Well, let me preface this with advance notice of the following:
I can be wordy, sometimes I may post a novel of a comment
I can be reactionary, sometimes I don’t exhibit the greatest self control so if I reply to someone rudely, I’m probably already dwelling on it
This thread will be in waves. Sometimes I will have rapid fire updates, other times I may be dormant for a month or so.
Anything I choose to post, comment, share, or retort should not be taken as legal advise, electrical advise, code compliance, or really in any shape/form/fashion in accordance with any alphabet governmental agency
I intend to utilize this thread as both a build thread for others to view, learn, armchair quarterback, squirm at my idiocy, and provide valuable insights when I may be inadvertently about to shock myself with 1.21 gigawatts, as well as a type of personal journal, to document my achievements, progressions, set backs, milestones, and overall offgrid living adjustments.
I’ve been circling that burning ball of plasma in space for nearly 4 decades, and about 5 years ago took a long look at my life, the world, and the overall design of this thing we call society. I started planting seeds with the family on living intentionally (didn’t know this term at the time), acquiring some land, and becoming self sustainable.
Enter: March 2020 and suddenly, very quickly, our plans began to take hold with the realization that we live in an absolute loony place (earth) surrounded by loony people that pretend to want to “help” the masses
We owned a home in Phoenix. Fortunately, we also accumulated roughly 150k in equity.
We sold our house, bought a 36ft camper to live in temporarily, packed up our “needs” into the various enclosed trailers we possess and headed north.
It took a while to figure out where we wanted to be, but we finally found our own little slice of heaven.
We wanted rural, acreage, minimal restrictions (no HOA, odball zoning, etc) cooler weather, and we needed water. We wan to never have a “bill” again. (Unavoidable with cellphone and starlink, but I think that’s it)
Over the following summer, in a 3 week span, I flew across country to Hattiesburg Mississippi to meet a fella with the camper. I bought his truck too, so that I could haul everything back.
Upon reaching my destination I became very uncomfortable with the big blue oval in the steering wheel, so the truck has since been sold and replaced with a GMC hah
I then drove 2 weeks later to Coweta Oklahoma to purchase a Branson 2515h Tractor, Loader, Backhoe. That same GMC lost an alternator at 11pm in Grants New Mexico, on my sons birthday, with 8k hooked behind me I lost all lights going 70mph on I-40. I was 4-6 hours from home.
We limped into town, every single hotel was sold out. Apparently some biker rally that happens every year or other year. We slept in the parking lot.
Now that I’ve replaced the alternator and other maintenance this ol 2002 8.1L still puts my old 2011 6.2L ford to shame.
Yes, I often times find myself driving across country for “deals” hence the frugality in my title. This was also at a time where old Ford 8n tractors were selling for 10k+ and anything made in the last decade was 20k+. Buying new, with a “Cummins” made sense.
Armed with newly to me acquired tools, a wave of ambition, and endless desire to search the internet, I picked up 2-champion 5500w inverter generators and called it good ?
Throughout all of this, I drew, designed, specd, and ordered a metal building to erect on our land to make our forever home a “barndominium”
Then came the permit process: it took months to get the parcel surveyed and split (we subd to 2-20ac parcels) we are now awaiting our septic permit.
Unfortunately, in the 2 years that have passed, labor rates and the trades in general have inclined significantly and I now must pay 30k for a 40x80 monolithic slab to be poured. Outside of the foundation, we will self build and fund the entirety.
So for now, plan B is to simply build our solar as a portable power station that can follow us wherever we take the trailer (I didn’t want to ground mount yet as we don’t full time on our property and didn’t want things to grow legs) we are also digging our own septic and installing 2,500 gallon tank for water storage from the well.
Once the septic and solar trailer are done, we will fulltime at the property in the RV until we finish the house.
Although at this rate: it may be 3-4 tiny houses as my kids keep getting older and if I don’t pick up the pace, will be ready to move out before headquarters is erected.
