Van Life: Van or SUV? Pros & Cons of Each

Van Life: Van or SUV? Pros & Cons of Each

Here at Dirt Legal, we are all about personal freedom. Freedom to explore the open road, freedom to drive the vehicles you want, where and when you want, on your own terms. One of the fastest-growing trends on the road is bus life, van life, full-timing, or skoolies. These are all different names for the same thing. 

Today, we’re talking #vanlife, which is full-time living in a converted van, but it can also be a converted SUV – whatever you’re in, you’re in it full time without a regular home to return to for weeks, months, or even years on end.

Let’s take a look at some popular vans, and also some popular SUVs, and weigh the pros and cons of each one. LFG!

The Best Van For Van Life

As someone who loves camping and does it often, I’ve got some thoughts about this. 

If you go strictly off of reels on the gram, you’d swear the perfect rig is a fully custom Mercedes Sprinter. Yeah, okay. Look, I love Sprinters as much as anybody, but the price tag is ridiculous. No, they aren’t all $100k, but enough of them are that you have to realize how stupid this is. It’s a van, not a house. A $100k van will leave you stranded just the same as a $10k used U-Haul van (yes, these conversions do exist, and they are awesome). Many just use an old Chevy Express or Ford E-Series, your typical white contractor van used by a plumber or electrician. Home is where the heart is, right?

So, here’s the thing: the best van for #vanlife depends completely on your individual situation. If you are sitting on a big pile of cash and money is no issue, then maybe a more expensive build on a new van makes a lot of sense. You are definitely less likely to deal with mechanical issues. 

If you are broke and looking for cheaper options, you should buy a used van off the marketplace and DIY it. The cool thing about this is that you can always upgrade, and if your craftsmanship is decent, you might even make a little money with a turnkey #vanlife van. 

Personally, any of the GM vans with an LS engine are great choices. That engine is bulletproof, has respectable fuel economy, and parts are dirt cheap. Oh, and don’t you dare get a van any less than ¾-ton. You are adding a crapload of weight in the form of shelves, storage, toilet, bed, etc., not to mention all the stuff you’re going to put on the top and on the bumper. Preferably a 1-ton van, to be honest. They usually use the same engines as the 1/2-ton vans, so the difference in fuel mileage is either none at all or totally negligible. Don’t get a ½-ton van because you will regret it when a ¾-ton is the same price. 

Final answer: Buy the most reliable van in the best condition that you can in your price range. That’s it. 

Is Van Life a Good Idea?

I talked about this in our previous article on van life. I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not for you. It’s not a good idea for me because I have a wife and six kids. But maybe you are a young aspiring nomad who’s sick of your $2,100 rent in a crack shack. Maybe you think that five months of rent would be better spent on a van to live in. 

If that’s you, then it might be a great idea! 

If you have two or three kids and a family golden retriever, just get a 4X4 truck and a travel trailer. You’ll be much better served with running water, water storage, and a gas stove. Oh, and more than one bed. 

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. If you are broke and behind on your rent, and #vanlife appeals to you, but you plan to stay in the city, you’re just living in your car. And this is called homelessness. Or “urban stealth camping” if you will. The spirit of van life is that it’s about adventuring, traveling, or at least changing your surroundings every now and then. If you’re parking in one spot, that’s something else entirely.

What If The Best Van Life Van Is An SUV?

Now, here is an interesting thought: what if the best van for van life is actually an SUV? And would it really be that surprising? Think about it: for starters, SUVs are almost always four-wheel drive (or at least AWD for compacts).

Look, 4X4 is cheap insurance when you want to go check out the more remote areas of the world, and that is one of the main ideas behind van life. Now, here’s the thing: a Suburban or an Excursion are not nearly as spacious as a cargo van, but that’s where the concept of trade-offs comes into play. What is more important to you? The highest level of mobility or space? If you want a little more space, then you should probably go with a larger van or a U-Haul conversion. If you want to go big, check out titling and registering a Skooli! Yeah, we know a thing or two about that. 

Once again, this is really all about what works for you. Only you know how much room you’ll need or the places you intend to go. Yeah, I dropped a Dr. Seuss reference in there; I have six kids. 

Can You Convert an SUV Into a Camper?

Well, now we come to an interesting question: are SUV conversion kits on the market? The answer: Yes! There are conversion kits that are very low impact, so you don’t have to worry about any permanent conversions that irreversibly turn the inside of your van into a chateau.

Of course, you don’t have to buy one if you don’t want to. All the tools you need are at Harbor Freight or any big box store, and you can get the building materials at those, too. I guarantee you can find all the information you could ever need for this online.

Are There SUV Conversion Kits? 

So, yes, you definitely can convert an SUV into a camper. In fact, this idea is not even remotely new; converted Suburbans, for example, have been around for decades. But the big difference is that modern processes make conversions much faster, easier, and better. In fact, they don’t even need to alter the vehicle in any permanent way.

