Hello there! I am a long term lurker of the classifieds here, and figured since soon I'll be taking the plunge into the expedition vehicle pool I should maybe introduce myself, and perhaps get some feedback about the choices I will be making.
Next year my husband and I are pitching it all (home, mortgage, jobs, life-as-it-is) and hitting the road here in the US, and almost certainly taking our show on the road internationally in the following years. We have looked all over for a vehicle that meets our needs (liveable, simple, roomy enough but still small, dependable, 4WD is a must, stealthy, solid) and have found NOTHING. The Begal and Malayan Tigers come close, but they're very expensive and a little too overly finished and kinda ticky tacky for our tastes (that's what I tell myself . . . really, just too expensive). A 170WB Sprinter van seems ideal in many ways (if a little small, but we can adapt) but ultimately the lack of a (factory) 4x4 has proven to be a deal killer. We've also considered the Four Wheel Camper-type route, but the pop-up is a big negative, plus they generally seem a little small, a little flimsy(?) and perhaps really not up for full-time living. Earthroamers, GlobalX, etc, holy smokes they're HUGE and EXPENSIVE and just too much. We have also considered just buying a cheap 15K whatever, 4WD or not, just to bang around in for a year to discover if we really DO want to do this thing and perhaps to refine what it is we TRULY need in a vehicle, as opposed to the theoretical tack we're taking right now. This last option is still very, very attractive.
We've got a year timetable, absolutely no more than, say, 70K to spend (and would like to do it for less than that), very flexible attitudes and lifestyles. We are in our mid-to-late 40s. My husband is VERY clever, I'm reasonably clever, and we have the ability to do ALOT of work on our own. Neither one of us requires a palace to live in, but at minimum we think we'd be OK with bedspace (cabover, preferably), galley w/ fridge-stove-sink, sette for two, bathroom (cassette toilet? outside running water?) w/ shower, storage for bikes, etc. Insulated and secure. 4WD is a necessity, as we spend lots of time in deserts and mountains, and NO time in KOAs/RV parks. Almost certainly diesel. Probably with heat/airconditioning too, but now I'm starting to get into things I'd LIKE to have, but really are not strictly necessary.
So, what are we thinking about? After months of discussion discussion discussion and reading and classifieds and freaking out in general, here's what we've come up with: ideas, mostly. We are seriously considering just buying a diesel 4WD box truck/stepvan/moving truck and going from there (I'm serious about we don't need a ton of luxuries). I know there's inherent problems with that choice . . . I've been told, No! You Can't Do THAT!! but . . . why not? We could get something like what we're looking for (an insulated, 10-13 foot bed with cabover space, curbside door, don't want that rollup back door though) on a used Ford F350 chassis, in pretty good shape, probably for 20-30K, and could just . . . heavily modify the thing, right? I'm trying to educate myself on the builds of these things (aluminum, FRP, etc), and of course would have to work out the logistics of placement of water tanks, plumbing, electrical . . . it would be nice to be able to leave this aspect to professionals, but again we DO have the capability to figure it out for ourselves, if we have to.
Another choice, which I am actively pursuing right now, is to have such a box (7x13, cabover, insulated, curbside door, perhaps barndoor style back doors) custom built for us, maybe even with the basic utilities roughed-in, ready to plop onto a chassis that we would provide (and would probably be a Ford F350, but who knows? Husband is NOT fond of the Fuso, FWIW), and which we would build out over the following months. As a side note, I've found it a little difficult to find (via google searches, anyway) nearby companies that even DO such things (I'm located in Northern California) but this may well be ignorance on my part. In any case, I've got 5 requests out for rough quotes, and am eagerly awaiting responses.
Anyhow, that's the short of it. I don't know exactly why I'm posting this, but thought I'd like to introduce myself to to forum at large, because whatEVER happens I know I'm going to end up with lots of questions and need for education, plus you all just seem like a nice, knowledgable group of folks. If any of you have any opinion about our current quandary/plans, I'd LOVE to hear them. I've started a blog here: http://theferalblog.wordpress.com/ and though it's in its very baby stages it may turn into a fun read.
