What would you do to live out your dream?

[DarkSkies]

At Montauk yesterday we met a couple, Doug and Kari, originally from N Carolina. They had a house in Pittsburgh, and sold it 3 years ago. They now travel around the United States in a converted Dodge Sprinter they rigged into a custom RV.

IMO, it was better than any pricey RV I have seen on the market because they designed it to meet their specs. And they're having a blast!

They make a little money for expenses here and there by transporting and delivering bulk items from e-bay- boats, motorcycles, trailers, etc. Very cool people, I'm glad we met.

So many people talk about what they're gonna do when they retire, THEN they'll have the time to do what they want.

These people are doing it!

Right now!!

[DarkSkies]

some pics


Side of the RV



He used a 30" house door, custom fit to the body. Nice clean work!



Casement window for ventilation, works great, and sealed with silicone for leaks.

[DarkSkies]

A/C unit. Most of the RV places he checked wanted $1000+ install for an A/C unit for this. He runs a tight ship and was on a budget. So he got this smaller unit, maybe 5-6,000 BTU, did the cutout and install himself. Sealed it to prevent leaks and bugs coming in, git er done!




HD trailer hitch. He put this together and welded it from a kit he was able to buy. They can pull anything with the diesel and HD axles and tires, except for maybe an army tank!

Hit wife did the painting and helped him finish up and detail a lot of the fabrication work he did. They are a team working together. They really seem to enjoy each other's company, and it shows.

[DarkSkies]

They bought a custom HD trailer from Montrose industries, a small Mid-western company staffed by guys who used to work in the auto industry but were downsized. He had nothing but good words to say about Mongoose. They took a basic model they sold and tailored it to his specs. How many companies out there are willing to do that without charging you an arm and a leg?


Look at this HD trailer tongue! Look at the welds, nice clean sturdy work.


When we met them they were transporting an old Gulfstream to a customer in the Adirondacks. They said there is a cult following of people who restore these old Gulfstreams and travel the country.

One such group is called "Girls on the Fly", I think he said. Good for them!



The Montrose customized trailer. Interesting feature of this trailer is that it can lower up or down, I think some hydraulics or electronics are involved, not sure. The important part here is that makes it a lot easier to load all the stuff they're hauling.



another shot of the Gulfstream. They definitely don't make quality like that anymore unless you have $100k+ to drop on a higher quality one.

[DarkSkies]

They told us a story of where they were hauling a high end Jaguar out of a brand new house that a guy just bought for his wife. Wife had a baby and couldn't drive the 2 seater anymore, so he bought her a 4 door jaguar. Boy that guy sure showed some devotion to his wife, eh?

So as they're hanging around, the Jaguar guy starts fantasizin about living the lifestyle that these 2 are livin, travelling around the country, wife and kids in tow....

NOT!!!

I think it takes a special kind of mindset to do something like this. If you're used to getting your nails done every week, dinner at the country club, and daytime spa visits while the kids are at school, you ain't gonna be able to adapt to something like this.

This is rough and raw living, one step above camping. They bought this Sprinter NEW to avoid any problems, but said they got a lemon (Hint: they said don't buy any Sprinters of the new model year starting in 2007). They had nothing but trouble with this truck ever since they got it. Good thing he''s mechanically inclined and has been able to figure things out so far...

But can you imagine breaking down in the middle of Montana, 50 miles from the nearest town? They don't have to imagine things like this, they've lived through it. And they're stronger for the experience, and still going after 3 years.

[DarkSkies]

Doug designed and installed this front anchor post for motorcyles after they covered the rails of the trailer with 3/4 or 1" plywood to give them more surface area to work with.




more chocks for when they're needed, they can haul up to 3 motorcycles safely at a time.

[DarkSkies]

Tool kit and outdoor cooking station. Doug even put a small roof over this, which also helps aerodynamics when the camper is moving.

[DarkSkies]

What else they can transport?

The sky's the limit, as long as it's legal and not too tall. One of the most unusual things they transported was an antique Pinzgauer?, an old army vehicle that was transported in 3 big crates. Amazing stuff we learn about when we take a few minutes from our busy day or fishin time to have some conversations with people.









A little info about Pinzgauers:

Pinzgauer & Haflinger are product names of vehicles made by the legendry Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG

Steyr = Österreichische Waffenfabrik

Daimler = Daimler Motorengesellschaft = Gottlieb Daimler = Mercedes-Benz

Puch = Puch-Werke Graz

collectively = Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG

Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG was the initial designer and manufacturer of the Haflinger produced from 1959 to 1974, also the Pinzgauer produced from 1971 to 2000 and the Puch G produced from 1979 which is also known as Mercedes G-Wagon/G-Class.

now:
Steyr Tractor = Case Corporation, Puch motorcycle = Piaggio, Steyr Mannlicher & Steyr automobile + Magna = Magna Steyr, Steyr Motorentechnik GmbH = Steyr Motors GmbH, Daimler = Mercedes-Benz

in 1998 the other reminance (military vehicles) changed name from Steyr-Daimler-Puch.AG to Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH then in 2003 Steyr-Daimler Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH became 100% owned by "General Dynamics European Land Systems" (MOWAG GmbH (Switzerland) and Santa Bárbara Sistemas (Spain)) thus owned by General Dynamics Corporation America.

