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March, 2024

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Van Life

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Blummis22
Posts: 22 - Karma: 231
Looking to get a van with a couple of my friends and go around skiing different mountains. Any tips for living in a van??
Jan 19 2014 6:43PM
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Aidan-G
Posts: 9411 - Karma: 10,798
Get ready to suck dick for drugs
Jan 19 2014 6:44PM
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Jane6
Posts: 5359 - Karma: 4,505
You gotta do whatchu gotta do, son
Jan 19 2014 7:20PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
Park it by the river
Jan 19 2014 7:21PM
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ggfski42
Posts: 651 - Karma: 700
Lol are you and all these friends living out of this van? Hope its a BIG van. Good luck!
Jan 19 2014 7:25PM
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Aidan-G
Posts: 9411 - Karma: 10,798
Oh I know. I'm speaking from experience
Jan 19 2014 7:26PM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Things to know:

1: vans are cold as fuck in the winter. You can buy a propane heater but don't asphyxiate yourself.
2: propane camp stoves are great... but don't asphyxiate yourself
3: tire chains are your best friend
4: avoid steep passes when possible
5: you can get a 100 watt/amp dc solar setup for
Jan 19 2014 7:38PM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
i dont know why but ns cut my post short...

6: get comfortable shitting in uncomfortable places
7: get comfortable shitting in uncomfortable places

Heres my lovely lady

Click for larger image
Click for larger image

Shes good for climbing trips but needs some work before she'll be comfortable in the winter
Jan 19 2014 7:41PM
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humpty
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 3,150
it would be cool but i feel like the gas would be unbelievable
Jan 19 2014 8:59PM
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Blummis22
Posts: 22 - Karma: 231
Thanks for the advice man and good luck with your van
Jan 19 2014 9:03PM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11986 - Karma: 12,239
Click for larger image
Jan 19 2014 9:12PM
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zard_gawd
Posts: 254 - Karma: 329
Are you guys on trad lead? Or are there bolts? Your van and climbing crew look rad bro, glad to see some fellow climbers on here
Jan 19 2014 9:40PM
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*DUMBCAN*
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 5,627
espn posted a decent article on this a while back:
http://xgames.espn.go.com/skiing/article/8424768/live-van-winter
Jan 19 2014 9:42PM
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Turd.Ferguson
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 2,713
go ask rob hule. hes doin it good
Jan 19 2014 11:45PM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Yea its a trad climb in moab. I snapped the pic while my girlfriend was cleaning the route. Which brings me to another good point. Even just a couple weeks with one other person gets pretty tight.

I think i would lose my mind trying to do a full winter with two other guys.
Jan 20 2014 12:44AM
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Bethune
Posts: 435 - Karma: 26
get a westfalia
Jan 20 2014 1:11AM
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emopoppins
Posts: 3996 - Karma: 269
dont waste your money get an e350 for less and better
Jan 20 2014 1:46AM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Agreed.

i paid 2500$ for a converted 1990 e-150 with only 70k miles. The westfalias I was looking at were 20 years older, with twice the miles for three times the price.
Jan 20 2014 1:49AM
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Jeebus.
Posts: 4904 - Karma: 5,822
Ultimate dirt bagging mobile, I'm very jealous, plus that rock looks primo
Jan 20 2014 2:05AM
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snowpocalypse
Posts: 1036 - Karma: 3,525
Dirt bag hippies and their vans? Why? Go big. This is my 1978 La Palma 28 foot RV. Two heaters, full kitchen, shower and amazing shag carpet. Its pushed by a Dodge 440 so parts are easy and cheap to come by. Ya gas can be steep, but so are most of the finer things in life.
Click for larger image
Jan 20 2014 11:42AM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
That thing is sweet! However, I've gotta say that the van has advantages over the RV. Primarily being able to take it off road and ease of finding parking.

How many MGP do you get? My van only gets 14-15. I'd like my next van to have a turbo diesel, but by the time I can afford to upgrade, who knows what kind of technology there will be available.
Jan 20 2014 3:50PM
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BLADEE
Posts: 1017 - Karma: 778
Definitely get a really good sleeping bag
Jan 20 2014 4:12PM
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snowpocalypse
Posts: 1036 - Karma: 3,525
I'm pushing about 10 MPH. Just about the same as my v10 Excursion so not that big of a deal. I have come to terms with gas being stupid.
Jan 20 2014 6:11PM
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Evan.A
Posts: 89 - Karma: 349
Ever thought of a painter van?
Jan 20 2014 10:47PM
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Blummis22
Posts: 22 - Karma: 231
Ya it seems like a good idea because it could fit bunk beds
Jan 20 2014 10:50PM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 268
van's are awesome, obviously its way out of your price range, but check out sportsmobile, they make awesome stuff, could give you ideas. when im making a little more money i think throwing like 60k at one is one of the first big investments i make.

i saw some guys last summer in moab with one, the thing was decked out with biking stuff, had like 8 bike racks on it, including a roof top tent, and the thing was lifted pretty high with some offroady tires, they were shuttling each other up some trails and hauling ass in it, i was jelly.

also think about a truck, you can do so much with a decent sized truck bed, multiple "stories", extending stuff off the back of the bed and up over the cab, etc.. id almost argue if you did it right you could sleep more people and fit more junk in a truck.
Jan 21 2014 3:21AM
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oakleyman15
Posts: 9 - Karma: 27
Check out Van Life ep.1 on Vimeo it's already been made by me and my friends!! We sucked so much dick for the security of that van.
Jan 22 2014 11:36PM
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GypsySkis
Posts: 124 - Karma: 20
best thing ever, done so many camping trips in one
Jan 23 2014 1:00AM
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Wallisch_pl
Posts: 5260 - Karma: 1,022
Like TC OMG!!!
Jan 23 2014 7:00AM
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Dhane
Posts: 3866 - Karma: 1,722
whattup fellow climber! your rig looks fineeee. Im in the process of converting a van right now into a sleeper and doing the same thing! stoked to see some like minded people on here, i may be PM'ing you in the future just to bounce some ideas off ya and see what works. just finished building my climbing rack tho (priorities) so now its onto the van. maybe well meet up at some vagrant parking lot this fall, ill throw ya a belay
Jan 23 2014 9:02AM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
For sure man, I'll be rebuilding mine this summer to make it super legit. Bed, Stove, Fridge, 60" flatscreen... You know, just the essentials.

If you're climbing out west (wyoming, utah, colorado, idaho) send me a pm.

Jan 23 2014 1:03PM
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wynnyk
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 555
wait what
Jan 23 2014 9:22PM
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