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If you could....Van?
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So curious...since some pro athletes live in RVs and Vans since they travel so much and make very little..

but (granted you were single and no kids or anything) would you live in an RV or Van to save rent money and allow yourself the freedom to travel to races AS AN AMATEUR?

and no offense - but lets not get all "van lifey" and "travel the world and be a gypsy" thing. This is simply a question of practicality/money saving/slight more freedom than per usual if you actually have a job.
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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When I was single I lived in an RV for a time while I raced pro, so my answer is yes. It was also a blast besides saving money, I think I would have lost money to actually stay in that RV for the time I did..
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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It's not as cheap as you would think. The logistics are difficult. Much like tiny house living, it's done as a statement, not as a way to actually save on anything. It's cheaper to live in a low cost but great training area like tucson and do a good job of using travel and credit card plans to get less expensive flights.

I seriously looked into it, and have two close friends who were featured on the HGTV tiny house show. One friend lasted a year before buying a 3 bedroom in texas because it was cheaper than continuing to live in his tiny house in CA. The other, although featured in the show as living in it, has never actually spent more than a weekend in it and their main residence is in their parent's home. The only place to park it cheap is so far off the beaten path that's it not worth it, so it's just gathering dust.

Again, I was pretty committed to doing this back in 2010 and realized it's quite expensive unless you plan on parking it in your parents driveway. And then you might as well live in the house haha
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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I could rent my place out for $3500 plus and put everything in storage and just rent a room for $800-900 a month. I would do that first before living in a van. There are already too many down on their luck people living in beat up RVs
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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Dont listen to these naysayers. Depending on your rig, there are tons of free parking options. If you have something like a 30fter, and is self contained, you can stay at Walmarts, casinos, Kmarts, and several other spots that are set up for them. You can also just pull off the road in some great forest spot and get out of the way, usually no one is going to bother you. IF they do, you just move, no big deal. There is also this club I just joined, where you pay like 50bucks a year and you can stay at over a 1000 places for free, wineries, breweries, and gold courses. They just want you to buy something there of course, but it is not mandatory. And I think there are many deals like that too.

If you have what my other rig was, a 4x4 with a popup camper, fully self contained, you can go anywhere. You just hit the dirt roads and pull over at some lake or ocean. And that can all be free too. All you basically spend in gas money, all other expenses are the ones you have no matter what, eating and such..If I were single, I would go that route, pull a little storage trailer with all the toys, and spend time in Baja in the winters, and wherever I was racing in spring to fall.

And what you will find out there is a whole community of folks that live on the road so to speak. Some full time, others just for seasons. You are not going to be stuck in some homeless camp in a parking lot, in some city trying to corral all of those folks. Quite the opposite, you will be staying at real estate that would cost millions to live there, most of which is not even for sale.

And lastly if you do this, get a nice medium sized dog, preferably a running partner. For the times you are not hooked up with a local lady, they are quite good company, and they always agree with your politics and positions...(-;
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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and do it 40 years ago
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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It's most definitely a possible scenario for me when the kid leaves for college. I'll be 53, almost 8 years from now.
I lived in a similar way before I got married and became a dad. The wife's gone, the kid's mostly with me.
I can very well picture myself throughout the country, smartly planning jobs with races with concerts etc.
If you can handle the lifestyle it's easy and cheap. Just not comparable at all with living in a house.

NO
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I remember when you could camp at the CA state parks for $12 a night and $18 with hookups. Those were the days back in the 90s now I just dont think I could do it without having the option to just pull into a state park and camp cheap for a couple days. For me I want to have a legal right to occupy the pavement that i park my vehicle on and that is probably why i could never live out of the RV. I have always owned various tent and rv trailers cause I like to unhitch and go explore so I am biased against motorhomes and vans. I had a client with mercedes sprinter van and he was selling it and I seriously thought about buying it cheap for a conversion but I just couldnt do it. Really the only place that sounds enticing to me would be baja...I did do a summer trip to San Quentin this year that I drove it and it was really enjoyable but I did not camp as there are cheap lodging options everywhere.
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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a good friend of mine did that and loved it for the first few months but eventually became REALLY lonely. But he was working full-time out of his van (and still is to a degree)

https://www.instagram.com/vanlifetravelogue/


he stopped a while back and reevaluated what he was doing and why when his mother became ill. Super good dude
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
And lastly if you do this, get a nice medium sized dog, preferably a running partner. For the times you are not hooked up with a local lady, they are quite good company, and they always agree with your politics and positions...(-;

