Going off the grid, our family story.

[Riverryder]

@wash11
Thank you so much for sharing the journey you and your wife are in.
You are a talented smart man! Living the life we all wish we had the balls to do haha.

 

[Havasu Surfer]

Can’t say enough about this thread Joel. Like a book I can’t put down and with such great pics and your writing I always feel like I’m standing there watching you guys pull this off. Thanks and hope you had a Merry Christmas and even better 2022!

 

[Bowtiepower00]

Absolutely, without a doubt, the best thread on RDP.

 

[rivermobster]

any time i open this thread, I realize what a lazy fat ass I am. Man. This is just so impressive.

You ain't alone...

 

[That Guy]

Seems like those might be the happiest dogs on the planet!

Super impressive what you guys have done...!!

 

[Waterjunky]

Truly a work of passion. I do have a few questions for you one of these days. Although not at all on the same scale as you I am doing a few similar goals for my property. I am more about being self sufficient for power and water. You have these nailed. I do not have the room for the farming operation.

Great read!

 

[Willie B]

… I have lived quiet rurally several times… raised animals with neighbors for food… Had friends that grew their own vegetables… lots of horse stuff…but was never involved In any of it to the magnitude of what you guys are doing… Simply spectacular…….

 

[STV_Keith]

Can’t say enough about this thread Joel. Like a book I can’t put down and with such great pics and your writing I always feel like I’m standing there watching you guys pull this off.

Exactly right. I hope the real reason for all this text and pictures is to write a book at some point, and add another revenue stream.

 

[Mandelon]

As always, we appreciate the updates. I had always toyed with something similar, but my wife wouldn't do it. I'm too old and worn out at this point LOL.

I am happy watching you do it. So awesome to see. Writing a book would be a great idea!

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

As always, we appreciate the updates. I had always toyed with something similar, but my wife wouldn't do it. I'm too old and worn out at this point LOL.

I am happy watching you do it. So awesome to see. Writing a book would be a great idea!

Great idea.... and Joel, I'm available as your co author when/ if you're ready. Its what I do.

 

[Riverryder]

can we get one of your great updates?

 

[monkeyswrench]

Over the past two days, I kept this thread opened on my laptop. I've read it before, but looking at it through an entirely different prism now. Not only from the "Doom & Gloom" of the current economic or political shit show, but as someone starting a modest garden, and has eggs in an incubator. Literally, taking notes on things I never in a million years would have thought I'd be researching. From the seeds for the chicken grass, to the temperature swings in a greenhouse.

My compost pile is maybe a yard...turned with a pitchfork. They use a backhoe, and produce 25yd batches I've been hauling 1yd at a time of planter mix in a square body...they have a dumptruck, primarily for yard work. The scale is massive. The effort and dedication it took to build that homestead is as impressive as the product.

I have some catching up to do. Well, a lot of catching up to do. Not to be completely self sufficient, just less dependent. That's a good start for us.

 

[DUNEFLYER]

Went back and read just the last few pages again.
Such a great story with great characters in the story.
Congrats to you and your family.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Over the past two days, I kept this thread opened on my laptop. I've read it before, but looking at it through an entirely different prism now. Not only from the "Doom & Gloom" of the current economic or political shit show, but as someone starting a modest garden, and has eggs in an incubator. Literally, taking notes on things I never in a million years would have thought I'd be researching. From the seeds for the chicken grass, to the temperature swings in a greenhouse.

My compost pile is maybe a yard...turned with a pitchfork. They use a backhoe, and produce 25yd batches I've been hauling 1yd at a time of planter mix in a square body...they have a dumptruck, primarily for yard work. The scale is massive. The effort and dedication it took to build that homestead is as impressive as the product.

I have some catching up to do. Well, a lot of catching up to do. Not to be completely self sufficient, just less dependent. That's a good

I truly admire your quest. Wish we could do the same.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I truly admire your quest. Wish we could do the same.

Mine's nothing more than a few projects...Fort Rock Farms is the real deal. There are few people or lifestyles I admire. I guess from reading Louis L'Amour books or listening to Chris LeDoux songs, they are in that group.

 

[TeamGreene]

Mine's nothing more than a few projects...Fort Rock Farms is the real deal. There are few people or lifestyles I admire. I guess from reading Louis L'Amour books or listening to Chris LeDoux songs, they are in that group.

God bless Chris LeDoux!

 

[wash11]

Once the weather passed and I was able to haul material, I was back on it. It's been a while, so I don't remember the exact number of yards it took to complete the roads around the house, but it felt like a bunch. This is a one man show- drive truck, load material, haul home, dump and spread- rinse and repeat for days. Pretty peaceful actually.

