Hummm, what is too long of an introduction, what is too short? Here goes… My name is AM (pronounced by saying each letter or like A.M.). Though I have been interested in and dreaming of extended travel in a vehicle or van for years, I am just coming to finding the vanlife community and all the resources there are. My life has always been pretty non-conventional having been a tall ship sailor, environmentalist, outdoor educator, teacher, social justice activist, worked in international peacebuilding and conflict transformation, been Greenpeace crew, Outward Bound staff and more. These days, I work for a public library.
I’m gathering the information to purchase and build out a van for extended travel and to eventually live in full-time. I will most likely be a solo female traveler though I will have my service dog with me. Oh, that may be important to share - I am a part time wheelchair user. I can walk short distances and would navigate in a van without a wheelchair, I need wheels to navigate any distances. I love exploring, meeting folks, adventuring, and being in beautiful places and really want to continue to do so even as my body changes.
In a facebook group I’m in there is one guy who built a van for himself. He is also a wheelchair user and the special thing in his van is a wheelchair lift he bought from a salvage yard. It is for a side door, used to be in a taxi.
No, I don’t need a wheelchair van or anything with a lift like that as I can walk short distances particularly if I can “furniture/wall surf.” Good thought though for those who might benefit from one!
I was thinking that the lift would help moving the wheelchair itself and possibly other heavy items in and out. I might have overestimated how heavy wheelchairs today are and underestimated your strength
Thanks for your thoughts. You have good points. Thankfully my chair is about 10lbs, less if I remove wheels, cushion, and back. The ability to lift things into and out of van by using a wheelchair lift is intriguing.
Good thought though for those who might benefit from one!