Mobile Home Living
The other day when I was walking up Ravine Road I passed that off grid homestead where they live in a trailer… 🏡
Well actually a mobile home is the proper term for these low cost, usually low income form of housing commonly seen in rural communities. They are kind of looked down upon, kind of seen as a home for people who can’t afford better. Most have very little residual value, much of their value isn’t the trailer but the land they reside upon.
So what exactly is a mobile home?
Typically it’s a prefabricated structure with a rectangular steel steel base where wheels are initially mountained on for towing, with 2×6 wooden floor joists and 2×4 wall joists. The walls are typically insulated with fiberglass insulation like most houses, although often thinner than code requires for modern houses.
The outside is weatherized with a plastic vapor barrier and then protected from the elements by thin aluminum sheeting that is nailed onto the beams and caulked to prevent water intrusion. The inside typically uses thin sheets of lightweight and thin pressed board made of wood chips and a binder material, some of which is covered by plastic resin to improve its waterproof nature. Appliances and plumbing are typically lighter weight to reduce the weight when towing onto the site and compensate for the smaller footprint of the building.
The problems that mobile homes face is multi-fold. One is the structure is lightweight and it can be difficult to upgrade to heavier materials like sheet rock or hardwood flooring can poses excessive weight on the floor joists, requiring extensive bracing to the ground. Insulation is another issue, as the thin beams don’t allow for the thicker insulation called for in the building codes for more modern buildings.
Why would I consider it?
Money is a big reason and what properties are available. I’d rather have more land and less house. 40 acres and a junk trailer beats 2 acres and a fancy suburbanite house. An off grid cabin, made from wood or more durable material would be better but sometimes that’s not an option. A junkey old trailer could be demolished with useful parts salvaged for other purposes.
Why might I not consider it?
Getting rid of a nasty old structure can be a lot of work. Even if you can burn a lot of the debris, scrap the metal pieces, your still left with a lot of junk that doesn’t burn that has to hauled off to the landfill or used as back fill on your property. Moreover, some of that rubber and plastic stuff used in mobile homes is really nasty to burn even if you are in a fairly unregulated area that let’s you burn what you want after notifying the fire department. It might seem like a good deal on paper but how good of a deal really is it?
Honestly though…
The videos on YouTube are quite fascinating to watch on this topic. While I certainly grew up in rural area where a lot of people lived in trailers I didn’t know much about the structures and the tear downs, repairs and demolitions on YouTube are fascinating – along with learning how all the different materials go together are used and interact in the structures.
An early April Day in Pine Hollow
In early April, the Pine Hollow Arboretum in Slingerlands begins its slow, beautiful awakening from winter. As you walk the grassy trails, you’ll likely see the very first signs of spring like the delicate pink and white Cyclamen coum (Eastern sowbread) near the front pond.
Low to the ground, early bloomers like snowdrops and colorful crocuses often peek through the last of the leaf litter. You may also spot the bright yellow of daffodils and witch hazel beginning to pop against the gray, cloud-filled sky. Higher up, the buds of magnolias and ornamental cherries are just starting to swell, promising a full palette of spring color in the weeks to come.
The air is soft, a gentle breath,
Through Pine Hollow’s quiet halls,
Where winter slowly yields to light
And the muted shadow falls.
Beneath the boughs, the earth awakes—
A stir in the damp, dark mold—
Where snowdrops hang their daring white
And crocus cups unfold.
The towering pines stand watch in green,
While gray clouds crowd the sky,
Drifting in on a mild spring breeze
As the afternoon slips by.
The daffodil lifts a yellow horn
To the mist that’s rolling in,
While cyclamen in shades of rose
Make the spring’s first song begin.
Nearby the pond, the witch hazel fades,
Its golden ribbons spent,
As magnolia buds, tight and round,
Wait for the sun’s consent.
The world is held in silver light,
Twixt the sleeping and the seen,
Walking where the spring begins
In the spaces in between.
The SuperDuty – Purpose over Status
I’ve been spending some time in the cab of my new 2026 SuperDuty lately, just dialing everything in. It’s a work truck, so it’s basic where it counts, but still packed with enough tech to keep things interesting. There’s a certain satisfaction in just sitting there, adjusting the mirrors, and getting a feel for the rig.
