# Van Life Anyone?



## coloradodirtbag (Feb 9, 2017)

The longer I work, the more I realize I will never be able to afford a ski condo. Living in Colorado, I've seen many people driving converted vans and truck campers up to the mountains which has sparked my interest. I love the idea of buying a work van/sprinter and converting it into a mean pow chasing machine. Has anyone done this and what were the pros/cons of van life on the mountain.

For reference, this is what I'm talking about.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

But realistically speaking, how much would it cost to buy this "van"? How much would it cost to tag, insure, and maintain? Now, how many hotel rooms would that buy?

You'd have to do a metric shit ton of pow chasing for it to pay off.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I live in my rv half the year but for work in the bay area.. I live in Bend as a permanent residence but I also take the rv to other mountains and camp at the base. The pnw is more condusive to that life style as the have actual rv parking areas with electric. Withough electric you will have to have a good gas stove in a small area or a gas heater. I also have solar but the snow and short days eat up battery fast. Generators are also a bonus. 

Downfall? That depends on you and what you want out of life.


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## coloradodirtbag (Feb 9, 2017)

linvillegorge said:


> But realistically speaking, how much would it cost to buy this "van"? How much would it cost to tag, insure, and maintain? Now, how many hotel rooms would that buy?
> 
> You'd have to do a metric shit ton of pow chasing for it to pay off.


Chris Farley is my dude!!!

Brand new van is about 34k, plus conversion you're probably looking around 50k. But you have a sick rv/van with 0 miles for year-round adventures. When I'm ready to sell I could still get at least 30k for it with under 100k miles. Hotels in CO are about 300/night, at a 20k (very very very conservative theres a promaster on CL Boulder right now for 70k with 45k miles) hit after sale I need to sleep in it for 66 nights to pay off.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I spent 6 months in this before we moved up to Bend, it was my son and I. We were doing summer sports stuff though.








Now I have this, It is much more comfortable to be in when you have down days at the base of mountains when there isn't shit to do and the highway is shut down to try to get anywhere.....


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

Seriously considering doing just this for three months next winter between moving from NH to ID.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

coloradodirtbag said:


> Chris Farley is my dude!!!
> 
> Brand new van is about 34k, plus conversion you're probably looking around 50k. But you have a sick rv/van with 0 miles for year-round adventures. When I'm ready to sell I could still get at least 30k for it with under 100k miles. Hotels in CO are about 300/night, at a 20k (very very very conservative theres a promaster on CL Boulder right now for 70k with 45k miles) hit after sale I need to sleep in it for 66 nights to pay off.


This does not sound very "dirtbaggish". A $50k van? $300 hotel rooms?

That's like the opposite of dirtbag.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I have mixed thoughts on this. Would love to do it during the summer, not so sure about the winter. Overnight parking could be a problem in winter in resort towns. 

Wife hates the idea of winter camping.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

All I know is my relatives all love when I roll up christmas eve and start emptying the sani outside their house.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Sometimes, I just have this urge to sell everything and live a snow bum life.


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## coloradodirtbag (Feb 9, 2017)

linvillegorge said:


> This does not sound very "dirtbaggish". A $50k van? $300 hotel rooms?
> 
> That's like the opposite of dirtbag.


Software engineering has been a very lucrative career thus far, but I'll always be a dirtbag snowboarder at heart. 50k sounds much better than 500k for a condo.


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## coloradodirtbag (Feb 9, 2017)

Argo said:


> I spent 6 months in this before we moved up to Bend, it was my son and I. We were doing summer sports stuff though.
> View attachment 118594
> 
> 
> ...


Both of those setups are fucking gorgeous. If you don't mind me asking, how much does the big one cost, what's it like towing it up a mountain, and did you have to do any additional insulation/winterizing for camping in the winter?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I have driven in snow and towed for most of my adult life. It is tricky if you don't have it down. I wont say that its easy at first but after you get the nuances down it is alright. 

I got a heated water hose and an extra ceramic space heater. I could go much smaller for sure. THe extra space is nice. They come with winter/4season/arctic packages when you buy them if you want it. If you live anywhere it gets colder than 50f you want it.... I will post a couple of pictures from up at Stevens Pass a couple weeks ago. One was taken on Thursday night, the other on Sun Morning....


















The slide in camper was actually free off of craigslist. I fixed up a few things but I could have put a little money into it and used it for dirtbag ski bum living without a problem.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I had a few buddies doing this in the late 90's when Big White had RV parking. One had an old RV, another a modded yellow school bus and another a VW hippie van. The guy with the bus also made a big arch frame and tarped up his bus for heat retention and extra storage. If I did not have kids I think I would be pretty damn happy living in a van being a surfer snowboard bum. I like my alone time and could easily see myself playing video games, reading and smoking pot to pass the time between riding and catching waves in the summer.

The only real drawbacks are the toilet and if more than one person comes to hang out.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

freshy said:


> The only real drawbacks are the toilet and *if more than one person comes to hang out.*


Good thing I don't have that problem! Nobody likes me, I have no friends :hairy:


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

that van is super nice.....


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

That van IS super nice but seems like if you can afford that you can afford more normal van-less accommodations.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

freshy said:


> That van IS super nice but seems like if you can afford that you can afford more normal van-less accommodations.


