International Step Van

Hello, my name is Rodger. I will be sixty this February and I have been a full-timer for about 8 years, boondocking about 95% of my time. Originally, I worked construction as a carpenter, working out of and traveling in a Class A motor home with my wife of 10 years. Our home was in California but we both enjoyed traveling. In 1995, her MS had advanced to the point I could not work full time, so we decided to sell our home and go full time, working when I could. We had a few dollars from the sale of our home to help, but we still had to be very frugal. We didn’t want to reduce our quality of life so we started cooking from scratch, eating foods in season and following the sun. It’s hard to be unhappy when the sun is always shining and there is no lawn to be mowed!

In 2000 my wife could no longer travel, so we settled in eastern Oregon. I worked as an assistant manager for a mobile /rv park. When she passed away in 2003 she had taught me one of life’s most important lessons: live your life today, tomorrow may not come. Trying to live that way, I sold everything (which paid most of the medical bills) and filed bankruptcy. I met this older gentleman that had a 1966 International Metro step van for sale. It had a 152 cubic inch 4 cylinder, 92 horse power with 3 speed transmission. It is about 14 feet from bumper to bumper–picture a postal truck. I checked it out, paid $800.00 for it, and hit the road again. My little home gets about 18 MPG and I only put about 6, 000 miles a year on it.

Van Modifications:
In order to make it more livable, I made these modifications:

• I built a cabinet with drawers that is also a couch and opens to a single bed.
• I bought a really good ice chest for food.
• I put a 3 x 5 window on the passenger side. It is a typical 3 x 5vinyl slider. I just cut a hole in the side of the van to fit the window, and installed it with self-tapping metal screws with rubber washers and caulking. The window extends outside the van 3/4 of an inch. I wanted to maintain my stealth so I had a thin piece of metal cut to cover the window. It is the size of the window plus 1 1/2 inches all the way around plus another 3/4 inch to be bent at right angles. I soldered in its corners so that when I was done it looked like giant cookie sheet. I put a piano type hinge on top so it could not be seen from outside when closed. The 1 1/2inch added all around is needed so after the hinge is on, it will not bind when opening. Also, the added 1 1/2 on each is to hide the diagonal braces needed for when the awning is up. I then painted it to match the rest of the van. When it is down (it locks from inside), it looks very natural and most people don’t even notice it. It looks like I could sell hot dogs when it’s up! The cover helps to maintain my stealth parking ability, so that when I stop for th night it looks like a normal delivery van. I also keep the van clean with no stickers or writing on it, which also helps it be stealthy.
• When I stop, I don’t want to put anything on the ground, so I built a 5×5 patio that drops down when the back doors are open. The van has two doors in back, each 2’6″ wide, which open out. I had apiece of aluminum cut to 5′ wide by 4′ deep, and hinged on the 5’side. I attached it to the floor inside the van so that it drops down when the back doors are opened. Two hooks on the bottom of each door hold the deck up. To add shade, I mounted a typical RV window awning (works like old- fashioned window shade) above the patio. It has a metal cover (painted white) that it disappears into, maintaining my stealth. I covered it with a green canvas awning to make it nice for napping or grilling.
• I also replaced the uncomfortable driver’s seat with a very nice office chair. Because it is on wheels I can leave it inside or roll it to the patio.
• I built more cabinets on the passenger side under the window with a fold out desk and a one-burner propane stove top for my morning coffee.
• Installed two solar panels and two batteries.

It’s taken awhile, and is always a work in progress, but the van has become a very nice little home. I was able to get almost everything either free or at a good price used, except the two new solar panels for the two batteries and small fold down flat screen TV. I don’t have a cell phone or computer, I might get a computer but do not want to have any monthly bills.

Making Money:
I found I don’t like to work for someone else so my hobbies are incorporated into my income. I have three main ways of making money: