Newbie & Green

[Janie]

I think a huge hindrance to getting rid of stuff, is the owner places far higher value on the items, than anyone else ever will.

Also, when paying to store it, there is the need to justify having paid so much in storage fees for so long,  further falsely inflating the value of items within.

I wasted thousands to store hundreds and wound up abandoning a fair portion of it.
Its true i do miss some of it, but nothing that is irreplaceable.  I do wish i gifted some into the right hands, who coukd make use of it, but i was rushed and stressed, and when my tires looked too overloaded, said enough, and hit the road.

I also stressed over it the storage unit.  Seeing shows like storage wars would grind my anxiety like sandpaper inside my skull.

Before I was able to decouple from the storage unit, I'd go in and organize and try and get rid of a little here and there, throw some stuff out, give some away.  It was never enough, and barely made a dent, and all i had was a 5x10, which was more lime 4'6"x9, and 8 foot tall.

I look forward to when everything I own fits in a backpack or a bank acciunt, and signs are in a foreign(to me)  language, and the locals are not hyoer entitled propaganda receptacles, vociferously railing against their own best interests.

I couldn't agree more with you. I did realize atleast a few years ago that I would never get anything worthwhile for this "stuff" no matter how much it seemed to be selling for on ebay, etc. If I had not been exiled by my spouse I wouldn't have so much to get rid of. This is great advice for anybody that has had a storage unit for over a year. Time to get rid of it and hit the road because I do want to go some places. I have a very tight budget but most of what I want to see is free like the Grand Canyon if I head that way.

[Janie]

I imagine you have already thought of all this but just in case....

The fact that you have been driving the van around for 4 years is a good thing.
It's somewhat reliable.

Tires and brakes checked and an oil change and a couple qts extra so you can top it whenever you need one instead of waiting to find it.
A spare is a good idea if you have one , throw it in (two if your tires are even slightly iffy) . AAA is good , call and ask what their policy is on a trailer you're towing.
If you can fit it all in the van and a trailer that's great .
If not hopefully you can goodwill or dump enough to not be overloaded.  The more you do there the happier the van will be.  NEVER forget.  Being able to move the weight isn't the same thing as being able to stop it.... 
Breakdowns and motels... Depending on how long it will be , renting a u-haul van (used to be $20 a day local)  to move into is way cheaper .
Bringing a tent and camping gear could be a cheap option to have along too. Could also be used in that rental van. 
(? Another option ?..... Renting a bigger van/ truck and skipping the trailer for the whole trip might be cost effective also.) Both cash wise as well as worry wise.


I spent 30 years moving vans and trucks full of sound gear millions of miles and traveled around the country in my own old vehicle a 1969 pickup and have experienced breakdowns in every form imaginable (including a motor home fire.)
and in many new and far off places .

And there was always a place that helped me get back on the road .

Some treated me better than I would have experienced in my home town uptah camp! 
Never missed a show .
Well ,except for when that club burned down with all the gear in it ! (But we did get a couple weeks off that was sorely needed).


Welcome to the forums . It's nice to have a new face in the crew !
No worries about where or how you post. This isn't that kind of place.
A few have responded here and probably more will as they notice you're here.

Now , tell us more about your future new pooch !
I traveled for 16 years with a dalmatian.

I should have thought about renting a uhaul cargo van, thanks for the reminder. I think its still $20 a day, much better than amotel room for days, week how every long.

I have been watching Pitbulls & Parolees for some time now and I am smitten with pitbulls. I don't believe the entire breed is dangerous , some do inherit a bad gene but other than that I think it's how they are raised. But I understand that some states have a ban on them and don't want you to even drive thru their state(???) My last dog was a a sweet and happy golden lab/retriever - I had her about 6 years. She got lyme disease - tried to save her but couldn't. The wound didn't heal this time but I know I need another dog. Money is always an issue with me so I will look at free ads. I do want a larger breed dog, small dogs are ok but I'd prefer 70-100 dog. No puppies though - no "housebreaking". If I can adopt from a local SPCA I will if they think I qualify but think I need a street address. Unfortunately dogs and cats are advertised for free so the dog can be any breed but not too small. Getting a dog again is the greatest incentive that I have and I will take advantage of clinics to keep some shots up to date. I can already visualize a dog sitting in my passenger seat or laying on the floor.  It is the greatest motivation for me.

