Introduction and a little about me and my story

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(caution: lengthened detailed story)

Hi

I am new here and I wanted to introduce myself and share a little about me.  My Name is Josh and I have spent the majority of my life in the Raleigh NC region.  I worked for a security company there from 2002 all the way until I decided to move up to New Hampshire to be closer to my parents in 2014.  I was basically in charge of running security operations for one of our client's National headquarters.  My parents moved up there in 2010 for some reason, and I just thought it would be nice to be able to see them more often.  Also, I was just getting extremely burnt out from the grind and lack of further advancement.
 
Well, shortly before I left my job, I got sick with pneumonia, and was admitted to the hospital.  They said that it was a good thing that I got there.  It seems like things from that day in April 2014 were just the start of some extremely unfavorable times to come.  Actually, on the way to the hospital, my 2002 Ford Ranger's engine seized up.  I had this vehicle for a couple of years, and it did require a little bit of work, but nothing serious.  I do partly blame myself for not being more conscientious in checking fluids and such.  So, my dad flew down from NH to come see me in the hospital as he actually came down because I had bought him a ticket to come help me move.   So, we had the vehicle towed from the side of the road to a shop.  The shop said that the engine was basically useless.  At this point, all I could think about is " how am I going to get my stuff moved"? So, I made some phone calls, and a friend of a friend's dad had a 2001 yellow chevy silverado 1500 for sale.  It was one of those old DOT work trucks.  It had a lot of miles (over 200,000). I really wasn't feeling it, but I absolutely needed something.  So, I went ahead and took it.  It drove ok around the block and all.  I figured since it was a friend of a friend, that surely had to be a good thing.  So, we went and got all the paperwork, plates and all for it. 

On the way up to New Hampshire, (roughly 100 miles outside of Raleigh) the transmission started acting erratic, and slipping.  The check engine light was flashing and all.  We managed to get it to a dealership.  To make a long story short about that; they said the tranny was fried and wanted 5 grand to replace it.  That just wasn't an option at that point.  I had saved some money up before leaving, but my funds were quickly dwindling.  We ended up renting a Uhaul truck and a tow behind so that we could haul the truck up to NH.  That was around 1100 bucks.

So, we got to NH, and I was still recovering from being in the hospital.  After about a week, I decided that I need to start figuring out what I am going to do about the truck.  We took it to a local shop who confirmed that the transmission was in fact bad.  So, I had to end up shelling out around 3 grand more for them to replace the tranny with an autozone transmission.  I just felt that the engine had to be good and strong, and putting a new transmission in should just give me a fine running truck from here on out.  Nope! The check engine light came on, and I brought it back to the shop.  They couldn't figure out why the check engine light was on.  See, in NH, if that check engine light is on, you cant pass inspection, and therefor can't get you're vehicle legal to drive.  So, I ended up taking it to another shop.  This time, they found that the compression was low in one of the cylinders.  I did not really know what this meant because I am not very mechanically inclined.  I figured he could just throw a 50 dollar part at it, charge me for an hour or 2, and I could pay him, and be on my way.  So, you can probably imagine the shock when he told me that I would actually need a brand new engine.  

I had to go home and relax.  I told him that I would think about it.  After weighing my options with my father, I came to the conclusion that buying a new engine was the only viable option for me.  I had already bought the truck, put a new transmission in it, and had also gotten ball joints done on one side while it was in the mechanic shop.  I figured that SURELY a new tranny and a new engine would just give me another 10 years of trouble free, worry free service.  In the past I had always had reasonable reliability from all of my previous cars and trucks.   So, I basically used all of the money that I had saved for a year to make this big move, and put a new engine in it.   I got the vehicle back about a week later.  I was at least happy that my troubles were finally over, and I could get on with my life, and try to get back on my feet. 

At this point, I basically transferred security companies to the NH office that we had, so I was making an income.  I figured that it was going to take some work, but I would get back on top again.   About a week or 2 later, the check engine light started flashing, and I was not feeling good about this.  I took it back to the shop that installed my new Jasper engine, and they took it in to look it over.  They diagnosed it as needing a new catalytic converter.  Again, I was back to the same predicament about having spent all this money that I was in when deciding to put an engine in.  So, I hesitantly borrowed some money from family members, and got it done.  It seemed that after I got it back, it was finally in good shape.  I figured from here on out, i'm finally "set".   I knew of course I would have to replace some things as needed like brakes or maybe some worn out lines from time to time or spark plugs.  Actually, for the next 6 months, the truck ran pretty good. 

