Totoro (my box van)

[squirbel]

So, the title of this forum mentions that we can post our dreams. Now 85% of my dreams in my life become reality, so no worries - this thread is also a placeholder for my conversion.

What is the significance of the name Totoro?

Totoro is a huge, fuzzy, magical creature with a disproportionately small umbrella of Japanese invention. I am partial to this character, and the name stuck when I thought of it. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

___________

Currently I am saving 5000 to buy a box van. I intend to spend less than that, but that as max. I am shopping on Craigslist, auctiontime.com, government liquidation sites, and truckpaper. I have a trucker uncle and he has given me lots of advice and will ride with me to check the vehicle out before I buy. He is very supportive of what I want to do.

What is it I want to do?

I want to start small by owning my own home. I do not want to go into debt - I want to live within my means. After reading buster's post in iiixxxiii's thread (the 22 year old dreamer who has had a life similar to mine), I feel like I don't belong on the site because I will not be going the cheap route. I will not be going expensive for the sake of wasting money, but if something is of highest quality and happens to be expensive, I will buy it. The kid and I share similar world views. I will scrimp and go without heat and eat rice and beans just to get the best. So as you watch my conversion, please understand my world view and forgive me for not quite fitting in with the community.

I earn a salary (plus overtime), and once I break free from the rent nightmare, I will have 500 extra dollars in my pocket (the rent for a studio). I already set 500 a month away in a savings account, so i will be able to save and spend easily. I have been a fan of tiny houses for many many years, and I finally see my chance to make one. This box van (Totoro) will be my tiny home. I also happen to be an interior designer (hobby). So when you see my rig, you will see hints of this.

My aunt contacted me this week and asked me if I would like to have this little piece of land and the little house on it. I went and inspected it, and although she warned me, it was worse than I expected. Heh. I told her I am really serious about building my tiny home because it will be mine, regardless of where I go. She said I could use the land to park on, so that I was safe (it is rural). Hooray!

My lease is up on July 31, so you will see more action after that. I'll share more of my plans shortly. I am a person who is built for efficiency, so if you see something in my plans that is inefficient, please point it out and I will adjust. Don't worry about knocking an idea I have because you think it will affect everything like a house of cards - I dream faster than you can think. As people point out faults, I fix them.

At any rate, I think this is my second introduction. I am a long winded individual, so please forgive. At least I type in an organized fashion, facilitating skimming. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[squirbel]

I am a fan of eastern architecture and use of space. In my adult life I have designed my homes to have this same efficiency. I am friendly with the floor, and not afraid of it. I keep my floors so clean you can eat off of them. So I will utilize 2 pieces of furniture - a low lying table, and a papasan for cozy tv watching and Internet surfing. My entire kitchen and bathroom will be hidden in a wardrobe. I will have no windows, but there will be a large skylight. This strengthens my stealth factor. I will move the low lying table aside at night and open a cabinet and pull out my sleeping assortment (shikibuton, blankets) and sleep in the center under the skylight. Stars, who doesn't love sleeping under the stars?

This gives me so much real estate in the house. I can bring people over and they will wonder where everything is! And then I will open this door and that, and show them the fridge, kitchen counter and sink, pantry, and bathroom. And then they shall say - wow. Lol.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<STRONG>I may have misunderstood you about you not thinking this is the forum for you because you like to live well.&nbsp; your quote <SPAN style="COLOR: #0000ff">' I feel like I don't belong on the site because I will not be going the cheap route'<BR><BR><SPAN style="COLOR: #000000">This site is meant to help all lifestyles that want to be mobile. It may surprise you how much money some have tied up in their vehicle and power plants i.e. solar and even wind power.<BR>You don't even want to know how much money and time I've invested in a vintage travel trailer that is probably older than you to get it travel safe. You are in good company girlfriend.<BR><BR><SPAN style="COLOR: #ff00ff">Dragonfly</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></STRONG>

 

[squirbel]

I'm glad you see it that way as well! I'm glad to be welcome once again!

Yes, the way I see it, this will be my full time home, and I want it to work reliably, consistently, and conservatively. I am not so much concerned with comfort, it is something that just happens.

 

[squirbel]

Here is my build/purchase timeline (my cat's survival drives most of it, so if something seems wonky, he is why!):

Buy box van

(In the meantime I will be sleeping away from the tarp covered hole, on a mattress I own, with nothing but my clothing, cat, litter box, water bowl, feeding bowl, and cat food. My storage unit will be my kitchen.)

Window chapter:
Buy several sheets of 3/4" plywood to cover roof (these are made of flimsy fiberglass), self tapping screws, brackets
Build roof, adjoining the plywood together with brackets, and screwing edges to the hard aluminum edging
Buy 3x5 window, roof sealant, flashing, 1qt ever dry, self tapping and wood screws
Cut hole for window in the wood and fiberglass, cover with tarp
Drop window in, affix flashing, screws, etc. make sure it is secure
Take a 5g bucket of water to roof and pour directly on window (like a bowl) to test for leakage and problems
Fix issues with silicone
Do same test around window
Use Dremel tool to route water ways away from window.
Now I have ventilation for Ruben!
Paint roof with white roof coating.

