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chick_on_ice
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 8, 2016 - 09:06pm PT
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Hi everyone! I'm graduating soon, and am lucky in terms of having a job lined up. The idea of being boxed in by a fulltime job as WELL as a lease for rent is too much for me to handle. Which means I'll need a place to live. Obviously the best solution I've come up with is to get a sweet climber rig to cruise around and live in as an employed adult.
So: if anyone owns/has friends that are selling their climber rigs/vans/cars/pickups/etc, let me know the details! It's not urgent, but sometime within the next couple of months pre-summer I'd like to start the move in.
Doesn't matter if it's west coast/east coast, I fly enough that I can come check things out whatever coast you're on.
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chick_on_ice
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 8, 2016 - 09:14pm PT
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Thanks for the link Burch!
I should probably specify that I'm most likely looking at something smaller than a full-sized van. I'm a small girl that really doesn't need all the amenities. Something pickup-truck size or minivan-size would be ideal.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 10, 2016 - 03:38pm PT
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You can make a pretty cool rig out of a grand caravan or town and country for short money. not much extra room and you have to cook outside but it can be done.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 10, 2016 - 04:11pm PT
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The aboslute best liveing space vs gas mileage is a vanagon or euro van but they are pricy. the vanagons are also a lot rougher to drive long distance VS the town and country.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Feb 10, 2016 - 05:11pm PT
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I wouldn't want to "live" out of anything smaller than a mini-van. The idea of being cooped up in a camper shell for months at a time, no thanks. But a mini-van has enough room to have a bed, storage, and be able to sit up.
I've had a town&country (same as grand caravan) and a VW, they are good for about 100K miles before they started needing major repairs. But later had a Toyota Sienna. The Toyota will cost more but can go up to 200K miles without major repairs and breakdowns.
You can get a gym membership in many places and have a place to shower. You can "camp" in many walmart parking lots for free.
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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Feb 10, 2016 - 05:21pm PT
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I don't know how people who spend real time living out of vehicles can do it with anything that allows people to look in from the outside. I would feel so weird sleeping at night. It's one thing if you are ONLY sleeping out in off-road places or campgrounds, but even in a WM lot - just not enough privacy for me.
Meanwhile - even though the van SEEMS fine, it is going to need to be replaced for next winter migration. I am considering the possibility of a smallish camper atop a pickup. Probably will go with a hightop van again - it just suits me, but I am open to the idea.
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briham89
Big Wall climber
santa cruz, ca
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Feb 10, 2016 - 05:33pm PT
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I'm a small girl that really doesn't need all the amenities. Something pickup-truck size or minivan-size would be ideal.
You had me at hello..... ;)
Just kidding, I'm happily in a relationship. If life went a different way, and I was single I would be living in the exact same kind of rig though haha
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Feb 10, 2016 - 06:36pm PT
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a great Diesel? 3.0L Mercedes turbo diesel engine but from the wiki:
The glow plug controller is known to malfunction on these engines
On some older engines, an orange colored air intake hose gasket attached to the turbocharger, starts leaking engine oil.
But After a couple of years of driving, oil starts dripping from the seal and onto the swirl motor below the intake manifold. The swirl motor casing, made from nylon plastics, is somewhat pourus and alows the dripping engine oil to accumulate inside the swirl motor causing all sorts of electrical problems.
This engine also has an inherent design flaw with the TWC temperature sensor (part no. A005 153 40 28) and the part in the electronic parts catalog is now specifying part no. A007 153 74 28; there is no recall on this service item yet. A check engine light may present with the OBD-2 diagnostic code P2031 upon failure of this sensor.[6]
In addition to the oil cooler seals; this engine can also have an issue with the design of the positive crankcase ventilation system. The crankcase ventilation system vents to the inlet of the turbo. The issue is that the air vented from the crankcase contains too much oil to easily pass through the swirl motor valves downstream of the turbo. Once this oil and sludge begin to accumulate, the valve becomes inoperative and blows a fuse that controls many other sensors required to properly operate the engine and emission system. This will immediately place the vehicle into limp home mode and limit the rpm to 3000. It also causes a check engine light and numerous OBDII Codes
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 11, 2016 - 03:30am PT
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Tami is right. vans rule for the simple reason that you don't have to go outside to get set up or to leave. Good curtains are a must. My recent camper rigs have both privacy glass and curtains. My latest camping rig.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 11, 2016 - 07:20am PT
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I have a 1992 Sportsmobile that I paid $11,000 for eight years ago that I'll let go fo $30,000. Sure it's showing some wear but the good kharma keeps on growing.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Feb 11, 2016 - 04:42pm PT
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Sprinters are rated, Well Above Average, better than 88% of vehicles for long term reliability. Here under Dodge: http://longtermqualityindex.com/reports/Dodge.html
You do see the engine issues cropping up in 7% of them traded in at an average of 148K miles.
