Hi!
I’m located in the Hood River, OR area and looking to convert an older minivan on a tight budget. Looking for someone who would like to take on the project and maybe I can help with some of it. Something super basic and simple.
Also looking into what time of minivan to get! My budget is around 6,000 for the van.
Greetings & Welcome!
Besides getting a minivan & converting it, what are your goals? Occasional camping, living in it, traveling, saving money or ??? These things make a difference for what you might want or need. Are you working? Is your job stable? Regular job, work from home, or internet based? Besides the conversion, there are many factors that should be considered in the conversion. Will you want to cook, or want/need a toilet and/or shower? Many variables to consider. Heating, cooling, and ventilation are more things to consider, as well as power.
No matter what, the conversion can be done simple, cheap, & easy, or it can cost a fortune and be a money pit depending on who is doing the designing & work. You really need to be careful with this choice.
I might be able to help with the design aspect from afar, I have built or helped build many campers, and have been living on wheels for over 50 years. I’ve encountered and solved every problem I’ve ever run into, except for the human kind of problems. If boondocking, the wildlife can be a risk, including snakes & other creepy crawlies. People are also a huge risk, especially people on drugs/alcohol/etc. They believe they don’t need to follow the rules, the law, or any aspect of common decency, and there’s really no way to totally avoid them.
As a woman you will need to be extra careful & vigilant. Many of the illegal immigrants are coming from places & cultures where women have no rights, and rapes & assaults are common.
The life of a nomad isn’t what social media and the promoters make it out to be, it’s not all rainbows & roses, and this life is actually for very few. Very few last longer than a year, and too many regret it. We still need a reliable income, and almost everything is more complicated and more time consuming, than living in a house or apartment. On the other side of the coin, if you’re the right type of person, being a nomad can be amazing, traveling the country, and always having your home with you.
Depending on your circumstances, and your goals, an RV might be a better choice than a minivan. They can be found as cheap, and possibly cheaper than a minivan. Much more comfortable, and if your goal is cheaper rent, you can put it in a RV/Trailer Park with full hookups for less than half the price of a cheap apartment, and still take it camping or traveling anytime you wish.
There can be multiple solutions to many problems, and multiple paths to any destination. Choosing wisely can lead to amazing success, and the wrong choices can lead to a miserable failure. With good information, perhaps I can help you make wise choices.
Cheers!
"Accountability, responsibility, sustainability,
& creative solutions for the win." ~ Old_Soul
& creative solutions for the win." ~ Old_Soul
1 Like
I boondock right by the border all the time as a solo woman, never felt unsafe