FIRE in a Sprinter Van

[APowers]

I not only could, it's part of our FIRE plan to live in a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter Van -- 25mpg diesel, 120 or so square feet. We'll sell the house when the kids head off to college and live sporadically in our beach house rental property when it's not occupied. (It rents on a weekly basis mostly between May and October).

I saw this and think it needs its own thread. This is pretty much exactly what our FIRE plan is-- live in a Sprinter van and road-trip/sightsee the US and visit all our scattered internet friends.

So many questions.

Do you have the van already?
Do you have any more concrete plans than a general "we're gonna get a van and adventure"?
What model van are you planning?
How do you plan to outfit your van?

[Jags4186]

Matt Foley could give you plenty of tips.

[MoneyCat]

If you are getting a Sprinter van, then you might want to make sure you have a good mechanic.  That thing was designed by Daimler and we all know what means in terms of reliability.

[iamlindoro]

I swear I found this here originally, but looked it up again for this question.

http://www.stealthsprinter.com/

Check out these guys.  First off, amazing Sprinter conversion with all the comforts of home.  Secondly, though, they totally lived the mustachian ideal IMO!  They converted the van and spent over a year traveling the length and breadth of Australia.  They've settled back into a house but even though I don't think this is for me, I can't help but be jealous of the entire experience.

[ClaycordJCA]

One of my dreams, as well. Alas, I don't have a beach house.

[swiper]

I swear I found this here originally, but looked it up again for this question.

http://www.stealthsprinter.com/

Check out these guys.  First off, amazing Sprinter conversion with all the comforts of home.  Secondly, though, they totally lived the mustachian ideal IMO!  They converted the van and spent over a year traveling the length and breadth of Australia.  They've settled back into a house but even though I don't think this is for me, I can't help but be jealous of the entire experience.

Read through their van build and that electric bed hoist really frees up space. Awesome design and finish!

[Skyhigh]

I not only could, it's part of our FIRE plan to live in a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter Van -- 25mpg diesel, 120 or so square feet. We'll sell the house when the kids head off to college and live sporadically in our beach house rental property when it's not occupied. (It rents on a weekly basis mostly between May and October).

I saw this and think it needs its own thread. This is pretty much exactly what our FIRE plan is-- live in a Sprinter van and road-trip/sightsee the US and visit all our scattered internet friends.

So many questions.

Do you have the van already?
Do you have any more concrete plans than a general "we're gonna get a van and adventure"?
What model van are you planning?
How do you plan to outfit your van?

Seems like a short term plan at best. How long can someone live on the road before it becomes old? How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing?

Consider watching the movie "Lost in America" before you make any big decisions.

[Dicey]

Seems like a short term plan at best. How long can someone live on the road before it becomes old? How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing?

Consider watching the movie "Lost in America" before you make any big decisions.

Wow, Skyhigh. You've been acused of being a troll elsewhere on the forum. I was comfortable giving you the benefit of the doubt, but now I'm far less sure.

[Skyhigh]

Seems like a short term plan at best. How long can someone live on the road before it becomes old? How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing?

Consider watching the movie "Lost in America" before you make any big decisions.

Wow, Skyhigh. You've been acused of being a troll elsewhere on the forum. I was comfortable giving you the benefit of the doubt, but now I'm far less sure.

I have spent my life studying the concept of financial independence with the goal of retiring early. I am also a pragmatist. As a result it seems unlikely that living in a van is a realistic long term retirement plan. In addition I also have had the experience of living in my truck for most of a year and spent much of my 20's driving around the nation searching for work, showering in truck stops, camping, and visiting friends as a way of getting off the road for brief stretches.  It was not all that much fun. I can't imagine that the charm will last all that long before four walls and staying put again seems like heaven.

Living in a van is a romantic idea but in reality is not a practical long term plan. I have a client who sold his house last spring and bought a coach RV with the plan to spend the winters in AZ and the rest of the year wherever they want. It lasted only a few months. They are re-buying a house just down the street from the grand kids. They are lucky that they have resources to make those mistakes without too much hardship to their plan. Imagine placing all your chips on a dodge sprinter only to discover a few weeks in how cramped, cold, and un-fun it is.

[Frugal_Red]

I've always enjoyed the idea of mobile living, whether that be a modified Sprinter van, airstream or tiny home on wheels. I think all methods are possible and can be done comfortably in the long term.  Before embarking on any such path it is always good to test the idea. 

A couple years back I convinced my father to take a trip with me to look at a Tumbleweed Tiny house, Fencl I believe.  It was beautiful! However, it wasn't right for me at the time.

I still spend too much time looking up vandwellers, tiny home folk and american nomad.  I love to read everyone's stories!  I hope to try it out mobile living someday.  Power to those that have already embarked on their journey! :-D

When I achieve FI I will start looking into it more seriously.  Most likely I will buy a very cheap RV and tour around for a summer, see how it goes. :-)

[Dicey]

I've always enjoyed the idea of mobile living, whether that be a modified Sprinter van, airstream or tiny home on wheels. I think all methods are possible and can be done comfortably in the long term.  Before embarking on any such path it is always good to test the idea. 

