Which Van is Best? Oh No, Not Again!

[Stephen]

Wife was not so sure she wanted to pull a larger trailer. She doesn't mind the teardrop at all, but then there is nothing to it. When I reminded her that the u-haul we rented was 6x12 and she pulled it, she changed her mind. Wants to go to a local place that sells cargo trailers to take a look.

We looked at a bunch of build outs of CTs last night and she got a lot more excited. She loves building things and unlike many women, she loves tools. She would rather wear a tool belt than an apron!

I'm keeping my options open at the moment, but the Cargo trailer seems the way to go for us.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You mentioned that you are tall.  (I am too, 6'7" in fact.)  Be aware that rather than buying off the lot, you can order a cargo trailer built higher than standard, with factory windows installed where you want them, etc.

To give you some ideas as to what can be done, here's a link to the master options list from a company in GA:

Master Option List

(Btw, I'm not necessarily endorsing Trailer Showroom.  I don't know if they build good stuff or not.  This is just offered as an example.)

 

[Stephen]

So...here's the thing.

I find that what I can get locally in a van is something with some rust, near or over 100k miles and in the 10k-15k price range. As I look at craig's list I find that I can get a 25' Class c for the same price or less. The milage is usually much less.

We don't really want the shoddy craftsmanship, but I hear what everyone says about comfort and wonder if I am being too romantic with the whole low top van thing. We are not 20. Hell, we ain't even 50! Would a class c be better. I have visions of boon docking in remote places that a Class C might not get into, but is that realistic? We just want to camp some place that doesn't cost us an arm and a leg. I say we could give a s**t about comfort, but the wife does say she doesn't want to poop in a bucket. Silly girl! She doesn't care about showers from a garden sprayer in a tent.

I don't want to make a whopping mistake. I wonder if my romantic, idealistic side is wanting a van and my practical side says, "Get the C class and enjoy. We would be looking at 28' or less. Would really like a 25' or so.

Anybody wanna throw their two cents in on this?

 

[Madpeep]

No matter what you buy, it won't be "perfect". I spent many weeks looking for my van and thought I'd never find it. You know what? I didn't find it. Someone told me to just go out and buy something. Anything. Just get started doing it as soon as possible. Get out there. Live the life. Only by actually getting out there will you know what is a want and what it is that you really need. Look at many of the other posters on this forum. Hopping from van, to class C, back to a van again, then in a Class A. You will learn as you go. This might be your home, but it's not a house.

Figure out how much you want to spend, then get as much as you can for your money. If it's a van, fine. If it's a class C, cool. Just get going. Come out and see the world. While you're traveling you can always be on the lookout for something better. I ended up flying to Florida and buying a van there. No rust anywhere. Also got an address, license, insurance, mail forwarding, etc while I was there too. Then drove my van back to Connecticut.

 

[Stephen]

Get out there. Live the life. Only by actually getting out there will you know what is a want and what it is that you really need. Look at many of the other posters on this forum. Hopping from van, to class C, back to a van again, then in a Class A. You will learn as you go. This might be your home, but it's not a house.

Figure out how much you want to spend, then get as much as you can for your money. If it's a van, fine. If it's a class C, cool. Just get going. Come out and see the world. While you're traveling you can always be on the lookout for something better.  

This is probably as good advice as any. Thanks Madpeep!

 

[steamjam1]

I have to admit that although I own a class-b Ford, my G/F and I have a much better time in her cab over. It has a larger bathroom, bigger refrigerator, bigger bed, larger kitchen area, much more comfortable seating in the dinette, and more cabinet space then we know what to do with. The dog likes it too..

And used cab over campers are alot cheaper then RV vans. But if you gotta do it in a van, yeah a hightop is super nice.

 

[rvwandering]

You've probably noticed that Bob recommends class Cs for couples and I tend to agree with him. There are many vehicle dwelling couples managing quite well in vans but it takes a lot of work and compromise. It's hard enough for one person to find room for all of their stuff, add in another person and every move has to be planned out. :-D

Back in our younger days we lived fulltime for a year in a VW vanagon (had a blast), then camped for years in other vans, and a pickup with a cap. We now have a little class C and have been fulltiming for over 20 years. I have to admit that the class C feels like living in luxury to me and I'd have a really hard time going back to a van.

Some of the advantages are a real toilet and shower, much more storage room. standard RV systems that work very well and a high level of comfort that is great when the weather is bad and you can't be outside.

