6'7", new to scene, and have some questions

[nab5]

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Hi y'all, 24 year old male, from Arizona, and I'm a Christian struggling with what I want to do with my faith, my family, and my future. The enormous sprawl of suburban Phoenix (and a lot of America for that matter) just seemed perverse and unsustainable, and ended up researching alternatives to the endlessly leeching apartments here. Went down the rabbit hole on YouTube and I've thought to myself that I'd love to have a van home, with my eventual plan to be buying a remote plot of land with timber rights somewhere in the pacific northwest area (idaho, oregon, washington, wyoming, etc, but anything is on the table) and build my own underground house for the long term and eventually learn to live off permaculture principles and try to set an example for city people with narrow-minded goals of bigger houses and better TVs. Basically, I'm a city kid sick of being a city kid, but the American road infrastructure is too prevalent not to make use of.
So I'm finally taking the dive and introducing myself and my goals to this tight knit, very accepting, remarkably minimalist community hoping for a new life fresh from living in the same house for 24 years in the middle of the hottest suburbs imaginable, and leave the giant AC units, gaudy consumerism, and lack of unified community behind. Even the churches I've been to here don't quite feel right compared to 1 on 1 bible study with my friend, who is interested in helping me build and live in the underground home.

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Problem is, I'm 2 meters tall exactly. Not an ideal height for a van home or an underground house. So here are my questions for some of the taller/more knowledgeable van dwellers out there:

1. Are there any stock (would prefer no pop tops or DIY extensions) vans with interior heights of 6'7" or above that can fit into a regular parking space (a requirement for me)? Also on that note, the cabin needs to have at least some decent legroom.
2. What is your opinion on the best bed setup that runs along the long side of the van? Does anybody have good examples? How viable is it to have 2 people in a bet setup like this?
3. I'd like this build to be as stealthy as possible while also having 200+watt solar+AC (I'm a photographer with a laptop, and would like to be able to visit places like Pennsylvania in the summer without being miserable), does anybody have any small-scale AC unit recommendations? Wall mounted or ceiling mounted? If you recommend against AC, why? And what alternatives?
4. If I'm going to be investing in an electrical system anyway, do you think I should also invest in an induction stove and electrical heater? Or just use a propane stove?

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Thanks in advance, I've already learned so much from the breadth of knowledge being poured out there on the internet for free by generous content creators who genuinely care about living better. I've already settled on how I'm going to build a composting toilet, how I'm going to live without a fridge, among other things. I love you all, and so does God.

 

[RvDreams]

Welcome to the CRVL forums nab5! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[travelaround]

Welcome to the forum. I'm a Christian too. (Not very many around here.) We just had a thread on  Vehicles for Tall Folk 

 

[bullfrog]

Welcome! Most here have realized AC like in a sticks and bricks just isn’t practical or cheap enough so they travel with the seasons and change elevations. Same goes for electric heat. Generators are about the only way and they are not stealth or cheap or easy to maintain. Tall people mainly sit inside or have a tall cargo trailer or box truck as van just doesn’t have enough roof height. Unless your married or extremely devoted to your partner there won’t be room for more than a 24” wide bed on either side with enough room to walk between them which makes it difficult. You will have to make a lot of compromises or spend a lot of money to live the lifestyle you are describing. You need to check zoning laws and county rules before you invest in land as agin it might be easier to have a home base and do seasonal trips with a tent than try to live in a vehicle.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I'll give you the same advice I give every young person who wants to try to live full time in a van or RV:

Work 30-40 years while you invest in a good retirement plan and then get back to us. By then you will be (or should be) well-enough financially to do kinda whatever you want. 

You will, of course, not do that...SO...you sure as heck better have a trust fund or something. Or maybe you can do work-camping or seasonal jobs to afford freedom. Freedom is NEVER free.

Would you be able to do some type of mobile ministry maybe? That might open some doors for you.

Good luck with it.

 

[maki2]

Go to a truck rental place and see what they have in stock that is tall enough for you to stand up in, then rent it for a day or two to play "house truck" for a little overnight adventure. This is one of those things where you actually can do a reality check and try it before you buy it. Satisfy your curiosity ASAP before too much longer. No point in just sitting around dreaming about it while wondering if you can make it work. Get up off the couch and go find out for yourself.

 

[Sofisintown]

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Hi y'all, 24 year old male, from Arizona,...

