HELP PLEASE: I am still deciding if a van would be the right vehicle for me to travel the US, Canada, Mexico, and maybe

[magentawave]

Hi wandering mike,<br /><br />I agree with you that its media that hypes up this stuff (as usual) and I always feel safer in Mexico than I do in the states.<br /><br />Steve

 

[Guest]

Hi Steve....<br /><br />Are you going to be traveling by yourself or with a partner....I think a lot depends on that for what vehicle....need room for one or two. Big difference.<br /><br />Another thing I would wonder is if you will be searching out surf spots, etc, since that will be a factor in the rig you want.<br /><br />I personally like a van or something you can reach every part of the vehicle from inside. <br /><br />One of the most common vehicles I see used for south of the border touring is the trusty Vanagon. You have to do your homework and find the right years etc. but they are a great choice. Eurovans are common as well and for the Around the World crowd....small diesel engined Toyota or similar trucks with custom built campers on the back. here is a couple photos along the road in Mexico and Belize. Those are all 4wd too.<br /><br />I believe that the smaller the footprint the better but I have seen 40' Class A's in the damnedest places. If you don't mind driving it there you can drive anything. I remember one little town we were wandering through in Guate where I had to fold both sideview mirrors on our Mazda truck in to get through the booths, etc. Our FourWheel camper is only as wide as the truck bed...<br /><br />The thing is, and my driving/camping experience is only as far south as Guatemala, you will always find diesel where there are trucks or buses but not necessarily gasoline. In Belize, when we were there gasoline cost over $5.00 a gallon (imperial gallon, I think) and diesel was over a dollar a gallon less....EVERYONE drove diesel rigs. Guys would come to the US and buy as many of the 70's and 80's small diesel trucks and cars they could and bring them down there to sell.<br /><br />Anyway....if a person is planning on some serious country bagging with his or her rig, it opens many other ideas and it has all been worked out...not very much new that hasn't been built and or fabbed and used by those folks.<br /><br />Something to remember is that the rig should be fairly self sufficient since once you leave the tourist trail, you run out of campgrounds and have to get pretty creative in where you stay. I have seen campgrounds in other countries and they do exist but usually are just a field or something and that is where you will run into the other travelers. I saw them in Costa Rica, Peru, Panama...but very, very few cgs. We never found one in Guate...we did find a lot of places that let you camp on their grounds, hotels, ruins,&nbsp; caves, etc.......and never a table...<img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /> Thank goodness for our Roll-a-table...lol<br /><br />So anyway. I usually don't talk about it to people unless they bring it up. I run into negative energy about it way too much.<br /><br />The only people I listen to at all about any other country is someone who just came from there recently. There are plenty and you can get very good info by asking....<br /><br />I don't know if you are plugged into HorizonsUnlimited? AdventureRider is a motorcycle adventure travel site but they have tons of good info....<br /><br />Here are a couple photos of our little Mazda/camper and some other RTW rigs....<br /><br />Happy trails,<br />Bri

 

[magentawave]

Hi Bri,<br /><br />I've spent way too much of my life holding myself back from doing the traveling I want because of relationships I was in so I'm committed to staying single and traveling alone.<br /><br />Yes I plan on surfing uncrowded tubes and fishing for food whenever I can.&nbsp;I used to windsurf and surf at San Carlos (Baja Pacific side) about 9 hours below San Diego and I was amazed at the rigs people would drive in there. Giant old motorhomes and even vehicles towing trailers. 4x4's weren't necessary but the washboard roads had to tear up those nasty old ticky tacky motorhomes.<br /><br />I'm still thinking of a full size extended van or possibly a Class B because I want something with as much room as I can get so I'm afraid a Vanagon won't be large enough. I've had really bad luck with VW's in the past too so kind of sketchy about them.<br /><br />I plan on making the rig as self-sufficient as possible and along with solar, I set up a wind turbine on it for south of the border. Ultimately it would be great to have two rigs. One for the US and Canada and a diesel for south of the border. Money matters at this point (a bunch!) so we shall see.<br /><br />Cool pop top photos and thanks for the heads up on those two sites. I will check them out for sure. I don't recall the name at the moment but I was even checking out a site recently featuring lots of people and their rigs traveling as far south as Patagonia. They were driving just about every kind of vehicle you can imagine from old cheap motorhomes, Chevy Astro vans, big 4x4's, to motorcycles.&nbsp;<br /><br />Thanks<br />Steve<br /><br /><br />

 

[fredcdobbs]

I am personally saving for a Nissan NV High Top. I think its the best combo of stealth and comfort. All the features in that van are built around people that spend lots of time in the van, and use it as a work vehicle and an office. The downside of course is price.<br /><br />[video]

if you're going to spend that kind of money, go for a sprinter.&nbsp;<br />i'm convinced the nv is [dollar for dollar] the worst van on the road.

<br />Why do you think that Nissan NV is so bad? Would you buy a Used Sprinter several years old with a lot of mileage over a new Nissan for the same price? That's one of my current dilemmas.

 

[magentawave]

Nissan makes really good stuff so I don't know what he's talking about there.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/confused.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />