Q's building an alaskan homestead

Glen Brausky wrote:I did what your talking about doing over 20 years ago. An old motor home , pickup and  $5k in pocket. Have had many properties and built a bunch of cabins around the state. Sell and move someplace else. Good way to see the state.
Get a pickup with camper. Always have a place to live and can check out the state on road system easier. Property taxes are high but there are places in state with none like where I live. Property prices are getting crazy up here just like everywhere but if you look a lot you can find a deal once in a while. Closer to towns and cities means higher prices and taxes.
Anchorage-30 minutes from Alaska.
You just need to do it or you will be in the planning stages for 20 years like most the people on this site.

I think I will start where I am, and maybe make a few contacts, get some money saved up, build a reliable truck, find a camper, and give it a shot. I think for now I just cant justify going there without a plan.
I was unaware that the places with property tax actually had high property taxes.
I may actually go somewhere closer, I think I anticipated building codes being worse than they are... I could be completely wrong. Since I hurt my back ive been looking into stick frame instead of timber/logs...So i may just look at code and do it that way. Either way I dont care for rules or neighbors.

I appreciate all the info ive been given.

Whilst I am sorry to hear you have hurt your back, I am so grateful it happened BEFORE you jumped ship for Alaska! I can only imagine the implications had this occurred during a log cabin build, alone, in the middle of nowhere!!!

There is nothing wrong with stick built, staying put or altering plans when things change. I am so glad you have found that you do not HAVE to relocate thousands of miles to find areas with fewer regs and barriers to what your dreams include.

I view your journey from your very first post to now to be an incredibly useful guide, chock full of a myriad of fabulous advice - whether to relocate/move to Alaska or seek to meet your goals differently.

Thank you for sharing your ongoing adventures!

Lorinne Anderson wrote:Whilst I am sorry to hear you have hurt your back, I am so grateful it happened BEFORE you jumped ship for Alaska! I can only imagine the implications had this occurred during a log cabin build, alone, in the middle of nowhere!!!

There is nothing wrong with stick built, staying put or altering plans when things change. I am so glad you have found that you do not HAVE to relocate thousands of miles to find areas with fewer regs and barriers to what your dreams include.

I view your journey from your very first post to now to be an incredibly useful guide, chock full of a myriad of fabulous advice - whether to relocate/move to Alaska or seek to meet your goals differently.

Thank you for sharing your ongoing adventures!

Yes, hurting my back was a huge learning experience. 7 months since, im still not healed fully. I probably would have died if I were without a mean of communication, and out in the woods. Definitely learned the importance of doing things slowly, and being careful. The first thing I thought of was, what if I were out in alaska. I learned a lot.

Its definitely a win to be able to start here!  I appreciate where I am, much more than I did.

Hopefully I can add more to this thread later.

Not sure if this is still being monitored, but I'd like to give some other perspective that has not been addressed here, that I would assume a permie would be interested in.

-Most of the state has a very short, cool growing season; your staple crops mostly don't do well here, except potatoes. You will need to plan for a very large garden of short season crops. Forage/hunting is also limited with crappy salmon runs the last several years and getting a tag for moose or caribou is not a guarantee, let alone having a successful hunt.

- At this latitude, the trees grow in different patterns; with extreme sunlight in the very short season, only a handful of decent deciduous firewood trees grow, and very slowly. Spruce beetle is devastating our evergreens.

- I truly question real sustainability here. 99% of our states food is trucked or shipped in. Soil is very poor in a lot of places. The months of cold and dark require a lot of energy consumption for comfort or even survival. Even keep basic livestock such as chickens is challenging, and we don't have a ton of predator pressure (mostly hawks and eagles, little fox)

- The road system here is very primitive outside the Anchorage and Matsu Boroughs. Some properties are only accessible via snowmachine or airplane. It makes them extra expensive to build on and get supplies to.

It is a very pretty place, I just very often contemplate the footprint of people living here. It seems like an unnecessary challenge to impose upon yourself if you are only looking for a cold climate and remoteness. I understand the draw and do not mean to dissuade you, but I have spent several winters here now and spend a lot of time contemplating real sustainability here in modern times.

