Bought a motorhome, pictures added.

[paigeoliver]

I am considering selling the rest of my games, most everything else I own, and simply buying a big old 26' RV to live in for a few years until I save up enough to buy a house.

All my possessions, all the clutter, all the noise and crime in my apartment complex, and the feeling of being trapped is really bringing me down. I really think I might enjoy just simplifying it all about 100-fold for a few years. My roommate is moving to Boston in a month or two, and I am getting ansy to leave where I live, but any other el-cheapo cruddy apartment complex is going to be exactly the same.

Anyone have any experience with this? Older motorhomes seem to run about the same price range as older trailers, and they are a heck of a lot more "mobile", so if they try to jack up the lot rental on me then I can just move. It would be a heck of a lot easier to sell once I was ready to move on to something else as well.

[AlanS17]

What's the total value of all the games and parts you have?

[AlanS17]

Also...

What's your address?
What kind of lock do you have on your door?
When do you usually leave for work?

j/k j/k j/k

[pointdablame]

You can send me that Candy cab of yours and I'll hold it til you get your house  

I have no experience with this situation, but if you really think you can do it, I'm sure it would speed up your savings quite a bit.  Coupled with your feeling that you want to leave makes me say why not... but it is a huge decision.

[paigeoliver]

Yes, it is a huge decision. At this point I have already saved up close to $5000 (although I am taking the Burb in for $500 or $600 worth of front end work later this week). My few remaining games are all, well, they are all REALLY high dollar items (Big arcadeVGA D9200 woodgrain frankencab, 29" 6 Slot Neo Geo Candy with 21 cartridges, a 9 out of 10 Midway Mame cocktail, and a Jamma Multiwilliams).

The 4 of those might very well fetch ANOTHER $5000 on their own. I also have a bunch of other stuff that would have to go as well (furniture, TVs, pretty much everything other than my laptop, some clothes, tools, and a few other odds and ends).

I wouldn't be dropping completely out of the scene, I'd just build a miniature unit into one of the walls with a flip-down control panel.

[Bones]

I would suggest selling everything you own. Take this cash plus the 5K you have saved and go to the casino. Put it all on black. Then double up 5 or 6 times.

This is what I do, I solve problems.

[tommy]

Sure tell him to gamble all his life savings away. He could come live with you when it's all over. 

Bet on Red. 

[paigeoliver]

Hmmm, I have already located a good running 1976 Pace Arrow with new tires for $2000. Might be doing this sooner than I thought.

[DYNAGOD]

it so sad that this is what things have come down to.
im actually contemplating the same thing..its the only way to get ahead. i pay 17,000$ dollars a year in rent! not even talking about bills, how the hell am i supposed to be able to save enough to buy a house doing that.
i think there was a guy who wrote a book advocating living in his car to get ahead.

[2600]

Personally always wondered what's keeping you there besides friends and family of course.  I don't pretend to know anything about your situation, but here's a little advice.

The safety zone can be a killer.  Your old enough to go out and have a little adventure.  I'm not saying go buck wild, but don't move 50 miles away.  Move 1000 miles away.  Now is the time to live on your own away from the place you are now.  It's possibly a place near where you grew up.  Make some new friends and get a new job.  Then when you get older and start reminiscing about the place you used to live is the time you choose if you want to move back.  Maybe take a couple college classes.  They don't have to be career building classes, maybe just something you wanted to learn a little bit more about.  Just move, and move far away.

[paigeoliver]

 I am ready to at least move out of the town I went to high school in (I literally live 1 mile from that house).

The only family left in the immediate area are my parents, my sister, and a cousin (whom I NEVER see), all the rest of them moved away already. Most of my friends are married or engaged now, and thus aren't really able to live the same kind of life that I can anymore. I have a couple of younger friends (21 and 22), but one of them is habitually unemployed, and the other is about to get married and join the air force, so they aren't gonna be much fun to hang around either.

