Saturday, April 11, 2026

My Journey to Find Funds to Support My RV Adventure

I began to plan my RV journey 30 years ago.  I would retire early, while I could still enjoy the experience.  After two divorces and all the expenses associated with that, I needed a source of income to support my adventures.  I started a blog and a Youtube page.  These two projects started dribbling in a small amount of income and I was encouraged.  Then Youtube changed its requirements and demonetized me.  The ad money from the blog dried up and so much for that plan. 

I got a little older and it got to “now or never” and I launched.  My plan was to workamp.  For those of you who do not know, Workamping is trading your labor for a place to park your RV and for a little pocket change.  My first stop was Las Vegas.  I ended up staying for four years.   While inVegas, I worked for an internet company selling things online.  I thought this was a skill that would help on the road.  Somewhere along the way I thought I could be a professional poker player.   That didn’t work out.

My first real Workamping job was in Yellowstone.  I worked at the Fishing Bridge Campground as a cashier in the gift shop.  I stayed from April to November and loved every minute of it.  While in Yellowstone I published my first book.  It’s called “Constant Vilagence.”  The book starts out kind of slow and goes downhill from there.  I sold a couple of thousand copies and that was that.

After Yellowstone I went to Chattanooga TN.  And worked there for a season.  Then on to Bar Harbor in Maine, then a farm in Western Pennsylvania, back to Tennessee, on to Texas and finally to North Carolina where I am currently stuck.  Along the way I wrote my second book, “The Mountains of Yellowstone.”  It’s a romance novel.  Based on the fact that I am twice divorced and the lack of book sales, I clearly know nothing about romance.

In North Carolina I began working at a motorcycle resort in maintenance.  Then I became an insurance surveyor and worked for a casino as a poker dealer.  I also wrote four more books.  Nope they didn’t sell either.  I also attempted a print on demand business.  Money trickled in.

One day I got a text message from my doctor telling me to go directly to the emergency room because I was in acute kidney failure.  News to me, I felt fine.  I will spare you the details, but over the next two years I was in and out of the hospital with this or that procedure.  The bottom line is that I am only good for a few hours a day, before I need a nap.  This translates into no job.

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” Hemingway

You are all caught up and now to my next plan.  I have always been proud of my self-reliance.  That went out the window with the kidneys.  I started a new YouTube channel. It’s called Wandering House Restoration.  Along with the channel I created a Patreon account.  Now it’s my job to create content that entertains and informs and hopefully viewers will find value in the posts and contribute to the effort using the Patreon Account.  Based on six books that didn’t sell, I’m not all that hopeful.  The bottom line is that restoring my bus is going to cost some bucks.  So, this is my hail Mary.  Links below

Thank you for your attention.

https://www.youtube.com/@WanderingHouseRestoratio-vz2fo

https://www.patreon.com/cw/u28184441

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