(In the mean time I will be sleeping inside under the stars, on a mattress I own, with nothing but my clothing, cat, litter box, water bowl, feeding bowl, and cat food. My storage unit will be my kitchen. I will buy fruits and such daily from the grocery store. I eat a lot of fruits and nuts.)

Electrical Chapter 1:
Buy 4 t105 batteries
Buy solar panels, one by one, all the same. (Still learning how to choose)
Buy 0 gauge wire 30' (that should be enough for my purposes.)
Buy 8 (debatable) gauge wire 20'
Buy trimetric meter
Buy a pure sine inverter I can wire directly to.
Buy a small inverter for cooking appliances.
Buy a wfco power panel
Buy a midnite solar charge controller (mppt)
Stare at all of these loose components taking up more and more vehicle space.
Buy 2 4x8 sheets of plywood (1/2"), brackets
Use sharpie marker to mark a line 2' from lift gate.
Build wall joined with 4 straight brackets, and held to wall with 3 L brackets on each side. All is facing the lift gate.
This is my utility room.
Cut doorway out of side of box. Affix tarp.
Plan out location of solar, batteries, meter, power panel, charge controller.
Aim to keep everything as close to solar panels as possible, but still within my reach to add water and maintain batteries (I'm 5'2").
Build shelves and screw things to wall.
Have professional double crimp my wire.
Place batteries on shelves.
Begin to wire things together. (Still working on exact wiring diagram, by the time I get to this stage I will have a manual to follow)
Route wiring into interior space.
Cut holes for venting the batteries. (Roof and floor)


(In the meantime I will use the power of my company vehicle, possibly an extension cord from the house (pay electricity for a few months) for my needs.)

Plumbing Chapter 1
Buy 50' of pex, u brackets, manabloc 14 port manifold, electric water pump (12v)
Loosely route pex from water tank (uncle told me to buy spare fuel tank and use for water), without making connections.
Route to opposite end of house by way of the interior roof. (To benefit pex during winter months by rising interior heat)
Keep 3' of pex at the guesstimated ends.
Buy two panels for plumbing access. (Bathroom, kitchen)
Buy 2 point of use water heaters (lp)
Buy assorted pieces (end caps, joints, t's, etc) to join the system together. Test, and pressurize the system.


Interior Chapter 1:
Pull up floorboards and whatever else is on the floor. Work towards metal floor. Store in storage container until I am sure I will not use them.
Frame interior walls with 1x2's, providing extra support for future wardrobes, tv, wall cabinets.
Buy pink foam insulation.
Put foam insulation in between studs, held in by wire. (Floor as well)
Fill gaps with great stuff (there's no going back so be careful!!)
Have a local remodeling company install drywall, making holes for plumbing panels along the way.
Buy pergo flooring, underlayment.
Lay underlayment, play jigsaw puzzle with pergo and build floor.
Buy steel door from Craigslist. Affix.


At this point I will be ready for the winter, with a pretty walled and floored abode. Yay! (Pex and electrical wire will be hanging out of the walls...lol.


What gauge of wiring is best to use to bring the electricity from the power panel to the interior? (120v and 12v)?

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>

 

[my_vantasy]

Wow! That's a very detailed list. Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing your dream come true.

 

[squirbel]

Thank you so much for that artwork!

I will most certainly print it up and stick it on a wall!

 

[coultergeist]

Gauge of wire depends on a good few factors, but basically, this is what it boils down to.&nbsp; For most 120v receptacles you would want to use 14 gauge.&nbsp; For outlets where you may have pretty heavy draws like microwave or space heaters, I recommend 12 gauge.&nbsp; <br><br>For cigarette lighter/12v receptacles it would be best to use 10 gauge.&nbsp; 12 would probably be fine, but some things that get plugged into 12v receptacles can pull fairly heavy loads.&nbsp; Safer to just go with 10 gauge.&nbsp; 12v pumps should also be 10 gauge wiring.&nbsp; LED lights draw pretty low current.&nbsp; You can use 14 gauge wire for those without it being a problem.&nbsp; 14 gauge is significantly less expensive than 10 gauge and will be more than adequate for that use.&nbsp; If your fridge runs off 12v power then it would be best on a 10 gauge line as well.<br><br>One other thing to mention, you may want to reconsider on the drywall.&nbsp; Drywall is very heavy.&nbsp; In a vehicle that size it would represent a significant weight addition.&nbsp; You would probably be better off using plywood.&nbsp; Well painted it would look just as nice, be far easier to work with and be much lighter.&nbsp; <br><br>Patrick

 

[squirbel]

Noted! Thank you!

