16 Responses to “First Order of Business: What Kind of Van?”

1. P'zone Says:
   September 8th, 2007 at 12:54 pm

   I think you’re “putting the van before the hobo” on this one, a classic mistake. “The first order of business” should be to find yourselves. Once you’ve done that, your van will find you. I do enjoy the symbolism of the Honda “Odyssey” (perhaps your trip could begin in Troy, MI and end in Ithaca, NY?). But if you go that route, be wary thee sirens and remember that if you sack a city and slew the men; and from the city take their wives and great store of treasure, and divide them among yous, that so far as lay in yous no man(woman) might go defrauded of an equal share. Then yous should verily flee with swift foot, even if others in their great folly do not hearken.

2. Kevin Myrick Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 3:32 pm

   The sad thing is, I know exactly what its like to have your car break down in the middle of Alabama. The transmission on my then 1993 Jeep Cherokee completely died on I-65 heading back to Auburn when I was about to enter my sophomore year, on July 4th, about a half a mile from an exit in Calera, Alabama. Mind you, I lived in the state, but it still sucked. If you want, you can go read about it here: http://www.kevinmyrick.com/blog/?p=107

   Ugh, shameless self promotion.

   Anyhow, good luck on your trip!

3. Vanwall Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 3:33 pm

   1990 VW Vanagon Westie - water-cooled, and fairly powerful for what it is, pop-top roof. The older breadvan VWs are cheap, but no performers; forget the split window type 2’s - if they’re any good, they’re usually too expensive and very slowwwwww. Chrysler minivans have dodgy trannies. Go Japanese if you’re headed down that road. Buy a good set of tools, whatever choice you make.

4. Pixel Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 3:54 pm

   Unless you are *very* mechanically inclined, I would stay away from the classic VW camper. The newest of that type are thirty years old, and even a fully restored one (which may be beyond your budget) is going to need *far* more maintenance than something new. Unless you can do most of the work yourself, it can very quickly eat up your budget. Honestly that goes for pretty much anything more than two decades old. (and I restore classic cars as a hobby, so I know from whence I speak)

   Something you may want to look into is a conversion van. These are generally built from full-sized vans, so they are bigger (and less fuel efficient) than the minivans you’ve looked at, However they have some of the features you are looking for built in already. And they have lots more room, and ability to haul stuff. Some are camper converted, and if you can get something like this you’ll be 95% of the way to ready to live in it.
   Another way to go about it is to get a cargo van and and outfit it yourself. If you are willing to invest the sweat equity it has a *way* cheaper buy in cost. If you can get a well-cared for fleet van it’d be cheaper than buying a minivan and paying for seats & interior features your going to remove/modify anyway.

   If you are looking at minivans, Japanese ones are generally much more reliable, but will be more expensive to purchase.
   Ones to say away from are Ford Areostars(terrible transmissions), Chevy Lumina APVs(terrible everything), 4-cyl Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth minivans (underpowered and thus prone to early engine failure).

   Good luck, and I hope you have fun! Email me if you want hints on modifying a van for long-term occupancy once you’ve bought one.

5. Roger Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

   I vote for VW. I own a 71 westy and even if the entire engine blew up and could no longer function, a brand new one is about 1000 bucks. You can fix most repairs with simple tools and there is a huge support system set up across the country to assist you if you should break down. Yes, there are even several VWer’s in Alabama. The inside is comfy, except in the winter as the older ones have forced air heat that does not work when you are not moving But for reliability and adventure, you really can not beat a VW Bus.

   If you make it out to Boulder, you have a driveway and shower.. Oh and beer too LOL

6. Krapster Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 4:34 pm

   Get a Honda. It’ll not only relieve you from the VW Van hippie stigma (which includes all VW vans except the newest, most expensive one at any given time), it’s the anti-stigma car. Plus Honda engines are mythically reliable.

   If you could pull it off in a really small (Honda) van, preferably a 4-cylinder one, it would be really confusing for most people. Trust me, Honda 4-cylinder engines… I drive a 92 Civic that has been thrashed since it was born, and it just keeps on delivering, loving it even… forget about my car, just read up on it… good luck!

7. Jack Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 4:55 pm

   If you can forgo the “an engine that runs and burns as little fuel as possible” rule, I’d say go with a nice Ford or Chevy conversion van. Preferably one that was professionally pimped out by someone who was 18 in the mid 1970s. We’re talking wall to wall green shag, my friend. And you get extra style points if you find one with that tinted tear drop shaped side window.

8. Markus Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 5:41 pm

   Kevin: sorry to hear about your troubles in the ‘bama. Sounds frightening.

