86 ram conversion, no kids so no spilt coolaid or crayons
90s Ford, super clean looks awesome.
In reply to Coldsnap:
Any of those will suffice.
The $2700 Chevy has a 6 cyl- you may get near 20 mph with that.
Another advantage- any of them can tow. If you decide you want to bring a sporty ride, a motorcycle, or a cargo trailer with you, no problem.
A Westy or an Element are much cooler. These vans will do what you need them to do much better.
Or insert any fuel-efficient car instead of Answer?
Kitchenette in the back, increased storage space in the car...
For months jumping from place to place, I'd do something like this, because I wouldn't want to pull up camp every time I needed supplies or wanted to explore. You could do it with a camper van and a Miata just as easily.
That's pretty much my plan for SanFord. Months to years on the road, towing the Samurai. Set up camp and use the Samurai to explore the area until I get bored and move on down the road.
Cool idea and good thread. Just one question, and I realize it's none of my business, so feel free to ignore if you wish, but why do you have 3 different gym memberships? If you hada single gym membership and had been tucking away the money you didn't spend on the other two I'm thinking you'd have more than $5k for this vehicle and have more options available to you.
In reply to T.J.:
Clientele??
He only goes to Curves when he's looking for Cougars? 
Could be a few cheapo gyms, just to make sure he's got a place to shower regardless of where he is.
Coldsnap wrote: 86 ram conversion, no kids so no spilt coolaid or crayons 90s Ford, super clean looks awesome. 93 Chevy Debras & Dans swank machine G20 Gladiator
Or this one: 1997 Express Conversion Van
Since you mentioned freaking out if things break a bunch, I'd absolutely stick with the big three. Personally, I'd go with GM because most of the time, parts are the cheapest. I've always said that when you see parts places advertising things like "Brake pads as low as $9.99", there's a good chance it's for a GM truck.
Now, for a bit of a reality check. How serious are you about doing this? Is it a "sounds like a fun idea" type of thing or a "I want to be a nomad" passion? Not that either matter for discussion. If you ARE serious, there are some things you need to consider/research. There is a part of me that would love to do it, but with a wife, kid, mortgage and non-remote work situation, I can't.
1) Although you'll be on the road, you'll still need some type of address. There are companies that handle stuff like that (a lot in Montana, fwiw) to assist with an address (license, insurance, paychecks, etc).
2) Working remote is cool, but WHERE are you going to actually work from? If in the vehicle, you'll need good power and internet at a minimum. Sure, you can also hit up a Starbucks/McDonalds, etc for wifi and maybe power. But, if you have to get up to stretch your legs, hit the bathroom, etc. you have to take all of your stuff with you each time. That can be a pain.
3) Gyms aren't everywhere. But, if you end up only staying in spots that have them, get in a good routine. Pretend you're working an office job in that you get up, have breakfast, shower, etc before "going to work". And remember, if you've be camping for a few days, you're going to smell funky. Most likely frowned upon by Starbucks type of people.
4) It will be very lonely. That may or may not be a big deal, but be aware of it.
5) Plan for emergencies. Besides making sure you have cash that's easy to get to or a credit card you can rely on, you also have to think about yourself. What would you do if you got sick and needed a bathroom for a few hours? Kinda funny to think of, but it's one of those things that you just don't imagine. Dealing with it in a cramped van on a camp toilet would suck.
6) What are you going to do about food? Eating on the road is expensive and, ask any of us who've traveled for our jobs, road food is rarely the best and it's easy to gain weight doing it.
7) You will absolutely need to consider power while sleeping. Besides having power for your laptop, you'll want a way to keep cool or warm. Even if you chase the weather and stay up north in the summer and south in the winter, you'll need power for those emergency nights.
8) Think about what you're going to do when you're not working. Along the lines of the loneliness. Sure, you can go exploring the city, see a movie, go to museums, but that can also get old after a few months.
Again, it's really a cool idea and color me envious if you do it, but you should sit down and really think about the day to day stuff and do some research to learn from what others have done.
-Rob
T.J. wrote: Cool idea and good thread. Just one question, and I realize it's none of my business, so feel free to ignore if you wish, but why do you have 3 different gym memberships? If you hada single gym membership and had been tucking away the money you didn't spend on the other two I'm thinking you'd have more than $5k for this vehicle and have more options available to you.
