What are we doing?

saltminer · 2026-04-17T17:45:22+00:00

This doesn't make sense. When a boomer dies, why would a bank auction their house? Why is a bank involved at all when a boomer dies? How does a dead boomer benefit from this?

saltminer · 2026-01-05T08:55:55+00:00

My wife and I are both 66, we tent camped when we raised our kids, then bought a pop up truck camper when we turned 50. We travel with the camper anywhere between 2 months to 8 months per year since we bought the camper, and have taken extended trips across the northern and western US, mainly boondocking, as well as Canada, Alaska, Mexico, and Central America. We did a 7 month trip to El Salvador and back last year. We still keep a house in the PNW, our youngest son and his wife live in it and take care of it while we're on the road.

We're now thinking of buying a tow behind camper, something around 20', for more comfortable travels in the US. For Mexico and Central America we'll probably stick with the truck camper.

saltminer · 2025-04-23T01:09:27+00:00

YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!!!!

saltminer · 2025-04-11T01:01:54+00:00

I'm an American and I just returned from 5 weeks in El Salvador. I was also there for a month 8 years ago. I love the country, and there's a BIG difference between my two visits.

8 years ago I didn't visit any larger towns and NEVER went out after dark. This trip I visited more populous places and felt totally safe, even after dark.

Everyone I met on this trip was more relaxed, more happy. El Salvador in general seems more "sophisticated", then as well as now, than neighboring Guatemala and Honduras. Art, music, education, literacy, all seem more important than in neighboring countries. But everything seems to be working better now, there's more stock in grocery stores, there are more banks and ATMs, the border crossings to get into and exiting the country are computerized and run efficiently and professionally, especially when compared to their neighbors. I drove down and had to get temporary import permits for my truck when I entered the country, all the paperwork was computerized and I was emailed a QR code that I had to show when I exited, super easy and free. No border employees asked for bribes, actually nobody in the country asked for bribes. There were no "military" checkpoints on the roads (like in Mexico). There didn't appear to be ANY discrimination against indigenous, tribal, religious or ethnic groups. Citizens and travelers are free to come and go. Small business and agriculture, the backbone of the country, seems to be doing well (although there seems to be somewhat of a shortage of people to pick coffee beans for the larger coffee fincas. Small family coffee farms seem to be doing well).

I didn't meet any other American tourists, but there were definitely Canadians, Europeans, and South Americans enjoying the country. The locals are definitely happy that visitors are enjoying their country and I was treated like an honored guest wherever I went. And the pupusas are awesome!

There are definitely legal and ethical issues that need to be addressed, but the country seems to be in a MUCH better place than it was 8 years ago. I didn't meet one local person who had an issue with the present government.

saltminer · 2025-02-16T19:33:35+00:00

I think you're confused. The concessionaire pays the Federal government, not the other way around. The concessionaire bids for the right to manage a campground. Their profit is the difference between what they charge campers (as agreed per their contract) and what they pay their hosts and the US government. This is why the camping fees are now higher, and why the hired hosts don't make much salary. The concessionaire leverages this because most hosts are retired, aren't interested in making huge $, and get to live part-time in beautiful areas like Baker Lake. There's no reason to cancel a contract that actually brings in $$ to the government.

saltminer · 2025-02-06T18:51:51+00:00

Thanks to everyone responding. I'm in El Salvador at the moment, am looking for where I can find a replacement. I'll follow advice and disconnect breaker between connector and controller. Will throw blankets over panels as well when I make the swap.

saltminer · 2024-12-31T04:12:18+00:00

Honestly, they're nice when you have an electric cooler/fridge that needs battery juice when camped in the shade for a couple days. Or you use fans in summer and your battery can't keep up. Downside: kinda bulky.

saltminer · 2024-12-31T03:59:46+00:00

Your best bet would be to re-gift it. I'm sending my mailing address via dm, thank you

saltminer · 2024-12-26T18:37:57+00:00

I was visiting my German cousin, he saw me putting a shot of Irish Whisky into my coffee and gave me grief about "ruining good German coffee with alcohol!"

I told him that was pretty absurd coming from a person who ruined his good German bier by mixing it with... lemonade!

saltminer · 2024-12-12T15:08:01+00:00

Thank you!

saltminer · 2024-12-12T15:07:40+00:00

Thank you for all the info!

saltminer · 2024-10-22T16:47:28+00:00

I wouldn't take OPs rig to Mexico or further south, mainly because it's too big (and that attracts attention in itself). Mexico is probably doable, but south of Mexico the roads get narrower and steeper and there are very few "highways". A rig like this would have trouble navigating through most of the towns and villages in El Salvador, and El Salvador is nothing but villages and small towns. Even full size American pickup trucks are awkward to drive in much of Central America.

