I left Southern Ontario a number of years ago and headed west to BC where I have lived ever since.
After leaving the military I went from living alone in a rough cabin in the woods to working, getting married and owning a 4 bedroom home with my wife where we raised our kids. The kids are now grown and gone and my wife and I have started our journey to learning to live off the grid. We sold everything we owned and bought a truck and large 5th wheel trailer and have downsized enormously and did not realize just how much "useless stuff" we had acquired over the years.
What a horrible thing it is when you are trying to keep up with theJones's, especially when you don't even know that you are doing it.
It is great living in the 5th wheel and being able to pick up and go whenever and whereever we feel like. We spent a whack of time in the states but feel that Canada is the best place for us and so are on the look out for some property to build our off-grid Eden.
My wife and I are both independent and with me being a writer I just need an internet connection and I am good to go.
The only downside to putting together this Eden we are dreaming about is that I had my left leg amputated above the knee a couple years ago and even though I get around pretty good with my artificial leg it still limits some of my ability to lift and lug heavy objects around but we are determined to do whatever is required to make it happen.
We started out by buying a Berky water purification system for our 5th wheel and it is fantastic. We found that the water in many of the places we stayed at was less than ideal both taste wise and even sediment wise and after buying 5 gallon containers of bottled water for a while we figured that maybe a Berky was a better idea and it sure has turned out that way.
OK folks, that's enough of me rambling and boring you.I just wanted to say hi from British Columbia and I look forward to communicating with other Preppers, both Canadian and from around the world.
Noli Illigitimi Carborundum
(Don’t let the bastards wear you down)
Wow - welcome! What an awesome dream you are achieving! I can't wait to start picking your brain! 😀
Hello Captain Ahab, glad to meet you. Mobile living is something that has always interested me, so will be interested to read your posts.
Hey there,
ex military here as well, got divorced again, moved into my Camper/Truck full time as well. Ontario for me, used to live in BC for a time. Best of luck
How do you have your computer hooked up to the internet living in a truck camper?
Hi, Captain Ahab
Welcome to the site, lots of different people here, makes for an interesting community. I'm a westcoaster, Victoria, BC.
I think that is so great that you and your wife are living the gypsy life in style. I have always loved trailers of all kinds, the built-in storage, a place for everything and everything in its place has appealed to me since I was a kid. Lately, one of my pastimes has been to surf the net for floorplans and photos of travel trailers, destination trailers, and park model trailers.
The Keystone Mountaineer series is my favourite, at the moment. (models 375FLF, 362RLQ and 358RLT. Well, owning one is a fantasy, may as well dream big and luxurious. 😆 ) I look for the models with the most kitchen counter space and the most wardrobe space in the bedroom. I often wonder about the slideouts, how they hold up, as far as leakage issues, sagging under the weight, over time. Can the slideouts be cranked in or out by hand? (thinking of an EMP situation) The great thing about rvs is they have the duel electrical systems, and the stove/oven and fridge are run on propane. I would think that they'd be earthquake resistant because they are on rubber tires and the cupboards all have clasps. The washer/dryer usually pictured looks like a household type, wonder if they have propane run ones?
You need a pretty big truck, I bet.
I get the internet from the following;
Fido/Rogers Rocket stick
my new Iphone
McDonalds free internet
Library Free internet..
Some that are in a more permanent location can have the internet hooked up to the pole, or what have you that supplies power to them. I have had no problems using the Stick now for a year, but it is slower and you can not view as many videos online without going over your download limit.
Sorry my fellow Canadian Preppers but I have been away from my computer for a few days or actually a couple of weeks to be a bit more accurate and have been remise in not answering my fellow preppers questions.
To begin with...
[b]Daisy:
Thank you for welcoming me and my brain such as it is is ready for your picking.
billyrubin:
Glad to meet you too and the only thing I have to say about mobile living is i wish I had done it ten years sooner.
[bwildernessReturn
Sorry to hear that you got divorced again but remember that the right one is out there. My wife and I are seriously thinking of heading back to Ontario and buying a fairly large parcel of land. We will be making a trip in the 5th wheel this coming summer and checking out properties from Kenora on down. Best of luck to you too.
Quebecer:
I don’t live in a truck camper but rather a 40 foot 5th wheel trailer that I pull with my truck. It is fairly easy as far as getting the Internet on my computer. Most of the RV parks that I stop in have Wifi and it automatically gets to my computer. Other than that it is just a mater of taking the laptop to any place that has Wifi (Starbucks comes immediately to mind) and get on the net. I am in the process of checking on getting an Internet satellite for the 5th wheel and plan on getting one if the reception and speed is good.
vanislemom:
Hi to you too and thanks for the welcome. The 5th wheel we have is a Keystone Big Sky which is one of their top end ones with 4 slide outs. We have been in it for a couple of years now with hardly any problems other than a few small ones that had more to do with us not knowing how to do certain things rater than the fault of the trailer. The slides are able to be hand cranked should anything go wrong with the electricity. As far leakage goes we have not had one issue. The washer and dryer are two separate units rather than many that have both incorporated into one (they don’t work very well I’m told) and yes, you can get propane operated appliances that include washers and dryers but they are expensive.
Them 5th wheel is surprising light but yes you do need a good truck to pull it. We has a 2009 Ford 350 diesel Super Duty that makes short work of any hill or mountain.
Talk soon.
WildernessReturn:
You sound like you have got most of what you need for phone and Internet. I have found the stick to be very slow and so I stayed away from it.
Keep smiling.
That’s it for now folks.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I hope to keep in touch with you all in the coming months.
Noli Illigitimi Carborundum
(Don’t let the bastards wear you down)
Welcome Captain Ahab, I live in eastern ont, lanark country were the land is cheaper than most areas this side of ont. and we can get a summer garden in. the father you head north the less of a season.