Start of my journey almost here - Your help is appreciated

Choosing the right Vehicle Bus
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Tough times for all during the last few years but I am approx 2 months away from buying a 7 seater SUV and would appreciate any and all advice

If anyone could help out with answers to these few questions id appreciate it…

  1. Choosing the right vehicle; Ive made the decision on a 7 seater SUV but unsure of which brand, model, year, etc to buy

  2. Portable power stations; Ive heard bluetti are good but would like to know what you think. Ultimately I will be van lifing at least 50% of the time come mid year.

  3. Refridgeration; I have heard brassmonkey i a good brand. What size is a good size for an SUV?

  4. Apart from the above,Ill use the front passenger seat as an office which will have a cop holder and a portable table for laptop, etc. Food and clothing will be in 2 seperate tubs; I have figured I can store 2 months of food at a time and do laundry once a week. As for a bed ill get a simple blow up bed from kmart or target.

If you have any suggestions or alternate ideas please let me know.

Kind thanks :slight_smile:

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Greetings!

Re: Choosing vehicle

I think ceiling height and bed length are the most important factors. You’ll want to be able to sit upright on your bed without hitting your head, and stretch out fully. Don’t forget the added length of a pillow either…

Re: Power stations

I’m not a fan of any of them really… I prefer a dedicated house battery charged via an isolator. Simple, cheaper, and more robust. With any power station or house battery your two biggest concerns are whether it will meet ALL your needs, and how you’re going to charge it & how long it will take to charge it.

Re: Refridgeration

All 12v fridges are power hogs. I would choose an ice chest instead. If you wrap it in a moving blanket, ice will last for a week, and if you keep the ice in a separate container, it’ll last longer and you’ll never have soggy food.

Re: Mattress

Those inflatable mattresses are the pits, a foam campers pad will be much more comfortable and last for years. Mine is 4" high and very comfortable. I think I saw some at Home Depot the other day…

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Is the front passenger seat going to be comfortable enough to sit/work/lounge in for prolonged periods of time? Put a LOT of thought into that. One of the main reasons I prefer vans is so I can choose my own seating, since I spend so much time working/lounging in my van. I have a super comfortable swivel, rocking, reclining office chair in mine. It works in a mini van too, with the added floor to ceiling height. Comfort is very important to me…

Ventilation is very important to prevent condensation, moisture build up, and mold. Side window rain visors can help a lot for this, so you can leave your side windows down an inch even in the rain, and still be unnoticeable.

What are you planning for heating/cooling? A 12v electric blanket might suffice for heating, and you could even use it in the front seat while working or lounging. Shade or a parking garage combined with a fan can go a long way towards cooling…

Do you have your internet connectivity figure out?

Cheers!

"Be the reason someone smiles today!" ~ Van_Dweller


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