Hello from Montreal :)

[ChillPill]

Hi there,

So yeah I've been contemplating a roadtrip accross the americas from some time now. I live in Montreal since 2008 and I promised myself no to leave the country without RVing in the Rockies, Yukon, Yellowstone etc.
(BTW, sorry about eventual grammar mistakes I'm no English native)

Aaaand I think now is the time
I lost my full time job a few months ago and work online less-than-part-time. This means I can work from a parking lot with Wi-Fi, and this will allow me to have some income while on the road, even if it's quite low.

I have to admit I wanted to do it with my girlfriend, but I don't have one anymore and I'm not sure it's worth wainting (as I said, the timing seems right). This is not such a bad thing, because I want this trip to be all about painting and photography.

I'm currently looking for ads, but winter is coming (brace yourselves, he said) and I may want to leave at the end of the winter. This will leave some time to find the perfect vehicle, prep it, prep the trip and everything. I plan to leave for 6 months at least.

My budget for the van is quite low : around 2 000 CAD. But I've seen some pretty decent vans for this price, like this 1979 GMC Vandura
I like vanduras. Seems like it's a matter of the heart If you know of other similar vehicles I will gladly hear it.

I have plenty of questions, even after lurking everywhere (included this forum), but for now let me ask 4 of these (if it's not the good place tell me, I'll ask them on another thread):

-Is it reasonnable (money-wise) to buy and travel alone in this kind of RV ? This would be the main issue here. I want space to work and paint inside, and I want some minimum comfort. I may spend some winter time in Nat'l parks. And I LOVE couches above the driver's seat (although not mandatory). Cars and mini-vans are thus excluded. On the other hand, I'm affraid it will suck too much oil and parts. I've seen that those Vanduras run at 15gpm, which is quite a lot. I know I know, it's a big old machine.

-Is it a good plan to buy an old Vandura (vehicle in general) ? I don't want too many mechanical issues, mainly because I'll be alone. And because I'm kinda short on $$$. Is it better to bet on a more expensive van, or to save the money for future troubles ? It seems like it's a bet more than anything else. Some people had troubles all the way, others none.

-I've never been alone for such a long period of time. This kind of frightens me, and at the same time I'm really curious. I'm in a point in my life where I need to reflect on some things, maybe it'll be a good thing. Or maybe it'll be boring.
You know, this McCandles thing did ring a bell in my mind. I plan on taking a lot of pictures and all, be online, share my experience, but I think I agree with the "happiness is only real when shared" moto.
In short, I love doing roadtrips with friends, but I've never done this alone.

-Should I buy the van in Montreal and prep it during winter in my backyard, or should I buy the van next spring in BC let's say, and prep it there ? I think only me can answer this one, but maybe you have some useful insights.

That's all for now, cheers RVers !

 

[sephson]

Welcome aboard ChillPill!

My experience with older vehicles tells me that you should plan to buy it twice. The first time is the initial purchase. Once that's done, plan on putting roughly the same amount of money into the vehicle in repairs in the first year you own it. It's possible that you could find a vehicle that's been well maintained and is in perfect shape, but you're more likely to find something that at the very least needs a major tune-up and needs every rubber hose and belt replaced.

Don't let this discourage you though. You just need to make sure you have an emergency fund to cover the repairs that will crop up.

 

[ChillPill]

Thanks sephson. That's what I thought. It should be manageable.

 

[caseyc]

Welcome to the club! If it were me, I'd continue saving up to get something a little more recent, something around 1997 or newer year. You don't need something that already has known problems.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Welcome to the CRVL forums ChillPill! 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.