My discovery of minimalism led me to determine how little I needed to be happy… and with a life of less, I could keep my things in a small amount of space… and if I could keep these things in a small amount of space, I was not tied to a “sticks and bricks” home to store these things.
Having less and wanting less meant that I had enough. My real estate investments were allowing me to focus less on work. I could now do things I wanted to do… things that had absolutely nothing to do with earning money.
I knew that travel made me happy, and I decided it was time to have a new adventure… a different adventure. This time my travel would not involve airplanes, cruise ships or hotels.
I would travel across the United States in a travel trailer. There was just one problem… I didn’t have a vehicle. I had decided through my journey into minimalism that I did not need a car. And… well, a source of transportation comes in handy when traveling cross country with your home in tow.
In August 2016, I found my home on wheels… a 13’ travel trailer… the Scamp. I pulled the trigger and placed a deposit on my egg-like home. The cost… $13,693. Production would begin over the next couple of months with a delivery date of mid-June 2017. I would call him Mork.
Now that I had found my Mork, it was time to search for a Mindy to pull him. (Yes, I know, I had “put the cart before the horse.”) My initial thought was a Kia Sportage but after evaluating the reviews, I decided upon a Jeep Renegade… a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk with four-wheel drive.
Never a fan of waiting (impatient, party of one), I kept looking at travel trailers, specifically vintage travel trailers. In my search, I discovered a 1981 Serro Scotty on eBay. The orange and brown stripe… the wood paneling… the handmade curtains… this little guy was oozing retro. He was my childhood wrapped up in a tin can.
On November 5, 2016 I flew to Cleveland, Ohio and purchased “Scotty” for $3,000.
I had never pulled a travel trailer before, so I did not feel comfortable driving the camper to Atlanta. Plus… I had no place to park Scotty. I had homework to do. Oh… and I had to cancel the order on the Scamp Mork.
After locating a secure parking spot in a town just outside of the city, I made arrangements through Uship to have my 35-year-old tin can delivered on November 20, 2016.
My Scotty adventure was going to see me head south to Florida then west. I was going to limit my time in campgrounds. I would install solar on my new home. I would stay on public lands. I would live simply. I would bathe in a shower built from a cement mixing tub… a home depot bucket would serve as my washing machine and toilet. (Are you scratching your head yet?)
As the new year approached, I learned the ins and outs of pulling my new 13 foot long friend, and on January 11, 2017 I hit the road. Oops… I mean “we” the road. My cat, Patrick, was joining me for this aventure.
Yes… so much to tell.
To Be Continued
Patrick was so cute. Hope to see inside pics of the camper too. Love hearing about your adventure.