MY PLANS ON HOLD....

[Gypsy108]

Yes...i wish i started this when i was younger...i know many my age are doing it now for the first time too & are loving it.....all day i've been on CarGuru looking for a suitable TRUCK now....MAINLY because i'm tired of my high payments on my current vehicle, and want to get into something less expensive....right now i'm paying $700/mo (including insurance), and i wanna quit working VERY SOON and only live off my SS (which isn't much). I'm looking to pay around $300+ insurance......
I'm thinking of getting a TRUCK now instead of a van for the OFF ROADING capabilities & ability to tow a small camper eventually...
I can always come back to the S&B to rest up if i need too.....or i might never want to....who knows what the future will be.....i just need more options, like the ability to take off and survive like a nomad if i have to....my home environment has been difficult & i'm always in a state of fight or flight....

 

[GypsyJan]

Having your vehicle set up for the nomad life is a very freeing experience. It's like having a second home or a vacation home. If for some reason you have to "flee" the S& B, you can just morph into the parallel universe as a nomad. Practice camping in the set up now and you'll be a pro if you ever go full time.

 

[SLB_SA]

1. I'm thinking of getting a TRUCK now instead of a van for the OFF ROADING capabilities & ability to tow a small camper eventually...

2. I can always come back to the S&B to rest up if i need too.....or i might never want to....who knows what the future will be.....i just need more options, like the ability to take off and survive like a nomad if i have to....my home environment has been difficult & i'm always in a state of fight or flight....

1. Bob Wells speaks highly of the Runaway trailers which are relatively inexpensive, light and very sturdy.

2. It might be nice if there was a network of "crash spaces" (i.e. people's houses with available spare rooms) where a vandweller could spend a night or two during her/his travels.  To me, one obstacle for willing home owners is filtering out disruptive, dangerous, infectious or otherwise undesirable people; a vandweller on the road can just drive off if another vandweller (or anybody) annoys her/him but what is a home owner to do?

 

[Qxxx]

I'm thinking of getting a TRUCK now instead of a van for the OFF ROADING capabilities & ability to tow a small camper eventually...

Things keep evolving, that's the fun of it. If you start with a truck, you have several options: trailer next pass round, cabover camper (heavy, probably not the best thing for off road exploring), and more temporary: a tent that sets up in the back, or some lightweight popup.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pickup+bed+tent&tbm=isch&sa=X
https://www.google.com/search?q=pickup+bed+popup&tbm=isch&sa=X

I know people who have slept in pickup toppers for years on trips. Some are quite tall, and people have equipped them with bed off the floor and cabinets. I like this option.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pickup+bed+topper&tbm=isch&sa=X
https://www.leer.com/truck-cap/122

Another option, if you got a king cab, you could pull out the back seat and setup a bed platform for good security. This plus a basic topper on the pickup bed for storage would make a pretty nice setup until you get a trailer.

There are places you can boondock on private property all over the country. 
https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/

 

[ckelly78z]

As far as pickup trucks go, I have a 1996 F150 with the 8' long bed with the 4.9L I6 motor. I have thought of putting a high top, rear cap on it for securing tools/supplies, but also to make a good bug out vehicle/mini camper (with a cap, it has the same room as a cargo van) I have about $1500 into the rust free truck, and rear caps are really cheap on FB marketplace, or CL. It would be no different than doing a build on a cargo van, some insulation, a fan, some electrical, a bed, and storage. The cool thing about my truck is that it is already depreciated as much as it ever will be, and 10 years from now, I can get my money back out of it.

It isn't fast, or very efficient, but it is a torque monster, and I have kept it maintained, so it should last for years.

 

[Qxxx]

This shows some of the pickup topper conversions people have done. Some are heavy on carpentry, but a minimalist could build a simple bed platform from 2x2s and a piece of plywood, plus some plastic cabinets from Walmart, or use Bob Wells' no-build van build scheme.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pickup+bed+topper+conversion&tbm=isch



This is the one I especially liked. Topper is tall enough for sitting upright.

https://cdn.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/2495864/85743711.jpg

 

[Qxxx]

This is the one I especially liked. Topper is tall enough for sitting upright.

https://cdn.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/2495864/85743711.jpg

One more comment. Everyone has their own ideas for builds, but after 2 years in my van, I think my ideal scheme would be the 4x4 pickup with that tall topper build out, along with pulling either a Casita or converted cargo trailer. 

