Box van conversion

[DravesD]

Hello, I'm getting ready for van life and would welcome any advice your willing to give. I'm 26 currently working full time and making about $2,000 a month. I recently bought a Chevy G30 1ton box van and will be replacing the engine in it in the next couple months. I have started to accumulate materials for my build and have settled on the main design, but I plan on building the van out in stages so I can see what areas I need to work on as I  go to make it custom to my needs without needing to rebuild later. I have 10 years of experience in construction and usto work with my dad as a handy man. 

     I have an older cat that likes to wonder. I plan to park on various areas and do camp grounds once in a while around my town to stay close to work, but on my time off I plan to go out of town and enjoy the surrounding areas. I have traveled a lot in the past and camped in tents, but I haven't traveled much with pets and I'm not sure how he'll like it. I plan on getting a tracker for his collar in case he gets lost. He does stay inside most of the time, but once in a while he does go out and wonders around, but usually stays within earshot. 

     I recently had a health issue come up that drained my savings which is part of why I'm spreading my build over a longer period. I'm getting a lot of my materials second hand and discounted to save as much as I can. I plan on building my storage and wiring the van myself (to save money) in stages to see what I need and what I can do without. 

     Lately I've been binge watching youtube videos and have gotten so many ideas of what I can do that I'm not sure what all I really want to put into the build. I don't want to spend a lot of money and I can do with out a lot of the luxuries such as AC. I do plan on getting a 2 burner stove and cooking quite a bit. I currently have a colmen chiller that i bought at yard sale a few years ago for camping and long trips but after research, I found that it isn't very efficient so I plan to get an rv compression fridge/freezer in the next year with the possibility of building my own unit later on.

Pics of van and couch I found, I don't have pictures of the counter I have or some of the other materials I've accumulated.

 

[DannyB1954]

Before investing time an money in the van, see how your State is about redoing the title as an RV. If the VIN shows that it is a commercial vehicle, you may have more problems than it is worth. Here in Nevada it is difficult to get the title changed. Getting insurance is even harder. I wanted to build out a step van. As a commercial vehicle auto insurance companies didn't want it. Commercial insurance carriers didn't want it because I was an individual and not a company.

 

[DravesD]

I was going to ask about getting it changed over when i took the title in to get it put in my name, which i have yet to do because of my health issue that popped up. I was also considering using my dads business as the "builder" to get around the issue of an individual that insurance ussually has, however, i have done insurance quotes with pagressive and found its easier to insure it as an rv then a regular vehicle cause of something with the vin. I haven't checked for a conversion with the insurance yet though.

 

[bullfrog]

Get written rules or copies of requirements as well as quotes from both state and insurance, you may have problems even doing that but better to realize it now than after.

 

[txmnjim]

i bet that thing drinks a lot of gas...good luck with your project!
jim

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums DravesD! We love to follow along on builds so please start a thread in the Conversions and Modifications section when you start building.

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.

 

[maki2]

I am posting this so that you know even if you choose not to travel with your cat and can't find a home for them yourself there is a potentiallly good alternative solution for you and your pet.

I have a very small RV living space and had two older cats. They are good in cars but I felt it would be too risky for them. Plus for myself a lot of stress worrying about them getting out and getting lost. Of course they do need exercise to stay healthy so they would absolutely have to go out for walks. That would mean I would have to keep two cats constantly on flea, tick, heart worm medication. That is a very big percentage of funds when you have a very small budget plus of course the cost of food and litter as well as the need for keeping up on vaccinations.

I recently was able to re-home them with the help of the Humane society, a no-kill shelter. I did not leave it to the last minute just in case they were not willing to accept them. But they did accept them and they even took care of a tricky surgery for the one cat who had anesthesia sensitivity issues by removing a non cancerous fatty tumor. My regular vet refused to do the surgery for it due to the risk. The Society did a complete dental cleaning on the cats, made sure they had current vaccinations etc. Things I could not have afforded to do myself before finding a new home for them. It was a very difficult decision for me to make and I miss them like crazy but in the long run it was the best thing for them and for me too. I can tell they adjusted well to the change because the Humane Society posted a video of them in their shelter's luxury "hotel" room while they were waiting to be adopted. Private, multi level room complete with a sunny window to look out of? That is a very different thing from the wire cages and stress found in many of the city run animal pounds. But they also have foster home situations for animals waiting for new owners.

Even my shy cat was enjoying getting petted as you can see in this video posted by the Humane Society as part of their adoption services. It was comforting to me to be able to visually see and know for sure that the cats were not suffering from stress with the changes. They are totally relaxed and happy. They made sure the cats had the least possible stress while waiting for a new home.