Aurora, I have to ask about your name, how is it pronounced, and what is its history please?
Bad backs are bad news, but proper treatment can sort it out.
There is no reason not to continue with logs. If you change the method on working.
Sleds, swing cranes, sliding gantrys would be great to set up and use.
Most people ignore them and see the time involved as lost time.
But once in place they save an enormous amount of time.
Think about it.

Jessica Mcdonald wrote:Not sure if this is still being monitored, but I'd like to give some other perspective that has not been addressed here, that I would assume a permie would be interested in.

-Most of the state has a very short, cool growing season; your staple crops mostly don't do well here, except potatoes. You will need to plan for a very large garden of short season crops. Forage/hunting is also limited with crappy salmon runs the last several years and getting a tag for moose or caribou is not a guarantee, let alone having a successful hunt.

- At this latitude, the trees grow in different patterns; with extreme sunlight in the very short season, only a handful of decent deciduous firewood trees grow, and very slowly. Spruce beetle is devastating our evergreens.

- I truly question real sustainability here. 99% of our states food is trucked or shipped in. Soil is very poor in a lot of places. The months of cold and dark require a lot of energy consumption for comfort or even survival. Even keep basic livestock such as chickens is challenging, and we don't have a ton of predator pressure (mostly hawks and eagles, little fox)

- The road system here is very primitive outside the Anchorage and Matsu Boroughs. Some properties are only accessible via snowmachine or airplane. It makes them extra expensive to build on and get supplies to.

It is a very pretty place, I just very often contemplate the footprint of people living here. It seems like an unnecessary challenge to impose upon yourself if you are only looking for a cold climate and remoteness. I understand the draw and do not mean to dissuade you, but I have spent several winters here now and spend a lot of time contemplating real sustainability here in modern times.

For now im starting here, this is great information though. Ive watched more videos about alaska, and some of it isnt as pretty as it sounded.
Im no longer sure I would want to do it, it just depends on how things play out.

I think with alaska the traditional farming isnt realistic, it seems greenhouses and special types of greenhouses are the way to go. Its something im still learning about.

as someone previously stated, its not a bad thing to start where I am, it makes things much easier and faster. Now that im saving up and about to buy a piece of land, I really appreciate having a warm place to stay and working close.

I saw something about the spruce beetles, its a real shame.
I wasnt aware moose/carribou tags werent guaranteed.

its not as pretty as it seemed. I will keep it in mind in the future. right now im more concerned with getting and building something small.
Thanks for the pointers.

John C Daley wrote:Aurora, I have to ask about your name, how is it pronounced, and what is its history please?
Bad backs are bad news, but proper treatment can sort it out.
There is no reason not to continue with logs. If you change the method on working.
Sleds, swing cranes, sliding gantrys would be great to set up and use.
Most people ignore them and see the time involved as lost time.
But once in place they save an enormous amount of time.
Think about it.

I picked a random username, so no history.
Indeed bad backs are a serious plan changer, im now just getting to the point of being able to bend and lift things without pain, 9 months or so after the injury. All I did was step off a trailer with a floor jack, a bit faster than I should have. Good time to learn that lesson, if I had to learn it. I agree with you, I can still build with logs, only more intelligently. For what im doing right now im not going to worry about it, because im buying a smaller bit of land, and logs wont be practical. I still prefer them though.

I might be adding some videos soon, depending on how long finding a bit of land takes. Realistically once I get the land, wait about a month for the money to take a week off and get something built. Ive decided on 25'x10'  thinking about a gambrel roof for a usable attic space.
anyways! still figuring it out.
thanks amigo.

