Dreams of retiring in a camper van (1 Viewer)

[Riffraff]

My uncle retired mid-50's, sold his Seattle house, and bought a 30ft RV (his 240sq ft home on wheels as he'd call it). Toured the nation for 30ish years until mid-80's health issues for he and my aunt. Sold the RV for a double-wide in a nice Seattle neighborhood. Only lasted there a few years until he sold that for assisted living for them.
Auntie made it to 93.

He's 96 now, still drove 90MPH at age 90, and has more stories to tell than any group of people at a get-together combined.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I will say I think your idea of a van is the right thing. I know the trailerable RVs are popular and the super expensive giant John Madden type RVs are cushy. But so difficult to navigate in town or wherever you might want to drive. A van gives you the best of both worlds.

 

[JohnnyU]

I will say I think your idea of a van is the right thing. I know the trailerable RVs are popular and the super expensive giant John Madden type RVs are cushy. But so difficult to navigate in town or wherever you might want to drive. A van gives you the best of both worlds.

Some people pull a car with their RV to use and park the RV.

 

[arrow1]

So when your kids come to visit for the holidays, or if you have grandkids, will they go to wherever you are staying?

 

[the moops]

So when your kids come to visit for the holidays, or if you have grandkids, will they go to wherever you are staying?

We would go to them. That's the idea at least

 

[the moops]

I will say I think your idea of a van is the right thing. I know the trailerable RVs are popular and the super expensive giant John Madden type RVs are cushy. But so difficult to navigate in town or wherever you might want to drive. A van gives you the best of both worlds.

Some people pull a car with their RV to use and park the RV.

We have done this. I never liked towing anything unless I had to and it made doing any sort of bumpy dirt road or off road type stuff impossible

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

I've talked about my Dad some here. He was a talented fabricator and loved cars. World class in some of the hot rod stuff he did.

He had this same idea you're having @the moops about 20 years ago.

My dad was a big man. 6' 4" and around 260 pounds. One of his pet peeves was he hated the flimsy sort of toy like features in lots of RVs. Miniature toilet and shower and a couch that converts to a bed. That kind of stuff.

So he set out to build his own. He bought a brand new GMC 25' panel delivery truck. Looked like a UPS truck. Then proceeded to outfit it with the actual king sized bed from his bedroom. A regular porcelain toilet that would go in a house. And a full size fiberglass shower that would go in your house. Added something like a 100 gallon water tank and hot water equivalent to your house. And a generator to power it all.

Of course, that left room for basically nothing else. He said he didn't need a kitchen. Said in case I hadn't heard, there are quite a few restauarants on the intersate.

It was a one of a kind thing that fit him perfectly. And he wore it out for a few years traveling from Tennessee to California and all over. Had a blast with it.

Would love to see some pics if you have any! Sounds awesome!

 

[Gatorade]

We actually bought a used Winnebago Travato in 2020 when I retired. Those are amazing vehicles and you can go so many places. With solar panels and a generator, you don't have to be at a campground with hookups. You can just park anywhere, even in a Walmart parking lot if you need to. Full bathroom was great so we didn't have to stop at every rest area for my wife and full kitchen so you can eat anytime and anywhere. Check out Harvest Host, where you can stay overnight for free at lots of wineries, farms, breweries, golf courses, etc with just a small purchase.
A lot of these were purchased during covid and now used ones are a lot less expensive. But, they are very complicated machines and if you are technically challenged that can be a big problem. In that case I would buy new.
We kept it for a couple of years and then decided the RV life was not for us . I would suggest renting one and trying it out before you buy. Some people live in them full time with pets and are very happy.
Good luck.

 

[eighsse2]

Wife and I are still years away (kids are 11 and 13) but we are dreaming up our retirement and pretty sure it is sell the house, buy a sweet camper van, and see this continent (we have seen a lot of it, but still a lot more to see). And damn, there are some sweet van builds out there.

This is my current crush https://van-craft.com/inventory/2025-waypoint-awd/

Or the larger version https://van-craft.com/inventory/2025-waypoint-xl-awd/

Anyone else dreaming of something like this?

This is actually my dream as well. Well not exactly. I'd still want a house. But probably take long, long trips in something like that. I'm a few decades away, but if I live that long, that would be great.

