I love stories like this. Well documented, well thought out, and with a 6 month update... excellent.
Now I'd love to read one about someone who's done this with a family...
How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
111–120 of 351 posts
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#112I'm a full-time pharmacist working 50 hours a week, with several investment rental properties. Since April of this year I've been sleeping in my 2002 Toyota 4Runner in the parking lot at work. Shower at the gym, infrequent laundry runs, hang out all day at the library with all the other strange people. Pros: feeling of simplicity and freedom; enough said. Cons: a mid-sized SUV is too small and not private enough. I w…
Nice job! Has anyone at the complex given you grief for sleeping there?
You can get blackout curtains and put them up before sleeping, pretty cheap..
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
Arguably, it means just that. If you only use a tool once a year, you should just borrow/rent them when you actually do need them. Our lives are cluttered with occasionally used 'just in case' items that we really don't need.
Just don't try this with a birth certificate. Jokes aside, are there really places you can rent a screwdriver for a day? And is that really the appropriate solution?
I actually laughed at the idea of renting a screwdriver.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#114I think this is the cusp of a big change in America. As the physical industrial base evaporates, in return, many people may not buy into the classic "buy property" plan for their lives. This is good for them. This may not be so great for all the people who bought property and expect it to always increase in value as there may not be as great a demand for it.
Why do you think the industrial base is evaporating?
If you look at something like iron production, the US share of global production has declined quite a lot, but US production has stayed pretty consistent while global production has exploded. A lot of the jobs are gone because of bigger machines and automation, but the production still exists.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Arguably, it means just that. If you only use a tool once a year, you should just borrow/rent them when you actually do need them. Our lives are cluttered with occasionally used 'just in case' items that we really don't need.
Just don't try this with a birth certificate. Jokes aside, are there really places you can rent a screwdriver for a day? And is that really the appropriate solution?
http://oaklandlibrary.org/locations/tool-lending-library
> The Oakland Tool Lending Library currently offers over 5,000 tools available for loan, as well as books and how-to videos and DVDs. The tools can be used for a variety of purposes, including home improvement, remodeling and repairs, gardening and landscaping and seismic retrofit. This is a free service to Oakland, Emeryville, and Piedmont residents and property owners.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#116I am about to embark on a similar journey. I started off buying a 1993 33' Diesel pusher motorhome with the intent to travel the US fulltime while working remotely. It was awesome fixing it up and making it livable, modern, beautiful, and adding solar. Working with my hands was extremely rewarding! That said I soon learned that 33' is a huge vehicle which I did not feel comfortable driving regularly over mountains and severely hindered locations I could camp at. Now that big rig is for sale... instead I've founded a really cool travel trailer with loads of solar ready to go! I plan to pull that behind my 4runner equiped for overland adventures and cannot wait to get started! Great article and I hope others can try this lifestyle. I hope to share some of my experiences with others as well.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
> What I really want is a brand new VW pop-top van, as are still sold in Europe. But those don't go to the U. S. You could probably get a Ram Promaster SWB with pop-up roof for about what an equivalent VW van would sell for, were they sold here. If that's too spend, there are always 10-20 year old Roadtreks that are in good shape for under 30K, and if you get a Ford or Dodge based one it's even quite good off road wi…
Meh, the quality of Roadtreks hasn't impressed me much; but I get your point. The Promaster looks to be the sweet spot between size and expense. But holy cow, Sportsmobile wants $9K for the pop-top option, on top of an $80K build. I guess I have to admit that there's a bit of sentiment attached to that "VW" badge, too. Ignore the fact that VW vans haven't been the quirky little beasts we fondly remember in over 20 ye…
Sure, $9K on top of $80K is pretty steep, but that $80K build is orders of magnitude more comfortable than what an old VW could provide, and at reasonable speeds too. By the time you upgrade a classic VW to similar standards (Subaru engine swap, A/C that isn't terrible, etc), the cost would be close to $80K. OTOH, if you want something more Spartan and more classic VW-like, $60K should be good enough to get you there, and it's not like a VW T6 conversion would cost less.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#118I am having a hard time with this article. On the one hand, it resonates with me DEEPLY. "Sure, it's cliché, but it's cliché for a reason -- this subconscious drive for freedom is hard-wired in our DNA. No modern comfort or toy can take the place of true autonomy." On the other hand, I can't deny certain life comforts. Relationships come to mind when considering a life like this. Sure, living frugally on the road whi…
Agreed. It gets even harder with tiny dependents.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#119A couple comments for your own safety and the safety of the vehicle:
1) Those batteries should be in battery boxes. You can find them at any marine supply store. Note that for boats where batteries are commonly stored like you have them there, it's the law. For RV's it's a good practice and may be required by some insurers and in some states.
2) H2S also known as hydrogen sulfide. It's explosive and it's possible for even the best sealed batteries to have a problem whereby H2S is released. If those batteries have vent ports, you need to ensure they are connected to a vent tube and run out of the vehicle. If they don't have vent tubes, don't assume they won't vent. I run sealed batteries in my boat and it came with a H2S detector connected bilge ventilator. If the H2S detector senses a build-up of the gas it sets off an audible alarm and kicks the ventilator on. I've seen the aftermath of battery compartment explosions. Trust me, it's not something you want to experience. The cheapest option here is to get batteries which allow for the connection of a vent tube.
UPDATE: here's a decent article on the issue with a picture of a vented battery box (I didn't know those were a thing - cool!):
http://blog.rvshare.com/6-things-need-know-rv-battery-box/
UPDATE #2: just went out and looked at my boat. This is what's in the battery compartment attached to the bilge fan:
https://www.zoro.com/macurco-fixed-gas-detector-h2s-4-12inhx...
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
If everyone followed this logic, who would you borrow from?
The guy in town running the (presumably) lucrative home tool rental store? Do these things exist in urban areas? Seems useful for apartment dwellers who don't have the space for anything more than a tiny toolkit anyhow
A few years ago, on the bus home from work, I had a conversation with a mechanic who owned a shop in an economically disadvantaged area. He said that everyone on the block borrows tools from him, and he did it as a way of building a good rapport with his customers.