...I've already learned so much from the breadth of knowledge being poured

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Hiya nab5
You have a lot of solvable problems and answerable questions
You are tall, so you need a tall /long van. I'm sure you can find one to buy if you have the $$$.
Will it be stealthy? Probably not.
Air conditioner? Heat? you can buy them, and have someone install them. You pay.
Underground house, in forested land? You can buy land and dig a tall house underground.
Do you have enough money for land? Are you aware that local jurisdictions have rules about the land uses?
Are you going to dig by hand, or pay the guy with the bulldozer? Have you ever build anything?
You want induction stove, electric heater, but no fridge? You may have to re-thing priorities.

I love your enthusiasm about the whole thing, but everything you plan requires hefty amounts of cash.
You can't acquire all that STUFF on God's grace alone. You are very young and you are a photographer. Not likely you can shell out that kind of money, to make things easy.

Unless you are a trust fund kid like Tx2sturgis said, my advise is start small; get a tent , a can opener and some necessities, put them in your current car  and go camp somewhere for a week. See how that works out.
If you like it, save every penny you come across for a long time, until you have enough to make a start.

Cheers!

 

[MG1912]

Are there any stock (would prefer no pop tops or DIY extensions) vans with interior heights of 6'7" or above that can fit into a regular parking space (a requirement for me)?

The new Ford Transit high roof cargo van has  6'4" interior height, and Ford claims it is "best in class," so that might be as high as you can find in newer vehicles.  I don't think older vehicles had higher heights, but I'm not sure.  Have you considered converting a box truck instead?  There are members here who have done that (or are doing that now).

What is your opinion on the best bed setup that runs along the long side of the van? Does anybody have good examples? How viable is it to have 2 people in a bet setup like this?

4" foam mattress, on a Froli system, over a good plywood deck would be what I would probably do if I was building out a vehicle today.  The foam can be cut to fit your needs, as can the Froli system and any supporting bench/table/deck.

I'd like this build to be as stealthy as possible while also having 200+watt solar+AC (I'm a photographer with a laptop, and would like to be able to visit places like Pennsylvania in the summer without being miserable), does anybody have any small-scale AC unit recommendations? Wall mounted or ceiling mounted? If you recommend against AC, why? And what alternatives?

To run even the smallest and most energy-efficient ACs with solar requires significant wattage on the roof (way more than 200) and significant battery amperage (if you want to run the AC in anything but full sun).  I don't know anyone who is running AC on solar alone while boondocking, but I have seen blogs and watched videos of individuals with very expensive systems (1000 watts or so of tilting panels on the roof and 500 amps of Li-ion batteries, etc.).  Here on "cheap" RV living, those of us with ACs in our rigs either never use them or use them only with generators or shore power when the weather is absolutely unbearable.  However, most of us have concluded that it's better, easier, and cheaper to just follow the weather and migrate when it gets too hot outside.  That's why we are mobile, after all.

If I'm going to be investing in an electrical system anyway, do you think I should also invest in an induction stove and electrical heater? Or just use a propane stove?

To run both an AC and an induction stove off of solar would require an enormous amount of solar (both panels and batteries).  I haven't run the numbers, and I am no solar expert, but I would think only the largest class A's with custom solar jobs would be able to do that.  The same goes for an electric heater.  Those use enormous amounts of energy.  In fact, I don't even know if any solar system (that would realistically fit in a vehicle) would keep up with electric heaters under load for entire days.  Most of us use propane for heating, and many of us use it for hot water, cooking, and even our refrigerators (absorption-type).  Propane lasts forever, is safe (if you are safe), is easily stored and replaced, etc.

I've already settled on how I'm going to build a composting toilet, how I'm going to live without a fridge, among other things. I love you all, and so does God.

How are you going to build a composting toilet, and how are you going to live without a fridge?

 

[nab5]

Thank you all for the responses and criticisms, I'm learning a lot.

To MG1912:
"Have you considered converting a box truck instead?"
I haven't and will now. Heard about it earlier but it didn't really cross my mind as a possibility until now. If I find a deal with something that works for me this might be what I'm going to go with, standing up straight indoors would be a fantastic plus, but I've never worked on that kind of vehicle remotely. Seems easier to construct in, though.

"How are you going to build a composting toilet?"
5gal bucket w/ a seat in a separate contained unit with a motor vent, bent funnel separator into resealable quart sized jug for #1. Peat moss/other decomposter reserve container beside for 8qt refilling. I realize this might be a little large but it's something I've been very interested in.

"How are you going to live without a fridge?"
Cans, long lasting veggies like potatoes/carrots/onions, dried fruit and weekly grocery runs makes up for that by my math. I've done meal prep before, and for a whole year before this, my only breakfast was oatmeal and protein powder, I'm no stranger to living off of stuff like that. But if AC really is that un-viable, a fridge will be heavily considered, fresh greens are very hard to do otherwise and would be very nice.