Live in Willow AK winter can get to 30- 40 below for a couple of weeks at a time. Have a garden in summer in a high tunnel and a totally outdoor garden mounded with black plastic. Peas, kale onions, potatoes, cabbage cauliflower, brocolli grow well, but have to start them indoor in February, March and April. Need fence around garden 6 feet tall to keep moose out. Hunting is hit and miss .D'ont start outdoor garden til after May 25 most years. Do a temp check of soil first. Our house is wood. Thinking of trying to build a small cabin out of earthbags. Someone did it in Fairbanks, winters colder longer there. We have no permafrost here. State has areas of all permafrost ie Bethel (houses built on pilings or sandpads) amd intermittent permafrost Fairbanks.  Some people work butt off during summer construction season and then off the rest of the year. Won;t find market for mukluks as those are usually bought by tourists made by Alaska Natives. Some people have beehives as sideline, but don't overwinter well. Some people have goats, can use fermented grain as feed, get for free from Talkeetna brewery. Getting Fish usually not a problem. Can ice fish in winter. We take wanton waste very seriously here. so if you fish find a use for every bit of it.Not much small game, some rabbits a few birds spruce hens etc, but they have been decimated by overhunting by certain groups. If on road system Anchorage to Fairbanks people often work in town can be a 150 mile  or more commute. 2-2.5 hour one way commute when I was doing. Still some jobs on slope 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off, but have to be here a while before they will hire unless you know someone or have a special skill. It is wetter down on the Kenai and more expensive. Anchorage is just north Seattle for people who have lived her for a while.

Lucy Osbourne wrote:Live in Willow AK winter can get to 30- 40 below for a couple of weeks at a time. Have a garden in summer in a high tunnel and a totally outdoor garden mounded with black plastic. Peas, kale onions, potatoes, cabbage cauliflower, brocolli grow well, but have to start them indoor in February, March and April. Need fence around garden 6 feet tall to keep moose out. Hunting is hit and miss .D'ont start outdoor garden til after May 25 most years. Do a temp check of soil first. Our house is wood. Thinking of trying to build a small cabin out of earthbags. Someone did it in Fairbanks, winters colder longer there. We have no permafrost here. State has areas of all permafrost ie Bethel (houses built on pilings or sandpads) amd intermittent permafrost Fairbanks.  Some people work butt off during summer construction season and then off the rest of the year. Won;t find market for mukluks as those are usually bought by tourists made by Alaska Natives. Some people have beehives as sideline, but don't overwinter well. Some people have goats, can use fermented grain as feed, get for free from Talkeetna brewery. Getting Fish usually not a problem. Can ice fish in winter. We take wanton waste very seriously here. so if you fish find a use for every bit of it.Not much small game, some rabbits a few birds spruce hens etc, but they have been decimated by overhunting by certain groups. If on road system Anchorage to Fairbanks people often work in town can be a 150 mile  or more commute. 2-2.5 hour one way commute when I was doing. Still some jobs on slope 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off, but have to be here a while before they will hire unless you know someone or have a special skill. It is wetter down on the Kenai and more expensive. Anchorage is just north Seattle for people who have lived her for a while.

As terrible as it might be, I still really want to end up in alaska. I now have enough saved up to buy land here, and now its just a matter of finding the right one.

The crazier the world gets, the more I want to be far away, in some place people dont want to be. The only concerning thing to me, is the roads, if I ended up in a place with roads. If you end up with a property with a road in a wetlands... Who knows! I dont think I will be moving there without a trade and some things planned. Its important to appreciate what we have, and im working on making the best of it.
I do appreciate that you shared this, sorry I didnt respond sooner.

Thank you to everyone who posted

Is it even legal to build a log cabin in rural alaska?
Ive been doing more research and seriously looking for land in missouri, only to find that a tiny portion allows you to live without building codes, and of that tiny portion, a small portion allows you to live without electricity. Its looking like alaska is the last place you can be left alone, and with the drones taking pictures of properties, you pretty much cant illegally build without the gov crashing the party.
what a mess.

It *is* madness ... the pioneering spirit is dead, per the building codes, loan industry, insurance industry, and zoning/taxing authorities.

However, there is always "stealth pioneer" mode, for whichever portion of the country you choose to land in. To go stealth (and this happens more often than one would think), you'll need to do certain things:

1. lots of (wooded) acreage, so nobody sees you
2. go mortgage-free
3. self-insure, off-grid, etc.
4. most likely, do something impermanent (tiny home, yurt, etc.) ... less is more; be more mobile.

