I am recently retired and am very interested in the van lifestyle. I have spent the last 2 weeks watching countless hours of YT videos of the many creative and resourceful and entertaining people who are in this life.
A little background, I do not have an outdoor camping streak in me, but I do enjoy solitude and dogs and am quite socially amicable around people. I like the idea of seeing parts of this beautiful country and question the nomadic life , I plan to move to Texas in the near future. As i drove back and forth from the west coast to Texas multiple times, the many RV and trucks and tow trailer truck vehicles I have seen peaked my interest.
At first I was interested in the small class C vehicles, then moved on to the smaller class B vehicles, then looked at high roof, vans…then prius living. I am all over the place now.
I am initially looking at more of an urban camping lifestyle that may move to a more nomadic one. I find myself leaning towards trying out a prius V and maybe a sienna mini van right now.
Anyways, that is my initial story for now and look forward to learning more, much more in the months and years to come
For my 2 cents, I would think that one of the foundations in making these decisions is your financial resources. The more cash you have obviously the more you can afford. Unfortunately, the value of that cash is shrinking fast which makes things that might have been affordable in the past with that level of wealth increasingly less affordable.
These seem like times when it’s good to be reserved and keep expenses in check at least until things settle down and directions become clearer.
I make do with a minivan. I’ve outfitted it with a nice bed, excellent heating to keep me warm on the coldest nights, a nice little 8 inch TV, a DC car fridge, several kWh in LiFePO4 batteries, solar panels on top, a generator, custom window insulating covers, gas and electric stoves and pretty much everything I need to have a place to relax and recline when on the road. I can get 30 mpg even with all the added weight which means I can travel for less. I could afford to go bigger but that would eat into resources faster and I want to conserve them for the long haul. That said, it is a bit cramped. I couldn’t imagine being in anything smaller than a minivan for this.
I would suggest stating small, minimal investment until you get a good feel for what it’s like and if it’s for you. You can always upgrade but might take huge hits downgrading.