 

[the moops]

Check out Harvest Host, where you can stay overnight for free at lots of wineries, farms, breweries, golf courses, etc with just a small purchase.

I didn't know about this. Thanks for the tip. Sounds great! We have used hipcamp where for a mostly nominal fee you can set up a camper or tent or whatever on someone's farm or in the woods. This Harvest Host sounds like the fancier version

 

[Atomic Punk]

Mrs. Punk and I have done multiple football/concert trips through the US (were Canadian). These range from short 4-5 day jaunts to the longest being 16 days. We like the van idea similar to @the moops , for all the same reasons. The ultimate dream would be to do an entire NFL season with concerts and roadside attractions in between. I’m not sure if that will be possible, as Mrs. Punk has lost the urge to do anything that long away from the grandchildren, but we may still do some 4-6 week trips now that we are both retired.

Our plan wasn’t to stay in the van the entire time, but maybe stop at a motel once a week and another higher end Airbnb once a week. We’ll see how things go and if we get this happening again in a couple of years.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Thought about it A LOT. Those vans are sweet but stupid expensive. I've watched countless videos about how to build one. Could be a fun little project if you're handy.

I have thought about going this route, and I consider myself more than handy, but I think what I could do would 1) take way too long to finish, and 2) would not nearly be the quality of what a lof of these builders can offer.

Also, while I agree that these things aren't cheap, spending 120K + for a sweet ride that you can sleep in and can be off the grid, isn't ridiculous, IMO. Hell, there are trucks and sedans that go for nearly that.

The sprinter is a sweet ride though. The hollow shell, with all the upgrades that most of these full builds have (AWD, heated seats, navigation, upgraded suspensions, larger wheels, etc) will run you 80K +. Kind of amazed actually that the inside build "only" costs 50K or so.

This is exactly what I think. As Americans, we’re so spoiled with excessive square footage in our homes. As long as there is a decent kitchenette, place to eat, and comfortable mattress, the rest is gravy. I guess a shower would be nice, too.

But considering the average price of real estate nowadays, nicer vans/small RVs are downright bargains.

 

[Atomic Punk]

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/lists/best-camper-vans-1234843432/best-overall-airstream-atlas/

Good list of options here.

 

[Judge Smails]

No.

Agree. Hard no for me

 

[the moops]

No.

Agree. Hard no for me

You two weren't invited anyway

 

[gianmarco]

No.

Agree. Hard no for me

You two weren't invited anyway

My link

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

My parents full-timed in an RV for 18 years. They were always a bit adventurous and this stage of their life was certainly an adventure. My dad worked in corporate America, the airline industry, for the most part of 26 years before deciding that he was over it. He abruptly quit his job as the SVP of IT and him and my mom bought a B&B in rural Wisconsin that they ran for about 9 years before my son (their first grandchild) was born. At that point, they decided that running the B&B 24x7, 365 days a year wasn’t conducive to spending time with their grandchild, and soon to be grandchildren, so they sold it and bought a 36-foot Fleetwood Bounder and towed their Ford Escape behind them everywhere they went. I can’t remember exactly what they paid for the RV at the time, but I’m guessing it was around $150k or so. Nothing extravagent considering that was their sole residence for that long but it was comfortable for them. My dad was pretty handy so he was able to provide the majority of maintenance on a vehicle that was definitely NOT built for full-time RV life.

Over the next 18 years they spent their time exploring the US and stopping for periods of time in certain places that allowed them to visit family and friends for extended periods (California, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Georgia and Florida). Shortly into Covid, my siblings and I were able to convince them that due to declining health, namely declining mobility and eyesight of my dad, it was time to retire from full-time RV life, and I purchased a condo in Florida for them, about an hour from where I live.

They loved their RV lifestyle. It allowed them to be somewhat nomadic for a large part of their retirement. I often think that although my dad technically retired early at 50 years old, they were able to continue living their life, travelling and having the mobility and time to see their grandchildren, which was the ultimate goal. They weren’t rich financially by any means, but their experiences and conservative spending habits allowed them to really enjoy their time on the road.

As I start sniffing retirement age (I’m 55), I’m starting to feel the draw of doing something similar. Although my wife has been part of my life for 30+ years and have seen how much my parents enjoyed their time in the RV, she hasn’t really latched onto that concept…..yet. I have my fingers crossed that she may start to come around, even if it’s part-time RV life, over the next 5-6 years.