Do everything yourself, to stay off the radar. There will be some minimum amount of "do things their way" (I'd expect this anywhere in the country these days), and then if these minimums are met, you are OK to do what you want afterwards.

In my county, this is an approved septic system, and an "engineered" foundation. After those two hard requirements were met, we were left alone; we do everything the way we want. We are flying under the radar. In fact, knowing what I know now, I'd build much less ... a few tiny homes on wheels and a few storage buildings.

There is lots of flexibility in going stealth ... but, it isn't for everybody; it's a personal choice, and an attitude.

Jt Lamb wrote:It *is* madness ... the pioneering spirit is dead, per the building codes, loan industry, insurance industry, and zoning/taxing authorities.

However, there is always "stealth pioneer" mode, for whichever portion of the country you choose to land in. To go stealth (and this happens more often than one would think), you'll need to do certain things:

1. lots of (wooded) acreage, so nobody sees you
2. go mortgage-free
3. self-insure, off-grid, etc.
4. most likely, do something impermanent (tiny home, yurt, etc.) ... less is more; be more mobile.

Do everything yourself, to stay off the radar. There will be some minimum amount of "do things their way" (I'd expect this anywhere in the country these days), and then if these minimums are met, you are OK to do what you want afterwards.

In my county, this is an approved septic system, and an "engineered" foundation. After those two hard requirements were met, we were left alone; we do everything the way we want. We are flying under the radar. In fact, knowing what I know now, I'd build much less ... a few tiny homes on wheels and a few storage buildings.

There is lots of flexibility in going stealth ... but, it isn't for everybody; it's a personal choice, and an attitude.

What is scarier than where the world is heading, is how accepting and happy the people are about it. They want big brother to tell them what kind of house they can build, they want the nanny state to tell them how to live. They want to be micromanaged, and they want everyone else to live under the same micromanagement, because why would anyone NEED to have that much freedom? Its genuinely terrifying to think where the world is going to be in 50 years.
the people have become so domesticated they don't understand the desire for freedom.

its all a joke, things are grandfathered in, if they are so dangerous to be illegal, how can they be grandfathered in? If they can be grandfathered in, it only makes sense that newer approaches and variations would be safer. Its like making machine guns post 1986 illegal, its not stopping people, its stopping people without money. Its all a game, to get you to participate in the rat race, tossing them a huge portion of your money, so that they can use it for evil and control.

Im trying to find where to go, and how to do it. Its all about making it more of a fuss than its worth for them. Thats the reason alaska is so high up on the list, if you are far enough away, building small enough, in an area without property taxes...seems the chances are they would leave  you be.

Its extremely dystopic to live in a world surrounded by people who do not understand the desire to be free. They want to be free to kill themselves, mutilate themselves, but to be left alone and not play their games, not to bother anyone, they wont let you.

I appreciate your response, its nice to hear some people aren't satisfied with the way things are.

Again, the process would seem to be:

Buy the right piece of land first, meeting as many requirements as necessary to build the way you want, and end up where you want to be when done. This is a biggie, so see other threads for all the considerations needed to buy that perfect piece of dirt.

With the land in hand, get all site planning done, in advance. Plan a way to live on it temporarily, for years if necessary, while building the test structure (a sample project, in the style and technique desired), and then the "permanent" home. Temporary living could be a tent, a yurt, a truck-camper ...

If log cabins are the final design choice, then build a test structure in this method first, in same style as intended home. Could be your utility shed, or chicken coop, or whatever ... it's a test of what you want to do, and how you'll do it on this piece of dirt. No codes involved, if sized right. Get techniques down for every stage of construction, from materials and tools, to foundation, all the way to peak of roof.

Avoid every technique that costs big bucks, either in materials, tools, or trades. Because you want log cabin, look into the "norwegian stabbur" as a model of possible cost-avoidance techniques. Build small ...

Rinse and repeat for the next piece of dirt, in some other state (alaska in your case) ...

Vary any of these stages just a little, in the wrong direction, and you are back in high-cost mode, per codes. It's tough to avoid, and there will be some minimal costs (a septic system at the very least), but it can be done.

Did you move to AK?