 

[Waterjunky]

Looks good!!!

 

[dave29]

Trouble brewing?? Everything ok??

 

[evantwheeler]

Trouble brewing?? Everything ok??

The suspense is killing me!

 

[TeamGreene]

I had known for some time that my daughter and her husband had a strained marriage. Mid-January 2022, she called from Texas and said she was loading stuff in the car, including our granddaughter and was coming home to us to try and figure this all out. It was a surprise but not a surprise.
So just like that, in about 20 hours time we went from being empty nesters living the peaceful, off grid life to a household of four where we were co-parenting a 3-year-old.
Now, plenty of you reading this have gone through a divorce or helped kids navigate one. There's nothing pleasant about it. BUT, my daughter and I (along with Amy) are ridiculously close and are a very good fit. We had been building this place as a sanctuary, for us, the kids and friends. We had hoped for a multi-generational ending at some point. We just didn't figure it would happen this fast. To have built a place appealing enough to our own kids to want to raise their own kids here felt pretty darn good.
It's been an awful long time since I've had to raise kids. Did I do a good enough job the first time around? No. I was gone for work way more than I should have been. I had kids young and always regretted not being the patient guy I am now through the formative years. Am I really getting a shot at a do over as a wiser, gentler and less distracted man? Yes. Although it was unclear just how long this was to be, I was excited to have a chance to do my part at enriching our granddaughters life.
Once she arrived, it took her all of about 14 minutes to take over my life.
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Sorry to hear about your daughters marriage issues but there's always an up side and she's right by your side. Great pics! Enjoy it!

 

[Ace in the Hole]

I was excited to have a chance to do my part at enriching our granddaughters life.
Once she arrived, it took her all of about 14 minutes to take over my life.
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Next time you guys are in PHX and she's along let us know. She's about the same age as MaK, plenty of fun "country stuff to do around CC." MaK has that hat lol, but she prefers her cinch one lol.

Marriage is hard, good on you guys for being there to help.

 

[RichL]

A bit about my kid-
She's beautiful, funny, artistic, driven and smart. A published author and entrepreneur, she's made me proud with each step she's taken. She's one of the most capable people I know.
She's also an asshole. Mouthy, bossy and carries herself like some sort of shield maiden in days of yore. She can be sweet as anyone you've ever known but gut you with a sword like tongue if she's pushed or worse, lied to. Her honesty is quite brutal at times. She holds herself and others accountable. If you say you'll do something to her- for Gods sake- just fucking do it so we can all have a pleasant day.
Most dad's stand next to their daughters during a divorce and turn all that negative energy to the soon to be ex-husband. I stand next to her for sure, but I also call her a dick when she needs it. This divorce doesn't all fall on the soon to be ex. It's likely he never had a chance from the get-go. She's a lot. But she's my "lot".
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She settled in right away, but she's the kind of person that needs her own space. Nothing fancy, just her own space. We've had a Lance cabover for years but the rodents have had their way with it. "I'm gonna clean that thing up and move into it. Oh, but I want it closer to the house."
And that's how it all began. Snack bitch to a toddler and slave labor to a 35 year old, high energy daughter.

I mentioned before- she's very capable. She knows her way around a toolbox and is pretty handy figuring out equipment. Most days it's like having another dude around. We decided to move the Lance to the spot we used to rent out on Hipcamp. But we wanted to dress it up more. We laid down weed barrier and hauled asphalt millings in to make it 4 season accessible.
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Here's the view from her spot.
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After moving the camper to it's final home.
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Of course, if Mom and Mimi have their own John Deere- the granddaughter needs one too.
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Look out. She'll be driving the real thing soon enough.

 

[wash11]

About the Lance. It had to be pulled apart pretty far to deal with the rodent nests and wiring damage. This made sense since it also had to be pulled apart to add a real solar system to it for off-grid living without relying on a generator.
Here's a link to the write up on that project:

Two pounds of shit in a one-pound bag. Solar in a Lance camper.

We own a nice 12’ Lance with a slideout used as guest quarters a few times per year. This Spring/Summer, our kids will be staying in it full-time during a move from Texas to Arizona. A solar upgrade with an inverter makes sense. Working on RVs, in general, isn’t much fun. Then try to wrap your...

www.riverdavesplace.com

All in with repairs and upgrades there was 10g spent making it better than new. It's worth the read.
Chicken Dan did all the solar work along with a lot of the disassembly plus diagnosing and replacing chewed up wires and fab work to mount all this shit in tight spaces. His work speaks for itself. He's a mad genius.