Piggybacking as I've been thinking going mobile for a while now, but have been deterred because of the dog (small, 11lb wet dachshund). It can get pretty hot in the summer where I am (Vegas), and the inside of a vehicle can get stifling in minutes. Are there reasonable solutions if I need to be away for 3-5 hours for classes, or even 1-3 hours for a workout?
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Re: If you could....Van? [Nonojohn] [ In reply to ]
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The only real solution with a dog in Vegas is to leave it with a friend. You of course could board them, but then there goes the budget. If you had an RV with air and hook ups, but I would even be sketched and worry that it would go down. Like you said, in the middle of summer a vehicle can get to 160 degrees pretty quick.
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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Van.

I always wanted a van when I was a kid to smoke weed in and drive my friends around. Now I have two kids a dog and a van!!!

But seriously, camping in it was a big sell and it fits my bike nice and safely inside while still having room for me to sleep and carry all my things. I got a Honda Odyssey decked out bro, it was 8 years old when I got it, but still the shit. I can watch movies, play video games, heat my seats when my legs and back are sore, chill a 6 pack of beer in the console, all kinds of shit. Hell, you could even fuck a girl in there while your bike watches!

BUY A VAN.

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https://membership.usatriathlon.org/...A2-BAD7-6137B629D9B7
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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Twinkie wrote:
and no offense - but lets not get all "van lifey" and "travel the world and be a gypsy" thing. This is simply a question of practicality/money saving/slight more freedom than per usual if you actually have a job.

I think most the people who have decided to do that actually do it because of this aspect though

Chasing PB Podcast Latest interview with Eli Hemming on Targeting a US MTR spot in Tokyo
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Re: If you could....Van? [ChasingPB] [ In reply to ]
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Not in a million years.
They are so small and claustophobic, being 6,4 getting a proper sized bed in the van would be difficult too. Having to move stuff around all the time due lack of space, no thanks!
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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This topic has come up on a few group rides before :-) I'd go for an airstream just for the fun and simplicity. If it saved money, that would be cool too but the adventure would be interesting.

Blog | Strava
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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Twinkie wrote:
So curious...since some pro athletes live in RVs and Vans since they travel so much and make very little..

but (granted you were single and no kids or anything) would you live in an RV or Van to save rent money and allow yourself the freedom to travel to races AS AN AMATEUR?

and no offense - but lets not get all "van lifey" and "travel the world and be a gypsy" thing. This is simply a question of practicality/money saving/slight more freedom than per usual if you actually have a job.

Nope.

I spent a month on the road, pulling a pop-up trailer, with 2 kids, wife and dog last summer, travelling down through Maine, Mass, NY State, Ohio, Indiana, then back up through Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick to home. We had a great time, it was a lot of fun, but I was REALLY happy to be home when it was all done.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: If you could....Van? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting bit of responses! haha

Logically it makes sense if you have the ability to work remote and have access to free water and a solid solar setup. Initial cost would be a solid bit but financially - the pay back period is fairly short.

For those who have done it - what did you like, dislike, pros, cons, and what would you change with your setup?
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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'83 Vanagon with dual propane, dual batteries 80w solar, bike rack and kayak rack. I travel a bit for work and got sick of hotels. Now I explore local MTB trails near work or along the way. Nothing like pulling over in a county park to scope a project, write a contract, hold a conference call and close a deal while working on a picnic table or in the van. Just need to have my MIFI connect for an internet signal, otherwise I've got all I need: food, water, power, bike, computer, phone, clothing and a way to make it all happen a few days at a time.

Still, have a small house and a Toyota for the real home and all-weather transportation. But I've landed on a combination of work/life balance that I really like.
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Re: If you could....Van? [fishgo] [ In reply to ]
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fishgo wrote:


'83 Vanagon with dual propane, dual batteries 80w solar, bike rack and kayak rack. I travel a bit for work and got sick of hotels. Now I explore local MTB trails near work or along the way. Nothing like pulling over in a county park to scope a project, write a contract, hold a conference call and close a deal while working on a picnic table or in the van. Just need to have my MIFI connect for an internet signal, otherwise I've got all I need: food, water, power, bike, computer, phone, clothing and a way to make it all happen a few days at a time.

