Hello from Texas...for now!!

[dawn]

Hello friends!&nbsp;<div><br><div>Just joined and am very happy this site has a forum.</div><div><br></div><div>I am building my first vandwelling and this site has helped give me some great pointers! I bought an e350 Cargo van last summer with the intent to convert it. I searched for a while for this particular van since it seems to be the perfect fit for me. It's the Ford powerstroke diesel engine which is a monster that lasts forever!! I bought it for $5500 with 175k - amazing deal for this van! It will easily go to over 500k and converting to veggie oil was a huge part of the van and this engine allows that to be done extremely easy and efficiently! Did I mention Cargo?? AND a work logo that came with it to boot. Total stealth!!</div><div><br></div><div>I haven't been in an apartment or house for about a year now. It is just not for me. I've always loved traveling the best and don't believe in spending so much money on a place to live. For the same amount of a year or two of rent, I could have a fully furnished house on wheels that will last me years and years and years! Don't ever want to be a slave to the wage! I have learned a lot and am trying to find resourceful ways to live freely in all aspects of life and have been pretty successful so far. Plentiful amounts of time and money this way - the things everyone wants more of! Looking forward to finding all the other loopholes life has to offer!&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I'm set up at a friends house in South Texas working on it for the next month or so. An immense amount of thought and research has gone into this van and it is going to be a highly functional piece of art. Very roomy, modular, elegant, and well built! I will post it when I am complete, but here are a few starter pictures.&nbsp;</div><div>1. Exterior - How great is this???</div><div>2. Interior just beginning the work</div><div>3. Microcontroller setup for the solar panel on the roof</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

 

[wyndrider]

Welcome to the&nbsp; site, hope the info. will help. Out of Omaha, homestead in Okla. just drifting. Have fun, stay safe.<br>

 

[Les H]

Hi dawn, welcome to the forum. That is a decent looking van, though I'm not sure of the legalities of keeping the logo, you might have to change it a little and get rid of the phone #. I bought a truck from a national heating and cooling company with the understanding that their trademarked logo would be removed. Liabilities and all, and here in ny, anything with a permanent sign must be registered commercial, which cost more, and they are subject to the stricter DMV laws. It DOES sound like you have done a ton of planning and you have looked here for ideas, which makes you ok in my book! :0)
keep us posted on the build, and we love pics!

 

[akrvbob]

Will you marry me!!? Just kidding!! Really, I am not a crazy stalker (well, maybe a little crazy but definitley not a stalker). It sounds like you are on a wonderful path and I am very envious of your van. Those 7.3 diesels are just an outstanding engine, one of the best International ever made. They put them in every kind of rig from school buses, dump trucks and tow trucks. In the light weight of your van 500K seems entirely possible. Please, pretty please, if you convert to biodiesel will you do a story for the website? I would be delighted! At Mouldy's suggestion we are going to start a new forum for following the progress of peoples conversions. Keep your eye out for it and please post the story to it. <br><br>Let us know if there is anything we can do to be helpful, that is what we are here for!! Bob <br>

 

[dawn]

Les - Thanks for the insight. I will check into it but no agreement was made with the buyer and I had no problem or extra charges registering/inspecting it last summer. So I will keep the logo, cautiously, until anything arises!<br><br>Bob - I am definitely converting it, this is happening in the next few months too! I am keeping track of everything I do with the van. Costs, tons of pictures, errors - all so I can help other people convert and really know all the work that goes into switching to an alternative lifestyle. I am not building a biodiesel from scratch but, like everything else, the kit I am purchasing was thoroughly investigated, compared and discovered to be the best choice for long term with the least amount of problems. The install may take about a week and I'm happy to document that and share all the reasons to consider why this might be the kit for you and all the findings! I'll email you as the install happens and we can collaborate! I would be so honored to share my story!!<br>&nbsp;<br>