Thank you Bob so much for taking the time to interview me and show the world my van. This interview is a blessing and I hope so many people get something out of it that they can use to live their best life. Also thanks for your heart for the nomad! Be blessed in what you put your hands to!!!!!
Traveling with the Gramkracker ... Thank you for sharing! Most of all, thank you for doing what makes you Happy, Healthy, and Hopeful. I would Love to see more videos of you, your home, and your furry companion. Take care. Be safe. Blessed be. ♡
Traveling with the Gramkracker I am recently disabled. Watching you, has made me realise that I can be a nomad. I've been debating for some time now. I am going to purchase a van or small bus very soon. Ty for being an inspiration.
Thank you Gramkracker for being you! You are brilliant. I love so many things in your van. People that aren’t interested in the van life will not get it but your toilet and shower design is so wonderful. I could go on for ten minutes about both. You are the only person I’ve seen using a moveable pan for the shower. That was something I thought of as well because I want to take indoor showers when it’s cold but don’t want anything permanent and more plumbing than needed.
I I think it's fantastic what you have done and what you are doing. You are an inspiration I plan on doing this. Thank you for showing that no matter your Health there is a way to live as u wish. Just got to take the step forward.
Wow! So impressed with your work, Cindy. Especially with your prowess concerning the fairies 🧚♂️! So important to have a garden to invite the fairies into the home. You are so incredibly clever & inspiring. Looking forward to following your adventures.
She is both enabled and disabled. They are not opposites. She does not even use her feet on the pedals to drive because she is DISABLED. This video is not showing her disabilities... So stop saying she isn't what she is. It doesn't help her to see you making her disability into a negative and separating it from her in order to "compliment" her.
Cool you are using someone's achievement to crap on everyone else.... Really cool William... Way to not show any curiosity into people's real problems and make excuses to diminish the reality of others.....
People like Cindy give me hope. I am thinking of changing my lifestyle. I am in a manual wheelchair and have learned to do the scoot inside my mini van so I do get around, but doing apartment living. Miss going camping and traveling. I am 65 y/o with health issues after strokes and a heart attack. People like Cindy give me hope, like I said. Wish there were more vids with people in chairs.
I don't understand why you need that step to get to your toilet....looks like you would fall getting up and down....why can't you just leave the step out . ...? ???
I'm ashamed to say that I did a little "judging" when this older disabled woman said she purchased a used older van and was living it. Boy, I was blown away by what this lady did to this van! I had to repeat several aspects of this video to not miss anything. Wow...this lady is definitely an engineer; you can tell. Innovative and very cute. Good for her...God bless.
I reckon that you have to watch it at least 5 times to take it all in. She is an Engineer, and you can tell by the clever problem solving for every area of the build
Cindy did a fabulous job with her rig! So many brilliant ideas. She is such a smart and interesting person. Great attitude, indeed an inspiration! Thank you for the interview Bob 😊
I can sure tell Cindy is an engineer! My dad was one and I recognize the brilliant mind! Kudos Cindy for pushing past what many would consider insurmountable odds to follow your dreams and not let this opportunity pass you by! Enjoy every minute! You are an inspiration!!
A wonderful testimony of a woman that chose to live life the best way for her! I would love to have someone in my life who would inspire me to do more things with my life style! Right now I cannot travel because I have a husband who has Alzheimer's and I cannot be away from him for any length of time.👍👍👍👍🙏
I loved this lady and how inspiring she is. I personally have health issues and was worried about how I would deal with them if my husband and I went on fulltime on the road and this lady made me realize that it is doable. I also really loved her inventiveness! Thank you!
Fabulous video! What a wonderful lady! She’s brilliant, and wants to help others realize their dream, as well. So glad you found her, Bob!! Yew de man!!
You really don't need plumbing imho. Simply pour some water from a gallon jug into a basin with a bit of soap, let soak and then empty basin and fill with clean water with some white vinegar added. Also make H202 (hydrogen peroxide) a galley basic - it kills molds and bad proteins... a useful cheap antiseptic that breaks down in the environment, unlike bleach. Sometimes I simply use a Handiwipe and some spray vinegar and wipe the plates and bowls and utensils clean and then spray with H202. Handiwipes are washable and reusable.
ColleenKaralee Peltomaa Agree indoor plumbing is so not needed. Hand-wipes are washable and reusable.... explain please? ThankS for the tip hydrogen peroxide tip.. you use HP in addition to vinegar/ water right? Is one better than the other?
