Are you searching Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and the internet for a nomadic vehicle to purchase? You know the one that is going to take you on adventures, the one that you will live in on the weekends, extended vacations, or even full-time. Have you done your research and you know what vehicle will best suit your needs? Before backing a van, bus, or RV down your driveway, here are 3 questions to consider before you make the purchase. 

3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE BUYING Your Nomadic Vehicle

Ask yourself these questions:

#1 Which Nomadic Vehicle is Right for Me?

There are several different options to purchase. Do you see yourself in a van, skoolie, or RV? Knowing which style and length is best for you is key before purchasing. So, how do you decide what length and style is best? Purchasing a nomadic vehicle to live or travel in seriously comes down to 3 things: Space, Purpose, and Plan.

Know Your Space

Knowing how many people will be traveling with you and what’s the height of the tallest person is important before you purchase.

Answer these questions:

• How many people will sleep inside the vehicle?  Could a family of 5 live in a 30ft bus? While it is possible it may not be comfortable.
  The number of people that will sleep in the vehicle is a factor when determining how much space you will need. 
• What floor to ceiling height will you need? Most buses have a ceiling clearance of 6’2”. You can find buses that are between 6’3-6’5”. If you are looking into a van, the Ford Transit has a ceiling height of 6’9”. Most RVs have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet. 

Know Your Purpose

The questions to answer when it comes to knowing your purpose are:

• Is this going to be your fulltime home? If so, you may want to have extra storage, more space to move about, and a place to work remotely. Therefore, even though your family size is 2 and could fit in 30 feet or less you may want to consider buying a larger vehicle.
• Are you using this as a weekend warrior camper? If so and you are going to travel to cold climates in the winter you may need more space to accommodate a wood stove, winter sports gear, and bulky coats. Or you could need less space because you are not going to need a full size kitchen or travel in cold climates so you could go with a smaller nomadic vehicle. 

Know Your Plan

Knowing where you plan on traveling and how many miles you are going to put on your vehicle in a year is extremely important when thinking about buying. 

Here are a few questions to answer:

• Are you going to travel frequently, moving from place to place often? You could put 20k-30k miles on your vehicle in a year and would need a vehicle less miles and maybe cruise control..
• Do you want to stay in National Parks or live off grid? Some National Parks have length restrictions of 30 ft or less. Therefore, you will need a shorter vehicle.

#2 Do I have a place to park the vehicle if I want to renovate it or make upgrades?

For many people parking a bus in their drive is not a problem. For others, there may be HOA rules to follow. The zoning laws may prevent a school bus from being parked in a yard or driveway.

Before purchasing a nomadic vehicle and backing it down your drive, make sure you have done your homework to find out if there are any restrictions or laws preventing you from parking and working on it in your yard.

Need a little tutoring? Get a Dreaming and Research Consultation with Missy

#3 What’s your budget?

If you decide to purchase a retired bus and convert it, you will have the cost of the bus plus the cost of converting. Currently, the cost of buses are between $3500- $8000. The cost of converting a bus is covered in our Build or Buy: Money Saving Secrets.

The cost of RV’s vary greatly depending on the year, size and model. You could spend anywhere from $10,000 – $200k . 

When purchasing a van, you could spend $5000-$7000 for a used Chevy Astro Van or $16,000-$20k for a used Mercedes Sprinter Van. If you are looking into a new van the costs could be in excess of $40,000 plus the conversion. 

There is the option of purchasing a skoolie or converted van. These options start around $15,000 and up depending on the style and model of vehicle. 

n conclusion, once you have determined the size of nomadic vehicle you will need to fit your family, you have a place to park your vehicle if you decide to complete any upgrades, and you know your budget, it is time to start searching for your nomadic vehicle. 

Join our Four Wheels and a bra where we talk about all things nomadic living and suggest places to begin your search.