The Well Behaved Dingo

BUYING:

Welcome to wonderful world of van living, your van is going to be your home so you better like the one you buy.

First things first, you need to aquire a semi-reliable van. This can be done for around $2,000 , maybe less. Look for conversion vans or cargo vans. A conversion van will come with some insulation, small storage and possibly a fold down bed while a cargo van will just be a big metal box. On the other hand you never know the quality or state of the insulation, carpet, bed etc. in a van and doing it yourself gives you more creative freedom and peace of mind.

Also remember that the less you spend the less stealth you will have. Take a look at the van we bought and you will see what I mean. The raised roof on our van is nice because you can stand up inside, but at the same time it makes the van stand out as the type someone might be living in. People will assume a cargo van is a work truck so you might be able ot get away with more in terms of bad paint, and general unkempt appearance.

When you find a van you think you might want to buy and you’re like us and know nothing about cars I’d recommend taking it somewhere and getting a complete inspection. This will guarantee that nothing major (brakes, engine etc) is a timebomb. It will cost you from $30 - $100 for an inspection, depending on how thorough a look they give it. Ask before you leave the van with the mechanic and shoot for a chain store if you want to go the cheap route.

The next step is Pt.2 modifying your van…