A couple years back I convinced my father to take a trip with me to look at a Tumbleweed Tiny house, Fencl I believe.  It was beautiful! However, it wasn't right for me at the time.

I still spend too much time looking up vandwellers, tiny home folk and american nomad.  I love to read everyone's stories!  I hope to try it out mobile living someday.  Power to those that have already embarked on their journey! :-D

When I achieve FI I will start looking into it more seriously.  Most likely I will buy a very cheap RV and tour around for a summer, see how it goes. :-)

Just want you to know you are not alone, Frugal_Red. I have donated hours of my time to the same causes. In fact, DH had an RV when I met him. I joke that it was the tipping point. So far, we've only used it once, but we had a blast. We look forward to using it (or its successor) extensively when he retires.
I know this is enabling, but have you checked out Hitch Itch? Talk about stories. Hundreds of them, conveniently linked in one place. You may or may not thank me.

[Frugal_Red]

I know this is enabling, but have you checked out Hitch Itch? Talk about stories. Hundreds of them, conveniently linked in one place. You may or may not thank me.

Oh my!!  A new source of reading material!!  -Thanks!! :-D

[APowers]

Seems like a short term plan at best. How long can someone live on the road before it becomes old? How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing?

Consider watching the movie "Lost in America" before you make any big decisions.

Wow, Skyhigh. You've been acused of being a troll elsewhere on the forum. I was comfortable giving you the benefit of the doubt, but now I'm far less sure.

I have spent my life studying the concept of financial independence with the goal of retiring early. I am also a pragmatist. As a result it seems unlikely that living in a van is a realistic long term retirement plan. In addition I also have had the experience of living in my truck for most of a year and spent much of my 20's driving around the nation searching for work, showering in truck stops, camping, and visiting friends as a way of getting off the road for brief stretches.  It was not all that much fun. I can't imagine that the charm will last all that long before four walls and staying put again seems like heaven.

Living in a van is a romantic idea but in reality is not a practical long term plan. I have a client who sold his house last spring and bought a coach RV with the plan to spend the winters in AZ and the rest of the year wherever they want. It lasted only a few months. They are re-buying a house just down the street from the grand kids. They are lucky that they have resources to make those mistakes without too much hardship to their plan. Imagine placing all your chips on a dodge sprinter only to discover a few weeks in how cramped, cold, and un-fun it is.

To be true, living/roadtripping in a van is not our TOTAL AND LONG TERM plan for FIRE; rather, it is the plan for once we hit FIRE and want to see more of the country than just the Pacific NW. But it is definitely in the plans. Sorry if I was unclear there.

I'm pretty sure there are quite a few folks for whom living on the road isn't tiresome. We may or may not be them. We'll see-- we're not there yet.

Also, we're planning on using real estate (rentals) as a primary FI investment vehicle, so if at some point we decide we don't want to tour the country anymore, we will have the option of resuming residence in one of our houses. I don't see "oops, we can't stand living in a van" as an insurmountable mistake. At no point will all our chips be on "live in a van". We'll have a back-up plan, you can be sure.

How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing? -- I've asked this question before, and there doesn't seem to be a firm answer.

[Luke Warm]

i so wanted a sprinter. the girlfriend nixed the idea when she figured i would use it to run away. now i've set my sights much lower to a nice touring bike. not the same though. good luck!

[Skyhigh]

Seems like a short term plan at best. How long can someone live on the road before it becomes old? How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing?

Consider watching the movie "Lost in America" before you make any big decisions.

Wow, Skyhigh. You've been acused of being a troll elsewhere on the forum. I was comfortable giving you the benefit of the doubt, but now I'm far less sure.

I have spent my life studying the concept of financial independence with the goal of retiring early. I am also a pragmatist. As a result it seems unlikely that living in a van is a realistic long term retirement plan. In addition I also have had the experience of living in my truck for most of a year and spent much of my 20's driving around the nation searching for work, showering in truck stops, camping, and visiting friends as a way of getting off the road for brief stretches.  It was not all that much fun. I can't imagine that the charm will last all that long before four walls and staying put again seems like heaven.

Living in a van is a romantic idea but in reality is not a practical long term plan. I have a client who sold his house last spring and bought a coach RV with the plan to spend the winters in AZ and the rest of the year wherever they want. It lasted only a few months. They are re-buying a house just down the street from the grand kids. They are lucky that they have resources to make those mistakes without too much hardship to their plan. Imagine placing all your chips on a dodge sprinter only to discover a few weeks in how cramped, cold, and un-fun it is.

To be true, living/roadtripping in a van is not our TOTAL AND LONG TERM plan for FIRE; rather, it is the plan for once we hit FIRE and want to see more of the country than just the Pacific NW. But it is definitely in the plans. Sorry if I was unclear there.

