Hello Rambler,
I’ve been documenting my build as I go in this thread…
Got my Vehicle! (1999 Ford 7.3L Shuttle Bus) - #9 by Van_Dweller
I’m not an influencer or professional, so take what you read from my thread with a huge grain of salt. I’m just an idiot with a bunch of tools. 
But what do you really need, like you personally, for your vehicle? Could you find it in a $2k factory RV/camper from Craigslist, just to get started at least? The Youtube Vans are cool and all, but really if you are just looking for “the freedom”, you can find that cheap on good ol’ CL.
Honestly everything I’m doing with my vehicle is mostly built around my paranoia, if I didn’t have that burden to deal with I’d happily save my money and run off in a nice little Ford RV or Camper.