Hi zorazora. I lived with my G'mother who grew up during the Great Depression, and I spent a few years in a camper without running water except for a very clean stream nearby, so I had gallon jugs of stream water for washing.. I had a Berkey water filter for drinking water b/c It's not tasty water that sits in plastic tanks and pvc pipes, especially in hot weather.. Amazon sells "Handiwipes" - used to be more popular before paper towels took over. They can be washed and re-used b/c they are more durable than paper towels. Cleaning with a bit of soapy water and then wiping down with vinegar spray or vinegar water to remove the soapy taste or smell is my routine. Sometimes all is needed is a spray and wipe with vinegar. After drying I spray with a bit of H202 just in case of mold or fungus or germs - it is an antiseptic, and one can purchase "Food Grade" 3% H202. My dishes and cookware are always clean and shiny. I guess if one is on the go one might want to have a grey water tank until they can find some thirsty plants :-) I've successfully killed mold around a roof leak using H202 spray. I guess it would be helpful to have a two basin sink b/c you can always put a cover over it for more space for meal preps.
ColleenKaralee Peltomaa Thank you for the reply! I ‘ve been living in my Honda Element for over a year now. I keep things real simple. I shower at Planet Fitness, if I got in a pickle I would warm up water on my single burner Coleman stove and bathe! Thus far Ive had no problem keeping my dishes clean, I use liquid soap and a water spray bottle... I work full time, so I have access to hot water, also have water at the laundromat I go to. After cooking sometimes I heat up water... Im often amazed how easily I get my dishes/pot clean.... Ive never used hydrogen p- will give it a try I will eventually buy at Nissan Envy 2500 hightop- I’d like to stand- up I think. I have no desire for a fridge, sink- plumbing- grey water system etc or solar. Living in my Element has taught me how little I need to be comfortable... I despise clutter-- wanna keep it simple... real simple.. I want to b as stealth, incognito as possible.. Always open to suggestions...
You are welcome, and definitely get the high top - it's a body thing. The Ford Transit is looking very practical to me. I concur that one can manage with a comfortable bed, some temperature control, and of course some power for the laptop, etc. For the body I love a good baking soda scrub down in between the gym. I forgot to mention the multiple uses of baking soda. And of course liquid castille soap, like Dr. Bronner's. Baking soda keeps the hair soft too. Because I eat a lot of frozen fruits and veggies I want to get a small Arctic King freezer, and I really do like the Instant Pot for its multiple uses. Of course then that would require a power upgrade possibly. My favorite van build so far is "Wild by the Mile" and "The Road is Our Home". Do you have any favorites?
I just love these videos. I so admire these women and men who just love to live life everyday with something new to discover. Hubby and me have a cattle ranch/ farm and retirement age comes next year and we wanted to do this so badly. Guess what happened? We just got legal custody of our 7 year old grandson because the mom signed off her parental rights and my son is in the insane asylum lost his mind doing meth for years. ( we went thru hell with that one kid) although he is 30 now. I reckon hubby and me will keep watching these videos and just dream. Stay as healthy as you can get and take at least a few moments for yourself if you can't go nomad. Peace to everybody. Time to go milk the cow.
But maybe you could do it part-time, and maybe even full-time, _with_ your grandson. Look into homeschooling; you may think it sounds like a bad idea, until you know what it really is, and then you realize it is the best! But if it was me, honest: I don't think I'd sell that farm. Of course, I'm only going by what a farm seems like to me.
They also have online teachers that will home school your children online , saw one here on you tube that was also living the van life . She teaches students every morning thru some program.
LOVE the Gramkracker!! Wonderful Can Do attitude. Delightful lady. Incredible van build. TFS her, Bob! She has some fantasy tips and info on her channel! ❤️
Cyn Forest yet she doesn't know the name of her 60 watt fridge she got from home depot......which is the tag.....directly on the front of said appliance.
I'm blessed to have met and snagged Cindy up as a friend. Her legal first name now is Rādie. She helped correct an installation problem with my friend Juli Tuli's solar and provided me advice and encouragement when a camper deal went bad shortly before I hit the road with my daughter. She would make an excellent mentor for your program. RĀDIE ROCKS!
This lady is beyond welcoming. She is someone who I would like to spend an afternoon with just talking about life. She has a kindred spirit - quite free of mind. Refreshing.
That shower system, wow! True engineering and thinking out of the box. This is a very innovative design. This lady deserves an award for inventiveness. What a treasure! 15:33 - Bookshelf bar is also genius! So many little innovations, wonderful! Sorry to hear about the children. I have one who died of cancer, who was beautiful, intelligent, ambitious, successful and highly educated. All that work, time, and money spent on her only to die so young and needlessly. I applaud your strength. I think these experiences in life, give us gravitas and compassion for others. Despite all this, you succeeded so brilliantly. Shine on Cindy! Your light is bright. Thank you Bob, for a great tour!