About 2 months later, I found someone that was looking for a roommate, and I moved in with him.  Towards the end of December, I decided that New Hampshire just wasnt for me.  It was just really cold, and things were getting weird with my parents, and I just decided it was time for me to make a change.  I decided to head to Florida for the winter.  I was amazed at the difference in how much rent is between the 2 places.  I couldnt find anything for myself for under 900 a month up there, and I simply cant afford that.  I was only making like 10 bucks an hour.   I had saved up a good chunk of money from the busy holiday season (I forgot to mention that I do a lot of buying and selling of merchandise online), and decided to just rent an apartment and spend more time in my buying and selling projects.   So, I came to Jacksonville Florida. 

The truck rode great all the way down here.  I ended up staying in an extended stay hotel room for about 3 weeks while I looked for a place.   When I started looking at the places that were so incredibly cheap on the CL ads, I soon realized why they were so cheap.  Since I was only doing the buying and selling, and didn't have a reliable source of income, I needed something affordable.  I ended up renting this apartment for 600 in a less savory part of the city.  I just focused on buying and moving product as quickly as I could so that I could maintain my living expenses and try and save some money.  Sadly, this wasn't working quite as well as I had predicted it would.  I was still getting by, though.  So, for all intents and purposes, everything in my life appeared to have become somewhat manageable.  

Now, fast forward 6 months.  About 3 months ago, I started having cranking issues with my truck.  So,  the first time, I brought it in, they said I needed a fuel pump for like a grand.  So, I was like "o brother"!   I told him "ok."  So, I get it home, and a week later, same problem.  So, I take it back so he can fix it.  I mean, after all, I did just pay a grand, rite?  So, I have it towed back.  He then tells me it needs an ignition coil. :s    At this point, I nearly don't even care anymore, really.  So, he puts that on, I get it home and it works fine for about a week.  Then, after a week, it starts doing the same problem.  I decide to take it to another guy from CL.  He says it was wires plugs and he did something else, and I paid him 250.  I get it back, and within a couple days, same problem.  So, I send it back to the local shop that did that work.  They got it running, and said they couldnt find anything.  (I knew though, I knew.)   When it got back here, it started fine.   Another thing that I forgot to mention was that this mainly only happened after the rain.  So, I did some googling and found that this could vary well be a distributor cap that has gotten water in it.  So, I called Good Year, and told them to check it out again, and to also look at the Dis cap.  They called me back and said that it was spider injectors.  I asked how much that was, and everything was going to be 1200.  Well, at this point, Big Josh was starting to enter into the red with cash.  I told him to just do it.  So, 9 days later, I get it back, and it seems to run fine except the tranny was running like crap.  He said it had nothing to do with them :\   Then soon after, same problem.   I ended up having it towed to Pep boys.  I wanted new eyes.  They figured it out and called me back within a couple hours and told me that I needed a distributor cap.  He said that there was a hairline crack in it.  So, I happily paid them their 463 dollars, and got my car back.   I then towed my truck down to the transmission shop because I wanted to see why the transmission was acting up.  He found that it was a throttle body sensor.  He said that he didnt do anything other than trannys but his friend down the road handled it.  So, he dropped it off to his friend.  I paid the 250 for the tps, and had it towed back here.  After all this time, could it be so?  Could it be that we have finally gotten this truck to where it needs to be?  Absolutely not lol.  Within the week, I start it up and the truck starts shaking violently.  So, I had it towed back to the guy who put the TPS in.  I paid him his 65 dollars, and he told me there was no fuel getting to cylinder 6.  So, I called the Good year where I just paid 1200 bucks a month ago and told them that there is no fuel going to cylinder 6.  Now you have to remember, at this point, Good Year doesnt like me very much, and I don't care for them very much either.  So, a few days ago, I had it sent back.  They made me wait a few days, but did find that the spider was bad, so they replaced it.  They ALSO told me that my compression is low in cylinder 6.  (This was yesterday)  

