Ho boy, things are starting to move fast and I'm getting really nervous & anxious.

[morkani]

oh awsome, thanks . I did call a broker & he said he can insure, I need to call him back to get a precise quote.

As far as the law goes, I was under the impression that if I kept the truck and cargo under 25,999 lbs, that I could just drive it with my regular license. It would just be titled as a medium truck. no?

 

[tx2sturgis]

It gets complicated in a hurry....there are a lot of considerations. Some states will let you register it as a private truck or non-commercial truck. 

Some states will let you register it as a motorhome with just a few modifications and additions....other states, not as easy.

And it also depends on the state where this all takes place. You need to do all of that research for your state. Search online for the transportation codes and laws for your state. You may have to call the department of motor vehicles or the state DOT for your state on the phone and talk to someone in charge of enforcement to get an idea of what they know about it. 

Also, if you get it converted to and legally registered as a motorhome in your state, then you wont have to stop at most weigh stations as you cross state lines. If it is a 'truck'..even a private truck, you may, or probably will, be pulled in to weigh the truck at the weigh stations and may be required to buy trip permits. Again the solution is to get it converted to, and registered as, a motorhome, NOT a truck.

Most likely your insurance will also be much cheaper if it is a motorhome, rather than a commercial vehicle. But you need to do this research for your state (or the state you plan to use as your legal residence state).

 

[morkani]

Thank you for your reply, and for adding additional things I should be considering, I really appreciate it. There's so many things i'm not sure of what I don't know lol.
So I live in Florida, and I asked my county courthouse and they gave me where I can find a couple documents that related to it. And it APPEARED as though all it needed was a toilet inside? That doesn't seem right, like I could have an empty box truck, and just put a natures head toilet in the back, and now i don't have to stop at weigh stations. (So i'm wondering if i have the requirements wrong and If i've researched in the wrong place.) 
I'm also wondering if, after i got the title changed in florida. If i need to stay a florida resident? I was hoping not to need to continue to be a florida resident.
thanks again

 

[WanderingRose]

You may find that county ordinances that define an RV as having a toilet in it have to do with where you can park during certain times of the year.

That is the case where I live, where an RV has to be out of your driveway from 11/1-April 1, and an RV has a toilet in it. It may also be a van and your daily driver, but if it has a toilet it’s an RV and subject to those ordinances.

You might do some local research with van dwellers and other non-conventional RV’s, like at inexpensive federal campgrounds where folks might be staying.

People are usually very willing to share this kind of information, and it sounds like you could really benefit from some in person contact with folks doing what you want to do.

Look around, check out your WalMart parking lots some evening if they allow overnite parking. Might also make a trip to your local DMV to speak with someone.

Safely, with a mask on.

 

[tx2sturgis]

This is a general guideline, which might vary in your state:

It will need to be titled, registered, and insured as a truck until you get the conversion done. This will probably not be cheap.

Then, install whatever they need you to install, build whatever you need to build, then start the legal process of changing the title and registration.

Then you will fill out whatever forms they need, probably will need a weight slip, pictures, and an inspection to confirm the modifications, and then you will get it re-titled as a motorhome, housecar, private truck or however your state of residence will define it.

I know you have your mind made up, but you should reconsider the setbacks and hurdles along the way. I assume from this thread that once you sell the place and have the wad of cash in the bank, you wont really have a place to do this conversion work.

If it were me, I'd spend that money plus the money you will spend on the conversion on something more user-friendly, you know? Like a ready to drive, ready to go, motorhome.

But that's just me.

 

[morkani]

I know you have your mind made up, but you should reconsider the setbacks and hurdles along the way. I assume from this thread that once you sell the place and have the wad of cash in the bank, you wont really have a place to do this conversion work.

This is really great advice, and I know I have problems with this, (you got me pegged). I don't mind making a few adjustments here and there, but you're right, drastic changes to my plans are difficult for me to consider & I have to remind myself to consider other options when they are presented. I do have a little flexibility however, as far as being able to stay somewhere during building. I plan to rent (bonus if it has a place to build) on a month-month instead of lease. I'd either use that for a place to build. Or, and I'm hoping I can find an affordable place for this, find a body shop that can at least get it legal for the road. Once it's legal for the road, I'll be using home depot/lowes parking lot if I have no where else to build. I hear those are good places.

 

[WayOutWest]

That's quite a big truck you are considering! I wasn't picturing one that large...I was thinking you meant more along the lines of the U-Haul sized truck eg this one.  https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/15ft-Moving-Truck/

When I look at the prices for those big trucks....even the ones with high mileage....wow!  You can get a lot of van or RV for those prices is what I'm thinking.  
With a truck that large, you likely won't be able to do much boondocking in national forests or BLM land, because the vehicle is too big to get out on those roads.  It's also too big to park in a lot of places in cities, as large commercial trucks are prohibited from parking in a lot of areas in cities, such as all residential areas and some commercial zones too. 

