Traveling RN looking for a van

[photocodo]

I am an RN in NC and will be traveling in a few weeks. Most of my assignments will be 13 weeks and then I will be picking up and moving again. The travel agencies who provide my assignments also have the option of providing housing for me, however, if I choose not to have them provide housing it is a significant increase in pay (around $10-$15 per hour). So my plan is to get a van, outfit it as a camper and live in the van for the next few years as I am traveling around the country. I am excited about the opportunity but I will be needing a lot of help and guidance from experienced van campers;) I plan on splitting my time between boondocking and paying for camp sites, depending on my schedule, weather and location of my assignment. If I am out in the sticks somewhere it may be easier to find a place to park for free without getting hassled.

My first question is what kind of van do I get? My initial thought is to get a chevy, dodge or ford cargo van for two reasons. first they have most of the back blocked out instead of having windows all around. second is that I believe they are big enough for me to be comfortable in. Does this seem like a good idea or are there other vans that people like using? I wont be able to get anything new but Im hoping to have about $5000 to spend on the van itself.

My second issue is going to be showering. Since I will be working in a hospital with direct patient care I really cant show up smelling like a dirtbag. Some hospitals will let me shower in an empty room if there is one available but I dont want to rely on that. I was thinking about getting a gym membership where they have showers and just using that.

Any ideas are welcome and I am excited to start looking for a van and getting started with the project.

Photocodo

[Darren]

Hi
Sounds like you have a
Hi

Sounds like you have a great solution to your accommodation needs.
Other than choosing a reliable make, the make of van is not really important.
The size and features are much more important. If you intend to spend quite a lot of time in the van then I would recommend getting on in which you can stand up. This will make life much more comfortable.
However, if you will be spending limited time in the van then a standard height van will be fine.

To be inconspicuous a van without any windows is a great idea. Keep the outside appearance to that of a normal vehicle and you will be able to stealth camp in lots of places.

For showering I have bought a big plastic tray/bucket and washed with warm water, sometimes using a jug. This has worked really well for me.

[Darren]

Hi
Sounds like you have a
Hi

Sounds like you have a great solution to your accommodation needs.
Other than choosing a reliable make, the make of van is not really important.
The size and features are much more important. If you intend to spend quite a lot of time in the van then I would recommend getting on in which you can stand up. This will make life much more comfortable.
However, if you will be spending limited time in the van then a standard height van will be fine.

To be inconspicuous a van without any windows is a great idea. Keep the outside appearance to that of a normal vehicle and you will be able to stealth camp in lots of places.

For showering I have bought a big plastic tray/bucket and washed with warm water, sometimes using a jug. This has worked really well for me.

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