Looking for Wheels

[KozVan]

Well the rest of the vehicle too!

Looking for a trunk/van/etc to start out. Need one this month. 

Just want it to be mechanically sound.

Thanks!

 

[MrNoodly]

What's your budget range?

 

[ckelly78z]

I can find multiple available cargo vans online right now, but we need to know where you are, and what you are willing to spend or else my search will be all for nothing. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace are good places to start.

 

[KozVan]

Whoops! 

- I am in central Florida
- Budget is 1500-1700 or there about. Possibly a little higher by the time I need to purchase. 

I look at craigs list religiously lol

 

[JD GUMBEE]

Save more money.
Unless you are hanging within 50 miles of home, that recipe is asking for desperation on the road side.

 

[KozVan]

Saving more is not an option unfortunately. I could borrow up to 1k more or make payments, but the next month is when I would need it. Well, more like 3 weeks now.

 

[bullfrog]

It would also help to know if you are located there for a reason or able to move and if you are working. Seasonal jobs with furnished housing are filling up fast but it might be a solution.

 

[ckelly78z]

You may want to consider a minivan for finding a cheap/reliable vehicle in a hurry. Remove the rear seats, buy some Walmart sliding drawer, plastic, stacked storage totes, a foldable cot, sleeping bag, a water container, and a good cooler. You should be able to this within your budget, and it would be ultimately stealthy...don't forget window coverings.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

You may want to consider a minivan for finding a cheap/reliable vehicle in a hurry.

I could not agree more with this suggestion.
If you are on that tight a budget, an ugly duckling that runs decent (Nissan Quest/Chrysler town-country or Caravan/ Astro-Safari) would be your best bet.
Caravans are decent minivans and get a lot better MPG for your budget.

What you are trying to do is very very tough. You are taking all your money and tossing it into a bucket, hoping you will be able to nurse it along. No one sells a car because it runs perfectly and needs no work.
Don't even consider any buy here/pay here scammers.

Too bad you could not find a spot for a few months and save up more money.

 

[KozVan]

"You may want to consider a minivan..."

Thank you, I'd consider anything that runs. Anyone know someone with something for sales?

 

[KozVan]

[quote pid='444242' dateline='1555350350']
"What you are trying to do is very very tough..."  - yes I agree but it's this or back on the street. I am disabled so working is out. 

"Too bad you could not find a spot for a few months and save up more money."  - suppose I could find a spot....(I can't because in FL it's heating up and I cant be in heat without literally passing out over and over), but can you quantify how much and in what ways this would help?    
[/quote]

 

[KozVan]

"It would also help to know if you are located there for a reason"

I was, but not anymore. I could move or stay close. 


" and if you are working"  

I get a few bucks each month but can't work

 

[JD GUMBEE]

[quote pid='444242' dateline='1555350350']
but can you quantify how much and in what ways this would help?    

[/quote]

Because when you buy a vehicle in that price range, it is ALWAYS going to be a fixer-upper.
EVERY TIME.

If you could find a home to save up a few more grand, you can buy an ugly duckling minivan that would have a good chance of being somewhat reliable...and last a few years.

Lets do an exercise in realism here.
You just borrowed a grand and bought a 2500 dollar truck/van.
You either have to leave FL or have A/C somehow, right?

So in Tampa, you pop a wheel bearing...or you hit something in the road and lose a tire.
Then what?
You owe someone that grand and you have AAA plus to tow you somewhere?
Who will fix it?
Who will pay for the repair?

Not sure of your physical situation, but were it me, I would be trying to find emergency housing instead of dumping my last 2K on a vehicle.

Too much of a long shot. One break down and you end up getting towed retail...then you lose everything.

Portland was giving away tiny houses a year or two ago.
Many other cities have transitional housing too.

People here can live on SSI nomad style, but every time I have talked to one, they end up depending on the tribe around them for help with doing meals together, repairs...etc etc. Not the kind of relationships you will find in a month.
Most of those also started out with a bank account in the first place, too.

Do not be fooled by the videos you see that seem to say "come live on the road for 500 a month, its GREAT!"
The people making those vids spend a LOT more than that monthly.
(Unless you like to sit in the wilderness reading books and writing poetry.)

SO I guess the big difference is, a bus ticket to a more weather-proper spot to save money at least keeps money in your hands.
Spending all your cash on a klunker is like betting it all on red or black...and the house always wins.

