Full Time (storage of stuff)

[UgotWheelz]

I have asked this before, and the topic did not go anywhere. What do you full timers do with your family stuff? I am the last of my line now that my Mother has passed. She was the keeper of boxes of family photos and genealogy not just from her line but also her husbands line. There is just no way I can take my basic needs and my tools (I can make a living with) and all that personal family stuff with me; unless I buy a 4x4 full size bus. Even then some things are just too heavy or large to come along.

What do you full timers or seasonal overlanders due for storage of things that you cant take with you? Storage unit seems like a great way to add allot of expense to the budget. I have rented apartments that were cheaper than a 12x12 storage unit.

 

[M Rose]

I have asked this before, and the topic did not go anywhere. What do you full timers do with your family stuff? I am the last of my line now that my Mother has passed. She was the keeper of boxes of family photos and genealogy not just from her line but also her husbands line. There is just no way I can take my basic needs and my tools (I can make a living with) and all that personal family stuff with me; unless I buy a 4x4 full size bus. Even then some things are just too heavy or large to come along.

What do you full timers or seasonal overlanders due for storage of things that you cant take with you? Storage unit seems like a great way to add allot of expense to the budget. I have rented apartments that were cheaper than a 12x12 storage unit.

We get storage units. And eventually get rid of everything we don’t need... currently my storage fees on 3 units is running me 250

 

[El-Dracho]

Just from my experience with several long term trips. For me, in any case, setting out on such a long ourney is a chance to declutter and that can be very liberating!
I recommend everyone to start very early to sort everything out, because I know from my own experience that this can take longer than initially thought! In addition, the sorting out and thus the process of letting go can be a great time to prepare for the journey and to slowly approach the new.

So, start early and work your way through consistently:

Give Away
This is a good option for things with which we can make others happy. Be it something that we have several times anyway or things that are no longer in a condition that we want to sell them, but which are still too good to throw away. You can make friends and relatives or people who do not have it so well happy.

Donate
For a good cause. If you want to donate items, you have a wide choice of different institutions and projects. I have had consistently positive experiences here with social department stores, where donated goods - often by the long-term unemployed - are refurbished and sold at affordable prices to those in need, and other social institutions and projects. In this area, there are also numerous projects that combine our hobby offroading and overlanding with the good.

Consume
Once it is clear that you are going on a big trip, consistently do not buy anything new that is not absolutely necessary, but consume what is already there.

Sell
There are a variety of possibilities here. Depending on the item, online platforms, 2nd hand stores that take goods on commission, flea markets, maybe even a garage flea market, travel and overlanding meetings, forums, classified ads, search-offer notices and much more are suitable. A great side effect: selling fills the travel fund.

Storage and Shelter
And what happens to the things that you would like to keep? Often it is personal things, things with sentimental value or others.
You are not always lucky enough to have friends or relatives who have a storage facility. Then the already mentioned self-storage companies offer here a simple and flexible possibility.

 

[M Rose]

Just from my experience with several long term trips. For me, in any case, setting out on such a long ourney is a chance to declutter and that can be very liberating!
I recommend everyone to start very early to sort everything out, because I know from my own experience that this can take longer than initially thought! In addition, the sorting out and thus the process of letting go can be a great time to prepare for the journey and to slowly approach the new.

So, start early and work your way through consistently:

Give Away
This is a good option for things with which we can make others happy. Be it something that we have several times anyway or things that are no longer in a condition that we want to sell them, but which are still too good to throw away. You can make friends and relatives or people who do not have it so well happy.

Donate
For a good cause. If you want to donate items, you have a wide choice of different institutions and projects. I have had consistently positive experiences here with social department stores, where donated goods - often by the long-term unemployed - are refurbished and sold at affordable prices to those in need, and other social institutions and projects. In this area, there are also numerous projects that combine our hobby offroading and overlanding with the good.

Consume
Once it is clear that you are going on a big trip, consistently do not buy anything new that is not absolutely necessary, but consume what is already there.

Sell
There are a variety of possibilities here. Depending on the item, online platforms, 2nd hand stores that take goods on commission, flea markets, maybe even a garage flea market, travel and overlanding meetings, forums, classified ads, search-offer notices and much more are suitable. A great side effect: selling fills the travel fund.

Storage and Shelter
And what happens to the things that you would like to keep? Often it is personal things, things with sentimental value or others.
You are not always lucky enough to have friends or relatives who have a storage facility. Then the already mentioned self-storage companies offer here a simple and flexible possibility.

