Hello from Vancouver, BC. Ex-liveaboard turning Vandweller I hope

[Duck]

Hi from Vancouver, I'm turning 26 in the near future, an ex-liveaboard coming from a small boat background hoping to become a VanDweller. I was reading the CheapRV site for a year or two before settling on living aboard a boat instead of a van the first time around.

I'd really like to meet folks who live in their vans here, if any are on the forum, I'm pretty handy and happy to help out with the occasional van project too, I own a few tools that are impractical unless you're doing the jobs every day that I'm happy to bring along too

I've met a few people living in vans in the past, the big Maxx air vent on a cargo van was usually the dead giveaway for me to see if anyone was around for a chat so long as it was during the day, in an area where it wouldn't be a problem to be chatting about vans, but so far I haven't met anyone from here.
Had a family travelling in a van out on the boat for lunch, and have seen quite a few vans I'm sure were being lived in who turned up to some of the better overnight parking. After a very crazy past couple years, too many 18 hour work days, endless 7 day work weeks and eventually ending up without a home, sleeping in several different places throughout the week. I'm ready to move into a van and simplify my life again. I'm used to living without a lot of stuff, spent many months living off an old motorbike before the boat.
A lot of the aspects of living in a distributed household I'm already very comfortable with, and in many ways it should be easier to work on a van than boats I hope, easier to get to different facilities and groceries etc. A lot of the same haunts for showers/laundry should be just as good in the van.
I've got some background in trades and IT both of which should serve me well, and a pretty good understanding of what I need for space and comfort.
Unfortunately short on cash as I'm now broke and in debt, in an expensive city. I'm lucky in that I had a good part time job to fall back on, but my time on a friend's couch is coming to an end soon.

I'd love to convert one of the new Dodge Rams, a Sprinter or an AWD van with a bubble top like some of the other ones I've seen here. 1/2"-3/4" quality closed celled foam insulation for heat and sound with vinyl and marine grade carpet to finish it off. Diesel powered would be best, coupled with a nice Dometic drawer fridge, Wallas diesel cooktop, and possibly a small diesel fireplace. House bank provided by a pair of large AGMs, nice Blueseas breaker panel, and solar power. Wifi antenna on the roof, and good low powered large LED monitor and laptop both off a DC-DC converter, as well as nice 3M strip lighting and a couple LED reading lights.


In reality, with my budget, I'll probably be looking at an older inexpensive gas cargo van(<2500$), hopefully with a fiberglass top for standing headroom, with a basic plywood bench and foam to sleep on, and a good sleeping bag for now.
On the water I used a marine head, but on land I'd like to try a composting one. A very long winded way of saying hello, writing in between jobs as I have time.

 

[Unchained]

Hello from SoCali, Duck! Glad to see you here.
Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want, what you can afford and the skills to meet them in the middle. Good on you!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Welcome.
Hope you find a rig to suit your needs.
We lived aboard our sailboat before becoming motorhome dwellers. Not a lot has changed except we prolly won't have to worry about sinking in a hurricane. A set of 6 good tires is about the same cost as a bottom job. Like a boat, ya just keep throwing money at the thing, LOL.

 

[Patrick46]

How-d and welcome form down on the Oregon Coastline!

YES, this is definately the place for vandwellers. (full & part-timers).

Sounds like you've got some pretty good ideas of what you want and expect, and a bit of experience living mobile, so that's way ahead of where alotta folks start thier journeys.

Cargo vans are cool, but have you considered a cube-van, or a step-van?? (my fav) These offer alot more room to work in, and alot more capacity to build living and storage space in for carrying all your tools. You can often find them cheaper then cargo vans too, and aluminum doesn't rust!


keep us posted!!

 

[blkjak]

welcome from s.w. florida .... blkjak

 

[Duck]

How-d and welcome form down on the Oregon Coastline!

YES, this is definately the place for vandwellers. (full & part-timers).

Sounds like you've got some pretty good ideas of what you want and expect, and a bit of experience living mobile, so that's way ahead of where alotta folks start thier journeys.

