Hello,
This is my first venture in to the possibility of van living.
I’m getting close to retirement, and have had wanderlust for awhile now.
So, I’m looking for advice, and some guidance.
Thanks in advance.
4stringer
Greetings & Welcome!
Self builds for newbies rarely turns out well except for the influencers who suggest such nonsense to line their own pockets.
Factory camper vans or smaller Class C motorhomes are usually the best bang for your bucks, and a WHOLE lot more comfortable than most self builds. As a bonus, they are move in ready. The slimey sales people are only after your money, and don’t care one bit about your well being or happiness.
The only advantage a camper van has over a motorhome is if you need to regularly park on city streets overnight. That compromise gives you much less space, and much less convenience & comfort. 21’ or less should fit in most standard parking spaces. I would go look at factory camper vans and motorhomes within your price range and even less, possibly much older and much less. I’ve bought fabulous older rigs for under $2500. Tour them, and pay special attention to the roominess & floor plans. Floor plans mean everything. Some will feel cramped & claustrophobic, while the next one might feel twice as large on the inside, even though it is the same size on the outside.
Make no mistake, sooner or later you will be spending days and maybe even weeks mostly camped out inside due to bad weather. You want something you can be comfortable living IN, not just living out of, and you want all the amenities including a toilet & a shower. The more self contained your rig is, the more versatility you’ll have. A generator will give you power anytime and anywhere, solar won’t.
Good Luck & keep us posted!
Cheers!
"Happy Holidays!" ~Van_Dweller
1 Like
Thank you for all the info Van Dweller. Big kudos!
I do need to do a lot more research, before I take off on some experiments this Spring and Summer.
If the future, if I decide to do this full time,how do I go about voting, if all I have is a P.O. Box? Or, is that even an option?
With the different diseases popping up from mosquitoes, how do you keep yourself safe?
Speaking of safe, do I need to research how different States would handle me protecting myself with a gun?
I will begin looking at different RVs this weekend. There are a couple of dealers in Colorado Springs. I cannot afford the new models, but want to see how the are laid out, more than anything.
Thanks,
Dave
Greetings!
Re: Voting, if you’re a registered voter with a mailing address, they will send you ballots. (You may need to request them.)
Re: Bugs, for inside I have screens on the windows, a solar powered rechargeable bug zapper, or a candle, preferably a liquid candle. For outdoors a pop up screen room with the above flying insect killers works wonders. I only use insect repellents when no better option is available.
Re: RV’s, floor plans mean everything, enjoy your touring!
Cheers!
"Proper Planning is preferable to premature failure" ~ DreamLife
Greetings!
I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you MIGHT be legit, and not just another promoter out for themselves…
Please tell us about your van, the purchase price, and the costs of your build. Pictures would be nice too.
Please explain the advantages of a $1k Natures Head composting toilet, vs. a ~$5.00 bucket toilet or an under $100 portable camping toilet, and why Natures Head, when you can build a far better one for under $100, or purchase similar ones for far less money that will work exactly the same.
Please also explain the costs of your solar set-up, and why you feel the costs or benefits of it are better than the under $200 totally reliable power set-ups that many of us use. How many cloudy, rainy, or snowy days can you still have all the power you want or need like the rest of us, without the need of hookups, or how you can power as many AC or DC loads for as long as want, even at night? My $99 generator will do all that and more. How many years will it take before your solar set-up will actually save you any money over cheaper and more reliable systems? I’ve never used more than 5 gallons of gas per year in my generator, for my own personal usage…
I think I speak for nearly everybody when I say that we are always interested in cheaper, better, or more reliable ways of doing things.
Please tell us how you’re supporting your travels as well, because that is a very important topic for many of our readers.
Then, since I’ve had 10+ marvelous rigs over the years for under $2,500 all in, and anybody can still do this for those prices, please explain how your way is going to save anybody any money, be more capable, or be more comfortable.
I’ve been a fulltimer for over 40 years, and an extreme weather camper for many of them, weathering temperatures from -60°f to 120°f+, and humidity levels up to 100%. I managed to stay comfortable in all of them. I worked as a traveling construction worker for 30 years, and have been making my living mostly online since then. I choose to live and work in my van rather than live or work out of it, because my van is the most comfortable place I can be. It is cost efficient, energy efficient, comfortable, convenient, and reliable.
Cheers!
"Proper Planning is preferable to premature failure" ~ DreamLife
Hello,
My apologies for stirring up a hornets nest.
Passions on all sides.
I will continue to ask for advice though.
I am in dire need of good information.
Kudos to those of you that responded.
I hold no ill will towards anyone.
Thanks,
Dave
Greetings!
No problem. Every now and then we get bad people with bad intentions, but they usually don’t stick around too long if they get challenged. They’re looking for suckers and places where they can pull off their nonsense unchallenged.
There were clues in her very first post ever here that she was up to no good. I try to be fair and open minded, and can even enjoy a lively discussion. No reasonable choices are bad, whether I happen to totally agree with them or not. Explanations of choices can help a lot too. Everybody’s needs, wants, and desires are just a little different. I don’t even really mind if someone makes a little money if their intentions are good, and they’re genuinely trying to help.
When her first post appeared to be promoting a $1k “Natures Head” composting toilet, instead of just “I enjoy my composting toilet”, it raised an eyebrow. Then her “Do it now, time is of the essence.” kind of pushed the rest of my buttons a little too hard. The “Hurry Hurry” is generally a sign of scammers, they want everybody to act immediately before anybody else can get involved.
Taking your time and trying to decide what the best choices for you are, just seems like a better route to me. You making the best choices for yourself are my ultimate goal, and if I can expand people’s options or knowledge, that’s good for everybody. The more options we have, the better choices we can make.
Cheers!
"Proper Planning is preferable to premature failure" ~ DreamLife