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Van Life
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Just searching around to see if anyone has ever traveled/raced out of a converted van? What vehicle did you use? Thoughts
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Haven't done it yet, but I plan on doing up the bed of my truck with a cap, a bench to sleep and cook on. Didn't want to sink a bunch of money into a van, but this would allow me to save on Hotel costs for weekend races and short training camps.

I've looked into it a lot and have a few buddies living full time in vans. Let me know if you have any questions!
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Eric Lagerstrom & Magali Tisseyre pimped their van out a while back for just this purpose. His site has a few vids detailing the build that you might find useful.
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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So much info online...

Depends on your needs, who, what you want to bring and your amenity requirements.

Bigger vehicle is better, but also means higher cost (gas) and less opportunities to go stealth (parking lot).
Vehicle choice may also depend on climate.

I see a lot of MB Sprinter conversions.
They seem to work well, as you have plenty of options for the body style.
Would be too big and unwieldy for off-road and city driving + you'll stick out like a sore thumb if you try to stay ON in a mall parking lot.

Most of the smaller camper vans offered in the States (VW California, MB) are outrageous expensive and not worth the money, IMO.

I always went stealth.
Wanted to be able to park and sleep wherever I wanted without drawing attention to local authorities (even had commercial decoy decals made).
I have used::
Station wagon < Minivan < Small Delivery van

Traveling alone, I found the Minivan to be a good compromise regarding stealth and comfort for Tri.
It can be pimped with a second battery for some amenity mods such as fan/heater, mini-fridge, and with AWD still be suitable for camp-ground with a tailgate tent.
But MV mods also require quite a bit of DYI.

Again, too much info online.....If you don;t care about stealth and AWD, Chevi Astrovans may be a cheap ticket, if you can live with their burden of age.
Last edited by: windschatten: Nov 21, 17 23:50
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Re: Van Life [windschatten] [ In reply to ]
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Copy that Astro van.
Bought an Starcraft awd from japan (lefty though) and worked well for camping for 2 of us including bikes.
The pro on japan imports is there are mostly fully equipped and have kinda low mileage. Mine had 47tkm in 15 yrs.
Through the higher roof the bikes can be stored inside (54size) while still leave space for sleeping. Had 3 boxes custom made for underneath the mattress for storage (size for those are 180x120x35 cm) the rear with drawer,the other 2 to lift. Could check for good pics if you are interested.

-shoki
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Or there is the low budget option... Pops up, two cots, plenty of storage underneath. Folds down flat with a padlock. On the latest version of this I have modified the underneath to allow my bike to slide in. Hard to be stealthy though.... Total cost (outside of owning the truck), around $300. I used old metal pipes for the cot rods. Had some incredible adventures with this contraption.

If you do end up doing inside a van or camper shell, the cot is the way to go. Creates a ton more space because the bed isn't taking up room, and if you build it properly it can roll up and out of the way.















Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: Van Life [lakercr] [ In reply to ]
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I believe they've broken up, so maybe van life was a little too much for the relationship...
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Race and travel in my Sportsmobile for 18 years putting 200k miles going from coast to coast. Was great, loved it. But earlier this year I realized I could sell my van for about 4k less than what I purchased 18 years ago and just had to let her go. With that money I purchased a nice 2013 truck and bed camper. So far, the only draw back to this setup is I can't go from the driver seat to the bed without getting out of the truck.

BoulderCyclingCoach.com
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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lived in a $3000 1982 Ford Econoline 150 for a year once, early 90s. Minimal mods - insulated and panelled the inner walls, built a bed with storage cabinets at the side and front. It was excellent for stealth, slept in many a hotel parking lot, with only two fails - a thief in Durango came around trying for an open car, woke us up; and Salt Lake City, cop trailed us into parking lot and told us to move on.
In San Fransisco the cop stopped us as we got out, told us to put the bikes inside the car or they would be stolen.. no problems in any other town.
In a Canadian wilderness somewhere, a small black bear woke us up by playing with the bikes on the rear rack.. he liked the way the wheels spun.

