Short bus or van?

WanderLost Radical · Mar 23, 2017

Hey guys! Here's the deal:
I need to clear my Montreal apartment by May 1st, and leaving to travel across Canada sometime in July. Since it's not worth finding a new place for 2 months, I'm planning on Vandwelling.

Luckily, theres a government vehicules auction on April 29th! There'll be short busses and cargo vans, and I'd like y'all input on which one to chose.

Are busses much more gas consuming? (Gas is pretty expensive in the territories, where I plan on spending most of my time)

Which one is easier to insulate? (I fucking hate the heat)

Is there a price difference insurance-wise?

I dont really mind the stealth, since I'll only stay put for 2 months.

Any other tips are welcome!!

autumn · Mar 23, 2017

You're going to run into issues with heat. unless you make a swamp cooler setup, pretty much your only option for air conditioning is to have a gas generator running. Solar isn't up to the task because making air cold with a condenser takes a LOT of energy, way more energy than heating it up.

You can get a gas generator that will survive a few months from harbor freight for a hundred dollars or so. It will be extremely loud though. If you get a bus I would suggest hooking it up to a window unit from Craigslist.

A bus will consume much much more gas than a van. That said, due to size restrictions, a bus will be easier to insulate.

Try to insure it as an RV if you can. RV insurance is $100 a year or so. A regular van will be closer to $100 a month.

autumn · Mar 23, 2017

How hot are we talking about though? A swamp cooler can do a very good job of cooling small spaces.

todd · Mar 23, 2017

he talking about going across Canada, cant be too dam hot. swamp coolers work a lot better in low humidity areas

freegander · Mar 23, 2017

i would go with a van. i might be biased tho. : P

a bus will give you more space, but for short-term traveling that is not going to be as important.

also, i believe in going with a smaller space first and then when/if you upgrade, anything larger will feel HUGE.

i would also suggest that insulating a cargo van might be easier than a bus because: windows.

(i've never insulated a damn thing tho, so maybe don't take my advice. haha. )

iamwhatiam · Mar 23, 2017

if it were me, i'd get a van with AWD. seems like it would be easier to park discreetly when in cities. easier to drive up forest service roads or logging roads to go camp. less $$ for gas. less $$ spent on mechanical issues i'd assume.

WanderLost Radical · Mar 24, 2017

todd said:
he talking about going across Canada, cant be too dam hot. swamp coolers work a lot better in low humidity areas

We still hit some good 80's in average in the summer. And we're talking about a guy who cracks open his window in winter because he's too hot...
And yeah, idk about the territories, but the coasts are way too humid for swamp coolers.

iamwhatiam said:
less $$ spent on mechanical issues i'd assume.

Idk, i feel like city busses are super trustworthy!!

Also, about the space, there'll be 2 of us, so thats why I was maybe more inclined for a bus

todd · Mar 24, 2017

yeah high 80s, and in the sun all day could build up some heat inside a vehicle.
shading, insulation, ventilation ... all things to consider

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Short bus or van?

WanderLost Radical

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autumn

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todd

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freegander

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iamwhatiam

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WanderLost Radical

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