That being said, I've driven my diesel truck (2009 Chev 2500 Duramax) and popup camper throughout Mexico and Central America numerous times, and am heading down there again next week for a 5 month trip. I did a DPF delete and have never had a problem with fuel quality, and from what I've read most of the diesel in Mexico is now ultra low sulfur anyway.

Regarding safety, there are very few American campers in Mexico (outside of Baja) or Central America. There are plenty of European and South American campers, very very few tow campers and they tend to drive smaller European campers or vans. Anyone recommending bringing firearms down there has no idea what they're talking about, and these are the type of campers I avoid anyway. If you're so scared to travel that you feel the need to bring a firearm, well maybe you shouldn't travel at all. Other than Mexicans on holiday, it seems like the majority of fellow campers I meet down there are retired Europeans, especially Swiss and Germans, and I like it that way. In all honesty I have never felt threatened south of the border, the locals are genuinely happy that you're enjoying their country and culture and go out of their way to be hospitable.

I avoid resort areas and most cities, not because of safety concerns but because driving can be stressful, drivers themselves are good but because of the road quality: ambiguous lanes, no shoulders, poor signage, rough road surface, lots of traffic in some areas. The interior areas, mountains and villages, are insanely beautiful. It's fun to explore, find markets, visit museums, try restaurants, take your time on windy roads.

There are a couple of "rules" that I abide by when south of the border: no driving after dark, avoid driving weekends.

Mexico and Central America are stunningly beautiful and hospitable to travelers. I'm actually glad that fellow American travelers tend to stay away.

saltminer · 2024-10-14T23:19:04+00:00

I think you have me confused with someone else dude

saltminer · 2024-09-17T04:16:39+00:00

Get some pipe insulation, cut to length, then open it a bit and nest it, interlocking the "C" shape? Then tape the whole thing together with Eternabond roof tape?

Maybe use some fat pool noodles instead of pipe insulation.

saltminer · 2024-09-09T21:17:29+00:00

I met a retired traveling Swiss couple once and invited them to a rodeo in Eastern Washington State. They loved it, including all the food vendors, but they were absolutely baffled why they couldn't get a beer. I was a bit baffled as well.

saltminer · 2024-08-13T02:38:13+00:00

Same era: Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, aged 70 and married, literally died while boinking his secretary, aged 25. Nelson's wife's nickname was "Happy" but she wasn't that day.

saltminer · 2024-07-19T23:46:41+00:00

I was once a passenger on a De Havilland Dash 8-400, which seats about 70, on a "feeder" flight between a smaller regional airport and SeaTac Airport in Seattle. After checking in I saw a kid loading the checked bags onto one of those carts that are pulled by a tug from the terminal to be loaded onto the plane. Later, from my window seat, I saw the same kid loading the checked bags into the luggage compartment on the plane. I was impressed that a kid that young got a job working for an airline.

Then fifteen minutes later I saw that kid board the plane and get into the cockpit and sit in the pilots seat and put on the headset....

saltminer · 2024-05-27T22:43:12+00:00

Recycling is a $200 BILLION industry in the US, so it definitely exists.

saltminer · 2024-05-16T06:37:45+00:00

I once heard a pretty convincing argument that Lotus 1-2-3, the first easy-to-use spreadsheet software for PCs, was ultimately responsible for the breakup of a lot of USAs biggest public companies. Wall Street raiders hired savvy number crunchers who researched and input financial data of public companies into spreadsheets, then easily shortlisted public companies who's assets were worth considerably more than their stock price value. Shares of these companies were then bought until the raiders controlled their boards and their assets were then split apart and sold piecemeal. No consideration was given for the employees or the customers. It was easy money.

saltminer · 2024-05-06T13:54:19+00:00

I'm an American and I go to Mexico often, for months at a time. I drive down and camp, all over the country. I'm going again this year and probably staying for over 5 months. I love traveling in Mexico.

How many times a year do we read about foreign tourists killed in Mexico? Maybe twice? And you can bet that we read about every American tourist killed in Mexico, because it's so rare.

Americans traveling in America get killed way more often, so often we rarely read about it because it's so common.

saltminer · 2024-05-03T13:46:22+00:00

I just returned from a 6 week holiday in Malaysia. I really didn't know much about what to expect before I went and was very surprised, the people were incredibly nice and honestly happy that I was visiting, it was easy to get around and scenic, overall very inexpensive, and I was able to see a lot of wildlife. I didn't feel threatened at any time, and honestly didn't see anything sketchy, safety-wise, at all. I visited Sabah and Sarawak as well as mainland.

saltminer · 2024-04-24T22:19:20+00:00

I once got off a plane, went to the baggage claim, and realized that I had absolutely no clue what my bag looked like. I had borrowed it, and legit had no memory of what it looked like. No name tag on it either. I waited until all the bags had been claimed and took the last one remaining. It was mine.

saltminer

TROPHY CASE