Just getting started

[Aunt Jan]

Hi! I'm new to all this, so please bear with me! I live in Alabama. I am currently in an apartment. I've been following van life on YouTube for a few years. I am on disability, so my income is limited, but I am debt free. I didn't know how I was going to afford a van, but recently, someone gave me one! It's a 2004 Chevrolet Venture. It WAS NOT taken care of. I've been working on cleaning mostly, and starting to remove the seats. I can't do much at a time, physically, and it's really hot here.  There are mechanical issues and it needs new tires. I waited 3-4 years for this van to come along, so I can deal with getting everything in its own time. The carpet is beyond saving. I'm wondering, if I can just cover it up for now and get back to it later. I feel like it's going to put a stop to my van build. I can't afford materials right now, I just have to use what I have. Thanks for reading my post!

 

[travelaround]

Hi Aunt Jan - welcome to the forum... how exciting that someone gave you a van you've been wanting! Carpet - you might get some scraps from a carpet store... I had landlords that always picked up carpet scraps from behind a carpet store near their dumpster.

What kind of mechanical problems does the van have? Can you drive it? Can you set aside any of your income for the van?

 

[WanderingRose]

Might try vacuuming and then cleaning the carpet with warm water, a little Dawn and some OxyClean.

Rinse thoroughly and extract as much moisture as possible, leave the doors open to let it dry thoroughly.

Then, you will at least have a clean surface beneath, can cover with throw rugs or the carpet remnants suggested.

Our first RV had been owned by a heavy smoker, was old and had that thick, shag carpeting.  :s

The oxyclean took the dirt and odor right out.

Good luck!

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Aunt Jan to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

sure I will have a beer with you, oops it said bear with you. yes you could cover up the carpet is it just dirty or something else?

highdesertranger

 

[eDJ_]

HI !  

So much stuff can be scrounged up to fit out a Van or other vehicles.

Does this Van run well enough to get it to a Auto Wash with Vacuum?  If so, you can 
get the interior living space cleaned out and take it to vacuum it out and if necessary
pressure wash out the floor. Then it can sit in the sun and heat to dry out before you
would start on a floor.

As mentioned about getting carpet pieces of new or used,  you won't need a lot of it.
If you are where any building is going on you may find insulation pieces just like the carpet,

It isn't difficult to learn how to install window tinting either.  All of the tools for this stuff aren't
very expensive.  Dollar Tree Stores, Harbor Freight, Ollie's, Gabriel Brothers, and other value & 
resale shops can produce some real finds.  Then there is the ongoing Yard Sale & Flea Market
sources.  By July the camping gear will be on sale/clearance cause it will all be "Back To School" then.
Just to get started won't cost a whole lot to fit out the living space in the Van. 

You may want to look at the first website below, "Van Conversion"  to get some ideas.  If you don't 
want to build a kitchenette from scratch you may look at some of the places that install cabinets.
Sometimes they have some floor cabinets you could get for free just to haul off.  You may find a 
wrecking yard that is parting out an older RV and get something there for cheap. 

There are tire shops that may have some better than what you have used tires you could get a deal on too. 

You are only limited by your resourcefulness.  Check Craig's List, Facebook-marketplace, and online places too.  

Imagine it's a scavenger hunt and have fun  

 

[autumnt]

Congrats, sounds like the beginning of a new adventure. You might want to try a few weekends in before you immerse yourself in it to see what you will need, and how you feel spending a few nights away from the apartment. It's a good position to be in. I am in Michigan, stop by when you are near.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Congrats....you got a start and that is the best thing, it will draw you forward in good form

Thing is no bears, no beers, but Ican bare with you HAHA now don't go baring anything to any of us LOL


Clean carpet like listed above.
Salvage operations have tons of stuff for your van if you seek them out.
carpet remnants is a great idea

Do you know mechanical issues? Those could be costly.....I would address mechanical before putting ONE DIME into interior so you know where you stand......on the road is the best place to be for many of us Mechanical trumps interior cause if you put all your bucks into interior and you find it is in super bad shape and requires big bucks, you are then behind the 8 ball big time. So check mechanical first.

