I have mulled over options for quite a while. I definitely don’t have the need and have had little opportunity up to this point. But, I’m trying to camp more and I’d like to do some extended travelling after my kids are out of the house. (It’s not that I’m rushing them out - it’s more like I want to get as much time home with them as I can before they leave) I’ve watched tons of videos and follow people doing this and at the moment my thought is a converted Chevy Astro/GMC Safari AWD and putting a pop top on it.
Decent gas mileage
AWD to go more places
fits in parking spaces and other small spots and easy to drive
Poop in a cat hole when dispersed, campgrounds often have toilets (casinos too), national gym membership for travelling, bucket and bags for emergencies. People who are doing this full time/extended trips seem to complain about the hassle of black tanks more than any of the aforementioned.
Amublances are a good shape/size for living, but kind of big for driving and terrible mileage, no? (better than a big RV though)
I’m thinking of a cheap used RV. There’s no way I am doing my own build. The general sentiment about those Amazon vans seems to be that they have been worked hard by drivers who don’t care and the engines have spent a lot of time idling, so people seem to be distrustful of how well they will hold up.
My research suggests I should target a Roadtrek from around 1995 to 2005. Something like this, but cheaper:
I keep track of a Facebook group for selling used class Bs.
It’s a public group, so you don’t have to join it to see posts. By the time I am ready to buy something, I should have a good sense of what is a reasonable price.
I’m probably going to be spend $10-15k on a 20-year-old campervan. There is a decent chance I will have to go across country to find a good model and I will have to figure out how to get the engine checked out. That’s probably the thing that spooks me the most.
I’m looking for a hotel room on wheels. I want a shower of some sort so that I am not the stereotypical stinky poker player. The Roadtreks I mentioned have a shower setup in the aisle of the van, which should have more elbow room than some of those wet baths in other RVs.
Planet Fitness is $20/month for access to all of them. That may be a better shower option most of the time.
The thing about the van in the picture is - do you want to be able to stand up inside? Some people who do it say it’s not a big deal, but some say it is a huge deal. If you’re short enough that one might be tall enough to stand.
I really wouldn’t worry that much about the servicing. If you had a Mercedes Sprinter diesel, yeah repairs might kill you. But, just expect that you’re going to do some repairs on an older van like that. They won’t cost that much.
And getting something out West is a good idea. I don’t have a lot of personal experience here, but I’ve heard this enough to believe it - older vehicles from most other places (especially where it snows a lot) just have too much rust.
You could do what a poker player in I knew in Vegas did. Put up a gofundme to purchase a Sprinter so he could travel the country spreading the word of beachbody. Seemed to have worked as he managed to buy the thing:
Leave it to the pandemic to throw a monkey wrench into one’s plans. But after we get past this shit, if we ever do, I’d endorse at least a trial membership with a national gym chain. Just to get comfortable with the environment and facilities there. Plus , a daily session with the treadmill or elliptical or weight room won’t hurt either. Improving your fitness can only help if you’re going to be on the road all the time playing poker.
Rust is definitely a concern. I’m not too worried about the first RV I buy, since I only need it to last 2-3 years while I evaluate the feasibility of my plan. I can accept a minimal amount of rust if it won’t keep the vehicle from lasting that long and I get a good discount for taking on that risk.
I think Florida might be the likeliest place for me to find something. It’s easier for me to get to. There are a lot of olds who can no longer travel that well and maintain an RV or it was bought to be used mainly as a touring coach for someone who died.
I’ve heard there are a decent number of RVs available in Oregon, for some reason.
There are probably 20 vans like this in my neighborhood, but there are lots of people in my neighborhood who have $100k+ to throw at something cool that sits on their driveway almost all year.
Not even the most expensive Class B Winnebago. (That would be the Boldt, with a MSRP over $200k.) To be fair, RV dealers typically offer a 20-30% discount off of MSRP, but that’s still a lot of money.
Here’s a class B that’s over $300k from Advanced RV:
They are van conversions that use the existing van body, so they are class B RVs. How much did you use it?
Those Westfalias are iconic and the retro look is very appealing to millennial hipsters who crave vanlife. Some RV manufacturers have introduced pop-top models like the Pleasure-Way Tofino and the Winnebago Solis.
Keep in mind that if you are spending WSOPs in Vegas, but also playing somewhat often in other Caesars properties, you should accumulate enough Reward Credits to be able to do a few nights a week for free at the Rio during the series.
Keep in mind if the RV breaks down, you might need to get it towed to a service station 100 miles away. Not all mechanics can fix RV’s. Also, keep in mind the RV may be at the mechanic for over a month. And if you have a Class B, you are shit out of luck unless you can get a 2nd car.
I had an employee work for me one summer who was from New Zealand and he bought a church bus and renovated it and was supposed to be traveling the US in it after he quit. I didnt’ hear back from him ever after he left town that fall. I have a few friends with VW campers but they never actually use them.
