how old are you?

[gcal]

I asked this on the one-inch thread. On second thought, that seemed like hijacking it. When I  look at those normal height vans and think of living in one, I  don't  think my back and joints would handle it. I need to be able  to stand up and also need to crouch less. 

Most of the car people seem to aspire to a van, so i am asking, here. How old are you and, if you do not have standing headroom and have been doing this long enough to have aged, is that an issue?

 

[Almost There]

I asked this on the one-inch thread. On second thought, that seemed like hijacking it. When I  look at those normal height vans and think of living in one, I  don't  think my back and joints would handle it. I need to be able  to stand up and also need to crouch less. 

Most of the car people seem to aspire to a van, so i am asking, here. How old are you and, if you do not have standing headroom and have been doing this long enough to have aged, is that an issue?

It certainly would be an issue for me!

I just turned 66. I realized this spring that I was celebrating 40 years of vanning. My first van was a '61 Econoline in 1975. My brother sold it to me when I was expecting my youngest. I've had a van in my name for all those years except for a couple where the only thing I owned was a Class A RV.

 If the van I managed to luck out and buy hadn't already had the high top on it, it would have been the first thing I put on it. Well okay, other than the tires it needed to be safe on the road...

In my 20 and 30's camping on weekends and vacations in a van without the high top was okay. Today I wouldn't even think about it, particularly for full-timing.

 

[minimotos95]

I am one of the younger members on here at 20 but I have a bad back with hyperlordosis. I don't mind my standard roof(48") at all but I don't dare try to walk hunched over inside and I seem to end up crouch walking, scooting and sliding to get around. Luckily I only have one bad knee and it's actually started being more bearable since the switch from S&B to van over a year ago.

 

[Free Range Chicken]

31. Converting a high roof nv. I am 6'1" , I put an inch down for floor and insulation and I still have two inches on top that I'll probably cover with insulation. I'll start some partial weekend dwelling on fall

 

[Suanne]

...When I  look at those normal height vans and think of living in one, I  don't  think my back and joints would handle it. I need to be able  to stand up and also need to crouch less...

I've thought quite a bit about what replacement vehicle I'd get when my Prius dies.  But, I hadn't exactly thought about all of the crouching that a regular height van would require.

In the Prius the only time I crouch is when putting on pants.  Otherwise, I'm sitting or reaching.

I'm 60 and have lived out of my car for months at a time over the last 5 years.  If I couldn't reach what I needed in a van from a sitting position, and had to walk crouched over, my back would seriously complain after more than a few days.  Forget "walking" on my knees to move around ... ouch!

Makes me think that if I ever get a normal-height van as a replacement, I'd need to seriously think about the layout for ease of access.  Maybe a chair on rollers would be helpful.

 

[eDJ_]

I'm late 40's now and have a high top -long wheel base-extended.  I can walk from one end to the other with an inch or two of head room.  My first Vans, I had to either do everything on my knees or bend over and move around.   While the high top can be limiting in off road (about 9ft tall) and lead to lower fuel mileage it makes
up for it in comfort. 

My Van is similar to this one:

 

[GotSmart]

That depends on who you ask.  My kids claim I am older than dirt, and rode dinosaurs.  My grandparents were born in the mid 1800's , and my parents in the 191?'s  I am the product of skipped generations.  

Van living means you must have great rubber mats for the floor.  I crouch a lot, and when I must kneel I use a kitchen mat for my knees.  I have buckets with Gama lids for seats so I can sit and do what I can in the various places.  I would like a high top van~~~

You can't help getting older, but you do not have to get old.  George Burns.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Im young by forum standards, but i want to put out there that i have a bad back, I never get on my knees or hunch over though, i use an office chair that i get on from the door, sit in or roll around, or move to the bed. even putting pants on i just lay down and do it, or face plant into the mattress and do it if im in a hurry Id like a high top more for storage area than standing area, tho never hurts either.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm 69, and my body is starting to give out from use and abuse in my younger years. I've been a full timer since 1964.

I have a low top van, with a comfy swivel/rocking/reclining old school type executive office chair. I basically do everything while seated. I can sit straight up in my chair, on my toilet, or while showering, and I can sit straight up on my bed. I guess you could say that I scoot between them, because I am rarely on my knees or hunched over walking.

I can stretch out on my bed, or in my chair and put my feet up. When dressing I do a simple bounce either on my bed or in my chair, in a seated position, to pull my pants up.

Basically everything is within easy reach of either my chair or my bed. If I choose to stand and shower, I can set up my version of a shower tent at either my side or rear doors.

If I feel the need to stand or walk, I have the whole outdoors at my disposal. For me, regardless of how much headroom I might have, I am still going to be spending 95% of my time indoors sitting down, and adjusting that last 5% of my time, like cooking or showering, into a seated scenario was a very easy adjustment.

I don't find living in a low top van to be limiting in any way, not even comfort. I believe that I can and do, do everything that I would do even in a conventional house. If I need to work on a project bigger than my house allows, then I do it outdoors. If needed, I will do it under a canopy, and it needed, I can enclose that canopy. The same as if I didn't have a workshop in a house. I have a generator and inverters, to run any power tools or anything I might need.

