ot: 4 years in a camper van

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by sooshi

I have a Sprinter and I'm in this wayyyyyy less than what everyone is ball parking. It's actually a really great build too: soundproofed, insulated, storage, removable bed, separate battery bank, solar and a few other niceties. I don't have a 4x4 which kept cost down but I live in So. California so no real need for it. I also have the low roof because I plan to do the same pop top as pictured down the road but in the mean time it's totally functional as is.

Such a great setup for quick MTB excursions out of town.

That looks great. I'm considering something similar. Just deciding if I want to go the cargo-van plus build-out way like yours, or a smaller city-size van (Promaster City or Ford Transit) with just some cots in the back for rustic camping but otherwise just a bike hauler, or buy a full-on mini-RV to get the tax and other benefits (like being able to truly spend the night anywhere even if nature, ahem, calls).

[peanutgallery]

Read the article and found some issues

1. Inspired by Tony Robbins? => sign of danger, but at least no mention of walking on coals

2. The $ math to fund the junket

3. An office manager...from a van...in Europe...squeezed in between hula hoop festivals. Imagine being on the receiving end of that?

I think HuffPost should vet these articles a little better and label what they really are. Other than all that, slightly jealous

[R3awak3n]

This is all so awesome but how do you pay for 4 years of travel and bumming around?

There is this van life couple I saw a few times on instagram and they have youtube, they live of that and there was an interview somewhere where she says she would totally not be living in a van anymore but its how they make their money. Dont get me wrong, I would love to do it for a year but I think I am not cut out for van life. Also what I do for money cannot be done from inside a van

[oldpotatoe]

Hacks..there is only one way to travel by 'camper van'.
Sounds great..when I mention this to my wife, 'lets buy a VW camper and travel around for a while', she tells me to send her post cards..

[PaMtbRider]

Interesting article. There are lots of couples doing or trying to do this now. Set up a youtube channel, create a blog, link to Amazon products that you "review" I think these two were / are better financed than most. Just reading the article I got the impression Mom & Dad are well off and might have subsidized the lifestyle.

Looking forward to retirement in a few years when we can do our version of van life. We won't sell the house and will probably limit it to 3-4 months of travel at a time.

Our van is set up as a toy hauler. It carries our 2 motorcycles, 2 bicycles and 2 kayaks and tows our home on wheels.

[AngryScientist]

its an interesting notion, and certainly a proposition that could not work for most people.

i have the micro-camper now, and it's pretty rad for quick getaways, though i havent done any real extended travel with it. at some point in the reasonably near future, i do want to build out a cheap camper van to take the kids exploring, and do some extended solo trips.

the idea of living in a van full time though, with another person, just doesnt appeal to me. a month or so away from home base - absolutely, sounds fun.

i also laughed at the "family business" that needed an office manager who can work from the internet at any time of the day. LOL, yea, right. Of all the job titles that i can imagine telecommuting from, office manager?

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

That looks great. I'm considering something similar. Just deciding if I want to go the cargo-van plus build-out way like yours, or a smaller city-size van (Promaster City or Ford Transit) with just some cots in the back for rustic camping but otherwise just a bike hauler, or buy a full-on mini-RV to get the tax and other benefits (like being able to truly spend the night anywhere even if nature, ahem, calls).

If it has a sink and toilet you can call it an RV and finance it different - i don't have 150k laying around, others may not have this problem. (insert cousin eddy emptying the $hitter -). I have also heard they are shifting production to a new factory and a new updated sprinter is going to be released, creating a lack a lack of available units?

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

This is all so awesome but how do you pay for 4 years of travel and bumming around?

I see and meet people like this a lot when skiing. They're everywhere. Somehow they're living the life at age 28 or so, and some are so arrogant and/or clueless that they can't help themselves by preaching, "You can do it too!". It's pretty obvious if you do the math that either one or both are living off of trust fund money. How else? Most people their age are struggling with student debt and working jobs that are way under their expectations. These two float out of college, say, ewwww, work sucks, and just, you know, take off. How nice. What fun! You can do it too!

There's a great movie about all this that Albert Brooks made. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089504/ I was reminded of it the other day when I listened to a friend of a friend agonizing over what color the new Mercedes should be. The scene when he tries to B.S. his money back from Gary Marshall, the casino manager, is priceless.

[thegunner]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

I see and meet people like this a lot when skiing. They're everywhere. Somehow they're living the life at age 28 or so, and some are so arrogant and/or clueless that they can't help themselves by preaching, "You can do it too!". It's pretty obvious if you do the math that either one or both are living off of trust fund money. How else? Most people their age are struggling with student debt and working jobs that are way under their expectations. They float out of college, say, ewwww, work sucks, and just, you know, take off. How nice. What fun! You can do it too!

eh, i'm not a trust fund kid, have no student debt, and could probably pull this off while working remotely for a good long while.

i suspect you might've just run into a lot of my ex-coworkers (or finance types) who burn out after a couple of years and want some time away, i don't think it's necessarily fair to say as a whole they're all delusional.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by thegunner

eh, i'm not a trust fund kid, have no student debt, and could probably pull this off while working remotely for a good long while.

i suspect you might've just run into a lot of my ex-coworkers (or finance types) who burn out after a couple of years and want some time away, i don't think it's necessarily fair to say as a whole they're all delusional.

Yeah, but, how old are you? Been working for a while? Established yourself?

[sparky33]

What’s old is new. Only this time around there is social media onboard.

Sure it romanticizes a totally impractical lifestyle, but I’m sure we all are amused to some degree with the curated youdidntsleephere pictures and quitmylife stories.

[hokoman]

I was a fan of sprinter conversions before they hit mainstream, should have gotten into it before the prices skyrocketed. This is also coming from a guy that wanted a minivan at 23 when I moved back to CA from NY.

I randomly check this page... when I hit lotto, I will get one for my weekend glamping trips.

https://earthroamer.com/pre-owned/

[thegunner]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Yeah, but, how old are you? Been working for a while? Established yourself?

i'm 30, and i wasted a good amount of time in grad school making negative money, i just think that there are plenty of folks for whom the circumstances can align for this type of thing. honestly a mental health break like this seems pretty good in the long run.

[Mr. Pink]

Doesn't look good on the resume. Maybe a year or two straight out of school, plenty of the upper middle class do it, it's excusable, but, sooner or later, time to grow up.

[eddief]

and have a real bed, shower, and room to move around.

Huh Dave?