Planning

Van Goals

I travel for work, and need to be presentable when I get there. I may find myself in rural areas with no 24 hour gyms to shower in, or urban areas where I can't shower outside. I may be in snow country, or the desert. I may have shore power, or nothing. I may be by myself, or I may have my husband/dog/cats with me. I plan to be parking in clinic parking lots mostly, but I may have to find a spot on streets, camp grounds, yacht clubs, ski resorts, trail heads, etc...

So my van needs to be a home on wheels.

Basic Requirements:
Bed (Big enough for 2 people, a dog, and 2 cats)
Shower
Toilet
Sink
Stove
Fridge

Main Desires:
Ability to be off grid 2-3 days
Stand comfortably (I am only 5'3" but my husband is 5'10")
Sitting/Table area for eating/working for 2
Permanent bed (no taking the bed apart in the morning and putting it back together at night)
Area for litter box (in case the cats want to hit the road)
Be as environmentally friendly and cost effective as possible (keeping in mind it's a van with expected ~15 mpg!)
Ability to tow 4500lb ish (would love a 30ft keelboat for christmas one year, hint hint...)

Vehicle Choice
There are so many options out there...vans, box trucks, truck campers, buses, etc

Truck camper - tempting for us as you get good towing capacity and a vehicle to use when you don't need a camper. However space is limited, and to get one with a shower it gets pretty tall. There is also no chance for stealth in an urban environment.

Box trucks - nice to build with square walls. A bit too large personally for parking purposes. Also many campgrounds don't allow box trucks.

Buses - lots of space but similar cons to box trucks.

Van - Lots of options, good middle ground of space vs parking/driving ability. Curved walls in most vans can make the build more challenging. Plain white vans are as stealth as it gets.

Ideal vehicle:
Ford Transit AWD High Roof Extended 148" wheelbase T-350 with limited slip differential 3.73 or 4.10 axle (regular or ecoboost engine)

Vehicle chosen:
Ford Transit RWD High Roof T-250 Long Body 148" wheelbase 4.10 axle 3.7L gas engine

Why?
1) price
2) availability - it's going to be a long time, if ever, before AWD hits the used market
3) smaller van = more maneuverable, easier to park, and extra 200lb towing capacity
4) did I mention it was cheaper?