I've read all the posts to this thread. Thanks for the apology Vanessa I
also feel much the same way as Roger.
Jim, everyone has different reasons for camping, 5th wheeling, RVing, or
Fulltiming. Personally, I've chuckled to myself when I hear people say
they're roughing it for a week-end and you see them at a KOA campground in
their traveling $250,000 estate, satellite dish, big screen TV, indoor
sauna/hot tub,surround sound stereo etc. To me "roughing it" was a lean to,
an axe, waterproof firestarter, a knife, Dutch oven..you get the picture.
Whatever makes a person happiest and fulfills their needs is what you should
opt for and enjoy. A year ago I moved out of my house of 13 years and into
an 26' Overlander with my other half (RSmith) and we became fulltimers. The
house I left behind's living room was 847 square feet alone. It was packed
to the brim with all kinds of furnishings and a life time full of
"stuff".....and that's just what it was..."stuff". The things that I
absolutely couldn't part with I put in storage where I can always go visit
it and take a walk down memory lane if need be.
When a person decides to become a fulltimer they learn many things, one
being that the measure of a person isn't always gauged by the amount/quality
of the possessions they have. It's more about "spirit"......and a lot of
that "spirit" is sometimes found in the "itchy feet" syndrome, that feeling
of not wanting to be tied down to one place, that adventure, that inner
explorer, that "freedom". Being able to pick up and go whenever the
"spirit" moves you without having to worry about such things as
selling/subletting a house, turning off utilities, etc, so forth, and so on.
Fulltiming...... if you don't like the scenery..move your trailer....you
don't like the neighbors....move your trailer....don't like the
neighborhood, move your trailer. If you find just the right spot..stay..a
week, a month, a year it doesn't matter.
Funny thing, my boss made a comment to me just last week about how she
couldn't se how Ralph and I could live in such a small space (as well as a
teenage son)..she thought we'd feel all cramped and trip over each other.
Actually, I suppose if you had tendencies toward claustrophobia you
shouldn't live in one...but I explained it wasn't like that for us. We both
are working massive hours in our future goal of early retirement, so we
aren't actually home that much. It's more like a place to rest and regroup
during the week. On the week-ends we try hard to be out and about exploring
as much as possible....and we've always got our eyes peeled for places we
could take the AS or even the smaller 20 ft Globetrotter for the week-end
head for the hills/woods.
So..it's really about different strokes for different folks. The upkeep and
maintenance of a huge house, property taxes, etc seem to me a much bigger
burden..labor wise, financially, the whole nine yards..so restoring a
vintage Airstream that we can take anywhere when the mood strikes us suites
me much much better. Our home is on wheels, and people can think what they
like, their "spirit" isn't on the same plain as mine, that's all. So you can
enjoy the way you want to do your trailering life, and others can do it the
way they want. Having a melting pot of people, lifestyles, trailers , is
what makes this life so interesting and such a learning experience..and an
ADVENTURE.
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Hakeman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [VAC] greetings
Greetings, Jim.
I, too have a great deal of respect for full-timers. I lived in a '70
Safari 23'
for about eight or nine months a few years back; my only experience with
full-timing. I did, however trailer with my folks when I was young, and
have had
a number of trailers and travelled extensively since. My grandmother lived
in a
28' early '50s something all through my preteen and teen years. When we
visited,
we all stayed and slept on the couch and floor. I have fond memories of
growing
up trailering, and I hope my children will as well.
Trailering in general and 'Airstreaming' in particular aren't about taking
it all
with you, it's about adventure. The trailer allows you to take enough of
'home'
to be comfortable during your adventure, but it's not about taking 'home'
around
the countryside. For that most of us need a moving van.
Full timers have found a way to balance taking 'stuff' with the desire to
seek
adventure. That can be a difficult task of itself. For me, it's not too
tough.
I'm not terribly attached to my 'stuff'. I'd rather experience life. But
for
others, their 'stuff' is their life. Leaving it is traumatic.
Although it would seem that most of the subscribers to this list are taken
with
their trailers (it's certainly true for me...), it's not the trailer itself
that
holds the significance; it's that the trailer fits our vision of freedom to
experience life and seek out adventure. It's another piece of gear that
helps
keep us comfortable in our quests. What we have in common is the love of
adventure, and a fondness for things unique.
It really doesn't matter a whole lot whether your trailer is a showpiece
from the
'40s completely restored, or a gutted shell with a cot and a sterno stove.
The
wonder of Airstreams is that they enable you to go and experience places
that
others may only dream of. I don't get to travel as much as I'd like right
now,
but just knowing that my A/S is there and ready to go gives me solace and is
an
escape from the day-to-day drudgery.
Roger
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I often wonder how anyone can live full time in a little bity A.S.
trailerMy
> 24 ft Silver Albatross could not hold my library to say nothing of my
> personal possesions. Just taking a long trip in it can be a royal pain in
the
> lower part of my torso. It has taken a full size woodworking shop jest to
do
> the necessary interior maintaince to keep it looking half way decent
inside I
> have spent some time replaceing the plumingto the kitchen sink which broke
on
> our last trip(tubes sweated to the fawcet) I had to teare out the cabnet
top
> to get at it .I was dismaied at the horrable workmanship in the cabnet.
had
> to fabricate a new fiberglassand epoxy interior for it.While I was at it I
> hah to make a new top and stove crover the 1960s formaca looked like hell
so
> I chose rosewood for the top.It will be done shortly I re inspected the
floor
> and found a couple of imperfections so it will be necessary to re glass
it.
> Next it will be necessary to replace the terrable overhead compartment
doors
> with raised pannel walnut doors and to scribe the frames to the contour of
> the trailer .
> If I were a full timer I could not possably do any of this work. I dont
think
> any othis work will add any value to the Silver Albatross.I keep seeing
where
> people on this list are buying similar vintage trailers for less than I
paid
> for this one. I dont know what I will do when I finish it. I can travel a
lot
> cheeper and with less work with out it.
> Jim Smith