Now all I have to do is get upstate and clearing the clutter.

[Scott7022]

Loads of Pitty pups and 3 yr olds out there. Iam certainly a dangerous breed and haven’t drawn blood ? in a long time. The potential for violence has to be there for the dog to be a good dog. Otherwise its just living in fear. Small poodle fear bitters. All dogs love me and the more dangerous the breed the more they like to play and be dogs. Never been bit except by a small dog and only then because it was poorly socialized snd fearful. And I’ve petted wolves and Georgian mountain dogs a special kind of Sheppard I don’t believe can be imported anymore. Dogs far less dangerous than humans. .


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[Janie]

In 2010 my now ex got a 5 week old male pitty/shar pei puppy. As he grew he developed an attitude. My husband took him almost everywhere with him to the point that nobody else could sit in the truck - not even me even though I took care of him atleast half the time. He was ok when they visited somebody - small circle of friends but not at our house/yard. When he was about 6 years old he sauntered across the LR floor to my chair, spread himself belly down on the overstuffed arm and I petted him. He spun his head around and clamped down on my arm. I had three puncture wounds - my husband was in the bathroom at the time. Funny thing is, his previous dog was a 13 inch male beagle who had a similar attitude but not to that extent. The pittie was extremely territorial, dominant and fairly aggressive. He also went after my sweet lab/retriever dog and she was bigger but never aggressive - too submissive really. My husband never tried to correct his dog's behavior which should have been done when he was young. I blame my husbands lack of concern more than some inherent gene. He liked having a guard dog type. He was quite capable of correcting the dog because my husband was very good at training. He raised both his dogs from puppies and they were very, very smart - when outside in the yard, they knocked on the door to get back inside. After the pittie passed away, my husband got a 1 1/2 year old Bully pitbull from somebody. The dog was bigger, very friendly and affectionate. I didn't get to spend much time with that dog but he was truly sweet. I had to leave, actually at that time I was already half homeless, I can only hope the Bully stayed friendly. After watching Pitbulls and Parolees I do belief that most of these dogs with attitudes can be changed, they have done it, it just takes a person's attitude, love and patience to prove to the dog that they will not be abused, thrown into a ring to fight or tied up on a chain. (Our dogs were house dogs.)  One good thing is that about the last 2 years of the pitbull/shar pei's life he became affectionate towards me which made me happy because I did love the dog - his bad behavior was mostly due to my husbands bad influence on the dog.  I'd like a pittie but can't speculate right now. Whatever dog I get mostly likely will be older to start with probably 5-7 years old since I am an old lady myself. Doesn't seem to be much room in my van - but there will be room for a dog - rearranging it today to travel back upstate.

[Janie]

Loads of Pitty pups and 3 yr olds out there. Iam certainly a dangerous breed and haven’t drawn blood ? in a long time. The potential for violence has to be there for the dog to be a good dog. Otherwise its just living in fear. Small poodle fear bitters. All dogs love me and the more dangerous the breed the more they like to play and be dogs. Never been bit except by a small dog and only then because it was poorly socialized snd fearful. And I’ve petted wolves and Georgian mountain dogs a special kind of Sheppard I don’t believe can be imported anymore. Dogs far less dangerous than humans. . 


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Hope my first reply wasn't taken wrong I meant it to convey what you said, a dog that is poorly socialized and fearful may have an attitude. Thats why I mentioned my husbands little beagle - although he didn't have a truly bad attitude like the pitbull/shar pei, he had very territorial - possessive issues. I'm sorry for not wording myself better. I've had different breeds of dogs thru the years including German Shepherd and Akita and they didn't have these issues. It's how they are brought up and I think my husbands attitude kinda rubbed off so to speak on his dogs.

[Scott7022]

No, I didn’t take it the wrong way at all. While it’s not generally acceptable, I still use it saying a particular breed of dog is dangerous or aggressive. It’s like saying a particular breed of human is dangerous or aggressive. Both of these statements are incorrect, no breed of human is significantly more aggressive than any other breed of human and the same can be said for animals. Do certain breeds have propensity to certain types of behaviors absolutely do certain breeds have a build that makes them more capable in aggressive situations most certainly. But to lump them all together and say well the Irish and the Australians drink more is just falling back on stereotypes. If we do it with humans were being racist, but it seems to be OK to do it Dogs.
Normally bite when they feel threatened or frightened. If a toy poodle bites you it’s a trip to the bathroom if a cane Corso bites you. It’s a trip to the emergency ward.

