Step Van questions!

[Ratteler]

Hey. So... long story short...
About a year ago I started looking into what it would be like to live in slab city. I was in the middle of a foreclosure. Beat the foreclosure, but still fell in love with the idea of the Nomad lifestyle.

1st: I'm looking for the largest step van I can find. what's the largest width and height allowed in the 49 States of America and Canada. (Never planning to take the Truck to Hawaii.)
My current living space is bigger than any Step Van so my plan it mock up a complete working version of my Van's living space. Including shower/bathroom and batteries for lighting and other operations. I'm very heaver computer nerd, so my computer need run WAY over what the average person will need. I need room in my Van for Server rack of machines that run 24/7.
This will let me get comfortable with the space I'll essentially be living the rest of my life in.

2nd: I'm only searching Ebay for deals at the moment. So better places to look will be appreciated.
I'm looking for something made in the 2000's or later. Obviously the lower the mileage the better.
I'm looking to spend about $8000. It needs to be running, an pass all inspections.

3rd: Do I need a CDL Licence for a Step Van? I drove a shuttle bus style van for about 5 years as part of a nutrition program. So navigating around a vehicle that size is not new to me.

4th: Parking in Urban areas.
I live in the Bronx, and I will have to come back here every once in a while. How do you find safe places to park a vehicle that size without breaking the law? If there are any urban nomads out there, I would love some tips. Can the Step van be considered a car? Can it be parked on the street like any other vehicle? Can it be left in a meter?

5th: Can you recommend any Apps that can with these question?
(No Apple IOS. Android, Windows, Mac OS X, and especially Linux, are all good.

6th: Can you teach me anything you wish you would have known when you went Nomad.

Thank you. Hope to meet you all in person

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Ratteler! If you don't get answers to your questions in this thread try posting under the Miscellaneous Vehicles and other appropriate sections of the forum

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.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[speedhighway46]

Good luck in your hunt for the perfect vehicle; it took me four years, but I finally found mine and at a better price than I had expected.

While you are searching, there are two tasks which you can start on . . .

1> You didn’t say which state you’re going to register the vehicle in; whether you are staying in New York or somewhere else. You need to get details about the steps required to register your “new” step van. Each state is different, so you have to be very specific. Best outcome is to get your step van registered as either: a personal private vehicle, or: a Motorhome or RV. You need to make it clear that the vehicle is NOT in commercial service and you are not engaged in making any income from it.

2> Start searching for a source of insurance. Tell them you need insurance for a private vehicle. If they try to steer you into commercial insurance, “because it is a step van and that’s a commercial vehicle.” Remember, ITS NOT A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE UNLESS IT IS IN COMMERCIAL SERVICE.

I licensed a Peterbilt 379 semi tractor in Michigan after I had converted it to a “Motorhome” with no trouble, and got my insurance through Progressive.

Make sure you do steps 1 & 2 BEFORE you purchase the vehicle.

This is all based upon my experience . . . hope it helps . . .

 

[LoupGarou]

Sadly sourcing vehicle insurance coverage will be your biggest hurdle. Its not impossible, just problematic. Insure it for what it is, not for what you intend to turn it into.

 

[Pleasant Travels]

How heavy is your loadout going to be? Will you ever tow a trailer? This will determine what engine you are looking for, whether gas V8 or diesel 4-banger or larger.

But the fact is, the truly large behemoth step vans tend to be large diesels (usually a Cummins 6-cylinder) because they were meant to carry big payloads. That's not a bad thing, really.

The longest you are likely to find will be a 22ft Freightliner MT45. Most, however, will be 18ft or shorter. The 22 footers don't turn up very often.

Currently, California is the best place to shop for a diesel vehicle right now because so many of them will no longer be able to be registered there next year. I'm in Arizona, and am shopping for a former SnapOn tool truck at the moment myself. As this year winds down and time runs out, I expect to find reasonable deals as guys holding the bag in Commiefornia get desperate to unload. You can already see the price differences via national Craigslist linting comparisons. The same diesel step van that sells in Florida for $15,000 sells currently in The People's Republic for about $10,000, just as an example.

 

[eDJ_]

I was in West Virginia today and talking to a driver of a big step van.  He said it was 28 foot in length and a walk thru. (no separate cab)   Said it was powered by a Triton V 10 engine with auto transmission.  He thought it was great as an all aluminum box but said it still weighed plenty.  

As I spoke with him he stated the Freight Liner may be the better version but Gas preferred over Diesel. (claims the Triton
is just that hard to beat).

It looked something like this FedEx but was from another company he worked for:

Where to look ?  He explained Penske is one source but he would look at trucks with company name on them and visit their sites as they often sell the ones that they have retired after 5 years thru their site.

As for the CDL he says he doesn't need one to operate it for his company.

As for urban parking of a rig this size in such an area as you speak of,  I think I'd find a secure place to park....like at an Airport with 24/7 guarded lot.....and have family come shuttle me back and forth. Or call Uber or Lyft.  Thus gangs won't break into it, vandals won't tag it, and neighbors who think you are in their parking space won't try to have it towed.
Like the Eagles song says, "every form of refuge has it's price". 

The most important things I can share with you have been condensed into the two websites below in my signature line.

Most important,  keep yourself and your rig clean.  Avoid looking like something they would profile. Dress decent when you travel.  Try to appear prosperous. (have a paper bag with some stuff in it that says "Target" in plain site.  A bumper sticker on the rear bumper that says, "I'd rather be flying", something about a boat marina, or Horse Stables.  This hints that those who frequent these places may know lawyers who would be around such places and may have political connections.  LEO's tend to shun entanglement with that sector of society)