 

[wash11]

Keep checking in- it's been almost a year since I've posted in here and there's a bunch I need to catch you guys up on. It might take me a week though.

 

[bonesfab]

Bad ass Joel. Very cool this whole deal is.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Sotry to hear the recent struggles of you daughter and granddaughter. Great that you are able to give them a hand as needed. Looks like a good time in Kingman. Spent many meals at the Cracker Barrel in town. Remind me how far out of town you are again? We have property after Peach Springs off of 66. I want to drive up to see the land this winter adn might be passing by you.

 

[monkeyswrench]

"Come to Jesus moment", "epiphany", whatever your words for it, it's funny how life throws us curveballs. Things happen, and we alter course. The destination hasn't changed, but the journey is rarely what we planned.

When I read "trouble brewing", it worried me a bit. Divorce? Dealing with family coming to stay? That's no trouble really, just some bad days thrown in the mix. Seeing the family members, healthy and in the sunlight, there's no trouble at all.

Life isn't all good, far from it. Those days that are though, well those days are what help us through the rest.

BTW, @wash11 , the place is looking great!

 

[Shlbyntro]

"Come to Jesus moment", "epiphany", whatever your words for it, it's funny how life throws us curveballs. Things happen, and we alter course. The destination hasn't changed, but the journey is rarely what we planned.

When I read "trouble brewing", it worried me a bit. Divorce? Dealing with family coming to stay? That's no trouble really, just some bad days thrown in the mix. Seeing the family members, healthy and in the sunlight, there's no trouble at all.

Life isn't all good, far from it. Those days that are though, well those days are what help us through the rest.

BTW, @wash11 , the place is looking great!

if it werent for the bad days, we wouldnt appreciate the goods days. good on your daughter for doing what she needed to do to take care of herself. sounds like the kiddo is due to be spoiled just a little

 

[eand28]

Just read through the entirety of this thread and I’m super impressed

 

[J DUNN]

About the Lance. It had to be pulled apart pretty far to deal with the rodent nests and wiring damage. This made sense since it also had to be pulled apart to add a real solar system to it for off-grid living without relying on a generator.
Here's a link to the write up on that project:

Two pounds of shit in a one-pound bag. Solar in a Lance camper.

We own a nice 12’ Lance with a slideout used as guest quarters a few times per year. This Spring/Summer, our kids will be staying in it full-time during a move from Texas to Arizona. A solar upgrade with an inverter makes sense. Working on RVs, in general, isn’t much fun. Then try to wrap your...

www.riverdavesplace.com

All in with repairs and upgrades there was 10g spent making it better than new. It's worth the read.
Chicken Dan did all the solar work along with a lot of the disassembly plus diagnosing and replacing chewed up wires and fab work to mount all this shit in tight spaces. His work speaks for itself. He's a mad genius.

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Beauty! Victron too, nothing but the BEST! I love it. Do you need to dust boot cover those terminals at the breakers and fuse so you don't accidently arc them? I'm just getting into solar. Trying to learn to do it myself. Will Prowse on youtube is my sensei.

Best wishes with the family. Your recent updates are making me want to buy a 1/2 from you. Where is the thread for delivery updates or is that all on a website? Sorry, I forget how to find that info.

 

[wash11]

Beauty! Victron too, nothing but the BEST! I love it. Do you need to dust boot cover those terminals at the breakers and fuse so you don't accidently arc them? I'm just getting into solar. Trying to learn to do it myself. Will Prowse on youtube is my sensei.

Best wishes with the family. Your recent updates are making me want to buy a 1/2 from you. Where is the thread for delivery updates or is that all on a website? Sorry, I forget how to find that info.

Thank you! I'm sure it's a good idea to boot every connection but realistically, this whole assembly slides in place as a tray, with no chance of hitting anything. If some knucklehead did start fishing around with something metal, all circuits are protected so I think we're good. When it slides out, it is completely accessible without having to go in blind or weird angles. It's designed with service in mind.

As for the beef stuff, I keep it simple. Call or text me anytime at 928-486-4043, let me know what you are thinking and when you'd like to have it and let me get to work setting you up. I can typically cover someone in the same month or as far out as 6 months. We butcher monthly now so there's all sorts of options. Would love to fill your freezer!

 

[clarence]

Your enthusiasm and support have kept me disciplined enough to stay somewhat up to date with chronicling the journey, knowing that I would need the material for the rough draft of a book that I will start working on this winter.

