Modern Pioneering???

[glenn kangiser]

Larry, I know you are busy, but I just wanted you to know that we are proud of you and your true pioneer spirit.

My great-grandparents and grandparents traveled clear across the United States after their arrival from Lithuania, losing 5 children along the way, to land on an unknown to them, piece of land in the untamed wilds of Oregon.  Still they persevered and went ahead and made their dream a reality, no matter what the odds.

It is nice to see a bit of that spirit still alive in your story.  Here's hoping things continue to get better and better for you.

Drop in whenever you can.

Glenn and all of your friends at Countryplans.

[MountainDon]

I think of you from time to time and wonder how things are. Keep the spirit.

[considerations]

"i have heard about similar situations before but never actually seen one." 

Apaknad I think maybe you've never been to the rural PNW - there are literally thousands of trailer/house hybrids out here, all unique, some make you wonder, cringe, marvel....

I do not think I've seen such a nice one as the one in this thread. I think Larry and Nicole qualify for this month's "Modern Pioneering" award.  (just thought that up myself, this minute ).

[hnash53]

Wow just read through all the posts of this topic.  Fantastic.  This group is the best I've ever found.  Lots of people write me about the cabin I built and I often tell them to read the forum, ask questions, and learn all you can.

Just a comment:  those batteries you are using are not golf cart batteries.  They are sealed gel filled batteries that are excellent.  I bought 16 of them each with 120 Amp hours capacity.  They can be mounted in any position and are 12 volt.  golf cart batteries are 6 volt.

Your story encourages me to continue to follow through with my own dream of living in my Wyoming cabin year round, winter and all.

Thanks for sharing your story.

[John Raabe]

Here's a short article on using an RV as a first phase of a building process. It is on our sister site PlanHelp.com



The article link is below, but it needs a PlanHelp membership to access. (You can get the idea from the photos.)

http://www.planhelp.com/members/80.cfm

PS - Greetings to Hal in WY  (Hal's Project)

[apaknad]

you're right cons, i have never had the pleasure of being in the PNW but it looks beautiful and i hope to see it after i get a travel trailer in the spring. the idea was just intriguing to me and reminded me of seeing the house boats on norris lake in tennessee. every style and configuration that i had never seen before. my friend who i was visiting called it "hillbilly engineering" and it was fascinating to see the ideas that some people came up with.

[soomb]

like so.

[apaknad]

hey soomb, yes that is exactly what i saw and even more. all the house boats were in a line and hooked up to large underwater electric lines. it was truly awe inspiring from a "necessity is the mother of invention" angle. BTW, norris lake is a huge impound just over the NE border of TN that was created by the TVA and they have stripers and Large crappies and being a fisherman, that was why i was there.

[BiggKidd]

Hello Everyone,

  Made a trip into town today to say thanks from the Kidd family. We got a very nice award from John Raabe, Glen, Peternap, and the gang here at country plans. We were shocked  to say the least. Couldn't have come at a better time right here at Christmas and all. I am glad that you have found our story of Modern Pioneering interesting. Most of what we have managed to accomplish is thanks to seeing & reading about others who have done similer things. One thing for sure is that Necessity is the mother of invention. So with that in mind when we find we need something we generally find a way to make it or do it ourselves. I have many pictures and lots to tell once we have access to a computer where I can spend hours writing and upload pictures from the camera. Here at the Library we are only allowed 30 min online per day and can not up load from memory cards or cameras. But we are thankful to get on a computer at all.

We would like to wish everone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I can't wait till we go to Moms over the holidays (if we still get to go [truck trouble]) so I will have time to read up on what you all have been doing. We miss keeping up with all of your projects. 

  Thanks again for the wonderful award and I promise to update the thread over the holidays if we get to a computer where I can. I see the Librarian (sp) telling me others are waiting so I have to go for now.

Larry, Nickole, Kyrstin, & Savannah

The Kidd Family

[MountainDon]

Good to hear from you Larry. Merry Christmas!

[Jens]

My great-grandparents and grandparents traveled clear across the United States after their arrival from Lithuania, losing 5 children along the way, to land on an unknown to them, piece of land in the untamed wilds of Oregon.  Still they persevered and went ahead and made their dream a reality, no matter what the odds.

That is so sad, amazing, and sometimes an actually common story Glen.  What an amazing breed of people, those who came before electronics, electricity, and the automobile.  My great grandparents lost one son on the boat ride from Denmark, and upon their arrival had all of their possessions and money stolen.  The gov gave them train tickets, and a little money to go to California.  This was in '29.

I love to read about all on hear who have eschewed some of the modern trappings of life, even if it is only reliance on others for the basics (shelter, food, etc), and still includes the electronics.  After all, if not for the electronics, I wouldn't be able to read about them! 

[glenn kangiser]

We are glad you and family are surviving, Larry and look forward to your updates when you can.

Jens, here in the mountains of California, we often see where the old timers have been during the gold rush days and the things they had to do without trucks and modern day machines are sometimes beyond belief.

[Jens]

We spent our year in New Hampshire living in a house build in 1792.  Full basement, 1700 square feet, post and beam, three fireplaces, and just the thought of hand digging the basement, through all of that ledge that is so popular there makes me hurt so bad my hair hurts!  I have also been to many of those same gold towns (have lived in Reno, and Ione, CA, worked for Pac Bell in Jackson, and always camping as a kid), and have seen amazing things.  Just bringing a wagon load over the mountains is an amazing feat!  Down here in TN, we have the museum of appalachia, and they have tons of old square hewn log buildings. 

[BiggKidd]

Hi Guys & Girls,

  We made it out of the woods for a little while today. Boy do I have a lot to show you guys when we get internet service back. Its geat to be able to come here to the library and use the computers but its a shame I can't load my pics to show you all. Not to mention all the time I miss reading and repling to all the great projects you guys are doing.