Cargo vans are cool, but have you considered a cube-van, or a step-van?? (my fav) These offer alot more room to work in, and alot more capacity to build living and storage space in for carrying all your tools. You can often find them cheaper then cargo vans too, and aluminum doesn't rust!

keep us posted!!

Hi .
I'd like to see more people's vehicles in person to try to figure it out.
The problem for me with a cube or step van is parking, they are much harder to deal with here. Step vans look awesome! but parallel parking one on narrow residential streets would be miserable I suspect. If I lived farther out of town it'd be more viable. An ex-ambulance looks to be a good compromise, but still a little wide.
Also a decent cube or step van in the smaller sizes seem to be a bit out of my price range.

I'd like an AWD Astro/Safari, but they seem very hard to come by with a high roof.

Are the fiberglass caps commonly available at wreckers?

 

[Patrick46]

The problem for me with a cube or step van is parking, they are much harder to deal with here. Step vans look awesome! but parallel parking one on narrow residential streets would be miserable I suspect. If I lived farther out of town it'd be more viable. An ex-ambulance looks to be a good compromise, but still a little wide.
Also a decent cube or step van in the smaller sizes seem to be a bit out of my price range.

I honestly feel that a stepvan is the easiest thing in the world to drive and YES...parallel park too!! They're so square that there's no guessing where your bumpers are. Also, since you sit up higher, you can see over most all other traffic...so the visibility outta one is fantastic!!! (but this is coming form a guy who's covered all of North America driving semi-trucks) Does driving a bigger vehicle intimidate you??

I'd like an AWD Astro/Safari, but they seem very hard to come by with a high roof.
Are the fiberglass caps commonly available at wreckers?

You say you're from VAN-couver (haha)....BC or WA??

I don't know about BC too well, but I'm sure there are enough wrecking yards in the Vanc/Portland areas, (not to mention Tacoma & Seattle areas too), that I'd imagine you should be able to find a used 'Topper' without too much hassle.

 

[Duck]

The problem for me with a cube or step van is parking, they are much harder to deal with here. Step vans look awesome! but parallel parking one on narrow residential streets would be miserable I suspect. If I lived farther out of town it'd be more viable. An ex-ambulance looks to be a good compromise, but still a little wide.
Also a decent cube or step van in the smaller sizes seem to be a bit out of my price range.

I honestly feel that a stepvan is the easiest thing in the world to drive and YES...parallel park too!! They're so square that there's no guessing where your bumpers are. Also, since you sit up higher, you can see over most all other traffic...so the visibility outta one is fantastic!!! (but this is coming form a guy who's covered all of North America driving semi-trucks) Does driving a bigger vehicle intimidate you??

I'd like an AWD Astro/Safari, but they seem very hard to come by with a high roof.
Are the fiberglass caps commonly available at wreckers?

You say you're from VAN-couver (haha)....BC or WA??

I don't know about BC too well, but I'm sure there are enough wrecking yards in the Vanc/Portland areas, (not to mention Tacoma & Seattle areas too), that I'd imagine you should be able to find a used 'Topper' without too much hassle.

Sorry, I should have explained better, I don't mean the actual act of parking it, but how far it will stick out, making it a very obvious vehicle, and getting complaints requiring me to move. A residential street parking permit would cost far less and allow me to stay close to work but roads are fairly narrow.
Some concerns about them on the highway/offroad, or in an accident too.
Perhaps I'm way off base there?
I just felt the AWD Astro/Safari might work quite nicely, both have more space than I have to live in now anyways, and I suspect much better fuel economy, though I love the look and style of the step vans.
I don't mind driving a bigger vehicle, biggest so far have been 60' boats, driving a semi is something I'd love to do at least once in my life.
I have seen very few Astro/Safari's with high tops, and most prices seem to be more than I can spend on the truck just for the top if I wanted a new one. I suspect the roof shapes are too different to simply modify one from an e350 or something else to fit.