There are alot of good mountains without slopeside accommodation. They do have rv parking at quite a few of them though. If not they have parking lots. I get a hotel of its under $50/night and is within 20 minutes. 

Places like baker, stevens, crystal, bachelor, along with alot more have rv spaves with electric at the base of the lifts for relatively cheap, $20-40/night.... it is nice to walk out of the rv and be steps from the lift for that price.


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

I'm planning on it, but not for winter. Working 2 more back to back winters, then for summer '18 buying a van to live in and road trip the US and Canada. Approx plan so far is travel from June-October and covering around 17,000km. On the cheap, not wanting to spend more than $5-6k for the van and any conversions needed. I've had friends do similar and get by just fine on even cheaper set ups, but that's playing the odds reliability wise.


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## BoardieK (Dec 21, 2015)

We are in week 6 of 8 in our motorhome (rv) in the Alps, this is the fifth year of doing so. I don't know how prices/specs compare between european and US vans but I guess they are pretty similar. Ours is a medium high spec rv so we are ok for succesive nights at -15C, we have spent most of this season quite high at 5000ft but have stayed as high as 7000ft.

We've made a couple of trips chasing powder, in the alps a 4 hour drive can see a big variation in snowfall but I guess less so for you. We also have a high density of places to stay without having to pay for campsites though most don't have electric hookup.

All in all it works very well for us as we have a seasonal business in the kayak industry. The photo below is at a free parking spot in La Rosiere. Opposite is Les Arcs, up the valley to the left are Tignes and Val D'Isere, along the valley to the right id La Plagne. The vw with the wood burning stove belonged to a guy from Ireland.


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## Alpine Duke (Jun 21, 2015)

I think i would love something like this.....but....drawbacks do abound ;0 Argo covered one of them. If you are going to use an actual RV space you will pay 30-$40/night for that. Factor that in with the ownership cost and gas/diesel expense and the hotel room becomes much more affordable. Just dropping in a parking lot would not have that cost....but I'm not sure every place around has that option. They may chase you out of there.

One big benefit....you have all your stuff right there and won't get bedbugs 

For me, the big drawback for the vehicle you are talking about is this: Dung-dropper


Buddy of mine pulls his fifth wheel around for snowmachine trips. he told me a story about one night when he ran out of propane. He went to a 24hr gas station to refill but the guy behind the counter said they were out. he was sure it was actually because it was -18F and dude didn't want to go outside to fill it  with no heat he had to pop smoke, and head home.

for me a benefit would be more for the summer uses. i would get much more use on flyfishing, rock climbing, and canyoneering expeditions in the other 3 seasons. many of those areas, for me, are not near a hotel I want to use.....Rober's roost area for example. 

Good luck and let us see the pic if you do an Alex Honnold style van  (if you go to this link be sure to watch the vid tour)


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

coloradodirtbag said:


> The longer I work, the more I realize I will never be able to afford a ski condo. Living in Colorado, I've seen many people driving converted vans and truck campers up to the mountains which has sparked my interest. I love the idea of buying a work van/sprinter and converting it into a mean pow chasing machine. Has anyone done this and what were the pros/cons of van life on the mountain.
> 
> For reference, this is what I'm talking about.


Told my wife that I was doing this next year. Gonna get a Max Pass and a van with a viking mural painted on it. Fuck work.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

I think my goal is to get one of these old Good Times van and convert it myself with my dad.


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## offthewallds (Dec 16, 2016)

Kenai said:


> Seriously considering doing just this for three months next winter between moving from NH to ID.


Need a partner in crime? This "working seven days a week" business is for the birds. :grin:


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Argo said:


> There are alot of good mountains without slopeside accommodation. They do have rv parking at quite a few of them though. If not they have parking lots. I get a hotel of its under $50/night and is within 20 minutes.
> 
> Places like baker, stevens, crystal, bachelor, along with alot more have rv spaves with electric at the base of the lifts for relatively cheap, $20-40/night.... it is nice to walk out of the rv and be steps from the lift for that price.


I was talking more about the initial investment of a tailor made van like the OP posted. I was thinking more of like a 80's Dodge van with a mattress and camp stove. I'd also me more inclined to just to do renegade spots if it was for a night or few. It would be a different story if I was going to park it for the season, paying like up to 3 or maybe $400 per month for pad rent and power would be totally worth it.

Revelstoke is about the only mountain I know of around here that lets people park in the lot for free. They don't have any power or nothing just a big ass lot. They seem to encourage this kind of thing to. There is always a vehicle I see there where the guy made a DIY camper out of wood on the back of his truck, it looks so dirtbag it's awesome. Not surprising that most resorts would rather cater to the snobby rich type than the dirtbag ski bums.


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## Clayton Bigsby (Oct 23, 2012)

Go to Pinterest and EBay Motors and type in Quigley Vans, 4x4 vans or Sportmobile vans ($$$$$). Pinterest has a bunch of sweet rigs, but I've looked them up on EBay and seen several used 4x4 Quigley vans empty (no interior, perfect) for a fair price $20k


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

You can do it waaaaaay cheaper...............buddy bought a VW camper van........divorced.....after 30 years..........quit his job........sold his house and everything she didn't take..........hasn't had a permanent address in 3 years..........chases pow.......


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