Living in your RV for $600 a month

[jameshet]

Cool little video here showing how you could do RV living for way cheap...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR-08VoL4tI

[Canadian_Rainbi]

I'm going to jump in here without reading past page 1. Muscular Dystrophy is pretty debilitating. Note that he doesn't say how fast he works or how many rest breaks he needs to take. Full marks for him to be able to do anything. The smoking is another question altogether. But who are we to judge?

[The_Dung_Beetle]

bjcarpetguy wrote:
I for one applaud him. If he did all of that in 3months doubt he had time to stand on a corner and beg. I would like to get a hold of him as I have a fresh
water tank I would like to get rid of.
He is in Washington at least when he shot the video. I am In Olympia.

We are also in WA state (not too far from his area). I was thinking we might have some supplies to help him too. Wish we knew where he is exactly. We have wayyy too much stuff in our garage that might be of use to him on his project.
.
.

[bjcarpetguy]

I for one applaud him. If he did all of that in 3months doubt he had time to stand on a corner and beg. I would like to get a hold of him as I have a fresh
water tank I would like to get rid of.
He is in Washington at least when he shot the video. I am In Olympia.

[Homer1]

This whole thread reminds me of the good old small town bar room or coffee house banter. Everybody has an opinion and no one has been impugned. If the guy who built the rig has read any of this, he must be laughing his backside off.

[JJBIRISH]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

RVUSA wrote:


There in lies the full problem with this thread. Not one single person knows the situation, yet it doesnt stop anyone from coming to their own conclusions and finding offense with others that dont agree.

You got that right- hard to believe that many even bothered to watch the video, since so many erroneously think the fellow says he has "MS".

I couldn't care less where his money comes from or what he does with it. I just think that since he likely gets other benefits in addition to (at least) a $600.00 a month disability check it's wrong to assert that this is an actual example of "fulltiming" on that amount.

And to those that think me cynical/cruel/unfeeling: At least I'm not patronizing.

let me say I was the one to first point out that MS was not what his disability was that it was MD but that was deleted…
And yes I caught that after watching the video a second but I give myself a pass on that since it takes a lot of time buffering a video with my lousy Version service (like maybe a half hour of buffering) and why I don’t watch many of them…
and while I do have a problem with the cynical/curel/ unfeeling I do not feel I have patronized the individual either… I think he presents himself well while walking in his own shoes, and I respect that more the some of what I have read…

I also pointed out the symtoms similarities but that was deleted with the rest of the post… I am not pointing that out as a slam on the moderators either… the post on second thought should have been deleted… it was a bit harsh because IMO making insinuations without stating the true intent really rubs me the wrong way, and I posted out of emotion...

[Francesca_Knowl]

RVUSA wrote:


There in lies the full problem with this thread. Not one single person knows the situation, yet it doesnt stop anyone from coming to their own conclusions and finding offense with others that dont agree.

You got that right- hard to believe that many even bothered to watch the video, since so many erroneously think the fellow says he has "MS".

I couldn't care less where his money comes from or what he does with it. I just think that since he likely gets other benefits in addition to (at least) a $600.00 a month disability check it's wrong to assert that this is an actual example of "fulltiming" on that amount.

And to those that think me cynical/cruel/unfeeling: At least I'm not patronizing.

[RVUSA]

JJBIRISH wrote:
ok I will try again and try to be more gentle…

the fact that there is a bike in the trailer means absolutely nothing, nada, none…

we don’t know why it’s in there, we don’t even know who rides it, and we don’t know if he repairs them to resell at flea markets to supplement his meager income…

there is also a red wagon in there that I doubt he uses

There in lies the full problem with this thread. Not one single person knows the situation, yet it doesnt stop anyone from coming to their own conclusions that suits their own lifes experiences (which has nothing to do with his experiences, nada, none.) and finding offense with others that dont agree.

It's going to be a long winter. Again.

