Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: Zooport on October 10, 2017, 06:32:17 AM
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Now that I'm seriously considering renting out my Newport Beach house and living the surf bum lifestyle for a couple of years, I've begun searching for what I want to live in. Not having the design/construction skills (might I say genius) of Pono Bill, nor the time to invest into building something, I've become interested in this. I have always liked the idea of VW camping vans since I was a teenager.
It's pretty expensive and maybe difficult to get, but it seems pretty cool. I like the idea of something that is not as bulky as a motor home, since I will use it as my car and my house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIG9P0lB1iA
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Cool design. It can only handle two passengers while travelling though, three if the front seat is modified. Also know from experience that the length of beds in VWs is usually 6 feet which makes you sleep diagonal and use up a whole be for one person if you're 6'3". Looks like you could probably store a few decent size boards inside while you travel though most VW campers I've seen have been fitted with roof rack for boards.
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(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSiFWWXtvoDHCU6fDSTSKMjNx6jXS0xCFicSSUmZ3s6TAtMaKqQ)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeHfbuCci7BLt3nd6XhvkqFm_EVuwwbHjqA3OkTIC9EkiEpY1iGw)
Check out this site http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/vehicles/misc/adventure-vw-syncro-van/
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Pretty sweet...but I believe only available in Europe? Another one that is available only in Europe that I really like is the Marco Polo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G8SVmJCoTU
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these two german van are cool!
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What about this?
Volkswagen California XXL
https://youtu.be/JS_HoCo-eoc (https://youtu.be/JS_HoCo-eoc)
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I keep thinking about an inflatable addition to a van. I'm surprised I haven't seen one done. There are inflatable campers but I'm thinking of opening the back doors of a van....turn on the compressor....blows up the room and a nice comfy air bed. Wake up....compressor becomes vacuum and sucks it back in. Make the whole thing fit into a low profile box on the floor.
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I love the vw too but I gotta offer, having to pack everything up and then out again when you want to drive gets old in about 10 minutes.
Do your homework but everyone who does it full time says no to "pull out and convert the bed." This can mean moving everything you own just to get to lie down for a few. I know they aren't sexy but it's hard to beat a travel trailer as you can leave your "home" in one place when you go to work etc.
If you get a bumper pull trailer you can still have a van to drive and take naps in while you chill at the beach and then go back to your "place" at the campground where your bed is made, you have a kitchen you don't have to unfold and a table you don't have to set up.
Just some unsolicited advice but #vanlife looks great on Instagram for a few weeks but I'm not sure I could do it longer term. You may be more amenable to the setup and tear down and if so, you can go as small as you like but I genuinely wish you comfort and adventure on this journey and not a weird awkward camping trip.
YouTube is full of great, real world talks on this. But try to look beyond the "tour of our new van!" videos (episode 3!) and check the 6 month and 1 year updates. Almost all of them have a list of things they'd change. No fold out bed is usually first thing they mention.
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That's how I'm going to do it. My wife and I are planning to get a small travel trailer that I can pull behind my truck...or maybe get a new van..... when we retire. I like the idea of parking the house and having better mobility. Hoping to travel the country for a few years visiting zoners..... ;). I was thinking about some of the discussion on the moving to NC thread. We could rent our house here and easily finance our travels around the country with it....something to consider anyway.
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Stoneaxe, you know about the ford transit? Get the high roof with the 3.5 eco boost engine. With the tow package you can tow 7000 lbs. Lot's of good trailers out there. Pull into the rv park. Unhitch, and go. Been there, done that.
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Stoney, the blow up thing then deflate it when leaving just reminds me of the Lorax or maybe the Cat in the Hat but definitely Dr. Seuss.
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Cheaper and smaller, but it's pretty amazing what they are doing with conversions these days
https://www.reconcampers.com/packages-options
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Nero, our race car hauler Airstream conversion has a sofa that converts to a bed. I spent five months using it, and hated converting the sofa after about the first week. So much so that when Diane was gone for a week-long girlfriend trip I slept on the sofa with just a blanket.
When I started considering a Van or a GMC motorhome I decided on the GMC with one major design criteria--an adequate bedroom requiring no switch-over.
The other main requirement is some space. Felix (the GMC) will have minimal built-ins. Comfortable chairs, spaces for just the things we want to carry and no more. Stuff expands to fit available space. Less space, less stuff.
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Best I've seen is one of the Mercedes Blutec Sprinter RV units, with propane generator for electricity backup and portable bathroom/shower/kitchen and air conditioner, and plenty of inside space to keep boards and even a fold up electric bike. Even have a nice home theater/computer/media center. My neighbor had one for a while and it was really cool. He bought it in Florida, lived in it while repairing and selling a home he owned in Pensacola, and after a year and a half, sold it for more than he paid in California.
I think they run used for 70 to 80K, but can be sold easily without a lot of depreciation. It is, after all, where you are going to live, and having to find a bathroom all the time sucks. Bed is easy to fold in and out, and there is rear entry that is large when needed.
Tow a small electric car for local jaunts.
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Sportsmobiles are the ultimate in campervans. You can even get them in 4x4.
https://sportsmobile.com/
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I agree 100% with cowboy. I've van camped for many years and now camping with a small trailer. Each different type of camper has its advantages and dis advantages but small campers that are tow-able by a mid-sized car really work the best for me and something you should check out.
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm especially glad to find the sportsmobile site, thanks Bean.
