Howdyeeee Jim , let me tell you that having a home ,and a base to come back to is just an illusion, the freedom you will experience ,is overwhelming, I  have been on the road full time for 3 years, , !!And!!,  its been the best years of my life,  take that first step ,and the liberation you will feel in your heart and Soul, I free camp most of the time, and have met some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet,, stay excited Jim ,  might catch you out in the play ground somewhere,,,,,    Billeeeeeee.. 

                  Ps, Jim!, have a chat to one of the crazies on the forum, (Yeoeleven) John , has got a permanent smile  on his dial ,  a very excited guy,,,,

-- Edited by billeeeeeee on Tuesday 1st of July 2014 01:53:01 PM

Hi ya Grandad5 (Jim)

Welcome to you too. I'm going solo in 2 weeks for full time.
I've taken about 2 years to complete the makeover of my '84 Viscount pop-top, and to get the courage to take the permanent plunge.

I am Excited .......so watch this space.........

Welcome Jim
You have your plan and you sound as though you have a few months to practice, as it were.....so you can get away on a few trial runs to get the hang of things!
Greens is not to far away from Bendigo, and there are a fair few other places within cooee of Bendigo too so you'll be right!
I am full time on the road but as not yet pension age am doing a fair it of house/pet sitting to spread the $$ a bit further, also get back to a friends place up in the Kerang area a fair bit as my friends are a) very good company and b) going thru a rough time with a serious back injury to Mr....I go back and help out when I can....
Enjoy yourself out there in the long paddock!
Annie

Welcome to this great site Jim - enjoy this great country of ours.

aussie_paul wrote:

Welcome Grandad5.... You are just up the road from us, Ballarat.

---

 Thank you Paul. 

Billeeeee wrote:

Howdyeeee Jim , let me tell you that having a home ,and a base to come back to is just an illusion, the freedom you will experience ,is overwhelming, I have been on the road full time for 3 years, , !!And!!, its been the best years of my life, take that first step ,and the liberation you will feel in your heart and Soul, I free camp most of the time, and have met some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet,, stay excited Jim , might catch you out in the play ground somewhere,,,,,

---

Thank you Billeeeee. I must admit to feeling a certain amount of kinship to anyone whose avatar reads "Stay Weird". Good to see some of us old hippies are alive and well. You know something? One aspect of getting into the GN world I'm looking forward to is meeting people my own age. I'm so tired of having to explain to people who Jim Morrison or Che Guavara were.

I'm familiar with Yeoeleven's writings. He's one of several GN's here who write a Blog. I've found his Blog in particular is great for letting me get a insight in day to day life as a GN. I'm loving the sound of it. 

 

Glenelg wrote:

g'day Jim & welcome. i am in the same boat going to sell the house (have some bills to pay) have some left to buy into this solo life on the road. been dreaming of MH now thinking about a 5th wheeler and tug , gota dream haven't you. good luck on your rebuild may see ya around some day.

---

Thank you for your welcome Glenelg. I'll keep an eye open for the 5th wheeler.

 

sarg wrote:

Welcome to you too. I'm going solo in 2 weeks for full time. I've taken about 2 years to complete the makeover of my '84 Viscount pop-top, and to get the courage to take the permanent plunge.

---

 Thank you sarg. I recognized your user name from your topic about your maiden shakedown trip. I felt your pain. Replacing the hub and axle isn't that big a job I guess. Mainly throw money at it. But how did you go repairing the body damage?

That must have been heart breaking.

 

Dougwe wrote:

Welcome to the gang Jim, enjoy here and out in the playground.

---

Thank you Dougwe. I love the way everyone refers to the road as "The Playground"

 

 

pawsoz wrote:

Welcome Jim You have your plan and you sound as though you have a few months to practice, as it were.....so you can get away on a few trial runs to get the hang of things! Greens is not to far away from Bendigo, and there are a fair few other places within cooee of Bendigo too so you'll be right! I am full time on the road but as not yet pension age am doing a fair it of house/pet sitting to spread the $$ a bit further, also get back to a friends place up in the Kerang area a fair bit as my friends are a) very good company and b) going thru a rough time with a serious back injury to Mr....I go back and help out when I can.... Enjoy yourself out there in the long paddock!

