Looking At Vans And A Change In Approach
vanlife·@vanarchist·
0.000 HBDLooking At Vans And A Change In Approach
As expected, my car was officially assessed as a total loss by the insurance company. It looks like I should be getting some of the money relatively soon, not sure exactly. However, $2000 is being taken out for my deductible that I have to try and get from the other guy's insurance and I have no idea how long that will be. Typical insurance company bullshit. Basically, I'll have somewhere in the neighborhood of $5700 to work with until or if I can get the other money. I'm pretty set on a high top van, one that I can stand up in. I figure if I'm going to downgrade my fuel economy, I might as well maximize comfort. I'm not thrilled on the loss of fuel economy, the other direction would be to get something like a used Prius. I find that car dwelling means more dependence on establishments like coffee shops because you can't really comfortably work out of a car for long periods of time in my experience. I'd like to have less dependence on coffee shops and hang out less in urban areas which a van will make easier to do. I can have a kitchen configuration that I don't have to setup up and tear down every time I use it. I can store more food and access it more easily. The primary issue that wouldn't necessarily be resolved is daytime temperature control. It can get too hot during the day to stay in a vehicle. That would be problematic if I'm trying to work remotely out of the van. Maybe the improved insulation and ventilation of a van could make it workable. I still don't have consistent remote work yet that I can live off of. It's been a long process that I'm working on. I nearly scored a remote 6 month programming contract a month or so ago but they ended up going with someone else after weeks of interviews and skills assessments. Remote work is part of this change in approach I'm shooting for. From high top vans I've seen on the market in my price range, I have a few options. Although I would prefer an all metal roof style van such as a Transit or Sprinter, they're just too expensive. There are no options in my price range. What is available are normal cargo vans that have had the roofs cut off and fiberglass high tops installed. There are a few main types of these vans that I've seen in my search. ### High Mileage Work & Medical Vans Here's a work van used for a printing company I saw (already gone). It would have needed shelving removed and a minimum conversion to be able to live out of. 2008 Ford e250 150k miles $5999  Here's a wheelchair van. It has more miles than I think I'd be comfortable with. It has a wheel chair lift that would have to be removed and conversion work that would have to be done. 2006 Ford e250 371k miles $4995  ### Older Conversion Vans Here's a high top conversion van with the basic amenities already installed but some mechanical uncertainties. It also is carbureted and I would prefer fuel injection. 1985 Chevy G20 unknown miles $3499  ### Older Class B RVs Here's an older factory class B RV. It has some mechanical uncertainties and I'm not thrilled about the Dodge chassis but the inside is very workable. 1992 Dodge RAM 350 50k miles on new engine (? transmission) $5300 .jpg) ### High Top Installation Another possibility would be to purchase a high top either new or used and install it on a cargo van. From what I've seen in listings it's extremely rare to find a used high top. Maybe one could be found at a junkyard? The main company that makes them new is Fiberine. I got some quotes and it's like $3000 for a 24" fiberglass high top. If you want windows, better finishing, or installation, it'd be quite a bit more. Basically it'd eat up most of my budget just on the roof.  I'm still looking and contemplating the best approach. There's not a whole lot of options in the price range I'm dealing with so I'll just have to keep an eye out for new listings. Don't have the money yet anyhow.
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