 

[tamewolf]

My cat loves going from place to place and seeing all the birds, lizards, and squirrels from the windows.  She is great at alerting me to animals or humans too close to the vehicle.  When we get to our spot I give her time to smell for herself the environment.  If it is a groomed park with no chance of big animals, she is in her carrier on the table as I set up.  The screens on it keep out mosquitoes and flies.
If there are predators such as coyotes or lions, she goes inside where she can smell them and decide for herself not to go out.
It is unsafe for a cat to be by herself.  If she is mostly staying inside, she can go on a leash with you which will protect her.  If she suddenly wants to be picked up, do it right away.  You can protect a cat from a bobcat, but the most danger, wherever you camp is from the sky.  
Your cat will probably love going with you.

 

[DravesD]

My biggest worry about my cat is that he is a bit too comfertable around larger animals. He will walk right up to dogs as long as they don't act agressive and I'm not sure if he will try to do so with other animals. I suspect that he'll spend most of his time in the van but he likes to wonder in the evenings on occasion. I was going to look into differnt types of training so he knows what to look out for.

 

[DannyB1954]

I was also considering using my dads business as the "builder" to get around the issue of an individual that insurance ussually has

Insurance companies will take your premium, but if you need to file a claim they will cry fraud and not pay. If the vehicle is registered to a business, they may ask why at the time of the accident was it two States away and why did the inside look like a camper.

 

[DravesD]

Insurance companies will take your premium, but if you need to file a claim they will cry fraud and not pay. If the vehicle is registered to a business, they may ask why at the time of the accident was it two States away and why did the inside look like a camper.

I think you misunderstood. My dad is a licenced contractor,  so I could run the rebuild through his business so that the insurance can't say that it wasn't professionally done.

 

[DannyB1954]

I think you misunderstood. My dad is a licenced contractor,  so I could run the rebuild through his business so that the insurance can't say that it wasn't professionally done.

OK, here in Nevada the DMV told me that any electrical modifications need to be dome by a state licensed auto mechanic. Every State is different. Even insurance companies that operates Nationwide will have different rules because each State regulates them differently. To be a vehicle builder, you may need to be registered with the DOT. My DMV has a list of RV companies.
It is a real complicated mess in some States, that is why I gave up. Those that are into schoolie bus conversions could give you better solutions. I know some building teardrop trailers register in places like Maryland, (if I remember right), because you can do it by mail and once you have a title, it can be transferred to a different State.

 

[highdesertranger]

stationary electrical is nothing like mobile. the way you wire residential and commercial does not convert to vehicles. not even the 120 side is the same. highdesertranger

 

[DravesD]

I live in wyoming and as far as I can see, the regulations regaurding convertions are rather lax, but as I said before these are questions I intent to ask when I do the title. Now please get off insurance, that is not what I asked about.

And I realize that the electrical is differant. My dad is a licenced "contractor" not limited to construction work. His business operates more as a mobile handy man service which is qualified to do construction, automotive, and small equiptment repair.

 

[highdesertranger]

sorry for the derail. what did you ask about? here's the first line from the original post,

"Hello, I'm getting ready for van life and would welcome any advice your willing to give"

maybe if you don't want all this advice you should forget about this thread and start another and be real specific in what you are asking. just a thought. highdesertranger

 

[DravesD]

sorry for the derail.  what did you ask about?  here's the first line from the original post,

"Hello, I'm getting ready for van life and would welcome any advice your willing to give"

maybe if you don't want all this advice you should forget about this thread and start another and be real specific in what you are asking.  just a thought. highdesertranger

I was asking advice tword the build and traveling with a pet primaraly which is why there were 3 paragraphs out lining details about my plans for it. I'm sorry that didnt give you a clue.

 

[highdesertranger]

yep I didn't have a clue. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Each question in seperate threads would probably help too.

 

[DannyB1954]

I was asking advice tword the build and traveling with a pet primaraly which is why there were 3 paragraphs out lining details about my plans for it. I'm sorry that didnt give you a clue.

We gave you advice about building and traveling with a pet. You do need insurance to travel. I think you were looking for people that will tell you what you want to hear.
Go ahead with your project, everything will be just fine, you can work things out as you go. No real need for concern or preparation. Let us know how it all works out for you.

 

[DravesD]

We gave you advice about building and traveling with a pet. You do need insurance to travel. I think you were looking for people that will tell you what you want to hear.
Go ahead with your project, everything will be just fine, you can work things out as you go. No real need for concern or preparation. Let us know how it all works out for you.

The problem wasn't so much the advice itself. Your first response I found helpful, however, as you continued on insurance, it was nothing but discouragement. It seemed like you were telling me not to even bother simply because of insurance. I understand insurance is a part of it, but there are multiple was to insure it and I'm sure there are companies willing to work with a conversion. Rather than making it seem like its just not worth the hassle, how about sharing your experiences with different companies and states. 

I'm sure that people think I'm just a young kid and don't have the experience needed to make it full time. I do have some experience, but I'm sure there are areas in which I'm lacking which is why I left my post so broad. I don't know what areas I'm lacking in would like to learn from the experience of others before going full time. I'm sorry if I get a bit impatient or touchy. I am currently dealing with a lot and my stress is through the roof right now. I know its not going to be easy and there are challenges that I may not be prepared for, but I'm willing to do the work and would like to learn as much as I can.