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Having lived in a full size Dodge van for several months it is basically a place to sleep with wheels on it and a huge capacity to carry stuff,Agreed about not wasting time installing a cooking unit in the van, maybe a small fridge and some kind of porta potty. Bring along a fairly large flat sided tent as thats where you will be living during the day as the van will get very hot in the summer a tent something like this makes a nice living area.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 09-14-2010 at 08:44 PM..
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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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It it probably cheaper to buy a used van that has already been converted. + more time for fun, less projects. The one I'm selling for an older couple (Ford 'Getaway') has a 302 V8 and gets ~ 15~18 mpg. A later version Roadtrek will do similar. My mom had a 1996 190 Versatile (Roadtrek) Dodge w/ 318, it would get close to 20 mpg. ou can find good used camper vans under $3500. (but probably not in the North Mariannas... OP)
if you are both lucky and handy...i found a sweet deal on a vintage VW camper bus. much better than those beds on wheels that my friend and her husband had back in the late '70's. we love it for spur of the moment camping trips, pull in, pop the top, pull the curtains and pull up the blankets. we use it as an extra car, a camper, a farmer's market attraction to draw in customers, and a guest house when we invite too many people over. best thing is that they hold their value as well as any vehicle i've seen, and i've been offered double what i have into it. no stealth about it though, everyone turns their head.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thebreadlady
...i found a sweet deal on a vintage VW camper bus. ... no stealth about it though, everyone turns their head.
This option brings lots of 'immediate' new friends too. (unique culture)
Many people have lots of 'war stories' about their VW camper van experience
Some good, some scary, but all different. It's fun.
I was not impressed when being passed by U-Haul trucks on Montana mtn passes Giving the kids squirt-guns as 'air conditioning' was good for front seat riders too! (and EZ to fill while on the road). Laying under it at 4AM jumping the starter with a screw driver was interesting as it started rolling across the gas station toward a propane tank with my sleeping family inside (guess I should have fixed the e-brake)
Have fun, 'stealth camping' brings great adventures.
When not in rural America where most city parks are free for camping, I use hospitals, churches, mortuaries, libraries, fairgrounds, and Free Campgrounds for RVs
wow....my VW came from a fence-row in montana. could be related...
it just occurred to me that i have stealth-camped. we took a trip across the country with a great big truck to make a few deliveries and pick a few things up. we threw a mattress in the back and slept in the truck at rest stops. hit the truck stops for a shower as needed. we were gone two weeks and saved a small fortune on hotels. usually ate out one meal a day, the rest was out of a cooler since we had nothing to cook with.
I have a Ford E150 and it averages around 18mpg (V6)--there's a lot of these around for cheap
We are thinking of camping in it at the end of march--the back folds to a queen bed and the two seets behind the front are already removed (we use it as a wheelchair van)--so lots of room for bikes/dogs etc
I have had two full size vans, both Dodges. One was an V8 that got 12mph, the other was a V that got 10mp. I now have a Chevy Astrovan that gets 15mph city, and 22mph highway. But I'm going to be putting a set of Michelins on it next months, and my mileage should improve.
I also lived in a 1976 Ford Econoline with a Windsor engine that got 6mph. But the Ford was an actual Class B van conversion. It had wood paneling, house insulation, a refrigerator, 3 burner stove, oven, gaucho couch/full size bed, and a Thetford portable toilet. I lived in it with my ex and his dog. He installed florescent lighting, and a 9" tv/vcr combination. For heat in the winter, we turned on the burners for a few minutes to warm it up, or used a candle for the same amount of time.
If I was going to buy an RV of my own, I would buy a Class B Roadtrek or other kind. We also had a Ford Falcon RV (now known as Horizon), that got 6mph. In my opinion, a Class B is the way to go if it's going to your only vehicle.
The 1976 Ford Econoline is an actual RV, and was built that way. I have no pictures of it, and didn't belong to me. It belonged to my now ex-boyfriend, and we lived in it over 10 years ago. He was already living in it when I met him.
I'm sure that there are photos of van conversions online that look just like it.
One other option you may want to think about is the addition of a cargo trailer pulled behind your van or pickup. They are not that expensive, and in some states don't have to be licensed. A ten foot covered cargo trailer gives you lots of room and doesn't leak like a tent if it's raining.
I wanted to post until I seen how old this thread was, darn I'm all dissapointed and stuff
Yes, me to. I'm from Flanders, Belgium and was very interested in this item, because i converted a Ford Transit into a stealth camper van myself.
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Giving the kids squirt-guns as 'air conditioning' was good for front seat riders too!
(and EZ to fill while on the road). Laying under it at 4AM jumping the starter with a screw driver was interesting as it started rolling across the gas station toward a propane tank with my sleeping family inside (guess I should have fixed the e-brake
)
