Gday

[Glam1]

Hi from Australia
So im dreaming of van life , in the mean time im using the tips to have more enjoyable trips away. And love the dollarvsaving ideas too.

I'm wanting to do a 6mth trip if the westcoast of America but is there a state i can buy a car in? Hiring for thatblong is expensive.

 

[Dgorila1]

You can buy a car anywhere in America. All comes down to how much money you want to spend and what specifically you're looking for.

 

[IanC]

Just camped with a couple of young people from Australia. They had bought their van in Los Angeles - doing a one year trip

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Glam !
We'll leave a light on for ya.......

Post about anything you find and get lots of help evaluating it !

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Glam to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[user 37446]

G'day to you as well,

I have seen 3, maybe 4 ads on major city Craigslist sites for "cars for sale by owner - vans" in he past year where others did just that. One was a European lady, a couple were from NZ or AUS like you.  Mostly you have to keep the initial investment down and then be prepared to be glad to get much of anything out of it at the end. The one thing I'd avoid doing is when you sell, don't say "leaving the country on the  XX of this month" as there goes the value of the vehicle as it approaches the XX day.

Usually it is a cargo van that's been lightly converted and is being sold with all of the contents, literally.

To do this and not be stuck with someone's piece of junk you'll want to have a real mechanic look it over. The conversion can be done by you for very little, as long as you can use a saw and measuring tape...

 

[ArtW]

Don't even HAVE to have the saw and measuring tape lol
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
just in case you're lazy like me (not my articles, I just like them)

 

[user 37446]

Don't even HAVE to have the saw and measuring tape lol
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
just in case you're lazy like me (not my articles, I just like them)

very true - it will be less comfy in a cargo van without some fitting but it can be done. I'd probably prefer a low top conversion van and remove the rear couch/bed and at least one of the captains chairs. No insulating needed, just buy a folding cot for a bed, use storage containers for your things, get an ice chest. 

Electricals can be powered off a jump box, be it a lithium ion or a FLA (Stanley 1000) or a group 29 marine battery placed in a Minnkota trolling motor box. You'd have to recharge the marine battery somehow, simplest (not best) is a wire (suitable size, at least 8 AWG) and a fuze (50 amp) right off the starter battery with a cheap continous duty solenoid in between. That's about all you'd have to have for a minimalist setup.

http://bdfuses.com/fusesnwires.php
[font=verdana, arial]American Wire Gauge Recommended Maximum Fuse Size

4 awg  125 amps
6 awg  80 amps
8 awg  50 amps
10 awg  30 amps
12 awg  20 amps
[/font]


Here's a thread you might get ideas from:
My cheap and easy conversion ideas. Plausible?
#1 10-09-2014, 10:36 AM My cheap and easy conversion ideas. Plausible?