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Bluedogz

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2024
Messages
13
Reaction score
7
Location
Dallas, TX
Hi everyone!

I'm born/raised in the bustle of NYC, so... used to small spaces, don't get cramped too easily, and have a high tolerance for background noise.

When I was little (like 4 YOA), my (then very energetic) parents packed me in the back of a 1970 Buick Skylark and did a summer over-the-road trip from NYC to Niagara Falls to Detroit to San Francisco to Disneyland to Pikes Peak to the Painted Desert and all the way home. Since then, I have absolutely yearned to do it again as a grownup. Also, I've grown into a very DIY-friendly guy who is comfortable with most any job.

I've owned a travel trailer in the past (a 16') and found that it was just too much stuff! I didn't need or use the lion's share of its "features". A minivan conversion seems like an ideal solution. So, I'm here to learn.

Thanks for having me.
 
Well welcome! That sounds like an epic trip! I'm from the Niagara Falls area and drove myself across the country to CA as a teenager. Still here today. Not sure if it was that trip that gave me wanderlust or if I've always had it, but it's a good thing to have if you're into vanlife. Enjoy the forum!
 
Welcome to the Van Living Forum Bluedogz. You've found a great place to learn of all the stuff you want to know about. Since you're in Texas, I'd suggest considering a vehicle durable enough to hold up to lots of travel. I have family in Texas and have been all over the state so I urge you to consider a durable platform if you want to invest in a build out. All the best !
 
eDJ_ said:
Welcome to the Van Living Forum Bluedogz. You've found a great place to learn of all the stuff you want to know about. Since you're in Texas, I'd suggest considering a vehicle durable enough to hold up to lots of travel. I have family in Texas and have been all over the state so I urge you to consider a durable platform if you want to invest in a build out. All the best !
Click to expand...
100% accurate. ATM I'm in Texas by chance and not design, so staying here is really not on the radar in the long run. That said, getting something durable is a no-brainer. Like I said, I'm DIY-friendly so maintaining a vehicle on the road is quite doable until it gets major- I kept a V6 Camry running for 300k before it needed a major repair and in a van-life context even that repair would have been an inconvenience but not a killer.
 
In my more recent visits to my Texas cousins, I was impressed by the number of heavier Pickup Trucks with Slide In's (campers) I spoke with a few who were driving 3/4 and 1 ton rigs with add on engine oil & transmission coolers mounted to the radiator. Some even towing fishing boats with outboard motors. (Piney Woods area)

That way they could nomad when they wanted and resort to the sticks & bricks during certain times of the years. The Pickup could pull out from under the camper to be left in a shelter. I guess that if you were around the coast you could tow a sailboat to do some lite sailing to get your boating skills & seamanship honed in.

A setup like that could get you on the road immediately until you figure how you really want to roll. :)
 
eDJ_ said:
In my more recent visits to my Texas cousins, I was impressed by the number of heavier Pickup Trucks with Slide In's (campers) I spoke with a few who were driving 3/4 and 1 ton rigs with add on engine oil & transmission coolers mounted to the radiator. Some even towing fishing boats with outboard motors. (Piney Woods area)

That way they could nomad when they wanted and resort to the sticks & bricks during certain times of the years. The Pickup could pull out from under the camper to be left in a shelter. I guess that if you were around the coast you could tow a sailboat to do some lite sailing to get your boating skills & seamanship honed in.

A setup like that could get you on the road immediately until you figure how you really want to roll. :)
Click to expand...
The slide-in idea seemed like a great one for a bit... research shows they're better suited for huntin'-and-fishin' type folk. If I'm gonna spend that much plus a vehicle to carry it, I'd just get a good TT and call it done.

I don't have a clear idea where the sticks-and-bricks are going to be, or when. Right now, I'm still on the whiteboard.
 
If you do not know what the future holds for you just buy a cargo van. They hold their value pretty good for resale and are versatile for camping inside of them including being able to put some low profile solar panels up top.
 
maki2 said:
If you do not know what the future holds for you just buy a cargo van. They hold their value pretty good for resale and are versatile for camping inside of them including being able to put some low profile solar panels up top.
Click to expand...
This is a great idea. Now, my idea in replicating that trip is to be able to have a reasonable daily driver both until and during that expedition. Further, all the cargo vans I've seen in a modest price range are either 1) quite expensive for their size, 2) gas hogs, 3) ragged out by a tradesman, or 4) all of the above. So, it seemed like a Toyota Sienna or similar might be a good start.
 
Bluedogz said:
The slide-in idea seemed like a great one for a bit... research shows they're better suited for huntin'-and-fishin' type folk. If I'm gonna spend that much plus a vehicle to carry it, I'd just get a good TT...
Click to expand...
.
a)
Chris and Elisabeth -- YouTubers 'CandE Adventures' -- full-time live-aboard their TruckCamper.
Former game-wardens, they eat good!

.
Eric and Marissa -- YouTubers 'The Cummins Campers' -- full-time live-aboard their TruckCamper.
While traveling, they operate two successful businesses!

.
Alicia Ard -- YouTuber 'Alicia Ard' -- is a full-time live-aboard in her TruckCamper while working on-line as a Graphic Designer.

