For a few months now I’ve been dreaming about life on the road and how to incorporate nomadic wanderings into a life firmly rooted in Austin. After reading this article online I have fallen in love with the idea of the “creeper van.”
Those long white vans are common and now that I’ve started looking for them…they really are everywhere. And they fit inside a normal parking space…which means that overnighting in a van would be a lot less hassle than in an RV or trailer. If necessary, I could park it in a lot or neighborhood without much risk of offending or alarming someone.
The van has a lot less space and likely wouldn’t include any kind of bathroom situation, but that seems like a small price to pay for the increased maneuverability and parkability. Dealing with black water in the RV was no picnic anyway, and showers were usually taken in campground facilities.
Another factor: unlike the RV, I don’t expect to live full-time in the van. Austin has firmly (and wonderfully) tied me down and I’m seeing any potential time on the road in the frame of “long trips,” with Austin as my home.
This idea is quite a project which would take months to complete. I’d want to build the interior myself and get a basic understanding of how to care for the engine and body of the vehicle. I’m still in the dreaming phase of the project and, who knows, I may change my mind…but the open road is calling.
Do you build your own? Are they made to order? Looks like a nice alternative to an actual home. BUT, aren’t you supposed to be thinking about college?
Hehe, yeah, college… I’m thinking that I’ll build my own. I may order a pull-out futon-type bed like I had in the RV for the back (or salvage one from an old RV), but mostly I’d like to learn some carpentry skills and have the freedom to make it and change it.