 

[ckelly78z]

JD GUMBEE speaks some hard words about your plans, but they are true words, and should be considered. Perhaps a city mission, or gov housing while you try to collect more $$$. I fear that traveling on your last dime, while physically unable to make more, is asking for trouble.

 

[KozVan]

Now this is a post! 
TYVM, lots of info here. 
I'd like to respond because I think van life is what I need. 

"ALWAYS going to be a fixer-upper."
Anything I could afford now or in the future, I think would have this issue. For me, I feel anything less than new(er) is a fixer, and I won't have a late model. 

"If you could find a home to save up a few more grand, you can buy an ugly duckling minivan"
This is most likely the route (thanks to you an fellow posters) ... to get a minivan that is. Past 3 years I was able to save what I have now by doing just that. It's just now, the home I am in is being sold by the owners of the house and they are downsizing. I don't blame them, but now I am just back to homeless. 

"Lets do an exercise in realism here.
You just borrowed a grand and bought a 2500 dollar truck/van.
You either have to leave FL or have A/C somehow, right? "
 -yes

"So in Tampa, Who will fix it?
Who will pay for the repair?"
- The person I could borrow from wouldn't be in a hurry to get it back. I would fix it, and I would have to pay repair.  I'm not sure if I mentioned this but I do get SSD, not much but something to live on. 

"Not sure of your physical situation, but were it me, I would be trying to find emergency housing instead of dumping my last 2K on a vehicle. "
Phys situation is ok, I did mess up my right arm and shoulder really bad 1.5 years ago, but that's unrelated I think?  Let me explain some of my disability.... PTSD, Depression, ect, but it's so bad that my body just sleeps, and some days I just can't function -lights, noise, ect. Also, I'm uncomfortable around groups of people to the point of physical & emotional upset. Emergency housing places you with large groups There is a bit more to it but that's the jist. 

"Too much of a long shot.  One break down and you end up getting towed retail...then you lose everything."
I've already lost everything multiple times over. The risk is worth it to me because prior when I was homeless I lived in a small 2 seater, and then after that I was in the woods, literally. Even a minivan would be like a hotel.

"Portland was giving away tiny houses a year or two ago.Many other cities have transitional housing too."
Can they ship one? lol, but on a more serious note, those things I have found to not work out. Lots of theft, drugs, and other stuff that I don't want a part of. There are also other programs that I am in without the downfalls; however, the wait times are 2-5 years depending and it goes to families first. Which that is good, but not for me since my cat doesn't count.

"People here can live on SSI nomad style, but every time I have talked to one, they end up depending on the tribe around them for help with doing meals together, repairs...etc etc. Not the kind of relationships you will find in a month."
I have an issue where I think everyone is like me and just thinks of everyone as family and would just help each-other out. I'm over friendly I guess and forget that doesn't always happen in the reverse. And that's fair. But, I have found some people like me that can develop these insta bonds. I guess I was going out a limb here. 

"Do not be fooled by the videos you see that seem to say "come live on the road for 500 a month, its GREAT!"
The people making those vids spend a LOT more than that monthly. "
I was hoping it was true... there are quite a few that do budgets and stuff and seemed legit. damn I also think I know the exact video you are describing 

"SO I guess the big difference is, a bus ticket to a more weather-proper spot to save money at least keeps money in your hands." 
Great idea on bus ticket for cooler place, but would I just live in the woods up there? What would 2k do for me there if it was not on a truck/van/house? After spending time homeless, I do much prefer walls (not tent). 

"Spending all your cash on a klunker is like betting it all on red or black...and the house always wins."
Hopefully my house wins lol

I've had an interesting life, and I just don't want to go back to having no shelter. Also gov/state shelters, I'd rather not unless it hurricane or snow. I look online literally all day for past 2 months on what to do and this van thing does seem to be the best, but your reality check does hit home; however, I'm not really sure what I can do about it. Thanks.

 

[bullfrog]

Is it possible to even get a running vehicle with license and insurance for $1,500 and have any hope of keeping it running long enough to save enough money for future repairs? How are you going to afford fuel to run the air conditioner and keep it in working order? I think you might be better off looking for a RV/trailer park that has really cheap sites with power then buying a cheap old camper trailer with air conditioning having the seller deliver it to your site. Being in a climate where air conditioning is required pretty much means a van or car other than a Prius ( and they will be expensive) isn't going to work. What about enrolling in a college to learn a skill you can do on the road and maybe getting student housing. You may qualify for assistance with your dissability maybe? It can be difficult/impossible to stay cool enough all the time off grid in a car or van especially.

