We’ll be the first to admit that the beauty of van life on social media is one of the things that drew us to this lifestyle.
So we initially went into the idea of van life envisioning the pretty converted van like we’ve seen on Instagram and Youtube but then we started doing research. And more research. And more research.
Guys… it’s really not simple.
During those few weeks between mentally committing and actually committing to this big change, we honestly fully considered all the things.
To start, we knew we wanted to be on the road, inspired by camper van conversions we’ve seen on the interwebs, but turns out there are a lot of variables to consider!
If you’re considering going full time in a tiny-home-on-wheels there are several options to consider so let's list out the different types of RVs available.
Tradtional manufactored RVs
Vehicles produced specifically to be Recreational Vehicles
Class A - those big mamba jamba RV guys you've seen in movies.
These can be massive. Lots of space for a family. But they also cost about the same as your average house.
Class B- camper vans. All the elements of an RV cramped into an itty-bitty living space.
The benefit to the size here is maneuverability. You can take these essentially anywhere you can take a car. You can PARK anywhere you could park a car. Some are four wheel drive so you can get to some incredible off-road camping spots. They're generally built to be self-contained with solar power, so you don't need to be hooked up to power at a campground.
Still not cheap. If you're buying new, they start at around $100,000.
Class C- a box truck sized RV, bigger than a van, smaller than the bus sized RV.
These campers are somewhere in between the huge RVs and the small camper vans. Many of these have slide outs, which means you can get an extra few feet of width. You can still take it into some off-the-beaten-path spots, but only some of them come with solar. These are even cheaper than the vans. You can get a new one for around $80,000.
Trailer camper (there are a few subcategories of these, but just know I mean all the campers you hitch to a truck to move)
These are the cheapest options of all the manufactured RVs because they cannot drive themselves. They need to be towed by another vehicle. They are difficult to maneuver and park, but come with all the space and luxury as a large motor home.
RV Conversions
You don't have to choose a manufactured RV... you can make one yourself! Because of the versatility of these kinds of builds, these are almost entirely what you've seen trending on social media. You can create your home however you want, with your personal style. Some of these are incredibly beautiful and unique. You can convert almost anything into a livable space (some more livable than others). I've seen trucks, ambulances, jeeps and many more turned into tiny homes. But there are two that are the most common.
A “skoolie”- a bus converted into an RV
(apparently there are no stock photos of skoolies. This is just a school bus)
Can you imagine how much space you'd have in one of these? They're surprisingly inexpensive and widely available if your looking used. But when they break down-- and they will-- they are challenging to find parts for and fix. Most camp grounds won't accept converted busses, and they're not super easy to maneuver (although, note that there are many types of busses to choose from so that can vary greatly).
A van- a cargo van converted into an RV
The most common vans converted into RVs are large cargo vans like Ram ProMaster, Ford Transit and the Mercedes Sprinter. You can buy them new for around $70,000 (or used for a bit less)-- before converting them. A conversion can cost from $5,000... to $70,000? depending on what you do and if you do it yourself. They are sometimes also rejected from camp grounds for not being a manufactured RV (call ahead and find out), but just like a class B-RV they are generally self contained and able to be parked nearly anywhere.
During our weeks of research before we decided on a used Ram ProMaster, we seriously considered every option we listed except a trailer or a Class A-RV.
We personally have owned a trailer for a couple years that sits at a local camp site we use regularly in the summer, plus a few trips here and there. Our main goal is to travel, and we know firsthand the stress that driving one can bring. So we didn’t even consider it for this particular adventure.
We also never considered the biggest RV class because of cost and maneuverability. Sean would feel fine driving it, but me not so much. Plus, with an average cost of $250,000 it was in our hard-pass bracket for finances alone.
But we DID fully consider: a manufactured camper van, a class C camper, a converted school bus and a converted van.
There really wasn't one answer that fit us perfectly.
We did find some Class B camper vans that could work for what we needed, but we ended up choosing the conversion route due to aesthetics. Honestly, nearly every manufactured RV had outdated styling or felt like an air plane. There was nothing homey about them. In this way, we absolutely let our #vanlife vision from social media control our decision making.
We wanted our van to be pretty, and feel like home.
We didn't go ALL out on making sure our van will be Instagram worthy (we didn't choose shiplap walls!!) but we did go with a company with a great track record and splurged on a few upgrades, like butcher block countertops.
And we chose a van over a skoolie for two main reasons. 1) maneuverability and 2) resale value. While we could have completed a skoolie for less than we will pay for just our van, we weren't certain we'd be able to sell it once it was finished.
We're keeping a skoolie in mind for if we happen to fall in love with life on the road enough that we want to keep doing it. It's just more of a commitment, in our minds.
There are so many things to consider when looking into a vehicle to turn into a home (whether temporary or permanent). Did I miss anything? We are still new at this, and we have no idea if we made the right choice...
But either way we're so, so excited for this:
Follow us as we jump into this journey, our Advanture life.
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