Just starting this journey in a 2016 Ford Transit 250 that was built for basic camping. I’ll be traveling with a small dog and am looking forward to seeing more of the USA.
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Greetings!
Life is expensive, always chase the money, it’s frequently the most useful tool in the box.
MONEY FIRST, enjoyment later…
Cheers!
"Life can be as wonderful or as miserable
as you choose to make it." ~ The Camper Van Man
as you choose to make it." ~ The Camper Van Man
Welcome!
#vanlifesummit
I’m also a newbie at 70 yrs old! Ford Transit is on order and I’m working on the design now - scale model out of foam core in order to work out the layout and my needs. I hope to be starting the build this Spring and have it ready for its test run for some fall colors. I’m not sure if I’ll be full time or simply take off when the desire hits. It’s all very exciting
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I’m 72 and getting into van life with a 2007 Chevy express passenger van 6.0 L, 3500 suspension in northeast USA. First thing I installed was a utility tub, hot water heater/faucet spray. I’m 5-9 so I can sit in the tub, like a small soaking tub. Small amount of soap, quick hot water rinse with one or 2 quarts of water, that’s it I’m clean enough for pajamas. Use paper bath towels to dry myself and then wipe dry the tub to rid excess moisture in the van, no shower curtain to dry. That’s just the beginning of the install equipment. Any other questions? Just ask. I also travel with a dog a 60 pound lab.
Greetings!
Sounds like you’re doing good. My shower base is also a storage tote, so I can take a shower or a bath. My shower curtain is my toilet/shower/tub privacy partition.
Cheers!
"Opportunities are everywhere, but only action makes it happen." ~ Van_Dweller
Hi van dweller, I installed the EL Mustee laundry tub in by chevy passenger van, inside tub dimensions 36x17x14" high. Any chance of food or drink spilling or anything sticky or wet, bread crubms etc. it goes in the sink. EZ to wipe down clean. I go in the sink to sit and spray shower. Steibel Elton smallest mini 120V 1600W on demand hot water heater only stays on for a 10 to 20 seconds for a slow stream of 110° hot water. I power it with a Bluette AC200 max.
Greetings!
For years I’ve used a modified weed sprayer for my shower, painted black for solar hot water, and no electricity needed. In the winter, or if there isn’t enough solar, I heat water on my stove, again, so no electricity is required.
Less things that can go wrong, means less things that will go wrong, so I try to keep all my essentials as simple as possible, and to not require any power. Since power is an ever growing failure point for campers, I try to limit it to luxuries only.
I do have a generator for a backup plan if needed, but I find it easier to conserve on power usage rather than need to create more power. I grew up off the grid, and before solar, cell phones, or laptops. Everything we had ran on kerosene. No power when camping either… So I was uniquely prepared to live without a lot of modern conveniences, before becoming a nomad, and still prefer to keep things as simple as possible.
Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t necessarily do without, we just learned to do things differently, without the need for electricity. Just like the people did before electricity.
Cheers!
"Opportunities are everywhere, but only action makes it happen." ~ Van_Dweller