Great advice Bjorn

 

[El-Dracho]

Great advice Bjorn

Thank you Michael. I'm just sharing my personal experiences here. There is so much good advice here on the forum. Everyone knows a lot about one area or another and if everyone shares these experiences and knowledge, many can learn and benefit from it. Sharing knowledge - That's great!

 

[FishinCrzy]

If you have a place to put it, an intermodal container was a solution for me. I live near enough to the Port of Charleston to have access to used containers. Make sure it has good doors. They are fairly well sealed so no rodents. It took my sister and me a couple of years to clean out the family house and sort through everything and eventually sell or give most of it away. Still, I had furniture and tools, etc., I wasn't quite ready to part with. At this point I know I am never going to need some of it so I am looking to declutter some more. Sometimes there are no easy solutions to all the accumulated flotsam and jetsam. Good Luck!

 

[MMc]

I understand the need to keep the family stuff. Some it is really hard to part with. First question do you plan to pass it along to somebody? Do you plan to settle back down one day? I rented a storage unit in a AZ. that wasn’t on a flood plain. I went to a place with a cheaper rent than So.Cal. That was dry. scan all the photos and store on a thumb drive and a couple of cloud storage sites. Back up, Back up. Back,up. Some of the genealogy sites allow to post so other family members can also enjoy them.
I am getting ready to get full time on the road, and it’s what I have done. If I had a place to drop a 20x20 container I would would consider it too.

 

[grubworm]

yeah, storage units are expensive. my mother is a pack rat and has a couple storage units in addition to her attic being full, and she has definitely spent more on storage than the items are worth. i know in your case, the geneology items and heirlooms are "priceless" and can't be replaced, so i would say you either get a storage unit OR maybe get a small utility trailer and load with the items and park it at a relative's place or something. i had a 16' enclosed cargo trailer i used when i had my construction company and it sat at my house for a few years unused. i ended up giving it to my neighbor and he has it parked at his place strictly as storage.
i have a good bit of property and if a family member or friend wanted to park a cargo trailer on my property for storage, i would be fine with it. maybe that's an option? at least with a trailer, you have something to show for the money

 

[KF0APA]

Find out if there is a genealogical society near where your mother lived. More than likely, they'd be happy to add your family history to their collection.

 

[UgotWheelz]

Update to this thread; I have the new 2021 BroncoSport and I can sleep in it pretty comfortably. I could uses the front seats as a make shift office and dining area if needed and store much of the things I know I want to keep with me under the bed or in external storage solutions and/or racks. I want to keep all my tools and shop equipment but dont need to carry it all with me but that sure would be helpful. I could probably fit 85-90% of all my tools and equipment into my two Stanley 50G rolling tool totes from HomeDepot. The remainder would be in a small Stanley 13G rolling tool tote and a Craftsman blow molded toolset box 19" x 12"x12". I have a ton of jack stands I could give those away.

Beyond that all I have now is my aluminum race floor jack, Lion Energy battery bank, Coleman stove, Sleep system, 2-Mac Mini computers and some sort of flat screen monitor maybe a tablet, DVD player, printer/scanner/FAX, 30" 411 Tactical clothes duffle, 24" GoBag, recumbent bike (it breaks down to 48"L x 7" wide x about 13"H in a triangle shape), camp chair, Digital media drives and DVD's, coats, hats, sports equipment, 411 Tactical Documents bag, helmets (car, bike, skate), Sport shoes, boots, etc, heirloom stuffies, Family photo albums. I can lay everything out in a space about 5x6x4 and have a bed over the top of it. But weight might be an issue????

I do have two dorm fridges I have been using as my kitchen for a few years now I could bring but there not as energy efficient as a Dometic or other 12VDC fridge or cooler, but I own them. I have a couple new microwaves I one of them use allot. I could bring if I had a trailer with shore power or a hardy inverter and battery system. I also have a electric 110V (waffle iron style) grill I use a ton but it draws allot of power and takes a while to preheat. Ideally I would bring my brand new 2- 52" 10-drawer Husky tool chests with butcher block tops but I think they are far to heavy and bulky to be of any value unless I upgrade the tow vehicle and get a much larger trailer. Now I do have several large storage bins with the double hinged tops of personal records, heirlooms, and misc hardware and keepsakes I would have to store in a facility I only get in these bins once every few years.