Once back in cubicle life and imprisoned for most of the working week, the van became a sort of getaway car.. canoes on top, bikes on the back, everything else packed inside, just needed to add a cooler with food and beer on Friday afternoon. Drive anywhere, park, get in the back and go to sleep.. Sold it in the early 2000s when we needed to fit a second infant car seat, still regret selling it.
Last edited by: doug in co: Nov 22, 17 9:42
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Re: Van Life [doug in co] [ In reply to ]
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This is what I was looking for. Perfect! I wish it could last that way forever
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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I lived in a '84 Toyota truck for many years, initially with just a shell. Kept two bikes and had narrow sleeping area in the back. Enough room for everything I needed.

If you want to take some years just training and racing, I can give you some tips on how to do it cheap. ;) I spent about $5k/yr on everything, in today's money.
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, a newly converted Ford Transit, low roof model with a poptop (sportsmobile) for sleeping. Conversion work done by Van Specialties. The primary use was intended to be overnight to several day camping trips, generally involving bikes or outdoor activity. Room inside for bikes was a must, and is accommodated, along with storing a workstand, hooks for packs and helmets, etc. I'm happy with how it turned out, but it is a luxury for sure. There is a huge amount of savings to be had by doing work yourself and/or going with a cheaper or older van. OTOH, going with more deluxe converters and a Sprinter could have nearly doubled my all in cost.
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Wife and I have talked about this for awhile. One of her requirements is indoor plumbing (i.e. toilet and shower). I haven't seen any DIY conversions that include these. They mostly have outdoor showers and a porta-potty. So, I've been keeping my eye out for a Sprinter van Class B RV that I can pickup for a good price. No desire to spend $100k+ on something though.
Last edited by: logella: Nov 22, 17 13:57
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Re: Van Life [logella] [ In reply to ]
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There are plenty of DIY conversions with indoor plumbing, but it's quite a task to take on IMO. Look at sprintervanusa.com for a great write up. Lots at sprinter-source.com, expeditionportal, the ford transit forum etc. as well. Many do indoor plumbing for sink and shower, but use a cartridge toilet. My ford transit has indoor sink, water heater, and external shower. Didn't want to deal with even a cartridge toilet, and didn't really have room for one in the small footprint of a low roof, short wheelbase.
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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I've traveled to races and camped out of my pickup truck several times, as well as taken longer fishing+camping trips both with and without bikes... I love the go-anywhere versatility and ability to just toss shit in the back and go and not worry much about cleanliness, etc. I used to have a hard canopy which was nice for sleeping in when it was cold/wet out, and it provided extra security for stuff inside, but it was also a PITA to have to crawl in & out the back to load/unload and limited some of what you could carry easily. I've since ditched the shell and either just go al fresco, or more often I bring along a basic pop-up canopy that I can put over the bed for a light rain/shade shelter; depending on the location, it can also serve to hold your space during the day if you wanna drive somewhere else for awhile and leave your cooler/stove/chairs/etc covered up somewhat (I leave it open, but drop the telescoping legs all the way down so it's less inviting for someone to come by and rummage through your stuff underneath, since they can't just 'walk in'). Obviously you do give up some security so I'd be less likely to do it like that in more urban settings.





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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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Sprinter conversions (factory and home-crafted) are the common default answer, as the model has been around for a while. The more recent Ram ProMaster isn't as nice, but it's a lot cheaper for a similar age/mileage vehicle, and it's 4" wider inside. 4" doesn't sound like a lot, but it's enough to allow you to put a bed crossways that still comfortably fits a ~6 footer, something you can't do in a Sprinter.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
Last edited by: gary p: Nov 22, 17 19:44
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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My first solo trip in our Econoline convert was Muncie 70.3. I forgot my sleeping bag by the back door. I ended up covering myself with my soft-side guitar case. Aside from that it was awesome!

My friends Tyler and Carly run Organic Coaching. They did this incredible Sprinter (I believe) conversion that included solar power, desk, shower...all DIY. Took it to IM Texas, St. George 70.3, Alaskaman - pretty incredible!

