Box truck? Step van? Commercial registration?

[TMG51]

Hey,

I posted my intro over in the fan forum, as that was my original inclination coming here... long story short, I recently spent two months living out of my hatchback. After realizing by necessity how possible that is (albeit cramped in a hatchback!) I decided to just step up the game to a larger vehicle and forgo paying rent.

Anyway, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just go for a box truck or step van. I like the idea of building in a high square ceiling. I'm crafty with weird things like this. I plan to add a simple shower, cook stove, etc.

But what about commercial registration? What all does that entail? How can I find the details?

I'd planned to buy a cargo van, cut off the top, and stick build my own (don't like fiberglass tops). A step van / box truck would save all that work and give me a better space anyway. But if it's going to be more costly in the long run, or a bigger hassle in paperwork, I'll go back to the van idea.

 

[Patrick46]

I've had 7 stepvans.

I think they're the neatest thing since sliced bread! (bread-truck....hahaha....get it??)

anyhoo...

They've all been registered as private vehicles. None as trucks, and nothing commercial.
But that's the way it worked for me in Wisconsin and in Oregon. I've heard different things from different stepvan owners from different states...so you'll hafta do your homework for what the laws say in whatever state you'd like to register this.

You can probably find the laws on the website for the DMV for the state of your choice. (most all have 'em now)

as for the raised roof idea (and/or building your own)...
yeah, I've seen quite a few of them done, and some quite beautifully!!! But I think that these were the exception, as most ended up rather crude. Once some people get into a custom build like this, they find out not only how much work it is...but also how hard it really is to make a nice one that's free of leaks. It's a HUGE ammount of work, and unless you've got the time, the money, the building experience, the tools, AND a place to work on this (hopefully indoors), then I'd be inclined to suggest just getting a stepvan or boxtruck.

All the work is DONE already, so you can spend your time and money doing the fun stuff...like building the inside into your own personal home!

have you ever spent some time in a stepvan???

They're so much fun to drive!!! You can see right over most other traffic, they corner like a forklift, you can drive with the doors slid open (quite fun & cool), you can haul a bunch of your friends, you can walk around inside of 'em without banging yer head, you can work on the engine INSIDE out of the weather...

why, I've got over 372 different reasons I think stepvans are the greatest things on the road!!!


.....eh, but whaddo I know??!!

 

[akrvbob]

TMG51, I love step vans and box vans, but they are going to get much worse MPG than a van, (unless you can find a Step van with a Cummins 4 or 6 cylinder diesel). They are also harder to drive around town and fit into parking places--but that is a very minor issue.

Otherwise they are an excellent choice!
Bob

 

[Patrick46]

They are also harder to drive around town and fit into parking places--but that is a very minor issue.

Oh contrair, ol' boy!!!

Stepvans are so square that you can squeeze 'em into places you wouldn't believe, as there's nothng sticking out from your blind spots like on most other vehicles.

I've parallel parked 'em into some crazy tight spots, in downtown Chicago!!

Also, with the added visibility of the big windows and the seat up high, you can see over all the cars and SUV's!!


the gas thing....well, you've got me there

...but everything is give & take....right??

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Patrick is right, it's going to vary from state to state.

New York will let me register a Step Van or Bus as a Motorhome, IF it meets certain conditions - a heater or air conditioner separate from the engine, a water system that includes an onboard greywater tank, etc.

I couldn't find this info on their website, but there was a way to contact them and ask questions,and they got back to me by email within 24 hours with all the info I needed.

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

I don''t think I can agree about drive-ability Patrick. I'm sure you are very good at it but the majority of people will find it uncomfortable and unpleasant. The fact that there are no windows behind the side doors and it's a huge rig will be a deal-breaker for many people.

It's like anything else, you learn and adapt, but it is a consideration.
Bob

 

[66788]

I don''t think I can agree about drive-ability Patrick. I'm sure you are very good at it but the majority of people will find it uncomfortable and unpleasant. The fact that there are no windows behind the side doors and it's a huge rig will be a deal-breaker for many people.

It's like anything else, you learn and adapt, but it is a consideration.
Bob

I think you're right Bob. I thought I had a 16 foot bed on my Grumman Olson, but when I measured it, it is 19 feet in length. It's a long vehicle, but I don't plan on diving much in tight city areas, so I don't mind. The extra living space is paramount for me. 7 foot ceilings, wide body, and 19 feet is like a mansion compared to a regular van.

Patrick is right that a good step van is a load of fun to drive. I have an ear to ear grin while driving!

 

[Nemo]

I have a cutaway box van, as to living space, it's great, plenty of room to make the inside what you want it to be.. Stealth, it's great if your in town.. easy to pull up in the back of a strip mall or by a home Depot and no one tends to notice.. Mileage on mine sucks, as does the closed in feeling now and then.. with no windows it gets dark back in the back!! but I like it overal.

Hey,

I posted my intro over in the fan forum, as that was my original inclination coming here... long story short, I recently spent two months living out of my hatchback. After realizing by necessity how possible that is (albeit cramped in a hatchback!) I decided to just step up the game to a larger vehicle and forgo paying rent.