   Vanwall: Thanks for the tips. I think once we get to San Franciso we won’t be able to avoid “dodgy trannies”. Hehe. I kid, I kid.

   Pixel: I might take you up on your offer - sounds like you know your stuff!

   Roger: Boulder sounds nice and might be on our itinerary but 1. we might need a push if we’re in a VW and 2. I’m hoping the offer is something imported and not a beer that ends with “- Ice”

   Krapster: I like Hondas too. They can really take a beating.

   Jack: Shag carpeting, while groovy I admit - kind of scares me. Unless it’s just so overly shaggy that I can’t resist.

9. Wes Says:
   September 11th, 2007 at 6:21 pm

   Hi, The different options you’re considering all have
   they’re advantages. But be sure of one thing, reguardless of your choice, you will be broken down
   on the side of the road somewhere, it’s unavoidable.
   The newer the vehicle, the more complex the repairs
   tend to be! also bear in mind that there is a huge
   community of VW enthusists out there, and they tend
   to be a generous and friendly bunch. Also, do yourselves
   a favor and buy a NEW truckers road atlas, the kind with
   laminated pages. Aside from great maps that can repeatedly written on with a grease pencil it will provide a wealth of information……Good Luck!!
   Wes

10. mark Says:
    September 11th, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    I have a friend who has lived this way for the past few years and have taken a few trips with him. The lifestyle will require a radical shift in mindset but can be extremely rewarding.

    Don’t go with the old Astrovan style or the VW camper style. These are too popular for urban overnighting and will cause you endless trouble from police and security guards.

    Instead of something designed for middle class families, go with a commercial van like a Chevy Express passenger van. You’ll save a fortune on parts and maintenance on your trip. Tint the windows. Use boxes on the top for storage. Put a fake corporate logo of your own invention on the doors. Then you’ll be under the radar as you sleep in the strip mall parking lot.

    For the interior, rip out the back seats and use a Coleman inflatable mattress.

    The biggest drawback of the van vs. RV / trailer approach is lack of a shower. 24 Hour Fitness membership is your best way around this in the city. Solar showers are great for camping and you can leave them to warm all day on the rack.

    T-Mobile hotspots at Starbucks work well for connectivity. Steal plenty of paper towels each time you’re there.

    Heat to sleep through the winter is easy. Drive to someplace warm. Or use a Coleman propane space heater from Walmart, and for peace of mind pick up a carbon monoxide alarm from a marine supply store.

    Do not plan on elaborate pimping of the van. Use cheap throwaway gear from Walmart whenever you can. Finally, be sure to spend on a real good car alarm. Good luck.

11. shmigs Says:
    September 11th, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    I’ve thought about doing this type of hobo-lifestyle and my vehicle of choice would be a smaller used school bus. Maybe even the infamous “short bus.”

    Not as fuel efficient as Honda’s or minivans, but the space to actually live would be much greater. After you take the seats out, you have ready made anchor points to bolt in new shelves, bed, electrical etc.

12. Anonymous Says:
    September 12th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    If you’re at official places like campgrounds or trailer parks, go with an in-bed pickup camper on a pickup truck. A lot of them are free-standing if one of you needs to commute. Also when you do settle down you can use it to haul lumber or tow a trailer.

    This one has the added benefit of folding up for better gas mileage: http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/22/prefab-friday-quickup-camper/

    If you’re staying on the street unofficially, go with a commercial white van with a door behind the front seats and tinted or steel mesh window covers. The Smashing Pumpkins used a step van (UPS size truck) when they were touring before they got big. Another bonus is you can slap some magnetic contractor logos on the side and no one will care.

13. Robert Says:
    September 12th, 2007 at 9:06 pm

    a 1980’s Toyota Van like this one:

    http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Toyota_Van.jpg

    Will run longer and get better gas mileage and be cheaper to buy than anything else you will find. Just make sure that it doesn’t already have 300,000 miles on it. They run forever. Buy one with less than 170,000 miles on it and you will have a trustworthy ally.

14. norm Says:
    September 14th, 2007 at 12:09 am

    We lived in an early watercooled vanagon for 3 months, fairly problem free. it was not a camper, but it had the super big sunroof. we drove it all over the south and southwest in the summer with no AC.

    Don’t neglect the japanese pick up with a shell or camper body.

15. James Says:
    September 15th, 2007 at 11:05 am

    Personally, I would either get the step van, or go for a teardrop-style trailer. Check out http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/ for teardrop ideas.

16. Ben Says:
    June 4th, 2008 at 7:28 pm

    Consider getting a truck that gets good gas millage like a Toyota Tacoma and consider a tent made for the bed of a pickup.

    http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6021/attiin0.jpg

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