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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
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    16,776

    Talk me out of trading my truck for a van....

    2012 Tundra TRD Rock Warrior 6.5' bed with fiberglass topper. 105k miles

    I've done the whole sleeping under the topper with a platform, etc etc. It's not terrible for a weekend, but to actually live in......eh, kinda rough.

    There are some decent FWD Promasters of similar value around. Immediate drawbacks I see are lack of clearance (I've been able to get way up some nasty FS roads with current rig), no truck bed for work, etc.

    Saving $1300 month in rent would be huge in these sketchy times.

    Will we be seeing a shift from "Cool! #vanlife" to "Cool, #livinginavandownbytheriverinsteadofastorageunit!"

    Please tell me how dumb this is. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    3,547
    I have the same truck, same year and everything. I could mayybbbeee see doing this if the van in question was a 4wd. A FWD will be cool until october, maybe, especially where you are.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    On Vacation for the Duration
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    14,373
    Sounds like a plan for a single man. In times like this were I single I'd go all in with a smaller 4wd RV with a pot top roof to live in. Finance as much as you need to get what you need.

    FWIW, my brother has a job marketing for a global supplier of RV OEM and upgrade systems. Sales are curving up like the virus. By it now.
    A few people feel the rain. Most people just get wet.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
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    I could see if any lenders would let me trade in the truck for a greater value 4x4 van. Increased monthly vehicle payment, plus all my stuff in a storage unit is still cheaper than my current truck payment + apartment rent.

    Hmmmm.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
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    Orangina
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    9,109
    This sounds like an impulsive decision like buying tons of TP and beans that might leave you with tons of TP and beans (and a higher payment that doesn't go away by eating beans).

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
    "All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater View Post
    This sounds like an impulsive decision like buying tons of TP and beans that might leave you with tons of TP and beans (and a higher payment that doesn't go away by eating beans).

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
    Voice of reason.

    I'm one of those assholes with a mortgage and rent and now my tenants can't pay rent so I'm double fucked unless I move out of where I am renting.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Hell Track
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    13,809
    Have you really reaaallly thought through living in a van?

    Where are you gonna shit? Shower? Most vans don't have those facilities. Cartridge toilets and outdoor showers are gonna get old pretty quick. Especially in the winter / shitty weather.

    Where you gonna park it? Is this your only vehicle? How excited are you to move your entire fucking house every time you want to go anywhere?

    Are you ready to have a vehicle that's functional for sleeping in, but fairly terrible for pretty much everything else?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    3,291
    Maybe go halfway and find a used slide-in camper that will fit your truck? Less elbow room then the inside of a promaster but way better then a cap/platform setup and you retain the 4x4 and ground clearance.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian View Post
    Voice of reason.

    I'm one of those assholes with a mortgage and rent and now my tenants can't pay rent so I'm double fucked unless I move out of where I am renting.
    How good are you at growing dope?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    your vacation
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    4,711
    Quote Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater View Post
    This sounds like an impulsive decision like buying tons of TP and beans that might leave you with tons of TP and beans (and a higher payment that doesn't go away by eating beans).
    what he said
    and
    don't sell the truck don't buy the van
    have you ever lived in a tent? in a van? out in the woods? hike in to your "house"
    it gets old as shit quick, pretty much all your energy is put into finding a place to park your van, dealing w bullshit, being homless is a ton work
    but it can also be the best experience in your life
    if can swing keeping the truck and buying a van I'd say go for it just don't sell the truck

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Down In A Hole, Up in the Sky
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    35,321
    Except for the fact that for the foreseeable future, every community is going to adapt a ‘keep on movin’, son’ attitude to van lifers. It’s gonna be ugly if you don’t have somewhere stable to park, IMO.
    Forum Cross Pollinator, gratuitously strident

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    Splat's Garage
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    4,182
    Quote Originally Posted by rideit View Post
    Except for the fact that for the foreseeable future, every community is going to adapt a ‘keep on movin’, son’ attitude to van lifers. It’s gonna be ugly if you don’t have somewhere stable to park, IMO.
    Excellent point.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2002
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    Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
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    3,806
    You are what you eat.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    There's no such thing as bad snow, just shitty skiers.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Missoula, MT
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    22,448
    First of all, wait like a month or two to buy any kind of vehicle.
    Second, I believe this crisis allows people to put rent/mortgage into forbearance of some kind pretty easily.
    Third, you really want some kind of (possibly rapey) fwd van? Ew.
    If you're not working and you just want to be able to camp at trailheads in style, maybe get some kind of camper for the bed and take off the topper? Tow a pop-up?
    Or go all out: sell everything and get the Sprinter van with 4wd.
    No longer stuck.