[2600]

Well that's 22 months that you have to research locations and then start applying for jobs, applying for classes, or whatever.  After that I highly suggest the move which will bring a whole new outlook and chapter in your life.

[daywane]

I have lived in a RV
78 pace arrow.
still have it. ( never hit the road again with it, hunting lodge now)
lived 24 month in it.
There should be a bed above the driver seat.) this pulls down. MEGA STORAGE up there! we stored all winter stuff up there. also in front of the clothes we put milk crates in front and stored all the VCR tapes.

[fredster]

I don't blame you Paige.

They made a lot of these games.  I am sooo bored with video games myself.  I have some and play them less and less. 

I got into the hobby because learning electronics was cool.  I also liked the auctions and swapping games and making some extra cash.  But it turned from a hobby to a "job" if you know what I mean.

I would keep the mame machine I built, because it's cool and plays all the other games, but I'm tired of keeping up with them.

If you get rid of them, no matter, they are everywhere and if you find the right place and the right time, you can get some more.  Plus, finding a nice place to live and upgrading lifestyle is more important.

[ChadTower]

Boy, those "give me your stuff for nothing" jokes that pop up in nearly every thread never, ever get old.   

[DrewKaree]

You'll need to find out a few things.

Is there a dumping station anywhere near you (for emptying the...you know)
Is there a campground you could stay at (monthly rental usually cheap)
If there's a campground, do they have electric hookups
If there's not a campground, where do you plan to squat, or are you going to try to move from place to place?

I'm not certain about the campgrounds thing, but I think www.woodalls.com should be able to help you in that area or link you to more info somewhere.

I too have contemplated doing this, but only after the kids get done with high school.  I wouldn't recommend going the "squat here for the night" route, because if you get booted, the looking for a place late at night to park your rig could start really messing with you. 

Make CERTAIN the thing doesn't have an old moldy stink to it.  You WILL NOT be able to entirely remove it, and you will start to take on the smell yourself.  The refrigerator on those things DOES come out, and if you ever have a problem with 'em, I've got a much-more-aged-than-I buddy who used to sell RV's, and now only does repairs, lives less than a mile from me.  I do computer work for him, and I'm positive he could answer repair questions if you've got 'em (although he's old and cranky )

For yourself, you'll be fine in that size, in fact, you MIGHT want to see if you can get a tow-behind (fifth wheel is what you'll be looking for), and hook it up to the Suburban.

[DrewKaree]

Here's a link, I dunno what's near you or what specifically you're looking for, but this'll get you started

http://www.woodalls.com/search/camp/

enter in your search criteria (I'd say "open all year" would be a big one) and give 'er a roll.  I think further info from the campgrounds requires registration, but you could prolly find 'em in the yellow/white pages.

And hey, get a laptop and keep up with us

[Bones]

Jules: I'll just walk the earth.
Vincent: What'cha mean walk the earth?
Jules: You know, walk the earth, meet people... get into adventures. Like Kane in Kung Fu.

[tommy]

Pulp Fiction references.....while i eat a bigmack.

[97thruhiker]

Sorry to hear about your situation.  I have always enjoyed reading your posts and your arcade knowledge is up there with the best of those on this site.  The RV / trailer route is very doable especially if you are by yourself right now.  I worked at an RV resort here in Florida while I went to college and many people love that lifestyle (all ages).  My father is retired and has lived with my stepmother (20 years his jr, not sure how he did it because she actually has more money then him!) traveling the county.  Right now they are in Alaska.  Anyway I agree with DrewKaree and I would go with a camper if your Suburban is in decent shape (can't use a 5th wheel with a suburban).  You will get a much nicer and newer camper then you would an RV for the same money.  No sense having another engine to maintain.  Either way good luck to you.

[paigeoliver]

I bought the 1975 26' Pace Arrow for $1800. Works great, does need one of the two batteries replaced, and the horn isn't honking, but besides that it is all there. It does have 6 brand new tires on it.

