Let me begin by describing myself and listing my goals, so that way maybe this newbie can get a little reality injected into his thinking.
I am 23 years old, and am working as an apprentice electrician with the union in Austin TX. All things considered it is reliable and pays well. I don't plan to retire an electrician but believe it's a useful job to have considered I don't yet know the direction I want to take in life. That being said, the method of vandwelling I think would be most fitting is to stealth it up either within the city limits, or closer to the job site if it happens to be in a town like San Marcos for example.
Now the goal is primarily to save money while forcing myself into a situation that will require me to integrate myself more into the city and to a greater extent life itself. Maybe with the money I save I will decide to travel more, pay off my student loans, maybe I will buy my first investment property, maybe I will fall in love with the lifestyle and reinvest my money into it. The point is, I already feel unhappy with the progress of my life and the feeling of simply treading water is no longer something I can accept. Living in Austin IS NOT CHEAP, at least the conventional way. I'm done being conventional.
So with that out of they way, maybe this wonderful forum can help me develop a plan and execute my first adventure into vandwelling.
I will have at most 3k to put towards a down payment for a used cargo van. My credit is average and don't mind having a payment between 200-300 a month.
If you were in my situation, what van would you start with? In my limited research, the Dodge Sprinter seems to have the most cargo space but is also one of the priciest options. Next up would probably be Ford's Econoline series. After that I really don't know what compares. I certainly want something with a ton of space that I can slowly convert to fit my needs. Ideally it would be large, without windows, extended head room, and as reliable/good on mileage as possible. It needs to be able to haul a kayak and mountain bike if at all possible. It would need to be able to handle long road trips to festivals like burning man.
Lets say I find a van that fits the above description. I simply won't have the option of converting it entirely before taking the plunge and moving in. How much do I need to budget for the bare necessities to get started? How do I keep it cool in the summer? I don't plan to spend much free time in the van if I don't have to, but still it needs to be comfortable when I do spend time in it.
Part if the appeal I have is knowing that I can take a shell of a vehicle and build into it like a blank canvas. I can take the money I save each month and run on down to my local home depot and get down and dirty with my conversion. The truth is I admire the ingenuity people on this forum demonstrate when they convert a vehicle and I want to acquire those skills.
I'm rambling on at this point so will end it hear and hope to continue with my questions if anyone is willing to start a discussion with me about this.
Thanks to anyone who provides input!
I am 23 years old, and am working as an apprentice electrician with the union in Austin TX. All things considered it is reliable and pays well. I don't plan to retire an electrician but believe it's a useful job to have considered I don't yet know the direction I want to take in life. That being said, the method of vandwelling I think would be most fitting is to stealth it up either within the city limits, or closer to the job site if it happens to be in a town like San Marcos for example.
Now the goal is primarily to save money while forcing myself into a situation that will require me to integrate myself more into the city and to a greater extent life itself. Maybe with the money I save I will decide to travel more, pay off my student loans, maybe I will buy my first investment property, maybe I will fall in love with the lifestyle and reinvest my money into it. The point is, I already feel unhappy with the progress of my life and the feeling of simply treading water is no longer something I can accept. Living in Austin IS NOT CHEAP, at least the conventional way. I'm done being conventional.
So with that out of they way, maybe this wonderful forum can help me develop a plan and execute my first adventure into vandwelling.
I will have at most 3k to put towards a down payment for a used cargo van. My credit is average and don't mind having a payment between 200-300 a month.
If you were in my situation, what van would you start with? In my limited research, the Dodge Sprinter seems to have the most cargo space but is also one of the priciest options. Next up would probably be Ford's Econoline series. After that I really don't know what compares. I certainly want something with a ton of space that I can slowly convert to fit my needs. Ideally it would be large, without windows, extended head room, and as reliable/good on mileage as possible. It needs to be able to haul a kayak and mountain bike if at all possible. It would need to be able to handle long road trips to festivals like burning man.
Lets say I find a van that fits the above description. I simply won't have the option of converting it entirely before taking the plunge and moving in. How much do I need to budget for the bare necessities to get started? How do I keep it cool in the summer? I don't plan to spend much free time in the van if I don't have to, but still it needs to be comfortable when I do spend time in it.
Part if the appeal I have is knowing that I can take a shell of a vehicle and build into it like a blank canvas. I can take the money I save each month and run on down to my local home depot and get down and dirty with my conversion. The truth is I admire the ingenuity people on this forum demonstrate when they convert a vehicle and I want to acquire those skills.
I'm rambling on at this point so will end it hear and hope to continue with my questions if anyone is willing to start a discussion with me about this.
Thanks to anyone who provides input!