So, yesterday afternoon, I decided that I'm done.  I'm going to forget about the 15 grand + that I spent in parts and labor, and just sell it to somebody that wants to mess with it cheap.  It still runs and all, but I'm not putting anymore money into it.  I even cancelled the purchase that I had setup with a business that sells used truck toppers.  Since yesterday when I made that decision, I have just had the most beautiful sense of inner peace that I've had in a long time.  See, for over the last couple of weeks, I started thinking about some very serious stuff.  I've basically burnt through my life's savings, and the sales stuff is really slow.  I used all of my buy money on repairs and all.  Somehow, I came across the whole van dwelling culture on youtube, and it then also led me to this forum.   I spent a week watching every video I could find, and reading anything and everything I could on this lifestyle.  At first, I said there is just no way!   The more I thought about it though, the more things started making sense to me.  See, my lease expires in Jan, and I cant without a doubt be absolutely sure that I can afford this place, and most definitely not now that I am going to have to find another vehicle.  I think signing a lease at this point would be further setting myself up for failure.  I have to say, the last week or two have opened my eyes in almost a spiritual way.  I have felt so inspired by watching all of these van dwellers actually making it, and being happy. 

I've always been somewhat of a Nomad myself.  I worked 15 years by myself on 3rd shift.  I don't agree with about 90% of the injustices that I see on a daily basis.  I guess being a van dweller really is who I am.  Also, there were multiple times over the years where we would watch places like construction sites, or open fields and such.  There were dozens of times I would sleep the night in my truck (and I actually didn't mind it at all)   Then, I found out you can get gym memberships and things like that.  I even learned that you could put solar power in you're vehicle (and it wasnt super expensive).  That is a huge one for me.  See, I have had sleep apnea since around 2000.  I require a bipap machine to sleep with.  So, when I started putting all of this information together, it became quite apparent that I could actually have a place to live and not have to be obligated to 750 a month in rent, utils, cable internet ect ect.  

I have a severe weight problem.  I started about 1 month ago at rite around 609 lbs.  Over the years, my weight just kept on growing and growing and growing.  It was then that I decided that I needed to make some changes, and they needed to happen yesterday.  So, I quit drinking cold turkey.  I used to drink at least a 12 pack of beer a day to myself.  I would eat at least a large pizza daily and usually Chinese food delivery of 2 dinner portions as well. (not at the same time of the day)    I started seriously thinking about how much money I was spending every day.  It was like 40 dollars.  I had just fell into such a deep depression since I got to Florida that I would just eat away my pain.  So, a month ago, I decided to really really give it a good try this time.  I've done well before, but usually it was just for a few days or maybe a week.  This time was different, though.  This time, I started prepping meals and buying nothing but eggs, meats and vegetables.  I've now gotten down to where I only eat once a day, and its usually a nice big chicken stir fry or something.  I cut out the carbs, and just eat the fat from butter or olive oil and the protein from eggs or chicken, and I have broccoli.  This month, I've lost nearly 70 lbs.  The first week, it was mostly liquid.  The weight loss has drastically slowed from what it was doing, but it still goes.  I went from eating 6-8000 cals a day down to around 1000-1200, and I actually feel more healthy than I ever have in the nearly 20 years that I've been over 400 lbs. 

Rite now, I am in a sort of spiritual journey in search of enlightenment and self understanding.  I am trying to be as positive as I can, and learn to be more accepting of others.   The van dwelling videos have led to me watching videos about homeless people.  I now see the struggles that these people go through on a regular basis, and it makes me sad.  It really makes you think about how this could happen to any of us at any time.  Our trucks could break down, and we don't have thousands of dollars saved up, or lines of credit to get repairs.  It puts things into a very real perspective for me.  I've started to really think about the resources that I DO have in life as opposed to the ones I don't  So, I guess I could spend the rest of my life being bitter about the 19+ grand that I lost over the last year and a half, or I can use the experiences that have heavily cost me to become a stronger person. 