I'm pretty sure there are quite a few folks for whom living on the road isn't tiresome. We may or may not be them. We'll see-- we're not there yet.

Also, we're planning on using real estate (rentals) as a primary FI investment vehicle, so if at some point we decide we don't want to tour the country anymore, we will have the option of resuming residence in one of our houses. I don't see "oops, we can't stand living in a van" as an insurmountable mistake. At no point will all our chips be on "live in a van". We'll have a back-up plan, you can be sure.

How often can you crash at friends before it becomes imposing? -- I've asked this question before, and there doesn't seem to be a firm answer.

I have found that doing more to help than expected as a guest goes a long way to extending your stay. Mow the lawn, do all the dishes, cook meals, clean the house, and your host may not ever want you to leave.

[jmusic]

Me personally, I think it's a great idea, although my preferred situation would be a stealth setup.  In fact, I've even thought about stealth full-timing in the city prior to "retirement" in order to save money by not having a stick and brick house.  I had the Sprinter bug before ever finding MMM.  My fiance thinks I'm nuts though...
 
For me the key benefit of a stealth setup is being able to park in random parking spots and not have to pay lot fees, etc.  The downside is that 95% of the Sprinter RVs out there aren't designed with stealth in mind and it would pretty much require a custom build. 
 
I've even considered quite a few key requirements:
 - No propane (diesel stove and heater connected to vehicle fuel tank, no microwave, 12v fridge, etc.)
 - Robust solar system, no generator ("jackdanmayer" and "handybobsolar" are both excellent resources)
 - Composting toilet to eliminate blackwater system
 - No hookups visible from outside
 - Space for bike storage inside
 - WiFiRanger system for internet connectivity

The major downside to this idea is the unavoidable fact that we'd be buying a depreciating asset instead of an (usually) appreciating asset in real estate.  If your retirement nest egg is big enough to accommodate replacing the vehicle every 10 years or so then it can work well. 

[HipGnosis]

I pondered a roaming retirement a few yrs ago - mostly as an ongoing motivation.
The Sprinter wasn't around then, and choices were very limited.

The Sprinter has a low-cost cousin; the Ram ProMaster.  I much prefer gas over diesel too.
They are so popular that they're getting competition next year; the Ford Transit.

Cell phones and WiFi weren't around then either, which both greatly improve the potential.

For long term (ie constant) live-in, I think you pretty much have to use a trailer.  I'd also want a moped or a scooter, with a basket or two.

One variation option to this is to do house sitting.  It'd be so easy now with smart cell phones.  Stay somewhere with heat, A/C, laundry, etc. for a few weeks, then roam around until it's time to head to the next house.  Either build a select clientele of repeat business or establish a good reputation and free-lance.

[Jags4186]

I not only could, it's part of our FIRE plan to live in a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter Van -- 25mpg diesel, 120 or so square feet. We'll sell the house when the kids head off to college and live sporadically in our beach house rental property when it's not occupied. (It rents on a weekly basis mostly between May and October).

I saw this and think it needs its own thread. This is pretty much exactly what our FIRE plan is-- live in a Sprinter van and road-trip/sightsee the US and visit all our scattered internet friends.

So many questions.

Do you have the van already?
Do you have any more concrete plans than a general "we're gonna get a van and adventure"?
What model van are you planning?
How do you plan to outfit your van?

you might enjoy this blog.  http://themorningfresh.com

girl did exactly what you want for 1 year.

[C40]

For those looking for information:


BOOKS:

Vanabode - Jason Odom -- (it is 100% a how-to book, and it has a VERY MMM/ERE slant)

The VanDweller's Guide - Romana Starfield (similar to the Vanabode book, with some more technical details on setting up a solar system and plumbing, but not as good overall)

Any Road will take you there - David Berner (haven't read it yet)

How to Live in a Car, Van, or.... - Robert Wells (Haven't read it yet)

Turning a cargo van into a road trip adventure vehicle - Roger Steen (haven't read it yet)

Wide-Eyed Wanderers - Richard Ligato (Ego from the forum) - This is a travel book, not much how-to

Drive Nacho Drive - Brad Van Orden - another travel book mainly

Walden on Wheels - Ken Ilgunas - Not much about how-to, more of a biography of his life up to van-living


BLOGS - the ones I read the most:
http://63mph.com/   
http://www.tosimplify.net/ 
http://www.arestlesstransplant.com/ 
http://wheresmyofficenow.com/


BLOGS - others from my feed. Many I haven't read yet:
http://campervanculture.com/
http://www.drivenachodrive.com/
http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/
http://mobilecodgers.blogspot.com/
http://ouropenroad.com/
http://www.frugal-rv-travel.com/rv-blog.html
http://wheretheheartisusa.blogspot.com/
http://gypseajourneys.blogspot.com/
http://happynomadgirl.org/
http://johnnyvagabond.com/
http://www.ruinedadventures.com/
http://www.stealthvandweller.com/
http://tortugaplata.com/
http://www.vantramps.com/
http://www.wanderwith.me/