One brand that I really like is called Roadloft. They make CNC-routed kits that are customized to specific vehicles so that no permanent alterations are necessary. What I really dig about their model is that they are so simple and quick to assemble that they even advertise using them for rentals. Now, that is impressive.  

The kits are just a wooden platform with slide-out drawers that can even accommodate a small kitchenette. 

If you don’t need a ton of space, I recommend using an SUV over a van. They can be easily, quickly, and inexpensively modified for off-roading or even on-roading. 

Lift kits are inexpensive and plentiful for a truck. Cow catchers (brush guards and bull bars) are easy to find. Auxiliary lighting kits are easy to find and can be bought as vehicle-specific kits that are ready to install. In short, off-roading parts and accessories are tailored for trucks, not vans. The selection of accessories and parts are harder to find and usually cost more for vans. This is not always the case, but is a general rule of thumb. 

You can look at the images of companies making these kits and replicate them on your own with some fairly basic woodworking tools (table saw, jigsaw, circular saw, drill & impact driver, etc.) But if you don’t have access to these tools or don’t want to drop a few hundred on them (if you won’t use them again), then looking for kits like Roadloft makes a lot of sense. Not sponsored by the way – just a really interesting thing you should know about.

Now that the used car market seems to be stabilizing, you should be able to pick up a suitable SUV for sub-$10k, plus the cost of a conversion kit, and you are set for adventure. If the drivetrain and engine are in good working order, you can take a bone-stock SUV through surprisingly rough terrain with nothing more than good tires. Throw on a Harbor Freight winch on a good brush guard (you’ll want one for sure) and some good tires, and you can tackle a ton of rough terrain. Not extreme wheeling, but it’ll probably get you where you want to go 80%-90% of the time without much difficulty. 

Which SUVs Are Best?

There are two that stick out from the whole pack:

1. Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL

2. Ford Excursion

Caveat: I have owned two Excursions in the past, but I don’t own them anymore, so I’m trying to be unbiased. Our editor owns a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 – he’s 6 feet tall and can lay down in the back with ample room for pillows and luggage at his head or feet, and while it’s not the most luxurious rig around, it’s cavernous and that matters a lot for extended travel.

Suburban

The Sub would generally be my first pick, but there is one thing I really don’t like about it: it’s harder to find a ¾-ton Sub. Yes, they have made ¾-ton Subs for decades, but they have been geared toward commercial sales for years now. The demand just hasn’t been there for heavy-duty SUVs, which is why the Excursion ultimately petered out after just five model years. Our editor’s 2500 is a ¾-ton, but he’s also been trying to sell it for a year with no luck, so evidently not a lot of people want one – or maybe they don’t know how awesome it can be for van life and car camping. And now you do.

“Why not go with a Tahoe?” Because I’m not dumb. Look, the Tahoe is just a shortened Sub. If you are okay with losing valuable internal volume, then go with the Tahoe. I personally am not, so I’m going with the Sub. The fuel mileage is the same, and the parts are all the same. You’ll want the storage space, and you’ll want to sleep in a natural position, so go bigger. 

Excursion

The Excursion was made from 2000-2005, and it was exclusively built on a ¾-ton platform. The spring packs were different from the F-250 (softer), but it is unnoticeable unless you are towing. I had no issues with sagging with my 2005, but my 2000 sagged pretty badly with a heavy load on the tongue. 

These were equipped with the Triton 6.8L V-10 gas engine or a diesel engine (7.3L or 6.0L, depending on the year), so they were no slouches in towing. However, if you want it for living in and not hauling, the Triton 5.4L is fine and might get slightly better mileage than the V-10.

Keep in mind that these trucks are getting old. The diesel engines are good enough (well, the 7.3 is a tank, but the 6.0 has some well-known problems), but starting in cold weather is not always their strong suit. For simplicity, I would stick with gas unless I’m towing heavy often. That’s just my opinion after owning a couple of them; take that for what it is. 

Other Thoughts On SUVs vs. Vans

Oh, and one last thing: take a good long look at that picture if you want to live the #vanlife. That is a 34’ long trailer with around 300² feet of living space. Now imagine living in the back of the tow vehicle. And that is a very large SUV. It is not my job to dissuade you, but I encourage you to be realistic if you want to live in a van or SUV full-time and you suspect it might become more than a weekend thing. We’ll gladly help you title and register a van or an SUV either way, but the #vanlife might be somewhat lacking if you aren’t ready for it. Take it from me: after a month, a trailer feels really cramped. Unless you have done a lot of backcountry camping and are totally good with living outdoors all the time, van life will probably suck if you go in with the wrong expectations.