And German = high maintenance, repair, and parts cost.
I don't see the issue with going from my camper to the cab of my truck. I wouldn't want to camp in an area where I was worried about that period. But it's easy to see out of the blinds of my camper, high above someone standing there, and walk out of the door vs. climbing out of the back of a pick up bed.
I guess I'm old and spoiled but I couldn't see truly living out of a vehicle without a kitchen and bathroom. If you are camping in the woods you could get out and pee in the woods. If you are urban camping what do you do? Hold it until you find a McDonalds the next day?
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sween345
climber
back east
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Feb 11, 2016 - 04:43pm PT
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Do you have a multimeter?
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Feb 11, 2016 - 04:46pm PT
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I have a 1992 Sportsmobile that I paid $11,000 for eight years ago that I'll let go fo $30,000.
Sweet deal!
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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Feb 11, 2016 - 04:48pm PT
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If you are urban camping what do you do?
Commode for pee. For poop, planning ahead is the way to go. While I know that on occasion one gets taken by surprise, the fact is that one can usually "expect" that there is going to be a need to find a toilet at certain times. It's good to have an emergency plan for those times when you get ambushed though.
Another reason why I don't know how people can live out of mini vans and cars!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Feb 11, 2016 - 05:30pm PT
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Sween345 for the win!
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Feb 11, 2016 - 05:47pm PT
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I have a 1992 Sportsmobile that I paid $11,000 for eight years ago that I'll let go fo $30,000.
good karma? only fools bite on that.
What did you sell it to one of your young climbing converts?
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 11, 2016 - 05:48pm PT
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Pee bottle is key.
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matlinb
Trad climber
Fort Collins, CO
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Feb 11, 2016 - 06:17pm PT
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I just purchased a Chevy Express for 13K. AWD and decent size. If I were living in it I would pay the cash to get a high top. Often times these come in a handicap van setup. Of course a Sprinter or other newer style van would be better.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Feb 11, 2016 - 06:35pm PT
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Good buy matlinb. I was looking for AWD express (same as GMC savanna) vans for a while before I bought my truck. They are very hard to find in California. Only a local dealer had them and wanted $18K for ones with 75-85K miles. They are rated better than 75% of vehicles for long term reliability.
Full size ford and chevy trucks are some of the longest lasting vehicles in America. (along with most Toyotas and 4 cylinder Hondas).
Value wise I think the Chevy/GMC is going to beat the Mercedes because Sprinters are much more expensive to buy and maintain. And forget about how much you'd pay for a Sprinter AWD in the US right now.
Modern unibody vans are going to handle/ride better and get better mpg, but if you need to tow you won't beat the old body on frame American trucks.
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seano
Mountain climber
none
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Feb 11, 2016 - 08:00pm PT
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Minivans are spacious, cheap, reasonably fuel-efficient, and readily available. If you don't need 4WD, high clearance, or plumbing, a built-up minivan is probably the way to go. However you build it up, make sure you have enough headroom to sit up in your sleeping area in back. Rather than the standard sleeping platform, you should try to build full-height storage on one side and leave more room on the other.
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Banquo
climber
Amerricka
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Feb 14, 2016 - 03:18pm PT
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Think small. There was a guy selling a Ford Transit Connect conversion on the SF Craigslist not long ago who claimed to have lived in it for a couple years. They are small but a determined person could live in one. Get the older model with the high top. There are companies selling conversion kits for them that you can easily find with google.
http://performancejeepchrysler.com/transit-connect-camper-van-motorhome
The old Chevy Astro/GMC Safari was built on the S-10 truck chassis and might be better than the Connect for bumpy roads. These are pretty old so buy a clunker and pay somebody to put a rebuilt motor & transmission in it.
I've never actually lived in a van but I have spent months traveling and camping in one. (68 Dodge A100 - a mid sized van.) Anybody can pee in a bottle and if you can poop in a portaledge, you can poop in a small van.
Plenty of public places to go; supermarkets, coffee shops, fast food joints, etc. If you are reasonably clean and neat, you can walk into pretty much any hotel or office building and use the facilities.
Spent 3 weeks in December touring New Zealand in a self-contained RV. Dumping the poop tank is such a disagreeable job that between my wife and I, only on poop was taken on board the whole time.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Feb 14, 2016 - 03:38pm PT
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possible to sleep (decently) in the back of a Forester for a 5'10" person?
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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Feb 14, 2016 - 04:01pm PT
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^ I wouldn't be able to sleep decently in a Forester and I'm 5'4" but I suppose everyone is different. Just the idea of having to play musical merchandise in order to lay down every night....blech.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Feb 14, 2016 - 06:11pm PT
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again Curtains and privacy glass is key for security/ peace of mind. with the privacy glass you can't even see the curtains unless you look through the windshield so no reason to suspect that someone is sleeping in there.
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| Messages 1 - 29 of total 29 in this topic |
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