can get up where we are, but they will be close by. They will be a great addition to the group, very nice people.
I’M TAKING A VACATION:
I lived in Alaska nearly my whole life, from 1961 to 2006 (for 6 years I lived there in a van). I retired and left in 2006, and haven’t been back since. My mom has a condo in Anchorage she has been trying to sell, and she finally sold it. So she is going to go up there and get it ready to sell. Because it has been so long since I went back, we are going to have a mini family reunion. My son still lives there so the whole family will be there. I’ll be there September 9-24. September isn’t the best time to be there, but it will be good no matter what the weather.
TWO INTERVIEWS IN ONE DAY!
For a long time now I have gotten emails from people every year asking me if they can interview me about vandwelling. I always write back and say, “Sure, I’d love to talk to you and spread the good news of living in a van!” But so far no one has ever followed through and actually done it. Well, when it rains it pours! Yesterday I did two interviews in one day.
A nice lady named Kate did a telephone interview with me for her Real Estate Blog. It seems like an odd place for an interview on vandwelling, right? She writes a column on alternative housing, and I guess we qualify for that. It went really well, she asked insightful questions. She said she would send me a link to it when it’s done. If she does I will pass it on to you.
The other interview was with a couple of very nice guys from Texas. One of them is a professor for the Texas University system, the other is one of his students. For professors to get tenure, they can’t just teach, they have to produce actual work—the idea behind “publish or perish.” Since he teaches digital media and communication, he set out to create a documentary. He was introduced to vandwelling by his son, and was immediately intrigued by the idea. Like most people, his first thought was “That’s crazy” but then his next thought was “Why would someone do that?’ So the documentary is about why we do what we do.
The Sierra Camp Is Growing
They were such nice guys, and great guests, I was sorry to see them leave. They were so nice, I was even willing to forgive them for being from Texas!! And that is saying a lot!! Cheri and I put together a bar-b-que for everybody that turned out great. How many women can you say to; “Oh, by the way honey, we are having nine guests over for a bar-b-que tonight, can we get ready in time?’ and have it turn out great?!!That’s my sweetheart!!
My first thought when I hear about a documentary on vandwelling is that it will probably be another hack-job making us all look like crazies. But after meeting Michael and Aaron, I really think they will do a great job and portray us in a very positive light. I wish them well!!
They will send me a link to the documentary when it is done, and I will pass it on to you. Bob
I’m also meeting with the folks from Texas, on the 14th. 🙂 should be interesting
Now that will be interesting since you are our only truly radical vandweller! They should find the paradox of a homesteading vandweller compelling video! Bob
Can’t wait for the interview links! For a future blog subject, how about some tips and advice, sprinkled with a few memories, on vandwelling in Alaska?
Hi Dan, I agree wholeheartedly, I am also really looking forward to seeing the documentary. They thought it would probably be early spring or summer of 2013. My main memory of vandwelling in Alaska can be summarized in one word: COLD! I’m just kidding, the summers were very nice, but fighting the extreme cold really was a big job. Since winter is coming, sometime in September or October I’ll do a post on staying warm. I’ll try to bring in some memories from Alaska. Bob
Hi Bob
Thanks for all the great info you’ve provided over the years. I’ve been a lurker on Vandweller for a couple of years now.
I remember you mentioned some kind of almanac or mapping of National Forests in California, but I can’t seem to find it on your blog. Could you tell me what they were again?
Thanks
Peter
Hi Peter, the easiest way to get info on the National Forests is to go to their websites. Any decent map will give you the names of the NF in a state, then just do a Google search on them. Usually on the home page will the address and phone number of the main Ranger stations. I have had very good luck calling and asking questions, especially about where I can disperse camp (free camping).