YOUTUBE CHANNELS - ones I watch the most:
https://www.youtube.com/user/WheresMyOfficeNow
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4g9QUsCrCgPgG_fKEiHrQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV7BvFPyD5Lixoo8yMRiLA

YOUTUBE CHANNELS - Others:
https://www.youtube.com/user/kelseyjoyy
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyiTqpss-ihtLHz-juFxIQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwc-4z3oQd7SNM2r_WFzrSQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RNJS2MMyN1DkQNZAdMKRQ    (Conversion videos)
https://www.youtube.com/user/werkbook/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/RubberTrampsReviews/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/westfaliawanderings/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVgr4nckG_V0f0QM-byzI5Q/videos

[Russ]

This thread is relevant to my interests!

I'm about 2 weeks away from buying a tiny little Ford Transit Connect to build out and move into at some point. Not sure yet whether I will abandon the apartment before or after FI. At the very least, once I'm out of the workforce I'll be taking a year or two to visit all of the US that I haven't seen and find a place to settle down.

List of amenities I have planned so far for those interested:
24"x72" bed, expandable to 48"
table and seating for 4
hardwood floors
2-burner built-in propane stove or 1-burner portable
mini sink with pump faucet, 3 gal. fresh water supply
disco ball
way more storage than that dude in the video
portable chemical toilet in case of emergency
wood (or, more accurately, charcoal) heater
hitch rack for bikes, and possible space for one bike inside when bed is not fully deployed

I've been waffling on committing to this for four years now, so I'm excited!

[Thegoblinchief]

C40 - I'd add Bumfuzzle to your blog list. They initially started as cruisers (sailboat), but switched to a VW, then at the start of 2014 restored a Travco.

Russ - Granted, I've never seen the inside of a Transit Connect, but I'm surprised you can fit so much in there!

[jmusic]

This thread is relevant to my interests!

I'm about 2 weeks away from buying a tiny little Ford Transit Connect to build out and move into at some point. Not sure yet whether I will abandon the apartment before or after FI. At the very least, once I'm out of the workforce I'll be taking a year or two to visit all of the US that I haven't seen and find a place to settle down.

List of amenities I have planned so far for those interested:
24"x72" bed, expandable to 48"
table and seating for 4
hardwood floors
2-burner built-in propane stove or 1-burner portable
mini sink with pump faucet, 3 gal. fresh water supply
disco ball
way more storage than that dude in the video
portable chemical toilet in case of emergency
wood (or, more accurately, charcoal) heater
hitch rack for bikes, and possible space for one bike inside when bed is not fully deployed

I've been waffling on committing to this for four years now, so I'm excited!

Wow, that would be TINY to live in full time!  IMO converting the bed every day, cooking, basic household stuff would get tedious quick.  Note that the guy in the video is NOT a fulltimer!

I've been eyeing the fullsize Transit due to the extra roof height above the Sprinter (I'm 6'4" which is the exact interior dimension of the Sprinter before any mods!)

[NinetyFour]

This is the set up that I fantasize about.

A Tundra with a Four Wheel camper.

And I would need a bike rack also.

[Thegoblinchief]

Ninety Four - have you seen Roland of Gilead's rig? That's a really neat setup, though it is quite a bit bigger than what you pictured.

[NinetyFour]

Ninety Four - have you seen Roland of Gilead's rig? That's a really neat setup, though it is quite a bit bigger than what you pictured.

I'm not sure that I have seen his rig. 

Mine would just be for one person.  Plus, I still want the ability to get into the backcountry.  My understanding is that as one's truck/camper gets larger, the ability to navigate the 4WD roads (at least where I live and wish to hike/camp) decreases.

[Roland of Gilead]

We are still constructing the garage/workshop on our camper (it will have a built in work bench, room for two motorcycles, and a cnc mill/lathe).  We plan to live in it full time so I hope the naysayers who think this is not possible are wrong :-)

I would consider building a true off road 4x4 camper in the future but would simplify in some areas.   I would ditch all water and propane systems.   I would use a cassette toilet as we are now and I would use the 7 gallon square water containers like you can buy at Cabellas for about $14 each.  I would still have a lot of solar (we have 1100 watts now) and a decent Lithium Iron battery bank.  I would have to figure out some way of carrying two dual sport motorcycles as we can't live without these.

I am not sure about full timing in a small 4x4.   We like to build stuff and I am not sure you could fit everything into a sprinter size vehicle.   Our camper/garage fit on a truck with a overall length of 25 feet, which is amazingly small to contain a queen size bed (always available), 9.1cuft fridge, 60 inch recliner leather sofa, bathroom with Thetford cassette toilet (very popular in Europe), 3 burner stove with oven, microwave, 200 cubic feet of cabinet and under truck storage, plus a 8 foot wide by 10 foot enclosed garage with built in shelves, workbench, ramp door which locks in place to make a 7 foot x 8 foot porch.  Oh, and storage on the roof of the garage pod for up to 4 kayaks or canoes.