[JJBIRISH]

ok I will try again and try to be more gentle…

the fact that there is a bike in the trailer means absolutely nothing, nada, none…

we don’t know why it’s in there, we don’t even know who rides it, and we don’t know if he repairs them to resell at flea markets to supplement his meager income…

there is also a red wagon in there that I doubt he uses , and it looks like maybe a riding go cart or something with a steering wheel, and there is maybe a centrifugal clutch type pipe cage scooter in there… he also has some family pictures on the wall, could he possibly also have kids he visits or visit him…

it is even quite possible he rides a bike himself, for exercise and therapy…

depending on the progression of the disability, cycling could be the perfect mode of exercise for someone with physical disabilities of this type… for one thing people who experience foot drop will not have foot drop on the bike, the pedaling motion is different than walking, So instead of being slowed down by gait difficulties, a person can maybe enjoy a challenging workout on the bike and to help maintain his strength and balance…

Bike MS is a growing and popular event and many with disabilities ride in some of these charitable events…

AprilWhine wrote:

stetwood wrote:
It is really tough to see people living in such conditions when we have Mansions built for just a couple.

Do you realize you are paraphrasing Karl Marx? From each according to his ability, to each according to his need

I believe in helping those less fortunate, but I would not advocate taking most of the income from those who earned it. If adults want to spend their income on a Mansion, good for them! If someone who only makes $600 a month chooses to spend a large percentage on cigarettes, well he is an adult and can make his own decisions.

Call me whatever you want but, I to think it is tough to see people living in such conditions through no fault of their own when we have McMansions built for just a couple, I don’t consider my humble trailer as a mansion but I don’t for one second think stetwood ever suggested anything like taking most of the income from those who earned it… That is a rather extreme accusation to make…

[AprilWhine]

stetwood wrote:
It is really tough to see people living in such conditions when we have McMansions built for just a couple.

Do you realize you are paraphrasing Karl Marx? From each according to his ability, to each according to his need

I believe in helping those less fortunate, but I would not advocate taking most of the income from those who earned it. If adults want to spend their income on a McMansion, good for them! If someone who only makes $600 a month chooses to spend a large percentage on cigarettes, well he is an adult and can make his own decisions.

[Dog_Folks]

What he spends his money on is not our business, but as a former smoker of 45 years, I can tell you cigarettes are expensive!

A carton of cheap smokes weekly will average about $35.00-$40.00.

[wa8yxm]

IF you divide the cost into two parts, Wife and I used to spend about 400/month on Groceries and household supplies.. and average about 150 a month in parking, and 50 gas..

Of course this does not include telephone and insurance costs.

Today alas it's just me, and I've an additional 600/month (My Social Security is bigger than hers was). Plus I cook mostly from scratch where as she bought prepared meals.

I'd say 600/month is doable if the RV is fully paid for.

[The_Dung_Beetle]

Homer wrote:
This the portrait of the real American. He is making his way on his own. I am amazed at how clear his mind is and his ability to think every detail out. When we are feeling sorry for ourselves, I want to remember this guy just does it.

Amen to THAT Homer! I don't smoke (never have), but he's not a leper just because he does. I have no clue what cigarettes cost (and I noticed he does have a concerning little *hack*), but he's thinking and clear on his agenda. He's only been working on that for 3 months! He also said "I have a dry roof over my head, and I'm safe".. that's huge for a homeless person.

When my husband was very young and had just returned from Vietnam he was broke and unable to find work. He also built an insulated camper on the back of his truck, and headed to Alaska for work. I have no doubt that he looked rather "Grapes of Wrath-ish". That was over 40+ years ago, and he stayed focused (no instant gratification for him). He finally landed a job and did very well for himself. I have always admired his tenacity! He was raised on a farm, and his motto has always been "You have to do what you have to do". Bravo to this guy for trying.

** I did not miss the bike frames on the wall. Who knows what he plans for those. He's pretty ingenious. Maybe he's going to make a stationary bike out of it for exercise.
.

[RVUSA]

hitchup wrote:

southbound wrote:

AprilWhine wrote:
He says in the video he has MS. I'm impressed with his spirit, to do all that while suffering from MS. I do not begrudge him a penny!

neither do I

Someone obviously missed the leg braces and his struggle to walk, climb stairs, etc. Apparently, he also uses the wheel chair.

And some missed the bicycle. hmmmmm.

[Homer1]

This trailer looks like it was reasonably built to last. Albeit it needs some finish work, which I understood was in the plans. A final exterior finishing should make it presentable. His truck needed some cosmetic work, but on $600.00 a month, there is just so much that can be done. I do not think this is the kind of guy who would go to resorts and high end campgrounds. He just wants to enjoy life. I don't think he will ever be completely done with his passion.