what van is right for me?

[zetzori]

Hello, I'm pretty new to this site. My story is that I need to travel from Texas to california to attend art school. However, I cannot afford the rents in california. So I figure. ..let's live in a van! My problem is finding the right van. I figure once I get to cali I would bike to places. Now should I purchase an 1990ish cheap van and accept the fact that I'm going to fix it properly or slightly new van so it will last. Any other suggest would be awesome!

 

[Van-Tramp]

Welcome Zetzori.

First, newer does not necessarily mean less repairs. Age of the van is not as much a factor as how well it was maintained in it's previous years. For example; A well maintained 1990 van will me better than a poorly maintained 2010 van. Also consider the cost of repairs. The newer the vehicle, the higher the cost to maintain. With that said, I like the advice to get the best van you can afford while leaving some extra for the repairs that WILL come in the first few months.

In my opinion, your bigger problem, and what you may want to consider focusing on, is trying to live in your van in California. I assume your art school is going to be in a major metro area where there will most certainly be ordinances preventing you from sleeping in your van. If you want to van-dwell in CA then stealth should be your priority. A van that is new(er) may blend in better, and a cargo-van may blend in better than a camper-van.

 

[zetzori]

so how do I know if the person I'm buying has a well maintained van? By taking it to a mechanic?

 

[PastTense]

Yes you should have a mechanic go over any potential purchase carefully (unless you are buying from a dealer with a substantial guarantee).

A standard way people deal with high rents is roommates, or just renting a room with kitchen priviledges in someone's house.

A key benefit of going cheap is that you may change your mind and if you do you don't have a fortune tied up in your vehicle.

 

[caseyc]

Welcome to the club. Based on your last question, it appears you are about as green as me when it comes to figuring out the road-worthiness of a vehicle. Since you are probably not mechanically inclined, yes, it would be a good idea to have a mechanic check out the vehicle prior to purchase. Even though I know next to nothing about fixing vehicles, when I first started out, I at least knew simple things such as checking obvious items such as oil leaks, engine overheating, odd noises while driving. Taking the vehicle for a test drive in city streets and on freeways will tell you a LOT about the vehicle. If you are truly interested in the vehicle, insist on doing a test drive. For example, the van I purchased through a used dealer drove fine through city streets. But when I drove it on freeways at over 60MPH, the entire rig rattled with intense vibration. It turned out that the rear shock absorbers were completely shot, so the dealer replaced it at no charged which saved me several hundred dollars. By simply driving the sucker at freeway speeds, I was able to tell immediately that something was abnormal. As for which type of van to get, that depends if you will be parking it on city streets or somewhere in the suburbs with more space. If parking on city streets, you want something that is stealthy and nimble for parking and driving. Do NOT get an RV for parking on city streets. Don't even get a Class B van because it looks too much like an RV. Get something rather plain and ordinary that blends in. If you get a used van in the mid 1990s, those usually go for somewhere between $2,000 to $4,000. Personally, I'd get something 1996 or later due to diagnostic engine check tools changing in 1996. For example, even the freakin' Ford dealer can't even diagnose some of my check engine warning lights on my 1995 Ford van because they don't have the older style diagnostic tool any longer in stock. Seems absurd, but true. So given a choice between 1995 or earlier, or 1996 or later, get the latter.

 

[zetzori]

Wow thanks a lot guys. Really helpful! The rent problem is that it is in california. Meaning it is really high. I want my year at art school to last, not going back and forth every semester and work my ass off to make rent money . Also I'm really digging the life in the van thing

 

[Van-Tramp]

California is expensive, not just rent. Gas costs more, food costs more, women cost more... you get the point.

Have fun and welcome again.

 

[caseyc]

Good point. California women are WAAAAAY more expensive. Ask any divorced guy...including me!

 

[zetzori]

Haha I'm sure any women don't dig a guy that is living in a van

 

[caseyc]

Doesn't matter if it's a wife, girlfriend, friends-with-benefit, acquaintance, or the corner happy-ending spa variety...they're all overpriced in California! But then again, those are the only women I know, so it seems normal to me, hah!

Women dig guys with money and willing to spend said $$ on them, whether the guys live in a van or not. Speaking from experience here.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

i think you will need max stealth if on city streets and older vans raise more suspicion as most companies retire vehicles beyond a certain point or mileage. You want to look like a normal work van. Clean and good

 

[akrvbob]

I second the 1996 or newer. Also the advice to get it checked by a mechanic first--that's most important.

Where are you going to be in California? Some places are fairly close to public land and dispersed camping.
Bob

 

[zetzori]

Hey akrvbob. I'm going to be at Encinitas california. I know there are so many more issue I have to face once I actually be living in a van. But I guess you can't plan out everything