A New Van to Call Home

After much consideration, debate, research, and pondering, I have purchased a new van to call home.  The new van, Pedro the Promaster will become the full time residence of Brian and me.  Silas is a wonderful van and is still driving fantastically, but there were a few things that tipped my decision in favor of a new van rather than keeping Silas for the remainder of his life.  These things were:

The new wheels.  Purchased from the dealer with 17,000 miles

1. Head room.  Silas is not a tall top Sprinter, and as such not many people can stand in him.  At 5'4" I can just stand fully if I'm not wearing shoes.  Chelsea is the most accommodating person ever and was nice enough not to complain about the fact that she had to stand with her neck crooked the whole time we lived in the van together.  After I acquired an amazing boyfriend last year (Brian) who is taller than Chelsea and even more uncomfortable trying to stand inside the van, I decided that for the happiness of everyone who is in the van, a taller roof would be ideal.  This is also good for adding a ton more storage space in the form of overhead cabinets.

2.  Front wheel drive.  Silas is rear wheel drive, which really proved to be a problem this winter.  Just getting through small amounts of snow or ice while going up driveways and in and out of parking lots was creating problems (as in spinning the wheels and being stuck).  No other similar van offers front wheel drive except the Promaster.  I think this was the single most important and deciding factor in choosing the Promaster above other options, like the Ford Transit, which we were pretty set on getting for awhile.  The 4WD Sprinter wasn't really a considerable option because of the cost of ownership (see #3) and the purchase price.

Pedro proved himself right off the bat in the snow at the Pole Creek Trailhead this weekend

3.  Cost of ownership.  Sprinters are very expensive to own and maintain.  There is no getting around this.  Fortunately they have nice engines and are known to drive well into 300,000+ miles, and they are of course, really nice and high quality vehicles.  Because we will be living in a van as our only residence for the forseeable future, it was determined that it would be good to have a van that was less costly to repair and maintain.  As I sit and write this in a sandwich shop, Silas is getting a $230 oil change, which is a totally standard price to pay for such a common and necessary thing on a Sprinter.

For now, Pedro is an empty shell (besides pups, ski gear, and hammocks as pictured here) but the build will begin soon

Eventually it was decided and the new van was purchased.  I cannot wait to begin the build out process to create my new dream home.  I am looking forward to sharing this space with the love of my life, with my friends, with Titan and Star, and whoever else might come along for a ride!  Here are the specs on the new van:

Ram Promaster 3500
Diesel Engine
159" WB
High Roof

If you have any questions about my experience as a Sprinter owner, the decision to get a Promaster, my thoughts on the Promaster so far, or anything else about van life, please don't hesitate to ask!