Bug Out Van Conversion

>>1162051
Fuckin dodge pos

it has a high rating on kelly blue book
>>1162063

What about a 2004 ford e350 deisel van. I could get it for 700 more.

>>1162051
Don't bother with solar panels; they're more money than they're worth in terms of gasoline or plugging into a 120v source and charging up a small battery bank.

If you're find sleeping on a cot, or better yet, a hammock tied to the van and a stake or tree, it'll work alright. Avoid claustrophobia by staying in the van too long.

Get a few LEDs set up to provide ambient lighting, know when to turn them off and not use them to save battery power, learn to love the outdoors because vanlife is essentially camping with a mobile tent. Solar panels are hundreds or thousands of dollars for a minor convenience. Plan your meals to use as little fuel as possible, and pretty much use the van as shelter for acclimate weather.

>>1162063
Fuckin ford cock sucking faggot

>>1162051
Goalzero has some nice solar kits that have everything that you need for a basic kit.

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>>1162051
that van looks so fucking nice, if it had a different color it would be perfect.

>>1162063
Lol, sadly this op. Also get a pickup bed trailer and camper shell for storage.

>>1162051
Copper tubing wrapped around engine into an insulated tank for hot water. A sealable metal container under the hood for engine cooking. Look up thermos cooking too.
Cheap yard lights for solar lighting, charge devices from seperate battery bank/devoted camping charger. Much easier than trying to wire a solar system.
"Tree boat" style hamock can be hung inside for a bunk.
Pykrete bags for cooler instead of ice. Can be refrozen with ice and salt water. Lasts 7X longer than ice alone.
Handpump atomizer shower/clean pesticide sprayer for bathing.
"Neverwet" every surface that isnt constantly rubbed against. Keeps moisture from clinging in the nooks so it can be vented. Your breath builds up.
Mylar coated bubblewrap insulation is realy neat.
$.02

>>1162308
Chevy is master race. Ford will run like shit for 509 years and cost more to fix and the doge plant shouldnt be trusted to maje paded walls for their retard customers

>>1162051
Drips oil, drinks gas eternally

>>1162063
Doesn't operate, d grade engine

>>1162071
Fucked over rebuilt dodge

>>1162308
Found on road dead

>>1162378
Cracked heads, engine valve rattle, oil leaks every time

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Honda element
>cheap and reliable
>AWD
>24mpg
>made for camping/sleeping in
>large amount of space in a somewhat compact SUV
>when you get out of the "I want to sleep in a van" kick, you still have an SUV you would casually drive instead of having a rape van you would immediately sell off to someone else
>aesthetics are weird, but looks newer than it actually is, not your stereotypical vandwelling car so it wont attract attention like a large van would

>>1162394
You forgot fix or repair daily. And dodge is fiat now, so fix it again tony.

>>1162406
Fuck, it's a toyota

>>1162399
Hardly operable, no drivers anyways

>>1162412
Hand over dollars to asians

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>>1162413
>mfw i was told this years ago and just now realized its not a proper acronym

>>1162414
Chinks cant into english anyways

>>1162051
I went to Alaska for a month and lived in a Nissan Pathfinder I bought off Craigslist when I landed. I just slept in the reclined drivers seat or in the back seat when I was drunk. Took all my shits in public restrooms which line the highways of Alaska.

I had fabric febreeze for my clothes. I would just wave them around to air them out, spray them down liberally with febreeze and wave them again. They smelled fine to me and I wasn't doing hard labor or anything.

I also had a one man tent and a sleeping bag for when I found a campsite or wanted to pitch it somewhere.

If you wanted to do this for a long time, I would do the campsite thing every week or so, and wash all of your laundry by hand and take something akin to a shower with a bucket of water.

Don't worry about roughing it. One thing I learned in the Army is that comfort and suffering are relative. If you live in a million dollar mansion, then having to live in a regular house will be suffering. If you live in a regular house, then having to live in a car will be suffering. But if you let yourself suffer for a while, your perspective of what constitutes suffering and comfort will walk itself down to where you are, and you will no longer be suffering. Also, you will be tougher for the experience.

>>1162437
Nasty import sucks savings away to nippon

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>>1162399
>His bicycle is more valuable than my car
kek, I should leave the NEETdom.

>>1162465
What kind of van is that? It looks spacious

>>1162467

Looks like a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter van.

>>1162467
see >>1162363

>>1162467
>>1162469
Probably a Merc sprinter van. Theres a couple companies that specialize in outfitting these vans, but will also do the Ford and Dodge vans as well. The problem is you provide a brand new van ($40K) and they outfit it with whatever you want, usually $25k-$45K of shit.

>>1162471
this guys knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk3p53kx8aI

>>1162465
>that guys blender costs almost as much as my car did

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>tfw no rescue truck

Get on facebook, get into the groups "Tons of Vanarchy" "Van Dwellers" "Vans Only". Get van choice options from tov, they are friendly and mild mannered, they will give you honest pros and cons for every kind of van. Van dwellers will tell you how to kit out any van and there are members who have van dwelled for 15 years.. Vans only is where you go to get told your van sucks by guys who spend 10s of thousands on restoring and pimping out vans, but they also post good craigslist deals from all over the usa. Welcome to the vanner club brother, hang loose

I don't know if it has been posted yet, but make sure you keep a small extinguisher and a carbon monoxide detector in the living space.

>>1162399
I looked in to that and there's one nearby for a good price. I think i'd feel safer living in a honda element with stellar reliability than a big ass van found on craigslist that was abused by petty laborers for 200,000 miles.

