Almost There

[Kapp]

Hi, This is my first post, but I have read for hours on this forum. My plan has come together, but I would love insight from you guys. First, a little about me. I am 50 years old, the kids are rasied. I am a registered home health/hospice nurse. I have just started travel nursing. If I do one 13 week travel contract a year, and pick up several shifts a month , through the summer here in ohio, I should have no trouble making ends meet.

I have my eyes on a low mileage, but rough exterior Dodge 3500 handicapped van. It has a high top, which is good, because I am over 6 feet tall. I should be able to do most of the conversion myself, but I want to live in it for a while, before I decide what I want where. I will have to tow my little aveo to use for work and running around. I am leaving next week for a 6 week work contract in connecticut. Once that is completed, I will have to money for the van, get some maintenance done on it and hit the road until my next contract comes along.

My choices are limited as to where my contracts take me, as I am just getting started. I may end up in maine for the winter, in which case, I will not be living in the van, but will take the housing offered. If I provide my own housing, I get to keep the substantial housing subsidy. I will be getting my RN license in Georgia and will take a casual job there as well, so I will have the option to pick up shifts in warmer winter weather.

I have two hobbies that will be suitable for life on the road. I make hand tooled leather belts, and I travel around all over the US and throw in dart tournaments, and do quite well.

Some thoughts on what I want/need in my van. I want to be able to go off grid for a week or two at a time. I will have solar power, not sure of the details yet. I will have a shower, a sink, a gray and fresh water system. I haven't decided on heat source yet, but I do not like the idea of using propane for heat. I will have a camp stove.

As I am a single lady, who will be driving all over the US alone, I will be stealth camping some along the way. How do you guys that tow a vehicle or trailer handle that when stealth camping? There will also be times when I go off in my car for a few days at a time, where should I park the van for free or cheap? I have many other questions, but I am not sure what they are yet. Any input is appreciated. Thank you and I enjoy this forum!

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Hmmm... I am not sure that a regular camper van would have enough power to tow a small car. Might be hard on the transmission too.

Another option is what I am thinking of doing. Get either a vespa/scooter/electric bike and use a small ramp to push it up the back. You'd likely have to have a bed that can be raised out of the way. Then when you are at your location, park the vespa/scooter on the street.

Best of luck.

 

[AltTransBikes]

Hello there and I'll say welcome here though that's usually done in the intros forum.

Sounds like you've got a plan, and have a vocation and hobbies that will be a good fit for the nomad life.

If you haven't already, a bit of further specific search and reading on this site will yield quite a bit of info on the various topics you touched upon, IE: solar, shower and water systems, heating/cooling, etc. I'm sure as you go forward with the actual step by step challenges of executing your plans, with the specific questions that come up, lots of answers would be offered by the folks on the forum relating their experiences and opinions.

Your post caught my eye with mention of the 3500 handi van because that's exactly what's sitting in my yard:



2003 B3500, 5.9L, 78K miles, with the seats and lift still inside. I'm in New England and been waiting for spring to get here to start the actual work on the thing. (long, long, cold winter this one). Needs some body touch-ups, bit of rust showing through the bottom of the mid rocker panels.

If you go ahead with the vehicle you mentioned, post up some pics when you get a chance. IMHO, if the rig checks out it would make a decent blank canvas to set up how you want it.
Best of luck on your project and adventures!

edit-
PS: IMO the 1 ton, 5.9L could tow an Aveo without too much hassle.

 

[akrvbob]

I think you have a terrific plan!! Vandwelling works exceptionally well for travel nurses. Here are some general thoughts on your post:

1) If you are planing to add all the systems of a Class B camper van to a plain van, it is usually cheaper and easier in the long run to start with a Class B. Adding in all the systems is expensive. Unless you just can't afford the up front prices of a Class B, it should be cheaper.

2) a 3500 Dodge should be able to tow a car with no problem

3) When traveling, you will be going for the "just passing through" look which is usually not a problem.

4) I often leave my trailer and take my van on trips, but always for a month or more. I just leave it in a storage yard and I can usually find one for $35 a month, cheapest I ever found was $25. But leaving it for a day or two would be difficult. I wouldn't do it other than spend the money to get it into a storage yard.

We're really glad your'e here and looking forward to hearing all about your new adventure!!
Bob

 

[Kapp]

Thanks guys. I have to have something to drive for work that is better on gas, than this big van would be, and I can
t drive a scooter, although I would love to. I would have to go with a much smaller van, if I use it for work, and I don't think I would be happy in a small van. My Aveo has a standard transmission, so I am thinking I will probably flat tow with a tow bar. I think that would be easier than dealing with a dolly or trailer.

To the bike whisperer, the van I am looking at also has the lift and seats. I am actually thinking about leaving the lift as it does not take up much room and it would make it much easier to load and unload things, like the portable kitchen or a scooter. I hope the winter will be finally over in new england when I get there just over a week.