To Sofisintown:
"Have you ever build anything?"
I helped my dad partway through building a house some years ago before he passed away. I've used a backhoe before and would be comfortable renting one to use myself, local laws permitting. I've also been on some fairly low temperature, week long camping trips with him.

"You want induction stove, electric heater, but no fridge?"
After doing more research I'm feeling mostly the opposite now unless I get a great solar opportunity. 1-2 burner propane stove with a heater radiator on the same pipeline sounds more than doable, fridge possibly.


To tx2sturgis:
"Would you be able to do some type of mobile ministry maybe?"
I considered this earlier but didn't have a plan of how I would organize it. For now my plan is to go to a different church every couple of weeks or so to network and see what the people need.

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Sofisintown 

 

[LERCA]

Tx2 Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m not athletic but I was a dancer (a real dancer not a stripper) and took part in all kinds of physical activities like walking, dance and aerobics classes, going to the gym, riding my bike etc.

Starting in my mid-40’s my back got bad until by my mid-50’s I’m basically disabled as far as being able to work. Thank God I took a lower paid career with a better pension and I put every single penny away for 30 years I to retirement funds. When you’re young you don’t believe you will ever wake up crying and have a handicap placard at 50. I also had a disabling freak accident.

Our generation was the last that seemed to understand that work is important and necessary. What is going to pay for this underground house? Food? Transportation? Medical care? I’m saying this not to be mean but as if you were my son. Life isn’t fun or easy but there are moments of pure joy. If you hate Arizona finals another state you like better and start saving every penny. If you’re lucky at 50 you’ll have enough to begin your dream life and it may have changed. Believe it or not what seems wonderful now may not later.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Tx2 Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m not athletic but I was a dancer (a real dancer not a stripper) 

lol...dang....you had me at 'stripper'!

 

[VanFan]

Welcome!

I've spent many years both trying to "bloom where you're planted" and following my instincts to live a life more integrated with the "natural" environment.  For now, I do both.

Yes, you can sleep two in a full length (albiet a little less so for you) bed in a standard length van.  We do. (Again, we are part-timers, and mainly sleep and lounge inside.  No cooking.  No working.)  If your bed is "down" all the time, there will be very little room for anything else.  We have everything we need and for us, it's worth the convenience of not clearing the space to pull out or unfold the bed every night (done that).  You might prefer a goucho set-up, however.  Of course, you'll probably want to be able to sit up comfortably in bed, too.

My husband is 6'3", and, surprisingly, has no issues in a low-top van, other than pulling up his pants quickly .  With four more inches of height, a high top roof does seem important.  You are wise to consider the amount of space in the footwell. It's amazing how little there can be. Needing to have the driver's seat all the way back and, possibly, the backrest racked back limits what can go directly behind the driver's seat a little, too.

As others have pointed out, climate "selection" is much more viable than climate "control".  Cross ventilation is a must, IMO.  I also think it's prudent to have some form of emergency heat on board.

Starting small/simple and experimenting as you go is good advice.  It's also a big part of the fun for many, and a tremendous opportunity for skill building and personal growth.

Enjoy!

 

[nature lover]

Welcome nav5. You have some interesting ideas. What you need to do in my own humble opinion is get out and try it. That way you find out what you really need and want. There is a big difference between need and want. Looking through the videos and joining a blog like this is helpful for dreaming but it takes some work to apply it to your own needs. At 6 foot 7 a hobbit hole ain’t gonna make it.. But there are vehicles out there that will. I’m not 6-I’m only 5- 10 but I part time doubt of a GMC Safari for years. Now I’m full-time in in a higher top Dodge van but only able to barely stand up. First several weeks my back hurt I’ve gotten used to it now.

You can Count me in with the Christians to. But it’s been said that maybe I shouldn’t say I’m a Christian. You should ask my neighbor Or my family for their opinion and if I really am a Christian they would know better than I.

 

[LERCA]

I wish. I’d have some money now if that were the case. ?
lol...dang....you had me at 'stripper'!

 

[MG1912]

"How are you going to live without a fridge?"
Cans, long lasting veggies like potatoes/carrots/onions, dried fruit and weekly grocery runs makes up for that by my math. I've done meal prep before, and for a whole year before this, my only breakfast was oatmeal and protein powder, I'm no stranger to living off of stuff like that. But if AC really is that un-viable, a fridge will be heavily considered, fresh greens are very hard to do otherwise and would be very nice.
...
To Sofisintown:
...
"You want induction stove, electric heater, but no fridge?"
After doing more research I'm feeling mostly the opposite now unless I get a great solar opportunity. 1-2 burner propane stove with a heater radiator on the same pipeline sounds more than doable, fridge possibly.

