I feel ya on the living preference. I had a house too...but I spent a lot of time instead in my project 77 Dodge 4x4 ambulance in the driveway, that I never got finished. All was sold and now have more projects with no house
I'd like to see pics of the utility 4x4!
You are lucky to have a 4x4 ambulance... i saw a 30 year old one sell for 12k a few months ago... It was my goal but they are too expensive.
I am looking at a 200's Chevy Savannah van, 1 ton, and putting a live axle under it. I am a college educated welder and metal fabricator. I'm also a handyman, was a lumber for a number of years, and I am good with electrical, and decent with carpentry.
I have a question I can't find answered anywhere, when am i allowed to get help from the regular forums? I had to have my email confirmed, then the above post moderated, and I still do not have privileges to get help other areas? I hope this isn't one of those elitist forums that look down on every newcomer, and make you jump through hoops before you can actually get constructive advice. Punishing every newcomer for advertisers slipping through is not the answer, IMO. Frustrating already struggling people defeats the purpose.
Anyway, I have some moral/spiritual questions, I need advice in that realm, and van/utility configuration suggestions, like bed placement and toilet placement, I would love to post pictures of the rig I have, but I do not want to confine all of that to THIS thread, or have to begin an entirely new thread in a more appropriate section, making my "introduction" thread my "help" thread I do not feel is appropriate, yet I cannot post in any other forums or any other threads.
I refuse to post threads of my rig I need help with in this thread, as I do not feel your introduction thread is appropriate to turn into a catch-all help thread, when there are better subforums for it, that I do not have access to, even after verifying my email, posting an intro thread, AND having even my response moderated. Where do I send pictures of me, my social security card, and ID, to prove I am a real person? About 1 in 30 forums i participate in are locked down like this. Some are almost impossible to participate in for newcomers. I'm going to probably look elsewhere, if I still have "insufficient privileges" after this. I thought this was the right forum for me, but it appears it might not actually be. I will continue to seek "Privileges" to communicate in other threads, but I will also begin looking for other places to post at this point, too, especially if posting this reply does not 'unlock' them. If this is a pay to play thing, people aren't living in their vans because they are wealthy, and is self defeating, in my opinion. As always, humans will find solutions, so my complaining may be in vain, and as I said, I may just take my issues and build elsewhere.
About my rig: I purchased the covered utility bed, and a 4x4 pickup truck 1 ton pickup frame, mid nineties, with IFS.
The issue with IFS is, it's more complicated than a solid live axle, and I was looking to cut the 4x4 IFS from the truck frame, and weld it to the 1 ton 2WD van frame, however, after inquiring in other forums to experts, "Frame alignment issues", such as not having a professional frame jig to be sure the axles are perfectly concentric, which I do not have. I do have a shop, with a hoist, but I do not have the experience to align axles and account for thermal weld expansion and contraction.
However, with a live (solid) front axle, it becomes easier, I will have to fabricate a front shackle mount, and I am researching this, but all I need to do is drill out the frame to install shackle bushings, which is easier given my toolbase and skillset than trying to splice an entirely different frame to another.
It has to be a van frame, because of the flat frame rails, whereas a truck frame has a 10" raise for the bed, which will put an already high covered utility bed, even higher. Unfortunately 4x4 vans are a relatively new thing from manufacturers, and I am still having to "Make my own", rather than just buying one from a junkyard and putting the covered utility bed on it.
My goal, is to have 12KWH of lithium batteries, 1600 watts solar, MPPT charge controllers with pure sine wave inverter, probably 3KW, possibly split phase but probably not, a sun deck, escape hatch on top, HAM radio, drone, sewer/septic with toilet, running water, winches front and rear, full cameras outside with DVR, TV, laptop inside, and a pre lubrication system I am designing to keep the engine and transmission lubricated fully before even starting the engine, avoiding "dry" starts for when I am extended camping. If I am allowed to post another thread, I will probably share what I am developing in this regard.
My older van I built that I had to gut because of mold issues had 240W solar, 4x4' sun deck, sturdy metal escape hatch i fabricated myself, 14 gallons running water with full pressure pump, stainless sink, sanded, stained, sealed folding tables, queen size bed, 50" TV, cellphone extender, toilet with 30 gallon septic, MPPT charge controller with lead acid batteries, pure sine wave inverter, inverter generator, fiberglass topper, above/below sleeping, and some other things. I added the topper myself from a different van, I simply cut the old van's roof off with the topper, then welded it to my van, I was able to do the project for about $300, waterproof, structural, and sealed fully, and allows me, a 6'1" man to stand fully.
I built this van, and found happiness in it, for the first time in my life, parked under some trees on a beautiful 200 acre horse ranch in Arizona. I remember, I assembled the van and "Wanted to see what it would take to live in it for 2 days over the weekend", well, 2 days turned into 8 months... I would probably STILL be living in it (And renting my house out) if it weren't for the acquisition of a Fiancée and two children into my life. We have since parted ways, her and I, and I am back to living in a mobile home, but life circumstances are forcing me to consider living in a "Covered utility bed". I am partly dreading it, as the vision has eluded me, and it will take a lot of work- I have struggled greatly in this life, to overcome past trauma, complex PTSD, mental illness- and am trying to heal from these issues, while not ending up completely homeless with one pair of clothes on my back.
