I was also hoping to find a rig that already had a fridge, however finding one within my budget has proven impossible. So I decided to settle and instead looked for something well cared for, durable, and with an already established electrical setup to make solar easier. I can live without a fridge for a few months.
Behold!
This beauty was a little tough to get. I had seen a number of options locally which had met my specifications and my budget (including a beautiful white one that I fell in love with on sight), however they seemed to get snatched up faster than I could travel to them. So I had to go a few cities out to get this van.
We had an exciting train ride out for a few hours. Sarah, my Service Dog, did an impeccable job. I expected her to be a bit uncomfortable, but in contrast to bus rides, the train was as smooth as boating on a calm lake. She did very well and even slept for a small part of the trip.
The family selling the van was absolutely adorable. I managed to haggle them down about $150, but even so still ended up paying $150 more than it was worth on Blue book. With the scarcity of the van, I was ok paying a little extra to get exactly what I was looking for. By the end of the excursion, Sarah was exhausted.
The interior of the van is beautiful and very well maintained, with few defects. The engine is also well cared for and passed emissions like a boss. It did fail the initial safety inspection because the rear brakes were out of alignment, but I've got it all fixed up and the paperwork is ready to go. Monday I'll get it registered and fully official. I'll post pics of the interior later. It's a bit to soon to make any modifications since I'm pinching pennies for the land plot, but I gotta say, things are going smoother than I expected.
Makes my spidey sense tingle. I wonder what's waiting around the bend? Hopefully, more good news.
As for land, I have a couple plots in mind, but it's difficult with my limited budget. There are a couple plots in the mountains that I'm considering. However, because of my budget I will have to deal with some kind of land issue, either very sandy or salty soil structure, a flood zone, or a steep incline (maybe all of it together). I have enough money left over after the van to buy the land outright as long as there aren't any hidden fees (unlikely). Here are two of the plots I'm considering in the mountains:
They are both modest, size-wise. I'll never really need more than .25 acres, unless I decide to go full goat ranch, which is more work than I want. Unfortunately, the land size is too small to have livestock, but I'm hoping that I can get an exemption for 2 pygmy goats since I'll be keeping them more as pets than anything. *crosses fingers*
So, lots of exciting progress! w00t! I love my new van baby. I think I'll call her Big Bertha. Always wanted to use that name for something other than my left boob.
-Tes
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