The latter would be good for long-term camping, but it would still be nice to have the topper build out as well, so I could leave the trailer behind, or completely at home, and just go exploring into the boonies with the pickup ala topper to camp in. Nice light weight would not impede going into various 4WD off road areas. And be better for camping in bad weather than in a tent on the ground too. Then when hauling the trailer, you would still store loads of stuff in the topper.

 

[Gypsy108]

Man....there's sooooooooooooo many options...it's going to eventually boil down to whatever i can afford.....i'm going to self-repossess my current vehicle (2019 Nissan Rouge), i can't afford the payments anymore....my job hours are part time now, so my income will be half what im used to....i want to QUIT my job ASAP because I HATE IT....so i will be left with finding something cheap....(CHEAP RV LIVING)  HAHA....it bothers me that truck campers are held down by those cables...(what if they came off ?)   I've never towed anything before (if i got a truck).....so now i'm back to thinking about getting a VAN....all one piece...easy driving/parking....i prefer a high top because it would bother me if i had to be hunched down all the time....decisions ,decisions, decisions............my mind is going a hundred miles an hour everyday thinking about all this stuff...I AM OBSESSED !!!!    

@ckelly78z .....do you have a regular topper now on your truck ? A topper does not appeal to me....i am not very flexible...
i would need more space & comfort..

@Qxxx...thanks for all the tips  :heart:   I liked this idea :   "Another option, if you got a king cab, you could pull out the back seat and setup a bed platform for good security. This plus a basic topper on the pickup bed for storage would make a pretty nice setup until you get a trailer."

@SLB-SA....those RUNAWAY CAMPERS  are real nice & cheap !!!  :heart: 

When you have a camper that detaches from the truck, do you have to worry about someone stealing it while you're gone ?????

 

[highdesertranger]

"When you have a camper that detaches from the truck, do you have to worry about someone stealing it while you're gone ?????"

If you do you are camping in the wrong place. on my trailer I can remove my hitch.

highdesertranger

 

[ckelly78z]

@ckelly78z .....do you have a regular topper now on your truck ? A topper does not appeal to me....i am not very flexible...
i would need more space & comfort..

No, I use my truck for hauling lumber, firewood, and my dirt bike, so no topper right now. If I were going to hit the road anytime soon, I would use my diesel Ford Excursion, and remove the two rear rows of seats.

I would consider a contractor's cap that is taller, and has an entry door, with opening sides. If I were going to camp out of my truck, I would have an ARB side awning, with the added screen room hooked to a roof rack.

 

[Qxxx]

....so now i'm back to thinking about getting a VAN....all one piece...easy driving/parking....i prefer a high top because it would bother me if i had to be hunched down all the time....

My Savana van is regular height. Hunching down is somewhat of a PITN, but I cook outside 98% of the time, and I have a chair inside that I am usually sitting in.

 

[Gypsy108]

Having your vehicle set up for the nomad life is a very freeing experience. It's like having a second home or a vacation home. If for some reason you have to "flee" the S& B, you can just morph into the parallel universe as a nomad. Practice camping in the set up now and you'll be a pro if you ever go full time.

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]
Yes....i know the feeling & exhilaration of having a van to live in....last May i bought a beautiful Nissan High Top...i loved it sooooooooo much !!!   But i freaked out thinking about winter coming...and having to get up to scrape snow & ice off of it every morning before going to work....i just moved out of my apartment that had heated underground parking....now i have to park on the street....(i traded my van back for a car)   I could just KICK myself !!!!!!!!
Now my life is going down the tubes ....and it's becoming more difficult to get another quality van....and i will just have to settle for less.....
Right now i am living in a very comfortable home...and wondering if i really am crazy for wanting to do this....but the bottom line is that i want to be alone & just be with myself....not live with anyone, as i am now....and i gave up my apartment knowing i wanted to eventually quit my job (in about a year), hoping to save money for the nomad life 
(I'm living rent "free" now) with the person i'm trying to escape from....[/font]

 

[Gypsy108]

"When you have a camper that detaches from the truck, do you have to worry about someone stealing it while you're gone ?????"

