Van life rules.
If you can swing it, life on the road is pretty groovy. You can live wherever you want and stay there as long as you want (within reason), and you can see parts of the country you may never have got to see otherwise. The only problem is that RVs can be expensive. A brand new Winnebago on a Sprinter chassis can cost upwards of $100,000, which is way out of my range. Even used ones still demand quite a price, but if you're handy, you can build one yourself for much, much less, and it all starts with a Ram Pro-Master.
The Ram Pro-Master seems to be the base for many. From what I gather, they're quite a bit more affordable than the sprinter. This one at Christopher's Dodge Ram comes in about $5-6K under any Sprinters in the area. Or, if you really want something smaller or just need a weekend camper, the smaller Pro-Master City looks like a neat little van and is $20,550.
Of course, for an even greater bargain, you could go used.
Once you've secured your van, the next question is: What do you need to consider for your build? Well, luckily there are few people out there who have already put some good ideas forward, including this former student from Colorado, who spent $7,000 converting her Pro-Master into a space that's nicer than most hotel rooms.
Or, for a more thorough guide on how to build, check out Funlifecrisis. Laura and Joel are full-time van owners who get up to some pretty cool adventures, like road tripping through South America. They, too, rock the Ram Pro-Master, and their build is pretty amazing.
Don't feel like building things out yourself? No problem. The Contravans Pro-Master City kit costs approximately $13,500, but that includes installation, and it all happens right here in Denver.
\
What are your thoughts? Do you have a cool conversion van? If so, what tips do you have about van life? Let us know in the comments below!
