LIFE CHANGES.........lots of Large pics.

First off, I just wanted to say how excited I am to see this place so busy and to see all kinds of new members. Since I opened this site, SOOOO much in my life has changed. I just figured for those who want to know, I would write a thread with some updates for whats happening with me.

I am no longer in Pennsylvania. I am now living in a little town called New Sharon, Maine. Basically in the middle of the woods. I moved up here for finacial reasons mostly, but also my best friend needed some serious help remodleing his home. Since i am a carpenter by trade, and still unemployed, it seemed like a good idea.

Originally, I was living in a tent outside. The house is no where near livable. No floors, walls or cielings...lol... But I stubled accross a fantastic deal on a camper for my truck. Personally, I think I would have preffered a tag-a-long or even a motor home, but this little slide in unit has worked out fantastic. Only cost me a hundred bucks, and is more then comfortable for little 'ol me. It was orignally built in 1973 and designed for a truck with a 8' bed. And appearently, back in the 70's, bed rails themselves were shorter then mine too, so it was a trick to get it in the bed. And since trucks also sat much lower back then, it was a project to lift it up high enough to get mu truck under it. lol. The factory jacks only go so high....lol

Anyways, here are some pics the night we got it....





It was late that first night, so sorry the pics are dark. I slept in it that night, and OH what a difference then sleeping on the ground...LOL.... So
The next morning I took some shots in the truck before I removed it.





It is a little more then 9' to the end of my tail gate, so it did not set out too far far. That thing is incredible top heavy though...LOL... it was fun trying to get it home. I needed to stop and add some ari to my rear tires. I had them down to 28 psi since we were plaing off road that morning...LOL.... and forgot to fill them up...lol...

The unit can sleep six comfortable. Has three beds, one above the cab, the interior table folds into a bed, and there is a built in bunk bed above the table. It has a working propane stove/oven, and a insanly powerful little builting in propane heater....LOL... No toilet though, but who cares, I live in the woods...LOL...

Since we got it home, I removed it from the truck, (I did not want to take it with me ALL the time....lol) and I set up camp.




I spend the majority of my time working on the house, but have spent some time on the ATV cutting trails. We have over 75 acres of land that has never been used for anything except occasional logging over the years. So there is a lot of fun there too. We took my truck down one of the logging trails and it was a disaster. It was so incredibly wet, I just sank and sank. We got to a spot where I was so stuck, it was frustrating...LOL... After hours of digging, winching and manuvering, I did finally get free, but I ran over some trees in the process and all but destroyed my front bumper. Which is fine by me since I planned on replacing it anyways, just not right now...LOL... I also destroyed my front passanger side U-joint on my axle shaft. Glad we caught it before I destroed my axle shaft or hub. We simply unlocked it and ran in 3wd the rest of the way back...LOL.... I am not looking forward to replacing that though....

I do not have pics, or even video from that night sadly, but since I know all of you missed seeing pics of my truck, here are a few I have taken...LOL

Since I have been up here, I have seen and enjoyed some AWESOME scenery too. We had a hellova year for fall foilage. Appearently, it was one of a kind. So on one of my trips up country, I took some breathtaking pics of the scenery....













I was also plying with the shutter speed and features on my camera and was able to take a fantastic shot of our moon. This is a pic from two full moons ago, and actual shot I took. I am so proud of this pics, figured I would share...




Since I have set up here, i have had power installed. I wired up my own meter box and power supply, then laughed as the power company got stuck in my yard connecting it...LOL... sorry, I wish I did, but I have no pics IO my pulling them out... that was fun though....





It was a lot wetter then it looks...lol



We are at a higher elevation appearently then everyone else, so when the predicted snow FLURRIES the other day, we got more then that! Our snow FLURRIES turned into about 13" of the white stuff! HAHAHAHA... that was a fun night! The pics are crap, sorry....





It has melted away since then. It was like 75 degrees for the follwing week. It just made everything wet and incredibly muddy on this property. More so then it was before...LOL..

It is nice to live rent free and basically bill free. Especially since I am still unemployed. I mean i still have my truck payment and esentials, but I can afford it at least. If you guys are itnerested, I can post pics of the before to progress shots of what we have been doing to the house, which is where my main focus has been. With the exception of cutting down lots of trees...LOL... the main house burns wood for heat, and this years stock was lower then intended, so we have been cutting up and chopping up all the fallen, broken and dead trees on this property. I have been using my truck as a skidder...lol... hauling lumber out of the woods...LOL... we have also been cutting down the trees that either blocked power from being hooked up, or blocked our view of the sunset...LOL....

Life is completely different up here for me. I am no longer five minutes from wal-mart, or even a store for that matter. It is ten miles just to the nearest gas station! It is quiet mostly and totally worth it!

But look out, come spring time, when we get the landcruiser, toyota truck, Rodeo and the old cj up and running...lol... it is all off-roading adventures in the mud and snow run off! So I will have TONS of pics and videos I am sure!

post some pics of the house. this adventure your on is cool i envy you for roughin it in the woods.