[jamminjimmy]

All,
Thanks for the info!  C40- thanks for all the links!

I'm a recent lurker- and am not sure how mustachian I am (I am a cheap B#$@st$R#d--- That counts, right???).   :)

Anyway- I'm contemplating full time rv-ing by converting a new dodge promaster van(the $30-$35,000 purchase price is giving me sticker shock, though)...  I'm 6'6"- so I can't stand up 100% in the promaster----  I heard the tallest Ford Transit will work, but haven't test driven one yet...  Still researching...

- I too think about touring 100% for a few months at a time.  Then head back to "base camp" where ever that may be.  I have a couple rental properties, so that will help with income...  I have one of those well paid corporate jobs that is sucking my soul a little more each day...  Touring (even short term) should fix what ails me...

Anyway- for those looking into this using a sprinter van---  2015 supposedly will bring either an AWD or 4X4 Sprinter Van Model.  (not for me, but maybe good info for others).

Dunno if I can post links-but there is a great forum for the dodge promaster.  Its full of many delivery people--- many conversion people... Some both.  All great posters, who give reasons for their point of view...

thanks,

Jimmy

[LiveLean]

I posted the original comment on FIRE in a Sprinter Van. Yes, we want to live (mostly) in a Sprinter Van. Our plan is to keep our rental property in VA that rents seasonally (May through October) and keep a 1 bedroom condo in Florida. We anticipate living out of the van 150-200 nights a year. If you're outdoorsy, endurance sports kind of folks like we are, it's particularly attractive.

Friends of ours run a terrrific blog: www.livingvandal.com. The blog www.sprinterlife.com also is good, though they recently ended a four-year excursion. Our livingvandal friends broke down the costs of their 2.5 month summer excursion (and gas has dropped considerably since then).

http://livingvandal.com/2014/11/18/a-budgetary-guide-to-a-nomadic-vanlife-summer/

Sprinter Vans provide the mobility and gas mileage (up to 25 mpg Diesel) of a minivan with the benefits of an RV without most of the hassles and expense. Look at www.outsidevan.com to see how these suckers can be tricked out, sleeping up to four comfortably. We're budgeting about $85,000 -- for the Mercedes Sprinter -- though that's if we buy new. We're shopping for used. Here in Florida I get a lot of crazy responses about my plan, usually from friends who have money-sucking boats that don't keep nearly the resale value while requiring much more upkeep.

[bzzzt]

This is the set up that I fantasize about.

A Tundra with a Four Wheel camper.

And I would need a bike rack also.

I picked one up this year so my wife and son will have somewhere to hide out on race trips. My other plan is to use it to vacation to places out west (Mountains, etc). Illinois is way too damn flat!

Sorry about the crappy pic, it was the night I picked it up!

[APowers]

I posted the original comment on FIRE in a Sprinter Van. Yes, we want to live (mostly) in a Sprinter Van. Our plan is to keep our rental property in VA that rents seasonally (May through October) and keep a 1 bedroom condo in Florida. We anticipate living out of the van 150-200 nights a year. If you're outdoorsy, endurance sports kind of folks like we are, it's particularly attractive.

Friends of ours run a terrrific blog: www.livingvandal.com. The blog www.sprinterlife.com also is good, though they recently ended a four-year excursion. Our livingvandal friends broke down the costs of their 2.5 month summer excursion (and gas has dropped considerably since then).

http://livingvandal.com/2014/11/18/a-budgetary-guide-to-a-nomadic-vanlife-summer/

Sprinter Vans provide the mobility and gas mileage (up to 25 mpg Diesel) of a minivan with the benefits of an RV without most of the hassles and expense. Look at www.outsidevan.com to see how these suckers can be tricked out, sleeping up to four comfortably. We're budgeting about $85,000 -- for the Mercedes Sprinter -- though that's if we buy new. We're shopping for used. Here in Florida I get a lot of crazy responses about my plan, usually from friends who have money-sucking boats that don't keep nearly the resale value while requiring much more upkeep.

Thanks for the links! I will definitely be perusing those blogs.

[SingleMomDebt]

Jack and Jill Travel just bought a Sprinter Van to move their life into.
I am interested in doing this when DD graduates. Would like to do for at least a year to check out the US in depth.

[DanielleS]

My DH and I are FIRE and we full-time in an RV (a small class A). Right now we're in Imperial Dam LTVA on the CA/AZ border, boondocking in comfort due to our solar panels.

To all the doubters, let me tell you, go to any LTVA during the winter months in this area and you will see people full-time (or snowbird) in ALL KINDS OF SETUPS!! It's fabulous and inspiring to see. One of the best things about being out here is taking walks and "spying on the neighbors" as I like to call it, i.e. checking out everyone's setup. There are tiny truck campers, class B's, class C's, class A's, tiny trailers, toy haulers, huge fifth wheels, bus conversions (from short school bus to giant touring bus), even tenters.