Anyway, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just go for a box truck or step van. I like the idea of building in a high square ceiling. I'm crafty with weird things like this. I plan to add a simple shower, cook stove, etc.

But what about commercial registration? What all does that entail? How can I find the details?

I'd planned to buy a cargo van, cut off the top, and stick build my own (don't like fiberglass tops). A step van / box truck would save all that work and give me a better space anyway. But if it's going to be more costly in the long run, or a bigger hassle in paperwork, I'll go back to the van idea.

---

I have a cutaway box van, as to living space, it's great, plenty of room to make the inside what you want it to be.. Stealth, it's great if your in town.. easy to pull up in the back of a strip mall or by a home Depot and no one tends to notice.. Mileage on mine sucks, as does the closed in feeling now and then.. with no windows it gets dark back in the back!! but I like it overal. As to Insurance, in Az it's considered commercial and the cost can be high if you are in the city.. I have it registered to a rural address and it runs me under 150$ a year so it's not much of an issue, when I had it registered in the Phx area, it was over 800, so the area you have it in makes a huge difference.

 

[66788]

My Grumman Olson step van is registered as a car. The lady at DMV said as long as I'm not "selling tacos out of it" she's fine with that.
Cheap registration!

 

[highdesertranger]

mmmmm tacos. highdesertranger

 

[TMG51]

Tacos are great.

Also worth noting is that I plan to drive whatever vehicle I acquire cross-country at least once.

That could be a thousand bucks difference in fuel consumption.

 

[66788]

That's why you want the Cummins 4BT turbo diesel motor with a 4 speed manual trans. I get 17 MPG with my monsterous Starship Grumman Olson on the highway. This thing is just short of 28 feet long, has 7' headroom, weighs 7,000 lbs., and has the aerodynamics of a shoebox.

 

[TucsonAZ]

I'm over 16 feet behind my front seats in my Utilimaster and while I can't say it's "easy" to drive, I have had no issues with it, not in downtown San Francisco, not in Capital Hill Seattle (worst driving I've ever dealt with) but it isn't "easy" to drive as I said, just a lot easier for me than many other things. A van would be about 70% less stress to drive in all honesty.

As for the diesel, I wouldn't touch one. The added fuel milage would be a plus but the serviceability in small towns makes it a no fly zone for me. I just had a transmission go out on one of our vehicles in a small town, were it my 350 SBC things would have been easy, as it sits, I'm out an easy $1,000 because it was a Nissan, if it were a diesel, I'd have been dead in the water.

 

[highdesertranger]

I am not sure I agree with the small towns would be hard to get diesel service. most small towns that I go through are either agriculture, mining or forestry towns. all 3 of which primarily use diesels in their equipment. I bet 80% of ranchers and farmers primary trucks are diesels. older diesel are easy to work on it's the newer ones that are harder with all their electronics but you can say that about gas engines too. as for older chevy diesel as with all chevys you can swap any engine in any vehicle easily. the swap from gas to diesel or vice versa is also easy. highdesertranger

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Tacos are great.

Also worth noting is that I plan to drive whatever vehicle I acquire cross-country at least once.

That could be a thousand bucks difference in fuel consumption.

How much time do you anticipate driving vs how much time do you anticipate just sitting in one location? How long do you anticipate keeping this vehicle?

You could save a thousand bucks on one trip, and then be miserable for months or years afterward trying to live in too small a space.

Personally, I'm semi-claustrophobic, and money is not REAL tight, so I'm willing to buy more gas in order to have enough room to be comfortable. I do recognize that it could be different for other people.

Regards
John

 

[McSmithers]

I have a 1990 Kurbmaster and have driven it for 7 years. Once you become familiar with its quirks, it really becomes easy to drive. I am totally redoing it as a camper for short trips and fishing expeditions. I agree with others about the mileage, but overall comfort is great. Just wish I had finished this summer as planned, but other things got in the way.

 

[Patrick46]

Just wish I had finished this summer as planned, but other things got in the way.

I HATE THAT!!!


I was 'going' to ride up to Yakima, and then chase the mob over to Tacoma to the finish line of the CannonBall Ride. (cross-country on pre-1936 motorcycles). http://motorcyclecannonball.com/
I know a bunch of the riders, and there's a bunch more that I wanted to meet. (they're a wonderful buncha folks)

I've had a few small issues with my own bike...fix't those,
I did a few extra 'cash' jobs this week, so I had the $$$ to go,
the weather is absolutely PERFECT

...and I got SICK!!! This SUCKS!!!!
Whadda lame excuse to not be able to go!!


(sorry for the rant...and the hyjack)

 

[Ballenxj]

I was 'going' to ride up to Yakima, and then chase the mob over to Tacoma to the finish line of the CannonBall Ride. (cross-country on pre-1936 motorcycles). http://motorcyclecannonball.com/

I would have dearly loved to have been there to see that.