I remembered something a coworker said

[MrNoodly]

It was back in the early days of personal computing. He said that people are agonizing way too much about which personal computer to get. "It's not like they need to make the absolute perfect choice, because it's not going to be the only computer they ever buy." And he was right. I've owned a dozen or so since 1985. Maybe you have, too.

The same thing might apply to picking the right van and building it out. I know I worried about not getting everything just right. But, really, how would I know what all the right things were if I'd never lived in a van before? I did my best guess guess, but I got some things wrong. I have things I ended up not needing and needing things I didn't think of beforehand.

And, unlike computers, vans don't become utterly obsolete and screwed up with malware in a few years. If we learn we need a different vehicle, we can usually sell what we have and get something that works better for us. It might take some horse trading, but it can be done.

I think the important thing is to get out there and see what does and doesn't work for you. Everyone is different and so are their needs. There's no One Perfect Van. So don't agonize over it. I've been out here only five months and I'm already on Version 1.6, with ideas for 1.7 and 1.8.

 

[user 423]

What's the best example of something you didn't really need?

 

[Reducto]

Absolutely! I view my van as a mobile lab - trying out different layouts and gear to figure out what works best for me. Most of my conversion costs have been for things that I can swap over to van #2 or into some cabin in the woods or whatever comes next. Insulation and stuff built into the van can all be removed so I can resell the van and the next time I repeat those installs it will come out even better than it is now.

 

[MrNoodly]

What's the best example of something you didn't really need?

A 7-gallon water jug. I don't spend extended time far from a water source, so three or four 1-gallon jugs work just fine and are easier to handle and store.

 

[bpeck]

The best thing I've done to figure out how I want to lay out my interior... Is to simply take the van out and use it how it is. After a little while you'll know exactly what you like, and what you want to change.

 

[David]

it's kind of funny, I started out with a Random class B van, that I bought for $700, I thought I needed all the comforts of a house, but then I hated driving it around. Even just being a van body it was too big to drive around.

I sold it and found myself with out a van, so I lived in my truck with a topper for 3 months. It wasn't as comfortable as the RV but it was doable and much more stealthy than the RV.

I then had my mind on a 4x4 van of some sort and bought a VW syncro that needed a lot of work. I ended up down in FL for the summer and redoing the syncro but also realizing it will take a long time to finish up.

I ended up picking up a 2wd Westy and it has all the camping stuff and out side of working out a few issues it's ready for me to go back to van dwelling. I still have my mind set on the Syncro, but now it's sort of a second van that I'll probably finish sometime next winter.

I figure I have another month of fixing up the Westy and doing more stuff to the Syncro then I'm hitting the road until I end up back in FL sometime next winter. It's kind of funny that I have this dream van concept, but I've sort of just rolled with what ever I had at the moment.

If I waited to finish the syncro, I'd likely be another 3 months before I could hit the road. Luckily I can stash it at my dad's place and just go with what I have, which honestly isn't bad. Who knows maybe it will become my dream van once I'm on the road again.