 

[The Z Machine]

I've talked about my Dad some here. He was a talented fabricator and loved cars. World class in some of the hot rod stuff he did.

He had this same idea you're having @the moops about 20 years ago.

My dad was a big man. 6' 4" and around 260 pounds. One of his pet peeves was he hated the flimsy sort of toy like features in lots of RVs. Miniature toilet and shower and a couch that converts to a bed. That kind of stuff.

So he set out to build his own. He bought a brand new GMC 25' panel delivery truck. Looked like a UPS truck. Then proceeded to outfit it with the actual king sized bed from his bedroom. A regular porcelain toilet that would go in a house. And a full size fiberglass shower that would go in your house. Added something like a 100 gallon water tank and hot water equivalent to your house. And a generator to power it all.

Of course, that left room for basically nothing else. He said he didn't need a kitchen. Said in case I hadn't heard, there are quite a few restauarants on the intersate.

It was a one of a kind thing that fit him perfectly. And he wore it out for a few years traveling from Tennessee to California and all over. Had a blast with it.

I kinda get that. If you can grill some place, that helps too. But if you're content with gas station and fast food with occasional sit down and have the money to afford it, this sounds like a winning plan.

I do wonder a bit about the weight of all that stuff in the van. 100 Gallons of water plus tank is like 900 lbs. The bed, the pluming, etc. Sounds like 2 tons of stuff in that van. Hope the suspension was up for that load.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I've talked about my Dad some here. He was a talented fabricator and loved cars. World class in some of the hot rod stuff he did.

He had this same idea you're having @the moops about 20 years ago.

My dad was a big man. 6' 4" and around 260 pounds. One of his pet peeves was he hated the flimsy sort of toy like features in lots of RVs. Miniature toilet and shower and a couch that converts to a bed. That kind of stuff.

So he set out to build his own. He bought a brand new GMC 25' panel delivery truck. Looked like a UPS truck. Then proceeded to outfit it with the actual king sized bed from his bedroom. A regular porcelain toilet that would go in a house. And a full size fiberglass shower that would go in your house. Added something like a 100 gallon water tank and hot water equivalent to your house. And a generator to power it all.

Of course, that left room for basically nothing else. He said he didn't need a kitchen. Said in case I hadn't heard, there are quite a few restauarants on the intersate.

It was a one of a kind thing that fit him perfectly. And he wore it out for a few years traveling from Tennessee to California and all over. Had a blast with it.

I kinda get that. If you can grill some place, that helps too. But if you're content with gas station and fast food with occasional sit down and have the money to afford it, this sounds like a winning plan.

I do wonder a bit about the weight of all that stuff in the van. 100 Gallons of water plus tank is like 900 lbs. The bed, the pluming, etc. Sounds like 2 tons of stuff in that van. Hope the suspension was up for that load.

It was up for it. He always built things on the heavy duty side. We stopped weighing my BBQ trailer he built when it got to 12,000 pounds.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

We stopped weighing my BBQ trailer he built when it got to 12,000 pounds.

 

[eoMMan]

Looks awesome, good luck and have fun planning/dreaming about it.

 

[the moops]

And Matt Foley of course

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[Cowboysfan8]

And Matt Foley of course

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[urbanhack]

Get a vanity license plate that says: "B8toven"

 

[needanap]

In February we bought a Roadtrek Agile SS. MB Sprinter, just under 20 feet. We love it. I am 6'3 and this one has an almost queen size bed. A huge benefit for us is that we live in an HOA and we can park the sprinter van in our driveway. Also, the van fits in a regular parking spot so super convenient. Bought it in Mesa, AZ and spent three days cruising around AZ before returning home to Murrieta, CA (southern CA). In March we used it as a moving van, including towing a UHaul trailer from Carmel to Murrieta. Hardly noticed the trailer at all (except when having to back up).
Beginning of June we spent 3 days in Utah at an RV park outside of Zion. Was able to park it easily in the park. Then headed over to East entrance of Grand Canyon where we camped for a night.
It has a bathroom, fridge, shower, induction stove top. Get between 18-20 MPH (diesel), super comfortable and easy to drive. On the way home from Grand Canyon stopped in Laughlin NV where it was 109 at 8pm. Went with the $57 hotel room that night. All-in-all it has been great. Not sure I would want to live in it full-time though. If we were going that route, would definitely get the big RV. Our friends have a class C Tiffin that is crazy luxury, but I am sure the price is crazy.

