Advice needed

[Adam9999]

Hi everyone. I am thinking of hitting the road full time. I’ve done it before for about a year and lived out of my Honda Pilot with various tents. It was pretty easy to do. I’d either stay on BLM or sleep in the back of the Pilot if I was in a city area. I had the whole thing worked out nicely and lived mostly on the west coast in all sorts of great places. 

Now I’m considering a really nicely built Ford shuttle bus conversion. It is 20 feet long and pretty darn plush. It has a roof deck, rear ladder to the roof deck, solar panels, the interior looks like a hotel, It has pretty much everything. It is obviously extremely non-stealth. The downside is that it is not stealthy, the upside is that it is extremely comfortable and small enough to maneuver pretty much anywhere. 

For those of you who have traveled around in this type of vehicle, I was wondering how you liked it. Did you find it limiting or did you have enough places to stay for free? My main objective is to not have to pay for campgrounds and places to park too often, but I am willing to be creative to some extent. I’m looking to explore both city and rural areas. It’s not going to be titled as an RV, but I’m not sure if that is even going to matter. Just looking for some feedback and some ideas that maybe I haven’t thought about. My main objective with this trip is to find a permanent place to live, buy a piece of land and build something on it. I figured that the more comfortable I am while I travel, the more I can take my time and relax. Thanks for any input.

 

[vgilbert]

I have been living in my 26ft shuttle bus conversion since Aug. 2nd, 2020 and love it!! My travels have been in 12 states since starting and have had no problem finding places to park for free. Registration and insurance was tough as mine was a commercial vehicle but I was able to get it converted (in Florida) to a private use motor home.

 

[Adam9999]

Hey Vgilbert that is awesome. So great that you are enjoying yourself. And thanks for replying. 26 feet sounds like a lot of space. What kind of places do you find yourself staying at? Do you navigate through cities at all and have any issues there?

 

[landyachtman]

Welcome to the CRVL forums! 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.

 

[Uncle Todo]

If I could afford something blatantly not stealth, stealth be damned I say!
Especially at the level of comfort/luxury you indicate this van would provide.

 

[WanderingRose]

My main objective is to not have to pay for campgrounds and places to park too often, but I am willing to be creative to some extent. I’m looking to explore both city and rural areas. It’s not going to be titled as an RV, but I’m not sure if that is even going to matter. Just looking for some feedback and some ideas that maybe I haven’t thought about. My main objective with this trip is to find a permanent place to live, buy a piece of land and build something on it. I figured that the more comfortable I am while I travel, the more I can take my time and relax. Thanks for any input.

I haven’t traveled in anything like this, but have had a 22’ ClassB that is obviously an RV for almost 14 years and don’t believe you would have any difficulty with the usual WalMart and Cracker Barrel type overnights.

Obviously, any kind of extended stay in a city will likely pose problems, so it might be best to find a campground near any urban area you want to explore.

At 20’, you would be able to park most anywhere, take your look around and go back to a paid for site.

The problem with a private campground is that they can and do refuse service to anyone they like, and may not accept a non traditional RV. Titled as an RV or not, if you are living in it...

State and federal campgrounds are a different story, and many cities have something like this within driving distance.

Good luck!

 

[maki2]

Life on the road is hit and miss. Sometimes you.fndi great places to stay and other times you don't. It does not come with a promise of 100% satisfaction. The larger the vehicle the trickier it gets to find free or low cost places to stay. It is a trade off..the covenience of extra space versus the convenience of more options of camping spots. Make your choice based on your own personal prirorities and adapt to the restrictions that come with the choice.

 

[bagabum]

 It is 20 feet long  I’m looking to explore both city and rural areas. It’s not going to be titled as an RV, but I’m not sure if that is even going to matter. Just looking for some feedback and some ideas that maybe I haven’t thought about. My main objective with this trip is to find a permanent place to live, buy a piece of land and build something on it. I figured that the more comfortable I am while I travel, the more I can take my time and relax. Thanks for any input.

Not a problem, the average pickup truck is 20 feet long. You will be fine, I cant imagine your parking/camping  options decreasing because of 20 feet length. Have fun, buy land, yes, for a home base. Unless you buy next to a pig farm. land is usually a good investment. I looked at some land 25years ago in Texas, it has gone up 700-1000% depending on size.

 

[Adam9999]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcomes, advice and kind words of support.