 

[maki2]

If you are in a larger town there are a lot of resources for getting free and low cost items that you can tap into. I belong to several groups where people give away things and also ask for things they need. You should have little trouble outfitting your whole van interior with free items as you are not in a big hurry.

One of the is freecycle.org, they have local groups, it is a yahoo group page.

Another group is called "buy nothing' they use facebook and they too have local groups that are only for people who live very close by in the same neighborhoods.

Of course there is also the free section on craigslist and on other selling sites similar to craigslist, two of those are offerup and letgo. The letgo website often has a lot of free items.

I have been able to get a lot of items for my build at very low cost at my local Goodwill store. On Mondays the items that were a color tag that was discounted the previous week are all sold at the price of $1.79, even items such as large rugs in good condition that are big enough for the floor in a van will be sold for that astonishingly low price. There are even RV items and camping type of items there. I got a new hand pump RV faucet for $1.79. I saw a 3 burner new in the box propane stove sell for $10.00. There are lots of LED lights, some are solar powered.

So just start making a habit of watching out for the items you will need and you can get most of the interior furnishings for free or for very little.

 

[Aunt Jan]

I am able to drive the van, just carefully. The transmission is having issues, it hesitates to shift gears, I only have one working headlight (not the bulb), and it needs tires. I think the computer needs replacing. Could be worse. The previous owner had kids and never cleaned up messes. That's a good idea about the carpet store, though. I think this is doable, even on my fixed income, but it will take time. I had an offer for help yesterday! Thanks for tips!

 

[eDJ_]

Just  a guess here.   If they didn't clean up messes, they likely didn't get it serviced either.  

I would suggest checking the ground for the Headlight & fuse.   As for the Transmission....it may need to have the filter checked or replaced.  Then new fluid.  

Fortunately you can do everything on the tires that are on it now.  I'd beware of taking it to just any Transmission Shop though.  

There may be Trade School or  VoEd places who could check and inspect the Transmission for a nominal fee,   The shop supervisor/teacher would oversee the inspection. Similar with the headlight.  

It may not be as bad off as it seems to you.  Tires are just something you replace with new or used.

If these things were straightened out,  it may need a Tune up, fuel filter replacement etc to be road worthy for week end camp outs.  

A lot of State Parks have Seniors discount days Monday thru Thursday.

 

[Aunt Jan]

I was able to get new tires and it was worth the peace of mind. I removed the second and third row seats. The only seats remaining are the drivers seat and front passenger seat. I'm still working on cleaning. I'm planning on throwing in a few things, mattress and a few bins, until I figure out how I want to build it out. Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[jeanmarie]

OK. People are not going to like this, but here it is. Unless you think you would enjoy living like a third world peasant, van life is not cheap. Trying to do it in a dirty, smelly, inadequate build out will be squalor. Trying to do it in a 15 year old mechanically unreliable vehicle is asking for trouble. Trying to do it without adequate savings when you cannot get a job to replenish your funds is a sure way to financial disaster. If you couldn't afford to buy the van or build it out, why do you think you will be able to maintain it?

This lifestyle is harder, both physically and mentally, than a lot of people want to admit. Some enjoy it regardless of the extra work. Some are making money by selling a dream. Some are just miserable and want your company. I don't know what your disability is. I don't know if you are able or allowed to make any money without loosing your disability payments. 

Before you go leaping into this, see if you can take some test runs. Actually set up a cot and live in the thing for a couple months in a public or private campground. Do not cheat and try to do it on the urban streets. More and more communities are banning that, so you can't depend on being able to do. See if you can cope with finding your own resources. See what you have to do without and whether you can live with that.

Meanwhile, save what you can and don't even think about full timing until you can either make your current vehicle reliable or buy one that is.

 

[B and C]

^^^Great advice.