I could store the things I don't actually need NOW in a storage facility though it would be a pretty spendy large unit. Or I could get a trailer that wopuld allow me to use the vehicle to store gear and the trailer to have a office/dining area and a always sets up bed and kitchen. I am considering balancing the cost of long term storage with the cost of a trailer and the possible connivence a trailer may provide like a restroom, always setup kitchen and stand-able space when the weather sucks, and weight of trailer and GVWR of the entire setup.

Some of the hard shell tool boxes and tool cases could be moved to soft totes but at an added cost so balance weight vs cost and volume there.

Yes a storage container Conex box would be ideal but I have no land or anyone I trust to land a box on. I will likely never have that ability if I loose the family home.

Opinions options??? This is Full Time with no base camp overlanding as a content producer and multi-adventure sport athlete.

 

[UgotWheelz]

sounds like you painted yourself in a corner....

i have seen land for sale where you get a lot out in the desert for under $2k...if you have a new bronco, i'm sure you could swing that. buy a lot and then put a shipping container on it or get some plastic 55 gal drums and bury your stuff there. a life time solution for around $2K

Northern Arizona Land for Sale - Undeveloped Property

Undeveloped land for sale in Northern Arizona near Holbrook and close to Snowflake, AZ. Large lots - 1.25 acres and 2.5 acres - with spectacular views.

yourcheapland.com

View attachment 196489

Noted. If I get land it wont be anywhere near AZ can't handle the political or environmental climate there. I also don't want to be in a "new" housing development area or I would just stay put. I have to pay off my debt accumulated keeping parent in her home during ALZ and have enough to live off for retirement.

As posted before the BroncoSport is not paid for and was the only practical way to get out of a high interest, bad loan on the FocusRS that blew a head gasket and took out the converter and still had some build quality issues Ford refused to address. I will not be keeping this Long term. It was also the chepaest and most capable offroad vehicle in the market segment. It was this or take a loss on a sale of the Focus and get a 4x4 van or a used Ranger FX4, or someother older used crossover/suv. I did not want a TRUCK based vehicle long term overland travel. I almost bought a lifted 2019 Fiesta ST setup for gravel rally instead I still might go this route with a Fiesta ST, or a custom built exocage buggy.

I don't see anything as being in a corner I either store some things in a storage facility, or get a trailer and possibly scale down more than I want to now. I can get everything on the BS that I need just no place to live/sleep if I do that.

 

[socal66]

What if after several months or a year you decide that full-timing isn’t for you or for some reason it isn’t working out? Perhaps renting an inexpensive storage unit in Arizona or similar for a year would allow you to hedge your bets and also allow you to settle in to your new mode of living long enough to get more of a personal perspective on what to keep or what to get rid of.

 

[UgotWheelz]

What if after several months or a year you decide that full-timing isn’t for you or for some reason it isn’t working out? Perhaps renting an inexpensive storage unit in Arizona or similar for a year would allow you to hedge your bets and also allow you to settle in to your new mode of living long enough to get more of a personal perspective on what to keep or what to get rid of.

I grew up car camping every school brake, served in the military, as well as being an ultra endurance athlete so I am sure I can handle this; that said I don't have a choice this is my only affordable option for the future. It's overlanding by car and trailer or just car or by Bicycle and trailer there is no other solution within my budget.

Also I have been the only caregiver for a parent who recently passed away since 2010 living in a 20x21' basement apartment unable to go anywhere or do anything I have mapped out the amount of space I actually use there and everything I own is in that space even some things I own I dont need are there. I could easily live in 6x12' of space but my rig wont pull that so start small watch the budget and perhaps re-evaluate the rig and trailer down the road. My ultimate rig would be a Ford 4x4 van with a poptop and modern drivetrain; some day perhaps.

 

[Billiebob]

I have asked this before, and the topic did not go anywhere. What do you full timers do with your family stuff? I am the last of my line now that my Mother has passed. She was the keeper of boxes of family photos and genealogy not just from her line but also her husbands line. There is just no way I can take my basic needs and my tools (I can make a living with) and all that personal family stuff with me; unless I buy a 4x4 full size bus. Even then some things are just too heavy or large to come along.

What do you full timers or seasonal overlanders due for storage of things that you cant take with you? Storage unit seems like a great way to add allot of expense to the budget. I have rented apartments that were cheaper than a 12x12 storage unit.