As long as that doesn't bother you, and you understand the limitations that is fine. You could live a lot like a trucker, at truck stops....is that what you are planning? 

I do see your point about a box truck being easier to build in and convert, and offering more privacy.  But I would carefully consider the limitations of where you could park and "camp/live" in a truck that size. 

I don't know if living in a truck would automatically actually result in you having more interaction with other people, which seems one of your stated goals --- do you expect that traveling around would put you more in contact with others?  I think you'd be likely to meet more truckers, and perhaps if you end up living in an area like Quartzite AZ you'd meet other nomads...but in general I think living in a house offers similar opportunity to meet others.  You can choose to go out or stay in, and same with the truck it seems.

 

[morkani]

When I look at the prices for those big trucks....even the ones with high mileage....wow!  You can get a lot of van or RV for those prices is what I'm thinking.  
With a truck that large, you likely won't be able to do much boondocking in national forests or BLM land, because the vehicle is too big to get out on those roads.  It's also too big to park in a lot of places in cities, as large commercial trucks are prohibited from parking in a lot of areas in cities, such as all residential areas and some commercial zones too. 

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Early on, I considered the hazards of driving such a large vehicle. I was pretty sure I was capable of driving it because I had done so a couple times in the past moving once local and once long distance. I also knew I would not want to take it through mountains if at all possible (i'm sure it's capable but my nerves aren't). [/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]But I assumed it could hit the wall-mart parking lots (moving from one to the next till i get to where I wanna go), & especially camp grounds. I had hoped that out there in the desert, pretty much everything is flat and the truck would have no problems going pretty much anywhere. (& I really wanted to try desert living for awhile).[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=small][size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]This will not be titled as a commercial truck btw. It's currently titled as a non-commercial[/font][/size][size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] medium truck, but it'll probably be changed to class c rv. do you think i'll still have problems parking in the city?[/font][/size]
[/font][/size]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I saw so many RV's at the RTR that I figured the box truck could go there as well.[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I had hoped to find places to boondock and fish though. And often. Fishing & foraging are how I would like to eat. Is it just that I won't be able to boondock at MOST BLM or National Forests? Like do you think if i found a spot in southern cali, and I wanted to go to washington or oregon, I'd probably find a spot I could park in one of those states? If so, then I could probably handle those limitations...I do have times when I really want to be alone and not around people. I really want to rethink some stuff if you think it'll be nearly impossible to find remote places the box truck can get to.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]One thing bob said in a few video's that struck me was that "if you don't like your neighbors, you can just get up and move". These days, well, I just really need to move. Politics etc... I would like to do this sooner rather than later, & I did not find homes that I would be willing to live in for my budget. [/font]

 

[Cammalu]

You are going to be doing a lot of work and spending a lot of money on a build and really don’t know if you will like living this way. There are a lot of used cheap motor homes you can purchase and save yourself all that headache and money and try the lifestyle first.

You spoke of staying in campgrounds also and I’ve gotta say that they all won’t allow your rig. Oh some will but...

Even on BLM land is some places you will be restricted if you don’t have a black tank set up for your toilet. Nature’s head won’t get it everywhere unfortunately.

You are restricting yourself and really don’t have to.

 

[morkani]

It seems like almost everyone is advising against doing the box truck conversion, I probably do need to rethink then. I don't understand how there's so many schoolies then? aren't they just about the same thing?
And won't an RV cost way more than 47k? 
I'm giving up an awful lot here , a lot of the reasons I wanted to do this. 

This basically means if I want to do my hobby (streaming) which requires equipment to be climate controlled. I need to be plugged in since I can't put enough solar on an rv. 
Maybe I could just completely rely on generators 24/7? how expensive would that be in gas? how hard would it be to haul that gas? Would propane be better?

I'm getting discouraged, I'll try to rethink my future after some sleep.

 

[WanderingRose]

Morkani, you really need to take some field trips and see what others are doing and how they are doing it.

Seriously. Look at other people’s rigs, and talk with them.

It’s like you’re trying here to plan and buy a boat, having never seen nor been on one.

Many private campgrounds will not allow a box truck, and wherever you are running a generator you will not be able to do that 24/7 unless way out in the middle of nowhere where there is no one around you.

In established campgrounds, public and private, there are rules for generator use, such as only between 8a-10a. Generators are noisy and create fumes, also trying to run one 24 hours a day creates a huge demand for fuel for said generator.

You’ve gotten a number of suggestions for starting with a good used RV that has everything you need, from others already out there and living as you want to live, and I think it would be good to pay attention to that.

Having a ClassB for 13 years, and a ClassC 6 years before that, the only drawback with older RV’s is not only the vehicle part which must be maintained, but also the various systems within. Plumbing, electric, etc., all have their quirks and failures and need to be maintained.