Thanks for reading, and if this is in the wrong place please let me know!
Next year my husband and I are pitching it all (home, mortgage, jobs, life-as-it-is) and hitting the road here in the US, and almost certainly taking our show on the road internationally in the following years. We have looked all over for a vehicle that meets our needs (liveable, simple, roomy enough but still small, dependable, 4WD is a must, stealthy, solid) and have found NOTHING. The Begal and Malayan Tigers come close, but they're very expensive and a little too overly finished and kinda ticky tacky for our tastes (that's what I tell myself . . . really, just too expensive). A 170WB Sprinter van seems ideal in many ways (if a little small, but we can adapt) but ultimately the lack of a (factory) 4x4 has proven to be a deal killer. We've also considered the Four Wheel Camper-type route, but the pop-up is a big negative, plus they generally seem a little small, a little flimsy(?) and perhaps really not up for full-time living. Earthroamers, GlobalX, etc, holy smokes they're HUGE and EXPENSIVE and just too much. We have also considered just buying a cheap 15K whatever, 4WD or not, just to bang around in for a year to discover if we really DO want to do this thing and perhaps to refine what it is we TRULY need in a vehicle, as opposed to the theoretical tack we're taking right now. This last option is still very, very attractive.
We've got a year timetable, absolutely no more than, say, 70K to spend (and would like to do it for less than that), very flexible attitudes and lifestyles. We are in our mid-to-late 40s. My husband is VERY clever, I'm reasonably clever, and we have the ability to do ALOT of work on our own. Neither one of us requires a palace to live in, but at minimum we think we'd be OK with bedspace (cabover, preferably), galley w/ fridge-stove-sink, sette for two, bathroom (cassette toilet? outside running water?) w/ shower, storage for bikes, etc. Insulated and secure. 4WD is a necessity, as we spend lots of time in deserts and mountains, and NO time in KOAs/RV parks. Almost certainly diesel. Probably with heat/airconditioning too, but now I'm starting to get into things I'd LIKE to have, but really are not strictly necessary.
So, what are we thinking about? After months of discussion discussion discussion and reading and classifieds and freaking out in general, here's what we've come up with: ideas, mostly. We are seriously considering just buying a diesel 4WD box truck/stepvan/moving truck and going from there (I'm serious about we don't need a ton of luxuries). I know there's inherent problems with that choice . . . I've been told, No! You Can't Do THAT!! but . . . why not? We could get something like what we're looking for (an insulated, 10-13 foot bed with cabover space, curbside door, don't want that rollup back door though) on a used Ford F350 chassis, in pretty good shape, probably for 20-30K, and could just . . . heavily modify the thing, right? I'm trying to educate myself on the builds of these things (aluminum, FRP, etc), and of course would have to work out the logistics of placement of water tanks, plumbing, electrical . . . it would be nice to be able to leave this aspect to professionals, but again we DO have the capability to figure it out for ourselves, if we have to.
Another choice, which I am actively pursuing right now, is to have such a box (7x13, cabover, insulated, curbside door, perhaps barndoor style back doors) custom built for us, maybe even with the basic utilities roughed-in, ready to plop onto a chassis that we would provide (and would probably be a Ford F350, but who knows? Husband is NOT fond of the Fuso, FWIW), and which we would build out over the following months. As a side note, I've found it a little difficult to find (via google searches, anyway) nearby companies that even DO such things (I'm located in Northern California) but this may well be ignorance on my part. In any case, I've got 5 requests out for rough quotes, and am eagerly awaiting responses.
Anyhow, that's the short of it. I don't know exactly why I'm posting this, but thought I'd like to introduce myself to to forum at large, because whatEVER happens I know I'm going to end up with lots of questions and need for education, plus you all just seem like a nice, knowledgable group of folks. If any of you have any opinion about our current quandary/plans, I'd LOVE to hear them. I've started a blog here: http://theferalblog.wordpress.com/ and though it's in its very baby stages it may turn into a fun read.
Thanks for reading, and if this is in the wrong place please let me know!