Disadvantages are lack of stealth, a diminished ability to go way back into the boonies and more expense if one of the systems fails and you can't fix it your self.

You'll still be able to get far enough off the main roads to be pretty isolated if that's what you want. You can live in a RV without using the systems if you want to stay out for a long time and not drive to town to dump.

If you do decide to buy a RV check the size of the water tanks and make sure you have a pretty good match. I've seen some with large fresh water tanks and small gray tanks. Check the storage areas. Some RVs are designed so poorly that a lot of the storage is filled with equipment making it pretty useless. Go through the motions of daily living to see if the bathroom is large enough, the furniture comfortable and the floor plan practical. And most important - check for signs of water leaks!

 

[steamjam1]

My G/F and I started out in a standard roof Dodge shorty. That was awful. Then we got our dog and it made things worse. Couldn't get rid of the dog, or the G/F, so I upgraded to class-B. I was thinking about a class-c but decided against it because I didn't want dual wheels, 10mpg, and I wanted to keep things under 20 feet.

 

[Ballenxj]

My thoughts on this start with a question.
 Are you going to live "in" the van full time, or do you plan to live out of it, using it mostly a a means of transportation and sleeping quarters?
This is very important in my way of thinking, as if you plan to live "in" it, you will be very cramped for space.
 Now if you plan to live "out" of it, you can travel farther on the same amount of money, and see more places, do more things, etc.
What I mean by living "out" of the van is if you spend most of your time outdoors, working in (or out of) a building, basically spending most of your time out somewhere else, and using the van at night when you want to get some shut eye, you will do fine with a van.
These are just my two cents worth, feel free to ignore them.

 

[Stephen]

My thoughts on this start with a question.
 Are you going to live "in" the van full time, or do you plan to live out of it, using it mostly a a means of transportation and sleeping quarters?
This is very important in my way of thinking, as if you plan to live "in" it, you will be very cramped for space.
 Now if you plan to live "out" of it, you can travel farther on the same amount of money, and see more places, do more things, etc.
What I mean by living "out" of the van is if you spend most of your time outdoors, working in (or out of) a building, basically spending most of your time out somewhere else, and using the van at night when you want to get some shut eye, you will do fine with a van.
These are just my two cents worth, feel free to ignore them.

Good question. I would say 50/50. We love the outdoors and will spend the majority of time outside. We aren't so outdoorsy that we enjoy sitting in the rain. If we had a c class , we would probably have a toad to site see.


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[davidsan]

Based on our seven years full-timing in the USA and Canada, I definitely recommend a stand-up van.  In fact, I strongly recommend a small, used Class C with everything already built in.  The one I recommend is a Lazy Daze 24 foot which can serve as your home plus car.  We always carried kayaks on top and bikes on the rear end.  They are equipped with solar and generator.  The key here is to keep both people happy and comfortable as long as possible because the world of RVing is so much fun. After seven years my wife decided we had enough and we returned to our homeland (Oregon) after a full 12 years of traveling around the world.  You can buy one used for about $20-$30,000.

I am presently converting a new Fiat/Dodge/RAM Promaster 2016 high top van we can stand up in.  First 
of all, it's taking me much longer than anticipated to convert and it's going to cost me about $8000 in expenses.  And, it is tiny!
That's about 60 sq ft living space. Our Lazy Daze Class C was 27' with 200 sq feet.  A world of difference for breathing space.  The 24 footer is a compromise. Check their website in Southern California to review the new models.  There are many used available on line, although this is a custom made product with production of less than 200 a year.  They keep their value.

Usually, it is the woman who tires out first, so it's really important to make it very comfortable with as many creature comforts as practical. Believe me...Happy Wife, Happy Life.  I purchased the van because I wanted to keep exploring part-time (age 80 now) with lots of time devoted to hiking, biking, kayaking and fishing.  A new van is easier to drive so that was one of the main reasons to switch.  And, the fact that many of the RVs seem to last about 100,000 miles before needing a new Transmission (gas). Yeah! I know many go to 200,000+ but ours started going out at 100,000.  We bought our Lazy Daze for $28,000 and sold it eight years later for $14,000.  Would have received more except for problems with Transmission and awning.  

In summary, it's different RVing as a single vs. couple.  If you want it to be a successful endeavor, I suggest you try out different type vans/small RVs and ...listen to your wife.  The class B, with all of its fancy stuff, never appealed to us.  Far too cramped in a small, tiny space. 

