New Here. Searching for the perfect camper van, looking for guidance

[Scotty D]

Yeah, dont be too concerned about MPG.
Diesels have their place, and will return decent MPG, but its essentially a wash (or worse) when you factor in purchase price, maintenance and repair.

Find the rig you like and can afford, and go with it.

Take care of it, and just keep feeding it fuel, and it will return the favor with memories.

This is good advice . I drove myself mental getting the best fuel economy 4x4 or AWD rig I could find. Went with the Chevy express AWD 1500. With a bit of hypermiling I was getting 20mpg and was quite chuffed. However once I put solar panels on and a kayak , bicycle , solar hot water heater, swing out cargo box, ladder and all the other fun stuff that festoons most of our rigs, I am down to between 13 and 16. At this point the difference between what I have and true 4x4 is not a big MPGwise as when I started this venture.
I still love my rig, but the point is to jump in and start camping sooner than waiting for the perfect wife .... I mean van.

 

[temporarydweller]

One thought on the overnight A/C. The little Honda generators are pretty quiet. One of those outside in a sound box might cover your needs.

I've got a Honda EU2000 generator that will run my rooftop Coleman A/C. It is worth noting that the Honda is super quiet running in eco mode with a low current draw. However, once the A/C compressor kicks on, the Honda has to increase it's RPM's to almost full power and it is no longer super quiet. It's not annoying inside the van and isn't much louder inside the van than the running A/C. But it's not really a good setup for stealth camping or being mindful of any other campers nearby wanting to enjoy the silence.

 

[RGPhoto]

What about the Storyteller Overland Mode 4x4. Pricey, but I think it may hit many of the items on your wish list (and as an RV can be financed over 20 years). https://expeditionportal.com/storyteller-overland-mode-4x4-review/

 

[Len.Barron]

I squeaked out 15mpgs last year on a 3500mile trip starting here in socal and looping through Yellowstone, Rushmore, Badlands, etc...but...it was a lot of hwy cruising at 65mph that got that done..

 

[AbleGuy]

What about the Storyteller Overland Mode 4x4. Pricey, but I think it may hit many of the items on your wish list (and as an RV can be financed over 20 years). https://expeditionportal.com/storyteller-overland-mode-4x4-review/

Yeah, those Storyteller Overland Mode 4x4’s look awesome.

But hey y’all....Please, please, please think twice before taking out a 20 loan on an RV!!!
And then think again...and then, don’t do it.

I cannot imagine too many worse financial decisions one could ever make than getting a 20 year RV loan.

You know you’ll be way, way, way upside down, under water, over your head, etc, when you try to sell it later... and you’ll wind up paying 2 1\2 to maybe 3 times its original sales price over those 20 years. I think this issue has been thoroughly discussed here before.

Remember, just cause you “can” doesn’t mean you “should.”

Quick Poll....how many of you guys have had the same RV for 20 years? Anyone?


But, anyway back to the OP... what do you think your budget will wind up being for your van purchase?

 

[Herbie]

Quick Poll....how many of you guys have had the same RV for 20 years? Anyone?

I think I'm at the high end of the curve, and I've had my rig for 10 years. If I was still paying for it at this point, I think I'd barely be able to stand looking at it.

 

[Abitibi]

I think this post isn't going anywhere given the OP never replied to any of the comments... just saying.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

 

[TooSteep]

"My girlfriend has problems sleeping so I need to be able to run the AC all night if we are in a hot environment. "

Is there anywhere so hot at night that a comfortable sleep can't be achieved with ventilation, airflow, and a couple of very low-power fans?

 

[68camaro]

Is there anywhere so hot at night that a comfortable sleep can't be achieved with ventilation, airflow, and a couple of very low-power fans?

it’s the humidity, here in mid-atlantic and SE humidity even in mountains can be stifling. Even with windows open, magic fan In roof
and marine fan, heat and humidity can make comfortable sleep difficult in summer At times.

 

[Stevemo]

A Roadtrek on a Chevy or Mercedes chassis may get you close to what you want except for ground clearance. Some of the Roadtreks are AWD if that is good enough for you but you could get a 2wd and do a conversion. How do those Fords handle with the next to zero wheelbase and long overhang?

 

[Raul]

"My girlfriend has problems sleeping so I need to be able to run the AC all night if we are in a hot environment. "

Is there anywhere so hot at night that a comfortable sleep can't be achieved with ventilation, airflow, and a couple of very low-power fans?

Anywhere in the Gulf Coast in Summer ( and I do not care what the calendar says, summer here is between late April and November).

BTW. Do we realize that we are giving advice to an individual that only have the the two post that started this thread and has not been back ever since?

 

[martinf]

the Travato GL still needs propane to run the heater so you would have 2 systems to maintain (batteries and propane) but no generator. The FitRV folks have a video on youtube where they test the A/C on batteries alone and were able to get more than 8h of running time at day while it was in the 90s outside IIRC.

The Storyteller mode 4x4 is better insulated than the Revel from what I've read for about $20k more. It's a nice van but for the price difference you could mod a Revel with a nice suspension kit, bigger tires and other extras. If you have the budget for a Storyteller, look into the WInnebago Boldt. All season, 4x4 and people are reporting running the A/C for up to 6h on the lithium batteries alone. The downside is that it's almost 23 feet long.

I'm in a similar spot as OP, debating between a few vehicles. I still think a used EarthCruiser is the perfect vehicle but given that we just bought a house and with HOA restrictions, a van is the only suitable option for now.