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Living in a van down by the...

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018.

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  1. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    So I sold my lake house and downsized into a rental... and bought a van. (2018 Ford Transit 350 with the 3.5 ecoboost, extended body hi-roof) My plan is to build it into a tiny house on wheels over the next 2 years then spend my days traveling and working remotely until my kids get out of college with as little debt as possible. I just took my first long road trip in it to Colorado and man was it sweet.

    Before the trip with the new wheels:


    Some where in Colorado:


    View from the bed, tool chest will eventually house sink and stove:


    Camping in the middle of nowhere Colorado:


    My eventual living room:


    Driving through the clouds RMNP:
    https://imgur.com/R1gYjgh

    Wrong turn, no problem. Chill:
    https://imgur.com/ekt0yxH

    More remote camping:
    https://imgur.com/jD8wEvR

    50 yards from where we camped, I could hear the river running all night:
    https://imgur.com/iVUCIxr
     
    #1 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
    Haymitch, Os Trigonum, jsingles and 6 others like this.
  2. Senator

    Senator Member

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    Where do you go to the bathroom? #2, that is. Is there a septic tank? Where will your kids stay while attending high school?

    Cool setup for Colorado, but not desirable in a place like Texas with unbearable daytime climate.
     
    #2 Senator, Jul 25, 2018
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  3. ThatBoyNick

    ThatBoyNick Member

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    Awesome!
     
    #3 ThatBoyNick, Jul 25, 2018
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  4. hvic

    hvic Member

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    sounds like a fun adventure.
     
    #4 hvic, Jul 25, 2018
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  5. Exiled

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    probably towing a small 4*6 high roof cargo trailer that can be converted to bathroom/water/batteries hauler would give you more space, I like this adventure,best of luck
     
    #5 Exiled, Jul 25, 2018
  6. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    right now I #2 anyplace but the van. Eventually a composting toilet will be added. Daughter goes off to college this year. Son in 2 years. After that is when I will hit the road full time. By then I hope to have bathroom/shower built in.
     
    #6 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
  7. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    I'm hoping to avoid having to tow anything. I think I can carry enough water to be off grid by myself for a while. If the wife decides to come with me then all bets are off and I could never carry enough water. :)
     
    #7 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
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  8. Senator

    Senator Member

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    Fly birdie, fly
     
    #8 Senator, Jul 25, 2018
  9. donkeypunch

    donkeypunch Contributing Member

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    This must be so exciting for you. I would say invest in a better ice chest though. Those coleman xtremes are cheap and hold ice just as good as the yetis and rtic coolers for a fraction of the price.
     
    #9 donkeypunch, Jul 25, 2018
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  10. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    Yeah, it's super exciting. Hard not to want to take off now.

    I'm going to upgrade to a 12v fridge cooler eventually. I melted the top of the cooler in the photo with a camp stove malfunction half way through our trip so I may get an xtreme until i'm ready for the fridge. thanks for the advice.
     
    #10 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
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  11. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    That is BADASS. Cruise through Marble Falls next time you're homeward, I'll buy ya a beer and a burger.



    This is what I'm angling to build, once I get the gumption to do it:

    [​IMG]
     
    #11 Buck Turgidson, Jul 25, 2018
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  12. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    that sounds good.
     
    #12 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
  13. BigMaloe

    BigMaloe Contributing Member

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    FWIW, this is what I do for a living. Mostly with sprinters, but I have done multiple fords. I suggest investing in a lot of 1/8th drill bits because the fords in certain areas have extremely tough hardened steel.

    My company's website is Gulfcoastconversions.com in case your curious. I don't know how up to date the site is kept tho.

    But I respect doing it yourself, I always imagined converting a school bus to an RV myself and travelling.

    @VooDooPope If you ever have any questions I'd be more than willing to lend you my advice. I have a lot of experience doing exactly what your setting out to do.
     
    #13 BigMaloe, Jul 25, 2018
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  14. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    You do anything with Airstreams/Avions?
     
    #14 Buck Turgidson, Jul 25, 2018
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  15. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    Thanks. I may reach out at some point. Thanks.
     
    #15 VooDooPope, Jul 25, 2018
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  16. BigMaloe

    BigMaloe Contributing Member

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    We have to service airstream stuff or do additions to them.

    Those are cookie cutter Van's tho, we are a completely custom conversion shop.
     
    #16 BigMaloe, Jul 25, 2018
  17. jsingles

    jsingles Member

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    LOVE it, this is my retirement plan. Things go as planned I'll be retired by 55 or 56, plan to spend the last two years of it building out a van similar and traveling the first few years of retirement. I hope you enjoy everyday of it, I sure hope I will too.
     
    #17 jsingles, Jul 25, 2018
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  18. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    Gotcha, was just curious. I have one (Avion, my hombres lived in it while they worked for me) sitting out at a ranch that I'm thinking about selling as-is or pimping out. What would you estimate, I'm guessing it's about 15-20K, to refurb the whole shebang?

    [​IMG]
     
    #18 Buck Turgidson, Jul 25, 2018
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  19. BigMaloe

    BigMaloe Contributing Member

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    Tbh I'm not entirely sure because I don't deal with sales, but that seems about right.

    Honestly, it's what you want to put into it.
     
    #19 BigMaloe, Jul 25, 2018
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  20. sealclubber1016

    sealclubber1016 Member
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    Do you ever sit in there and wonder how you can get yourself back on the right track?
     
    #20 sealclubber1016, Jul 25, 2018
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