We do a lot of boondocking, and at other times we travel more conventionally by staying in RV parks and state/county/city/national parks. It's kind of fun to do things differently when boondocking, and after a while conserving water like crazy becomes second nature. Let me tell you, if everyone in the country used as little water as DH and I (and this includes showers and dishes and all the normal things), we wouldn't have water water shortages anywhere.

It's the mindset, just like in anything else. Live in a truck camper because you need to and you resent it? You won't have a good time. Live in a truck camper because you are FIRE and want to see the continent? Awesome.

OP, if you have the desire, just do it. You know best what you can tolerate. Those Sprinter vans tend to have good resale value if you decide in a few years that you want something different. The only non-negotiable I would say is you should have at least one good solar panel on the roof. It makes life so much easier, and quieter because you hardly ever need to run the generator.

[Roland of Gilead]

Danielle, very nice!  Maybe my wife and I will see you on the road as we are FIRE and full-time RV sometime this spring/summer.   It will be neat to see some of the different setups.

[Roland of Gilead]

I want to see Slab City but I have heard it might not be the Utopia one might hope.  I could be wrong as all I have is hearsay to go on.

[arebelspy]

The wife and I have talked about doing this soon.

www.sprinterlife.com is another blog of a traveling couple and baby living in a sprinter van, though they've actually just sold it for a larger RV

This is a good post on their van:
http://sprinterlife.com/our-home

(EDIT: I see one person mentioned it above, but leaving for the extra link with info about the van.)

[Roland of Gilead]

I like the fuzzy accounting on the VANdal site:

"If you’re currently researching VANlife and trying to justify the expense, you may find this interesting: Since VANdal is a vehicle used for business, it can be depreciated 100% on a five-year schedule. If we sell VANdal in 5 years for 75% of our purchase price, which seems to be the historical trend for used Outside Vans, our cost of ownership after actual cash benefit from depreciation is ZERO."


If you depreciate something 100% then sell it for anything, you have to claim that money as a gain and pay tax on it.  No free lunch here.    Pay $60,000 for the sprinter, take a $60,000 deduction over five years then sell the sprinter for $40,000...you will owe tax on the $40k.

[WYOGO]

Mine would just be for one person.  Plus, I still want the ability to get into the backcountry.  My understanding is that as one's truck/camper gets larger, the ability to navigate the 4WD roads (at least where I live and wish to hike/camp) decreases.

This. As a resident of one of the Northern Rocky Mountain states who intends to primarily move around the Intermountain west and desert states, if you are single a solid truck with 4WD and a bed converted into sleeping quarters utilizing a tall cap or pop-up camper (sturdy) would be key to access. As a single guy even the Tacoma would fit the bill nicely and serve to provide backpackers and hiking enthusiasts access to some of the most amazing and pristine free wilderness areas this country has to offer. The truck cap/camper is hard to beat for the mobile life as far as utility and initial investment. I abandoned the Sprinter idea a few years ago for primarily two reasons. 1) Lack of access to rugged high country, 2)Limited service repair options in many rural places around the country.

My plan is to maintain my domicile in a tax free state, and seasonally live in modest but beautiful accommodations in Santa Fe. On track to put in my notice at 35 and maybe meet some of you out there.

[NinetyFour]

Mine would just be for one person.  Plus, I still want the ability to get into the backcountry.  My understanding is that as one's truck/camper gets larger, the ability to navigate the 4WD roads (at least where I live and wish to hike/camp) decreases.

This. As a resident of one of the Northern Rocky Mountain states who intends to primarily move around the Intermountain west and desert states, if you are single a solid truck with 4WD and a bed converted into sleeping quarters utilizing a tall cap or pop-up camper (sturdy) would be key to access. As a single guy even the Tacoma would fit the bill nicely and serve to provide backpackers and hiking enthusiasts access to some of the most amazing and pristine free wilderness areas this country has to offer. The truck cap/camper is hard to beat for the mobile life as far as utility and initial investment. I abandoned the Sprinter idea a few years ago for primarily two reasons. 1) Lack of access to rugged high country, 2)Limited service repair options in many rural places around the country.

My plan is to maintain my domicile in a tax free state, and seasonally live in modest but beautiful accommodations in Santa Fe. On track to put in my notice at 35 and maybe meet some of you out there.

Nice to read your comment!  Yep--a big rig just can't get to some of those remote locations on the 4WD roads.  Now I have to say that I am kind of wimpy about some of the 4WD roads, especially as I am usually on my own, but I want to be able to access some prime camping spots that a Tacoma can get to, but a larger rig might not.

Good luck with your plans to quite your job at 35!  Maybe I will see you in the La Platas!

