Choosing 2 vehicles over 1?

[thelinkbelow]

Hi folks, I was wondering what people thought about living a semi-nomad life with two vehicles with the second one NOT being a toad, because it's a basically too big to be towed by the other. Wondering if that would be a headache or expensive compared to other options. 

Been planning on starting a nomad life for a couple of years. I new but have some experience, I lived out of a Westfalia for 6 months - but it was decades ago. I bought an ambulance almost 3 years ago, it has a basic utilitarian camper conversion. It has an auxiliary battery system with inverter etc but it is not yet set up for solar. But once I add solar and a roof fan I'd be basically ready to go. It's based on an Ford E350 with the 7.3, in very good shape, never lived a hard big city life. I love it. But I've barely used it since I bought it. One year my plans changed due to family illness, and then last year I decided to ride it out in my secure job and apartment rather than head off during the pandemic.

This one vehicle would be more than enough. I know people can be happy with anything, even a car. But I started wondering if I really wanted the flexibility of a 4x4 to get more into the back country (my ambulance is standard RWD dually van chassis).  I started targeting an older Suburban as a good option, figuring I could do a build something like they do at Suboverland and then just live in that or supplement with a small trailer. I'd have more capability but less of the potential homey feel. A lot less storage but still a very good amount because a Suburban with no seats is actually pretty huge, like a van minus the headroom. So that was my idea, sell ambulance buy Suburban.

Then long story short I got a great deal on a 1995 Suburban and I now have both. And I love them both but they don't necessarily make the best pair because the Suburban isn't the greatest thing to tow (though I think the ambulance could do it if my total weight wasn't too high). The reason why I'm considering keeping both is that I have a little bit of cheap land in Apache County and my plan is to mostly hang around there rather than roam all over the country. I could take trips in the Suburban plus live in it indefinitely if I feel like it. But the idea is to have more of basecamp on the property and just chill there rather than being focused on travel and adventures. I do plan to travel to the northeast to be with my elderly parents, and I do need to work and will likely need to travel for seasonal workcamp jobs. I don't plan to build on the property for some time, beyond maybe potentially a small storage structure. 

So... you might think Suburban plus a trailer would be better? So for example sell the Ambulance and get something like a WeeRoll trailer instead (or DIY convert a cargo trailer). I don't need a lot, but I want to be able to stand and have a bit of space for stuff and a kitchen and desk area.  But now I think ... what's wrong with just keeping both? The ambulance would serve all the same roles as a trailer would and it's already built. I could keep it around the property unless I needed it for a workcamp gig, otherwise I could do all trips etc. in just the Suburban. 

Do you think having two vehicles would be stupid/overly complicated? I'm not particularly a car guy, though I feel in both cases I choose well based on potential longevity. The 7.3 is of course a legend but  that doesn't mean I won't face costly repairs down the road. Insurance for two vehicles would of course burn extra money. Suburban plus trailer certainly seems simpler. But I just wonder if the goal is to have a little structure on the land to compliment the Suburban, couldn't the ambulance just serve that role? 

and of course ambulance plus smaller toad might be also be something to consider. 

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts on my dilemma I'd love to hear them!

 

[PeterPiper]

But now I think ... what's wrong with just keeping both? The ambulance would serve all the same roles as a trailer would and it's already built. I could keep it around the property unless I needed it for a workcamp gig, otherwise I could do all trips etc. in just the Suburban. 

