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- Little Miss Sunshine vs The Soccer Mom
- The Little Can That Could: Checking out the VW Minibus
- First Order of Business: What Kind of Van?
- We’re Gonna be Living in a Van Down by the River!
Little Miss Sunshine vs The Soccer Mom
September 10th, 2007
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I checked out another VW minibus today as well as a 1998 Chevy Venture. So it was essentially Little Miss Sunshine vs. the Soccer Mom Mobile…
The VW pooped oil on the driveway and had some rust-trim, plus it came with a 4th gear bungee transmission feature. The inside was pretty nice though, better than the one I saw a few days ago.
The soccer mom van is your standard model from the late 90’s bratty kid transport series. It’s all carpet, plastic, and cloth inside which makes it a little musty and strangely reminds you of aunt Flo (we’ll assume that’s a universal sentiment). It drove pretty well though – it would definitely be able to make it up a hill, which is a questionable feat for the VW.
The search continues…
September 11th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Go for the 70s chevy van.
see this for examples
http://iiidragons.com/gallery/Van-Advertisements
Lots of room in side, fairly reliable, and if it does break down you will be able to find a mechanic anywhere to work on it for cheap.
You could also consider a newer VW eurovan. More expensive, but the flexibility is there, and will make it up a hill.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Why don’t you get a sailboat instead? You can find usable ones for as low as 800$ that have beds and kitchens. You can just float around or anchor wherever you want, and won’t have to deal with as many legal problems as a car. Plus they’re roomier, and you can set sail and travel around for free. Marina costs can be cheap. Just outside of major towns a dock w/ utilities can be 100$ a month, or you can pay for docking whenever needed, or use public docks for short periods of time. For the 5 grand that you’ll need to spend on a decent VW, you can get a decent used sailboat.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Having sold everything I own and living out of 3 large suitcases, I can tell you it is sort of liberating not having tons of shit. I do miss having my own home and just recently had to give up the car. I am moving to the Cayman Islands to be a dive instructor (will probably get some more stuff again). Please put me on your mailing list – would love to know how it turns out for both of you. Good luck.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Once you selected a van, you gotta get the Fu Manchu album “King of the Road”. It’s van culture, California sunshine, skatepunk attitude, and Black Sabbath all rolled in to a non-pretentious, laid-back soundtrack for your new life abroad.
Good Luck!
September 11th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Hey, I’m currently residing in Sarasota, and if you need any buyers for your stuff, I’d love to check it out and help a cool cause like yours (especially if you have any desks). Email me at alejandrodelloco at gmail dot com.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Hey.
Saw your site on boingboing.net. Let me tell you: you guys are in for a great time! Last summer, my best friends and I did something similar, although we took to the road to promote a company, and lived in a van for 3 months. Sadly, our business failed, but the experience was awesome. You can read about our adventures here: http://blog.mykin.us
September 11th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Hi.
Good luck.
Followed the Dead for maybe 15 years.
Ever wonder why they called us Dirty Hippies?
Come to think of it, we always looked hungry too.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
How about a van that runs on vegetable oil?
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2189517&page=1
September 11th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
I love VW buses, have a ‘69 myself, but I will tell you this: unless you have experience both driving and working on the things, DO NOT get one for this trip. They are exhausting to drive on the freeway, so unless you stick to surface highways all the time it sucks. People cut you off because you can’t go fast. They constantly leak and therefore need oil, and no matter how good of condition it’s in it is a 30+ year old vehicle. It’s simply not going to be that reliable.
Those of us who drive buses do it because we love them. They are great once you get where you’re going and can just camp, and a roadtrip sticking to highways and backroads can be ok. But cross-country, living in one, if you haven’t even roadtripped in one is going to break you.
September 11th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Ok, I hate to be the one to “pee in your Cheerios” but this plan will not work for very long if you have become used to a certain standard of living: like taking daily showers (when you want to)… or getting a reliable/speedy internet connection when you need it… or the urge to eat cheap/semi-healthy food on a regular basis without gaining 10 pounds per month… or getting heat in order to sleep through the night without wasting gas. You get the picture. This is not to say your endeavor isn’t romantic and inspirational. It is. But reality does set in VERY quickly. Go rent LOST IN AMERICA from your video store and then watch it 100 times… then cancel your plans… then you can thank me in a year from now whn you’re done cursing my name for being “such a pessimist jerk”. Sorry, but I really am helping you.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
I know everyone will cringe and scream at this one, but have you thought about a Pontiac Aztek? They are the ugliest cars ever built, but they are designed for this. They even have a tent that pops out of the back! Also, they are built on a GM platform that should allow you to get pretty cheap parts and repairs, and their resale value suffers from their being the ugliest thing ever, so you might be able to get a deal on one. Reliable, cheap and perfect for our application.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Hey, vw busses are fine on the highway as long as you get something from the latter part of the 70’s. I have a 66, and its quite a dog on the highway. I wouldnt recomend anything before 73 for a road triping car unless you are a very patient person. They got a bigger motor in 73, and are geared higher. Dont worry about hills. My bus is from when they still had a 60 horse engine, and that baby crawled right over vail pass with a friend and a bunch of gear. For any info you want on VW’s, or VW’s for sale go to thesamba.com. Good luck!