---

Thank you Annie. I won't have a functioning van for at least another year. At present it's a rolling chassis with the walls leaning against my garage. Plus, there will be no tug until I sell the house. But a shakedown trip is definitely on the agenda and I can't think of a better place than Greens Lake.

I hope your friend is feeling better soon.

"The Long Paddock" Haven't heard that expression in years. Thanks for the memory.

 

To Nelly and halfpint.......Thank you for taking the time to respond and for your welcome.

 

GaryKelly wrote:

I also like the sound of your 10ft '69 Franklin. Mine's about the same size and vintage except it's a slide-on. It has that old fashioned, home-sweet-home feel about it.

---

Thanks Mate, I enjoyed your post about digging PJ out from beside your garage. A slide-on was a serious contender for a while. Because the bed is usually over the cab, they have one of the most efficient floor plans of any RV. (IMHO)

Plus, you can get plans to build one yourself from the USA. It was only after a whole lot of thinking that I decided to rebuild what I already have. But I still like the concept of a slide on. Time will tell if I made the right choice.

Thank you everyone.

Cheers

Jim

G'day John, (pugs)
Sounds to me like you're trying to talk yourself out of it. I know what that feels like because I've done it myself. It's so easy to justify why NOT to do something that is unknown to us.

It would be disrespectful of me to suggest that what worked for me will work for you, but you never know.

In my case, instead of trying to imagine what life "Might" be like if I made the move I concentrated on what my future "Would" be like if I didn't go.

It was a done deal. Staying meant slowly growing older with not a whole lot to look forward to.

The other trick I've used on my myself for various things is to ask, "What's the worse that can happen?" In my case, I'd end up back exactly where I would be if I didn't go at all. A bit like Monty Python. "You start with nothing. You go back to nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!"

As far as people saying living on the single pension is tough, I suspect most saying that are people on a married rate. It seems to be a rule that the more we earn, the more we spend. So I'll bet two people living on a married rate spend what is coming in and have little if anything left next pension day. For them to see how much the single rate is must look awful tough to live on by comparison.
Guess what? People on a single rate also spend what we have coming in and next pension day we'll also have little if anything left over.

So what's the difference?

Please forgive me if I sound like I'm preaching. That's not my intention. How about we change the last line of your post from "I MIGHT meet up with you one day" to "I WILL meet up with you one day"

You name the date and the place and I'll meet you there.

Cheers mate
Jim

hi mate just give it a go then u will know but as others have said its your choice

Grandad5 wrote:

---

G'day John, (pugs)
Sounds to me like you're trying to talk yourself out of it. I know what that feels like because I've done it myself. It's so easy to justify why NOT to do something that is unknown to us.

It would be disrespectful of me to suggest that what worked for me will work for you, but you never know.

In my case, instead of trying to imagine what life "Might" be like if I made the move I concentrated on what my future "Would" be like if I didn't go.

It was a done deal. Staying meant slowly growing older with not a whole lot to look forward to.

The other trick I've used on my myself for various things is to ask, "What's the worse that can happen?" In my case, I'd end up back exactly where I would be if I didn't go at all. A bit like Monty Python. "You start with nothing. You go back to nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!"

As far as people saying living on the single pension is tough, I suspect most saying that are people on a married rate. It seems to be a rule that the more we earn, the more we spend. So I'll bet two people living on a married rate spend what is coming in and have little if anything left next pension day. For them to see how much the single rate is must look awful tough to live on by comparison.
Guess what? People on a single rate also spend what we have coming in and next pension day we'll also have little if anything left over.

So what's the difference?

Please forgive me if I sound like I'm preaching. That's not my intention. How about we change the last line of your post from "I MIGHT meet up with you one day" to "I WILL meet up with you one day"

You name the date and the place and I'll meet you there.

