Advice please, change of plans?

[Gypsysoul]

A while ago I posted that I was going to head West from S.C. in my Kia Sportage. I made this decision based on what I had available at the time and anticipating that I would have some money saved up. I was going on an extended trip, not necessarily becoming a full timer.

Things have now changed. I no longer have a home of my own and have been staying with a friend for almost a year while her husband worked out of state. He is now coming back and I have to go by the middle of next month.

All of a sudden, it became a necessity instead of a choice and now I am rethinking some things. First of all I have a 2006 Kia Sportage with 146 K miles on it. I have done quite a bit of maintenance on it including new hoses and tires. Really the only thing I have left to do is the timing belt and water pump. That is going to cost me close to 800 which I do have, but that is all I have. I am on disability, so I do have a check coming in each month. It's not a lot, but it's something.

Now that it would be full timing, I think I would feel more comfortable in a van or small class C. I just don't want to get something that may have been someone else's problem, as I have no emergency fund right now to fix anything.

I think I also feel that with vans and motorhomes there are more options to park in walmarts, casinos ect verses being in an actual car.

I am wondering if I should keep the Sportage and just hang out close to an area I am familiar with, save money for a while,then trade or sell the Sportage along with what money I have saved for a van or class C , or should I get the timing belt and water pump fixed and just continue as planned traveling in the sportage?

Yes, I have a certain level of fear built up right now and cannot seem o think this out on my own. You guys are great and seem to have answers for everything, so please give me your opinions.

Caryn

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Also, I do some crafts. I make hair bows and such and do a few craft shows here and there. I really need some sort of room for my supplies. so I can sell as I go.

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The Sportage has no working AC or heat either. Ok I think that is all lol

 

[concretebox]

Any new-to-you vehicle is going to be someone else's problems. Think about it, if you sold the Kia, then you'd be selling someone else it's problems (timing belt/water pump). At least with the Kia you *know* what the problems are. If you trade it for something else, you'd be trading known problems for unknown problems.

One thing you might consider if you haven't already, is shop around that timing belt/water pump repair. Ask a lot of people, call shops and ask for a quote. Try looking outside your town into the smaller towns surrounding it.

 

[KayakGirl]

This is a very bad time of the year to be heading west in a vehicle with no heater, so if you decide to fix the timing belt/water pump, you should get that fixed also. IMHO I think you should stay in familiar territory until late spring. That will give you time to think things through and maybe save some more money. Concretebox is right --- shop around for those repairs.

 

[cyndi]

You've invested so much in the Kia, I would keep that and continue to save while you try out the lifestyle. I'm guessing if your heater isn't working then your defroster isn't either. Both are necessities.

It looks like the Kia sportage can tow a small trailer. I might consider saving for that.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Good idea Cyndi, if it can tow a trailer, she can pick up something used and small and she will never be homeless. It can become a nice little studio/home to sell her crafts from too.
Caryn, there are lots of women (and men) using their small campers as boutiques. That's what I'm preparing to do. A little camper should have a propane stove and small kitchen so you don't have to fix anything up and you can find free areas to camp and be self sufficient.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Thank you for the replies.

I considered keeping the Kia, I just didn't know if putting anymore money into it was feasible, being it had so many miles. I am not sure how many miles one can get.

There is a common problem with Kia Sportage's were the blower motor quits working. It is located low on the passenger side where your feet go and many times gets kicked or jarred. I know several people this has happened too. I even got a new blower motor, but I don't have the plastic piece that the wires go into. You cannot buy that piece by itself and can only be found at junkyards. I have been to several and never found it. The heat works some and defrost too, but it doesn't blow out. It can become comfortable though, but takes a while. The air is never cold enough to help, esp. where I live. I have tried to read on Kia forums to see if there is a way to "rig", but I am not mechanically inclined, so it's all just jibberish to me. Is there a way to run a small AC and/or heater in a car like a Sportage?

I didn't really think of towing. What size camper/trailer would it be able to tow?

In the area I would be in, it is hard to find places to stay. I cannot really be stealthy as I snore really bad. I have looked for free campsites and find nothing. I am trying to think what I can do now or in the near future.

 

[rvwandering]

It looks like the Kia is only capable of towing 1,500 lbs which may not be enough for towing even the smallest trailer. Have you considered a tent? If you can get down to Florida where you'll be a little warmer over the winter you can stay in national forests for free and save up until you have enough for a van or RV. dispersed camping in Ocala NF

You should also get an Access Pass to get half price on federal campgrounds.

 

[Gypsysoul]

rvwandering - I have a bed in the back of the Kia so that is fine for me for now. I am just trying to figure out which road to take with van/rv? I really don't know what is best. I have the pass for disabilities, so I get into National Parks for free and camp at half price. I really need to camp free as much as possible right now if I am trying to save. It just looks a lot easier to camp in walmarts, casinos, ect. with an actual camper.

 

[jeanontheroad]

It doesn't matter what you own, maintaining it has to be a priority. If you don't it will let you down just when you are counting on it most. You can sell the Kia and get something different, but the ned for mintainance will not go away. You will have to fiure out why the old owner got rid of it and fix that.

