Apr 03 2011

Alternative lifestyles

Airstreams are superb travel vehicles, optimally designed to make exploring geography with exceptional comfort. But they are good for something more than that. I often meet fellow travelers who use their Airstreams for exploring a region that only they can reach: inside their own mind.

So many of us are just a little bit weird by conventional assessment. We eschew the normal travel pattern by avoiding airlines and hotels, we haul our children and pets to quirky places, and we often are accused (sometimes with frank admiration) of having an “alternative lifestyle” by virtue of being free-booting and happy to take a chance once in a while. That last characterization is a bit of a broad brush, but I’ll accept it because I’ve come to realize that “alternative lifestyle,” although a loaded term, is another way of saying we live where the wildflowers grow.

That’s where the interesting stuff happens. You get a little more room to roam around when you bend the rules and conventions of straightlaced society. We meet people all the time who admire the traveling lifestyle, and they generally fall into two groups, those who have done it too and get the concept, and those who are firmly in the center of the fairway and happy to admire the wildflowers from afar. It takes all kinds to make a world, so I’m not implying that any one group has it right or wrong, but it is interesting to me to see what choices and options have opened up to us simply by virtue of releasing ourselves from the conventional bonds of society and taking a chance that something good might happen.

It really doesn’t take much to broaden your life. Last night we were talking with one of our overnight guests, a writer who is going to take his Airstream across the country to find raw material for his next book. Along the way, he’ll discover new friends and interests. Heck, he has already and he hasn’t even left yet. I am looking forward to reading what he has gleaned from his travels. He’s launching on a massive cross-country expedition but there’s just as much value in taking the Airstream off to a quiet spot in the woods for a couple of days to re-connect with yourself.

I also think its interesting to see how generally-accepted social boundaries change when you take people away from their routine and put them into a campground for a few days. Suddenly people are feeling freer, and you can see it in their dress, their speech, their relaxation of personal rules, what they eat, how they decorate, and from a thousand other little cues. Nearly everyone comes away refreshed, and a few (like us) come away with a determination to stay out in the wildflowers as long as possible.

“I’m fixing a hole, where the rain gets in,

and stops my mind from wandering …”

My plan for the summer includes a few trips like that too. I want to do more writing and come up with new ideas for the coming years. The first step is to “fix the holes” and stop the rain from getting in, and travel is great for that. Deep in most people’s minds are the thoughts that we haven’t had time to process, and the ideas we never gave a chance. There are also often old hurts and energy-sapping memories that can be better vanquished with a change of scene. There are inspirations waiting to be born, and viewpoints yet to be conceived. Once you clear out the detritus of daily life, who knows where you will go next? Perhaps an “alternative lifestyle” is waiting out there for you–even if it’s only a change of perspective.

Mar 30 2011

Virtual caravanning

I’m deep into the Summer 2011 magazine, as is normal for this time of year, but between editing articles my mind is straying to Alumapalooza. It’s coming up in two months.

We’ve sold out of trailer spaces on the field (the limit was 200) and the schedule is about 95% solidified, so at this point you’d think the major work would be done. But in fact there’s much more to do. We are still registering “walk-in” attendees, and there are a thousand small details to finalize. Brett and I will be very busy in the two months between now and May 31, 2011 when it all officially begins.

The last couple of weeks before the event, we’ll head out from our respective locations (me in Arizona and Brett in Florida) heading for Ohio, like 200 other trailers that are coming from all corners of the country. I’ve been toying with the idea of organizing a caravan as many other people are doing, but because of the way we are going to travel I’ve conceded that it won’t work.

Instead, I’m working on a concept of “virtual caravanning.” The idea is that many people who are traveling to Alumapalooza via differing routes can share their experiences through the Internet, both with fellow virtual caravanners and people who are unable to attend. As a small first step, I’ve set up a Twitter account called “airstreamlife” which I’ll use to post quick notes and photos from the road as we go. Fellow travelers can follow airstreamlife and we’ll follow you as you travel as well.