Fridge is way more viable than AC, electric heat, and induction cooking. The new 12V DC compression fridges are amazing. They don't draw much power and are shaped like coolers. They can be a little pricey, but they don't require an unrealistic solar setup. If I was doing a build today, I would definitely have a compression, cooler-style fridge. I would not have AC, electric heat, or induction cooking.

 

[bullfrog]

If you do need those things, figuring out how to stay where at outlet is available or using a generator and doing the maintenance (I would imagine propane fueled) would be your best options. We have worked seasonally during the summers for the last 15 years mainly for the hookups, traveled in spring and fall using propane and wintered with a generator. It works for us with all out making many compromises, but it is work. Soon we will be traveling and boondocking mostly so lots of solar/propane and a generator when necessary or more compromising.

 

[Hoot]

You've a long list of things to consider understandably...  but just a sidebar thought, might introduce yourself to others who can help you evaluate a rig (assuming you need/want that help)... so then if you find That Rig and time is short to buy it before someone else does you've already laid the groundwork for dealing with someone you have reason to trust, vs calling up a mobile rv tech for example for the first time and asking if they can hurry over for an evaluation.  Then you've got their person to evaluate as well in that first meeting.
Plus by making contact before there's a pressing need you've then got another person who can also be on the lookout for what you want.  If you google 'mobile rv tech phoenix' you'll find some for example.
And/or joining RVillage could connect you with others as well who might want to help, both find your rig or evaluate for you.
Google "Connecting With Other Nomads Through RVillage - How to Connect With the Tribe" and you'll see Bob Wells' 2019 youtube interview about it. 
And join HOWA.
All just thoughts about connecting with others who are more experienced to some degree a/o are doing what you want. Even talking to others who are not doing what you envisage but are mobile will at least give you more perspective of the landscape and more awareness of your own particular options.

But first and foremost I'd recommend putting the dream imagery to test soonest as others above have suggested. Small steps, small mistakes as soon as possible-best edu.

'Gods send thread for the web begun" sort of thoughts...
Best wishes.

 

[beachplease]

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Problem is, I'm 2 meters tall exactly. Not an ideal height for a van home or an underground house.

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I'm the same height.  great questions and i think you will get some strong replies.  watch more yt videos and you will get a sense of what can work for you.  When you get out on the road you will see what other people build.  once you see the inside of their rigs many of these questions will be answered.  i watch a ton of yt videos and bookmark them.  some have things i want, some have things i don't want.   at some point you have to go do it. cheers.

 

[bagabum]

One suggestion. First.  The people that want t go to Mars on a one way no return trip and live in a glass and steel box should go live in an ocean going self contained bio build container in the desert without communication, etc for 1 year.  I can guarantee you,  at the end of the year  when  you let them out, 75% will not want to go back in. My point is that after the "novelty" of  "living in a van down by the river" wears off, you may have wasted a lot of time and money on a life style that doesn't suit you.  Try it first before you dive in . You probably heard get rid of the,[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] "brix-n-stix" ,[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] "brix-n-stix" [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] "brix-n-stix" [/font][/font][/size]a thousand times watching all of the glamorous youtubes,  these people sell affiliate stuff and need people diving in and buying their affiliate  stuff, they make money off of it,  better yet, run down some of the thousand's of people  that once lived in there  car and perform an "exit interview " with them to get a better idea.  On the 3rd or 4th day of living in the woods, you don't want to wake up and ask your self "what the hell did I do"  test drive it first.   I'm not trying to be negative, just a suggestion for a very young person.  Good luck!!

 

[dreamrunnerjt]

For you I would suggest a box truck or short school bus with a raised roof. You will probably need to get with a professional for raising the roof. No AC, vents and fans. Put in the type of vent fan that can run in both directions that will help with air circulation.
I personally want propane for cooking and back up heating due to the moisture it emits. I want a Diesel heater mainly because it is a dryer heat. You could also consider a wood stove.
Do a “Murphy” type bed that you can fold against the wall. That way you can have a larger bed at night and still have room when awake.
Put in as much solar as you can afford.
Start with the 12 volt fridge and move up to either a RV or marine Something that can run on 12 volts, 110, or propane.
Rent the box truck and live in it for a weekend or week. Try marking out the dimensions in a garage or your bedroom and see if you can live with it. There are van setups that you can rent. Expensive but better than buying your own and discovering you just can’t do it.
Keep watching YouTube videos. Everything I have suggested has come from a YouTube video. They will tell you what works and what doesn’t. Watch the ones that tell you what a person did right and wrong with the build. Professional builds look great but if you listen closely you will hear that the more attractive builds are a second or third build. Usually in a second or third vehicle.