Living on the road has never been about doing without for me, it's about having more, and living better than I ever could in a normal house. Living in a low top van vs. a high top or a larger RV, only requires a few simple adjustments that are easy to make.

Cheers!

 

[akrvbob]

gcal, I'm 60 and spending the summer in a low-top van. The key for is to have the bed near the side door so I just step-in, turn around and sit down. Everything in the van is arranged to be reachable from there so I don't need to stand and "walk" around stooped over. If I have to get to the back of the extended van, I crawl on the bed=easy on my back and knees.

I have strained my back in here before so if I have to stand up or be stooped over for any reason, I am very careful with my back. I drop down to one knee or use one hand to bear my weight.
Bob

 

[Matlock]

gcal, Just collected my first SS check and have no desire to crawl around in anything. My health and mobility is fine but If something 6' tall on the inside wasn't available in my price range I wouldn't consider living in it.

The Cube I ended up with checks off a bunch of my boxes. Driving/parking/insulating/outfitting, It's a predictable, straight forward vehicle to work with. The only thing I have found that I need to address soon is to add a window in the side. After spending a few days/nights out in the sticks waiting for the down-pour to stop it became clear that I need to install a slider window.

 

[SoulRaven]

You might want to consider the slatted windows, since they can be left open in the rain if the wind isn't too strong.

 

[LeeRevell]

58, and retired. Not living in a van yet, that won't happen til my Mom passes on and I get both my inheritance and go on Social inSecurity.
Until then the mid-top gets me by for roadtrips and camping. When I do decide to go FT, the mid-top gets changed out to a hightop, and a few other mods. Heck, maybe a newer extended hightop van by then?

 

[FALCON]

I'm in my low 30s. Building a standard height van right now. I believe/hope that if I pay attention to ergonomic posture and movements in the van I won't have problems from it.

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

I'm 59 and Brian is 58.  Brian doesn't have mobility issues, but I've been wheelchair bound for 12.5 years (truck accident).  I *can* walk a few steps, so I can make may way around our RV, and even cook and clean a little on a good day, otherwise Brian does that, but for someone who can bend and stretch it doesn't take much.

We need more room than a van offers because of the musical equipment we must carry, which is both bulky and weighty, so BUSTER fills the bill nicely with his roomy basement compartments.

If we weren't still working (as in putting on benefit concerts), we'd scale down to this:

[video=youtube]

We figure (if we're spared and the world hasn't gone to hell by then) that ten more WORKING (concert) years on the road and the Roadtrek (with a few modifications) will more than do us.  I wonder where we'll be technologically in ten years from now....

Well, that's our story for now.  Brian says that we just might purchase the Class B sooner and choose to pull a storage trailer for our musical equipment.  Well, I guess we'll see; he's the boss!

Shabbat shalom everyone,

Jesse.

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

P.S. I don't know why some of the pics worked and some didn't, nor do I know why the video didn't work - sorry. I've posted hundreds of pics and videos in my time and I can't see what the problems is. Help?

TIA.

Jess.

BOB: Five minutes to edit is not enough time! I'm legally blind so it takes me longer to find type and apps. How about a 15 minute EDIT window? I know there must be others out there with vision problems too.

 

[VanDwellerMod]

... Five minutes to edit is not enough time!  I'm legally blind so it takes me longer to find type and apps.  How about a 15 minute EDIT window?  I know there must be others out there with vision problems too.

Jess, I wanted to let you know that the mods will be discussing expanding the time members have to edit their posts.

Unfortunately, without more information, I can't figure out why some of your attachments and the video didn't post.

Finally, so these technical issues don't hijack this thread, I've split them off into a new thread in the Forums Issues area.  (https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Edit-Time-Limit-split-from-how-old-are-you)

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

Thank you!

 

[John_Camping]

34 year old car dweller here. I've spent approximately 8 months on the road split between boondocking, city camping, and touring. I love car dwelling, I find it a highly mobile and flexible way to live. However someday I'd like to add a van or small RV that offers head room and the ability to travel roads a Prius can't handle and the skills/tools to live with just a pack or less for intercontinental travel or emergencies. My long term plan is shifting from finding the best all purpose rig to a small array of methods that both expand my choices and effectively create redundancy if my primary breaks down.

 

[ilovemyvan]

I'm 62 and I don't need a chair on wheels but a helmet in the van

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAE2gQ/F-ptvt2DwUM/s640/100_4665.JPG?gl=US

Our van's top is not that high but it's good enough for me to stand up with room to spare. It is so nice for once in my life to see what's on a shelf without tip-toeing it or stand on a tool. It's lovely to be flat-feet on the floor while reaching for what I need.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAE2ek/RXFy7mQ4wj0/s640/DSCN1407.JPG?gl=US

However, for the first time ever I have to be careful not to hit my head. You know what they say about new tricks and old dogs, well I'm a living proof that it's true, we don't learn even if the consequence is pain. I keep hitting my head when I go from the back of the van to the front....almost every single time. A few times bad enough to end up with a tender lump on my head where there shouldn't be one.

In the end it's all worth it. :heart:

-Nicole