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After six months of car-free living...

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After six months of car-free living...

Old 03-05-06, 07:16 PM
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attercoppe
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After six months of car-free living...

After six months of riding my bicycle and walking, and neglecting my van, I finally cleared the junk out of it, and officially put it up for sale.

Last edited by attercoppe; 05-20-06 at 08:45 PM.
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Old 03-05-06, 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by attercoppe
After six months of riding my bicycle and walking, and neglecting my van:

I finally cleared the junk out of it, and officially put it up for sale.
My last car was a van and also became a storage shed in the last year before I dumped it. Things would
stay dry in there and I could look in the windows for a quick inventory of the PVC and wood and whatever.
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Old 03-05-06, 08:38 PM
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You better remove your avatar too from the bumper so we know it's not you driving around
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Old 03-06-06, 06:45 AM
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Wow! Well-spotted Slow Train!
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Old 03-06-06, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by attercoppe
After six months of riding my bicycle and walking, and neglecting my van:

I finally cleared the junk out of it, and officially put it up for sale.
Man.. That truck looks real old. It must have been a maintanence disaster. This is the problem with old cars and that it takes a boat load of money to keep them going. Unless you can do the work yourself or find someone to do it cheaply, you have to spend a lot of money to keep the motor running.
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Old 03-06-06, 10:10 PM
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Originally Posted by gwd
a quick inventory of the PVC and wood and whatever
Weird, that's exactly what was in mine - PVC, wood, and "whatever".


Originally Posted by Dahon.Steve
Man.. That truck looks real old. It must have been a maintanence disaster. This is the problem with old cars and that it takes a boat load of money to keep them going. Unless you can do the work yourself or find someone to do it cheaply, you have to spend a lot of money to keep the motor running.
I've actually done no maintenance on it - but I haven't had it that long, and have hardly driven it in that time. Long story short, I bought it last August en route from St Louis to where I live now. The Blazer I left St Louis in (which was a maintenance disaster) broke down about two hours from my destination (after having travelled several hundred miles). So I've only driven the van on to here, and around town a bit while setting up housekeeping (yard sales don't you know).


Slow Train, I wondered if anyone would notice. That's actually the HeadBlade logo.
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Old 03-06-06, 10:49 PM
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Originally Posted by attercoppe
After six months of riding my bicycle and walking, and neglecting my van:

I finally cleared the junk out of it, and officially put it up for sale.


You're my hero of the week. That's exactly what I'd like to do with my old beater. Way to go!
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Old 03-06-06, 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by budster
You're my hero of the week. That's exactly what I'd like to do with my old beater. Way to go!
If that's what you want to do, do it! You can be my hero next week.
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Old 03-07-06, 12:38 AM
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I thought I was gonna read, "Im loving it" but in a sense this is the same thing.
Good on ya
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Old 03-07-06, 01:06 PM
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Congratulations. And ANOTHER good thing you've done is some interesting posts on BF. Thanks.
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Old 03-08-06, 12:04 AM
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How is the Headblade? I'm a baldy, too, and am always on the lookout for new shaving technology. Good job on the van, but I would keep it in case you're ever on the "home-free" forum.
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Old 03-09-06, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by krispistoferson
How is the Headblade? I'm a baldy, too, and am always on the lookout for new shaving technology.
The HeadBlade rocks - that's why I like to give them a little free advertising. Check the website, the HeadBlade as well as their HeadSlick shaving cream is sold in some Walgreens, Rite Aids, etc. It's a little cheaper to get it that way since there's no shipping. There's also a good explanation on the website (or was at least) of the tech and the idea behind 2-3-4 blade razors and why it's generally unnecessary. I use 2-blade blades, just because I get them really cheap.


Originally Posted by krispistoferson
Good job on the van, but I would keep it in case you're ever on the "home-free" forum.
Ha! I considered living in it again (as I did when I first moved) once the weather warms up, but I'd sure miss the internet.
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Old 03-12-06, 11:37 AM
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congratulations!!!
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Old 05-15-06, 09:49 PM
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I'm now officially car-free, I sold the van today! Some guy and his girlfriend are going to live in it for the summer.

In other news, I got a new job and now have a 4 mile RT commute 5 days a week - and after one week, I'm down to just one short water/breathing break on the way to work, and none on the way home. Yay! Pretty good for this utility cyclist. I'm working full-time now, and am heading into the busy season for my extracurricular activities, so I may not be around here as much for a while (as if anyone will miss me). Keep the dream alive!
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Old 05-15-06, 11:11 PM
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Nice, congrats on the new job.
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Old 05-16-06, 12:37 AM
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Cool stuff. And of course we'll miss you.
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Old 05-16-06, 12:45 AM
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I have always been sort of proud to be the one considered a little outcast. Been sort of proud of that. But, I wonder. Living here in Europe for awhile. WOnder how I will cope should I have driver's licensing problems. Know my French is not good enough for a driver's license test. Oh well. Should that be a problem...
Here only rains like 60 days a year and most destinations are close to significant shops such as a vintner a pastry shop. Soon, I will have a bike trailer for major grocery shops. Be a bit awkard for heavy items like a tv, etc.
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Old 05-16-06, 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by attercoppe
I'm now officially car-free, I sold the van today! Some guy and his girlfriend are going to live in it for the summer.
That's pretty sad. There are a lot of people who are homeless out there and living inside vans, trucks and cars. For just a little more money, they could probably live indoors instead of paying for gas, insurance, maintenance etc.
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Old 05-17-06, 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Dahon.Steve
That's pretty sad. There are a lot of people who are homeless out there and living inside vans, trucks and cars. For just a little more money, they could probably live indoors instead of paying for gas, insurance, maintenance etc.
They're not homeless - he's here (a small town, but lots of tourists in the summer, due to the weather and all the available outdoor stuff to do) for the summer, working as a raft guide. They'd rather camp than rent an apartment, and prefer camping in a van to a tent. It's going to be parked in one spot all summer, they probably won't even license it.
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Old 05-17-06, 10:03 PM
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I used to do it plenty when I was in my twenties. There's a lot of outdoors to be experienced in Tennessee, and living out of a car makes sense if you want to wake up, kayak/hike/MTB all day and don't want to mess around with rent. This is why it has always been my theory that the difference between vacation and homelessness is largely a matter of attitude. Shoot, I've met guys that prefer to live in a camper van to feeding the black hole of rent, (he says as he feeds the black hole of rent.)
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Old 05-17-06, 10:12 PM
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I actually lived in the same van when I first moved here, while I looked for a job and an apartment.

Originally Posted by KrisPistofferson
This is why it has always been my theory that the difference between vacation and homelessness is largely a matter of attitude.
Yeah. I wanna hang with you, man. I took a week to move from St Louis to central Colorado, I considered it a vacation, even when I broke down and was stuck for a few days, and even though I had nothing waiting for me when I got here (job, friends, etc.) Make your life an adventure, and you'll be happier, and rarely be bored.
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Old 05-18-06, 05:33 AM
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You guys are making feel old - OF COURSE YOU CAN LIVE IN A VAN! Some of them were outfitted with shag carpet and everything!
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