^^^^^^^  This

 

[bullfrog]

You certainly got a bunch of options. Is the Suburban a 3/4 ton and 4 wheel drive with a towing package? If it is and you can afford it a small toy hauler or built out cargo trailer with a UTV or ATV inside would be perfect. The ambulance with the 7.3 would be fine on it's own but maybe add a motorcycle or electric bicycle to do some back country exploring. Sitting vehicles are a pain and can be expensive. I have two and between the pack rats eating wiring, rubber components dry rotting, fuel going bad, insurance and license costs it really is better to have a trailer if it will set than a vehicle in my opinion. It pretty much depends on how to best spend your money and how much and far off road you want to go. The ambulance is a good heavy vehicle for paved and improved gravel roads but the Suburban if 3/4 ton and four wheel drive will be superior off road. The ambulance is probably close to it's max weight where the Suburban is not if it is a 3/4 ton, even with 4 wheel drive. The ambulance is pretty much a ready made dwelling and easy to add small cargo trailer with some type of light weight off road capability. The ambulance would be my choice if the Suburban is a 1/2 ton or two wheel drive and probably the cheapest to get on the road. I wouldn't recommend keeping two vehicles as long as I had one vehicle capable of towing a trailer.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome thelinkbelow to the CRVL forums! 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.

Highdesertranger

 

[thelinkbelow]

You certainly got a bunch of options. Is the Suburban a 3/4 ton and 4 wheel drive with a towing package? If it is and you can afford it a small toy hauler or built out cargo trailer with a UTV or ATV inside would be perfect.


Thanks for the insight! 
Yes some key points I left out about the Suburban. It's a 1995 K1500 with a small lift, 4x4, minimal rust, brand new transmission and brand new off road tires. So many great things about it, but it is a half ton. I actually barely know the details, it's so new to me. But it seems to have a beefy factory tow package? One mechanic thought it had the suspension of the 3/4 ton, with extra stronger leaves in the rear, plus a strong tow set up. But I'm not all that familiar with the various packages, so not 100% clear on what exactly I have. Do you think that sounds strong enough for hauling a good sized trailer (eg. 6x12 cargo with extra height) compared to a 3/4?





 Sitting vehicles are a pain and can be expensive. I have two and between the pack rats eating wiring, rubber components dry rotting, fuel going bad, insurance and license costs it really is better to have a trailer if it will set than a vehicle in my opinion. It pretty much depends on how to best spend your money and how much and far off road you want to go.



Very good to know, thank you. I can imagine many benefits to keeping the ambulance, but also a lot of headaches that may outweigh the positives.


I'm not really driven to do a lot of off-roading and getting way into the back country. I'm more of a basecamp and day trip sort of person. But I do like the extra options the 4x4 and small lift will provide compared to the ambulance, plus it's more handy as a sort of farm truck if I want to do any improvements etc around the property

 

[thelinkbelow]

^^^^^^^  This

thanks! been leaning this way. Plus I figure I can always try it and change my mind down the road

 

[jacqueg]

You can do anything you darn well please. Having a base camp is a great idea. Which vehicle you travel in would depend on what kind of trip you are taking.

Don't make yourself crazy trying to make this decision right now for all time to come. Start with what you have. As you experiment with this life, your next step will become crystal clear. And you may find, as have many others, that when you started, you never really envisioned what that next step will be!

Actually, the first thing I would think about is what the zoning requirements are for your piece of land. Many people think that if they own a piece of land, they can hang out on it as much as they like, whether they build a house on it or not. This is not necessarily true.

 

[MrNoodly]

The first time I had two vehicles, I lived in a duplex where the only parking was on the street. Because of street sweeping I had to do the car moving hokey-pokey twice a week. The next time I had two vehicles I lived in a house with a narrow driveway, a 1-car garage, and no street parking, so I had to juggle those cars back and forth. It was an annoyance.

But since you have property, parking and having access to the vehicle you want wouldn't be a problem. Just don't let one of them sit too long without at least starting it up to get the lubricants recirculated and keep the battery charged.

 

[shadowmoss]

Leaving a vehicle unattended on rural property may cause it to become a target for vandalism.  Personally I'd look more into the option of towing the suburban with the ambulance with a tow dolly.

 

[thelinkbelow]

Actually, the first thing I would think about is what the zoning requirements are for your piece of land. Many people think that if they own a piece of land, they can hang out on it as much as they like, whether they build a house on it or not. This is not necessarily true.