If you do you are camping in the wrong place.  on my trailer I can remove my hitch.

highdesertranger

:thumbsup:

 

[Gypsy108]

My Savana van is regular height. Hunching down is somewhat of a PITN, but I cook outside 98% of the time, and I have a chair inside that I am usually sitting in.

I wonder if you are younger & thinner than me....do you ever wish you had a high top ?

 

[B and C]

Getting dressed and walking around on your knees or bent over gets old really fast in a low top even if you are younger. Been there, done that.

 

[Qxxx]

I wonder if you are younger & thinner than me....do you ever wish you had a high top ?

B&C has spoken his feelings on the matter. In my case, I have a regular length Savana van with the bed across the back, so I can only take 2 steps max inside the van, so where am I gonna go. 

But we each have to decide what's best for us. You obviously  :heart: :heart: :heart: jimmyflorida's van build. But he spent a couple of months putting all together too. Someone wanted pictures of mine, and were severely underimpressed that all I have inside is the bed, a computer desk, and folding deck chair. Some people think that cabinets and drawers and a sink mean comfort, I guess. 

A lot of women seem to opt out for small Class-Cs, but I looked at them when I was originally shopping. 1-2 yearold Savana vans (I bought a 1 YO) were selling for $18-22K, and all the Class-Cs in that price range were 20 years old. Not something I wanted to get into.

As far as pulling a trailer goes, a small 6x10 or 6x12 cargo trailer would not represent much of a problem, as compared to something over 20', and you can start living in the CT the next day if you want. I imagine you've been following travelaround's exploits and she's going that route.

 

[Elbear1]

Get a Class C. Theyre cheap and dont use anymore fuel because you can go way longer between resupply runs. Its very nice to have a full size fridge, a hot shower, a bathroom, a big bed.

 

[Gypsy108]

"Get a Class C. They're cheap"
@Elbear1, they are too expensive for me   If i did find a cheap one ($5,000), it would be junk.  I would LOVE to have it all....but i HAVE to be practical and get THE BEST I CAN AFFORD.....SO NOW I'M BACK AT THE VAN OPTION !!   My situation is, that i will first purchase a van, see if i can keep it at the dealership for a while, (because i have to hide the fact i have one), buy all the basic equipment/stuff (and hide that), then when i have everything i need (including emergency fund), i will take off like a bat outta hell !!  
So my plan is to :

1. best high roof van i can get
2. comfortable queen or twin mattress
3. batteries/generator/solar panel
4. Dometic fridge
5. heater
6. toilet
7. utensils/supplies/dry foods (nuts, dried fruit, water, batteries for candles)
8. tools/extra tires
9. cedar wood/build supplies
10. extra pillows/blankets/sheets

I'm just going to throw it all in the van and take off, and build it when i get to a safe place...
As much as i LOVE to cook, i'm planning on eating more non-cooked foods, at least until i get better at this...
I have no idea how long this will take me....thinking 10-12 months...

 

[Qxxx]

Yeah for $5000 any ClassC would be junk. Maybe good for living under a bridge in LA. 

Gypsy I assume you watched Bob Wells' video mentioned in post #68 about the no-build build. You don't need much to get out the door, and can deal with things over time. Maybe go to the van build next November and people will help you build and install things.

Even easier than Bob's scheme is just lay the mattress down on top of some boxes, and you could start living in a van this afternoon. You can use some flat cardboard under the mattresses to allow easier access underneath. I actually did that for the 1st 6 months of my minimalist build before I built the bed platform. Boxes, mattress, table, chair.

Note $1.40 each ...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Medium-Recycled-Moving-Boxes-16L-x-16W-x-17H-25-Count/406401391

 

[Gypsy108]

Yes...i saw the no build build video...but if i have a choice in the matter i'd rather be more prepared before i spilt the scene.....haha..as long as i'm still working and have an income i can get what i need before taking off (less prepared).
I want to be happy when i leave....not desititute...so as long as i have some time & money i want to do all i can to prepare first.....does that make sense ?

I would just put a mattress on top one of my area rugs....i would crush the cardboard boxes !! LOL