They are only about $20 a month each. I sort of bounce between gyms depending on what of my friends are working out that day or group of people. I use to compete in powerlifting so having a spotter to train was helpful, so I ended up with 3 different gyms.
OSULemon wrote:
As one of he few people here who have actually owned a teardrop, I can confirm that that is the worst possible answer. It would be a horrible way to spend 8 months. The worst of all possible worlds.
SVreX wrote:OSULemon wrote:As one of he few people here who have actually owned a teardrop, I can confirm that that is the worst possible answer. It would be a horrible way to spend 8 months. The worst of all possible worlds.
Noted. Standing room would likely be preferred. Would it not be better than sleeping in an SUV?
rob_lewis wrote:Coldsnap wrote: 86 ram conversion, no kids so no spilt coolaid or crayons 90s Ford, super clean looks awesome. 93 Chevy Debras & Dans swank machine G20 GladiatorOr this one: 1997 Express Conversion Van Since you mentioned freaking out if things break a bunch, I'd absolutely stick with the big three. Personally, I'd go with GM because most of the time, parts are the cheapest. I've always said that when you see parts places advertising things like "Brake pads as low as $9.99", there's a good chance it's for a GM truck. Now, for a bit of a reality check. How serious are you about doing this? Is it a "sounds like a fun idea" type of thing or a "I want to be a nomad" passion? Not that either matter for discussion. If you ARE serious, there are some things you need to consider/research. There is a part of me that would love to do it, but with a wife, kid, mortgage and non-remote work situation, I can't.
Right, I've been thinking about doing this awhile. As some of my friends that know my personality / lifestyle always says I should do this when I bring it up. I've been working remote for about 5 years, 3 of it was for a company on the rocks and I was never sure when it would end. Now I have a real stable job and just sort of make my hours now just putzing around the house and around town on my BMX. Most my work is done just on a fold out chair outside my apartment watching traffic.
I'd plan to - Move my address back to Florida where my mom is (8% income raise, no state tax!). Move some stuff back there too.
I would need power and reliable internet, think I'd get a mobile hotspot with Verizon?
Food. That would be tricky as I eat a lot. I can eat eggs, lots of eggs. Maybe a propane portable stovetop (looks like a briefcase). I can live off scrambled eggs.
This is relevant to my interests...
So I bought a van...
It is a blast. Allows many times like this:
Longest straight run was 20 nights. Only about a third in real campgrounds. From SE PA to the northern tip of Newfoundland. AMAZING!!!
I kind of fell in to the van. If I were to start from scratch I would do:
But budget, real life... So:
That is 1000 on C list here, turn into:
Because, standing up is the best... A must for me. Preferably standing up without having to muck around with stuff, soft top, pop top... Some type of 4x4 or a selectable locker at a minimum. The stealthier the better, and not beat up, beat up=creepy to locals=kicked out of good boondocking spots.
Spotted in Nova Scotia:
Spotted in Newfoundland, hardcore:
Anything to get this guy cool places with me:
She is fun too:
Western coast of Newfoundland, holy hell RAIN. Build a boat stuff. Nice and dry inside playing cards. Also the only pic I have of the fold up bed I made.
TLDR...
Thanks Ross
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/153357-Diesel-04-E-350-Cube-Van-Camper?highlight=box
This is probably the direction I would go for a small fulltimer.
Another vote for a full sized Ford Van. Something else to keep in mind, if you get tired of sleeping in a vehicle once in a while we've gotten good deals on Priceline if we try late in the day sometimes as low as $25.
OSULemon wrote:SVreX wrote:Noted. Standing room would likely be preferred. Would it not be better than sleeping in an SUV?OSULemon wrote:As one of he few people here who have actually owned a teardrop, I can confirm that that is the worst possible answer. It would be a horrible way to spend 8 months. The worst of all possible worlds.
If the entire experience was about sleeping, perhaps. But it's not.
Yes, the bed is bigger than an SUV. But it is on a plywood platform with no insulation under, so it's exposed to the hot/ cold. Teardrops rarely have any heat or AC, and are often limited on ventilation.
There is no place to sit at a table, so eating or working is hard.
If you have gear, it's in the bed. You can move it outside, but then it's not secure. If you need it secure, the bed is now smaller than an SUV.
You can sit up in them, but only with your legs out in front of you, like on a bed. Not upright, like in a chair. This is fine, but would get old after 8 months.