I appreciate the words of wisdom. I can definitely see the value of just feeling it out, going with the flow. The right plan will reveal itself over time, and it may be something unlike what I envision now. 

As for the zoning requirements for Apache County, that I did check out beforehand. It's not the best, but it's pretty good! There's no limitations on living in an RV, and no requirements to build any parament structures. They aren't the most liberal county though. For example I think some styles of alternative building are not allowed at all, and the ones that are allowed require compliance with regular building codes. I think you can have non-dwelling structures under 400 sf without permits etc. So storage sheds etc. But anything you plan to live in, and anything over 400sf require permits, compliance with building codes etc. Which likely means septic which means money. So it's not perfect but I think you can have a little basecamp of a storage shed with car port, for example, and combine that with your rV or van. So that could be all you need!

 

[jacqueg]

I appreciate the words of wisdom. I can definitely see the value of just feeling it out, going with the flow. The right plan will reveal itself over time, and it may be something unlike what I envision now. 

As for the zoning requirements for Apache County, that I did check out beforehand. It's not the best, but it's pretty good! There's no limitations on living in an RV, and no requirements to build any parament structures. They aren't the most liberal county though. For example I think some styles of alternative building are not allowed at all, and the ones that are allowed require compliance with regular building codes. I think you can have non-dwelling structures under 400 sf without permits etc. So storage sheds etc. But anything you plan to live in, and anything over 400sf require permits, compliance with building codes etc. Which likely means septic which means money. So it's not perfect but I think you can have a little basecamp of a storage shed with car port, for example, and combine that with your rV or van. So that could be all you need!

You might have more wiggle room than you think. Find out what counts as a dwelling structure. In my neck of the woods, a dwelling structure has - a place to sleep, a bathroom, AND a kitchen. If it only has two out of the three, it is not a dwelling. I know people who have taken advantage of this to build compounds to live in. So what if you have to walk 50 feet outside from your bedroom to your kitchen?

Also find out about pole buildings. How large can they be, do they need a concrete pad, etc.  

It might be worth your while to hook up to the grid...Just depends on your personal preferences. And electricity already on site will definitely be a plus if/when you decide to sell.

And, depending on how adventurous/ambitious you are, a number of counties in the west are open to rainwater collection systems and composting toilets, with or without special approval.

When/If you call the planning office to ask about these specifics, tell the office that you haven't decided yet whether you want to build, that for now you are only contemplating part-time recreational use. Be the person who wants to know the regs because you want to obey them, not the person who wants to know the regs so you can rant.

And keep in mind - your neighbors are the most likely folks to turn you in, should you push the envelope a bit too much.

 

[thelinkbelow]

so I had to juggle those cars back and forth. It was an annoyance.

But since you have property, parking and having access to the vehicle you want wouldn't be a problem. Just don't let one of them sit too long without at least starting it up to get the lubricants recirculated and keep the battery charged.

I know that life! I've been urban most of my life and even one vehicle has been too much of a pain to deal with. I've been lucky that job has always been a walkable or easy bicycle distance.

Will definitely need to keep the vehicle active in any case. But I got used to that with the ambulance, which I park out in the suburbs to avoid the ridiculous parking fees in the city. I go out every few weeks to give it a nice vigorous work out

 

[thelinkbelow]

Leaving a vehicle unattended on rural property may cause it to become a target for vandalism.  Personally I'd look more into the option of towing the suburban with the ambulance with a tow dolly.

Thanks, I have thought about the potential for vandalism etc. I'll just need to feel it out I guess. Thought about maybe not keeping anything on the property if I'm gone for any length of time. 

I agree that the ambulance/suburban combo seems worth considering more. Especially because I don't actually plan to move around all that much with both vehicles. So the occasional towing trip might not be so bad. It's a lot of vehicle though. A heavy armada, maybe too much.

 

[Cammalu]

I’d keep one and get a used mobile hone for the property. More room and you can buy one for next to nothing and sometimes even nothing. Will give you a lot more room and even a real bathroom.