Since I drove it home from the dealer—stopping only for a quick hike at Peebles Island—it’s stayed parked. I’m not in a rush to put pointless miles on it. The fuel economy is about what you’d expect for a heavy-duty truck, and I see no reason to burn $4-a-gallon gas just to hit the supermarket when I can ride my bike. I didn’t buy this to warm the planet on grocery runs; I bought it for the long haul and the real adventures.
Getting this deal done was a grind. I had to use every bit of leverage and industry knowledge I had to make sure I got a heavy-duty truck that should last me the next fifteen years. Between the research and the back-and-forth, I swear I’ve earned a few more gray hairs these past few weeks.
In the end, I got exactly what I was after: a no-frills workhorse with the bones for off-roading and camping. Once the truck cap is on and the solar and batteries are wired up, it’ll be a proper rig. I walked away with the title for under $60k cash—no monthly payments, no high-trim nonsense. Now it’s just fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
I’m damn happy with the choice. This truck isn’t a status symbol; it’s a tool I paid for with years of disciplined saving and investing. I’m going to be deliberate with how I use it—saving the engine for the backcountry, trips to see my folks in the country, or reaching those remote preserves where a bike or a bus won’t cut it.
![Untitled [Expires April 18 2026]](https://andyarthur.org//data/photo_019708_large.jpg)
Strawberry pancakes 🍓
Rode my bike over to Schiffendecker Preserve and then to Walmart, got a four pound bag of frozen strawberries that I found myself snacking on all evening, and then made strawberry pancakes this morning.
I could have driven now that I have the SuperDuty but I am liking just watching as the truck still has 51 miles on the odometer ⏳ as I know those days just won’t last long. I did actually sit out in the truck for a while yesterday, just adjusting the mirrors and trying to learn the various switches and controls, but I haven’t driven it at all since I brought the truck home on Tuesday evening. ⛽ I am guess I’m savoring the 34 gallons of fuel the truck came from the dealership with, but also I know how much healthier it is both for my body and the planet to ride my bike 🚲 rather then drive to Wally World. Plus it limits how much stuff I can buy, which helps to save money. I might own a very nice SuperDuty work truck, bought with cash, but that is no excuse to stop being frugal.
It was nice sitting in the truck, 🛻 and it’s not quite as smelly as I was when I first got it with all the chemicals. I know I shouldn’t complain about the toxic new car smell, a lot of people savor it, 👃 but in my mind it’s just a lot of carcogenic chemicals, not unlike some of things I’ve smelled over the years burning garbage. 🔥 Honestly, it’s not so bad with the windows open, maybe I should get a car freshener and have even more toxic chemicals. Soon enough though I’m sure camping with the mud and wood smoke, it won’t smell like it once did. With gas prices, and waiting for the truck cap, though I don’t how much I’ll break it in this spring, 🌸 though I do kind of do want to get enough miles on the truck that I have at least a thousand or two before I do my Michigan trip, probably looking at August now. Figuring 10 weeks from next Saturday is June 20th, so if I order an ARE Truck Cap, I figure that’s a reasonable estimate on delivery. Honestly, I don’t love black fly season that much. Hammock camping at Cole Hill is always a fun alternative.
There is still July or even August for taking a week or two off for a vacation, 🏖️ even if I am waiting for a cap and to wire everything up in the mean-time. In some ways, with work and gas prices this would be a bad year to do Michigan but I also worry this could be my best last chance with my parents getting older 👴🏻 and likely needing more care and eventually, I’ll probably end up taking over their homestead with animals to feed. But also, it’s a SuperDuty and let’s say it’s 3,000 miles round trip at 16 MPG at $5 a gallon, that’s basically a $1,000 in a fuel. Though it would be a pretty awesome trip, and I wouldn’t have a lot of expenses, maybe a few park or campground fees, some food, tolls, I don’t know. 🏕️ Still $1,500 for an awesome trip might be worth it. If it doesn’t happen this year, though I might still do West Virginia come late autumn, assuming there aren’t a lot of snow. And then in late summer, just spend a lot of time in Green Mountains, working remote, etc. I have unlimited 5G Wi-Fi included on my new truck until March 2027, and if I get a cellphone booster and build up the battery pack and solar, 📶 I should be able to work remote a good portion of the autumn.
