Now I Can REALLY Make Fun of #Vanlife!

What would ‘qualify’ me to better make fun of the ‘sexy vanlife’ social media accounts?

I’d say I’d be more qualified if I actually had a van and lived it. And that’s my new plan! (Wut?)

Yup, I am in the market to get a van to pull my trailer, even after getting ‘The Beast’ merely a year ago.

 

‘The Beast’, my 2014 Ford Raptor. Photo by Matt Knight of Adventurous Way. He took it when he popped two of his tires while we were off roading. So we used my spare and his spare to get  him back. #Imadick 😆

Sure, it’s nice and looks all badass, but I don’t feel a kinship with the vehicle. It’s not really ‘me’.

Did they just have sex? Are they going to have sex? Why is sex such a big theme for some #vanlifers social media? (Oh yeah, because sex sells.) 

And don’t worry- if you saw my #VanLife Parodies… (examples below) and you know me, you know I won’t be doing the above kind of #vanlife! (I mean, don’t make me laugh.)

(Also, I won’t be doing that green in my hair ever again😆.

Hey, it looked pretty cool when it was green AND blue.)

I may start a new IG account just to do funny photos making fun of THAT vanlife.

This could be really fun, people.

Why #VanLife?

So why would I get a van? Especially when I love my trailer so?

My little trailer is perfect now- it has 600 watts of solar on the roof AND two lithium batteries. I’m set.

I thought I would be keeping the trailer for a good bit longer. That was the plan. Hence, the rooftop mega-watt solar and the batteries.

But this is how nomadic life works. It’s called having ‘jell-o plans.’ Because you plan to do ABC, but life makes you do EFG.

That’s just how it goes.

Here’s the thing- I long for more city time/life. I am over having to park on public lands only. Why? Because it means usually being around 30 minutes from any town. And I like to go to town.

A lot.

Problem is, I always know it’s going to take +/- an hour of my day.

It’s pretty. But it’s the typical 30 minutes from where I want to go.

So I would like to be in towns more. If I get a fully converted camper van that can pull my trailer, I can enjoy the best of BOTH worlds.

I can park the RV out on public land with friends as usual.

Then I can hang out there when I want to but I can also go into town with the van.

IF I want to STAY in town, boom. I can! It will be a mobile office AND a second home.

Work party in a van! With Becky and Joni, all working on our online businesses.

If service isn’t good at camp, I can always pull into town, and blam. I have a mobile office.

Also, hitching up and unhitching is SUCH a pain. It takes so long. I envy watching my van friends pull in, park, and they are done.

I want that. So again, I may be tempted to ditch the trailer altogether.

What Are My #Vanlife Requirements Looking Like?

Hey, We Like Your Sticker. 

Well, the original idea is to tow the trailer with the van. I’ll have two residences, so to speak.

BUT, in my new van, I want it all. I need these things all to apply to the van:

• Ability to pull my trailer
• Can’t be overweight, though converted, cause I have to add the tongue weight of trailer
• I have to like the layout
• Needs a bathroom
• WANT 4×4 so even in snow, I can be fully mobile
• Can’t be over $50K
• Must be small enough to fit into regular parking spaces

Not asking much, am I? Pfffffft.

Van Options For Pulling My Travel Trailer

What vans are even options then? Only a few have the capacity to pull my 4,400-lb trailer without struggling.

One of them I don’t want ’cause it’s pretty butt-ugly. The Nissan NV passenger van.

I meeeeeean… Errrrr… Nope. I just can’t.

I won’t get a Sprinter because they are expensive to repair and you have to take them to a Mercedes dealer/service place, and those aren’t nearly as common as Walmart and Jiffy Lube, y’all.

Lots of vans just don’t have the tow capacity for my trailer.

What are my options then?

• Ford Transit
• Ford E-series vans WITH high tops

Why not a box truck? Too big.

I would like to get a cargo van someone has built out themselves, or had someone do it for them. Sounds feasable, right?

How about this one? Is it me?

Biggest issues- being near the van when it comes up for sale, and finding one that also has 4wd.

You can get 4wd added, but Quigley (a business that adds 4wd to vehicles) just stopped doing conversions on all but new Ford Transits. RRRRRRRR!!!!

The new 2020 Transits will have all wheel drive, but they are going to be out of my price range. And new ones aren’t converted. So that’s not an option.

This is getting tough.

Am I Looking For A Unicorn? (I LOVE Unicorns!)

I pretty much am. What I think will happen is that I will find a van I am CRAZY about, but it won’t be able to pull the trailer.

I’ll go ahead and bite the bullet and get it anyway. Then I will be going full-on #vanlife and either store the trailer or sell it. Because to find exactly what I want that can pull my trailer is going to be ridiculously difficult.

I don’t want to do the build-out myself, because:

1. I am not very good at DIY, and

2. Doing it on the road does not sound appealing.

So that’s my plan at the moment. I am excited about it, but I am frustrated that I am not having much luck so far looking for my new mobile-trailer-pulling-4wd-office.

I’ll have to say goodbye to the much-more-badass-truck-than-me:

Photo also by Matt Knight. He helped me with my lithium battery installation. The guy is wildly smart. Follow him and his non-wife’s explorations of visiting every National Park here: AdventurousWay.com.

I Have Already Lived In A Van, Anyway

I did live in a van once. Right after I got married. For about a month. How’s this for #vanlife?

Wait, why were we so #overclothed??? 😂 #Vanlife 

So this won’t be new territory for me.

Wish me luck, and if you come across something that seems perfect for me, PLEASE let me know!  You can email me the deets at Kelly@CampAddict dot com.

Thanks, guys. Big changes are ahead for this little nomad!