[WYOGO]

Nice to read your comment!  Yep--a big rig just can't get to some of those remote locations on the 4WD roads.  Now I have to say that I am kind of wimpy about some of the 4WD roads, especially as I am usually on my own, but I want to be able to access some prime camping spots that a Tacoma can get to, but a larger rig might not.

Good luck with your plans to quite your job at 35!  Maybe I will see you in the La Platas!

While the van is indeed ideal for those who plan to travel the entire country utilizing campgrounds where wilderness does not provide reasonable van accessible, the increased cost of ownership along with additional fees make this not ideal for those who consistently boondock and limits options.

See the problem for some of us is that we want a vehicle initially designed to handle the demands of travel off road, not to say that I would regularly utilize four wheel low to get to extremely questionable places. Having to be towed out of there would be anti-mustachian indeed! 4WD is for contingency (snow, ice, rock slides, washed out roads already crossed ect.) If one is using 4WD to get out as far as conceivably possible you are gambling with some pretty expensive issue resolution and unless you are highly skilled or have friends that can help (overland expedition stuff) you will get burned. It is not wimpy, it is an effective risk vs reward analysis. Anything access beyond this builds strength as you backpack and more than likely you will have the whole area to yourself anyway so it will not really matter.

The problem with many vans in general is the chassis was not designed robust enough to handle frequent off pavement travel and expensive repairs will certainly be a factor in addition to a generally higher initial entry cost. For the ones that are the later is still a very real issue. I am not willing to work an additional year or two to gain access to the ownership and maintenance costs of a sportmobile for example.

While I probably will spend much time in the rugged Wind Rivers, The general vicinity of the San Juans is indeed impressive and a favorite among the Colorado ranges...

[NinetyFour]

I have not been to the Wind Rivers area.  Looks awesome.

[WYOGO]

I have not been to the Wind Rivers area.  Looks awesome.

Thanks for the encouragement on my freedom date. I am plowing ahead with a truly mind blowing savings rate. I am determined to not to fall prey to OMYS.

The Wind Rivers and surrounding area are one of the truly last wild and untamed regions in the lower 48. All the original large native predators and prey exist naturally in the greater surrounding ecosystem.

Hopefully more people will latch on to the mobile adventurous life. IMO life is too short to be confined to one place. Onward and Upward

[Roland of Gilead]

Is it crowded at Slab city?  It was a former army base or something, right?  All that is left are numerous slab foundations spread out over the desert?

[WYOGO]

Personally it would be my version of Hell rather than utopia...I'm more of a backpacker/mountain biker type who parks the car/SUV at a "basecamp" campground for a few weeks (with all my little luxuries :-)!) and then bikes or hikes to more remote areas from there.

Completely agree with this; drugs, poverty, crime and general destitution in a desolate setting is not the early retirement I envision.

[alarswilson]

the chassis was not designed robust enough to handle frequent off pavement travel

I don't know what modifications they do to Sprinter vans in Madagascar (and elsewhere all over Africa, etc.) but there is often nothing but 30 year old models running loaded with 30 people on the roads over there. They seem to get much more mixed reception in the States. Granted, African mechanics are orders of magnitude cheaper, and shop time...(what shop?), but Sprinters are quite observably very rugged and perfectly suited to decades of use on what we qualify as "off pavement." With a bit of warranty-breaking welding and scarcity-induced ingenuity, I'm sure a proper mustachian could make an economical, rugged home of one of these. Granted, a kitted out Toyota Hiace would be far superior and even more efficient, but they don't sell them in the US.

[LiveLean]

I want to see Slab City but I have heard it might not be the Utopia one might hope.  I could be wrong as all I have is hearsay to go on.

Personally it would be my version of Hell rather than utopia (overcrowded with all sorts of RVs crammed in together with a "townish" kind of atmosphere) but it sounds very interesting from some of the people I know who have stayed there for several months and one of these days I'll visit it (no RV so don't know if they allow tents or not). I'm more of a backpacker/mountain biker type who parks the car/SUV at a "basecamp" campground for a few weeks (with all my little luxuries :-)!) and then bikes or hikes to more remote areas from there.

Agreed. That's why I find the Sprinter Van so appealing as a mountain biker/SUP/hiking person. You can take the Sprinter van waaaay offroad and make it your own base camp far away from others.

[Roland of Gilead]

I want to see Slab City but I have heard it might not be the Utopia one might hope.  I could be wrong as all I have is hearsay to go on.

Personally it would be my version of Hell rather than utopia (overcrowded with all sorts of RVs crammed in together with a "townish" kind of atmosphere) but it sounds very interesting from some of the people I know who have stayed there for several months and one of these days I'll visit it (no RV so don't know if they allow tents or not). I'm more of a backpacker/mountain biker type who parks the car/SUV at a "basecamp" campground for a few weeks (with all my little luxuries :-)!) and then bikes or hikes to more remote areas from there.