Today though in the mean time, 🫘 cooking down a big pan of pinto beans, and then riding over to Pine Hollow Arboretum and then Five Rivers in the search of elusive signs of spring. 🌸 Then later I’ll probably run to Market 32 and get some carrots 🥕 and oatmeal, 🥣, and just otherwise read and hang out. 📖 Supposed to be a nice morning, though already clouds are pushing in. 🌥️ I don’t know. Yesterday, I got chatting with AI, thinking more about how much money I spent on the SuperDuty, and comparing it to alternatives, and while I know I made the right decision for myself, ⚖️ I have my doubts and are still skeptical. Maybe I should have used the money for a plastic house in the suburbs, but I still would much rather wait, rent for a few more years while I’m young, let my investments grow, and then buy that off-grid hunting camp 🏡 or similar remote property to live in permanently with an early retirement in my late 50s. I don’t need a big fancy house right now, with all the unrecoverable maintance and utility costs, or paying a bank interest, when I can just in under a decade and half, buy something that I actually like with cash, in remote country, have livestock 🐐 and fires 🔥 with nobody giving a damn. Still, I hate how one internet psot after another condemns you as being a silly 😋 person for renting such a run-down apartment on the bus line, when you could own your own plastic house with recycling bins and drive a 25-year old Honda Civic.
Nobody is actually proposing solar farms on state land ☀️
Republican press releases being picked up by less then reputable news sources scream headlines like, New York Senate bill could open 11,000 acres of Livingston County forest land to solar and wind development.
However, that is not the case of the proposal at all. The bill, Senate Bill S4408, would do as the sponsors memo says:
“adds a new section 9-0508 to the environmental conservation law to allow the department to enter into agreements for the sole purpose of aiding in the interconnection of renewable energy installations which are located outside of reforestation lands and the transmission and distribution of electricity from those installations. Any agreement made for this purpose would be prohibited from interfering with the operation or use of the reforestation areas.”
In other words, it would allow power lines to cross state lands to assist in the movement of solar and wind power from nearby solar facilities across the state land. While it’s not completely clear if such a policy is prohibited currently – the state does from time to time permit the construction of power lines across reforestation areas – this explicitly makes it a permitted use on the state lands.
Here is the actual text of the proposed law.
§ 9-0508. AGREEMENTS AND EASEMENTS RELATED TO RENEWABLE ENERGY INTERCON-
NECTION.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE PUBLIC LANDS
LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE DEPARTMENT MAY, IN ANY LANDS ACQUIRED AS
REFORESTATION AREAS BY THE STATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9-0501 OF
THIS TITLE, ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LEASES,
OR EASEMENTS, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF AIDING IN THE INTERCONNECTION OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS LOCATED OUTSIDE SUCH LANDS AND THE TRANS-
MISSION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY THEREFROM. SUCH INTERCONNECTION
RIGHTS SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE OPERATION OF SUCH REFORESTATION
AREAS FOR THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THEY WERE ACQUIRED AND AS DEFINED IN
SECTION THREE OF ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE NEW YORK STATE CONSTITUTION.
ANY AGREEMENT MADE AND ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE
RECORDED IN THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES AND BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF SUCH OFFICE.
Is this proposal a good one or a bad one? That’s up to you to considered. I will note that the concept of the Hewitt Act is explicitly multiple use, with forest products and mineral products like oil and gas production having always been part of state forest management, along with hunting, fishing, camping, and watershed production.
Legally, as an employee of the legislature, I can’t advocate for or against this measure. But I can say, look at the facts as a whole, and read what the measure does and not what the politicians say it does. Indeed, this bill should not have generated much controversy, as while power lines can require a forest cut or impact scenic resources, their is a public comment and administrative review proceedings to ensure such decisions serve the public benefit.
The Tiny Empire State
I am working on a map of how many New York State’s land mass you can fit into other states land mass. I will post later in the week. But in the mean time…
You can fit 12.1 states with the land area of New York in Alaska, 5.5 in Texas, 3.09 in Montana, 1.69 in Minnesota, 1.46 in Minnesota.