I have decided to take up an interest in basic mechanics once I get my next vehicle.  Once I get my van, I want to buy a Chiltons manual, and read read read!  Having to go to a mechanic and pay the money that he tells you to pay without any guarantee that the problems will even be fixed, or not knowing if he's trying to eff you over is oppressing to me.  I simply can not live like this anymore.  So, basically, I'm just preparing for the next chapter of my life.  I'm preparing for getting a van, and getting that going.  I'm going to be working on selling whatever I don't need, and I want to be able to travel and find inner peace.  Im so mortified of anyone trying to sell a used car or a mechanic, that I'm certain I will most likely need to get into therapy after I have gotten my life stabilized.  Rite now, im selling off the last of my inventory.  I'm hoping to get around 4 grand together to buy something.  I'm just so nervous about buying another vehicle because I'm so scarred of repeating this situation.  The true fact is that I cant ever see myself paying for a major repair again.  If I bought a van, and the engine blew up on it, I'd most likely just scrap it.  I can't trust that the mechanics or the people making the engines are going to do it rite.  Im having a terrible time trying to look on craigslist for vans because with all that has happened, all I can see (in my mind) are cheats, thieves and liars.  I feel guilty about this because I'm sure thats not completely true.  I'm sure there are some people with good vehicles on CL, but I just am so skeptical of anything anyone tells me now.  I guess I'll have to work on this somehow.  I've spent the last 2 days reading any and everything I can about vans, and even mini vans.  I check out all makes and models on repairpal to see what the reported problems are.  

In conclusion, it looks like I am trying to get 3 or 4 grand together somehow, and buy either a Chevy astro van or a Ford Econoline e250.  Those are the 2 types that I am getting a good feeling about.  From most things that I have read, it appears that the astro van is bulletproof (but I err on the side of caution with those claims).  Many good things were said about the e250, and it appears to be one of the more favorite types for the van dwellers.  I have considered getting one of those conversion type vans from the 80s or 90s, but I read that they just aren't made nearly as well as the cargo vans.   Anyway, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my experiences, and please feel free to offer up any suggestions that you think would help me get myself straightened out again.  Its nice to find a forum that has a lot of nice folks.  Thanks again

Josh
 
Josh,

Pay no attention to paragraph police. I can see you are trying to get out a lot of what, for you, were traumatizing experiences.

I think the Astro is one of the vans Bob consistently recommends... there was a thread not too long ago where someone asked for his top few recommendations. If I can find it, I'll post it.

Welcome to the forum. You are beginning to see a whole new future for yourself and that is helping to inspire the other healthy changes, too.
 
Josh,

I could not easily find that post from the last few months with Bob's recommendations on a van, but I did remember to look at the HOW-TO Article (go to the very top of this website .. the first clickable link on the second tier of menu items.

Look for How to Choose a Vehicle. If you scroll down past the chart, you'll see the Chevy Astro pros.
 
Welcome to the CRVL forums Josh! You've been through a lot but I believe that you're on a good path now. Good luck!

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to edit your post and break it up into paragraphs so that it'll be easier to read.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.
 
Welcome Josh. It sounds like you've been thru the wringer on that truck! Vehicle troubles are no fun and even worse when you're at the mercy of mechanics that just want to make a lot of money off of you. I've been mostly lucky over the years but have a couple horror stories too.
I have a Ford E-150 and find it perfect for my needs. I looked at Asto vans but couldn't figure out how to downsize my stuff enough to fit everything in. And I'm a minimalist. My problem is that I travel with gals occasionally and have to allow for them and their stuff. Even without a woman, I like the extra space in a full sized van.
So, itemize everything you plan to have in your vehicle and figure out the layout inside. Remember that you need space to change clothes and cook. I was amazed at the RTR last winter how everyone arranged things differently in their vans and had different needs than me. Some even had toilets, showers, and extra car batteries for powering their electric gadgets. I do without those.
Gather all the info you can. Much of the fun is in the planning. And good luck on the weight loss. I'm working on that too but in a smaller scale. I'd feel perfect with a 30# weight loss (I've lost 12 so far). Stay in touch with us on here and let us know how we can help.
 