If the idea of all the unfamiliar systems is daunting, consider doing what many do and start out with a good used vehicle, like a van, with absolute necessities, and build it out as you go and find out what you need and want.

I wish you all the best.

 

[morkani]

Yea, I'm pretty sure ya'll are right on here. I do tend to dream too big sometimes outside the realm of possibility lol. A lot of this stemmed from just needing to change my environment, then I saw bob's video's, and found links to tons of people doing conversions and even box trucks. They make it look so easy on youtube lol.
I'm starting to think that instead, maybe i'll just rent some place in an environment where I'm comfortable and do the small van thing for small trips instead of living in it permanently. It's a ponderer.

 

[Stargazer]

Ditto Wandering Rose!

 

[WanderingRose]

“I'm starting to think that instead, maybe i'll just rent some place in an environment where I'm comfortable and do the small van thing for small trips instead of living in it permanently. It's a ponderer.”

I really encourage that, morkani.

Some real world experience will give you some practical frame of reference for what you want to do.

It may be the anxiety you feel about your plans and dreams is the universe and/or your guardian angels trying to tell you to slow down, start smaller, work your way into what you most want as you gain more knowledge, and not hurl yourself headlong off a cliff.

Those inner nigglings are there for a reason, and we do well not to try to push past but to listen to them. :blush:

 

[jacqueg]

....I'm giving up an awful lot here , a lot of the reasons I wanted to do this..... 

This basically means if I want to do my hobby (streaming) which requires equipment to be climate controlled. I need to be plugged in since I can't put enough solar on an rv. 
Maybe I could just completely rely on generators 24/7? how expensive would that be in gas? how hard would it be to haul that gas? Would propane be better?

If your hobby requires that much electricity, I'm not sure that mobile living, as most of us here do it, is for you. To drive a rig that large and heavy will limit where you can go, and could cost you as much in vehicle fuel and maintenance as rent. And if you want to spend most of your free time in front of monitors, why do you want to travel at all? This is a serious question. The time you will spend maintaining your own "grid" and on driving will cut down on the time you can spend streaming.

There's a reason why this forum includes CHEAP in its name. 

Maybe you'd find advice more applicable to your plans through www.escapees.com. They are more oriented toward people with big rigs. 

Another thought - you might try to see if you can get along with fewer electronics. To live in my cargo van, I had to cut down on my "hobby" needs, as well as many other things I had in my apartment. No regrets here at all. But then my life has taught me that stuff just ties me down.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Mokani let's cut to the chase....the lowest common denominator here.

You are willing to spend 47 THOUSAND DOLLARS to be able to play online gaming all day long and stay comfy doing it?

Repeat that to yourself.

FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. To play games.

Yeah, you'll have a place to hang out, but holy heck...people build out an RV or van or box truck home sometimes for 10 grand or less.

If this was a job, and you were coding, and making money at it...then OK...I could see it making sense. But I think it is more of an expensive obsession. Believe me, I know all about 'expensive obsessions' 

But the fact is, if you build a smaller and much more modest rig, or find a nice mid-price used motorhome, camper van, or travel trailer of some sort, and once you get out in the real world and break thru the barrier you have about social interactions, (AC-after covid) then you may find out that you dont need to spend that much money to be happy and stay busy...living on the road keeps you busy....yeah there is some down time...but not as much as you might think. Days tend to go by pretty quick.

Just think about it my friend. Really.

 

[bullfrog]

The big part of the cheap in this lifestyle is living simply. Many people spend hundred of thousands of dollars a year to live a lifestyle in climate controlled spaces streaming. Even though technology has improved it is still not likely someone with no experience in mobile living will be able to successfully pull it off with limited income resources. Most come to this forum to get away from financial stress and enjoy the freedom of living simply outdoors. What makes it cheap is a change of lifestyle and learning to appreciate nature. Most Escapees are attempting to maintain an apartment type environment while being mobile to adventure but spend a fairly large amount compared to most people here.

 

[B and C]

Gaming over a cell hotspot signal probably won't be very "steller or satisfying" either. You could probably try it with your existing phone.

When I am out, I rarely use a laptop or computer during the day except to find my next spot. After dark, when it starts to get chilly, I'll sometimes retire inside to watch a streaming or prerecorded movie before bed. I like messing with computers and have since before DOS 3.2 (remember basic?). Hard to meet people in real life if your life is looking at a monitor.

 

[WayOutWest]

Yea, I'm pretty sure ya'll are right on here. I do tend to dream too big sometimes outside the realm of possibility lol. A lot of this stemmed from just needing to change my environment, then I saw bob's video's, and found links to tons of people doing conversions and even box trucks. They make it look so easy on youtube lol.
I'm starting to think that instead, maybe i'll just rent some place in an environment where I'm comfortable and do the small van thing for small trips instead of living in it permanently. It's a ponderer.

