Good morning. I am a retiree who works part time as a substitute teacher. I became addicted to traveling 10 years ago and have tried to take an extended vacation to Europe every year. My income is very limited and as rents have increased, I am considering living in a van for the summers as a cost saving measure. I must admit I have little desire to live or travel in the US as I am thoroughly nauseated by our politics. I plan to purchase and convert a Ford 350 XLT passenger van. (I received an email saying I should introduce myself, hence this post.) Thank you for the information I have already received on this site.
I am planning on getting a used van (under 50,000) miles. Since I have minimal mechanical skills and the van will be my only vehicle, I am afraid to get one with more wear than that. In my wanderings, it appears most of the van conversions I have seen devote half of the space to a bed. Toilets/showers are another space hog which I do not want. I am not going for fancy, just the things which are important to me such as a recliner, many dressers, ample cooking equipment. Most of my stays will be in state parks where I will have electricity, bathrooms, showers, etc. I have already purchased most of the “furniture or appliances” needed. I doubt I will ever boondock. My thought is that I want a van 1. to have a safe place to sleep since I am a elderly female traveling alone 2. Having a place to hang out and watch TV when it rains; 3. Being able to pull over and take a nap or make myself some coffee when I get sick of driving somewhere. My introduction was more negative than intended. Much of my childhood was spent camping and these are my favorite memories so to some degree, I just want to be in the woods. I want to awaken to the sound of birds and trees blowing in the wind. My soul needs restoration and woods are for me, the best way to achieve that! Thanks for the advice.
Politics rarely enters RV travel. It’s all in online forums, television, or in people’s minds. If you’re offended by things you see but do not interact with, like a flag or bumper sticker, it’s a you problem. As for a van, plan on a bare minimum of $150k. I’ve had a 2003 Sprinter T1N for 8 years and 100k miles. I’ve been investigating a new build for years, I have the skills to DYI, and can’t get do what I want for less.
I am finding Ford Passenger Vans with 50,000 miles between $40,000 and $50,000. I think your standards are considerably above mine. I am using dressers with cloth drawers for storage, my seating is a recliner which I already own, my eating area is a high top table and chairs which I also already own, etc. Purchased a TV, refrigerator, generator, power packs, folding cot with high quality memory foam mattress. No need for a sink or bathroom area as I will usually be camping in parks with electricity, showers and restrooms. Time will tell. Regarding politics, part of my reason for wanting to camp is to detach from the news.
I live in Florida so I would like to go up the east coast to Maine, as well as up the entire west coast. There are a few spots in the Southwest which I would also like to see. My preferred way of traveling is to stay in a hotel and take escorted tours to see the sights because then I have playmates. I do not want to pay for hotel rooms as I make my way to the various vacation sights as they involve many days of driving, hence the van. (I have some circulation issues so I can’t sit for many hours. I am thinking with a van, I can drive for 34 hours, stop, relax in my recliner with a book or watch a TV show for an hour, then I can resume driving.) I am also thinking I might stay in the van for a couple of months in the summer as a cost saving measure. (I suspect I am not the typical vanlifer.)
I actually have purchased a folding toilet which can have the bags attached. I will have it in the van for emergencies but hope to never have to use it. I also have a shower tent, shower pump, etc. I have a large screened porch which I will use as my “kitchen” in good weather.
When I first started out, my toilet was for emergencies, then one of my best upgrades was using my own toilet & shower instead of going and hunting for them. Saves me a ton of time, money, & hassle, and I never have to clean up after some stranger or worry about catching the creepy crud.
Emptying my toilet & trash once a week is whole lot easier than hunting a toilet whenever I need one.
Cheers!
"Accountability, responsibility, sustainability, & creative solutions for the win." ~ Old_Soul
I too am a newcomer, retiree. My partner and I are going to be looking for a van to build out. We are waiting thru part of the summer as we live in MN and the weather is better in summer. If you are a social media person, there are a few Facebook groups for vanlifers. There are many helpful tips and no politics as far as I can tell. We are seeking to unplug from all of it. I have been looking for a Promaster 2500 with high miles. My thought is we won’t spend a lot on the build out, try it out and decide later if we want anything newer. We don’t want a shower and toilet either. There are all kinds of options for those without taking space in the van. We have dogs. They need their space!