Hi and Welcome!!! So sorry for all your past troubles, I can understand your worry about the next purchase. Let's just hope the Van - God's will smile on you since you've been through so much already. Best of luck!!
 
rvwandering said:
I hope you don't mind but I'm going to edit your post and break it up into paragraphs so that it'll be easier to read.

Hi.  Sure, please do.  Sorry about the run on.  I have had a lot on my mind lately.. Thanks.
 
Iggy said:
Welcome Josh. It sounds like you've been thru the wringer on that truck! Vehicle troubles are no fun and even worse when you're at the mercy of mechanics that just want to make a lot of money off of you. I've been mostly lucky over the years but have a couple horror stories too.
I have a Ford E-150 and find it perfect for my needs. I looked at Asto vans but couldn't figure out how to downsize my stuff enough to fit everything in. And I'm a minimalist. My problem is that I travel with gals occasionally and have to allow for them and their stuff. Even without a woman, I like the extra space in a full sized van.
So, itemize everything you plan to have in your vehicle and figure out the layout inside. Remember that you need space to change clothes and cook. I was amazed at the RTR last winter how everyone arranged things differently in their vans and had different needs than me. Some even had toilets, showers, and extra car batteries for powering their electric gadgets. I do without those.
Gather all the info you can. Much of the fun is in the planning. And good luck on the weight loss. I'm working on that too but in a smaller scale. I'd feel perfect with a 30#  weight loss (I've lost 12 so far). Stay in touch with us on here and let us know how we can help.

Thank You all for the excellent advice.  Those are some excellent resources.  Iggy, good job on the 12.  12 lbs is still over 2 bags of sugar ::)  I would be interested in an e150 too.  I would like to have a large van, but it doesn't really have to be, i guess.  I plan on opening shop in whatever city I go to, and renting a 10x30 storage unit so that I can process online orders, and store inventory.   I guess I would kind of just use that place as my home base.  I'm 36 now, and at this point of my life, I've done about as much crazy stuff as I'm gonna do, so I just need  a comfortable place where I can stretch out and relax.  How old is you're e150?  I see some for about 2-3 grand on local CL, but I don't know why anyone would want to get rid of them.  I'm just nervous that they have a blown engine or something.  Thanks!
 
Mine is a 2001 with 185,000 miles on it now. I bought it for $4000 a few years ago. I had the tranny and engine gone thru before hitting the road. That was $1200. New tires, brakes, wheel bearings, and front ball joints cost about another $1400. I'm feeling pretty good about it now. I've put about 18, 000 miles on it since going full time almost 2 years ago. I'm hoping for another 8-10 years and 100,000 miles with regular maintenance. The straight 6 often will last that long. You never know though. Fingers crossed.
The storage unit sounds like it's necessary for your work. Otherwise I'd say do without if possible. I paid about $1400 on storage fees in the last 3 years, then gave away almost everything a month ago. I no longer want to be tied down to any one location. So make sure you pick the right location for your storage. But you know that! :)
 
Greetings and Welcome Josh!

Your story is just one of many horror stories I read posted by people who have bought commercial vehicles. The competency of the "Fleet Maintenance" that was factual 50 years ago, and is still touted today, is now ancient history. Since about 1980 "Fleet Maintenance" has meant put a bandaid on it, fix it as cheaply and quickly as possible to get it back on the road ASAP...

Prior to retirement, I was a truck driver, driving company owned trucks from several different companies. As such I saw first hand how shoddy the repairs on commercial vehicles are. I wouldn't trust one to be reliable on a bet...

Personally I prefer older, pre-computerized, 15 passenger, 1 ton window vans. In order of preference, I prefer Dodge, Ford, and Chevy/GMC as dead last. My current 1986 Dodge van, 318 w/ 727 transmission has been bullet proof. At approaching 500k miles, it is still 100% reliable and trustworthy. Other than typical maintenance and tires and such, actual repair costs have been practically nothing. This one was originally a church van. I paid under $1,000 for it.

Considering that the astro vans really don't get appreciably better MPG than the larger vans, I think the larger ones will offer people the ability to be a lot more comfortable. My van has the longest, widest body available in that year, and I am a small in stature single traveler. I simply COULD NOT be as comfortable in any smaller of a space.

