Would you ever consider living out of a Van???

Would you ever consider living out of a Van???

I was thinking that at some point in the future when I'm getting into my retirement years and if I don't have anything or anyone holding me back, that I might just buy a camper van and live out of that. Travel around as well. But generally just live in the van. Go live further south in the winter and then maybe come back to Canada in the summers. I just think it has a lot of upside. Like ultra affordable living, complete freedom, meet tons of cool people on the road, you can see all of north america if you wanted to, plus each day would be sort of a new adventure so you wouldn't get bored. I'd basically live out of walmart parking lots. Plus I'd supplement my food by: fishing, hunting, trapping, foraging, and beachcombing, depending on where I'm staying at the time. Plus if and when that gets tiring I have friends and family that I can turn to and visit for a bit to change things up. I don't know it might sound crazy but I honestly think it would be a lot of fun. Then what I was thinking of doing was having a very small cabin or a Yurt somewhere off gird by the coast. So when I got tired of travel I could go to my cabin and chill out there for a while.

Do you think this would be a smart way to retire???









I'd probably build something very much like this out in the woods as my main place. And basically it's a tent so even if anyone found where this was at most I'd be told to move it. So the risk is minimum in terms of the legalities:

reply to post by spartacus699


yes...yes I would.

Thank you for this beautiful thread.

hell yes!!

in fact, i have recently acquired one of these to do a six month surf trip in! xD

reply to post by spartacus699

Surely you have something more to say about it than the heading for the post? My take is.... why the hell don't the major auto manufacturers make a good 4x4 van based on the same system as the pickup trucks????? Ford did at one time I believe but I think it would be a great seller, at least where I live here in Wyoming where we get a LOT of snow every year and I have seen it snow every month of the year. The conversions are expensive, more expensive than if done, for example, at Ford. Just another outside company making profit doing work at a different location. Quigley for example. My mechanic hates conversions, saying they do handle more poorly, the parts wear out more quickly, and the parts are expensive. It's basically an extra 10 grand minimum. I would get one, I would make it into a camper, and I would use it! And if it came down to it, it would be my bug out vehicle! I don't want to have to go outside a cab to get into a camper shell and maybe be trapped without a way to drive away. All wheel vans like Savannah GM products are not good for rough roads. No ground clearance either. Pickups have the suspension and 4 wheel drive needed for a good bug out vehicle, and if you have to live in it, it could be anywhere.... back country, around a hill to be out of sight, what have you. Give me a rugged 4 wheel drive van!!!!!!!

reply to post by jaxnmarko


They are making many of the newer vans with AWD options. Now that would be ideal I think. Well if you have to deal with winters that is.

reply to post by spartacus699


Depends. Is it down by the river?

Here's one place you could hang out...

back in late 60's early 70' lived couple years with what could carry in saddlebags on a 67 norton after got out of military .. traveled saw the country .. doubt could do that these days .. van wouldnt be bad but no thanks it would mean having to go back to putting up with that cesspool people call civilization again and with the idiots in the world .. will stick with my retreat out here far from all the idiocy and just take my annual trips downriver..

Originally posted by Expat888
back in late 60's early 70' lived couple years with what could carry in saddlebags on a 67 norton after got out of military .. traveled saw the country .. doubt could do that these days .. van wouldnt be bad but no thanks it would mean having to go back to putting up with that cesspool people call civilization again and with the idiots in the world .. will stick with my retreat out here far from all the idiocy and just take my annual trips downriver..

sounds like you've been around the block a few times?

Although I talk about this kind of thing, I'm pretty serious about it. My situation is okay for now so I have no pressing reason to. But if things changed which at this time in my life they actually could quite quickly, then this is my backup plan. I'd just buy a camper van and see where life takes me plain and simple. I think it really would be an amazing journey. I'd be free to live life on "my terms". That would be a very rewarding thing in itself.

Right now we don't have any vehicle at all but my family and I have been doing our best to save up to get an older van that we could live out of. We basically have what else we need, just not the most important part, the actual van!

I think it would be a great way to live and I really like that yurt thing you showed us too.

My husband is a genius at storing stuff and organizing. We have done three interstate road trips in our van and we loved it. Minimal? yes. But we had a hibachi to grill if we needed to, a cadre of coolers, sleeping bags...we had a blast!
did we stay in motels? yes. Did we get a bit stranded due to dust storms? yes. Were we able to veer off a main road and camp? yes. Lot's of fun, some danger, but we loved it.

reply to post by spartacus699


If I was to do something like that, apart from weighing up the cons and pros, of what van to use or AT vehicle to convert, and that is very important of course. I would try to hold on to a place on grid, to know if it all goes pear shaped you have got a back up life to return to.