 

[LeeRevell]

National Forest camping is very chancey during hunting season here in Florida. The hunting regs make camping in hunting areas illegal.
One option with a smaller car like a Kia Sportage is towing a Teardrop Trailer. Very small and light. A buddy tows one behind his Honda Element. If you know someone with carpentry skills, the lightweight and inexpensive Harbor Freight cargo trailer in 4X8 foot size. Teardrops are low and streamlined with little more than a bed inside and the kitchen inside the rear lift door.
Look on the Teardrops&TinyTravelTrailers forum for examples and plans.
Www.tnttt.com is the web addy.

 

[Gypsysoul]

ty LeeRevell

I wish I knew someone that could do this type of work. They look fine. Not big enough to do my craft, but I would just have to work towards bigger later.

 

[rvwandering]

For the immediate future it seems like the best thing for you to do is to get the repairs done on your Kia. LeeRevell is right- you should be able to tow a light Teardrop but they're pretty expensive.

I don't know anyone who lives fulltime in a car. Some people do it for short periods of time when they're traveling or as a last ditch effort until they can buy something larger. But it can be done. It'll will be much easier if you're able to stay in the forest, either at a campground or boondocking.

Have you thought about doing a trade - your Kia for a van or RV? A quick search shows high mileage 2006 Kias selling for about $9,000. If that's a realistic price you should be able to get a decent van or RV.

 

[Queen]

Little out of your price range, but keep an eye out for used teardrops, might find a deal. http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2007-Pleasant-Valley-TEAR-DROP-8-113371624

 

[Gypsysoul]

rvwandering - Trading would be an option. I really never thought my 2006 Kia would be worth that much. I know I would never get an even trade or close at a dealer. Is craigslist the best bet? I don't know what to look for really in vans or RV's. How do I know if it's a good one? I am very new in all this and am just learning. All advice is appreciated.

Ty Queen. I will keep an eye out.

 

[SoulRaven]

Perhaps consider selling the Kia and getting an older Class B Van? I paid $3000.00 for mine and you can find the older ones (circa 85-92) in that price range. Easy to park, and for one person there is plenty of room.

There has been a few shown on this forum lately, look around and see if they might work for you. Towing anything with the Sportage is asking for trouble, transmission being the main concern.

Look at VanTramps set-up, hes done this for a long time. You may get some ideas.

Whatever you do be safe.. Good Luck. Bob J.

Mine is here.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=11026

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Do you know if there are regs. at your friends house? If you could find a camper and plug it in, they may be happy get some rent for electricity use.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Bobj - ty I really like this idea. Should I try to sell the Kia on craigslist or maybe put it up for trade on craigslist? Your van is awesome! I am not a handy man or woman lol I don't know how I would even begin to transform a van like that. Right now I just need something that works and I can figure all of that out later.

Dragonflyinthesky - no there are not.

 

[SoulRaven]

Offer yours on Craigslist, figure out a fair price and add a few hundred so you can negotiate. That would be the best way to get close to retail for yours.

I found mine on Craigslist, I have put a bit of money into it, some things (AC and some bits of trim) are old and needed replacing. Air was not cheap but all the trim stuff is and easy to do. Now is a decent time to be looking for an RV,the season is over and the prices are down some and should go lower.

There is a search engine that will look at all the Craigslists within an area, I can't remember the name, decide how far you will drive to check it out..


Best of luck to you in your search..Bob J.

 

[LucyImHome]

Don't sell yourself short on being able to do repairs and such. It's not anything you can't figure out. Home Depot/Lowes/Ace have some employees that know their stuff. Customers can sometimes even be of assistance. YouTube has a video for EVERYTHING! And of course, all the help you'll get from the folks right here.
With your desire to do crafts/selling, I'd go with a small class C or B. The C would give you space for supplies in the overhead. You can rework the dinette area to serve as a work space. Whatever you find, make sure to have an honest mechanic check it out BEFORE buying. Don't ask me how I know that! Craigslist is the place to look, but as is the case in any purchase, let the buyer beware.

 

[rvwandering]

Tothemoon - Craigslist is a very good place to look for a van or RV. You'll have to look through a lot of listings and probably go see a bunch in person before you find the right one. A class B like Bob J has would probably be the best type for you. They're made with all of the conveniences of a larger motorhome but in a small, easy to handle van.

Class Bs are sometimes difficult to find though so you may have to buy a van and outfit it yourself. You don't need to have a lot of skills. People often just build a bed platform, get a desk to use as a work surface and for storage, buy some containers for water and solar panels and batteries for power. Once you have the basics you can work on it as you have the time and money. Here's Van-Tramps -http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/1989-dodge-b250-camper-van/

A ready made RV will be the easiest and fastest though. To find a class B search under camper van and maybe conversion van. Lots of people don't know what they have or don't know the correct name so they probably won't be listed under class B. The next step up is a class C which will be much easier to find but opens up a whole set of problems to watch for because of the way they're constructed. Check very carefully for any signs of water damage - musty smell, discoloration on the floor or ceiling, soft spots on the floor, ripples in the outside skin. The overhang is especially prone to water damage.

If you find one that you think might be good post the listing on the forums and we'll all take a look and tell you what we think. Some of the guys are great mechanics and can clue you in on problems with specific engines, transmissions, etc.

Good luck!