I’d also suggest hopping on an RV rental site and spending a weekend or two living in some smaller RVs or vans/SUVs if any are available. The last thing you want to do is take this plunge into a new life only to realize you hate it.

How About a 4x4 Van Conversion?

If you want to maximize space but also want to go wherever you want to go, then a 4x4 van conversion might be in order. Words like Quigley float around the van space – that’s a well-known conversion company. There are a number of shops that offer these conversions but beware: they aren’t cheap. The prices aren’t usually advertised, but if you check out forums, the prices generally point toward $15k-$20k. If you really need a 4x4 van, then this is for you. 

Otherwise, you can easily find a good used 4x4 SUV for less than that. Something that comes factory-equipped with 4x4 and comes at little to no extra charge on the used market.

I’ve said this already, but keep in mind that you really need tough terrain to need a 4x4 camper. Campers are heavy by nature, carrying lots of weight over the rear axles, and in most cases they are rear-wheel-drive. Unless you’re braving unmaintained Colorado roads in the dead of winter or climbing muddy cliffside fire roads in the rainy PNW, you can probably get there with 2WD just fine.

Now, the one thing that I would seriously consider would be converting a used U-Haul box van. No, you wouldn’t want to take it on nasty trails, but a 4x4 van with a 15’ box could really be the best of both worlds. Lots of interior space but enough prowess to be much less concerned with things like beach camping or other places where traction is a common issue.

But since nearly every 4x4 commercial van (like a Chevy Express or Ford E Series) is a professional conversion, they aren’t super common. 

What is the Best Van Life Vehicle Nobody Talks About?

However, if you don’t mind using a smaller van, an AWD Toyota Sienna could be a great option for this kind of project. I’ve had one for years, and it handles snow and bad driving conditions very well. Oh, and you can probably pick up an older one for around $5k or less. It’s a Toyota, so it will run for at least another 50 years with minimal supervision (joking, mostly). 

I don’t care what anyone says: minivans are clutch and are totally slept on – tons of interior space, good gas mileage, and good performance. Oh, and they are much more comfortable to ride in than any full-size van. Plus, the seats are made to be taken out easily. My Sienna has stowable rear seats, so even if you removed the middle row and left them in storage or at your mom’s house, you could pop those rear seats up and still seat four people in a pinch.

What an absolute unit 💪🏻

Not to mention, minivans are cheap to buy and always readily available. And you can always lift an AWD Sienna, put some badass cheap steel rims and aggressive tires on it, and throw a tent on top. To be honest, this is the most economical option with by far the most ROI. And it has looks that scream “coolest dad in the school pick-up line” which itself is priceless.

Let’s Wrap This Up

You are really only limited by your imagination. If it were me and my money, I’d go with a U-Haul or a Skooli conversion unless I need a four-wheel drive, at which time I’m either getting a Suburban or I’m buying an AWD Sienna and lifting it. If I don’t need towing capacity and I can live lightly, it’s the Sienna all day, every day. 

The Sienna gets around 10mpg better fuel economy than the Sub, and it is easy to drive anywhere, including every major city. Even a jacked-up Sienna isn’t raising any eyebrows at Walmart, so I wouldn’t think twice about overnighting in that, even at Walmarts that don’t allow it.  

But whatever you decide to #vanlife in, you need it to have a title and license plate. We’ve got you covered with our in-house title and registration services tailored specifically to people living the van life. Not sure what you need? Just give us a call, and we’ll walk you through it, or suggest what we think is the best solution for you. The last thing you want is to get ticketed for not having your boring DMV stuff in order. With us, that’s one less worry to have to make room for.

What Exactly Is an Off Highway Vehicle, and How Do I Tag and Register One?

Dirt Legal really got its start in the off-road business. A core group of states has been open to making off-road vehicles street-legal for years. Not surprisingly, these are the Western States (NOT the Pacific Coast states, mind you).

For example, these states (Montana, South Dakota, and Arizona) still embody the Wild West. They represent something in the fiber of the American Spirit. They are still wild places. Unfortunately, much of the Union does not reflect this wild and free attitude. Out there, you can basically do whatever you want with any vehicle, even if it was originally built as “off-highway” or not street-legal from the factory.

But not every state is that way.

One of the things we see a lot of in less-friendly states are law enforcement and local courts trying to work around a street-legal UTV or ATV being recognized as street-legal. This would be a case of not following reciprocity laws, but that is a different talk for a different time. 

Right now, we need to define what an Off-Highway Vehicle is and take a look at how you can tag and register one, regardless of where you live, and get street legal easier than you ever thought was possible.

Side-By-Sides

UTVs are new to the scene and were just adaptations of small utility vehicles that made their way onto farms, golf courses, and other places where highly capable four-wheel drive vehicles were needed, but a truck couldn’t access them. 