Agreed. That's why I find the Sprinter Van so appealing as a mountain biker/SUP/hiking person. You can take the Sprinter van waaaay offroad and make it your own base camp far away from others.

Well, I didn't mean a long term stay as we also like our privacy and prefer wilderness camping.  That being said, I do sometimes like to people watch and see how others have carved out a life on the road. 

[WYOGO]

I love the Sprinter Van especially the interior space and would gladly own one and live in it if well graded dirt roads were the extent of my travel, but it is certainly no economical direct replacement for the clearance or durability of a Tacoma/Ram chassis for example when traveling off road. You virtually completely remove the built in contingency 4WD provides when off pavement. Modification can be done to anything to make it do anything of course though.

From my perspective a mid-sized factory capable truck with either a flippac or tall cap would be the most capable blend of access and provide the least modification and maintenance required depending on what you plan to do.

Also a gasser is looking like a far better option right now than a diesel anything in this regard...

[Daisy]

Hmmm...I never thought of sleeping in my car in order to avoid hotel costs. I've thought of doing multi-day road trips to get somewhere instead of flying there, but the hotel costs always add a snag to the plan. I have slept in my car for some quick power-naps at work (don't tell anyone), but never thought of an overnight sleepover in my hatchback in order to drive cross country frugally. I guess I always thought this involved spending the night in a seedy roadside rest stop and I'm kind of paranoid about my safety. I can see doing this for a few nights until getting to my destination, or sprinkling a few car sleep days with cheap hotels as a way to save costs while driving somewhere.

I did some research and found that some people stay at Walmart parking lots, 24 hour fitness parking lots, or even at hospital parking lots. I think the hospital parking lots sound like the safest of all - if I can keep my small little hatchback as inconspicuous as possible.

Definitely get some great ideas on this forum...things I wouldn't have thought of myself.

[Daisy]

Hmmm...I never thought of sleeping in my car in order to avoid hotel costs. I've thought of doing multi-day road trips to get somewhere instead of flying there, but the hotel costs always add a snag to the plan. I have slept in my car for some quick power-naps at work (don't tell anyone), but never thought of an overnight sleepover in my hatchback in order to drive cross country frugally. I guess I always thought this involved spending the night in a seedy roadside rest stop and I'm kind of paranoid about my safety. I can see doing this for a few nights until getting to my destination, or sprinkling a few car sleep days with cheap hotels as a way to save costs while driving somewhere.

I did some research and found that some people stay at Walmart parking lots, 24 hour fitness parking lots, or even at hospital parking lots. I think the hospital parking lots sound like the safest of all - if I can keep my small little hatchback as inconspicuous as possible.

Definitely get some great ideas on this forum...things I wouldn't have thought of myself.

Not sure how comfortable or even safe sleeping in a small compact car would be for longer than a night at a rest stop. Probably not too comfy or safe!  But doing it in a van (or a bigger van like a Sprinter) could be like a hard tent. More protection from the elements then tent camping, and a bit more safety too both while tent camping or if you are sleeping at a rest stop too. For myself, unless it was just for a few hours late at night, I'd chose to pay for the budget motel rather than sleep at a rest stop all night in a car. I'd rather have the little extra comforts and could make up the cost by staying at a campground more often. Of course in a van/Sprinter van/truck with shell or RV that would be different. I have a mid sized SUV (Dodge Journey) where all 3 rows of seats fold down and there's plenty of room to sleep (hard tent-style!) but would be cramped amongst all my camping gear and bike so not comfortable but doable if I need to. Now staying at a regular campsite it's great. Can unload everything, set up a tent, etc... (and check out Glamping for fun luxury tent set ups) and just use the SUV to sleep in if weather is bad or bears are surrounding my tent :-)!

Well it's a 4 door hatchback. If the back seats go down, I can fit a bike with the front wheel removed. I thought I could put a sleeping bag in the back with a pillow and it might be comfortable. I could put my suitcase and skis on the two sides and sleep in the middle. I wouldn't do it if I was transporting a bike, but maybe to drive out west to Colorado for a ski trip for a month so that I can have a car with me. I'm not even sure if it would be cheaper than just flying there.

Oh well, worth a thought at least.

[greaper007]

The sprinters seem to be really expensive, and a total pain to work on.    For awhile they were the only modern high mpg van on the road.   But...

This year Ford finally brought the full sized transit to the US though.   I think you can pick a new one up somewhere in the mid-$30s and they have an array of height, wheelbase and engine options.    Since the old econoline was such a workhorse, and transit's are pretty much ubiquitious in Europe.   I have to imagine this van would be way cheaper/easier to find someone that could work on it in the middle of nowhere.    Every town seems to have a Ford dealership.    There's also tons of information on DIY conversions on European sites.    There's a real cottage industry for converting vans into campers over there.

I'd really look hard at the transit before I bought a used Sprinter.   I've read horror stories about people having to take them to Mercedes dealerships for any type of work, and that generally comes with inflated Mercedes prices.