SCAN it all and burn it. Even if you have the space all that stuff adds a lot of weight.

 

[Billiebob]

I grew up car camping every school brake, served in the military, as well as being an ultra endurance athlete so I am sure I can handle this; that said I don't have a choice this is my only affordable option for the future. It's overlanding by car and trailer or just car or by Bicycle and trailer there is no other solution within my budget.

Also I have been the only caregiver for a parent who recently passed away since 2010 living in a 20x21' basement apartment unable to go anywhere or do anything I have mapped out the amount of space I actually use there and everything I own is in that space even some things I own I dont need are there. I could easily live in 6x12' of space but my rig wont pull that so start small watch the budget and perhaps re-evaluate the rig and trailer down the road. My ultimate rig would be a Ford 4x4 van with a poptop and modern drivetrain; some day perhaps.

I hear you, don't buy new, don't buy a 4WD. Buy something older, 2WD with dual rear tires. Or a cutway Class C RV, think shorter, smaller. Your "overlanding" so follow the warmer climates and avoid needing a winterized unit, same in summer, follow the temperate climates and avoid the need for AC. Buy something with low mileage. Buy something no one else wants. There are seniors with perfect RVs in as new condition who just "need it gone"..... Best Buys Ever !! But get rid of everything, scan the pictures, geneology, documents. Garage Sale or sell on line everything. Build a bank account, sell the house, pinch pennies. Get a stand up self contained RV and move on with life.

 

[MMc]

I grew up car camping every school brake, served in the military, as well as being an ultra endurance athlete so I am sure I can handle this; that said I don't have a choice this is my only affordable option for the future. It's overlanding by car and trailer or just car or by Bicycle and trailer there is no other solution within my budget.

Also I have been the only caregiver for a parent who recently passed away since 2010 living in a 20x21' basement apartment unable to go anywhere or do anything I have mapped out the amount of space I actually use there and everything I own is in that space even some things I own I dont need are there. I could easily live in 6x12' of space but my rig wont pull that so start small watch the budget and perhaps re-evaluate the rig and trailer down the road. My ultimate rig would be a Ford 4x4 van with a poptop and modern drivetrain; some day perhaps.

Losing a parent sucks, losing a parent to dementia really sucks for a long time. Watching a loved one lose the little things over time is very hard. You sound as if you don’t think you have as skill set that will earn much. I don’t know you and apologize for over stepping, why not invest in yourself and get a skill that can be done on the road and make a good income? You will have to work more but you can afford the nicer things if you do. You might have to put off living on the road for a year or so but you would have skill that it portable and profitable.

 

[UgotWheelz]

Losing a parent sucks, losing a parent to dementia really sucks for a long time. Watching a loved one lose the little things over time is very hard. You sound as if you don’t think you have as skill set that will earn much. I don’t know you and apologize for over stepping, why not invest in yourself and get a skill that can be done on the road and make a good income? You will have to work more but you can afford the nicer things if you do. You might have to put off living on the road for a year or so but you would have skill that it portable and profitable.

I have been putting this off for 10 years and I am now retired. I have re-strated doing Youtube, Vimeo, and other video sharing platforms something I use to do 10 years ago and I can create content of different types. Overlanding to ultra endurance events has been the plan since 2010 just got sidelined with being a caregiver when no one else would do anything. Plan originally including my former fiancé and her child at the time but that did not pan out. A bit to late in life to be going back to the typical work force. Though I can do contract work for the military if I need to.

@Billiebob Yes I am looking into scanning I bought a new HP scanner/printer/fax but that is so slow it would take years to scan all the photo albums, documents, etc. There has got to be a commercial source to do this that is economical. I am stuck with the Bronco Sport for now; it was the only way to get ride side up on a bad high interest loan with the FocusRS. I figure I will pay it down for a year or two then get something used and dependable that I can service myself that has a huge aftermarket support for parts and upgrades. I have been across the entire country 3 times self supported on a recumbent bicycle without even a tent and survived I don't need much but those luxuries like heat, shelter, restroom sure are nice. I definitely want to keep all my tools (I can make a living and repair things with them) so that requires a larger rig than a bicycle.

I did have a guy in a lifted BIG 4x4 Toyota (Tacoma or perhaps Tundra) ask me if I wanted to sell the BroncoSport yesterday I thought he was joking at first :)

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I have far too much crap......