~Rune

Still working on it!
got a truck and working on getting a trailer to turn into a tiny house temporarily while looking for land and working.
seeing about diesel swapping my f250 to save money and extend the range.

Best of luck, and I am glad to hear a deliberate approach is being taken (“Into the Wild” scenario was my first concern for the OP). Some of the last comments in this thread came to mind when I was listening to this recent episode of “Philosophize This”:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/philosophize-this/id659155419?i=1000626289528


It took me awhile to realize in getting my philosophy degree that the more I disagree with the beginning of a good philosopher’s argument, the more likely I agree with their conclusion. The host in this does a good job of making a strong case for all sides of a debate, instead of beating up straw men, which is always tempting to me!

Aurora- Are you still interested in Alaska? I live there, and would be happy to help answer any questions you may have. I've been here 9 years, and I live on the road system. Let me know if/how I can help... I think we agree on freedom vs. government intrusion.

Well sorry to whomever posted before this, I never saw it and the account is "retired".

If its ok I may turn this into a diary of progress? Ive finally got my project truck nearly ready, after damn near a year.
I had to drop the transmission 3 times for a slave cylinder, its 4x4 so that was big fun. Practically a professional at it now.
replaced all ujoints, ball joints, tie rods, new flatbed, converted it to manual windows. Tomorrow ill see about new tires, an oil change, and maybe a windshield.

All I really need now is the gooseneck attachment, a horse trailer, and enough money to get there and survive. Ive found online groups that allow you to stay with them in exchange for work. Im not sure they could afford to feed me, but it sounds like a great deal!
Ill add a few videos and pictures later.

Aurora,

Do you have a housing situation worked out?  Are you going to live out of your truck for a while?  Build a small home?  Do you have something else in the meantime?  I am just curious what you will be doing with the horse trailer.  Are you bringing livestock or will that trailer turn into shelter?

In any case, good to hear that you got your truck worked out.  Is it diesel now?  It sounds like it was quite a project!  Congratulations for sticking with it!  And by all means, please either keep up this thread to let us know how things are working or if you prefer you could start a new thread once you get there though I think that the current threads would make an awesome preface to an online diary of living off-grid in Alaska.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Aurora,

Do you have a housing situation worked out?  Are you going to live out of your truck for a while?  Build a small home?  Do you have something else in the meantime?  I am just curious what you will be doing with the horse trailer.  Are you bringing livestock or will that trailer turn into shelter?

In any case, good to hear that you got your truck worked out.  Is it diesel now?  It sounds like it was quite a project!  Congratulations for sticking with it!  And by all means, please either keep up this thread to let us know how things are working or if you prefer you could start a new thread once you get there though I think that the current threads would make an awesome preface to an online diary of living off-grid in Alaska.

Eric

The plan is to convert a horse trailer into a tiny house with a woodstove. In missouri horse trailers are insanely cheap, like 1500$ for a gooseneck, 16ft.
As far as where ill stay, I figure ill try this website for workstays, I can park and stay in my own trailer, and help them, in the meantime find a job and find cheap land. The best deals arent on the internet, as you know. Id love to build a little cabin, the trailer is short term, but im confident It will flip for a big profit in alaska, as horse trailers are very rare, and a house trailer would be more valuable.

I decided against the diesel swap, the parts are harder to find, and its just not worth it right now. The 5.8 windsor is more than enough for what im doing, although it wont get the gas mileage a diesel would. It also wont be a nightmare to start in the cold.
The reason I hadnt updated, was I found a girlfriend, almost moved to chicago, then things went south. Thankfully I didnt sell the project truck, and nobody vandalized it, as it is currently on the other side of town in a friends yard, and has been for 7 months.

I have a great camera, and wanted to do a yt channel of the whole ordeal, unfortunately the damn things almost fixed now, so the entire soul crushing portion will go unseen haha.

I took it out for a first real drive in 7 months today, after doing all the brakes, the brake hoses, all tie rods, ball joints ujoints, clutch hose, clutch slave/master cylinders, building a flatbat, completely rewiring the rear end, because hellen keller got a hold of it, beyond the grave.
this isnt my good camera, its just my phone, but its something.webpage

Horse trailer to mini house--sounds like a plan!