When a dog meets you and your frightened of him, he wonders why are you frightened to me? If he’s not being aggressive, then he finds this confusing. But we have far more intelligent dog whisperer on this for him who can answer questions much better than I can. I’ve never been afraid of a dog or anything that looks like a dog in my life so aggressive Dogs find this confusing they don’t sense the fear or smell the fear, and this usually works as a disconnect. This was something I was born with so I have no understanding of it. Anna, one of our members is a incredible dog whisperer and trainer and can help and has helped many of us on this forum, including myself understanding, canine behavior and I’m sure if you ask, she will help you as well.

[rvpopeye]

shhhhhhhh she's whispering now .......

Ditto TWO2 ^

[Kyz]

welcome Janie. Are you making progress on your storage cleanout? In 2019, I sold my house, and I looked at everything in that house (more than bare necessities) as a hinderance to my future life (buying an RV and getting away). I had a couple garage sales, but I gave away most of what I owned in one way or another. No regrets, compeltely freeing. And I still ended up keeping a bit too much stuff. I purged down when I got my RV. Now everything is back in storage as I get help for building out a shuttle bus. I will purge down again once the shuttle is complete. I may or may not keep a storage unit just because I will always return to this area due to family being here and there are some things I'd like to keep but not tote around.

Happy clearing/cleaning for your new life!

PS: I read earlier you wanted in the women's forum. I'll check to see if you're in here shortly.

[Janie]

welcome Janie. Are you making progress on your storage cleanout? In 2019, I sold my house, and I looked at everything in that house (more than bare necessities) as a hinderance to my future life (buying an RV and getting away). I had a couple garage sales, but I gave away most of what I owned in one way or another. No regrets, compeltely freeing. And I still ended up keeping a bit too much stuff. I purged down when I got my RV. Now everything is back in storage as I get help for building out a shuttle bus. I will purge down again once the shuttle is complete. I may or may not keep a storage unit just because I will always return to this area due to family being here and there are some things I'd like to keep but not tote around.

Happy clearing/cleaning for your new life!

PS: I read earlier you wanted in the women's forum. I'll check to see if you're in here shortly.

HI Kyz. Right now I am still in NJ - my winter refugee. I am headed back upstate next week. I have given away mostly "good stuff" - it should have been sold but the right person, in the right place at the right time isn't happening. I think my buyers are on the other side of the US and here I am on the East coast. I still have sell-able stuff but I can't wait months or years to sell this stuff. I have no ties in upstate NY except for  owning half of a 4 acre piece of land with a small cheap mobile home on it. It's not worth much and I won't put my ex out because he has a dog and I will not make the dog homeless. The good stuff left is going to an SPCA that has a thrift store so it's going for a worthy cause. In past years I have given much to a local thrift store that runs a food pantry and I feel that I have donated enough thru the years to them. A few years ago I counted atleast 30 empty storage totes but it just didn't make enough of a dent - disgusting!! I'm real angry with myself - I could have left years ago and should have if I didn't have this anchor. I might rent a cheap apartment next week, if I qualify, and get all the stuff I think I need into the studio apartment and then sell or give away the storage unit leftovers in one swift swoop. It'll be free or almost but take it all deal. I'm hoping I can get a loan for an enclosed cargo trailer, maybe 5x8 or 4x6 - I want to keep some usable stuff just in case my nephew (10 years younger than me) out in Washington state has a roommate move out, but it all takes money which I have very little of, like many other people. I'm driving around without a spare because it has to go inside the van and there isn't enough room now. The arm on the back door that held the spare wasn't there when I bought the van. I don't have much furniture, no bed or LR furniture except 2 tables, one is Ethan Allen coffee table in bad shape be restorable, the other is a smaller table. A lawn chaise lounge will be my bed for an apartment. Since I can only sleep on my back this isn't a huge problem for me. So that's where I am right now. I also need a solar generator or solar power station, inverter  or all 3 to run 900 watt blender and a few other things and a hot spot - I have a cheap Tracfone pay as you go deal. Anyway, good luck to you in your endeavors.

[Scott7022]

“Won’t make the dog homeless”

We are going to get along just fine. Mmhmm .


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