I'm in BC. It gets worse, I know someone who's first name includes "van"
who is also outfitting a van... In Vancouver.

The other option I like is an ambulance, I like their side entry door with step up(easy to create a sump/basin for shower, wet gear etc there that would take no additional space)

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Hi Duck,

I'm in the Lower Mainland as well. I am still in the planning/saving stage now and could be for a long time. I can't offer too much advice as I am still learning. I just read Bob Wells' ebook on kindle (this forum's founder) and found it VERY helpful with lots of good ideas. One thing to consider in our area is the humidity. Given that its usually above 80% I think venting is very important to stop condensation and subsequent mold. As to the van, I though alot about a mini/astro van as it does have its advantages. Ultimately, to me comfort is quite important and I think that a mini is just too small unless you are an ULTRA minimalist and can get by with just the very basics. I try to be a minimalist as much as I can be but since I am a musician I have to have a place to store my gear and for me that rules out the astro mini vans. Cargo with tons of insulation is the way I am going to go.

best
Unity Gain

 

[Willy]

The humidity is what's going to get ya here in the lower mainland.. wet, cold, 'n mold. Vans are 'ok', but can have big problems with condensation due to exposed metal/glass during the winter-->MOLD !! This gets even worse if you don't have an externally vented heat source. ..Willy.

 

[Duck]

Hi Duck,

I'm in the Lower Mainland as well. I am still in the planning/saving stage now and could be for a long time. I can't offer too much advice as I am still learning. I just read Bob Wells' ebook on kindle (this forum's founder) and found it VERY helpful with lots of good ideas. One thing to consider in our area is the humidity. Given that its usually above 80% I think venting is very important to stop condensation and subsequent mold. As to the van, I though alot about a mini/astro van as it does have its advantages. Ultimately, to me comfort is quite important and I think that a mini is just too small unless you are an ULTRA minimalist and can get by with just the very basics. I try to be a minimalist as much as I can be but since I am a musician I have to have a place to store my gear and for me that rules out the astro mini vans. Cargo with tons of insulation is the way I am going to go.

best
Unity Gain

Pleased to meet you, let me know if you want any help with the build out/insulating, love to see what other's choose
My only real worry is the type of vehicle and body type to choose for the refit.
The actual work, and the requirements of heating/drying are things I am pretty comfortable with. I have still my tools from my time in the marine industry. Plumbing, propane electrical(12v and 120v for inverters etc) are things I have some familiarity with. Insulation and structural stuff less so other than on my own boat.

Ventilation is key, but it's only part of the picture. Venting warm dry air is a horrible waste. Venting warm air that is at 100% humidity, excellent idea.
Managing to get the air to pick up the maximum humidity on the way is an interesting challenge.

The humidity is what's going to get ya here in the lower mainland.. wet, cold, 'n mold. Vans are 'ok', but can have big problems with condensation due to exposed metal/glass during the winter-->MOLD !! This gets even worse if you don't have an externally vented heat source. ..Willy.

Mold is a constant battle on a boat too, the smaller low powered(12V even!) dehumidifiers like the Eva-dry line work ok, but for major water ingress I'd run a big one with snail fans to circulate and get below 30% humidity really quick while keeping it cold, then add heat(brings humidity back up, pulling moisture out of more areas again knocking it back down to 30% again) before back to the smaller ones for maintenance. I plumbed them to the sink/bilge respectively. Smaller ones require a little fitting be added to the tank, big ones come with a hose attachment anyways.
Doing the first main dry out COLD as possible is critical, adding heat in that first stage is an almost surefire way to wreck everything, when it could hav been saved due to the mold growth.

 

[Patrick46]

Duck....you sound like your pretty handy with tools.

How 'bout buying your Astro and raising the top yourself??

A wood frame, with a thin wood skin, and a few good layers of fiberglass is something I'd imagine most boat builders would be very familiar with.

