Recent content by qinomad

Hey there @highdesertranger, I'm picking up my "new" rig next week - it's a 95 Chevy G30 ex military truck/van a lot like the one pictured in this thread. Seller said it's a 6.2 Detroit Diesel but from what I'm seeing the 95's had the 6.5 Diesel. If you have tips, I'm all ears! My first order...

I did it. I left town on Monday. It was way more exhausting than I imagined... getting out of that apartment. Spent the first night at a rest stop in Missouri. It was super easy and laid back. Next night, I stayed at the Flying J's / Denny's in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The view from the back of...

As I set out on my own adventure, I'm definitely getting a variety of responses from all sorts of people, mostly uninvited. I'm not telling many people about it, but for some reason, anyone that learns even a bit about what I'm doing seems to feel the need or desire to comment on it. So I'm...

If all goes well, I'll be heading out in about 5 days. Bought a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Cargo Van. Even though I'm in the midwest, the van is a Cali van. Started life as a police van. It's in great shape. Has just over 150K miles on it. Someone before me did the insulation, blocked the windows...

Thanks and agreed. I was just a little freaked out because I just bought it and it triggered all sorts of "what else do I not know about this" thoughts. It's a sign I need to chill out and relax. Something I hope my upcoming road trip will help with tremendously. It also occurs to me that this...

Welcome. I am new to the forum but have been "in my head" and also living life vicariously through youtube and other screen activities for way too long... for me, the only way out of analysis paralysis was to accept that however I get started, it'll be a work in progress, so I just focused...

Thanks MrNoodly - that's what I was thinking and hoping. I'm in a fairly urban area at the moment, so maybe it was just out of the guy's comfort zone or something. Just wanted to double check before I hit the road in a few weeks.

Recently purchased a Dodge Ram 3500 cargo van. Have never owned a cargo van before so apologies up front if this is a dumb question... I took it into my local shop (that I've used before) to get the check engine light looked at, and an oil change - the guy said it's way too big for his shop...

Hi Srae29 -- I can relate. I can't say this van was my ideal choice, but now that I have it, I'm quite happy to make it work. Especially because I got myself into quite the pickle with my lease running out in a few weeks, so the clock was ticking. But then again, maybe that's just what I needed...

Thanks. All I have at the moment is a pic from the CL post (attached). More to come this week. The initial drive on the highway was super smooth even at 70 mph. Hoping this is a solid start for my van life adventures. As the thread says, gotta start somewhere!

Thought I'd drop an update here on my intro thread. Bought my first van today! It's a 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Cargo Van. Came with a basic camper conversion - insulation, windows are blocked, and thankfully it also already has a roof vent. I'm in the midwest and most vans that age have a fair...

Thank you. I agree that would have been a great idea... but with the lease ending and the clock ticking, it is what it is now.  When I consider how I got myself into this spot, I know it's partly due to my desire to figure everything out before making my move. Of course, with this change, there...

Appreciate the reminder. At first, my plan was to buy half the van I think I can afford and put the rest in savings for maintenance and repairs. But if I can swing a newer van with lower miles, I'll adjust.  Also looking for engines with lower priced and easy to find parts. Have seen some fun...

Thanks! Great points. I know I'll be looking to lend a hand along the way, as it will be a great learning experience. Like the idea of doing some woodworking by hand too.

Sell, donate, toss... whatever it takes! Best of luck to you as well!