There are several different directions you can go here, and all five will have a serious impact on your “vehicle life” adventure. Personally, I have lived and traveled in a Volvo 740 Station Wagon, Ford Explorer, Dodge Ram [semi] Conversion Van, and lastly, a VW Vanagon Westfalia. Each vehicle has its distinct pros and cons and here we will attempt to find the best fit for you. Things to think about are ease of driving, inconspicuousness, comfortability, miles per gallon, ease of repairs, and last but certainly not least, cost.
Based on a 10 point rating scale. 10 being the most optimal, 1 being not.
Sedan:
- Drivability – 10
- Inconspicuousness – 10
- Comfortability – 2
- MPG – 9
Station Wagon:
- Drivability – 9
- Inconspicuousness – 8
- Comfortability – 6
- MPG – 8
If I could pick only one vehicle to own for the rest of my life, it would be a station wagon. These cars are great on gas, but still fold down completely flat to allow you to sleep inside (note: not all station wagons are created equal. Check before buying to make sure the seats fold all the way down. This is crucial to living/traveling in the car). Depending on your setup, people will have no idea that you are sleeping inside, which is definitely a blessing. The biggest downside to a wagon is that you cannot sit up straight on your bed in the back.
SUV:
- Drivability – 7
- Inconspicuousness – 9
- Comfortability – 7
- MPG – 6
In my opinion, the only thing that an SUV allows you to do that a station wagon doesn’t, is to store more things without needing the addition of a roof box. Since the seats don’t usually fold flat in an SUV, a common addition is to remove the seats and then build a wooden bed platform with storage underneath. The downside to this is that once you build a platform, you probably won’t be able to sit up full on top of the bed.
Pickup Truck:
- Drivability – 7
- Inconspicuousness – 9
- Comfortability – 6
- MPG – 7
Lounging in the back of my 1983 Nissan Pickup near Rattlesnake Lake, Washington, USA
Many people love the pickup truck – I am not one of them. While it is nice to have a separation between the driving area and the sleeping area, I found that it was a pain in the butt to get in and out of and often I would forget something up front that I wanted. That meant getting out of the back and going around to the front of the truck. This isn’t too bad, but definitely not something I want to do in the rain or at night. Bumping your head in the truck also hurts a lot more than in the van and it’s not as insulated as the other vehicles. The good part though, is that when you are not living/traveling in it, you can use it to haul.
Van:
- Driveability – 6
- Inconspicuousness – 3 to 8 depending on setup
- Comfortability – 7 to 10 depending on setup
- MPG – 4
Vans are great. They are big enough to sit inside, change clothing with relative ease, tons of storage, high clearance, and are very customizable. I had a Dodge Ram Conversion Van, which meant that the bench seat in the back folded into a bed. This was great because it allowed us to transport friends and hitchhikers when we wanted without needing to keep any extra seats in the car. There are lots of designs online to build your own folding bed in a van. I highly recommend this upgrade. A van allows you enough space to really create an organizational system that you can live with. Be sure to practice driving a van before committing though, as they are larger than what most people are used to driving.
Westy:
- Drivability – 4
- Inconspicuousness – 2
- Comfortability – 10
- MPG – 3
The VW Westy is really the Cadillac of livable vehicles. It has running water, a stove, refrigerator, two tables, two beds, a coat closet (with a mirror), lights, and lots of storage space. You can even stand up completely with the rooftop popped. The biggest downside is their drivability. Most of these are older and manual, so if you are not a confident driver, you may want to start with something else. If you are seriously considering purchasing a Westy, first check out GoWesty (hyperlink). They have a great breakdown of the differences between years and models and are the gold standard in VW Vanagons.
Find this article interesting or helpful? Like or share it on facebook!