Now YOU yes YOU can jump on the "Living in a van by the river craze"


Pass

If I'm going to live off the grid, this is the vehicle

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Lots of plus's and minuses to that life style... I was in RV's traveling for work for many years. Better now than 25 years ago. At that time getting the label with the financial people of "No Permanent Address" really confused many. They labeled me as a transient for a few years. When the computers / tracking came along then every state I spent a night in wanted me to file a tax return with them and be double taxed in the states where I worked. Mail forwarding services were just OK because inevitably something would "fall through the cracks in the floor". I know several people who worked all their life so they could sell everything off and live the life of RV'ers... First year on the road one would come down with a heart issue or worse. Next thing you know they were back in their home city, camping at a RV park, or worse, parked in the lot at the regional hospital so they could deal with their medical team... Having next door neighbors 15' away is a draw back because other's want to park by the river and if you are in a prime spot they are going to crowd you.... There were all those invitations to "come park in my drive way and visit".... until you got to their drive way and a local ordinance prohibited RV parking anywhere other than an approved park...

My suggestion is to go to one of the RV Rental outfits and rent one for a month and give it a try before going in hook, line and sinker.
 
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How crazy are some of these otherwise decent looking chicks that they go live in a fucking van?
I'll explain.... To the single Mom's who have just got the last child out of the house the full time RV life looks great. Then along comes the first Grandchild and suddenly you are by yourself "down by the river"..... Grandma wants to move back next door to the grand child.... LOL
 
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Bring back the E-series, but with factory installed 4x4 F-350 drivetrain!

Or just build one yourself:

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I would like something that rides better and is easier to work on and doesn't sound like the last airport shuttle you took from the economy parking lot, but it makes 350 RWHP and gets 18 MPG on the highway and can accommodate a lot of guns or bikes or kids' friends. It's also "shit simple" and can get repaired at any decent independent shop if necessary.

The new Transit Trail looks great, but $65k + whatever I'd spend building out the back half of the interior is more than I really to spend for a box on wheels at this time.
 
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Or just build one yourself:

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I would like something that rides better and is easier to work on and doesn't sound like the last airport shuttle you took from the economy parking lot, but it makes 350 RWHP and gets 18 MPG on the highway and can accommodate a lot of guns or bikes or kids' friends. It's also "shit simple" and can get repaired at any decent independent shop if necessary.

The new Transit Trail looks great, but $65k + whatever I'd spend building out the back half of the interior is more than I really to spend for a box on wheels at this time.
Very familiar with them, just stupid the OEM’s never did anything like that.
 
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Very familiar with them, just stupid the OEM’s never did anything like that.

Totally agree that Ford missed a huge opportunity. And Quigley kinda blew it by using a bunch of custom parts (such as front hubs re-drilled to the 8x6.5" van bolt pattern, instead of just swapping everything over to the 8x170mm truck pattern). GM didn't offer its AWD system on the 2500 and 3500 versions of the Express; one of those with a proper two-speed transfer case would cover 95%+ of my uses.
 
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When you live on a yacht, no property taxes
My brain can’t comprehend yacht money.

Did some work on 110 foot yacht some Australian owned, that was docked at the Village of Bay Town in Destin. While working on it 3 hot little numbers got off it that looked still dress from the previous night... they were all walking kind of funny.
 
My brain can’t comprehend yacht money.

Did some work on 110 foot yacht some Australian owned, that was docked at the Village of Bay Town in Destin. While working on it 3 hot little numbers got off it that looked still dress from the previous night... they were all walking kind of funny.
Yacht is relative. I'm not talking megayachts. I'm talking stuff within reach.

Lots of people blow 100K to 500K on beach property. You can get a hell of a lot of sail or power yacht in the 30 to 50 ft range.
 
You need a good first mate and lots of wenches lol. And beer a metric shit ton of beer
You'd be surprised how many female "first mates" hang around on the docks. Looking for a ride to the next dock. The bigger the boat the better the pickens.

And we found sailing that hard liquor is the way to go. Storage space at a minimum and all. 151 rum is very efficient per cubic foot of storage space. You know, saving the planet and all.
 