So do you plan to pack up the trailer with all sorts of tools and equipment and various supplies to help get you established on your new adventure?  I was thinking along the lines of:

Possible solar power
Possible wind power
Batteries to store energy
Generator?  Maybe, maybe not
Definite wood stove or equivalent (RMH would be awesome if you could pull it off!)
Various assorted power tools & batteries
Good collection of hand tools
Chainsaw(s)--could go gas or electric here
Axes, saws, pickaxes, various shovels, rakes
Clippers/trimmers/pruners
Knives/Machete (a kukri is an interesting option here)
Some sort of hand cart
A bunch of buckets
Appropriate clothing
Good blankets, sleeping bag(s)
Emergency medical supplies (bandages, iodine, etc.)
Flashlights (tool kits come w/ pretty good ones)

The list can get pretty extensive here so I will try to cut it short before I list everything under the sun.  I guess one of my biggest questions is what to do about electrical power.  Solar is certainly an option in the summer and useless in the winter.  A small wind turbine is interesting for winter operations.  Of course, you would want to have a decent sized battery bank.  Personally I would build my own, but that is one of my interests and if it is not yours than I suggest getting a pre-made unit.  Since you want to make a YT channel (which I think is a GREAT idea), you will need a computer--probably a laptop will be sufficient, though a micro-desktop is an option as well.  Also, do you plan to use any gasoline powered tools like a chainsaw or a gas weed-eater for trimming?  Either of these can be done with batteries, but you might run into some limitations.

At any rate, I like that your plan is starting to come together.  Please keep us informed as to how things work out.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Horse trailer to mini house--sounds like a plan!

So do you plan to pack up the trailer with all sorts of tools and equipment and various supplies to help get you established on your new adventure?  I was thinking along the lines of:

Possible solar power
Possible wind power
Batteries to store energy
Generator?  Maybe, maybe not
Definite wood stove or equivalent (RMH would be awesome if you could pull it off!)
Various assorted power tools & batteries
Good collection of hand tools
Chainsaw(s)--could go gas or electric here
Axes, saws, pickaxes, various shovels, rakes
Clippers/trimmers/pruners
Knives/Machete (a kukri is an interesting option here)
Some sort of hand cart
A bunch of buckets
Appropriate clothing
Good blankets, sleeping bag(s)
Emergency medical supplies (bandages, iodine, etc.)
Flashlights (tool kits come w/ pretty good ones)

The list can get pretty extensive here so I will try to cut it short before I list everything under the sun.  I guess one of my biggest questions is what to do about electrical power.  Solar is certainly an option in the summer and useless in the winter.  A small wind turbine is interesting for winter operations.  Of course, you would want to have a decent sized battery bank.  Personally I would build my own, but that is one of my interests and if it is not yours than I suggest getting a pre-made unit.  Since you want to make a YT channel (which I think is a GREAT idea), you will need a computer--probably a laptop will be sufficient, though a micro-desktop is an option as well.  Also, do you plan to use any gasoline powered tools like a chainsaw or a gas weed-eater for trimming?  Either of these can be done with batteries, but you might run into some limitations.

At any rate, I like that your plan is starting to come together.  Please keep us informed as to how things work out.

Eric

I plan to take the tools I need, im not converting the trailer into a house until im there, as it will save weight. As far as electrical goes, a small generator and a small battery bank would be more than enough. I have battery powered power tools, but most things can be done with hands tools. I dont care for solar or wind, I dont like batteries, I think its a terrible system, I would prefer long term a wind powered compressor, but thats long term. Ill just need to charge small things, I wont be running a fridge or electric stove. Most things will be done by hand, or gas, I do not like electrical stuff.

The computer I got is actually capable of video editing, and I believe the camera shoots in 1080p. I bought them, as I was originally going to buy land here, and build a house, and film it. That didnt work, almost bought a useless parcel, but thankfully the jackass boss I had at the time asked what I was going to do with the land, and told me less than 3 acres requires permits etc for any septic, and would have been a nightmare.