.
.
b)
That 'good' and 'TT' in one sentence is an oxymoron.
They simply don't go together.
.
Ask around, most full-time live-aboard folks advise against a factory RecreateVehicle for full-time live-aboard.
They are assembled from low-bid components, engineered for profit instead of longevity.
The worst of a factory RecreateVehicle?
They are designed by committees of non-camping accountants.
.
Unless, of course, you just must have dual wine-chillers in your 'Entertainment Center'...
... and don't mind camping in the repair-shop parking-lot for months.
And months.
And months.
.
"Well, I will just buy a used rig, avoid all those warranty issues!"
keyword : staples into particle-board
.
On our preferred rough logger tracks to remote mountain lakes or across deserts to isolated Baja beaches, a factory RecreateVehicle would crumble to dust the first five minutes.
.
As you might imagine, the much-touted 'hurricane during an earthquake with rioters' describes every minute of every mile in any vehicle.
A used RecreateVehicle has those experiences under its belt, coupled with popped seals, probably has some rot.
Look for trampoline floors and the exciting inconvenience of a 'low' ceiling impending your initial examination.
.
Broken welds seem popular, too.
But those chinesium tires should be good for another [twenty-minute rant deleted].
 
Bluedogz said:
... used to small spaces, don't get cramped...
...a travel trailer... (a 16')...it was just too much stuff! I didn't need or use the lion's share of its "features". A minivan conversion seems like an ideal solution...
Click to expand...
.
a)
We understand small.
Our ExpeditionVehicle is three paces across by seven paces long about 600cf/16 cubic meters(metres).
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
.
.
b)
July 2024, an acquaintance returned from Baja, was faced with losing his factory RecreateVehicle, a 1999 36' Bounder, Cummins pusher.
We got the title, paid it off, and are amazed at the interior cubic space!
The thing is massive!
.
Now, before we lose all credibility with our beloved TinyHomeOnWheels bunch, we are using it for storage.
.
However, we are keeping the center walkway open.
Always wanted a combination drag-strip/ rifle range...
.
.
c)
I see your word 'solution', and must issue a warning:
* every rig is constantly evolving.
Today's solution is usually only temporary.
You change, your vehicle needs change, too.
 
Bluedogz said:
...cargo vans...are either 1) quite expensive for their size, 2) gas hogs, 3) ragged out by a tradesman, or 4) all of the above. So, it seemed like a Toyota Sienna or similar...
Click to expand...
.
a)
(1991?), we had a (1984?) Chevrolet Astro van.
4.3 engine, 700R4 automatic.
We acquired it half-beat-to-death from a plumbing contractor.
.
After five new tires plus hoses and serpentine, we traveled with our usual caravan chums -- multiple times -- from Oregon to Central America for SCUBA and surfing.
Zero issues with that gallant steed for the years we owned it.
.
We prefer common American-built vehicles with a history of reliable acquisition of parts.
That excludes most computer vehicles.
That definitely excludes anything after 2006.
That absolutely excludes anything with Exhaust Fluid.
.
An aside:
A couple years ago, my neighbors acquired a 2011 Chevrolet 1-ton pick-up with a TruckCamper.
Returning to Oregon from a Texas wedding, they got stranded in Albuquerque with sensor failures.
Tow to the dealership.
.
Six grand in parts-n-repairs and a week later, they finally got back on the road home.
They were glad they bought the ExtendedWarranty® for four grand over the price of the rig...
[shakes head in dismay]
.
.
b)
Fuel efficiency?
We rarely travel more than a hundred miles a month.
Fuel is a very minor part of our budget.
 
LargeMarge said:
.
a)
Chris and Elisabeth -- YouTubers 'CandE Adventures' -- full-time live-aboard their TruckCamper.
Former game-wardens, they eat good!

.
Eric and Marissa -- YouTubers 'The Cummins Campers' -- full-time live-aboard their TruckCamper.
While traveling, they operate two successful businesses!

.
Alicia Ard -- YouTuber 'Alicia Ard' -- is a full-time live-aboard in her TruckCamper while working on-line as a Graphic Designer.

.
.
b)
That 'good' and 'TT' in one sentence is an oxymoron.
They simply don't go together.
.
Ask around, most full-time live-aboard folks advise against a factory RecreateVehicle for full-time live-aboard.
They are assembled from low-bid components, engineered for profit instead of longevity.
The worst of a factory RecreateVehicle?
They are designed by committees of non-camping accountants.
.
Unless, of course, you just must have dual wine-chillers in your 'Entertainment Center'...
... and don't mind camping in the repair-shop parking-lot for months.
And months.
And months.
.
"Well, I will just buy a used rig, avoid all those warranty issues!"
keyword : staples into particle-board
.
On our preferred rough logger tracks to remote mountain lakes or across deserts to isolated Baja beaches, a factory RecreateVehicle would crumble to dust the first five minutes.
.
As you might imagine, the much-touted 'hurricane during an earthquake with rioters' describes every minute of every mile in any vehicle.
A used RecreateVehicle has those experiences under its belt, coupled with popped seals, probably has some rot.
Look for trampoline floors and the exciting inconvenience of a 'low' ceiling impending your initial examination.
.
Broken welds seem popular, too.
But those chinesium tires should be good for another [twenty-minute rant deleted].
Click to expand...

Oh, I'm not suggesting a camper rig couldn't work, but for the cost of that plus the vehicle to carry it, I'm way above any budget I'll have. So, it wouldn't work FOR ME. Also, I don't expect to go the logger-track route (though I get those that do.)

And yes, having owned the TT, you couldn't get me near another one on a dare. One of the attractions of a DIY van conversion is that I know EVERY INCH of the vehicle before I ever hit the road. I'll have oodles of time to build it out. That's why my questions are gonna get real granular.
 
abnorm said:
^They're SMALL............I build a lot
Click to expand...
And even more reasons you have a larger, tall, van… You are married. A minivan just can’t provide enough space for the two of you.
 
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