Totally agree that Ford missed a huge opportunity. And Quigley kinda blew it by using a bunch of custom parts (such as front hubs re-drilled to the 8x6.5" van bolt pattern, instead of just swapping everything over to the 8x170mm truck pattern). GM didn't offer its AWD system on the 2500 and 3500 versions of the Express; one of those with a proper two-speed transfer case would cover 95%+ of my uses.
I was on the cusp of buying a new Sportsmobile when you could still get the 6.0 diesel. Had it all spec’d out (very minimal) Hesitated, cooled off a bit, and never got back to it. Total regret now. Ive searched around for used vans, but they're usually gas and hammered. Used Sportsmobile 6.0’s with 100K on them go for way more now than I was gonna pay new in 2010.
 
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You'd be surprised how many female "first mates" hang around on the docks. Looking for a ride to the next dock. The bigger the boat the better the pickens.

And we found sailing that hard liquor is the way to go. Storage space at a minimum and all. 151 rum is very efficient per cubic foot of storage space. You know, saving the planet and all.
Plenty of that as well. Stored beer and pop above bilge area could lay in about 20 cases. Bottom layer got a bit foul. Just needed a glass lol. Pretty small carbon footprint on a sailboat. At least that’s what St Greta claims. 😝
 
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unimog box.jpg

^^^ This old Pennsylvania Gas and Electric truck box...

And this Old Swiss Army Unimog that I have in storage... vvv

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Are going to go together next summer to make my Hunting/Camping/overlanding rig for retirement. I read Travels With Charley as a teenager and it gave me a dream...

Overlander building is a total art! That I intend to master!

As for living down by the river with the meth heads... More likely near nice grouse woods or following the rut!

Sirhr
 
You'd be surprised how many female "first mates" hang around on the docks. Looking for a ride to the next dock. The bigger the boat the better the pickens.
Hard pass on the skanks

And we found sailing that hard liquor is the way to go. Storage space at a minimum and all. 151 rum is very efficient per cubic foot of storage space. You know, saving the planet and all.

The Royal Navy figured that out over 300 years ago........courtesy of Admiral Edward Vernon
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Infantryman carries what he needs, immediately, on his back. Trucks are for carrying extra ammo, water, food, commo, & bitches. Otherwise, go there in an aircraft, get out, walk around.
 
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You'd be surprised how many female "first mates" hang around on the docks. Looking for a ride to the next dock. The bigger the boat the better the pickens.

And we found sailing that hard liquor is the way to go. Storage space at a minimum and all. 151 rum is very efficient per cubic foot of storage space. You know, saving the planet and all.


I used to skeet shoot with an old guy that had plenty of stories of sailing the Caribbean. His parents died and he inherited about 2 million $ in the early 90s. Spent every dime on a sailboat and living on it for years.
Never did like liquor much so he carried as much beer as he could whenever he could get it. Said it was hard to even find.

He said he was the life of the party at any dock, and people would trade all sorts of stuff for warm beer. Figured it was cheaper and easier than buying food, he just traded for all his meals.

It sounded like one hell of an adventure, but I can't imagine how much harder it would be today.
 
yea no thanks I want 4 walls of reinforced concrete and a solid roof and some nice padding on the walls in between rows of guns and stacks of ammo lol
 
Always a missed opportunity by domestic auto makers. No shortage of people around here willing to pay $200k for a AWD Merc sprinter RV

Bring back the E-series, but with factory installed 4x4 F-350 drivetrain!
That was actually an option. I know of two in my ao. One belonged to a custom cabinet company and the other belongs to a guy that works for the plant where I work. The latter is an E-350 4x4 with a 6.0 diesel. Slightly lifted with a roof rack and ladders down the sides. Pretty cool looking ride actually. He calls it the hoonivan.
 
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Here's the one for me...

 
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I lived in a van for a few months down in New Zealand. That was pretty cool. It gave me the opportunity to see the place in a way that I otherwise wouldn't get to. There were some areas down on the South Island that are pretty remote. It was nice to pull up and just 'camp' where ever...

There are downsides however to living in a van.
 
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After doing such for a number of years, I can honestly say that 'living on the water is great'. Except in Winter.

The whole 'winterizing the boat' and such is a HUGE pain-in-the-ass. And a LOT of work. Easier if you're able'r. But yeah, living on a boat (full service) really IS something unique.