 

[thelinkbelow]

I’d keep one and get a used mobile hone for the property. More room and you can buy one for next to nothing and sometimes even nothing. Will give you a lot more room and even a real bathroom.

I do like that idea. though I wonder about the current market for mobile homes? I'm barely qualified to comment but from looking at craigslist etc it seems to me that the market is a little tight, I see a lot of ads for people looking to buy, for example. But definitely worth looking into. Also I think mobile homes can sometimes be treated like regular homes depending on county, so you might be subject to regular zoning and permitting etc, so less flexibility than with an RV.

 

[Jraulpilot1983]

Hi folks, I was wondering what people thought about living a semi-nomad life with two vehicles with the second one NOT being a toad, because it's a basically too big to be towed by the other. Wondering if that would be a headache or expensive compared to other options.

Been planning on starting a nomad life for a couple of years. I new but have some experience, I lived out of a Westfalia for 6 months - but it was decades ago. I bought an ambulance almost 3 years ago, it has a basic utilitarian camper conversion. It has an auxiliary battery system with inverter etc but it is not yet set up for solar. But once I add solar and a roof fan I'd be basically ready to go. It's based on an Ford E350 with the 7.3, in very good shape, never lived a hard big city life. I love it. But I've barely used it since I bought it. One year my plans changed due to family illness, and then last year I decided to ride it out in my secure job and apartment rather than head off during the pandemic.

This one vehicle would be more than enough. I know people can be happy with anything, even a car. But I started wondering if I really wanted the flexibility of a 4x4 to get more into the back country (my ambulance is standard RWD dually van chassis). I started targeting an older Suburban as a good option, figuring I could do a build something like they do at Suboverland and then just live in that or supplement with a small trailer. I'd have more capability but less of the potential homey feel. A lot less storage but still a very good amount because a Suburban with no seats is actually pretty huge, like a van minus the headroom. So that was my idea, sell ambulance buy Suburban.

Then long story short I got a great deal on a 1995 Suburban and I now have both. And I love them both but they don't necessarily make the best pair because the Suburban isn't the greatest thing to tow (though I think the ambulance could do it if my total weight wasn't too high). The reason why I'm considering keeping both is that I have a little bit of cheap land in Apache County and my plan is to mostly hang around there rather than roam all over the country. I could take trips in the Suburban plus live in it indefinitely if I feel like it. But the idea is to have more of basecamp on the property and just chill there rather than being focused on travel and adventures. I do plan to travel to the northeast to be with my elderly parents, and I do need to work and will likely need to travel for seasonal workcamp jobs. I don't plan to build on the property for some time, beyond maybe potentially a small storage structure.

So... you might think Suburban plus a trailer would be better? So for example sell the Ambulance and get something like a WeeRoll trailer instead (or DIY convert a cargo trailer). I don't need a lot, but I want to be able to stand and have a bit of space for stuff and a kitchen and desk area. But now I think ... what's wrong with just keeping both? The ambulance would serve all the same roles as a trailer would and it's already built. I could keep it around the property unless I needed it for a workcamp gig, otherwise I could do all trips etc. in just the Suburban.

Do you think having two vehicles would be stupid/overly complicated? I'm not particularly a car guy, though I feel in both cases I choose well based on potential longevity. The 7.3 is of course a legend but that doesn't mean I won't face costly repairs down the road. Insurance for two vehicles would of course burn extra money. Suburban plus trailer certainly seems simpler. But I just wonder if the goal is to have a little structure on the land to compliment the Suburban, couldn't the ambulance just serve that role?

and of course ambulance plus smaller toad might be also be something to consider.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts on my dilemma I'd love to hear them!

It seems you have answered your question for yourself. It is good plan....just need to "polish it" a little. See...the Pic....that's my COMBO...it has been for years now. Works great....and has the 7.5 V8 460cid..., it is a "Power house" at 12MPG while pulling my WRANGLER SPORT.