 

[Willy]

My so-called 'sacrificial window' acts as a dehumidifier. Being colder than most everywhere else in my camper, water vapour condenses on it, ofttimes even freezing, and trickles down and outside through the drains in the frame. This keeps the rest of the camper reasonably dry. ..Willy.

 

[Duck]

Duck....you sound like your pretty handy with tools.

How 'bout buying your Astro and raising the top yourself??

A wood frame, with a thin wood skin, and a few good layers of fiberglass is something I'd imagine most boat builders would be very familiar with.

Haha sounds interesting, I'm no boat builder though! I just fixed and refitted the damn things. Fiberglass is a whole different area, which I don't have tools or supplies for really. I respect the guys who can do it nicely, but I don't think my result would look great, and cost/time would be close to just buying one made in a female mold, which is the way to go for something like a cap I think, no core to rot that way. The used idea seems best!
Materials are so expensive these days, I'd expect >900$ plus weeks of time. Which blows my budget entirely.

The other problem now is that you've gotten me looking at Step/Cube vans more seriously with what you mentioned about the ease of parking, some of the Grumman ones look awesome and are narrow enough.
Found some a couple interesting ambulances too. Would be nice to go one step up from the minimum space I was thinking I can get by with.

My so-called 'sacrificial window' acts as a dehumidifier. Being colder than most everywhere else in my camper, water vapour condenses on it, ofttimes even freezing, and trickles down and outside through the drains in the frame. This keeps the rest of the camper reasonably dry. ..Willy.

Genius! what do you heat with?
The little dehumidifiers I used drew about 1.5A per hour so and pulled out a pint or two a day.
Reducing power use in exchange for a bit more heat loss sounds good.

 

[Willy]

I've got an old RV 'gravity fed' convective 'n through the wall vented propane furnace. I replaced the mechanical bulb style valve body with a 12v electric one and wall thermostat. There's a thermocouple I've installed near the burn chamber which turns on a small 12v computer fan when it gets hot enough. ..Willy.

 

[Mac J]

You may find this an interesting read.

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q...eating-elements-dry-the-air-or-burn-up-oxygen

 

[James AKA Lynx]

I am putting over 1000 pounds of stuff in my van. When you start looking at a van you must consider how much weight you will be putting into it. The smaller 1/2 ton just does not handle the extra weight that we usually carry. A 3/4 ton or 1 ton will do you well for a long time. Also cheaper.

Good luck in your area to park. You may want to put an ad someplace to find somebodies driveway to park.

 

[Duck]

I am putting over 1000 pounds of stuff in my van. When you start looking at a van you must consider how much weight you will be putting into it. The smaller 1/2 ton just does not handle the extra weight that we usually carry. A 3/4 ton or 1 ton will do you well for a long time. Also cheaper.

Good luck in your area to park. You may want to put an ad someplace to find somebodies driveway to park.

Very good points about weight! I'm lucky in that provided I can keep my width reasonable I know of over a dozen places to park overnight without hassles, a few dollars a year and I can get permits for a couple more areas too. Vandwelling has fascinated me for a few years, and I've kept tabs on areas that the city has forgotten.
Driveways by comparison here are very expensive. Also, those areas that still have nice driveways tend to have nosy neighbors or landlords.

 

[Wild_E]

Hey from Ontario,
remember that Astros and Safaris are on a truck chassis, other mini van are on car chassis so a big difference there. When I had my business going, loading up the Astros then tossing on the utility trailer which was loaded as well was still safe. Loading up my Dodge Caravan (car chassis) and utility trailer, different altogether!

Now the odd part, Astro had the 3.8 engine, Safari the 4.3, the Safari gets better fuel millage by far!

 

[bodasefus]

I used to have a old Dodge van(long bed). modified with a rear platform with a bed and storage underneath, porta-potty, water and a 12v fridge and tv.
This time around I am going with a Toyota Motorhome. a class C. Comfortable for myself and I would like eventually to take a drive to Belize and spend some time in that area...
Russ

Don't take life to seriously
No one gets out alive...