Hi Bruce, thanks for your comments and advice!  I'm really starting out slowly with this venture from necessity.  I'm giving myself a year to prepare and I've decided to look only for a vintage travel trailer.  I would like something 1959 or older, but that's unlikely, so mainly it needs to be 1200-1400lb because I've got to stick with my 2006 Nissan truck, can't afford to get a new tow vehicle, have to go with what I've got.  Nissan will carry 3500lb so a lite weight, small, maybe 10-12 footer trailer.

I will be putting a camper shell on the truck, mainly because I'll probably be taking 2 dogs, one small, one medium.  Medium one is my security.  So, the additional weight will be the camper shell, the dogs..90lb...and whatever supplies I think I'll need.  I figure I'll probably take too much the first time out but I'll have to go out at least once to decide what's really needed.  I'll be doing a lot of boondocking simply because I won't be able to afford campgrounds all the time.  Besides, I want to fly fish and hike so I don't really need to be in a campground.  I've been looking online, newspapers, asking around, etc. for leads on trailers.  I've already started "uncluttering" as much as possible: "storage shed, garage sales, trash".....my mantra. LOL.  I'll also be looking for ways to bring in funds to supplement my social security, hopefully once I'm out there I'll be able to find little jobs along the way. 

This is something I wanted to do many years ago but got sidetracked.  I've been in one place for the past 20 years so I'm ready for this.

Ta, Helen