Great news.

 

[wash11]

Mid 2021 we were approached by an outfit that had found us online. They produce high quality mini documentaries for the YouTube channel, "Paragraphic". When they first reached out, they only had two on their page, but the quality was like nothing I had ever seen before. "No thanks" was my first thought. I'm not a big fan of media outlets and this seemed like a deal where they could portray us any way they saw fit to get more views. I like my life fine just the way it is.
They dropped a third video that was way more polished than the first two. Now, I was starting to appreciate how they were telling the story. So after a lengthy call with the guy, I learned that he's an ASU film school graduate and is a producer for USA Today. It's him and a few professional editors doing this as a way to build a passive income outside of their day jobs. I have final say on what's released and can use the documentary in any fashion I like but he owns the video for his channel. There are no expenses for Amy and I. Hmmmmmm. By now he's had a couple of videos top 5 million views.
Now that I have a new capable partner in my daughter that's full of energy, this could be the steppingstone to something financially sustainable for two more mouths. We talked more about what might be expected of us. "Nothing, we just want to film the day-to-day operation of a family that's decided to live a better life". Much of what we do daily is centered around Fort Rock Farms and what its grown in to so there are plenty of plugs on that side but really we just wanted this guy to be able to tell our story visually. I've played around with videos and the idea of YouTube- I'm terrible at all of it.
We made an agreement and scheduled shooting for July 13th.
This gave us the needed motivation to finish some long time projects and polish things up a bit. We upgraded irrigation, completely rebuilt the pasture grasses and just generally made sure we were at the top of our game for the video. Here's how things looked days before the shoot.

Having a toddler means redesigning the outdoor spaces a bit. A kids playhouse now resides where veggies once were. Do worry, we still have more than we know what to do with.

I don't know how to estimate the amount of money in audio/video and drone gear that showed up. My calculator doesn't have that many zeros. This guy was an absolute pro and made me feel as comfortable as I can be in front of a camera. (Honestly, I'm way more comfortable communicating behind a keyboard- me and cameras don't mix well) Over the course of two days I think there was close to 20 hours of action footage, interviews and B roll. It's still in post production but should go live within the next month. Was this a good idea? Not sure. I'm a guy that doesn't mind taking a chance. The experience was neat and the end result will include my daughter and granddaughter as part of a multigenerational story. Will it open up some doors to new enterprises and possible income streams for our daughter and granddaughter to continue thriving here over the long run? My gut says yes. But that will take more out of the box thinking and big efforts. Something we're used to by now.

Here's me wishing I was anywhere else other than in front of two cameras for a couple of hours.

 

[clarence]

Even better news.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Wow, this is great news. I like the idea that you have final say on the content. Can’t wait to be able to watch it.

 

[Roosky01]

Living vicariously through this thread, Sir. Thank you!

 

[DrunkenSailor]

Awesome updates. I have shown multiple people this thread and all come away impressed. Can't wait for the documentary thank you for the updates.

 

[wash11]

While preparing for all this, life still rolled on. Amy and I celebrated our 15th anniversary (together 19 years this month) by putting in a 15 hour workday cuz we're super romantic.

It was time to work on the RV Park idea as a nice retirement income and/or a place for our friends to land in case the world ever gets super screwy.
Northern Arizona Wind and Sun and Chicken Dan came up with the idea to do a complete solar system using a nice 20' storage container I already owned. All the gear is now rated for outdoor use so we could use the inside for storage and or workshop area.
Let's add a 325-gallon propane tank because dealing with 7-gallon bottles that go empty in the middle of the night sucks. Let's pre-plumb for an outdoor tankless water heater and backup genie too.
Since trailer fires suck, lets add a fire hydrant with easily accessible 100' hose on a quick reel. Oh yeah, let's make it frost free as well.
Can't deal with mud so let's buy and haul 700000lbs of asphalt millings, lay it in and compact it.
Oh yeah, you have 7 weeks before monsoon season hits.
Fuck me.

We have a crew of friends that come running in times like this. What we accomplished before the first summer storm still amazes me- even though we didn't finish everything.

Materials lists were made. I hit the road for two days straight just collecting the parts and pieces to pull this off.

It didn't take long for Wind and Sun to get the parts in for this project.

 

[wash11]

We sketched out a plan and got it painted pretty quick. This was after spending a few days clearing years of accumulation off the pad.

Going into 4th of July weekend we had all the trenches done and all parts were ready. Our friends came from Phoenix and Southern California and jumped in as soon as they arrived. I think we calculated 200+ man hours in one long weekend to pull this off.

