Hi everyone,
Me and my partner are hoping to start a van life. We are still in the planning stages, but looking for any advice…we will be doing the build our self, I am a build, plumber and joiner. And we have access to a car garage and mechanic. Any help/advice would be much appreciate
Tom
Welcome to the forum Tom. I’d say look through the site, and use the search feature before asking questions that may have been answered many times before,
Greetings & Welcome!
I would start by doing the math. DIY is often MUCH more expensive than buying a cheap older factory built one.
My tried & proven philosophy is to start saving money with the initial purchase. It’s almost impossible to buy or create a perfect rig. Many people are on their 3rd, 4th, or 5th+ build. Our wants, needs, & desires change. A factory rig will have a decent resale value, DIY rigs are much harder to sell, and you’re much more likely to lose money.
Cheers!
Thank you I will do that!
Thank you! The cost doesn’t really matter, and been in the building trade a know I can get a good chunk of the materials a lot cheaper than I the seen people paying for them. Work to the actual vehicle would only cost parts no labour. But I do understand what you mean about resale that makes sense…how long have you lived in a van?
Greetings!
I started out doing traveling construction work right out of high school, over 50 years ago. Worked construction for 30 years until my body said “NO MORE!”. Then I switched to making money online, and running my own businesses, which I’m still doing today. Money’s never been an issue because I worked full time +, and my expenses were extremely low. It’s hard to beat getting paid to travel the country. I worked for the company part time while I was still in school, and had a full time position waiting for me on the other side of the country as soon as I graduated. We followed natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, etc.) to help rebuild.
Over the years, I’ve had many rigs, both factory campers, & DIY, and helped many others build theirs.
I’m currently doing care-giving for friends, while still working my business’s full time. My retirement plan is transitioning to hands free money making websites, although in all honesty I may never fully retire. I enjoy my work, and would rather work or volunteer during my free time than simply waste it.
Cheers!