Bob, I just looked at prices of some class b campers and they are way out of my price range, it would stall my plans for close to a year. The sooner I can get the bare necessities into the van and make it livable, the quicker I can add the rest, since I wont be forking out rent and utilities. Besides, I really like the idea of making things the way I want them. I didn't think about a storage yard for my van, I think that would work. Thank you.

I have drawn up several different plans, and like them all. But, I won't really know, until I am living in it. One thing I cannot figure out is what to do with the vast space over the drivers and passenger area. I am thinking I could either put a built in bed up there or storage cabinets, or I might not be able to put anything up there because of the structure and lack of support because of the high top.

 

[Patrick46]

Hiya Kapp, and welcome to the forum!!

A fellow artisan, wonderful!!! We're definately gonna need to see some pics of your leather work.

Your plans of work/travel sound like a perfect match!

Welcome to the asylum!

Patrick from Oregon

 

[decodancer]

I use the area over the cab for storage with no problems. In my last van camper I had my microwave built in up there. In this one I just closed it in and put an old rv cabinet door on for access. I plan to store my bedding and towels up there as well as some clothing so the weight will not be too much. My niece is a traveling nurse and just got back from a long stint in LA. Now she's in south Florida. At 23 years old she's getting to see the country and loves it.

 

[SoulRaven]

Your post caught my eye with mention of the 3500 handi van because that's exactly what's sitting in my yard:

Greetings!

Except for mine being a 1982, solid white, and a 318ci engine, yours looks pretty much identical to mine too. And I LOVE it! I don't have any tint on my windows either, I just can't imagine obstructing such a marvelous 360 degree view. Plus it is so much fun if I'm out in the woods to wake up and have a deer peeking in to check on me.

Up in the cascades of Washington, I had a mama deer with two fawns that would literally hang out and wait till I'd serve them up some apples or watermelon. They'd come around every morning and night for the whole 2 weeks I was camped there, and a HUGE buck would stand back up on the hillside keeping his eye on them.

This is such a marvelous lifestyle!

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[SoulRaven]

I have my eyes on a low mileage, but rough exterior Dodge 3500 handicapped van.

Greetings!

Please be extra careful with rough exterior stuff, I've seen some which had had the frame damaged beyond repair that didn't look that terrible, and also some that after some driving they were just peeling through tires like crazy and required major expensive work to correct it.

Don't mean to scare you... If you don't have the knowledge, you might want to take it to a mechanic before purchase.

Good luck!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[SoulRaven]

Bob, I just looked at prices of some class b campers and they are way out of my price range, it would stall my plans for close to a year. The sooner I can get the bare necessities into the van and make it livable, the quicker I can add the rest, since I wont be forking out rent and utilities. Besides, I really like the idea of making things the way I want them. I didn't think about a storage yard for my van, I think that would work. Thank you.

I have drawn up several different plans, and like them all. But, I won't really know, until I am living in it. One thing I cannot figure out is what to do with the vast space over the drivers and passenger area. I am thinking I could either put a built in bed up there or storage cabinets, or I might not be able to put anything up there because of the structure and lack of support because of the high top.

Greetings!

hehe I don't care much for ready made ones anyway, to me they seem very cramped with poor space usage, not to mention the ridiculous prices.

I kind of specialize in building complete fully livable camper vans for under $1,000 including the cost of the van, with a maintenance free lifespan of at least 2 years for the van. (this doesn't include oil changes and other typical maintenance, just nothing major...)

We should be able to help you do up the complete interior for under $500, the last one I did, the complete interior including a swivel rocker recliner, and set up for totally off grid just like mine came in at ~$200.

That includes your heating and cooling systems, bathroom with shower, cookstove, solar heated hot and cold running water, comfy sofa/bed, icebox, cabinets & cupboards, and a house battery complete with charging system.

I might know how to build them cheap, but I'm really big on comfort, convenience, low maintenance, and trouble free systems.

The cook stove/heater we use is kerosene, I never put propane inside a rig. I got Carbon Monoxide poisoning from propane and nearly died, and I was being overly cautious with it too.

Re-purposed upper home style kitchen cabinets, mounted on stilts make marvelous over cab, over kitchen, and across the back upper cabinets in a high top camper van. A futon style, light weight metal bunk bed with the sofa/double bed on the bottom with a twin up top, gives you extra storage where the top bunk would be too. The secret is in the mattress to make it super comfy for the individual, but the frames are ideal, if they're long enough for you. If you need an extra length bed, we can figure that out too.

It usually only takes me 2-3 days of shopping, to get everything, and then under a day moving everything into a new camper van and getting it all set up. I have done it all in a single day, but that's pushing it.

Always happy to help, so just give a holler.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[SoulRaven]

Greetings!

Here's a couple of the floor plans I put into these...

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man