I cannot recommend the RV lifestyle enough.  It's just a plain fun, crazy lifestyle.  And, that's even with work camping on a seasonal basis for a few years to pay the bills.  Good luck!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Good question. I would say 50/50. We love the outdoors and will spend the majority of time outside. We aren't so outdoorsy that we enjoy sitting in the rain. If we had a c class , we would probably have a toad to site see.


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How would you feel about carrying a good sized tent to set up when you were staying in one place for a while?

 

[Kelli]

Knowing more about your situation, here is my advice:

1) A Chevy 1 ton extended van with 5.3 or 6 liter engine
2) A 6x10 or 6x12 cargo trailer converted

$10,000 should just about cover it, but obviously more money will get you a newer, lower mileage van.
Bob

I will be working/camping in and around Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina for 3 years before venturing out.  I've only bought new cars that I parked while traveling by plane, so I haven't had car troubles in 20 years.  I might sell my 2009 Toyota Camry (40k mi), since I will be leaving my home.  I could keep it and pull a Runaway, but I really want to be inside of my vehicle for safety and stealth.

I'm 5'4", 125-lb, so I'd be fine in an old roomy van with good MPG.  It would be a traveling business vehicle and camper.  It should have a reputation for reliability in all kinds of weather and terrain, have an expected 100K miles of life left in it, be inexpensive to service, and easy to find parts for.  I would like to pay $5-6K total to buy and convert it, i.e. bed, frig, counter, work table, floor space, closet, solar.

Any suggestions for years, makes, models, and features I should look for?  Where/how can I find a good deal?  If 5-6K is too low for my expectations, please suggest a reasonable cost.  Also, assuming no mechanical issues, what should be my asking price for the Camry?

Thanks in advance.

K

 

[Luciano151]

Personally, I think preference for a van, is like preference for a Mac vs. PC. If your first computer was a Mac like mine was; a Quadra-950, circa 1996 you'll tend to be partial to Mac's. Since my Quadra, I've always used Mac's. That includes Mac tablets, phones, and peripherals.

I bought a regular sized Chevy cargo van and have learned how to pack it and move around in it. I went camping with my girlfriend for two weeks and we didn't have any problems whatsoever. It's just a matter of using common sense when it comes to packing and equipping the vehicle.

 

[Gadget728]

Even though I'm having to do a lot of mechanical repairs, which is expensive, I'm still glad I bought an Extended w/ 24" Hi top G2500. The mileage isn't the greatest, but I'm still glad I bought it, and will continue to fix, modify and build it into exactly what I want.
A few of the things I've owned - a 16' no name camper, 24' Holiday Rambler, 10' Pop up camper, 25' Road Ranger Class C (built in my home town until a tornado blew the whole plant away) Numerous Tents and Hammocks - Been There, Done That. A well equipped van will suffice.
I've owned several vans over the years and camped overnight in all of them. In my situation a Van is perfect. I prefer GM's over Fords because of the longer wheelbase.
GMC & Chevy parts are everywhere!

 

[hepcat]

There is no "perfect" RV. There are only RVs that better suit your current circumstances. I currently have a '95 Coachmen B-van 19' AND an '06 32' Born Free rear queen Class C on a Chevy Kodiak chassis. I use them both... a lot... but for different purposes. I admire the folks who buy a van of whatever configuration and convert it to their 'wants.' But I've gotta tell you that there are some really good buys on factory-built b-vans out there... and having a genset, A/C with heat strips, propane furnace and stove, a three-way fridge, and a john with holding tanks all have real value when traveling. They all add up to convenience and comfort... and yet, you can buy older, well-maintained B-vans for around $10k-ready-to-drive. You just have to be patient... and be ready to drive to where-ever the van that you want is with cash in hand the moment you find it.

My Coachmen was $5k with 26k original miles on it and was a Craigslist find. It was worth the trip to Oklahoma for it, although I ended up putting another $4k into it in tires, other service, and repairs before I was comfortable with its condition. I'm planning a January trip from eastern Iowa to Palm Springs and then San Diego, about 4k miles round-trip before I'm done... and the trip in my $9k B-van will be just as comfortable and with the same amenities as if I were driving a new $130k Sprinter chassis coach.

 

[Stephen]

Thanks, hepcat! I'm beginning to see that what you are saying is about right!


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