Drawbacks of a Van

[mpruet]

Hi,

I currently have a 37 ft class-A diesel pusher but am thinking about the possibility of a van conversion.  I like to travel and camp at state parks, forests, and BLM land.  I do occasionally like to go into a private campground for the extra amenities that you can get.

My wife is not so enthusiastic about camping so I don't see her wanting to go on all of my trips.  I've become less and less enthusiastic about taking the class-A out because it takes a lot of time just to prepare for a trip.  Also I find it a pain to have to always have a tow car.  I want to be in the position of being able to decide to go and then be ready to go in a couple of hours.  Also - with the class-A anytime I have a mechanical issue, it seems like it takes an eternity to get repairs done.  I'd like to be able to take my rig to a Ford or GM repair shop. 

I've recently started doing car camping in my Prius which is OK just for me, but I'd like to be able to take my wife if I decide to go somewhere that she would want to go. 

I've thought about switching to a class-B, but they are so expensive and I'm still a bit concerned about having to deal with repair work on a class-B.

So while I'm thinking about a van conversion, I'd like to know of the negatives.  I'm not talking about stuff like bath room/shower/etc.  I'm talking about usage restrictions.  Are there issues with trying to stay in a private campground, for instance?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Some PRIVATE campgrounds enforce various arbitrary restrictions - no rigs older than 10 years old, no children, no homemade school bus conversions, etc.  It's all to keep the riff-raff out, dontcha know?

Never heard of any such arbitrary restrictions at state campgrounds, and certainly not at any state of federal forest or BLM land.

 

[hepcat]

And nice, older B-vans can be had all day long for what you might tie up in converting a van... you don't NEED to spend $130k for one. I have about $10k total in mine (and over $2k of that has been spent on the generator,) and I bought it two years ago with 26k miles on it.

 

[grandpacamper]

Funny you would mention this, I was just going over a site that lists all the amenities, restrictions & limits that each state park has in my area. Almost without fail all the state parks allow tenting. I have a conversion van I just finished to 'MY' taste but others would find it beneath themselves. Don't really care! I read a post where it was suggested to buy a cheap tent, pitch it, sleep in your van & you're still abiding by the general rules. That's my solution! Any BLM land is free but with as many state parks here I can stay all year without a self-contained unit. Go for it!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Funny you would mention this, I was just going over a site that lists all the amenities, restrictions & limits that each state park has in my area.  Almost without fail all the state parks allow tenting.  I have a conversion van I just finished to 'MY' taste but others would find it beneath themselves.  Don't really care!  I read a post where it was suggested to buy a cheap tent, pitch it, sleep in your van & you're still abiding by the general rules.   That's my solution!  Any BLM land is free but with as many state parks here I can stay all year without a self-contained unit.  Go for it!

That theory probably works most places.  However, I read somewhere that state parks in Hawaii have parking lots that are 1/4 mile or so from the tent sites.  You have to park in the parking lot and carry your gear to your site.  And no sleeping in vehicles allowed

 

[grandpacamper]

That theory probably works most places.  However, I read somewhere that state parks in Hawaii have parking lots that are 1/4 mile or so from the tent sites.  You have to park in the parking lot and carry your gear to your site.  And no sleeping in vehicles allowed

Since I don't fly, get seasick & no bridge built to Hawaii, I'll have to take your word for it.  I was talking about the site that lists the state parks in OR & WA.  What they do in other states is a mystery to me.

 

[djkeev]

I would say that the #1 drawback to a Van is that the Van IS your vehicle.
You want to go shopping, pack up the Van and go
You want to hiking, pack up the Van and go
You want to visit a place of interest, Pack up the van and go.

You get the idea.......

Dave

 

[Wabbit]

We started out just doing 6 months of the year in a tent. We kept the tent so that if we run into that "tent camping" issue GrandpaCamper talked about, our solution is the same. However, we have also run into campgrounds(county&private) were you park the vehicle away from the site like Optimistic Paranoid mentioned. We pass on those, even though some of them(well, one of them) were super nice with a beach, showers, trails, and very affordable.

Drawbacks to a van after you know you can do it in a Prius? Build out headaches for me, but if you're a builder, prob not an issue for you. Best of luck!

 

[grandpacamper]

A motorhome without a car in tow is a major headache to go shopping, as with a truck/camper or car. The only real advantage you have is a travel/trailer & pickup, but then again you still want to load up your trailer before leaving. Leaving things out with no vehicle in sight is an open invitation for theft.

It's all a pain if you get down to it. It's been mentioned before about parking an RV in a private lot. They can be more selective whom they let in. I would avoid those everytime. Too expensive & not fit into my minimalistic, frugal van dwelling mode.