Wow Junior, cool little setup you have there. I'm glad it is all working out for you. I laughed pretty hard when I saw your snow pictures, welcome back to New England man.

it sounds like your having a blast man.. i wanna see pics of the front of the carnage you did to your truck but the house would be cool as well.

i have jumped around alot myself.. had a few different short term jobs. now i workin doing home repair but i have a feeling this guy went belly up cause i havent heard from him in a week.. i work with my neighbor who has worked for him for years and he is getting really mad as well.. went from 60 hours a week to no work at all.. but its givin me time to fix my darn jimmy, clean up my house from the truck i tore down and parted out and get some other things done.. i just got back from getting my truck inspected for 2 bucks.. lol i got a freind that works at an inspection place and he owed me a favor so he paid up.. same guy that built my tranny for 150 bucks..

the past few months have been crazzy for me and im sure youll probly die laughing when the stories come out but get your butt online more so we can chat.. lol

Looks like you got it all figured out. Bill free in the woods, playin on 75 acres. I envy you! Also nice to see you back on here.

I will get a new thread started inside of the next few days for the house project to I can share some of that nightmare...LOL...

And merlin... I gota say, I totally miss the weather from up here. I hated what people called "snow" and "winter" in PA.... this is where its at! LMAO.... I am looking forward to several more feet of the white stuff... especially wince I have sooo many more toys to play with in the snow up here. We have the ATV which is 4wd, I have my truck, and the topper.... We have a 4wd john Deere that is finally repaired and ready for the snow removal. We want to pile it all in one spot, off the back ledge and make a hellova sledding hill for the girls to play on .... Can't wait!

Joe, I am looking, but seems I do not have any pics of the actual damage I did to my front bumber before we straightened it... I thought I did, so i will keep looking though.... shoot.

And 76, yeah I love the freedom... the privacy and the views up here.... I am trying hard to remember exactly why it was I moved in the first place?!! LMAO...

If you didnt think that winter in PA was "real" you should see the winter here....I can still wear shorts lol.

least you got it straight.. lol.. my bumper is still dented from running over a car.. i found more red paint further back on my frame from the camry.. lol.. you wouldnt beleive the amount of mud that cam off my truck when i powerwashed the underside when it was on the lift.. it was the clay stuff from RC.. i think this winter im gonna take a trip up to you to play.. ill bring my quad.. it aint 4wd but still just as fun.. lol

ClassicBrick09 wrote:

If you didnt think that winter in PA was "real" you should see the winter here....I can still wear shorts lol.

Show off!

JR. man you got the life man! I'd love to live like that! Everytime me and the ol' lady drive past a motorhome for sale I say let's buy and just live in that!! But then I get the look!!! Good to have you back. If I go thru Canada Maine is probably closer then PA! lol

See, now I expected a lot more judgements from people. Instead, it seems, I get a lot of envy for my lifes situation! LMAO.... Although it is awesome to have the freedom and the well... freedom! LOL... I do miss being only five minutes from a grocry store! LOL... the nearest gast station is 30 minutes away, and even further to walmart! HAHAHAHA.... and in my gas hog, that gets costly... but at the same time, only being able to go once every two weeks has also forced me to budget better and I have saved even more money... so I guess I am not even really that upset about it...LOL...

Anyways, thanks for all the support guys, I appreciate it!

Hey man you own a forum that houses a bunch of country loving folks! Of course your gonna get praise for being in the sticks living off the land rathe then in a concrete jungle!!! lol

Alright Junior, I got to ask, what do you do for a bathroom?

merlin5577 wrote:

Alright Junior, I got to ask, what do you do for a bathroom?

I live in the woods..... what do you think? LMAO....


haha.... anyways, for showers and toilet emergencies, I use the one in the house.... But for the most part, I use the woods when I can... faster... COLD... but faster....LMAO.... Part of the reason I have totally enjoyed the ATV though... acts like a taxi between my place and the main house. And uses a ton less gasoline then firing up my truck everytime I need to go up there or back....LOL

Junior3382 wrote:

merlin5577 wrote:

Alright Junior, I got to ask, what do you do for a bathroom?

I live in the woods..... what do you think? LMAO....


haha.... anyways, for showers and toilet emergencies, I use the one in the house.... But for the most part, I use the woods when I can... faster... COLD... but faster....LMAO.... Part of the reason I have totally enjoyed the ATV though... acts like a taxi between my place and the main house. And uses a ton less gasoline then firing up my truck everytime I need to go up there or back....LOL

Please do NOT post pics of what you do for a bathroom!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....

No problem! LMAO

Ahh come on I can see it now a pic of the woods with a hundred little white piles all over the place it's look like a midget campground!! lol

^ you are too much man!

Joe wanted to see pics of the tree damage to my front bumper... some of it has been repaired and you can sorta see where we tried to pop out some of the bigger dents. IT is dark when I took these, sorry they are not better.... but the trees did not survive! LMAO

it certaintly looks like you hit a tree but it wouldnt be the first one i seen you hit. its not as bad as i thought.. you could take the bumper off and take a sledge to that and it will pop right out.. lol

I do not know what it is about me and trees...lol... I hit one hard yesturday trying to turn around in my yard! Now I have a hellova Dent on my rear bumper too! LMAO

dude by the time your done up there you aint gonna have a straight panel left.. thats 3 panels down that i know of... lol mine as wel take a sledge to the hole truck

Holy crap Junior! I think William is going to have a heart attack when he sees those pictures....