Tyler lurks on here, maybe he’ll post pics.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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I just finished reading Nomadland by Jessica Bruder, a well-researched nonfiction book about the subculture of older Americans who have been priced out of home ownership and rental housing to live in their RVs, vans and cars. ItÂ’s a sobering look at whatÂ’s happening to people who are still nearly wiped out by the 2008 housing crash, with the loss of jobs and retirement savings.

It pretty much dashed my fantasy of buying a Ford Transit Connect van and using it to indulge a full-time recreational athletic lifestyle.

That said, I still want to buy a stripped out Transit van and do the least I can to make it into a great on-the-road radio journalist (my day job) van and weekend triathlon/camping van.

One of these days.

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018
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Re: Van Life [SharonMcN] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
It pretty much dashed my fantasy of buying a Ford Transit Connect van and using it to indulge a full-time recreational athletic lifestyle.

Haven't read the book yet (its on my list) but isn't the premise of the book that many have essentially been foreced into this way of life by circumstance? If so, I'm not sure why it would deter you from choosing the lifestyle for recreational purposes. There are many people over the years that voluntarily RV full time and love it. The difference is they chose it and are not working one low pay job after another just to survive. Seems like you'd be in this category.
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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I had tow different van vehicles that served me well when I was a struggling pro on the road. My very first was a 71 VW camper van. That thing was the bomb, ice box with pop up tent so you could stand and cook your food on the Coleman camping stove you brought. Later on a few years later they put in propane friges and built in stoves, so those were super cool.

But the Van that I held quite dear for most of my younger career was a 76 Ford E150, long bed. Built a bed in back and installed my own ice box, kept the Coleman stove and rocked surround sound in the back with my new fangled cassette player. I always kept my home base at my trailer in Leucadia, but this was my shore boat for all my trips. It was so comforting to be able to just pull over anywhere and just hop in the back and go to sleep. Rain, sleet, snow, didn't phase that old van. Then I sold it to a buddy that used it for another 10 years, and eventually it would just not die, so it got donated to a vehicle charity. I like to envision that some young kid got it and completely restored it and is living on the road today..

I guess todays E van is the Transit, that is the way I would go if I was starting over. See a lot of those at surf spots that have been customized in the back, lots of room to work with..
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Re: Van Life [logella] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, indeed. Your comment is on target about Nomadland.

Many of the full-time vehicle dwellers (they call themselves un-housed to connote there is some choice to the lifestyle, versus homeless) decided that vehicle living was a viable option. And it becomes less viable as they age, find it more difficult to get work that meshes with vehicle living, and as fixed incomes become less able to cover medical and other expenses. ItÂ’s really a great read about one of the little-understood consequences of the housing and economic collapse of 2007-08.

IÂ’m not completely unpersuaded about recreational vanlife, I would still love to have a tricked-out camper van in my driveway waiting for the next adventure. IÂ’m just cognizant that my fun-time fanasy choice is something that is a near-last resort for others.

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018
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Re: Van Life [swim_corey_run] [ In reply to ]
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When I bought my current vehicle, I toyed with the idea of getting a minivan. At one of my old jobs, one of the company cars was a 2010 Dodge Caravan, which I drove cross-country quite a bit, occasionally with some of my bikes. A minivan like that with the seats stowed (Chrysler) or removed (everyone else) would be ample room for me to travel with bikes and live out of.

The car I ended up buying was a Prius. I've taken it on several road trips,some weeks long, and lived out of it--but without bikes. One of my winter projects is to come up with a way to travel with a bike and still have room to sleep. I'm thinking some sort of rope or netting system from which the bike can be suspended and cinched up to the headliner. I may also remove the rear seat entirely and relocate the battery to the footwell, which would give me a flat load floor ~6" lower than what it has currently.

If you're creative, you don't necessarily need a van to make this work.
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Re: Van Life [SharonMcN] [ In reply to ]
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If i was the one who bought that van, you could bet it would be on the road today! I think the VW van is unattainable only because i feel the cost is going to be much higher to fix and maintain compared to something else.
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Re: Van Life [logella] [ In reply to ]
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Here’s a joint review of two vanlife books, one on Airstream trailers (that would be the high end) and Nomadland.
http://www.latimes.com/...-20171122-story.html

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018
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