Would you sell everything to live on the road?**Update Post 71** - Page 4

[wannabe]

No way - I'm a greenie and I couldn't BEAR the thought of using all that fuel.

[Delight]

Originally Posted by AuntLavender

(SVO while easy on your own personal pocketbook isn't sustainable or beneficial to everybody at large and from beginning to end product uses more resources than Biodiesel.)

Just chiming in...My thoughts are that it's just the opposite, as someone has already said. Using SVO strictly from waste oil is certainly more sustainable than biodiesel. Many of the larger (and even smaller) biodiesel companies are planting crops to harvest the oil to make biodiesel...which in turn creates ethical and political dilemmas (raising food for fuel). What started off as a grassroots movement has been taken over by big money/big oil. The original diesel engine was created to run on peanut oil in the early 1900's...but that idea was quickly squashed by big money as well.

Making biodiesel also requires toxic chemicals...which is one of the main reasons we are using SVO in our RV. We've talked with all kinds of biodiesel advocates on our tour and even after talking to them, I am still trying to understand why someone would want to run biodiesel (and pay all that money) when they can add a filter and some heating elements and fill up for free. Biodiesel from the pump is a little easier...but it's very difficult to find B100...most places only carry B20 or B5 (only 20% and 5% biodiesel respectively). SVO is a really simple process once you convert your engine...and there is more than enough waste grease to go around.

There is no silver bullet to our transportation issues...I would actually prefer to walk! But SVO is the best option we have come across for traveling long distances.

[DesireeH]

I think I could but I dont think my DH could. I grew up moving a lot....and I think that stayed with me. My dh however lived in the same house from his birth until we got married! He's not so into "change" LOL

[happyhippiemama]

OMG I would love to do this. DP and I moved across the country pretty much on a whim when DD was 1.5 yo. It was great fun - but we totally didn't make it financially.

Next time we'll have to plan it out better.

[LionTigerBear]

I would like to live and travel in an RV (ideally, one of those cute retro-style RVs) but I'm not so sure that I would sell everything-- if I had a house I'd probably rent it out to family for a low price or something like that. But I don't know, it would depend on the situation. Anyway, I voted, no way, because of the "sell everything" part.

[beka1977]

Is my husband driving? Because I don't see that being good for our marriage!
6 mos of "sweetie, slow down! Could you give that person some space?!?! Back off!" I would need to be sedated. Or blind. :

[AuntLavender]

.

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[dillonandmarasmom]

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Delight

Just chiming in...My thoughts are that it's just the opposite, as someone has already said. Using SVO strictly from waste oil is certainly more sustainable than biodiesel. Many of the larger (and even smaller) biodiesel companies are planting crops to harvest the oil to make biodiesel...which in turn creates ethical and political dilemmas (raising food for fuel). What started off as a grassroots movement has been taken over by big money/big oil. The original diesel engine was created to run on peanut oil in the early 1900's...but that idea was quickly squashed by big money as well.

Making biodiesel also requires toxic chemicals...which is one of the main reasons we are using SVO in our RV. We've talked with all kinds of biodiesel advocates on our tour and even after talking to them, I am still trying to understand why someone would want to run biodiesel (and pay all that money) when they can add a filter and some heating elements and fill up for free. Biodiesel from the pump is a little easier...but it's very difficult to find B100...most places only carry B20 or B5 (only 20% and 5% biodiesel respectively). SVO is a really simple process once you convert your engine...and there is more than enough waste grease to go around.

There is no silver bullet to our transportation issues...I would actually prefer to walk! But SVO is the best option we have come across for traveling long distances.

Thank you for joining this conversation Delight. I have followed the live Lightly tour a bit this year and I have to say it has been very inspiring. I appreciate your knowledge of fuels as well. DH is still researching what would work best for us. SVO has been ont he list for a while now.

[dillonandmarasmom]

Originally Posted by beka1977

Is my husband driving? Because I don't see that being good for our marriage!
6 mos of "sweetie, slow down! Could you give that person some space?!?! Back off!" I would need to be sedated. Or blind. :

That brought back memories of my family's trips to Oregon as a kid...my dad was a bit of a Pole Position style driver which didn't bode well for my mom, particularly through the Siskiyou Summit .

[ankh]

I am a follower of delights live lightly tour, that family are an inspiration! I voted yes, but would have to be well planned. If it was up to me we would go round in circles, my sense of direction stinks and I get car sick when map reading.

I love the idea of getting rid of everything (actually we just have, it's lovely) and always moving, why not experience as much of the world as we can?

[dillonandmarasmom]

THANKS all! (UPDATE)

Here's the latest twist to the plan that got this POLL rolling:

IL's had us over for dinner Sunday, so we saw a great opportunity to let them in on our plans.

It actually was brought up by MIL...
"DS tells me you are getting an RV..."
And so the conversation began. FIL, DH and I sat together for an hour and we told him of the last three years of thinking, planning, researching. All was actually quite well-received. He, of course, played his fatherly devil's advocate role. He was somewhat convincing for a time, too. But, DH and I had a response to everything he brought up. It actually was helpful to have the conversation. We hadn't realized just how well-planned this whole potential adventure had become .

So, anyhow, when FIL asked us our reasons for wanting to live on the road, DH's first response was surprising to both DH and I. It wasn't what I thought it would be. It wasn't what he thought it was...if that makes sense. It was partially colored by the fact that both DH and FIL were a bit agitated from a phone call FIL had received a bit earlier, which brought up some frustration for us all (but that's a completely different issue...).
Bottom line was that although our IL's were a bit concerned and saddened at the potential to miss out on our family for a while, they support our choice and actually think it is a good thing--*if* we can swing it.
We left them with the idea that FIL might actually consider buying our home to rent it to our Nana (an idea we had never even considered, and a lovely twist to it all!). Our home hasn't lost too much value, we'd pull enough equity to be free of debt and have a nice cushion even after traveling on a budget for 6 months to a year. Pretty exciting!

Okay, this is getting long, so if you are still interested and continue to read on, everything has now changed on a dime as of yesterday...read on...

DH calls me at about 9, having been at work for only an hour, and after taking last Thursday and Friday off because he had worked 10 days in a row on a pretty crazy IS nightmare (setting up a new register and inventory system that wasn't well-planned nad extremely under-staffed). Apparently while he was out last week his boss had drawn up two new job descriptions to share with DH. He asked him which one DH felt more aligned to so he could formally post it, go through the official process (a University, very political), and hire him for a much higher paying position...oh geez:
So, we a re rethinking just how we might do this trip. Looks like we will stay a bit longer, since now we are being given a pretty grand opportunity to save up a bit more...
We have decided to to hang around for at least 6 more months, buy a nice used RV, do some lighter traveling, and still research our original plan. We continue to declutter, getting rid of much of our "things" and it feels so good!

Thank you for this great thread. It truly has been fun reading your thoughts and ideas regarding a much more simple life. Our journey toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle has been so rewarding thus far, and we get better at it as we go.

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

in half a heartbeat...... delight is living our dream right now. one day we'll make it happen.

[That Is Nice]

I would, with proper planning and under the right circumstances! My DH would not.

[transformed]

We are thinking about moving on to a boat.