Still, have a small house and a Toyota for the real home and all-weather transportation. But I've landed on a combination of work/life balance that I really like.

haha thats rad - that is going to be an epic picture to show the future grandkids one day...or if not them then some young buck who writes a forum post such as this one haha
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Re: If you could....Van? [Twinkie] [ In reply to ]
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Sweet ride, mine were 71's with pop tops over the years, had 3 of them. Last year of the old motor, the one you could replace for a few hundred bucks, and actually work on..

This guy was my hero, I still think about doing this with my 5 person family, at least for a year. Tried it for 6 weeks this summer in the RV, and I and the kids loved it, wife is agnostic, but likes that the rest of us are having a great time;


https://en.wikipedia.org/..._%22Doc%22_Paskowitz

After marrying his third wife, Juliette, Paskowitz and his new bride began a period of roughly 25 years of a transient bohemian lifestyle on the road. The couple produced nine children, and the entire family lived and traveled together in a succession of used camper vans. Paskowitz's personal philosophy about education and money and healthy lifestyle was imposed on his family.
None of the Paskowitz children were formally educated during their time on the road. Paskowitz's philosophy about the difference between knowledge and wisdom led him to believe that the formal education systems in all the countries of the world were not useful. He believed that achieving wisdom came from real experiences in the world, and from meeting and learning from everyday people. He believed formal education was dangerous to young minds, despite being a Stanford graduate and a professor at community colleges, including Palomar College in San Marcos, California.[citation needed]
A consistent theme of health pervaded Paskowitz's approach to family life. Most mornings, the family ate a breakfast of multi-grain gruel (as one of his children described it), and they were all expected to improve their surfing skills on a daily basis. Several of Paskowitz's children reached a competitive level in surfing, winning contests and earning endorsement income.
Dorian had a son, Salvador Paskowitz, who is an American screenwriter and producer. Adam and Josh Pashkowitz of the band The Flys are related to him.[11]
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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My '83 is the last of the air-cooled engines. A bit more complicated that the stand-ups but still easier than the water-cooled. Not very fast, though, so I've taken to travels by the back roads and love it.
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going for an Airstream soon myself. I'm sick and tired of Hotels. I'm sick and tired for paying crazy money for beaten up motels or hotels nearby local triathlons. There are so many local races here in Virginia/East coast, just the lodging pulls me off all the time.
Also, the better half that has nothing to with trialife has more joy chilling out and soon a baby probably appreciates the luxury of a good size trailer housing all the baby gear over shuttling all the stuff around in a van.
I opt for small food-print apartment and a camper/trailer in addition. To me that is perfect scenario right now. If i finally one day make it over to my dreamland (westcoast, OC) I go for an house. But for now this combo seams to me the best in terms of work/life balance.
For spring and fall I'm planning to "store" the trailer in a nearby state park camping ground for exact the same reasons that popped up earlier. Nature in side, running, swimming and cycling right in the front door. But also stress relieve, weekend getaway.
Lets see if that works out.
cheers,
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Re: If you could....Van? [peace242000] [ In reply to ]
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peace242000 wrote:
It's not as cheap as you would think. The logistics are difficult. Much like tiny house living, it's done as a statement, not as a way to actually save on anything.


When I did it, I spent ~$3k/yr on everything. Around $5k/yr in today's money. That includes gas, depreciation, repairs, insurance... plus of course food, clothes, gym membership, etc.
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Re: If you could....Van? [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
Sweet ride, mine were 71's with pop tops over the years, had 3 of them. Last year of the old motor, the one you could replace for a few hundred bucks, and actually work on..

Better to just get a Toyota... ;)
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Re: If you could....Van? [rruff] [ In reply to ]
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Pretty relevant to me as I just moved into an RV over the past few days with my wife, baby, and 2 dogs. While I do race as a Pro, my lifestyle still resembles more of an amateur as I work full time as a Travel Nurse. My wife and I decided we didn’t want to keep apartment hopping between my assignments, so we decided on a 2002 Winnebago Itasca Suncruiser.

We’re still in the very early stages but we’re pretty optimistic. We just got parked in Tucson for the winter where I should start work Monday. But obviously there is some great training here too!

My wife did a post awhile back on my blog about our decision a few months ago if anyone is interested.
http://feighathlon.com/...me-sweet-suncruiser/

Definitely open to any advice from anyone or to answer any questions about our set up!

Adam Feigh
Pianko Law, Speed Hound, Castelli, Sailfish, Base
Feighathlon.com
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