Yes, I think it's a better shorter term plan to rent a place in an environment where you are comfortable and then explore finding some type of camper setup for small trips, whether it be a van or truck or other small rig.  You can still keep your dream/idea about the big rig conversion as a possibility for later on, but I do agree with everyone's advice here that it's important to get some real world experience, plus accepting the very real limitations and costs of setting up a home in a very large truck. 

I think the idea of tossing out one's current living situation and going for something totally new can be very attractive, but if one flies into something without adequate thought and planning, the results could be depressing, with a lot of wasted money and time.  

A couple statements of yours suggest a lack of experience that would be important to gain insight before you spend a lot of money: 
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I had hoped that out there in the desert, pretty much everything is flat and the truck would have no problems going pretty much anywhere. (& I really wanted to try desert living for awhile).
[/font]Rather than "hope" about what's out in the desert I would suggest you take trips and go and see. You can't just drive off road anywhere in the desert, even with vehicles capable of doing so like 4WD jeeps.  Other than in the ORV areas, you have to stay on the roads, and though many areas are "flatt-ish", the desert is not just flat dirt.  A lot of it is sandy and it's easy to get stuck in the sand if you go on the wrong road or don't have 4WD.  Dirt roads are narrow and the likelihood of turn-around spots big enough for a big rig are slim.  Many of the desert dirt roads have berms along the side, or raised areas, meaning you can't get off the road and you can't easily turn around until you find a turn around spot.  [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The ORV areas may have larger open spots off the road, but these are high use areas and can be full of noisy dune buggies and motorcycles.[/font]

 From my adventures in the desert, I've seen that though there are certainly spots large enough for RVs and large trucks to boondock, but other than in the well known areas, you may have to hunt and put in some work to find these spots.  The easiest ones to find are just off the main highway, but those are not so attractive because they are just off the main highway.  
The number of spots for boondocking is increased quite considerably for those who have 4WD. My guesstimate is, it easily opens up about 75% or more additional areas for you, on public lands.  Maybe even 90% more in some regions that have a heck of a lot of 4WD roads.  There are a ton of 4WD roads in the desert (and forests) which are inaccessible to me as someone who's only ever had 2WD.  You can get to more remote and pristine areas, quieter areas, via 4WD roads.  
  
[/font][/size]
You mentioned that "fishing and foraging are how I'd like to eat."  I think you'd have a real hard time accessing locations where you can fish and forage to eat, living in a very large truck.  The number of places where one can fish and forage on public land is already limited in several ways.  First to the public lands that have fishing and foraging opportunities.  Then by weather in those areas.  Then by access to fishing sites, many of which will not be accessible by big rig.  

I think anyone interested in boondocking who does not yet have much experience with this, would be well advised to take some trips with a small vehicle, maybe a rental vehicle, and test it out, start looking at public lands through the eye of a would be boondocker.  I've been doing this for decades already, from the perspective of someone looking to overnight in a relatively small vehicle.  Someone in a larger vehicle would need to look through a different lens.  As you're driving along, you'd need to be thinking about what sites you could do boondocking in the size of vehicle you plan to get . This I think is a necessary preliminary exploration.

 

[jacqueg]

If your hobby requires that much electricity, I'm not sure that mobile living, as most of us here do it, is for you. To drive a rig that large and heavy will limit where you can go, and could cost you as much in vehicle fuel and maintenance as rent. And if you want to spend most of your free time in front of monitors, why do you want to travel at all? This is a serious question. The time you will spend maintaining your own "grid" and on driving will cut down on the time you can spend streaming.

There's a reason why this forum includes CHEAP in its name. 

Maybe you'd find advice more applicable to your plans through www.escapees.com. They are more oriented toward people with big rigs. 

Another thought - you might try to see if you can get along with fewer electronics. To live in my cargo van, I had to cut down on my "hobby" needs, as well as many other things I had in my apartment. No regrets here at all. But then my life has taught me that stuff just ties me down.

Correction - www.escapees.org

Also - I am currently staying on a friend's land, not really too far from civilization. No wifi. My phone gets 2 [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]roaming [/font]bars there, if conditions are optimal. Right now, I am in a restaurant about 20 miles from where I am staying, with free wifi. That's how far I have to travel for decent internet. Staying at Quartzsite, when lots of people were trying to use the same tower - well, I couldn't do much streaming - or anything else - until after midnight.

But guess what? This is NO sacrifice. That you think it is a sacrifice is just another red flag that maybe this is not the life for you.

I am a firm advocate of doing what you most want to do in life. If you are doing what you most want to do, there's no feeling of sacrifice.

I could stop living in my van anytime, and have high-spreed internet, as well as all the other benefits of living in s&b in a real town. But I'd rather be doing this.