Got the exhaust on the truck finally, autozone gave me the wrong nuts for the aftermarket exhaust clamps, and I ended up doing some super silly stuff with lowes ubolts and wire, to get it back on. Replaced the oil pressure sensor, o2 sensor, re-bled the clutch (the old hydraulic ford clutches are bad about being difficult to fully bleed) Ran the truck out of gas, before I put the 02 sensor in her, she must have been getting like 4 miles per gallon lol.

this is a video before the 02 sensor was put on, so its still backfiring, and no muffler yet, so it sounds like a tractor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LYnfXH6brs

Aurora,

So good on the various tools.  So you are planning on going with a generator--that's fine as long as you can maintain a gas supply and there is no reason why you shouldn't.  Are you thinking about one of those super-efficient inverter generators which would also be great for running a computer?  And if electrical is not your thing, then that's fine, that can totally be worked around.  Personally I love to tinker in the electrical and I am building a couple of battery generators just for fun.  But this is not your style, then one of the pre-made units is probably ideal (something like a Jackery comes to mind, though there are plenty of others).

Just a curious question about finishing off the trailer--I am assuming that you want to put in some type of wooden walls with insulation (am I right here?).  Would you go and buy lumber or would you get a small sawmill and make your own?  There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Personally there is something about the aesthetic about making my own lumber that appeals to me, but that is me and by all means do what suits you.

And again, it is good to hear about your progress--the truck itself sounds like its own adventure!--so keeping us updated is great!

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Aurora,

So good on the various tools.  So you are planning on going with a generator--that's fine as long as you can maintain a gas supply and there is no reason why you shouldn't.  Are you thinking about one of those super-efficient inverter generators which would also be great for running a computer?  And if electrical is not your thing, then that's fine, that can totally be worked around.  Personally I love to tinker in the electrical and I am building a couple of battery generators just for fun.  But this is not your style, then one of the pre-made units is probably ideal (something like a Jackery comes to mind, though there are plenty of others).

Just a curious question about finishing off the trailer--I am assuming that you want to put in some type of wooden walls with insulation (am I right here?).  Would you go and buy lumber or would you get a small sawmill and make your own?  There are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Personally there is something about the aesthetic about making my own lumber that appeals to me, but that is me and by all means do what suits you.

And again, it is good to hear about your progress--the truck itself sounds like its own adventure!--so keeping us updated is great!

Eric

Something pre made would be great, and a small generator would be plenty, Ill put a little tank on the f250, or just replace the rear second tank with a 12v fuel pump and switch to a generator, im fairly handy with generally anything, I just dont like computerized things. red green raised me hahaha.

I think thin foam board insultation mixed with spray foam would be lightest, thinnest, and easiest. As far as walls, Id love rough sawn lumber, but its all about price, i certainly will not drywall it. making an alaskan sawmill would be on my list of things to do, just depends on what order i achieve everything.

thanks man, will do!
feels great to finally make progress on this, as its pretty much my whole goal in life, and ive been wasting away not getting things done.

This isnt super related, but today at work (junkyard), I was told to help a costumer finish pulling a transmission he couldnt get off.

I get there, the guy is 73, someone else working there came to "help" and stripped one of the torque converter bolts, that only had allen key slots, and no nut. Not only was this 73 year old man nice about the other guy screwing up, he was down there under the truck helping me the whole time. I told him multiple times this is my job and he didnt need to help. He said he wasnt going to just stand there and watch me do it.

I have the exact same mentality, and after all was said and done, he tried to tip me, I refused and told him it was literally my job. He was so happy to see a young person working hard, he didnt care. After refusing the tip he just threw the money in my yard car and laughed. I laughed and told him id do the same thing.

Little things like that make the world so much better.
that is all.

After putting the o2 sensor on, everything started going downhill. I hadnt realized the exhaust leak in front of the o2 sensor was screwing with it.
its passed inspection, next weekday i manage to get off ill get it legal.
replaced all the missing vacuum lines, figured out the radiator was leaking from a loose drain screw.

I got very lucky at work and found a train jack, they sold it to me for 10$, and they cost 1-2k new. So once that sells more funds and progress will come.