Another Step Van to Portable Office thread

[grumpygrizzly]

I picked up a Grumman 1995 Stepvan on a Chevy 2.5 ton chassis with a 350 gas motor and auto tranny.  It was an auction from the City of Portland fleet and has been well taken care of.  I think it has 140k miles on it.  I bought it for $1,600 and drove it home from the auction. 

The back in has wooden shelving built in on both sides and a small workbench area on the left rear just inside.  It has the barn doors that open the entire backend up.

I had been in the process of making it a Mobile Small Engine Rescue business but, never have been able to convince the missus it's a good business.

I've recently started my drafting services up where I go out and do as-builts of houses and provide new designs for houses. 

I just picked up a computer desk that was destined for the local Goodwill (and more than likely a dumpster in the back).  Got it for free and I plan to anchor it to one side of the van, probably the left side after I remove a bunch of the cabinets. 

On the right side, I plan to take out most of the lower lockers so I can out my 36" color plotter in there as well as a tabe for laying out drawings.  The over head shelves on the right side will probably become a bed so I have a place to crash when working out of town for prolonged periods. 

I plan on putting an extra monitor on the desktop and connecting my laptop to it so I have dual monitors.  I even have a decent laser printer/fax/scanner that'll have a place in the van.

For long term use I have one of those small porta potties that fits under one of my shelves and also have a few different types of 12v/110v coolers. 

I have a heavy duty 3 step stepladder where the op step can be used as a mobile platform to work off of when in a house taking measurements.

I picked up a 700 watt inverter but, next I think I need to get a battery isolator as well as a marien battery to power things in the back end. 

I've got a smaller Craftsman 2100 watt geenrator I can fit into one of the cabinet places but, haven't convinced myself I need it yet.

I've got a small 'window shaker' A/C unit I could mount somewhere or find one I can mount on the roof.

The back end of the van is only 12' long so it won't take a lot to heat or cool it.  The walls have some insulation in them already.

On the floor, the original owners put plywood and carpet down but, I love using the rubber matts they use for kindergarten classrooms, think 12" tiles of multi colors with numbers and letters that pop out.

I have them on the floor currently, also have them in the bed of my F150 pickup and still have 2 or 3 shopping bags extra in my shop.  If you spill something on one or really tear it up, just pop it out and put another one in it's place.

Any suggestions on the isolator, do I need a bigger inverter, other suggestions?

I've got one roof vent in the top already and I've got another one I plan to put at the opposite corner to get some more ventilation circulating..

I've got an old canopy made of fiberglass that I'm thinking about parting out the windows (tinted) and placing them around the top of the sides to let some light in and let me see what's outside at night.

It's all fun..

I'll shoot some pictures soon.  It's crazy hot this week here in the Pacific NW so I won't be getting much done on it.

 

[SoulRaven]

Since it is a fleet vehicle, the first thing that comes to mind is not to trust any maintenance records they gave you, and to personally verify the condition of the drive train, suspension, front end, etc. Fleet vehicles are known for very poor maintenance and dummied up records for selling purposes. Maybe you got lucky, but double checking everything can't hurt.

If I remember correctly there's a number of battery shops in your area that do recycled batteries. One on about 112th & Powell, and another at about 105th & Sandy. If they're still there, they had both new and recycled batteries, isolators, and everything else you're looking for. They'll have the best answers for what you need, and may even be willing to do the install. If those are no longer around, I would suggest other battery shops. The "Battery Exchange" name seems to ring a bell.

10+ years ago, the two places I mentioned set up the electrical in two different camper vans for me. I was very happy with their work and their prices. In both cases, $20 recycled house batteries lasted 5+ years. A similar shop farther South was also the one that recommended and installed battery protectors for me to ensure that my batteries never got drained too low. Also a very good investment in my opinion.

6x12 is what I have in my van, even though it's a low top passenger van. Floorplan is EVERYTHING. Done right you can have a marvelous space, done wrong things can feel cramped and unfriendly, so give a lot of thought on your floorplan. Windows will be a marvelous addition. Not only for light and ventilation, but I think it also makes a place seem so much roomier, even if it is just an illusion or one's perception.

Keep us up to date on your build, and as always best wishes.

 

[grumpygrizzly]

Thanks for the info OG.. It's definitely one of those slow projects until I get all my questions answered and figured out.

I'm trying to find out what it takes to make it an RV instead of a commercial vehicle. I've got small refrigerators and a porta-potty in it already but, a friend told me I needed to have a sink in it. I think I need to check with the DMV here in Washington State to figure out what it takes.

