Hey y’all! I’m Katy. I’m a full time online student, a part time communications assistant for a private school, and a photographer. Over the past year, I’ve been really diving into researching and loving the van/skoolie lifestyle! I would love to purchase my own bus or van this summer to start working on over the next couple of years while I finish up school! I’m completely new to this world so any tips or tricks or best kind of bus or van to buy and where to buy would be super helpful. So excited to start this journey!
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Hi Katy, welcome to the forum.
Welcome Katie, im Jg im new here.
Welcome!
As a life long nomad, I’ve had many rigs over the years, and built, or been involved in many builds.
Over the years, my views have changed, a very cheap, mid 1970’s, move in ready motorhome is now my vehicle of choice. For under $2500 you can have a move in ready home on wheels, that was built in an era when quality was still important. They’re also cheaper & easier to repair.
I’ve had every type of van, step van, bus, boat, and motorhome out there, from brand new, to very old. Factory camper, to DIY by myself, or previous owners.
Anything new enough to be computerized is GARBAGE!!! Constant check engine lights, bad sensors, and poor design in general. Mechanical problems usually give fair warning before failing, but electrical problems can leave you stranded without any prior warning. That’s what the computer age has contributed to vehicles, unreliability.
While money has rarely been an issue for me, comfort, convenience, and reliability are. The old saying “You get what you pay for…” seems to have become obsolete since about the 1980’s when greed became more important than quality.
Motorhomes kind of defy logic, you can still find old motorhomes in like new condition, with low miles, for very cheap, and the older ones aren’t all plastic. There’s good reason that so many motorhomes and travel trailers from the 50’s, 60’s, & 70’s are still in use today, they were simply built better.
For me, the bottom line is that I can frequently buy a very comfortable, very reliable, move in ready home on wheels for under $2500. After a few years, I can still sell it for what I paid for it or more. That’s what I consider sustainable living, while fulfilling my nomadic desires.
I wasted tons of money before coming to the conclusion that dirt cheap motorhomes, or dirt cheap older vans, with dirt cheap “no build” builds, actually met my needs & requirements much better than wasting big bucks on inferior living accommodations. It’s hard to beat the convenience of having a full kitchen and bathroom. None of this gym membership for showers baloney for me, or the ordeal of filthy public restrooms.
The good life doesn’t need to be expensive. I don’t need to impress anybody but myself, and I can actually enjoy life on all the money I’m saving.