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I'm a big fan of Airstream trailers. Used ones in good shape go for about 50% off new, and don't depreciate much after that.
Trailers, van conversions, small RVs, behemoths all have their advantages and disadvantages. A lot depends on how much you plan to move it and how you will use it. I've rented and.or owned pretty much all the options I could think of. Building Fritz is as much a design project as it is anything else, but the end result will suit our aims well. I'll generally carry two e-bikes but I can tow a car if I choose to, or a motorcycle trailer with a couple of bikes.
My airstream actually gives me a lot of options for camping, but I rarely use it. Having the ability to carry any small vehicle and a lot of stuff inside without compromising the living space is unusual.
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Winnebago has a nice 4x4 sprinter also but pricey at 100k. For other ideas try an overlanding site. Like expedition portal.
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The whole conversion stuff would drive me nuts.
Why not just go with an RV or camper? You have to be able to store the board securely and if the switch takes you 30 mins every time you make it I think you'll go nuts (I would).
I am sure you know but Thor Outlaw can be found as a class C RV with a garage for your boards.
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Pop Top Heaven off the 10 out in Yucaipa have some interesting options too Mike
https://www.poptopheaven.com/
My current line of thought on a future trailer camper is a very small toy hauler camper with a completely droppable door for easy loading and unloading of boards. Similar to:
https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/tro/d/small-toy-hauler/6328592456.html
https://dunesport.com/12_foot_toy_hauler.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN6mM6Y6o3M
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It really depends on how small you can live with. A friend was in the same boat recently and wound up going with a 5th wheel. It's what I would go with too, get to where you're going, park it, and you still have a truck to run errands and do day trips in. And my wife can't live without a proper shower.
https://www.granddesignrv.com/showroom/2018/toy-hauler/momentum
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Great thread, thanks for starting and all the posts.
For me van life and the idea of cheaper living and being able to travel with the swell/seasons sounds very seductive. The buzz kill for me is the lack of support or infrastructure for van life. Reminds me of the electric car chicken and egg problem of no/few charging stations...
The van dwellers I know park on streets guerrilla style and if the cops knock they pretend not to be home, or they end up in a Walmart parking lot. My own experience is the same of needing to keep out of sight or a low profile, which I suspect would get really old really fast, and feel very isolating and be a big hit to self worth and the need to be seen and valued.
I am wanting/seeking a support system up and down the coasts of tiny house/van villages designed for full time van livers. Kinda like a "house" swap or time share where the spaces are trade-able and reserve-able or open so that a van traveler can always have a place to park and be welcomed wherever they go. Complete with community amenities so we can travel light and still have all our needs met.
My understanding is hospitality used to be universally practiced, and travelers were welcomed and treated like honored guests. I would love to see a revival of this custom.
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Hi Clay, You're kidding. Right? Those day's are long gone. Just the mental picture of you in you're tiny home makes me chuckle. When I was a kid in the 50's we had places like you want. We called them campgrounds. They're still there but you have to book ahead. Have fun at the contest.
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Is this stupid? I'm thinking of getting a smaller van that would just fit inside one of the stalls of my garage. Then rent out my Newport Beach house with the stipulation that I will be parking my van in there and sleeping each night. I could give a rental credit of $200 or $300 and guarantee that I will not disturb my tenants in any way.
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Hi Clay, You're kidding. Right? Those day's are long gone.
I'm not so sure about that......https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Right_to_access_in_the_Nordic_countries
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Is this stupid? I'm thinking of getting a smaller van that would just fit inside one of the stalls of my garage. Then rent out my Newport Beach house with the stipulation that I will be parking my van in there and sleeping each night. I could give a rental credit of $200 or $300 and guarantee that I will not disturb my tenants in any way.
It's Orange County. I'm sure you could find renters that wouldn't mind you sleeping right in bed with them as long as you brought your own lubrication.
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Starman: Right to access almost never includes motorized vehicles.
Clay--Campgrounds and RV parks certainly meets the general description of the system you propose. The challenge is that it's a relatively scarce resource--not because there aren't plenty of them, but because the demand is so high. You'd expect high demand to set off a boom, but high land prices in desirable places stifle that.
A lot of van and small RV campers do "boondocking" today, which is the kind of camping I always did. Find empty public land and pull off the road. This generally means desert or isolated BLM land. Anyplace you can smell salt water is pay to play, not cheap, and crowded. Community? Sort of. A bit redneck for the sensibilities I detect in your posts.
Zoo--sound like you're getting a bit desperate, but calm down and view this as the adventure it's bound to be. I'm sure you can make that stipulation about your garage, and it might even work. Hell, some people would think it was an advantage to have the owner close by but not in the house. You'll be handy to bitch at for everything that doesn't work properly.
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Zoo--sound like you're getting a bit desperate, but calm down and view this as the adventure it's bound to be.
LOL, it does sound that way, doesn't it? I'm actually not desperate at all and don't even have to do this. This has always been a fun idea rolling around in the back of my mind. I'm just looking for a way to be a bum...and still have a lot of money. Trying to figure out how to best tap into the goldmine that is my house.
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Thanks for the links to camper options everyone. That has opened my eyes to possibilities.
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Zoo, You have a lot of options, so before you spend a lot of money on a camper that may not fit your needs or expectations, you might want to try some out. Check out https://www.jucyusa.com/ There are other competing outfits but this one is not to far from your place.
They a variety of self contained van campers. I'd suggest you look them over and spend a few days seeing if this type could work for you. And have fun doing it.