I should not have bought a minivan

[Thunder Dan]

I thought I could get by with a minivan, but I was mistaken. There is not much room left after putting a place to sleep. I was looking at it and taking some measurements to figure out how I was going to build out the rest of it, and it cannot be done in a way that I will be satisfied with. So now I'm kicking myself a little bit for buying the minivan. It's not a bad minivan or anything, it's just not big enough for me. Now I have to go through the hassle of selling it (probably at a little bit of a loss) and finding something that I can actually use.

Le sigh ...

 

[nobodyG17]

That's a bummer.  Have you given thought to downsizing your wants?  Getting a hitch carrier, roof rack, etc?  Just trying to think outside the box.

 

[ascii_man]

I think that at least one person here suggested that you sounded a little unprepared.

But usually the sooner you admit a mistake and change and move forward the better, so good luck.

 

[rvwandering]

Don't beat yourself up too much. It's very common it chose the wrong traveling home platform the first time around or to just change your mind after awhile. At least you realized that it wasn't going to work before you put a lot of time and money into your build. Good luck with your search for a new home!

 

[SoulRaven]

If you have room for a cot and a porta potty that's all the space you need.

For storage use containers that will fit under the cot.

 

[cyndi]

Exactly what tonyandkaren said. Many of us don't realize exactly what our wants and needs are until we have jumped into something. I know very few people who kept their first rig forever. And if they did there was always a list of improvements and renovations in the works.

Have you looked at other minivans that have been set up for living on you tube or in blogs or groups?

 

[lterry]

That sucks...have you tried the passenger seat for storage? I always forget that there's additional space in front of my passenger seat. I know some people actually remove it.
But I guess if you've decided to give up on your van, you're aware of that already as well as all other possibilities.
I would suggest a roof rack, but if you chose a minivan due to it's fuel efficiency then you're not interested in messing that up with a roof rack...although, that would at least keep you from losing money on your van purchase.
Whichever way you go, I hope it works out.

 

[Thunder Dan]

The minivan has a roof rack. I was planning on putting solar panels on it (and I still plan on putting them on whatever I get). I want everything I am going to own to fit inside. I don't want to tow anything. I plan to still be working a 9-5 job for at least a couple more years.

Yes, I am partially unprepared. But I am the type of person who can either research and study and prepare forever without ever actually doing anything, so I have to jump in and just do it, make course corrections along the way, etc.

I'm not too disappointed in myself. Every step I've taken in this journey, I've made sure that I can always take a step backward if I find out I've done something wrong. I've looked at several minivan builds, and got some good ideas from all of them, but those ideas are not the right ones for me. No worries, I'll keep working toward my goal.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, everyone.

 

[GotSmart]

Now that you have found what does not work for you, your job is easier.  Start looking at dealerships and lots to see what you do like.  leave the checkbook home.  Design the dream floorplan, and see what it fits.  There is always another van out there if one gets away. 

Minivans are always in demand.  

So have you a favorite style yet?

 

[Konaexpress]

Well, now you know what you don't want. This is a good thing, I don't know anyone who still has their first car. I think it would be hard to know what you want without seeing in person, other dwelling vehicles. Go forth and have fun and don't beat yourself up for it. 

Also! Ignore nasty negative people and you will okydoky brother.

John

 

[Thunder Dan]

Now that you have found what does not work for you, your job is easier.  Start looking at dealerships and lots to see what you do like.  leave the checkbook home.  Design the dream floorplan, and see what it fits.  There is always another van out there if one gets away. 

Minivans are always in demand.  

So have you a favorite style yet?

Pretty sure I will go with a full size cargo van now.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I've thought about getting a mini-van and removing all the seats except the driver's seat.  If you want to fit everything you own in the mini van, that's some serious minimalizing!  Perhaps a storage unit would make it easier, you could own more stuff and not have the van stuffed full.

 

[GotSmart]

Pretty sure I will go with a full size cargo van now.

I m a Dodge fan, but the general consensus is that Chevy is the most dependable  

I am kind of thinking Shuttle Bus as being the best platform to work with for myself.  I need a little elbow room.

 

[Konaexpress]

You could pull a small super light foamie trailer for the kitchen and bathroom and not sacrifice much in mpg. Just a thought....

John

 

[29chico]

Is your focus stealth or boondocking?   If you are a boondocker, a roof tent would give you a great place to sleep without buying a different vehicle.

Waking up on top of a vehicle in a RT is a great way to start a day.  I really like mine.

 

[myway_1]

Thunder Dan, I'm considering a mini-van because of the gas mileage and would like to know what mini-van you bought. An Astro/Safari seems to have the most space but don't get that much better mpg than a full-size van. Specifically I'm looking at Ford Transit Connects. The builds that I've seen for them that have counter tops and cabinets limit the bed width to 30 inches. Do you think you could sleep on a bed that narrow?

 

[ascii_man]

Yes, I am partially unprepared. But I am the type of person who can either research and study and prepare forever without ever actually doing anything, so I have to jump in and just do it, make course corrections along the way, etc.

Yeah, I'm kind of in the first camp. That said, I'm pretty sure that I know what I want now...whether I will be able to actually get it is another story.

 

[VJG1977]

You might list it for trade for a full size van.  You might not take a hit on it.

 

[Theadyn]

I hear ya on that. I jumped into a full-sized van, now wonder if it's too big and could do better with a minivan with it's better mpg. Then again, the space is nice, and being able to almost stand up helps. Am glad you posted this, as I was wondering how it would actually be to fit everything inside.

Best of luck in your searching!!

 

[masterplumber]

I don't know, I saw Towee's set up on AZ in Jan. It was basic but very doable. Just a set of shelves behind the driver's seat for storage. removed the passenger seat and slept on a mat down the passenger side. It would be real difficult to live in full time without some other storage space, but for even long term travel for one person it looked great.