It does need a good cleaning, and I'll probably reupolster all the seats and maybe repaint the outside, but it is nice and solid.

I'm taking a week and a half off work at the beginning of august to go camping, I'll decide about it then. If it isn't gonna work out then I'll just sell the sucker next year when the plates come due.

Some of the trailer parks in St. Charles take motorhomes, I know the one my co-worker Kevin lived in had a whole bunch of them, and his was one of the cheaper ones in that area.

I really don't have much anything to lose with this experiment, as very few of my possessions are things that I truly planned to own "long term" anyway. I figure at the most I'll just have to sell the sucker, I could probably get my whole amount back, even if I can't I won't lose all that much.

[paigeoliver]

Outside.

[paigeoliver]

inside.

[Bones]

I gotta say paige, that is pretty damn cool.

Now buy a weatherproof trailer, a blow-up jumping castle, keep your games and travel the country visiting fairs and hiring out your amusement equipment.

You could also sell milkshakes, ice cream & hotdogs.

[paigeoliver]

Looking at the lowest picture, see that couch/convertabed there? That is USELESS to me. I don't need 4 beds, it faces the freaking catalytic heater (can that be relocated? Anyone know?). Wonder if there is anything better I can do with that space?

Truthfully I could stand to rip out and redo the whole rear "bedroom" area as well. I just don't need sleeping room for 6 or 8 people, and certainly don't need seating for 14 or 15, but that is what it came with.

[Bones]

You really don

[paigeoliver]

You really don

[jbox]

You really don

[paigeoliver]

You really don

[Grasshopper]

Wow, that's enormous, probably bigger than many Japanese houses! I'd happily live in a motorhome of that size. That's one thing I envy about you guys in the States, so much empty space.

[paigeoliver]

Wow, that's enormous, probably bigger than many Japanese houses! I'd happily live in a motorhome of that size. That's one thing I envy about you guys in the States, so much empty space.

With the videogames out of the picture it is actually MORE space than I need. I wonder how difficult it would be to install one of them mini washer/dryer units in it, I would like that more than I would having seating for 90.

[Bones]

How about buying a dog and cruise around solving mysteries?




Sorry paige, I really have nothing constructive to say here but I do enjoy entertaining the possibilities.

[paigeoliver]

How about buying a dog and cruise around solving mysteries?




Sorry paige, I really have nothing constructive to say here but I do enjoy entertaining the possibilities.

Actually, becoming a travelling do-gooder was discussed with my buddy on the way to pick the sucker up. Only problem is that being a travelling do-gooder doesn't pay very well, and that sucker costs 37 cents a mile in gas to drive.

[Bones]

Actually, becoming a travelling do-gooder was discussed with my buddy on the way to pick the sucker up.

Yeah, that's what I would probably do also.....

[Sephroth57]

i dunno maybe its just the angles of the pics that looks kinda small to live in. Its pretty nice especially for 1800 but i dunno , after living in an apartment having room to walk around and going to that, you think you can make that transition? well i guess like you said after your camping trip you will figure it out

[paigeoliver]

Yes, I'll have like 9 days to figure that one out.

Just got it insured with Progressive, $150 a YEAR. Granted that is twice what my scooter costs, but only 25 percent of what my Suburban costs.

Now hopefully I will wake up early enough today to find someplace to give the outside a good wash, it looks like it hasn't been washed externally in years.

[JackTucky]

The couch next to the driver is wild.  Sitting backwards heading down the freeway at 80 miles per hour?  Maybe it can't go 80, but I wouldn't sit there without a seatbelt.   

Art

[ChadTower]

People are still going to throw rocks at you, only now you can take everything you own along when you chase them.

[Stingray]

Looks like quite a deal to me. I expect you could easily make money on that if you chose to sell it.

-S

[daywane]

Make CERTAIN the thing doesn't have an old moldy stink to it.