Whenever I am going to spend a lot of time in a state, I buy an Almanac or Atlas of maps of the state. there are two main ones that cover all 50 states. One is Benchmark Atlas, the other is Delorme Atlas and Gazetter. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and I have different ones for different states, but I think I slightly prefer the Benchmark Atlas. They are easier to read and follow the maps. I think it does a better job with National Forest or BLM roads.
here are links to the California version of each:
http://www.amazon.com/California-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme-Series/dp/0899333834/ref=pd_sim_b_5
http://www.amazon.com/California-Road-Recreation-Atlas-Benchmark/dp/0929591496/ref=pd_sim_b_2
Something else to consider is mapping software. You can get lots of maps online or buy a package. Probably the best is Delorme TOPO. It works well but it’s interface is very poor and difficult to use. Bob
The vigilant part of me is a little concerned that with too much publicity the ranks of vandwellers will swell to such a degree that public land will not be nearly as pristine, and that laws will quickly change to reflect the growing visibility of this lifestyle.
Consider this: Even one third of 1% of the (300 million) population is approximately a million people. If we had a million vandwellers, or even a tenth of that, laws would change quickly…as to use of public land, parking restrictions at Wal-Marts, police harrassment overall, etc….and the current group of vandwellers might find their lifestyle far more limited and difficult.
Remember: All municipalities that depend on real estate taxes, and all the real estate industry–and the Home Depots and Lowe’s’, etc.–that depends on people not realizing they have an alternative to “stix ‘n brix,” not to mention the many rigid “do-gooders” of the world who “know” that it isn’t respectable or proper to live in a vehicle, are natural enemies of the vandwelling lifestyle.
Moreover, there are only several Wal-Marts even in decent-sized cities. If we had hundreds of thousands, or a million vandwellers, roaming the country, it wouldn’t take long for such parking lots to become overfilled with vehicle-dwellers, and become a nuisance and distraction to shoppers and store managers. Something similar might be true of scenic places on public land; what are now gorgeous and unspoiled views might turn into crowded and messy places–and then places that are legally off-limits to camping.
To some degree, then, the vandwelling lifestyle overall, even if not in any one specific person’s case, depends on stealth–on being under the radar of society. Once vandwelling is widely publicized as a lifestyle choice, the numbers will grow to a point that the current freedoms will quickly become wistful memories.
Providing information to those who absolutely need to live in vehicles is admirable. I think there’s a fine line, however, between getting out helpful information to current and necessary vandwellers and broadcasting information to society at large.
True, the great majority will not easily choose to give up their traditional homes. But again, if even one third of one percent of our population takes to living in vehicles, that would be a million vandwellers! Our vandwelling freedoms would quickly disappear.
I think there may be some wisdom in considering whether it might not be wise to be very cautious in publicizing to the mass media the details of this lifestyle, and just how relatively cheap and easy and stress-free it can be.
But hey, sometimes I worry too much. I could easily be mistaken.
Those are very good points Michael. It might be true in the long run, but I think in the short run it may be just the opposite. I think most police are well aware that many people are loosing their homes and being forced into their cars. For right now I think that creates sympathy for us, not anger. However, in the long run that may run out and create a backlash. If anything, I think your numbers are too low, not high. All the estimates I’ve heard is that there are about 1 and 1/2 million RVs camped around Quartzsite, AZ every winter (yes, I said “million”). Of course that’s RVers, and there may be less vandwellers, but i think there are a bunch of us scattered around the country.
The bottom line for me is that I remember how unhappy I was until I became a vandweller, and I firmly believe there are many others just like me still out there. If I can help them in some small way, I feel like I have too. Bob
An update and hello from Salt Lake City! The Texans have come and gone and things seemed to go very well. We’re quite excited to see how their film turns out. They had nothing but good things to say about your group in the Sierras – although somebody they interviewed REALLY had them scared about bears 🙂
Cheers,
Josh & Meisha
Hi Josh and Meisha, very glad you got to meet them, they were very nice guys. For those of you who don’t know, we are talking about two guys from Texas, one is a professor at the university there and the other is one of his students. They are in the process of shooting a video documentary about vandwellers.
I also am really excited to see it, they seemed to have a very positive attitude toward us. Hopefully we will start to get some positive press.
Oddly enough, the day I was talking to them I had another interview with a reporter for a Real Estate blog. You can find that interview here:
http://www.movoto.com/blog/novelty-real-estate/vandwelling-how-to-live-in-a-van-down-by-the-river/#comments
Josh and meisha have a wonderful blog, if you aren’t familiar with it, check it out here:
http://www.vagabloggers.com/
I wish you happy travels… Bob