Large vehicles for nomadic living offer certain advantages and disadvantages over smaller vehicles. In the context of this wiki, "large vehicles" include Class A motorhomes, buses, box trucks, step vans, and some ambulances.
Advantages
- Significantly more living space! Luxury items like dishwashers and wood stoves become a possibility.
- Ceiling height is more than enough for almost everyone, even after adding insulation to floor and ceiling. A definite benefit if you are tall.
- Easier solar mounting and solar panel capacity, since most have large, flat roofs.
- Ground clearance is high, so you can drive over certain obstructions, and undermount space is generally large.
- Generally easier conversion difficulty since most have straight, bare walls. (Skoolies and ambulances may be an exception due to removal of unneeded materials.)
- Most have passthrough from the driving area to living space, though most box trucks do not.
Disadvantages
- Fuel efficiency is low, since you are hauling a lot more weight and have a higher profile against the wind. The more driving you plan to do, the more a larger vehicle will cost you. If you plan to drive less, this matters less.
- Parking difficulty is high, since you are physically so large and have to rely on mirrors for backing.
- Driving difficulty is higher for the same reasons, plus additional considerations for mountain road driving.
- Vehicle clearance is high, so you won't be able to enter low-clearance places like parking garages and drive-thrus, and you have to watch for low branches and other obstructions.
- Vehicle insurability is more challenging than with smaller vehicles, depending on your location. You may have to get your vehicle reclassified or reregistered, from commercial to recreational, before insurers will consider you.
- Average annual repair costs will generally be higher.
- The number of mechanic shops who can work on your vehicle will be reduced; many shops cannot accommodate tall or heavy vehicles due to shop ceiling height or weight limits on lifts.
Stealth
Large vehicles tend to be either very stealthy, or completely unstealthy, with very little middle ground. Most large vehicles (motorhomes, buses, ambulances, etc.) have zero stealth. They are very noticeable and their residential purpose is obvious. However, some (box trucks and step vans) can be extremely stealthy if a) external modifications are minimal and b) you are parked in commercial or industrial areas. Who would question yet another plain white box truck parked on a street behind a strip mall or near some warehouses?
Fuel type
Fuel type is more likely to be diesel or other fuel, instead of gasoline/petrol. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your location, driving habits, and other factors.
Living space
Resources
| Search forums and groups | Search van life discussion groups for "large vehicles" | |
| Search related sites | Search van life sites for "large vehicles" | |
| Search NomadLife.wiki | Search other pages on this wiki for "large vehicles" |