[DarkSkies]

I kind of manipulated these pics out of them. At first they felt funny because they took the shower out for more room. They have Gold's gym memberships and can take showers there, there's one in every state, and most metropolitan areas. So they felt it was a little messy inside.

They didn't exacly know the PITA Darkskies was coming to poke and prod the camera in their lives. Please don't make judgements on conditions inside as they were so kind to let me take the pics.

(Actually it doesn't look messy at all to me, that's the way it looks inside my van when I'm on the road. In fact, I think it looks neat compared to the way mine looks after 2 or 3 days of nomad livin)







Bein that I like construction and fixin things, I always seem to notice how well, or how poorly, something is built. I was impressed with Doug's skills and the way he thought things out. He started with an idea in his head and some plans - how to make the Sprinter van big enough to live comfortably.

He bumped it out and up a bit, but not enough that they won't fit underneath the lowest bridges.

He fabricated the outside skin of fiberglass panels, riveted them together and used silicone to seal.

He put 4" of fiberglass as insulation between the shell and the inside of the van so the money they spend on heat or A/C is spent efficiently. I think he mentioned that most RVs on the market today have insulation. but nowhere near as thick as he put in.

He cut out a big hole to allow easy access from the cab into the rear, so he used steel plate, cut with a torch, to create a strong roll bar that would stiffen up the inside compartment. He covered the exposed steel with the black foam you see in the pic above, right above his head.

They carefully thought out their electronics and how they would use them.

[DarkSkies]

I think they make this whole gig look easier than it is, but that's probably because of who they are. I could see they are 2 very nice but hardy people who exemplify to me what was the pioneer spirit that got this county going way back in the Indian days.

Not many people wanted to take a chance away from the safety of the cities back then, but some did.... the Pioneers, who took wagon trains, women, children, and livestock across this great country of ours in seach of a better liife.

Some made it and prospered. Others were killed by Indians, disease, and the harsh realities of life on the open road without amenities.

So Doug and Kari definitely remind me of the pioneers. I called them nomads as a term of endearment. I was impressed and in awe at what they're doing.

I wanted to take pics of them both, but Kari had a bandage on her head, a memory from the night before when she had to do something in the dark, fell down outside the camper, and gashed her head.

I knew as a woman she might be self conscious about pics, so I didn't ask to tlake one of them together. These are 2 very cool people, nice as you would ever want to meet, and tough enough not to lay down in the face of adversity.

I had a great time meeting them. I think Mick and Will did as well.

They're a good inspiration for those of us who have always thought about something like this, but never got around to putting the plans in action.

They said they're not making a lot of money doing this, but it's enough to pay expenses. I would guess that's because they're living frugally and careful how they spend money. They also have to be pretty good at logistics, materials transport, and understanding traffic flow to be able to run it as a consistent service, and keep busy.

Hats off to this couple who is living their dreams. They're young, there's still time for them to start a family later if they want. They're also in a better position of seeing where they want to settle down for good, after all of the different states they'll see.

[DarkSkies]

Here you can see how he mounted the PC to his dashboard, using a standard wall TV mount and hardware.

Take a look at his business card, maybe ya know someone who needs some stuff transported across the state or county? If so, why not forward Doug and Khari's e-mail to them, and throw some work their way.

[mick2360]

No pics on my screen...

[DarkSkies]

Sorrry man, I took a break from work to start the threads, pics up later.

[jonthepain]

You didn't get your darkskies decoder glasses yet? better check to make sure you sent in the right boxtops...

[mick2360]

Didn't get the glasses. Seems I sent in to the 'Marching to a different Drummer" special offer. Either dark will get the pics up or i can wait for a pair in the retail forums.

[DarkSkies]

You didn't get your darkskies decoder glasses yet? better check to make sure you sent in the right boxtops...

I liked the decoder ring they used to give out a lot better. Still working on a Darkskies action figure licensing deal with Mattel, I'll let yas know how that works out.

Didn't get the glasses. Seems I sent in to the 'Marching to a different Drummer" special offer. Either dark will get the pics up or i can wait for a pair in the retail forums.

Man youse guys are some BBs, aintcha? If you were to mention that phrase at certain surf spots in Asbury the welcome might be a little too friendly, Mick.

[jonthepain]

Well now that I know what the topic is, I'll respond...

When I turned 18 I inherited some $, so I bought a van and tricked it out with bed and sink etc etc, bought a bullmastiff and toured the country for a year and a half to decide where and how i wanted to spend my life. kinda like these people.

ended up in oregon, met the wife, and the rest, as they say, is history.

[DarkSkies]

^^ That's ironic, you hippie freak! We suggested to this couple that Oregon and Washington might be cool places for them to settle, and they said they had an interest in Oregon. Funny how things come around, ain't it?

(and yes. I'm probably jealous of that trip you took Jon, always wanted to do something like that, more on that in a later post)

[jonthepain]

they'd fit right in, in Oregon. Tell them to start in Ashland and work their way over to Gold Beach. If that doesn't convince them, nothing will.

and "hippie freak" describes it perfectly. rofl. i'll see if i can dredge up a picture when i get home tonight.

[mick2360]

Nice job on the pics and the explanation of the business. Doug and kari were two very nice young people. This is a good team to keep in mind should anyone need a large item moved. What a unique idea for combining a business with a lifestyle. I'd love to hear an update from them on how things are going.

Are you out there, Doug and Kari?