 

[glvsav37]

my youtube playlist is full of these solo life nomad videos. As I get older and everyday is the same in this suburban ground hog day, the more i want to disappear and wake up in some out of the way place with noting but scenery, nature and no cell service.

IDK if I want the over road van/truck life, but more of the Jeep, mountain, off the grid life. Its amazing what they pack into these 4 door overland jeeps with the pop tent on top.

I dont think my wife would share my enthusiasm for it, so to just go for a week or 2 at a time would be great.

 

[the moops]

IDK if I want the over road van/truck life, but more of the Jeep, mountain, off the grid life. Its amazing what they pack into these 4 door overland jeeps with the pop tent on top.

Those are super cool. The big downside (to me) is having to set up and take all that **** down. We have a pop up now and while it is fine to set it up and take it down the couple weeks a year we use it, it is definitely not something I would want to do on the daily

 

[gianmarco]

In February we bought a Roadtrek Agile SS. MB Sprinter, just under 20 feet. We love it. I am 6'3 and this one has an almost queen size bed. A huge benefit for us is that we live in an HOA and we can park the sprinter van in our driveway. Also, the van fits in a regular parking spot so super convenient. Bought it in Mesa, AZ and spent three days cruising around AZ before returning home to Murrieta, CA (southern CA). In March we used it as a moving van, including towing a UHaul trailer from Carmel to Murrieta. Hardly noticed the trailer at all (except when having to back up).
Beginning of June we spent 3 days in Utah at an RV park outside of Zion. Was able to park it easily in the park. Then headed over to East entrance of Grand Canyon where we camped for a night.
It has a bathroom, fridge, shower, induction stove top. Get between 18-20 MPH (diesel), super comfortable and easy to drive. On the way home from Grand Canyon stopped in Laughlin NV where it was 109 at 8pm. Went with the $57 hotel room that night. All-in-all it has been great. Not sure I would want to live in it full-time though. If we were going that route, would definitely get the big RV. Our friends have a class C Tiffin that is crazy luxury, but I am sure the price is crazy.

I'd want something a little bit faster than that.

 

[needanap]

In February we bought a Roadtrek Agile SS. MB Sprinter, just under 20 feet. We love it. I am 6'3 and this one has an almost queen size bed. A huge benefit for us is that we live in an HOA and we can park the sprinter van in our driveway. Also, the van fits in a regular parking spot so super convenient. Bought it in Mesa, AZ and spent three days cruising around AZ before returning home to Murrieta, CA (southern CA). In March we used it as a moving van, including towing a UHaul trailer from Carmel to Murrieta. Hardly noticed the trailer at all (except when having to back up).
Beginning of June we spent 3 days in Utah at an RV park outside of Zion. Was able to park it easily in the park. Then headed over to East entrance of Grand Canyon where we camped for a night.
It has a bathroom, fridge, shower, induction stove top. Get between 18-20 MPH (diesel), super comfortable and easy to drive. On the way home from Grand Canyon stopped in Laughlin NV where it was 109 at 8pm. Went with the $57 hotel room that night. All-in-all it has been great. Not sure I would want to live in it full-time though. If we were going that route, would definitely get the big RV. Our friends have a class C Tiffin that is crazy luxury, but I am sure the price is crazy.

I'd want something a little bit faster than that.

Ooops. 18-20 MPG. It was cruising easily at 90 MPH through the desert.

 

[glvsav37]

my youtube playlist is full of these solo life nomad videos. As I get older and everyday is the same in this suburban ground hog day, the more i want to disappear and wake up in some out of the way place with noting but scenery, nature and no cell service.

IDK if I want the over road van/truck life, but more of the Jeep, mountain, off the grid life. Its amazing what they pack into these 4 door overland jeeps with the pop tent on top.

I dont think my wife would share my enthusiasm for it, so to just go for a week or 2 at a time would be great.

Watching more youtube this AM and THIS IS WHAT I WANT

Living in the capital of suburban squal, Long Island NY, I want to wake up one day and be driving around that view