I would also advise you from day 1 and I mean day 1 right at the beginning of your idea and the vehicle you choose and the conversion, where you had to go to get it converted bit by bit, how much it cost, etc WRITE it down, Keep a Diary of all events and happenings, of the whole scenario the beginning, the middle and the end. and then some TV company may be interested in taking your story and relating it in a Program, could even bring you in a few cents.. or even compile it all into a book... If you are going to go to the trouble and expense of following your dream then Keep a Diary and video... anyway, sounds like an awsome idea. and Lots of Luck with achieving it..

Originally posted by spartacus699

Originally posted by Expat888
back in late 60's early 70' lived couple years with what could carry in saddlebags on a 67 norton after got out of military .. traveled saw the country .. doubt could do that these days .. van wouldnt be bad but no thanks it would mean having to go back to putting up with that cesspool people call civilization again and with the idiots in the world .. will stick with my retreat out here far from all the idiocy and just take my annual trips downriver..

sounds like you've been around the block a few times?

a few .. keeps life interesting ..

I shoulda been investing in hightop conversion vans 10 years ago.

when out of military 1st time I had the old family conversion van, it wasn't a hightop. that sucked being 6'3". I spent about 6 mos road tripping see all my buds that got out.. The whole time I thought, man if this thing only had the taller roof..

Now, good luck finding one decent for less than 20,000.

AND if you want to hunt/fish/camp away from people.. then this type rig is 1,000,000 times better. at least 1 million..lol




Limo version

the great thing about this choice is the truck you get can make this perfect. depending on your budget there are great options.

shoestring -- you can find an old used camper for less than $2,000, and a gas powered gm/ford/dodge 70-90's truck for the same in pretty great shape, and far better than a van to work on.

miser -- 90's era diesel truck - 5.9 Dodge (look out for 53 blocks and KDP) or 7.3 Ford... Gm diesels were trash compared to Cummins and I/H. boat anchors. these trucks last forever. and if single you can get a regular cab for a song if you look around. The ex/cab will be about 2k more. For a crewcab, gotta choose Ford. the obs fords are good trucks too.

If you have some coin, go for the diesel! won't regret that. 500,000 miles, better mpg, less engine parts vs a small block gas-200,000 miles if lucky.

reply to post by spartacus699


Yep. I lived out of my car for 2 weeks when I was trying to find work and a place to live. I only had 1 month left on my insurance. It was the only place for me to stay apart from the streets.

I have a few friends who live out of their van and they travel the world. Have lots of exciting adventures and meet a lot of awesome peeps...

You could also store a yurt in your van instead of living out the van. A well made yurt takes about an hour to assemble and an hour to take down. And as it has no foundations it is a temporary abode and you can stick it up most places that are free to roam. Depending where you are obviously..

Yurts are amazing structures and incredibly hardy too, if made out of the correct materials..

Tis a good idea methinks... s/f

reply to post by spartacus699
When I was a teenager I saved every bit of money I earned until school got out for summer vacation between my junior and senior years of high school, upon which time I handed my dad the keys to my car and he handed me the keys to his tricked out van. He told me to go experience my summer vacation like it was the most freedom and fun I would ever have in my life- because it would be. I lived in that van for the next two and a half months and went everywhere- the beach, the lake, the hill country, the desert. I partied all summer long but I did a lot of thinking too. Part of that thinking turned out to be that even though living in the van for summer break before time to get serious was a lot of fun I was glad that when it was over I had a nice, comfy house to return to.

I don't care how tricked out a van is, eventually the limited space gets old and you're ready to go bigger. I might could do the yurt thing though.

I enjoy camping, but would like to do it when it is colder outside with more comforts as I get older. I was thinking a small compact teardrop trailer would work with storage built into it. That would be my ideal way.

reply to post by HanzHenry

If you have some coin, go for the diesel! won't regret that. 500,000 miles, better mpg, less engine parts vs a small block gas-200,000 miles if lucky.

Yeah, that AND the bonus of bonuses..if you get an older diesel, one with a heafty fuel pump, you can run the thing on Vegetable oil (cooking oil, heating oil).

My HiLux is run on a 50/50 mix, sometimes 30/70 of diesel and vegetable oil, and runs very much cleaner than on straight diesel...and a lot cheaper too.

Could run it on 100% veg oil if i wanted, but not in cold weather.

If you're stuck and can't find diesel, just nip into a grocery shop and buy veg oil and away you go.

I did live out of my van in 1972. Anywhere I parked. Beach, parking lot, State Park, backroads, trails...

One hard thing at 1st was clean clothes...until I realized a 1-day daily park pass at a campground with washers and dryers were available.

You didnt have to be registered as a camper to use those....