 

[DannyB1954]

You may be able to tow a teardrop trailer with the Prius. That might keep the wife happy.
The downsides to a van are high top vans are rare, and putting one on is expensive. Low tops will keep you crawling over each other, (fun at 20 years old, gets old at 60 years young).
My plan is tow a 22' trailer with a van. The trailer becomes a regional base, and the van an excursion vehicle capable of weekend stays.

 

[Ballenxj]

  It's all to keep the riff-raff out, dontcha know?

I wish you would stop talking about me like that.  

 

[Stargazer]

Mpruet,

I went from a Class A to a passenger van that I built out myself, plain Jane, used camping gear, no plumbing, no solar, nothing.  Traveled all over North America, put over 70,000 miles on it.  I mostly stayed in national/state parks, some forests/BLM.  Once in a while, I would do the RV park thing, never had a problem but almost always it was a KOA.  I'm not wild about them but I knew what they offered, they're everywhere, and are set up for late arrival.  I'd run an extension cord for a small heater if it was cold or a fan if it was warm, do laundry, shower, maybe pick up an item or two in the little store.  Never had a problem!  My van was nice looking and well maintained.  Also, I am single so it was fine for me and my little dogs.

Some RV Resorts may turn down a van.  But KOA never gave me any trouble.

Best wishes.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I had the same experience as Stargazer. Traveled all over the US in a Chevy Cargo Van. Camping gear and cooler set up only. Stayed in a mix of national parks/forests, state parks/forests and KOA's. Every KOA I stayed in let me use a tent sight at tent rates but didn't care if I slept in the van. It was clean and newer looking, an 03 van in 09/10 traveling season.

I could set up camp in about 15 minutes and break it down in the same amount of time if I wanted to explore. i was 29 so the low top wasn't an issue and I was by myself so plenty of room.

 

[caretaker]

nothin wrong with the no children thing,,,,ya ever try getting a quiet meal at a rest. on christmas?????HHHHHMMMMMM

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I wish you would stop talking about me like that.  

Well, it depends.  Can you pass the test?

Do you bathe once a month, whether you need it or not?  You might be riff raff.

Do you sleep in your clothes cause it's easier than changing in and out of pajamas?  You might be riff raff.

Do you no longer have a job because those idiots expected you to get up every morning and come to work on time?  You might be riff raff.

Do you now make your living collecting old soda bottles on the side of the road?  You might be riff raff.

Do you live in a ratty old van in the local WalMart parking lot?  You might be riff raff.

 

[mpruet]

And nice, older B-vans can be had all day long for what you might tie up in converting a van... you don't NEED to spend $130k for one.  I have about $10k total in mine (and over $2k of that has been spent on the generator,) and I bought it two years ago with 26k miles on it.

Yes, but that would make me vulnerable to having to go to a specialty shop for mechanical problems.  The appeal of a van is that maintenance would be easier.  Also from my experience with my class-a, if the van is older then you can expect to have troubles with the fridge or other devices in the house.  If I were to go with a van then I could start out with new house appliances.

 

[mpruet]

I would say that the #1 drawback to a Van is that the Van IS your vehicle.
You want to go shopping, pack up the Van and go
You want to hiking, pack up the Van and go
You want to visit a place of interest, Pack up the van and go.

You get the idea.......

Dave

Maybe I'm wrong, but I see that as an advantage.  I don't particularly like having to have a tow car.  I guess it would be a drawback if you had a lot of things to pack/unpack, but since I'm currently car camping in a Prius, I don't generally carry a lot with me when I go on a camping trip.

 

[accrete]

our van conversion also doubles as my wife's daily driver (image link), always ready to head out on an adventure. She drives and parks the RB Chevy like she does our toyota sedan. 

As for park regs...we full time in a 40ft 5th wheel in a golf/rv resort. With that fanciness in the name you'd think they would (and it is written that they can) turn away bus conversions, but the owners are great peeps and will take a look inside a given conversion before saying no. So if the rig shows TLC and an honest attempt at being pleasing to the eyes inside and out they are good to go. 

And yes on the tent idea, we will set up our two hammocks (link to pic on DIY stands) outside the van in a tent spot and get thumbs up from the passer-by rangers/staff.

: ) Thom

 

[steamjam1]

I miss the simplicity of living in a regular passenger van. No appliances, plumbing or wiring to go wonky. Just me and the basics.

 

[Alcatraz]

Funny you would mention this, I was just going over a site that lists all the amenities, restrictions & limits that each state park has in my area.  Almost without fail all the state parks allow tenting.  I have a conversion van I just finished to 'MY' taste but others would find it beneath themselves.  Don't really care!  I read a post where it was suggested to buy a cheap tent, pitch it, sleep in your van & you're still abiding by the general rules.   That's my solution!  Any BLM land is free but with as many state parks here I can stay all year without a self-contained unit.  Go for it!

I agree keep it simple.
A conversion van, is also perfect for me and my better half.