This is the end of the line. Once septic is in and signed off by the county we can open this trench of and make the connections. There's an extra water line we'll run through open trenches down below where the leech field is going. Can never have too many water sources.

After letting it sit under pressure for a day we checked for leaks and backfilled.

We finished just in time for the first rain. But not in time to get all the equipment off the pad easily.

 

[wash11]

As soon as the roads dried we started hauling millings to cap everything. This is the condensed version. I think we burned $1000 in diesel just moving this material. It was close to a week straight of hauling.

 

[Activated]

Gus is my spirit animal…watching everyone work. Lol

Really inspiring thread, amazing to watch you go after your dreams.

 

[wash11]

Once we moved the box into place, we let Chicken Dan do his thing. Somehow we didn't get pics of threading that box like a needle to set it in the middle of all the conduit and gas stub ups as well as water and sewer. There's a lot going on there. Here's the finished product. About 3600 watts of charging, 12k inverter/charger combo, 1000 amp hours of lithium battery power, a pretty legit grounding system with multiple 8' rods and exothermic welds to tie it together and a Victron auto transformer to handle the weird loads that multiple RV's would put on a system like this. Next up is installing the outdoor rated batteries in a box built by the manufacturer that has a heater built inside to keep them from freezing. I literally just picked it up yesterday.

Dan built this enclosure since the auto transformer was the only thing not available rated for outdoors. Basically, all these RV's will pull 120v and this just seamlessly splits the loads to both legs of this system. You don't even know it's an issue. Multiple ac's firing up, microwaves etc and no dimming lights. It's super clean power. He installed in intake filter and a cooling fan on a thermostat as well. The whole system is dummy proof and hands off with exception of the genie. If needed, that's manual. At some point it's ready to accept a propane powered 15k to run automatically like we have on the house.

 

[TeamGreene]

I sense another twist to the story coming.

Any members selling a 4 season 5th wheel?

I always prefer buying from RDP members so thought I'd throw it out there. Daughter is looking for a ready to live in fifth wheel. No need for solar, large battery banks or genie. Ideally 29-32', multi slide. Comfortable with spending 30k cash (maybe a few bucks more for the right deal). Open to...

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[Vib]

I love the pics and appreciate how much it takes to assemble the pics and narrative for the thread. Thank you for sharing.

Reminds me so much of what we are doing here building the RV park.

 

[dave29]

So on the video. He own's it? I was a little confused about that. Does he own it for YouTube only? Can you sell it in other markets?? Do you get any revenue from it? Also, did you sign any agreements?

 

[wash11]

I love the pics and appreciate how much it takes to assemble the pics and narrative for the thread. Thank you for sharing.

Reminds me so much of what we are doing here building the RV park.

It's amazing how much work goes into this stuff. Shame it's all got to be covered up!

 

[wash11]

So on the video. He own's it? I was a little confused about that. Does he own it for YouTube only? Can you sell it in other markets?? Do you get any revenue from it?

He owns it, we just provided the content. Zero revenue from the video on YouTube for us.

The increased exposure for us if it gets millions of views has unlimited possibilities for us. Figuring out how to monetize the increased website traffic and exposure is up to us.

T-shirts and swag are a great way to generate income from a broader market that could come from this. We worked hard to come up with a design then chose the highest quality (Next Level tri-blend) shirts we could find to align with the quality of our farm products. At $30.00, still less expensive than the same quality shirt you'd find at Sun Sports in the mall but enough profit margin to cover my daughters time for tracking orders, packing and shipping. Plus we hope it starts conversations that turn into more large beef orders.

There's a long list of enterprises we're kicking around at the dinner table. Once these projects are finished as well as the kids divorce, there's a bunch more mental space to get creative. Exposure like this can potentially drive them all. I'm ok with staying out of the YouTube space- it's pretty far out of my wheelhouse.

 

[dave29]

Thanks for the response. I'll leave it alone.
You're going to be lucky having so much time with your granddaughter and daughter. Enjoy it!

 

[wash11]

Sotry to hear the recent struggles of you daughter and granddaughter. Great that you are able to give them a hand as needed. Looks like a good time in Kingman. Spent many meals at the Cracker Barrel in town. Remind me how far out of town you are again? We have property after Peach Springs off of 66. I want to drive up to see the land this winter adn might be passing by you.

We're off i40 directly below you by about 30 air miles. Hit me anytime at 928-486-4043, would love to have you stop by on your travels!