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Please advise. Used real class B vs 25ish foot box truck

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
I'm having trouble with my mentally unfit father, and I have no other family. I thought about getting an apartment, but here in NJ they're mostly all very expensive. I cannot meet the requirements to get a mortgage either. Luckily enough, after asking a friend I can use their enormous property to park an RV way in the back. He has lots of trails, more like dirt roads really, in his forest where he off roads his lifted truck. He told me I can build another trail and make a clearing so I'll have privacy and he won't have to see my campsite while he's having fun. He's agreed to let me fill up big water tanks if I pay for the water, and he will let me run an internet cat5 cable so long as I put it underground (which will be a pain in the ass because it's gonna be hell to dig a quarter mile trench thru a forest) and even electric too but I want to use Solar panels, a battery pack and a lil Honda generator for cloudy days)

I've already started building the road, I've significantly narrowed down where I'll put the campsite, and it's looking good. I can't put up a house as I'd like to, having grown up with a family construction business makes me know it will be easy, because he doesn't want to have to tear it down if the fuzz gets on his case after seeing it from a helicopter.

So an RV is the way to go. I went shopping on Craigslist and didn't find a lot of motorhomes, and I noticed that they all are sorta cheap looking on the inside. I've been working in multi-million dollar homes for the past couple years doing locksmithing and I want to have that same luxury feel even if I don't have lots of space. All kinds of construction work is my gig, so actually doing the conversion or remodeling is cake to me.

I'm just stuck at the point of deciding if I want to get a regular 30ish foot class B, or converting a bus or big box truck. I know nothing about RVs, If I do a conversion I don't know how I would heat one in the winter. Would a wood burning stove work? I imagine it would, but I'd like to know my other options too, what other people are doing. I don't know where I should go to buy water tanks and pumps either. I've never done indoor plumbing on a truck, I don't know exactly how it should be done while I am certain I could make it functional. I was thinking about using an extra modified Diesel tank mounted outside the truck on the frame as the sewage tank, and having a grey water tank from the sink and shower to refill the toilet.

If I renovate an actual motorhome, what does a class B look like with the interior torn up? I hate laminate floors and would put porcelain tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. The way busses have curved roofs makes me wanna not use a bus because it would be harder to frame the interior. Plus I don't like lots of windows.

I was planning on getting the tallest largest used box truck I could, circa 90s for ease of maintenance and lack of really expensive components. I don't want air suspension or brakes, those are more expensive to fix. Keeping the box on, and framing the interior like I would with a house so I basically end up with a luxury hotelroom. Tile floors in the kitchen and bathroom area, cheap hardwood and a rug or carpet in the rest. A shower and toilet and sink, a kitchen counter with a sink and a hot plate, a microwave and a toaster oven mounted above the counter, and using the rest as a bedroom loft.

What do you guys think is the way to go? And how does plumbing and heating usually work in an RV?
20 REPLIES 20

lizzie
Explorer
Explorer
Very first post smelled bad to me. Does anyone say "fuzz" anymore? lizzie

hoosiermark
Explorer
Explorer
RyegateVT/Asheguy, you both read my mind.

AsheGuy
Explorer
Explorer
ryegatevt wrote:
Hmm.. The OP joined the forum and posted this fantasy on 2/4/18. You don't suppose this guy is a troll with lots of time on his hands, do you? Each of his comments just keep getting weirder and weirder as they go along...
Yup. Best to just ignore.
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
valhalla360 wrote:


WOW!!! Almost hope the authorities catch on to you now.


I hope you make sure no vehicle you've ever owned has ever had any fluid leaks.

ryegatevt
Explorer II
Explorer II
Hmm.. The OP joined the forum and posted this fantasy on 2/4/18. You don't suppose this guy is a troll with lots of time on his hands, do you? Each of his comments just keep getting weirder and weirder as they go along...
Steve & Bev
2005 Roadtrek 210
Tess, our Sheltie

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
Caleb Volksa wrote:
I was either thinking use a modified Diesel tank, the kind that is mounted to the frame. Drill a 4 inch hole in the bottom, weld a pipe to that, put a flange on a lever in it and put a lock on that so some kid can't dump my **** all over a parking lot or whatever. Get one of those sewage hoses and dump it in his septic tank or I was also thinking about checking out the stream near where I wanna clear cut trees and build a campsite, it's pretty close and I could bury some 4inch Pvc pipe and use that as sewage to the stream.

I wanna build a nice water wheel and a bridge up stream for extra electricity, dig a pit in the stream install a bucket half filled with rocks and a pump with a good enough filter up stream so if I run out of water I can still shower and use my toilet, I won't drink from the stream it's run off from the road so it's got oil and trans fluid and **** in it even if it's parts per hundred thousand or parts per million it's unhealthy without being distilled.. I'll still use a carbon and sand filter on that water.

