For sure it can be done. Lets take as example the Dash masternode owners , do you think they work anymore ? I bet they are sitting home ( open crypto businesses I hope ) and they simply monitoring their nodes and same goes for Blocknet nodes owners as both of the investors did a smart investment of holding their masternodes even after the 2017 run. If you have bought lets say 20 nodes of Dash now you're nodes are making 8k$/month which is a super nice income especially in the long term run. In Blocknet it goes the same as 20 nodes will bring you around 1.4k$ at the current price which is insane during the fact that it was so cheap back in 2015. Smart investments can make your life more comfortable in order to focus for your progress.
You cannot run a node and be off-grid, one thing defeats the other. Unless your node is elsewhere and you go check it from time to time, which is the same thing i said about going to town to use your wallet, etc.
Also, don't think that the Dash model will be eternally feasible for an infinite number of investors. I wouldn't be surprised even masternode owners would have the luxury of "living only of their nodes" for long. Its fun while it grows, but once it reaches saturation... Hmm where have i seen that before? MLM? nah, must be my imagination.