Cheers mate
Jim

---

Hi Jim, Welcome to the playground. We are in similar situation. Agree with you,  staying in our home means just growing older with not a lot to look forward to. We can go weeks not seeing a neighbour but we go to caravan parks and stay a month or so and it feels great - seeing and talking to people every day. Free camping - seeing and talking to people every day - a least I feel alive. at home feel like I am wasting away. if you are in Brisbane let us know so we can catch up. have a great time. rocket n strop

Howdy Laurens, I'm not sure if I have seen you here before so just incase, welcome to the gang, enjoy here and out in the playground.

Mate, just get out here in the playground but one thing please, leave those "doldrums" behind cos they can be a bugga.

If you want to meet other members from this great forum just put a post in the "General" or here in the "Solo" sections and let us know the area you are in or heading to next, we don't know, if you don't tell us mate. I always do that and have met some great people and formed great friendships, many lifelong.

I am a solo as well but don't feel solo in the playground. After I Set up camp I go for a wonder and see who is around and say hi as I go, have always had a hi back and have been invited to go back for happy hour many times. I have found that if others want to chat they are facing you as you go past but if the want to be left alone they face away as to not make eye contact, that's fine cos not everyone wants to chat.

I'm currently in Townsville enjoying the tropics but will be hitting the road again 4/8 and heading down south along the Bruce, Pacific and Hume highways, so if you see a red Colorado with a Avan camper trailer hooked up give a yell mate, only too pleased to say howdy.

Just get out there.

Hi Jim, as Jules said I have been Solo full time for quite a while now, easily living on a pension. I started out in a Hiace then moved up in size to an 87 Coaster after a year.

I too was apprehensive when I first started out but it was only a short while before I began to meet other GN s who gave encouragement, advice, support and lasting

friendship allowing me to adjust to my new lifestyle in no time at all. You will never have a question that cannot be answered nor a problem that cannot be solved when

you have your fellow members only a post away.  Feel free to PM me anytime if there is something that you are unsure about. If I can't help I am sure that I can

suggest a member who can. As Jules also said you will not find a more experienced, innovative and resourceful Solo than Yeoeleven whom I am certain would be more than willing  

to help also. I suggest that you check out our blogs that cover many aspects of Solo travel and describe many sites visited.

Cheer Steve

Hiya Jim..

You said that you plan to rebuild an Old vintage Van...
You also said that you plan to free camp..


Now to throw a wrench into the work's...
- Ask the people that free camp all the time.. get their idea's of what they need..
- Sit down and have a good look at what you need regarding Power usage..

-- Minimum you need is a Good Fridge... [Best fridges with Lower Power usages are actually the Domestic Fridge's[Normal Household type].
-- Lights so that you see things at night... Reading, cooking
-- Some form of entertainment, be it a TV or A tablet to read.. Laptop computer.. Radio etc..

This is just to give you some type of idea of what you need to work out..



Now for me to Rant..

Minimal System..
-- 100Ah Lithium Battery..[ 12v ]
-- 400-600w's of solar Panes..[ this figure to Allow for a Quick Charge.. ]
-- Control Gear...

-- Minimal 350w Pure sine Wave inverter..


complete systems are not expensive, the only issue is that the system has to be custom made and the best way to get it is to build it yourself..
- No matter what others tell you it is not a complicated system if you have the right information..

A minimal system..
- Battery -- $700 [ 100Ah 12 ] -- Lithium Batteries have a Life that is 3 - 4 time the life of AGM [Lead Acids] especially if they are worked.
- Solar Panels -- $ 600-$790 [ 3 @ 200w Solar Panels ]
- control Gear -- $ 300-$400 [ will not specify here ]
- Inverter -- $150 - $350 [ the top end inverters are better -- I have one for my system ]
- Sundries's -- $200.. [ Cables, Fuses, Fixings, Mount's for Solar, Silicone/Bonding ]

-- It might sound Expensive but I will have to say that no matter what type of battery you will still end up spending the same on the other gear..
>> Regarding solar No matter what anyone says you need to have enough to recharge the Batteries as Quick as Possible <<
>> Excess energy can be used to do thing's Like Heat hot water <<


Hope this helps you out...

Juergen

Thanks for the welcome Jules...

Im feeling very inspired by your warm welcome