The first time you have to prepare a meal in the pouring rain you will realize the disadvantages of an outdoor kitchen.
They are generally not insulated, so they aren't good for traveling in any weather extremes.
They certainly don't meet any stealth requirements. When you pull out all your camping gear in a WalMart parking lot so you can sleep, your cover is pretty much blown.
And they tow terribly. They are light enough (tongue weight, etc), but that is actually their problem. A 1000 lb weight hanging on the rear bumper of a Miata makes for some horrible driving every time you hit a bump and the trailer jumps from one side to the other.
It's too much volume dedicated to just a bed that does not serve multi purposes well.
So, for your purposes, I'd say no, it's not better than an SUV.
Ir seems to me that you have to decide between ease of use when driving vs comfort.
You're planning a long term stay so you don't want to compromise sleeping and eating comfort too much. Plus you need a place to work.
If you're going to be camping off the grid, you need onboard electrical power storage, water storage, food storage and possibly some sort of toilet depending on local regs.
But you're talking about moving around. So you don't want a full on RV. You want stealthy.
Figure out what your priorities are and you'll go a long way towards identifying your vehicle. For me, the Westfalia nails it. For others, they need a different balance.
Give me a couple hours of wrench turning and I will put you up for a night or weekend or whatever. I can't be the only one.
oldopelguy wrote: Give me a couple hours of wrench turning and I will put you up for a night or weekend or whatever. I can't be the only one.
That's a riot. I am currently laying on the couch of another GRMer - I traded some labor on his house for a place to stay overnight. 
Go on YouTube and search for "nomad van living". There are a number of folks who have built vans to do what you are talking about. Some of them are living in them full-time as you describe.
I agree you will absolutely want a toilet. There are cheap camp toilets and more stout RV toilets (composting is what you want), as well as at least a minimal indoor kitchen area, although finding homes for it all will be a challenge. But while going to the bathroom when you have access is fine, needing to think about getting dressed and finding one at 2AM when nature calls is less so.
Essentially, the more of an RV you want/need, the bigger van you'll need, which will reduce the stealth and cheap-to-run factors. Everything is a trade-off.
Like I said, I've spent an inordinate amount of time researching this subject, although for different reasons. I want a toy-hauler RV to haul my bikes in while traveling around the country. I've also considered the teardrop or small RV trailer option.
Another thing to consider is laundry. Going from a house to living in an apartment without a private W/D, the idea of dealing with spending a few hours monitoring the common W/D in the basement wasn't appealing. Fortunately, there is a laundromat near by that runs a weekly special of a bit over $1/lb. I drop 2-4 bags before going to work and pick them up after work, all nicely washed and folded and ready to be put away. For the $30-$40/mo it costs me, it's awesome. Granted, living in a van you won't have a lot of room for clothes, but that can also mean needing to wash them more often.
Ian is spot on. If you're going to do conversion van there's no reason not to go raised roof. You get head room and storage on the sides like airplane overhead storage. I grew up with a Chevy 3 quarter ton and then a late nineties Ford E-150. Both were great travel vehicles. You could ditch the driver's side passenger Captain chair to add some kitchen facilities
Full size vans are fairly competent on fire roads and mild back country as well with just a good set of tires. I have a fair amount of time working on the road as well.
With a van, you an dedicate a seat to the office area and secure your laptop and have everything set up so you can just sit down to work and not have to set up every time. I would use the passenger seat for the office. You would still be able to have someone sit there, but you don't tie up the center of the van you will be living in.
You can keep the bed in back and not have to set up and tear down constantly, it gets old. Pic of my last van for reference. Extra points for white letter tires.
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I realize this likely wouldn't fit your criteria, but I had to. I road tripped a lot in my 73 Impala Station wagon that I "converted" to a camper. I called it the steel tent. But I had been looking for a hearse when I found the Impala.
In reply to Coldsnap:
Don't underestimate the lack of internet connectivity, particularly out west. Even the towns that have Internet don't always have much speed or bandwidth - Williams, AZ for an example. Hell, there are still plenty of places in the Midwest where connectivity is spotty.
My sister and her husband just spent 5 months traveling around the US pulling a Burro trailer behind their Ford SportTrac. They stayed in campgrounds, Walmarts, and public land and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.For a single person the Burro would be pretty good.
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