Life Not on the Road “Yet”
August 1, 2023
There are ways to get things done and then there is my way.
I’ve gone through this step-by-step in my head since I made the choice to sell my trailer. I need to sell it first, then I need to sell the truck. Then I need to buy a 1-ton truck…THEN I need to find my truck camper.
That’s it.
It’s simple and makes sense. Why get the cart before you have the horse?
That’s the way it should go.
That’s not my way. I often find myself in the endless truck campers’ rabbit hole search or looking for the perfect truck, I know there are other things I need to do, pay bills, run errands, clean, and finally get the upstairs clean. I have endless projects.
How is it that I’m busier, or let me better say that — feel busier than I ever have?
I’ve got this list that seems to not end. Seriously. It’s not just my list, it’s also helping my mom get her home organized and cleaned up. Helping her go through things and reorganize all the items she and my dad had collected over their almost 52 years of marriage.
On top of the above tasks;
My trailer needs to be emptied.
Everything left in the trailer needs to be separated from what’s going in the house, what’s being stored in the garage, and what’s going with the trailer.
I need to fix a minor issue with a window.
Then it needs to be cleaned and scrubbed from top to bottom.
Take photos and list the trailer and try to sell it.
This also means cleaning out the garages and the storage room (cleaning an area that has been largely ignored to “I handle it later”) first.
Which means first wrapping the mattresses (stored in the garage) we are not keeping for recycling.
Dragging them to the front for pickup.
Then putting together a dry sauna my dad used so it can be sold.
It also means sorting, organizing, and determining what’s for a garage sale, what to keep, and bringing it up from the basement, from the attic, and throughout the house to the garage, which also needs to be cleaned and organized, placed on tables, and priced.
Then have a garage sale. (in the next 3 weeks)
This means I’m going to have the trailer open for people to see if they want to purchase. (if it hasn’t sold)
Once my trailer is sold, then I sell the truck (or trade it) but I really don’t want to roll over the expense in a newer truck. Figured, I’m going to get what it was worth by selling it myself. This means cleaning it and taking photos for listing it.
Once the truck is sold, then it’s the hunt for the 1-ton truck.
8ft Bed
Gas
Crew / Extended Cab
Under $35k
A small challenge to locate the right one. It provides a safer option for a truck camper and also allows me to upgrade truck campers later down the road.
Once I have the truck, then and only then can I truly find and pick up my truck camper.
I have settled on getting a pop-up - however if the “right” hardside happens to be the right price, then that may change.
In regards to a pop-up, I would like a Northstar 850SC or if my fairy godmother wanted to grant me a wish, I absolutely would love a Four Wheel Camper. I REALLY would love one of these. If I could have - I would have jumped on the Nowhere Bound setup they were selling. Just WAYYYY out of my VW budget.
Both companies have a layout, the design, and amenities and provide everything I would need. I'm not buying new and have a very specific “paying cash” budget I need to stay within. Finding something slightly used and it only requires some work to make it better is the perfect fit.
It will be my perfect part-time home when I get back on the road and travel again.
Why I decided that I do not want a travel trailer.
This is 1000% me. No other reason.
I have been a photographer most of my life. A photojournalist, which meant, if I saw something I stopped. I’d grab my camera and capture stills or get the footage. Having a truck, especially a 4x4, will allow me to go places I couldn’t go with the motorhome or the trailer.
A truck will allow me to stop quickly, turn around quickish, get off the beaten path, go when I want, and visit locations I’ve been dreaming about for decades. I can fit in the driveways of friends I’m visiting.
That’s it. It’s simple. I want nimble.
Then why not a van? I’ve thought about it and while Instagram makes it such a “pink roses” daydream; vans are narrow, I am currently not. Some are absolutely gorgeous, and maybe someday, but that noise that happens while driving is significant. You hear all the pots, pans, and dishes clanging around. It is unavoidable. Vans can also be double the cost of the truck and camper combined.
Sawyer is a nervous dog. Fireworks are horrible. Thunder is scary. He’s friendly but barks at noises. He can be chill but he can also be crazy; aka grumpy old man. (he’s only 5)
#scenicroute #truckcamping #wanderlust
The truck is more comfortable for both of us. He loves the coziness of the back seat, directly behind me, with an open window to himself. He feels safe. When driving in the motorhome, I had both dogs buckled. Charlie was happy in the front seat, and would often fall asleep with his head on the door. Sawyer was a wreck. His spot was between us on a makeshift bed I created, or at my side. His nerves and agitation was enough to stress me out. Going with a truck takes out that stress factor for both of us.
The journey should be as stressless as I can make it. I know things will happen but the benefit of being able to take my home off and park it for a while and have the truck to explore is the best of both worlds.
Maybe someday I’ll get a travel trailer again, but for now, it’s not for me
I’m planning a trip west in the fall, heading back to California to pick up some things I left and I am really hoping that I have the truck and the camper for the trip. It would be our first “far” journey since I planted myself in Ohio again. If I do…if the stars align, and the roads I’ve wanted to travel open up at the right time, in the right order, at the right moment —
— I’m taking the scenic route.
