Very interesting. I did go and look at that Class A. Tempting for sure.
I think it can be done pretty cheap actually, given my 42 foot vehicle was under 150k. If youāre savvy and have some free time, under 30k seems totally doable. In my unmarried alternate reality, Iād have gone for the van life and would have targeted 1/4 the budget.
For the setup we haveā¦ I think we got the cheap option. (was a quarter million dollar rig, new)
Some of my experiences now include:
Sleeping 5 nights per week to remodel, for 2 months straight.
Living in a truck yard surrounded by barbed wire and broken-down semiās for a month.
Pics of remodel experience and truck yard:
Our RV
7 Likes
Well done! I do all my own work and built my house from the ground up. I can appreciate the amount of sweat equity you put into that rig. How mad were you when you spilled a gallon on paint down your leg? 
Enjoy it.
Ron
So mad that I laughed. Context: Michelle, my wife had been razzing me about not shaking the paint cans and instead, stirring them. I said itās fine, stirring is slow. I shook. It went everywhere. I had been razzing her that she needed to put the lids on more tightly. I decided that I should probably bite my tongue and just laughed in shame.
The wife is not on board, but we continue negotiationsā¦ I traveled for work for a while (with my bike in the van) and realized how little we humans actually really āneedā. So van-life is definitely on my mind.
If you are serious, I recommend you check out The Bike Rumor Podcast three part series with Van-Do-It (a conversion company) discussing how to spec out your van, what materials you should use, electrical considerations. Obviously the company put their spin on it, but their extensive experience really offered a lot of insight into what to do and what not to. For example: Minimizing the use of wood. The āold camper smellā is a product of condensation from unavoidable temperature fluctuations sitting on wood. Even if everything is sealed up well, breathing and ambient moisture makes it happen. They recommended materials not sensitive to the moisture/temperature fluctuations. Had I just bought a van, I almost certainly would have done it myself in wood. It is OK if you are in certain climates, but not mine. There were all kinds of considerations like that which they shared. Check it out.
6 Likes
I agree. We had a completely stock class A RV and it was still a dream for a month or two of travel to races. More than enough. Had we not had 5 bikes, an empty van would have been perfect.
And itās finally there. Right on time for the Racing Season.
It is an MAN TGE - 2.0l Diesel Engine - 177hp - 4x4 AWD. Super high roof (so I can stand in the boot at 190cm (6ā2.5ā). It is a 5 seater. I can turn the front seats and then put a mattress on top, and sleep in the front cabin.
I can store 3 bikes in the rear when driving + 3 bikes on a trailer if Iād need to.
It has got a 4kWh Battery, 500Wh of Photovoltaic on the roof, AC on the roof, a cooler/fridge, a manual sun blind, external lighting, and all-terrain wheels and tires. Also, I have a dry toilet with external ventilation, not the greatest thing in the world, but might need this for āemergencyā.
I am pretty happy with the Van itself so far, with it having quite a few driving assistances and a relatively modern Infotainment.
More pictures to come.
25 Likes
Love this threadā¦hereās what Iām thinking, itāll take some time while it becomes available.
Ford 150 electric
With something like this:
I know itās not a van. But I think it will serve better our off-roading needs, and itās electric!. Gotta think through the whole charging stations issue, but itās only going to get better. The whole thing with 500 mile range will be around 75k. Good for our biking and fly-fishing pursuits in the wild west of US. I guess the bike goes in the back, on a regular (kuat) rack.
What do you guys think?
9 Likes
Nice! Our Transit is delayed delayed delayed. Ford canāt get computer chips to build the van.
Or in the hood space since there is no engine!
1 Like
I am a big fan of BEVs and was pretty hesitant to go back to fossil fuel, after having gone full electric 4 years ago.
For my van though, I am going across Europe, long distances, not always amazing charging infrastructure (especially not at the destination), and also availability of BEVs in this class is a problem.
I gotta say as a European, I never understood why Americans go crazy for Trucks. The added off-road capability (although my Van is good on that front), comes at the hefty cost of not being able to stand in the vehicle, no proper roof when working on stuff in the rain, and āhaving to sleep in a tentā.