Continued




I can be wordy, sometimes I may post a novel of a comment
I can be reactionary, sometimes I don’t exhibit the greatest self control so if I reply to someone rudely, I’m probably already dwelling on it
This thread will be in waves. Sometimes I will have rapid fire updates, other times I may be dormant for a month or so.
Anything I choose to post, comment, share, or retort should not be taken as legal advise, electrical advise, code compliance, or really in any shape/form/fashion in accordance with any alphabet governmental agency
I intend to utilize this thread as both a build thread for others to view, learn, armchair quarterback, squirm at my idiocy, and provide valuable insights when I may be inadvertently about to shock myself with 1.21 gigawatts, as well as a type of personal journal, to document my achievements, progressions, set backs, milestones, and overall offgrid living adjustments.
I’ve been circling that burning ball of plasma in space for nearly 4 decades, and about 5 years ago took a long look at my life, the world, and the overall design of this thing we call society. I started planting seeds with the family on living intentionally (didn’t know this term at the time), acquiring some land, and becoming self sustainable.
Enter: March 2020 and suddenly, very quickly, our plans began to take hold with the realization that we live in an absolute loony place (earth) surrounded by loony people that pretend to want to “help” the masses
We owned a home in Phoenix. Fortunately, we also accumulated roughly 150k in equity.
We sold our house, bought a 36ft camper to live in temporarily, packed up our “needs” into the various enclosed trailers we possess and headed north.
It took a while to figure out where we wanted to be, but we finally found our own little slice of heaven.
We wanted rural, acreage, minimal restrictions (no HOA, odball zoning, etc) cooler weather, and we needed water. We wan to never have a “bill” again. (Unavoidable with cellphone and starlink, but I think that’s it)
Over the following summer, in a 3 week span, I flew across country to Hattiesburg Mississippi to meet a fella with the camper. I bought his truck too, so that I could haul everything back.
Upon reaching my destination I became very uncomfortable with the big blue oval in the steering wheel, so the truck has since been sold and replaced with a GMC hah
I then drove 2 weeks later to Coweta Oklahoma to purchase a Branson 2515h Tractor, Loader, Backhoe. That same GMC lost an alternator at 11pm in Grants New Mexico, on my sons birthday, with 8k hooked behind me I lost all lights going 70mph on I-40. I was 4-6 hours from home.
We limped into town, every single hotel was sold out. Apparently some biker rally that happens every year or other year. We slept in the parking lot.
Now that I’ve replaced the alternator and other maintenance this ol 2002 8.1L still puts my old 2011 6.2L ford to shame.
Yes, I often times find myself driving across country for “deals” hence the frugality in my title. This was also at a time where old Ford 8n tractors were selling for 10k+ and anything made in the last decade was 20k+. Buying new, with a “Cummins” made sense.
Armed with newly to me acquired tools, a wave of ambition, and endless desire to search the internet, I picked up 2-champion 5500w inverter generators and called it good ?
Throughout all of this, I drew, designed, specd, and ordered a metal building to erect on our land to make our forever home a “barndominium”
Then came the permit process: it took months to get the parcel surveyed and split (we subd to 2-20ac parcels) we are now awaiting our septic permit.
Unfortunately, in the 2 years that have passed, labor rates and the trades in general have inclined significantly and I now must pay 30k for a 40x80 monolithic slab to be poured. Outside of the foundation, we will self build and fund the entirety.
So for now, plan B is to simply build our solar as a portable power station that can follow us wherever we take the trailer (I didn’t want to ground mount yet as we don’t full time on our property and didn’t want things to grow legs) we are also digging our own septic and installing 2,500 gallon tank for water storage from the well.
Once the septic and solar trailer are done, we will fulltime at the property in the RV until we finish the house.
Although at this rate: it may be 3-4 tiny houses as my kids keep getting older and if I don’t pick up the pace, will be ready to move out before headquarters is erected.
Continued