Its like two or three feet wide, IDK how deep, but it never dries up because it's filled from a lake. Its in a like ten or twenty foot wide valley type of thing which turns into swamp in lots of rain so I'll frame out a bottle neck, put some concrete squares like one foot part on each side of the river so the water velocity increases for the water wheel, build a bridge over the whole swamp around that as a footing and put the water pump upstream and the sewage dump down stream. Some **** and piss is nothing compared to the oil run off


WOW!!! Almost hope the authorities catch on to you now.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
If everyone took good care of their cars, trucks, vans and RVs, made sure they didn't leak oil, coolant, trans fluid, power steering fluid, hydralic fluid, etc into the stream, I wouldn't think of doing that. But since it's contaminated with a bunch of **** that will cause cancer already, I figure what's a little poop and pee?

I'm actually an Eagle Scout and I know this isn't really an environmentally friendly thing to do, but I think I'll do it anyway because like I said the stream is already filled with fucking cancer.

AsheGuy
Explorer
Explorer
Caleb Volksa wrote:
Get one of those sewage hoses and dump it in his septic tank or I was also thinking about checking out the stream near where I wanna clear cut trees and build a campsite, it's pretty close and I could bury some 4inch Pvc pipe and use that as sewage to the stream.
Really?
David & Margaret - 2005 LTV 210B 3S
- Our Blog -

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
I was either thinking use a modified Diesel tank, the kind that is mounted to the frame. Drill a 4 inch hole in the bottom, weld a pipe to that, put a flange on a lever in it and put a lock on that so some kid can't dump my **** all over a parking lot or whatever. Get one of those sewage hoses and dump it in his septic tank or I was also thinking about checking out the stream near where I wanna clear cut trees and build a campsite, it's pretty close and I could bury some 4inch Pvc pipe and use that as sewage to the stream.

I wanna build a nice water wheel and a bridge up stream for extra electricity, dig a pit in the stream install a bucket half filled with rocks and a pump with a good enough filter up stream so if I run out of water I can still shower and use my toilet, I won't drink from the stream it's run off from the road so it's got oil and trans fluid and **** in it even if it's parts per hundred thousand or parts per million it's unhealthy without being distilled.. I'll still use a carbon and sand filter on that water.

Its like two or three feet wide, IDK how deep, but it never dries up because it's filled from a lake. Its in a like ten or twenty foot wide valley type of thing which turns into swamp in lots of rain so I'll frame out a bottle neck, put some concrete squares like one foot part on each side of the river so the water velocity increases for the water wheel, build a bridge over the whole swamp around that as a footing and put the water pump upstream and the sewage dump down stream. Some **** and piss is nothing compared to the oil run off

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
Consider a conversion van pulling a travel trailer. The travel trailer can stay on the property and the van can be used for weekend stealth camping.

You may want to consider buying a donner trailer to get appliances. Buying hte air/con, fridge, stove, etc..., as one off's from the manufacturer will get pricey. If you find a unit with water damaged roof but everything works, you pick it up for next to nothing and even have a place to stay while you finish your home built RV.

You may need to figure out the electric and internet if you are a 1/4 mile from the source.
- Voltage drop could mean you need massive cables or transformers to boost the voltage up. Solar is an option if you want to live a minimalist lifestyle but that can also put you up against the authorities if it makes it look more permanent.
- I believe regular cat5 cable is only rated for something like 100meters. You are looking at 3-5 times that length.

Also, what are you doing for sewage? Getting water from your buddies house is viable but it's a real pain to haul sewage around.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
โ€œIt will be mostly stationary,โ€

Except when itโ€™s moving? Right? Such as so people can see the ads. What the advistisers are paying you for? Or is that not a concern for you?
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
Excellent ideas

gbopp
Explorer
Explorer
I believe you must drive a certain amount of miles to get paid for advertising on your vehicle, but I'm not sure.
Maybe you can find a place that makes magnetic signs and get deal on 'mistakes' or signs that were returned?

Caleb_Volksa
Explorer
Explorer
It will be mostly stationary, I'm gonna pour some cement and level off a couple platforms for the front and rear wheels to park on. Big enough for some massive jackstands too incase I need to change a tire back there. Maybe put in some 3ft cement anchors for heavy duty ratchet straps in case a hurricane moseies up the coast.

I was planning on trying to get some kind of pay for advertising scheme going on, I've seen lots of ads where they wanna put decals on a car and I figure I could make a deal with them for some magnetic signs on my truck and **** all over their dreams because I'm parked in the woods haha