    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Just an uneducated guess.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    hell, CA pop 4
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    2,398
    Sounds like your tenant needs evicted, and you need to quit paying rent.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    DownEast
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    3,208
    Quote Originally Posted by toast2266 View Post
    Have you really reaaallly thought through living in a van?

    Where are you gonna shit? Shower? Most vans don't have those facilities. Cartridge toilets and outdoor showers are gonna get old pretty quick. Especially in the winter / shitty weather.

    Where you gonna park it? Is this your only vehicle? How excited are you to move your entire fucking house every time you want to go anywhere?

    Are you ready to have a vehicle that's functional for sleeping in, but fairly terrible for pretty much everything else?
    Great points. This succinctly describes my 5 summers (May- Sept) of VW van living experience 25 years ago, long before #vanlife. I was working as a kayak guide so showers were not an issue, we could stink. Halfway through the first season, 4 of us finally rented a back grove from a local farmer for $100 per month ($25 each) because we each got sick of the knock on the windows of our trucks and vans at midnight telling us to move along when trying to stealth camp around town. We could then have a permanent outhouse and firepit on our rented land which was much awesome. I ended up buying a enduro moto to commute to work/town because it sucked to pack everything up in the van to go anywhere without breaking stuff.

    If you are going to do this, maybe look into renting a seasonal campground spot.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    tetons
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    8,501
    don’t pay your rent. there’s a moratorium on evictions currently.
    skid luxury

  18. #18
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    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    33,538
    Quote Originally Posted by babybear View Post
    don’t pay your rent. there’s a moratorium on evictions currently.
    You'd have thought a slum lord bitching about his income drop would've thought of this before buying a van became an option?
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Hell Track
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    13,809
    Quote Originally Posted by babybear View Post
    don’t pay your rent. there’s a moratorium on evictions currently.
    That's (mostly) not true. There's a moratorium on the federal government evicting you. As far as I know, non governmental landlords (in other words, the vast majority of residential landlords) can evict people like normal (and if they can't, that moratorium would only exist on a state by state basis).

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    1,489
    There is a big difference between #vanlifing while holding down a job and #vanlifing while frigging off IMO.

    In the latter case, it's quite easy. You aren't tied to one area, so finding spots to hang without being bothered is easy (hint: keep moving). I've done ~275+ nights in my van - window knock tally is still zero. You're seeing new places so stoke is high. Public restrooms are abundant and totally usable, assuming there isn't a global pandemic in process.

    If you need to show up to work every day, you'll be crashing in the same area(s) frequently. It can be done, but I wouldn't call it low stress. Ain't as fun to be the "van guy" in your local community, and around all of your old haunts. Hard to explain but it's a bit awkward. Also consider that it will definitely take longer and cost more to build it than you're anticipating - take your time estimate and multiply by 4. Take your cost estimate and double it.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    10,949
    You don’t want to pay rent because someone won’t pay you rent? Yes, I think you should borrow money right now and get the 4x4 van so your lifestyle isn’t crimped.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    59715
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    7,406
    this garbage fire thread should be ripping pretty soon.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Planning an exit
    Posts
    5,930
    It's been a while since we've had a good phishshow thread. #bringbacktags

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    LV-426
    Posts
    21,084
    OP could buy a shitty RV trailer and park it on site at his rental, run an extension cord out, dump tanks like Cousin Eddie...
    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    if you have to resort to taking advice from the nitwits on this forum, then you're doomed.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Dystopia
    Posts
    21,019
    Vans kick ass

    Haven’t spent more than a rare night in them, but compared to a pickup or suburban, they haul so much more for the same mpg.

    Look for factory Chevy/gmc factory awd.
    They hold their value, but kick ass.

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