September 12th, 2007 at 12:04 am
Just bookmarked you. Planning on doing something similar myself very soon. Cheers.
September 12th, 2007 at 2:46 am
Y’all need to get a big-ass white Dodge Sprinter van.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Hey – just thought I’d say you guys have a nice engaging style of writing. The “up to one full-sized elf” made me smile. I’ll definitely check back to see how you’re doing. Best of luck!
September 12th, 2007 at 8:00 am
If you make it to Columbia MO, I have the perfect $2k van for your adventure. I drove my 92 Chevy full-size hightop van around the country for art festivals through the 90’s. It’s like a house on wheels. Runs great, perfect maintenance record. You can stand up in it with 1′ clearance, sleeping loft built in.
September 12th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Oh boy are you guys going to have a great time. My dad, Eagle, lived on the road for 35 years. Most of that time it was in an orange volks wagon bug with a pop up tent on the roof. He was able to survive on the road with very little income by being hyper aware of gas consumption and prices as well as doing most of the repair work on his vehicle. He developed a route where he knew he could get a shower or find an appropriate health food/organic food store to stock up on his favorite goodies. He could turn the simplest of foods into a gourmet feast, always with plenty of garlic. As for the showering, you can hook up a solar shower so at least on a hot sunny day you can clean up easily. Dad used to duck into university pool showers but that was back in the 70’s when there was much less security. He also frequented hot springs. One idea is that if you join a big gym like Ballys, you can plot out your route to take advantage of the facilities as they are all over the place. All cooking was done on a Coleman stove that ran on kerosene. He kept fresh water in a big steel milk container. He traded lifes comforts and luxuries for freedom and adventure and never regretted it. You will probably run into the same folks he did and make many good friends. I look forward to reading your blog and wish you all the best.
September 12th, 2007 at 10:06 am
From someone that use to own a ‘72 Bus (among other VWs):
1. I agree with VWBusGuy’s excellent comments.
1.a. Go roadtripping first. Try a week, then a few weeks and then longer. Highly, highly recommended and be sure to blog about it.
1.b. They are tiring to drive. Also add in a blast in a crosswind. It can almost be a religious experience. =)
1.c. Learn to love repairing a Type I (or IV for >1972) engine or buy something else. They’re great engines but need pretty much constant tweaking.
1.d. Yes, they really do go slow. Think going up a mountain at 25mph AND stopping a few times to adjust the carb.
2. Be prepared to get constantly pulled of by the cops. It’s pretty high up on the police’s “visibility” scale. Any bumper stickers compounds the problem. Get a late model minivan in silver for the inverse effect.
3. A front impact crash would be a bad thing in this vehicle. A very bad thing.
4. It’s a vehicle you will have a relationship with, like it or not. You’ll know more about it than you’ll ever know about anything else on four wheels.
5. Get “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot” by John Muir (ISBN: 1566913101). I suspect VWBusGuy would agree.
6. If you rebuild and repair the drivetrain and steering et al you should have an uneventful trip. Uneventful = Only minor breakdowns that can be fixed on site. Also carry extra parts esp belts. Always have an extra belt.
7. Get a propane heater.
8. You’ll have an experience that you wouldn’t have in a water-cooled vehicle.
VW buses were popular at one time because they were cheap and used parts could be had anywhere. Not anymore. It seems that the “new” VW bus for this day and age might be an used school bus. Lots of room and not expensive to fix with tons of used parts to found almost anywhere. For the “eco” twist get a diesel and install a biodiesel kit with a manual tank switch.
Bonne Chance.
September 12th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Back in the 90’s i owned a Toyota Van…an 88 I think before they became Privias or Siennas. They still make them in Japan, and sell them in NZ/OZ as tramper vans. I bought one when i was in NZ and it carried me everywhere for three months. If you can find one in good condition, they are bomb proof. Toyotas just last forever and get great gas mileage to boot (between 25-30 a gallon).
Best of luck,
~Sonny
September 16th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I highly recommend the minivan. The whole soccer mom stigma really is childish. I have been living out of my minivan for over 4 months and couldn’t be happier. I have a bunk bed set up in it and still have lots of room. Seriously, they get better gas mileage, easier to drive, cheaper to repair, insurance is cheaper, and they have more power. The only reason to get a minibus is aesthetics, which would be nice, but is far from practical.
September 18th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I agree with sonny look for a toyota van from 86 to 89 . there great and last forever. some come with a small ice box upfront that will make ice even. and they came in 4wd also. there real tuff and i had a 89 4wd one and it went anywhere. lasted until 400 thousand miles. the back seat even folds down to make a easy bed. if interested email me got a ton of info on them. and check this site out http://www.toyotavanpeople.com/
January 9th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
b Says: “5. Get “How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot” by John Muir (ISBN: 1566913101).” This book kept my 68 Bug Alive, until a mechanic testing out a 280Z for break failure…totaled my Lil Red Bug. It’s a great book, and if you’re not working on your VW, it’s just fun to just read.
June 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
i have been looking for a vw minni van for years it is a graet investment if you are a collecter but not if you want a daily driver if you live in wi and are not interested in the vw please let me no and if you could tell me how to find it thank you and good luck hunting phil