Maybe someone can explain to me why the Truck is favored over the van in America (with virtually zero trucks in Europe).
Itās a cultural thing. It started for practical reasons with agriculture, now itās more of a symbol, like any other type of vehicle. Hereās a good write up.
"Though pickups continue to have some practical applications in theory, in practice, a great number of them serve their owners primarily as ālifestyle vehiclesā or some might even say ālifestyle statements.ā Indeed, for a sizable contingent of Americans, the pickup truck has emerged as a means of establishing their ties to a distinctly blue-collar identity in the course of flaunting their bourgeois prosperityā
I donāt think the Van vs Pickup truck is a good dichotomy, for me the pickup truck (electric) also satisfies the requirement for a daily driver. The van is too dedicated. I already have 3 cars in my house, I donāt want a 4th one that I only will use occasionally.
Also, thereās nothing in Europe the resembles the vastness of the American West. You guys have a lovely civilized country side. I think you want something a little more robust. Iām not opposed to the Van idea, but I donāt think thereās an electric one yet.
Cheers
3 Likes
The 4x4 pick-up is great in certain parts of the USA. I had a an extended cab 4x4 Tacoma (4 cyl RE motor) for 20 years. Great in snow, great off road (did white rim 4 times as support vehicle) and with a camper shell, plenty of room for bikes and gear.
Butā¦ a van is better from a space perspective. The new pick-ups have given up bed space for 4-6 person ācrew cabsā. Thatās a poor trade for āvan lifeā use IMO. If someone makes an electric Tacoma size truck with an ex-cab instead of a crew cab Iām interested.
Its a shame nobody makes an AWD small van. A transit connect with 18" wheels, some ground clearance and a bit larger would be perfect for van weekends. vs van life.
Euro vs USA Same reason we have small SUVs instead of the much more practical AWD Station Wagon.
On Edit - Or an electric Honda Element (we have one (gas obviously) - love it - wonāt last forever)
4 Likes
The Honda Element sorta fits your request. They are so hard to find right now though in decent shape and without 250K miles! Been looking for a year and anything that is a good find is gone in a day.
Element + hitch rack + potential roof top tent is the ideal setup. Dogs can hang in the Element while out on a ride and sleep there along with a small-ish kitchen/setup.
1 Like
Iām going down the diy build path.
Started with an empty cargo van shell, 170 wheel base sprinter. So far, Iāve added a bed platform, windows, AC, fan, solar, and currently working on the electrical system with diy lithium batteries.
Plan is full build out with toilet, interior shower, galley, etc. Bikes will be on a slide out tray under the bed.
I sold my pickup truck when I got the van. Iāve always driven a truck, but wanted the ability to camp overnight when travelling to bike races or during vacation travel. The van kind of sucks as a daily driver compared to a truck, but not too bad if you arenāt in the city or have to park in tight quarters.
14 Likes
We love our Element. Its a 2011 with 160K miles. It is my wifeās dog mobile (she competes in obedience and field trials) and I have used it for weekend stage races where I need two bikes and extra gear.
Itās almost perfect. If it were a couple feet longer and drove a little more comfortably we would have bought two. Everyone with an Element keeps hoping Honda will eventually make an electric or hybrid version.
We are searching for an eventual replacement. The small vans are all people oriented and not great for dogs and gear. The Sprinter and big Transits are not good for daily use (as GR notes above). The only soccer mom van we can find with a flat floor now is the chrysler pacifica. It ticks most boxes. Good ride quality, hybrid, awd. But for our use weāre paying for seats and amenities we donāt want.
Fully loaded (3 bikes, 2 adults, all tools I can think of including track pump and compressor, spare wheel, 4 pieces of luggage, a toilet, and a full 80l tank of fuel it is sub 3 tones (3.5 tones is the magic number in Europe, that would qualify the car as a truck). Thatās awesome, considering most motor homes of this size are a good 300 to 600kg heavier, without AWD.
13 Likes
Our promaster could almost be a daily driver. If I needed a hauler that could be a DD, Iād get a 136 wheel based Promaster with the high roof. Same turning radius as a Camry.
Very nice. Interior photos?