I definitely want it converted to an RV as then my insurance will be quite a bit cheaper and all the legalities of driving a commercial vehicle will go away.. I can still tow a trailer behind it as it has a 2.5 ton rear end that would pretty much tow anything I need.

 

[SoulRaven]

Be careful with licensing it as an RV. In many places it is illegal to park RV's on the street overnight, and in some places even more restrictions on parking them.

I believe I would try to register it as a personal vehicle if they'll let you.

When I had a steppy, I had trouble parking it on the street in CA, OR, & WA. Even though it was not licensed as a commercial vehicle, parking enforcement considered it one. I then licensed it as an RV to get around that, then they were after me for parking an RV on the street. The extra cost of the RV license was higher than the difference in insurance too.

In the end, I wound up making deals with places that had off street parking, and I would exchange free overnight security for a place to park at night. It was a little added hassle, but in the end I made it work.

Another problem I had with it occasionally, regardless of how it was registered, was getting pulled over for bypassing weigh stations. Never actually got a ticket, but in 2 years I must have gotten pulled over at least a dozen times for that.

My second steppy was not a dually, and I registered it as a personal vehicle, and I never had a lick of trouble anywhere with that one. It was also very old, a 1963, so that may have had something to do with it too. I added school bus windows the full length of both sides on that one, and I really loved that steppy. Unfortunately it was among several vehicles that got stolen from my property while I was away, and before I started having resident campers while I'm traveling.

 

[Patrick46]

I've had 7 different stepvans, and I've never once had an issue with weigh stations, or any concerns about registering it as a commercial vehicle.

I live in Oregon, and have always licensed them as personal vehicles...never had any questions.

 

[akrvbob]

I lived in a box van for 6 years and never had any problems with it. It's very easy to find commercial places to park it because it blended in perfectly. There are many more trouble-free commercial-industrial areas than there are residential areas.
Bob

 

[Ballenxj]

I lived in a box van for 6 years and never had any problems with it. It's very easy to find commercial places to park it because it blended in perfectly. There are many more trouble-free commercial-industrial areas than there are residential areas.
Bob

Bob, I've got to ask, why did you don't have it anymore?

 

[akrvbob]

Two things happened, my son decided he wanted to live with me so I bought a 24 foot travel trailer and put it in a trailer park. We lived i it for a year. That was the most miserable cold year of my life!! Horrible way to live!!

At the end of that year I got married and moved into her house. Horrible Horrible Horrible Horrible Horrible Horrible way to live !!!!!!!!!!!
Bob

 

[TMG51]

Two things happened, my son decided he wanted to live with me so I bought a 24 foot travel trailer and put it in a trailer park. We lived i it for a year. That was the most miserable cold year of my life!! Horrible way to live!!

At the end of that year I got married and moved into her house.  Horrible  Horrible   Horrible  Horrible  Horrible  Horrible way to live !!!!!!!!!!!
Bob

Interesting lineup. Did the house last longer than the son/trailer park? I bet it was relieving in a way to end up back on the road...

 

[Ballenxj]

At the end of that year I got married and moved into her house.  Horrible  Horrible   Horrible  Horrible  Horrible  Horrible way to live !!!!!!!!!!!

Her, or the house? Sorry, I had to ask.

 

[akrvbob]

She was no bundle of joy (she is the ex-wife after all) but I despised living in that house. Within a year I had packed my bags into the truck and was going to move into it. She cried and begged and promised I could take all the trips i wanted. I stupidly relented and stayed. Two years later I was heading out for my last trip and she said, "You aren't coming back are you?" And I said no, I couldn't live in a house. And I was free!
Bob

 

[Ballenxj]

She was no bundle of joy (she is the ex-wife after all) but I despised living in that house. Within a year I had packed my bags into the truck and was going to move into it.  She cried and begged and promised I could take all the trips i wanted. I stupidly relented and stayed. Two years later I was heading out for my last trip and she said, "You aren't coming back are you?" And I said no, I couldn't live in a house. And I was free!
Bob

That sounds real familiar, and how I became an RVer in the first place. I cohabitated with a young lady in a fairly nice neighborhood. We had a disagreement that we couldn't seem to get past. One day she spotted a Winnebago Brave sitting in front of the house. She asked who that belonged to? To which I replied "me", and I will soon be living in it if things don't get better. Promises were made, promises were broken (again), and I became a full time RVer.
Sometimes I still miss her.