>>1162547
thanks for posting some actual advice in this shitshow of a thread.

>>1162071
Diesel is always better.

Don't listen to brandfags. All vans are good.

>>1162672
Hand over nuts, drive away

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>>1162051

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>>1163058
This is pretty much what I want to turn an econoline into. I'll get the high roofed version, maybe a pop up like pic related. Put a shower/toilet in the back, a couch that folds out to a queen sized bed, hooks for a hammock, solar power, water collection/filtration/treatment equipment. Been working up a model on google sketch.

>>1163063
*backwards*
Driver returning on foot

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>>1163063
Rethought the bathroom and decided I don't shower enough to make it worth it. But I do want a secluded place to poop. I think I'll get pic related or make myself something similar, maybe with a solid roof that slides out on rails and has a roll down tent flap that attaches to the doors with zippers or hooks or something. Could be quicker to set up when I gotta poop after I wake up. Also thinking about using a flip-down hitch mounted cargo carrier as a a floor in the little tent area so I can be off the ground.

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>>1163678
I'm thinking i'll build an offset cargo rack like this, but one that folds out into a full width rack to provide a floor for the whole tented in door area. It would also flip up against the door for storage to keep overall length down. Preferably with a way to lower it from inside. Having it offset to one side will allow it to only block one door, leaving the other accessible without flipping down the rack. The tent flap coming down from the extending roof could wrap around this cargo rack "floor" and hook to the bumper, sealing the little area off from the elements. Then I could put a rubber camp shower basin on the cargo rack and a hang a shower curtain that catch shower water and run it to the greywater tank. The basin and curtain could be put in storage when not in use, allowing the area for other uses.

>>1162399

I love my Element. The fact that I can lay down completely flat in it is great for camping and travel

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i found an 87 Toyota van near me for less than a thousand. it needs work and I know I can get more van for a little bit more money, but the novelty meter is off the chain.

Should I, diy?

>>1164585
This one you oughta tow away

>>1164586
Two old yamahas on thin aluminum

>>1164586
>>1164585
If you are going to be halfway serious about this thing, you shouldnt be getting something thats so out of place.

>>1164642
>>1164639
thanks for putting my mind right. i was caught in a moment of weakness. all bug out vans should be plain white

>>1164645
>all bug out vans should be plain white

I wouldnt say that
It should just be something that doesnt look way out of place. Luckily Vans and SUVs are real popular right now so any 10+ year old van or SUV you can outfit out nicely wont stick out.

I just think something from the 80s would stick out real bad. You dont want someone else thinking its really cool and weird looking and poking around looking inside seeing its a living space

>>1164648
>10+ year old

I meant ~10 to maybe 15 year old van or SUV that looks somewhat modern
Like a 2000 Dodge Van doesnt look out of place anywhere

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what about a 10 ft box truck? there's some good ones near me with financing. vans in the same price range don't have that around here. i could custom order stickers to make it look like a moving truck. could park and sleep on any street in the country.

>>1164668
seems like a more efficient use of space than a van desu

>>1164668
Slap a 2 Men and a Truck sticker on it, and youll be good to go

>>1164668
if you sleep in a truck you will have to remove any 'no tools in the van overnight' stickers

>>1162051
Do everything you can with propane. Use electricity only for electronics. Gank a small gas fridge from a motor-home or something.

Actually, you should trade your van for a motor-home.

>>1164668
Just steal some DoD license plates and you'll never get bothered.

How hard are cops on van dwellers in the US?
Is it just wallmart parking lots in urban areas that are no-nos?
How easy is it to find a decent spot out in the boonies without running into trouble? I feel like having to pay for spots kind of defeats the purpose, especially if it ends up costing more than living normally would.
I always get really mixed results when adking about vandwelling.

>>1164652
Dont over drive, gimpy engine

>>1164668
got mechanic coming

>>1164766
Walmart has an official policy that their managers are not to turn away RV's or camper vans for a couple night's stay.
Cops have generally the same mentality; if you're quiet, courteous, and polite and keep to yourself for a night or two in a parking lot, they're not going to give you any shit.
I haven't had problems parking my large van during the day; people look at you a little funny, but as long as you're not being shady nobody cares.
If you park in shopping centers, public parks, etc, you're good to go.

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>>1164668
There is a great guy in seattle with one of those.
I cant remember his youtube channel its dreamsideout or dream side out or some thing like that

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What about a wagon? I'm going to be solo and don't need to build a bunch of cabinets for stuff anyways

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>>1164869

>>1164869
With something smaller than a van, you begin to miss sitting up and not feeling claustrophibic, also standing up inside is a nice thing as well.

I drive a Transit 150 with the tall roof for work, and its nice to be able to stand in an enclosure like that, unlike my coworkers who have the transit connects, where they can't even sit up straight.

>>1164766
When I lived in my suv i drove out to the desert at night. Did that for an entire summer and fall with no issues.

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I have been looking for a diesel Quigley for a while now. I found one locally about 6 months ago and the guy wanted $8K.

I think they are out of my price range and I'll have to settle for a clapped out diesel work van without the 4x4.

I've been thinking of this for a while now as well.
Buuuut I live in FL so I'd be ded 10 months out of the year.

Hook up a battery master switch and a hidden switch for your fuel pump (assuming electronic fuel pump) or the coil. You don't want to come out of the grocery store to find out some asshole just drove off with your life.

>>1164697
I loled.

>>1167593
Or get a diesel and manual vehicle.
Niggas don't know bout muh glow plugs

>>1167488
Any quigley you find for 8k is going to be beat to absolute fuck and forget about diesel at that price