 

[cortttt]

I would ditch the ambulance and go with the Suburban and trailer. Maximum versatility.

 

[eDJ_]

I don't own a trailer like this utility yet, but if I go full time I'll set up like this.

it is in the top link signature line below in the "Utility Trailer Conversion" at the top of the page.

http://vanconversion.homestead.com/page-7.html

 

[flylo]

I have a great ambo & an alum snowmobile trailer 103"x 12' I plan to pull with the solar gear & pair of electric bikes.

 

[LargeMarge]

Hi folks, I was wondering what people thought about living a semi-nomad life with two vehicles with the second one NOT being a toad, because it's a basically too big to be towed by the other. Wondering if that would be a headache or expensive compared to other options.

Been planning on starting a nomad life for a couple of years. I new but have some experience, I lived out of a Westfalia for 6 months - but it was decades ago. I bought an ambulance almost 3 years ago, it has a basic utilitarian camper conversion. It has an auxiliary battery system with inverter etc but it is not yet set up for solar. But once I add solar and a roof fan I'd be basically ready to go. It's based on an Ford E350 with the 7.3, in very good shape, never lived a hard big city life. I love it. But I've barely used it since I bought it. One year my plans changed due to family illness, and then last year I decided to ride it out in my secure job and apartment rather than head off during the pandemic.

This one vehicle would be more than enough. I know people can be happy with anything, even a car. But I started wondering if I really wanted the flexibility of a 4x4 to get more into the back country (my ambulance is standard RWD dually van chassis). I started targeting an older Suburban as a good option, figuring I could do a build something like they do at Suboverland and then just live in that or supplement with a small trailer. I'd have more capability but less of the potential homey feel. A lot less storage but still a very good amount because a Suburban with no seats is actually pretty huge, like a van minus the headroom. So that was my idea, sell ambulance buy Suburban.

Then long story short I got a great deal on a 1995 Suburban and I now have both. And I love them both but they don't necessarily make the best pair because the Suburban isn't the greatest thing to tow (though I think the ambulance could do it if my total weight wasn't too high). The reason why I'm considering keeping both is that I have a little bit of cheap land in Apache County and my plan is to mostly hang around there rather than roam all over the country. I could take trips in the Suburban plus live in it indefinitely if I feel like it. But the idea is to have more of basecamp on the property and just chill there rather than being focused on travel and adventures. I do plan to travel to the northeast to be with my elderly parents, and I do need to work and will likely need to travel for seasonal workcamp jobs. I don't plan to build on the property for some time, beyond maybe potentially a small storage structure.

So... you might think Suburban plus a trailer would be better? So for example sell the Ambulance and get something like a WeeRoll trailer instead (or DIY convert a cargo trailer). I don't need a lot, but I want to be able to stand and have a bit of space for stuff and a kitchen and desk area. But now I think ... what's wrong with just keeping both? The ambulance would serve all the same roles as a trailer would and it's already built. I could keep it around the property unless I needed it for a workcamp gig, otherwise I could do all trips etc. in just the Suburban.

Do you think having two vehicles would be stupid/overly complicated? I'm not particularly a car guy, though I feel in both cases I choose well based on potential longevity. The 7.3 is of course a legend but that doesn't mean I won't face costly repairs down the road. Insurance for two vehicles would of course burn extra money. Suburban plus trailer certainly seems simpler. But I just wonder if the goal is to have a little structure on the land to compliment the Suburban, couldn't the ambulance just serve that role?

and of course ambulance plus smaller toad might be also be something to consider.

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts on my dilemma I'd love to hear them!

.
Nearly two decades full-time live-aboard in our ExpeditionVehicle.
About a decade ago, I converted another commercial chassis to our toy-hauler.
.
Interior of our rig -- 7w x 12 l x 7h, about 600cf.
Interior our toy-hauler -- 7w x 16 l x 7h.
Gooseneck hitch for articulation.
.