This video is just what I needed to see! Cindy, I would love to take you up on your offer to mentor. I taught special ed and then became a high school counselor in the DC area. Unfortunately I was forced to retire (w/o disability retirement) 12 years ago due to post-concussive syndrome. I lost my service dog to cancer 2 years ago to cancer and miss him dearly. I am no stranger to traveling. I’m from No California but consider myself bi-coastal. I’ve driven across country 16 times, several times in a 24’ U-Haul. I have a van but with my multiple concussions, I find the thought of trying to convert my van sooooo overwhelming not to mention confusing. I like so many of your ideas, I would really appreciate an opportunity to be mentored by you. I look forward to talking to you and hopefully meeting with you in the future.
I absolutely am amazed at all she has accomplished! She is such an inspiration to me! I’m getting older and with all my health issues I wasn’t sure I could travel. This gives me so much hope ❤️
That kitchen is so beautiful! I love the way she incorporated that beautiful piece of furniture into her kitchen, without losing an inch of storage, and I love the slide out stove! Her other ideas were great, too, and fitted (engineered!) exactly to fit her needs.
💞 Cindy, Very, Very, Nice build. 👍 Great Job!!!! May you and your family, be blessed with good health and happiness Today Tomorrow and Alway's.🙏 Thank you so much for sharing. 🇺🇸🏆🇺🇸 ENJOY, Enjoy, enjoy.!!!! Don and Donna, in Northern, Nevada. ✓💞 Reno/ Sparks Area.💐 🍃🇺🇸🕊️🍃🌎🕊️🍃
Thank you so much. I too have been looking out my window watching life go by. Feeling sorry for myself because of my brain Injury. Thank you thank you thank you I’m so grateful.
I love people that have the ability to turn nothing into something. To problem solve at that level is such a gift and she wants to share it with others..... hello what a legend.
SHE'S OUTSTANDING...FOR SO MANY REASONS..GOD BLESS HER AND HER FAMILY..SHARED ... AND TO MYSELF TOO..LOVE THE SHOWER AND THE KITCHEN.. RIGHT UP MY ALLEY... THANKS FOR POSTING
God bless her....what a lady!!!! So much respect I have for her!!! She is not gonna let life drag her down....if we are smart we should learn a lot from her!!! Thank you Bob for another fantastic tour!!
I recently watched a video with a lot of young complainers. They were bored, challenges came up that they weren't physically, financially or emotionally ready to meet bla blah blah. Cindy's video proves the point I made when commenting on that video. It's an overused cliche but "NO GUTS, NO GLORY." Cindy proves that in spades. Thanks again Bob. I've become attached to your interviewees some more so than others. God bless them all. ❤
Wow, Cindy That color looks Cool (Groovy) on You., and Bob took the words right out of my mouth, You are indeed an Inspiration. Nice Work..Thanks for sharing Bob
I enjoyed your video Bob. I am grateful to have met Cindy at the RTR this passed year. She gave me a tour of her van. It's so lovely. I also enjoy her videos on her channel... very informative. Thank you both.
I stand in awe. What a woman! I have been toying with the idea of giving up traveling because of some difficulties but if Cindy can do it, so can I. Thank you both
Cindy’s approach to organizing a van is very impressive. She has used a very frugal and practical approach toward setting up her van. Lots of useful ideas here!
This is definietly on one of the BEST self done van-builds I've ever seen. Cindy's self-engineered solutions are very creative! Imho Vinny outdoes alot of 100000k$ sprinter vans out there. Very refreshing to watch. Thank you for sharing.
What an amazing woman!!!! I love her attitude towards life and get willingness to help other people!! The fact that she's an engineer is definitely a bonus in assisting someone who wants to renovate a van, RV, etc. My favourite was the antique shelf with her cooking range slide out!
WOW! What a great lady! She has gone on and lived her dream in spite of obstacles that could have stopped her from ever trying. Loved her tour and her story.
Wow! You may have trouble from time to time with your spelling, Cindy, but your engineer-mind more than makes up for giving you the ability to make a super-sweeeeet setup for yourself! I will be checking out your youtube channel, and sending new subscribers!!! Thanks so much for bringing Cindy to our attention, Bob! Happy trails!!
She speaks so well and at ease into the camera, as well as during the tour and when explaining. She's wonderfully inventive and a very inspiring human. 👌
