Small trailer and what to pull it with?

MC2 5678F589 wrote

JasonWx wrote

It looks cool, but at 10k. I can stay 50 to 100 nights in a hotel with a toilet and A/C..

This is a calculation that a lot of people don't seem to make.

I agree. People buying motor homes for 60 to 100K are nuts. They lose about 40% of the value the minute you drive it off the lot. They get about 6 miles to a gallon if they're lucky. They have to drive something equivalent to a bus and crawl up hills. And then you have to pay sometimes up to $100/night for a crowded camp ground.
Drive your car and rent a nice cabin or condo just with what you would would have spent on gas and insurance for the damn thing.

Another reason that I'm leaning towards the "adventure van" setup.

A $40,000 purchase might hurt less if I can use it to drive to work, bring the dog on trips, stealthily camp in big cities (saw a couple in San Francisco), have my own toilet/shower if I build a nice one like this, etc:





Really, the only reason to own one of those huge RVs is if you're living in it, at least for part of the year (we just passed the time of year when you see a bunch of them migrating down the northway from Canada & New England on their way down south).

I figure that if I tricked out an adventure van, I could use it to commute on days I don't ride my bike, pay the thing off, travel in it for a while, then turn it into a work van for a future Geotechnical business that I sometimes think about starting.

The question is, what van? Sprinters like the one above are cool. But the 4WD one is only available in the short wheelbase. Ford is coming out with a 4WD transit, soon. That might be the ticket. Or I can wait & spend the big bucks for the new electric VW bus.

Matt that seems like a sweet set up in those photos.  What is the approx cost on that and what kind of gas mileage does it get?

BART Hayes (who I think you know) got one of these though not as tricked out

I was just about to chime in, but it ain't 40k, not for that one.  Even doing all the work yourself.

Base vehicle is at least 30k, unless you go used - which I wouldn't if I was going to build my house in it.


I need to go back and read this thread.  I started but didn't get very far.


Vehicles are a bad investment, but it's probably a lot cheaper than a vacation home, and you can go anywhere you want.  I'd say if you use it 2-3 months out of the year for 10 years, then it's worth it.  I'm not sure a gas vehicle will handle the mileage that would be if you are travelling out west, so you'd probably have to factor in an engine/transmission change/rebuild.  Medium duty Diesel could handle the mileage, but will cost more up front.  Again, consider what you might be investing in the vehicle build before you skimp on the base vehicle.

There's also a huge tradeoff in these type of van vehicles in where you can actually go.  If you stick to nice roads, they are OK and are more efficient than most trucks, but if you use a truck with a bed RV add-on thingy, then you have a really solid base vehicle that can handle some BC roads where you might want to explore.  The negative is gas mileage on the highway.  Also those truck add-ons are a lot more than I thought they would be.  There might be an option to get a shell and build it up how you want, don't know, but that might be a cool idea.

Z wrote

BART Hayes (who I think you know) got one of these though not as tricked out

Yeah, he's got the setup. Adventure Van, plus a Jeep for 4 wheeling - left the Northeast for Durango, CO with a cash cushion & a lot of free time. I want to grow up to live that life.

Details on that specific van in the pictures are here:
https://40hoursoffreedom.com/second-build

And cost details:
https://40hoursoffreedom.com/vanlife-blog/how-much-does-a-van-conversion-cost-sprinter-campervan

Figure I can save money by not going as high end on some (all) of the finishes. And maybe buy a cheaper van than a Sprinter (although the 4WD Transit won't be cheap either.

Cunningstunts wrote

There's also a huge tradeoff in these type of van vehicles in where you can actually go.  If you stick to nice roads, they are OK and are more efficient than most trucks, but if you use a truck with a bed RV add-on thingy, then you have a really solid base vehicle that can handle some BC roads where you might want to explore..

Yeah, #VanLife vs. #Overlanding

Or... Both?
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/4wd-and-2wd-camper-vans-a-k-a-vanlife.58/

MC2 5678F589 wrote

Yeah, #VanLife vs. #Overlanding

Or... Both?
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/4wd-and-2wd-camper-vans-a-k-a-vanlife.58/

I think the thing that would kill most vans is ground clearance.  Most of the ones that are ideal for conversions maximize interior space with a low floor.

I wasn't even thinking of off road though.  Just being able to handle snow and rough forest roads.  I know there's some in the Adirondacks I would get stuck on with one of those Sprinters that most people use.

For me, the appeal of getting to, and using off-the-beaten path campsites would be a major appeal.

Although if I was using it for skiing, I'd just want to park it in a lot all winter.


3 season vs 4 season is a bigger challenge too.

