The first problem is shipping him from Panama to either Venezuela or Colombia.
There are lots of stories out there about people who have had problems with items being stolen, and restrictions such as lithium batteries when shipping. These situations can be dealt with, but they're a headache nonetheless. And then of course there's the cost of shipping.
But the real issue is that we don't think Igor is suitable for non stop living. The space is just too cramped. We deal with it because that's just the way it is, but really, we're only happy living in him for a month at a time... then we need a break.
So, we will drive Igor this winter to Panama, and back to Mexico. From there, we'll decide what to do with him.
But that means we need to buy a vehicle for South America. Chile is the easiest place for a foreigner to buy and register a vehicle, and there are several shops there that build custom motorhomes and do van conversions.
So the big question is... what type of vehicle? Here are some examples of the options we're looking at...
Ford Transit AWD.
The big question is... do we really need four wheel drive?
We had a four wheel drive vehicle in Australia for two and a half months, and of course we just finished a month with Vladdy in Kyrgyzstan... also four wheel drive. And there's no question, four wheel drive is nice to have!
But do we NEED it? No, absolutely not. One important thing I read during this research job so far is that you want to build your vehicle for the 95% of travel you'll actually do... not the 5% of travel you imagine that you might do.
So what's important to us? Well, at 6'0" (183 cms) tall, ceiling height is important. I want to be able to stand up without worrying about banging my head. And the same applies to bed space... I want to be able to stretch out without being limited.
And so it all comes down to space. It's difficult with a conversion van style vehicle.
With a van conversion, you're constrained by:
The curved walls.
The narrowing toward the roof.
The wheel wells intruding into the living space.
The fixed body width.
Even though the cargo volume is fairly large, every cabinet and piece of furniture has to work around those restrictions.
Cab and chassis with motorhome box on the back.
This one is done on a Hyundai chassis.
We're leaning in this direction. You can buy a brand new cab and chassis and then have a motorhome style box set on the back. This vastly increases your amount of living space. This van was done by one of the builders I'm looking at, and he says he can make us one just like it. We just need to decide what brand and type of chassis to buy.
With a custom camper box, you get:
Perfectly vertical walls.
A full rectangular floor.
Flat ceiling.
Better insulation.
No wheel wells inside the living area.
The ability to make the box as wide as regulations allow.
The result is that a camper box that's not much longer than a conversion van, but has dramatically more living space inside.
We're looking at this Ford chassis with dual rear wheels.
Of course with any RV, it's always give and take. Yes, we get more size, but a smaller rig would more maneuverable. Four wheel drive would be nice, but also more expensive to begin with. Of course you recoup much of that expense when you sell it. There's always a tradeoff with any benefit when comparing different types of RVs.
Also very important to us is to have it built for long term self sustaining travels... large battery capacity, lots of solar panels, large fresh water tank. So the cab and chassis type of vehicle has more space to have more of these options.
There is another type of vehicle that can be done this way as well...
But this is more of a truck chassis.
It would end up looking something like this.
And, some of these vehicles aren't easily or readily available. Some require special order, and some will end up not being available in Chile at all. I'm already in communication with some of the dealers, but I knew that I had to get an early start on this despite not needing to have the vehicle ready for us until October 2027!
It's definitely going to be fun designing and having an RV built exactly the way we want it!
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Wow, how fun is this! Having spent 7 weeks in our 24' trailer, I get the size thing. We have look at van conversions and have the same requirements, height and sleeping stretched out. I can't wait to see what you end up with.
ReplyDeleteThe planning and the anticipation is kinda fun and it gives Kevin something to do while we are relaxing and enjoying our time here in Valle de Bravo.
DeleteWe really like having something small as long as the layout is suitable for our needs. Igor is good but the layout isn't the best use of space. So far we are leaning towards the smaller cab and box setup.
This is exciting news to build an RV and it looks like an overland camper. You both love to travel and I have seen a couple of these. Perfect for you
ReplyDeleteGood Luck
Sue
It is pretty exciting for us and we are looking forward to figuring out which style we want and how we want it all laid out. We are definitely leaning towards the smaller cab and chassis style. We really don't like those huge unimog type vechicles and to us that is the look that the truck cab and chassis has.
DeleteAs a retired mobile home transporter, get a tilt cab. It is a lot cheaper to work on due to the ease of getting to the engine. The have less problems with over heating since the engine gets more air flow. The duel wheels will make the need for four wheel drive less. They are more stable. Make sure it is a brand that you can have worked on no matter what country you are in. Storage bins can be added under the exterior for more storage.
ReplyDeleteWe are pretty sure that we won't be going with the truck cab so we wouldn't need to worry about getting a tilt cab. The truck cab and chassis seem too big to us, we really want to stay on the smaller size which would give us access to tighter places with not having to worry so much about height ad width. You are correct though in your thinking that having duallies and ground clearance would probably be sufficient for our needs without needing the extra expense of going with the four-wheel drive.
DeleteKevin is definitely wanting to go with a brand that can easily be worked on and get parts for. We are already very familiar with this because of all the travel that we have done in Mexico. And yes, it is nice to know that we can add more storage underneath should we feel the need for it.
Exciting news and some time to figure it out. With the box camper perhaps a small slide in the bedroom to accommodate those legs or even a full length slide for more room in general.
ReplyDeleteWe are definitely pretty excited about this and Kevin is having fun with all the research that he is doing to try and find which unit would best suit our needs.
DeleteWe have absolutely zero interest in gettng any kind of slide installed. We have managed just fine with all the units that we have had without the need for a slide, plus with a slide there is just more chances of something going wrong so it is one less thing to worry about.
Perhaps you have already thought of this, but I would get a diesel and a brand that has world recognition and parts easily available, like a Mercedes, or Ford. If you go to Snow and Curts world adventure website, you can review their problems with breakdowns, retrieving parts, and repairs especially while in Africa. They have also done South America and shipping their RV. I would also put a winch on the front of the van, and considering ALL weather and road conditions. I would also get a 4X4 considering all potential driving conditions.
ReplyDeleteWe are definitely looking for a brand that can be easily repaired and aquiring parts for in South America and that is one of our major priorities. We will only be using it in South America, it will not be shipped anywhere else, at least not by us.
DeleteIt would be great to get a 4x4 but Kevin also feels that as long as we have good ground clearance and possibly having duallies with the right tires we could probably avoid the extra expense of having a 4x4. Putting a winch on the front is a good idea though and good traction boards.
Very cool! We toyed with the idea of self-building out a Sprinter van to use as an RV years ago, even bought a manual on how to do it, and I know Barry would be great at that kind of thing, but the problem was that we didn't have a place to do it, since we didn't own any property, and that kind of stymied the whole idea. But having something built out just the way you want is such a cool dream; I'm so glad the two of you will be able to do this! Really looking forward to hearing all about whatever you decide on.
ReplyDeleteKevin has never felt the need to do a self build himself but we are always amazed at the people that have done this and we have seen quite a few on our travels and the majority of them are really well done. Yep, having somewhere to do that kind of work is very important and up until now that would also have been our problem. Even at our place here in Mexico it wouldn't be ideal. The other issue would be having all the right tools. Kevin has managed to do the small renovations like the new floor in Igor but nothing more than that. We are looking forward to being able to design something that would suit our needs and have someone else build it though. ☺️
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