Home is where I set my parking brake

My travels this spring have awakened the road warrior within. So I traded my Buick Regal for something with towing power.  Trading in my sedan was something I had been considering.  Though she only had 90k, she had some major steering issues that needed repair.  I tend to keep my vehicles until they cross over the 200k mark, but this wasn’t wear & tear as much as equipment failure.  I do not want the headaches of a vehicle that can not withstand the test of time.

My search was exhaustive; my most basic requirement was a cargo van that could tow 8,000 lbs.  It would need to be effective for my daily commute to work, a weekend road trip, and transport gear for a week in the woods.   I compared the cost of re-fitting a blank cargo van, ready-made conversion van, or a Class B RV.

I have a design scrawled out on a napkin for the perfect camper van for me and Lucy Dog.  My Favorite Baby Brother would do wonders with a blank canvas!  Me? not so much.  Unfortunately, we live 5 hours apart, and it will be a while before I earn paid leave with my new job.  So I folded up the napkin and tucked in securely away in my desk drawer.

A Class B RV would be a great alternative – if I could find the layout that fits.  The best fit were, more often than not, unique conversions which put the costs outside of my happy budget place.  So I made notes of the companies that build unique Class B conversions and slid the note next to the napkin in my desk drawer.

One may think finding a conversion van should not be too hard.  Yeah, don’t think; it was.  I had trouble getting a reliable answer to “Does it have a towing package? Can it tow over 6,000 lbs?”  One does have to take into account the load IN the van as well as the load ON the van.   When I am driving over hill, over dale — I do not want my towed trailer to be hitting the dusty trail!  I called people from Georgia to New Jersey.  I did not want to speak to a van salesman … I wanted to speak to a man who could sell me a van.  After a month of searching, I found one.  Ended up finding a 2017 Chevy Express Cargo conversion that was considered “new” on the dealers lot.  I appreciate that they listened to my story, understood my goals, and worked the numbers until we both agreed.

I bought the van 2 weeks ago and celebrated having dinner at Mission BBQ.  It had 137 miles on it.  Today, it has 3003 miles, and 2 road trips logged.  I plan on taking out one or both of the middle bucket seats to make room for camping modifications (portable toilet, 12v cooler or refer, chuck box).   But I think I shall enjoy the “new car smell” for a bit first…

…and save up for my kitchen & bath on wheels…