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toffeecoo
Joined: 02 Nov 2016
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Nov 02, 16 8:17 pm Post subject: Living on the Go? |
 
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Greetings! I've been scouring the net looking for different resources to help me build a plan for a life on the road. I'm nearing 30 and my current living situation is more unstable than I'd like. I've the capability (as an artisan/freelancer) to make money online along with clientele in select states.
I posted on a few RV forums about modifying certain rigs to fit my requirements on a fixed budget (that is or isn't absurd pending who you ask). I was hoping to stay below $15k whilst purchasing: a truck + camper, rv, or van with headspace and doing any modification necessary depending on what I find, what it's lacking, and what would need to be modified.
All the amazing ready-made, no-fuss options available would cost me anywhere between $30k and $50k. With a loan, I'm sure that could happen, but I would rather not enter into any fixed payment plans other than bare essentials.
The RV sites have recommended I do a LOT of research, however most of them show concerns for my bare minimum requirements, lowering the resale value of an RV if renovated (I would remove couches and tables), and healthcare plans. Latter of which I'm least concerned about. My planned destination is Washington, Seattle area. I'm not sure where I ultimately want to live, so I'd like to see what the US has to offer. Wwoofing, internships, hiking spots, painting in nature, and workshops are all on my list of to-dos, and as such I would more or less need to carry: my laptop for digital artwork/entertainment (would replace a tv), sewing machine, some inside lights, art material, clothing, and camping/medical/car gear. I live rather minimally already, as I've moved nearly 3 times in the last 5 years. My diet is also simple, a camper stove and a 20gl container of water would be enough to steam vegetables and heat a small pot of water for bird-bathing purposes (in the event what I end up choosing as a vehicle requires this).
Where do I start? What kind of electrical setup would this require if I were going to go with something that would need supplementation? Would solar be more efficient than a generator? Marine space heaters if there's no furnace available? Would an RV be more logical for the sake of established electrical and headspace?
Any and all feedback appreciated! |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 16 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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hi , some of my chums have lived/do live out of vehicles ranging from very uncomfortable to luxurious
if you are going to be getting paid work as and when you can owning it outright makes sense as does having good fuel economy .
rv's tend to be over priced compared to getting a vehicle and fitting it out with the basics of cooking,heating,electrics, a bed ,storage etc.
cooking and heating can be a wood burner (it needs fitting properly to be safe)
cooking can be lpg gas (see above re fitting)
gas heating can be rather dangerous (see fitting )
heating can almost be ignored if the van is well insulated (insulation is never a waste of money)
electrics are usually based around a leisure battery or two ( 150 to 250 ah should be enough for lights ,computer ,fridge )
generators are noisy, expensive to run,,unreliable
a pv panel on the roof can provide some power but charge when driving is useful (the batteries cover a few days stationary and the pv can extend that)
an inverter from low voltage to your usual mains voltage is handy for quite a few items but most kit has vehicle voltage dc chargers available (phone ,pooter etc)
boat yards are far cheaper for electrical stuff than rv suppliers
re vehicles wood built horse wagons such as folk use to go to shows and competitions etc are popular among my pals as they are warmer than metal sided stuff, easier to fix things to and some even come with a mini kitchen and bunks already fitted
just remove the horsey bits and create a living room, storage spaces, the loading ramp is rather nice as well as it can be open in nice weather, gives a place to fit a folding "porch seat" etc etc
a panel van as used by builders ,delivery folk etc is ok , they are often cheap on fuel and to mend but they need insulation as they can be very cold and ventilation so as you don�t get damp. .
buses are roomy but cost a fortune to fuel and can be rather chilly.
if converting a vehicle consider getting a decent van and a wrecked rv or trailer home [or even boat ] that isn�t road worthy or leaks but is reasonable enough inside to reuse the fittings from it .
hope that helps a bit |
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