 

[coultergeist]

You're welcome.&nbsp; I'm sure it will turn out great.&nbsp; Planning is never a bad thing.

 

[1oleman]

You have one of the best thought out plans I have seen.&nbsp; Keep it up.&nbsp; Ed

 

[squirbel]

Thank you sir! /bow

 

[Ballenxj]

First, let me say WELCOME to the forum squirbel. <br>Second, I think you will fit in quite well around here. <br>And third, I think your plan sounds pretty good. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> <br>I'll be following your posts here. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br>-Bruce

 

[WanderingRain]

Good luck, Squirbel!<br>There seems to be a good bunch of anime fans beginning to pursue this lifestyle. (Dazar seems to be one, as well) I wonder if it also has something to do also with the small homes that are the rage in Japan among young folk. I was certainly influenced by seeing those articles online.<br>Where I am currently, there's tons of Japan home stores here filled with nifty devices on how to save space. I wish I could buy a pile of them and bring them over to where I plan my next home on wheels. So many neat space saving thingies... <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>For the record, Japanese anime fan myself. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> More than that, I make my living drawing Anime inspired work and so am able to work from a laptop. The van thing and living without an apartment also made sense to me.<br><br>Anyway, living well is what I see this group is all about. So you are in good company.<br>When I began my van living, the places I was free to go to and the food I was able to afford increased with the loss of an apartment rental. I have been going on more trips overseas and my life has totally changed.<br>In my first month in the van, I bought my very first Android touch phone with enough minutes to last a year. <br>I've since then been busy eating out more and enjoying life more. So you are in the right place. These fine folks are all about enjoying life more. And when you get to talk to them, they have more exciting experiences in a month than a regular citizen has in 3 years.<br>And so welcome and I hope you like your stay here.<br><br>Looking forward to seeing your van construction!<br><br><br><br>

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Anime is expensive, true otaku sacrifice all to buy moar!&nbsp; (j/k)&nbsp;&nbsp; Though I am a big anime fan, its completely unrelated to vandwelling.&nbsp; Tho i recommend checking out Kino's Journey for any traveler.<br><br>Squirbel, when you say you want a box van, do you mean like the type UPS uses?

 

[squirbel]

No, more like this one pictured.<br><br>I wouldn't call myself an anime fan - I've grown away from it. But wanderingrain hit the lifestyle bit in the head. I am looking forward to going to the salon more often, eating out more, and traveling more.<br><br>I can understand why so many of us are more comfortable in smaller spaces - my exposure to eastern cultures made me look at my living spaces and question their sizes. By choice, I am living in a studio. But even this got large after a while. It is like I am living in storage unit for all my stuff.&nbsp;<br><br>Regarding the truck, I want something with a cummins or international engine.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Oh ok, I call those box trucks.&nbsp; Tons of space to work with there <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[WanderingRain]

A box van is one of my dreams as well. Especially the one with the small sliding door leading to the driver's area. I think that's so cool and provides all the privacy you can ever want. The only thing about box trucks that big... is I can imagine fewer options to park it in. And of course, fuel. Which is why whenever I look at box vans, I never go beyond 20 feet long.<br>Although I still like anime, yeah, I haven't watched any show in nearly 15 years. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> It remains part of who I am, though because it brought me artistically to where I am today.<br><br>Yup, yup. In an ideal world, we would all love a swanky apartment and to eat and go on trips. but in this day of the shrinking dollar value, one has to be smart and savvy about life's choices. Too much stuff just is a huge anchor. <br>Right now, I am enjoying massages, more trips, and better food. (go see Taipei if you can!!!) All because of the small to zero overhead in living space choice. <br>Without an apartment, I was able to spend a lot of time overseas. It was a privilege to actually live in Australia for a while. People with much larger salaries than mine can only do 2-4 weeks in someplace like Brisbane or Sydney as a tourist. I was able to pull off 10 months and actually shop there (making my money online). Made kangaroo meat tacos and lots of lamb stew in my rented digs. Stuff like that you cannot do if you are in a hurry to take it all in in two weeks. It is such wonderful freedom... Picking out fresh produce and every store clerk sounds so British, it's cute. The US of A alone has more places to see than most people have years in their lives to see. <br><br>I consider the young blood in this group the "retire young" community. We do not want to wait till 65. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> After all, I think about all the places I been to and I can imagine I won't appreciate all that at 65... and all the foods I am free to try because I still have a strong stomach. I cannot do that at an old age. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[squirbel]

I kinda got lucky with the parking - I have a small plot of land to park it on. It will be stationary unless I travel, for the most part. I use my work vehicle to get around.<br><br>The gas mileage - that's a pain I am willing to accept. Heh. I want the house I've dreamt up more than savings in fuel. I'll try to save on fuel by saving up for fuel-laden trips <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" class="bbc_img"><br><br>Box van, box truck - both are the same according to the various sites I'm looking to purchase from. The UPS trucks are classified as step vans.<br><br>How do you (personally) make money online?