I waffle back and forth. Better to #vanlife at ski resorts all winter, keeping the job for spring through fall (my busy season)?

Or better to build the cash cushion now, quit the job later in life (but a bit before traditional retirement age), #vanlife in summer, but do seasonal rentals at different resorts every winter?

As far as 3/4 season, I've seen amazing builds with solar powered radiant floor heating. People are doing some wild stuff out there.

Based on your skiing addiction, I'd say go for it you can.  If you really want to do it for skiing, why wait until you are older and can't ski as well/hard?

I'd really look at all the costs of living in a ski town(s) for a few months though.  Everyday shit is gonna be a lot more.


I'm thinking of doing this for retirement, but not really for skiing, more for this time of year when I'm sitting around getting fat.  I could be in Arizona shredding singletrack (and probably skiing too).  And camping in the desert.  I don't see the negative.

I'm also not as extreme a skier as most people on this forum.  I'd be happy to hit some early season stuff out west and come back and ski the Adirondacks and Northern VT January through March.

I'm trying to reach 20 years at my job before making any drastic life changes. That'd put me at age 45... Young enough for some good years.

My brother lives at the base of Squaw Valley. Sure, shit's expensive there, but Truckee & Reno (where he now works) aren't awful. He used to live in Arizona. I think Flagstaff, where RA lives, is a sweet combo of sun, mountain biking, & a bit of skiing for people who just get sick of the gray & dark around this time of year.

For me that'd be 7 years (to 45).  I tell you what, every year I feel it more and more haha.

I've got at least 16 years before I can really do anything because of kids, and who knows what else may come up.  7 doesn't sound so bad...

For me, a big thing is going to be getting fully out of debt.  I'm almost there, I only have my mortgage.  Once you hit that point and assuming you have the equity to transfer for housing should you need/want to move, then you're are in a lot better position for any of this.

I'd run the numbers now and figure out what kind of investment you have to put in for a van, what it will cost to live at a ski area for 4 months and see where that puts you with working the rest of the year.

MC, as a suggestion check these things out. For a new ride they're extremely affordable. They're based off the Nissan NV200 which is a great van (5yr / 100K warranty)


https://www.reconcampers.com/

Just one other thing:

For a gas engine, I'd assume 150k miles.  That of course could be more or significantly less, but it's a pretty good target for a modern engine.

Diesel, depending on the duty, could be 200-300k.  There's also a bit more maintenance involved with Diesel engines, and usually fuel is more expensive, but often times they get better gas mileage than a comparable gasoline counterpart.

I'd definitely factor this into the investment and adjust accordingly depending on expectant service time.  I'd say, minimum, 10 years, is what I'd want to see for investing in something like that.

I also wouldn't want to go a lot more than 10 years though with the way technology changes.  I wouldn't expect anything major in engines/transmissions, but electronics and energy efficient appliances, etc.

Me:  Ummm, Honey.  I figured it out, and we are going to live in a van......down by the river.

My Wife:  Are you fucking kidding me!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8

Good luck with the dream.  Seems like there could be good times, but as a long term lifestyle.....more power to you if you can make it work!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwx26h7Vu8M

Dude - I think you got the wrong wife!

I mentioned van camping in the desert to my wife a few years ago and she said, "umm, yeah, I've been saying this for like 15 years."

Apparently it finally got through my thick skull

Cunningstunts wrote

Dude - I think you got the wrong wife!

Nah!  There’s always compromises in life, and I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.  This is one of those ‘live vicariously through you’ kinda things.  I’d like the van for a week maybe, a month tops, but for me it would def get old.  I love skiing, do it pretty hard for a half a centenarian, even seek out some aggressive stuff.....but one of the best parts of my ski day is the apres hot tub soak.

Can you get a hot tub in one a them puppies?!

JTG4eva! wrote

Cunningstunts wrote

Dude - I think you got the wrong wife!

Nah!  There’s always compromises in life, and I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.  This is one of those ‘live vicariously through you’ kinda things.  I’d like the van for a week maybe, a month tops, but for me it would def get old.  I love skiing, do it pretty hard for a half a centenarian, even seek out some aggressive stuff.....but one of the best parts of my ski day is the apres hot tub soak.

Can you get a hot tub in one a them puppies?!

Sure - but I can definitely spend a few months camping.  I've done with what I can carry on my back, living in a van is luxurious.  And I expect that to be needed for extended stays by the time I'm in my 50's.

I like a soak in the tub, but I'd take a fire and open skies any night.

As long as I can cook tacos and curry and have cold drinks, I'm pretty happy for an extended campout.

Damn!  $56k?

That's nicer than my house.