Now, long-time readers of this blog will remember my rant some time back when I explained in excruciating detail why I have — to this point– avoided using Twitter and Facebook. But I’m not a total Luddite, just a highly critical adopter, and my perspective has changed. The iPhone has now given me a very useful mobile tool that integrates with Twitter. Now I can easily post photos with short notes from the road as we go. That’s a much more interesting form and reason for communication, to me, and so I’ll explore it a little. It’s an experiment. Still, this blog will remain the primary outlet for all things related to Airstream Life and our restless travels.

In the next few days, we will be occupied with a few spring visitors. Erica is coming back today from Texas, with a Globe Trotter that she is delivering to a mutual acquaintance, and we are going to have a little driveway camping session to get the new owner up to speed. On Friday we are expecting another guest, and next week a third, so life is going to be more exciting than it has been thanks to the folks who are swinging through. More on that later.

Feb 10 2011

Insane

OK, I’ll keep this short and sweet. All of the time I run into people who are full-timing in an RV, and who don’t have health insurance.

Sure, you may be young and healthy. Sure, it’s expensive. But you have to keep something in mind: our health system is insane.

We were lucky during our three years on the road. Our medical issues were few. But nothing lasts forever. I went to see the local doc for a routine checkup in December. No procedures were done. I had a 15-minute exam and some blood tests and urinalysis, all routine stuff.

The physician’s office billed my insurance company $1,046.09 for that.

No typo.

We are still in the deductible of our “high deductible health plan,” so theoretically we’re on the hook for the whole thing. But there’s a trick. Simply having health insurance, even if it isn’t covering your bill, is what’s really important. See, the insurance company has negotiated rates with the medical providers (meaning in this case, the doctor’s office). Their pre-negotiated rate knocked the bill down to $238.00. That’s what we’ll actually pay.

So what happens to the $808.09 that the doctor’s office forgave? No worries — it will get passed on to some poor sap who doesn’t have medical insurance. Sooner or later they’ll find someone who doesn’t have a negotiated rate, and if necessary they’ll garnish his wages to get it.

That’s why people who don’t have health insurance in this country are screwed. A huge percentage of bankruptcies in this country result from being what is termed, “medically indigent,” meaning sucked dry by medical bills. No health insurance? You’ll go down fast. At the rate of $1,000 per simple office visit, it won’t take long. Imagine what happens when you get hit by a car, or have a heart attack. You’ve never paid as much for an Tylenol as you will when you buy one from a hospital bed.

Don’t kid yourselves. Get health insurance and join the club of people who pay 80% less. This has nothing to do with “socialized medicine,” or Obama — it has been the system for decades. The health care system in this country is rigged, and the only way you can survive the cost is to join the game. Or, you can move to France.

Dec 26 2010

Dear Santa

I know it’s just one day after Christmas and you’re on vacation, but I’ve got a new Christmas list for 2011. See, we’re getting ready for a trip into the California desert later this week, and as we re-pack the Airstream a few ideas have occurred to me. Some of the things I want are pretty tough to find, so I figured you and the elves would appreciate a little extra time.

The first thing I’d like is a GPS that doesn’t get lost. GPS is a technological miracle 99% of the time, but watch out for that one percent when it isn’t. How many times has Garminita tried to send us down roads that don’t exist, or blind alleyways in the interest of chopping 15 feet off our route? Why does it take three years to get a new road into the database? It’s no fun having a navigator you can’t always trust. I can see why you use Rudolph.

I’d also like a factory-approved bicycle rack for my Airstream. That way I don’t have to carry folding bikes inside the car. If I could pop a pair of full-size bikes on a bumper rack (with protective covers), it would be incredible. I’d probably ride a lot more. Some people say it isn’t possible, but I’m pretty sure Santa Claus can do anything.

A quiet fuel cell power generator would be great for long boondocking trips in cloudy places. I love the solar panels we use, but a fuel cell would be a great auxiliary power source — silent, non-polluting, and long-running, under any conditions. This is technology that exists today, so all you need to do is figure out how to get the cost down.

