Back around 2000, I bought a Honda Civic, and in buying insurance the VIN number was entered wrong by the insurance company employee - had a 1 instead of a 7 or something, due to the handwritten process in use at the time.

A few years later, after dutifully paying my insurance, but moving a few times for school the registration had lapsed and I got pulled over. They ended up taking the license plate because of this, that my car was "uninsured", and apparently I was paying for nothing for the last few years..

I cleared up the registration the next day and the insurance as well, but a few weeks later had to go to court to clear up the ticket. The judge asked me "Why didn't you check that the numbers matched on the insurance forms?", to which I replied "Did you check this with the last car you insured?". They let me off.

This is all to say, how is it possible that someone got $600k fine for a mistake that is obviously not the fault of the buyer?

I watched several videos from the Liz Amazing YT-link you provided — very thoughtful content from two obviously-compatible sunbirders.

Her overall recommendations tend to recommend older, well-taken-care-of models over the newer less-expensive trash being mass-produced. Get a PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION before purchasing any RV particularly if your first purchase, and buy from a local person (instead of a dealership).

Really loved that some of Liz's most-popular videos weren't about RVs, particularly her Introduction to Electric Bicycles (helpful as we've gotten older).

By least-favorite brother (maker of terrible decisions™) lived in an RV for about two years, and it was absolutely embarassing to the neighborhood... just a squalor'd pig-stye.

If anybody near Chattanooga wants to restore an old Airstream, I know a guy... [that owns a dozen, variously delapidated]

I built my own [1] — but then I have a garage (and had been building something approximating furniture for several years).

I feel like with the tutorials out there, a novice could learn as they go and enjoy the experience of building out a van.

It's possible too to do it in stages. My Stage 1 had no solar or stove — limited cabinetry. The wife and I took it out nonetheless. You find out quickly too that way what you miss/want.

The cost of a new Ford Transit was not cheap, and there were some pricy components. As an example, the two LiPO batteries were $1K each — but they're about 1/3 that these days (wow). The electric refrigerator (more like cooler) was not cheap. The propane stove was not either — but a camp stove would have worked as well (and has the benefit that you can cook outside on hot days when you don't want to heat up the van/RV).

I never tallied up the total cost, but I promise you it was significantly less than a new RV. And because I made it myself, I can vouch for the quality of the components.

The single best resource was faroutride.com [2]. But then there were plenty of online forums, YouTube etc. with all kinds of info.

I was a few years from retirement when I began. The idea was to "van life" with the wife after I retired. As it is, we've done a good deal of travel in the U.S. but until she also retires, we don't live the van life.

(The fact is though, after a few weeks on the road, you come home appreciating your creature comforts.)

(Recently drove from the Midwaste to San Diego to get my middle daughter and her two cats. Heading out in a few weeks to the Bay Area to visit some ex-coworkers.)

[1] https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/hot-tamale-build...

[2] https://faroutride.com/van-build/

>please do research into how crappy modern, mass-produced RVs are built.

Any brands you/Liz Amazing suggest?

RVs are absolutely garbage quality. Damage is not a matter of IF but WHEN, so it is essential to budget for big ticket, frequent repairs. And you will be replacing your roof in ten years at best.

Was this an RV or a mobile home (single wide, double wide)? Different products (for those who aren’t aware).

Is it difficult to connect in to an existing sewer line?

Does he plan to build on his land? RV while building can be a great source of tax free income.

A friend is just selling a two bedroom apartment for 15k€ furnished.

Small town, sure, but the apartment is in a good shape and the city is nice by Nordic standards.

You can live comfortably in many, many places in the US on $58k a year as well.

It highlights that the problem most of these people have isn't a lack of income.

> our collective failure to build enough housing

There has been net transfer of housing ownership to the wealthy through increasing LTV and rentals - interest and rent are two ways of transferring money from the working class to rentier capital. Framing this as simply a supply issue is obscures the dynamics of wealth transfer undergirding the rise in housing scarcity.

Alright.

This is just a hypothetical story.

Sarah has 2 kids with her ex husband Bill. Everytime Sarah mentions child support Bill talks about pursuing joint custody.

Bill has no intention of actually following though, but he knows fighting in court is going to very expensive and difficult for Sarah.

Sarah drops it. Often filing for child support involves a whole lot of BS. Bill might just be a wacko she'd rather not deal with anymore.

After all, they aren't together for a reason.

I know my dad kicked me out at 15 and didn't give me a dime until I was like 20, and that was about 300$ or 400$ tops.

He wasn't going to spot me rent money during my second eviction.

Honest to God, I was grateful he just left me alone for the most part. He still lived in this fantasy land were you can kick you kid out and expect them to do well in school.

No I'm not college bound, yes my GPA was like a 1.7 when I graduated high school.

Thank you Brendan Eich, thank you for JavaScript, without that magical programing language I wouldn't be where I am now.

I guess I wasn't smart enough for C++, but I've made great money in JavaScript and other higher level languages for a long time.

Anyway, the woman who starts the story has her reasons.

35ft fifth wheel RV: Truck burns 14 MPG on a good day. Tires $1000+ every 30-50k mi. 6-9 mpg towing if using gasoline

Even better, you have somewhere to live if your vehicle is in the shop.

Vixens were super cool! We bought a used one in the 90s when I was a teenager. Although it did wind up breaking down on a road trip,bao I think they might have been on the unreliable side or known for some issues-- either that or we just got unlucky.

Would love to see pics of the interior!

There's an old saying in Alabama:

Q: What does a divorce and a tornado have in common? A: Someone gonna lose them a trailer

It's because they're not looking for a place just to live, they want a place where they want to live. Otherwise RVs would be parked all over America, instead of just in downtowns and other urban areas. Everyone wants to live in the Noe Valley and walk to the Whole Foods, but space, and supply and demand make that simply impossible without absolute government control of housing.

You may be right. I grew up in the Midwaste but when I was living in California I met a number of native Californians that I am sure would never consider heading to the flyover belt of America. Rightly or wrongly I think they have stereotypes about what it's like to live here.

(And to be sure, the weather is not what they are used to.)