  I hope everyone is doing well. I know I promised pics over the holidays but due to unforseen circumstances I couldn't make it on the computer. My grandfather who had cancer got worse over christmas and passed the third of Jan. He had lived a good full life he was 83.

To give you guys a quick update on our place. We are still clearing around the house we built starting to have a opening large enough to move around in. The good news is that we are earning a little money from the sale of the trees we are clearing for yard and garden space. I am surprised at the quality of the topsoil we are finding where we are clearing. I believe it will make for good gardening. I can't wait for warm weather. I am ready for this cold and wet to move on.
    Trying to research steam engines to build another battery charger that doesn't cost an arm and leg to run. I'm tired of giving all my money to the oil companies. In reality we are only using about 2 gallons of gas a day for power (electricty). That inclueds washing clothes and running my ice maker. But as the older folks say a penny saved is a penny earned.  So if any of you have a set of plans to build a small steam engine or turbine let me know. So far what I have to work with for parts isn't much but should get me started. I have an old 100lb. propane tank that should make for a good boiler and I have several 97 and 70 amp alternators to use now I just need to come up with a simple engine. I am thinking that a turbine mite be easier to create. Or maybe several small ones to drive a few differnt things. Any ideas?

I sure hope you all are doing well. Hopefully soon we can get internet service at home so I have time to keep up with all you all are doing like I use to. I so miss the great people on this site and seeing what you are upto. Well I have to go now. There are others waiting to use the computers.

Take care
Larry, Nickole and the girls

PS My grandfather left me his camper. Its a 1995 33ft terry with a slideout room. I haven't figured out how to add it into our place yet but I will.

[Redoverfarm]

Hi Larry,  Sorry you can't keep abreast of eveyone else's project.  But worse off we can't keep abreast of yours.  Talk to Peternap every so often to check up on you.  Spring is not as far off as it has been.  Hope the kids are adjusting to the school.  Sorry to hear of your GF.  Keep warm, stay safe and keep in touch.

[glenn kangiser]

Larry, the steam guys say that if you just want to be efficient generating power with wood, then use a wood gas generator - not steam.  Steam is too dangerous. 

A wood gas generator will run a standard internal combustion engine.

http://highforest.tripod.com/woodgas/woodgas.html


http://www.woodgas.com/

http://www.gengas.nu/byggbes/contents.shtml

It has been said that the last one is too simplified and that it needs to be cleaned up some - too much tar in the gas but the theory is all there with good explanations.

[nickolekidd]

Hi all I am in richmond at my moms so I'm at a computer yeah We had to come into town for a few days so Larry could go into the hospitial for steriod infusions to hopefully help with his ms (multiple sclerosis) He has been having a rough time lately and has been having quite a bit of bad days with only a few good ones thrown in. So if you could all keep him in your prayers please. We have still been busy clearing land. we finally got our onions and tomatos in yesterday and Have tons of other stuff started in the house waiting for there day to be planted. We made it through the winter but I'm soooo glad for the spring. It is so beautiful this time of year with everything starting to bloom. Plus its much more comfortable to work when it's not cold. well I was planning on putting up some pics of the work we have gotten done but I think I forgot my camera I'll look somemore and hopefully find it and write more later. I'm going to try and catch up on some of the post I have missed not being able to get online. Hope everyone is doing well.
Nickole

[Sassy]

Hi Nickole, good to hear from you!  Sorry that Larry has been having some rough days & is in the hospital.  Of course we'll be praying for you.  Good to see you are getting your garden planted & moving on with your plans.  Looking forward to seeing the pics & hearing more from you.  Say hi to the BiggKidd!

[glenn kangiser]

Hi Nickole.  Nice to hear from you.  I hope Larry gets to doing better.

Glad to hear you survived the winter.  Things should get better now.  Please stay in touch.  Best to all of you.

[Terry]

I wonder how Larry, Nickole and family are doing?? Has anyone heard?

[glenn kangiser]

I've also wondered but haven't heard.

[BiggKidd]

hi everyone,

  close to a computer for a min and wanted to say hi and let you know we are still alive.  Sure miss getting here and all of your great stories. Hope everyone is well. I hope to oneday get internet again so I can keep up with you guys. Well got to go. Take care.

  Kidd   

[glenn kangiser]

Nice to see you - drop in when you can and hope all is well.

[hillsvillehermit]

Can somebody repost a picture of this sign? For whatever reason I can't view the picture...

Great job, Larry and Nickole and kids.

Keep the parasites off of your property.  Assessor never has permission unless you give it.  Building inspector does not unless you take out a permit and give him permission by your contract on the permit, or a proper court ordered warrant proving that you are harming the public wiith your house.  That is the legal part of it as I understand it.  That doesn't stop them from acting illegally.

http://www.landrights.com/

and you could try this posted in several places conspicuously.    I just print it from my computer full size and laminate it then tack up the laminated copies.  Always more where they came from.



It does work here - at least the Sheriff's dept was afraid to admit they read it.

Note that you issue a invoice to the offending individual and take them to small claims court to collect your daily or part thereof land use fee.   That is a contract when they pass your sign. Like agreeing to the terms of software when you click I agree on software installations.  The laws they are breaking are federal and Constitutional.

All rights reserved gets you to Constitutional law rather than their ex-post-facto admiralty law common in the court that have the gold fringed flag which is not the United States official flag.  I need to study this better myself but it has worked here for me for about 7 years. 

Another similar sign a few miles down the road by a friend had the same effect.  The Sheriff pulled up - left and called an unmarked car to remove the sign before entering during a disturbance there.

[glenn kangiser]

Try this, hvfd.



I have found that printing it out in all black makes a more durable sign.  The red fades quickly in sunlight.