I don’t think this exists in the RV world yet, but how about a combination oven/microwave that runs on propane? Right now the limited space inside a travel trailer is wasted by requiring separate convention and microwave ovens. Or better yet, how about a removable RV grill: indoors it’s a regular stove, but you can remove it for grilling outdoors! That way we won’t have to carry our Weber grill in the back of the car.

Thanks for bringing me the Blu-ray player for the house. Now, can I get one for the Airstream? This time of year, with long and cold nights, we tend to watch a lot of movies after dinner. That old JVC DVD player that came with the trailer is past its prime. We’d like to be able to see every one of Shrek’s nose hairs on the new HD screen I installed. A new set of Bose speakers would be great, too.

Can you try to do something about the state parks in Arizona? We have so few that offer camping, and nearly all of them are in danger of closure thanks to budget problems at the state level. It would be nice if a few of them didn’t have to depend on community bake sales in order to stay open.

That’s probably too political for you, so if you can’t do that, how about arranging for biodiesel everywhere? Every drop of biodiesel is effectively carbon neutral, reduces dependence on dino oil, and the exhaust smells like french fries. Even B5 (5% bio, 95% dino) helps, and any diesel can burn that. If I could find it more often, I’d use it more often.

I’ve got a bunch of other things I’d like, if you have room in the bag. An instantly self-drying awning would be great for mornings where the fabric is covered in dew and we’ve got to get going. That way it won’t get moldy when we roll it up wet. I’d appreciate a stoneguard that can be left up on a windy night without rattling, compartment locks with unique keys, wheel bearings that don’t require annual re-packing and a truly unbreakable sewer hose.

I’d also like to thank you for some of the stuff I got last year. I asked for trailer tires that actually worked, and I got them. I asked for 100 trailers at Alumapalooza, and I got 127. You even delivered me that gift I waited for five years to get: an Airstream entry door that closes properly, with a light touch. So I know you can work miracles. After managing those gifts, I’ll bet my list for 2011 will be a cinch.

Thanks, and have a great vacation on The Keys.

Dec 03 2010

Kindle experiments

A lot of people believe e-books are the future. To be more accurate, I would say they are in fact part of our present. The famous Kindle seems to be getting adopted by a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise be interested in new technology; this is probably because it’s doesn’t feel “technological” to use one. My 10-year-old daughter uses one, and my xx-year-old mother uses one. (Age deleted to protect senior modesty.)

It’s a great device for the Airstream. I like the light weight, slim design and low power requirements. It’s as if they designed it specifically for trailer owners. One thin pad carries hundreds of books for me — or it would, if I had that many loaded into it. In reality it only carries a couple dozen, but that’s still very useful.

So on the theory that if I like it for my Airstream, others will too, I’m playing around with publishing content for the Kindle. My first few attempts were horrible. Airstream Life magazine does not render on Kindle very well at all. I checked a few other major magazines and they are equally bad. It’s just not a good platform for color magazines. I am sure the iPad would be better, but there’s a whole ‘nother set of technological obstacles there and (sorry to iPad owners) I’m not willing to jump through those hoops just yet.

On the other hand, the Kindle works very well for books, so I’ve adapted the Wally Byam books (Fifth Avenue on Wheels, and Trailer Travel Here & Abroad) to Kindle. You can now buy them both in a single combined volume from Amazon. I downloaded the sample last night and it looks good. You can get a free sample at the link above, if you have a Kindle.

This blog is actually available on Kindle too, at the price of $0.99 per month. I put it up there on a whim several months ago and was surprised to find that I got a few subscribers. I just got my first author payment from Amazon last week, for a whopping $10.20. It’s obviously not a living, but getting the payment was like finding a ten dollar bill in the couch cushions. Thanks to those of you who subscribed. Knowing you’re out there inspires me to keep writing even on those days that I really don’t feel like it.

I’m working on some new projects for 2011 (of course, because I can’t stand to leave well enough alone), and all of them will have an electronic publishing component. In fact, from now on I expect just about all new content produced by myself or my company will be published on Kindle. These e-book adaptations probably won’t do much for my bottom line, but if they are useful to people then I think I should make an effort to supply them.