 

[KozVan]

"Is it possible ...How are you going to afford fuel to run the air conditioner and keep it in working order?"
I have a budget with what I get each month and included that all. Good to know for sure. 
It's just finding a vehicle that is affordable to me.


"I think you might be better off looking for a RV/trailer park that has really cheap sites with power then buying a cheap old camper trailer with air conditioning having the seller deliver it to your site." 
In my area at least the cheapest I have found was about 575 / mo and to me that is a lot for a "rent". It is just out of my realm

"What about enrolling in a college to learn a skill you can do on the road and maybe getting student housing.  You may qualify for assistance with your dissability maybe?"
I have my bachelors of science in computer information systems, and student housing is a lot of money from what I remember. I have applied for all I can, and as a single male I don't qualify for much. Past 3 years got me where I am at now with at least something per month. 


Thanks

 

[USMC_Winger]

JD GUMBEE: "Too bad you could not find a spot for a few months and save up more money."

bullfrog: "I think you might be better off looking for a RV/trailer park that has really cheap sites with power then buying a cheap old camper trailer with air conditioning having the seller deliver it to your site."

@Kozvan, I've been scouring Craigslist for a parking space for my SUV and trailer, and I think I might have found something you'd be interested in.  Free RV lot rent out in the country in central Texas in exchange for being a friendly neighbor RVer.

From the map, it looks like it's about 30 miles north of Waco, Texas.  Rent is free, but you'd pay half the electricity and water bills.  There's a septic tank already on the property.  It's hot and humid in the summer in that part of Texas -- sound familiar? -- but a cheap old camper with a window a/c unit could keep you comfortable.

The camper doesn't have to be attached to a truck.  It could be set up as freestanding with stabilizers.  Many campers have a large bed, table with seating, stove, sink, closet/cabinet space, and windows (one of which could hold the a/c unit).  If the camper doesn't already have one, you could put a portable toilet inside your camper, and then manually dump the toilet's contents into the septic tank.  Or with some plumbing, you could set it up to flush from the camper toilet into the septic tank directly.

You could probably hitch a ride into town with your new neighbor, the RVer in the 5th wheel trailer, for groceries and errands.  The location is out in the country, with very, very few people to bother you.

If you're just paying for utilities each month, you could eventually save up for a minivan or even a truck and a better camper so you could travel.

If you're interested, check out https://waco.craigslist.org/prk/d/abbott-free-rv-lot-rent/6864193859.html

 

[JD GUMBEE]

https://www.ic.org/

^^^This is a listing of all kinds of eco-villages. You can often go visit for a month. There are a TON of them.
BEWARE of any with religious affiliation.
"Gabriel Of Sedona" and his merry little cult of "Urantians" will happily take over your better judgment if you let them.

Places like dancing rabbits are very different.
There are a couple of them in Floyd, VA that are friendly hipster types.
Some even need some MESH nodes configured.

Just a thought.
At least they are not meth heads or schizophrenics off their meds.
Toxic people don't last in these communities.

Life tends to be quiet and peaceful in the rural setups.

BTW, if you have budgeted enough to run your A/C, how is it you could not save money each month?
Either you have a way of doing it that I am unaware of...or your figures are wrong.
Even running a small unit with a Honda 2000, it is going to cost like hell.
Perhaps if you shared the budget numbers on the A/C it would bring things more into focus.

 

[KozVan]

"JD GUMBEE: "Too bad you could not find a spot for a few months and save up more money."

bullfrog: "I think you might be better off looking for a RV/trailer park that has really cheap sites with power then buying a cheap old camper trailer with air conditioning having the seller deliver it to your site."

@Kozvan, I've been scouring Craigslist for a parking space for my SUV and trailer, and I think I might have found something you'd be interested in.  Free RV lot rent out in the country in central Texas in exchange for being a friendly neighbor RVer.
"

Now this is a great out of the box idea. I will check these types of things out. Although, I'd still need a trailer and a way to get it there this is nice. [font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Thank you.[/font]


Oorah!