Comfort and reliability are the highest things on my priority list, and the big, older, window vans seem to be the best fit to accomplish this. While mine happens to be a low top, high tops can found pretty easily as well. High tops in the 70's-80's vans seem to be more common than in the 90's and newer vans.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!
 
Welcome Josh!

I'm new here myself and I'm focused on a healthier more active lifestyle myself. I've lost about 20 pounds since I started my vehicle dwelling adventure. For some reason I a lot more focused and what I put in my body since I'm not sitting home watching tv and cooking. I guess it has made me more mindful.

Lynne
 
Welcome aboard Josh

Sounds like you're due for a streak of better luck !
Hope it all works out according to your new plan.
 
"New tires, brakes, wheel bearings, and front ball joints"
I need these too for my 98 Sienna Van. Not looking forward to the bill.

"church van. I paid under $1,000 for it."
I need to find a deal like this, after I sell my Sienna.
 
Oh man,talk about bad luck.The repairs you have had done seem to be overpriced.I am negotiating with a junkyard for a transmission for my Chevy truck.He wants $400 for the transmission with a 30 day warranty.He also wants $400 to install it.I think that is too high for the install.I have never installed a transmission before,but I may just rent a trans jack and do it myself.According to you tube it's not complicated.On the other hand,the truck is still driving just fine,so maybe I'll sell it to someone for $1000 or so with a warning about the tranny.Since I bought a van last month I have too many vehicles.If anyone is interested,it's a 1997 Chevy z71 extended cab 4wd.It has a nice high Lear fiberglass topper on it.The only other problem that I know of is a bad pitman arm.$18 at Oreilly.I was planning on changing it until the trans thing came up.Anyway,your luck can only get better.I hope.
 
Thanks for the kind welcomes, all. It seems like you guys are really getting some miles out of you're trucks. Iggy, thats insane, man. Bob, I definitely gotten taken to the cleaners. I hope it won't happen again. The thing that scares me rite now the most is my weight. As I mentioned before, I am slowly recovering from being over 600 lbs. I'm down around 70, and still dropping, but doing for myself is a real challenge. Even though I still get around ok, I can only stand for a couple of minutes. It really is getting much better, though. I am grateful about that. I've just had to completely change the way that I look at food, but I'm comfortable that I am getting a good hand on it. I'll probably just get the van and do as little traveling as possible in the city until I get down to a more manageable weight so that I can do my own work. Paying all that money to a mechanic for a lot of stuff I can do myself is just not an option anymore. Thanks guys.
 
Off Grid 24/7 said:
Greetings and Welcome Josh!

Your story is just one of many horror stories I read posted by people who have bought commercial vehicles.  The competency of the "Fleet Maintenance" that was factual 50 years ago, and is still touted today, is now ancient history.  Since about 1980 "Fleet Maintenance" has meant put a bandaid on it, fix it as cheaply and quickly as possible to get it back on the road ASAP...  

Prior to retirement, I was a truck driver, driving company owned trucks from several different companies.  As such I saw first hand how shoddy the repairs on commercial vehicles are.  I wouldn't trust one to be reliable on a bet...

Personally I prefer older, pre-computerized, 15 passenger, 1 ton window vans.  In order of preference, I prefer Dodge, Ford, and Chevy/GMC as dead last.  My current 1986 Dodge van, 318 w/ 727 transmission has been bullet proof.  At approaching 500k miles, it is still 100% reliable and trustworthy.  Other than typical maintenance and tires and such, actual repair costs have been practically nothing.  This one was originally a church van.  I paid under $1,000 for it.

Considering that the astro vans really don't get appreciably better MPG than the larger vans, I think the larger ones will offer people the ability to be a lot more comfortable.  My van has the longest, widest body available in that year, and I am a small in stature single traveler.  I simply COULD NOT be as comfortable in any smaller of a space.

Comfort and reliability are the highest things on my priority list, and the big, older, window vans seem to be the best fit to accomplish this.  While mine happens to be a low top, high tops can found pretty easily as well.  High tops in the 70's-80's vans seem to be more common than in the 90's and newer vans.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!


Dang man, 500k miles is crazy!  Thats one reliable beast!
 
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