Hi and Help Choosing Truck

[Lannat80]

Hi everyone!

I've been watching these videos for about 4 years now.  Life has changed a lot in that time and I went from divorced and overwhelmed to having a great and supportive partner--and he also wants to live the free life.  We spent all weekend talking about how to make this a reality--not just dream talk anymore.

We are artists stuck in jobs that make us miserable.  Like you, we are people who just can't tolerate living the lie of a consumerist society anymore.  We are done being cogs for the machine of business which constantly threatens to chew us up and spit us out.  After over 20 years of work, neither of us has a retirement that will support us and we refuse to give all of our youth (we are late 30s) to a system that will take our time and energy just to leave us too broke to enjoy life at retirement.

An affordable, reliable truck for pulling a converted 16-foot cargo trailer is the first thing I am researching.  Our total budget to do the cargo trailer conversion and truck will be about $10,000.

What are the best used trucks you would recommend I look for?  Why?

I found a 1991 Ford F-150 with a 302 motor, 4 wheel drive, and only 140k mi.  The seller claims all works.  Does it have enough umph to be worth looking at?  I don't want to throw money away.

Thanks for your help!!!! :heart:

 

[annabell]

Hi Lana

My first question is, are you sure you need a 16ft trailer? That's pretty big, and therefore will be pretty heavy. The first thing if you are completely set on that size is to know the weight, both empty and with your approximate load weight. That's how you will determine what pickup to buy.

10k for a truck and a 16ft trailer with your conversions seems unrealistic to me. Buying and converting a cargo trailer alone could cost that easy.

None of my business, but I suggest scaling down your expectations to meet your budget. A 12' trailer is more reasonable in price, and lighter to tow.

Look at what items are necessities for you (solar, toilet, refrigerator) and price those items. You can hit 10k with just those.

I'm not trying to pop your bubble- you can totally do this, with realistic expectations.

Don't forget to have an emergency fund, especially necessary when your vehicle is older.

 

[Lannat80]

Hi Annabell,

We have 2 cats, so I'm having a hard time picturing us in something smaller for their sake. Do you know how much space I'll need to account for with 2 cats. The only people I've seen with cats had rigs about 16 ft.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Lannat to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

first off are either of you mechanically inclined? I am asking because with an older vehicle it comes in real handy, pretty much a necessity.

for long term towing a medium/heavy trailer I would go with a 3/4 ton minimum.

highdesertranger

 

[annabell]

Hi Annabell,

We have 2 cats, so I'm having a hard time picturing us in something smaller for their sake.  Do you know how much space I'll need to account for with 2 cats.  The only people I've seen with cats had rigs about 16 ft.

Hi Lanna

I don't think I or anyone else can say what is the appropriate amount of space for cats. Many people, though, have cats in vans, so I it is my opinion that you can make whatever space work that you have. 

I get that you want your cats to be comfortable, but, in my opinion, they should not dictate what vehicle/camper you buy. Your finances and your needs come first, and you make the pets work around that. 

You might want to go on youtube and see other nomads with cats and how they handle it. There are many! 

Again, you and your husband, and your finances come first. I don't see any way $10k can get you a reliable vehicle, a 16' cargo trailer, and customizing it. I really, really don't.

 

[VanForNow]

More important than the make and model of a used truck (assuming it is a name brand) is the condition of the engine, transmission, electrical system, chassis, tires, etc. The Number One recommendation for anyone interested in a vehicle is to have it checked out, before purchasing it, by a skilled and reliable mechanic. If you do not know such a mechanic, there are companies on the Internet that specialize in examining used vehicles. I know nothing as to which of these companies are the most reputable, perhaps someone on this forum can make a recommendation.

 

[ByeBye]

Welcome!!
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Don't let other people poo poo on your ambitions. There are way too many variables at this stage to say what can or can't get done with $10K.

My first thought would be to make sure you'll have enough truck to pull a 16ft trailer in a variety of conditions. Personally I always like to have a bit 'more' truck than I think I'll need. That gives me some wiggle room in those unforeseen scenarios where limits are tested.

I always look for one owner, low miles with known repair/maintenance history of the vehicle. I don't focus on cosmetics.

Conversion of the trailer cost can vary greatly depending on what finished product you want and how handy you are or have access to helping hands.

 

[Southwest]

Remember 4 wheel drive trucks almost always cost more to purchase and maintain . Also sometimes you can find great deals on used cargo trailers.

 

[annabell]

"Don't let other people poo poo on your ambitions."

I am not in any way "poo pooing" your goal. You can absolutely get on the road with $10K, as long as you are realistic with what that can buy. 
I still think it would be a good idea to start with what you can't live without (vehicle that won't break down too much, refrigerator, solar, insulation for example) then look at what those would cost. Also price some cargo trailers, used and new, to see how much they would cost. If you add those items up and they come to more than $10k, you could think about sizing down on the cargo trailer or cutting back on your necessaries. 
I am in the middle of this process now, and I have both scaled up my budget and scaled down my expectations of size. I truly think your plan of getting on the road is much more attainable if you have your eyes open about costs. 
Me saying to have your eyes open is in no way a "poo poo" of your goal. I want you to get where you want to be!

 

[ByeBye]

@annabell

Poor choice of words on my part, I apologize.
There are lots of ways to get things done without being strictly a traditional consumer. I've been doing it all my life.

 

[bullfrog]

First off how are you going to support yourself? Many people do seasonal jobs or make money via the internet. Artists are often used at parks for projects or campfire programs so a volunteer site may be possible or a seasonal job with a site can happen as pets must in most cases are discouraged in furnished or dormitory housing. Having an emergency fund with an older vehicle is a must have and even more so if you are unable to do your own work. An older 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive truck can be had for as little a $2,500 in the southwest with little rust. The engine, transmission, radiator,brakes and suspension should all be checked out by a trusted mechanic for less than $300 and that is usually free if repairs end up costing much more than that. Most will require brakes or steering components replaced as well as weak springs and shocks. This could cost easily cost $2,500 especially if it needs tires. Doing the work yourself could cut this cost in half. Having it done at a certified garage with a warranty could double it. As stated above you still need a 16' cargo trailer. If you already have some camping experience and gear then you could use it or a topper on the truck as a steel tent and make do until you save enough money to build it out. We wanted this life a lot, enough to find homes for our pets, work, save and find seasonal jobs that allowed us to travel the months between seasons. We started out with a much larger amount and quickly ran out of money due to our inexperience at using free camping sites and unrealistic but necessary long trips across the country. It took several years for us to learn to live simply and cheaply and find the right vehicles for us to do it in. I would suggest you take a few years to learn the skills and practice them while saving, it is much easier to do a lot of these things while stationary. Maybe learn enough about old trucks to buy a good one and fix it up, install a topper and do some test trips to see if you need more room and how much.