John Deere had the first vehicles that were widely used, which were the first-generation Gators. While these were a far cry from today’s UTVs, they were a huge leap in personal utility vehicles.  

These early units would not drive on highways or public roads; any of you who drove them know that 15mph was about the top end. They used what were basically lawn-mower engines. But they laid the foundation for much more powerful machines. 

Modern UTVs, or side-by-sides (SXSs), are more trucks than utility machines. A Polaris RZR Turbo R produces a heart-pounding 181 horsepower from the 925cc mill. Unreal. 

However, despite being as easily capable of traversing public roads as most cars and able to keep up at highway speeds, they are defined as ‘off-highway vehicles.’ This primarily comes from the factory where they are labeled as off-highway vehicles, and then reinforced by the states. 

See, this is really a state-level issue, not a federal one. 

ATVs

ATVs are in the same boat as UTVs. They are clearly designed to be off-highway vehicles, and the manufacturer’s certificate of origin is branded accordingly. This is the biggest hurdle to overcome, but it is not insurmountable at all. 

See, the MCO is not a title. The MCO is just an origin certificate. It says what it is, who made it, and the pertinent details of the vehicle. It is not a legal document; the only legal document is the title. 

Everything else up until the title is an accessory to the title. Bill of sale? Just a tool to get the title. So is the MCO. 

The state controls titles. They issue them, they define them.

This is why it does not matter what the MCO says. If the state you are registering the UTV or ATV for street legal use allows them on the roads, they will issue a title accordingly. 

And when you get said title, it will probably define the vehicle as something other than an ATV or UTV. 

For example, Montana will define it as a quadricycle on their title, which is acceptable in most, if not all, states.     

Further reading: How to Make a UTV Street Legal in Montana

Dirt Bikes

So, dirt bikes are a little less of a gray area. 

A dirt bike is a motorcycle. There are really only a handful of things that need to be done to an off-highway dirt bike to make it street-legal, most of which just involve the DOT-required items:

• White headlight with low and high beam

• Red taillight with brighter or separate brake light

• Reflector: yellow front and rear

• white license plate light

• Front and rear turn signals

• DOT tires

• Mirrors

• Horn

• Quiet exhaust with muffler

• Spark arrestor (if you plan to use trails, OHV areas, etc.)

No inspections are required, so this is just on you so you don’t get pinged for driving illegally. 

Surplus Military Vehicles

Now, on to my specialty and my absolute favorite topic: surplus military vehicles.

I love talking about these vehicles. There are so many of them, they are so capable and just cool.

So, here’s the deal: a lot of states will register these with no problem. But some states are much easier to register vehicles in than others. Also, some states (i.e., Montana) have no sales tax or low sales tax (South Dakota has a 4% sales tax rate), making them a lot more reasonable than other locales (my home county is up to 11.35%). 

Now, if you buy a surplus vehicle straight from an auction house that has never been titled or registered in civilian hands, it will be branded as an off-highway vehicle. 

These vehicles will be sold with a standard government form, the SF-97. 

Think of this as sort of like the MCO for ATVs and UTVs. It is simply a certificate that states the vehicle's size, weight, etc. 

You will use this for the titling process. 

Another thing we need to mention is how some states (at least two) are openly hostile to the street legalization of surplus military vehicles. Colorado and California will not register them in-state, and Colorado is somewhat ambiguous about whether or not they will even allow them to drive regardless of where it is tagged. 

Read about Colorado: Military Vehicle Motor Vehicle Regulation | Colorado General Assembly & Restrict Off-highway Vehicles On Public Roads | Colorado General Assembly

And California: Cali Carb Surplus Army Trucks

Colorado gives me more pause because they state outright that even OHVs tagged in another state are illegal to operate. I’m not sure if that means just ATVs and UTVs, or if surplus military vehicles are in that mix, too. To err on the side of caution, I would say that they might pull you over. Of course, a lot of it depends on location. 

If you’re cruising through Mineral County, population 910, the odds of getting clipped for driving a military surplus truck are probably much lower than cruising through Denver. Use common sense. 

What Do I Need To Register These Vehicles?

It’s not really hard to register any of these vehicles. 

All you need is one of the required proofs of ownership (bill of sale, MCO, or SF-97), proof of insurance, and anything else required our registration programs.

The biggest thing is making sure you have valid proof of ownership. If you get that nailed down, the rest is simple, it’s just time and money.  

Does My Off-Road Vehicle Have A Title?

A state issues a title. Each state has its own requirements for a title for both OHV and on-road vehicles.

Many states require it for both, which is a good feature. Titles certify ownership, so it’s a lot harder to falsify ownership when a title is issued. 

Once you go through our registration process, a title will be issued in the state of your choice, along with registration and a tag.  

How About a VIN?

Most ATVs and UTVs have a VIN, which will go on the title, just like a car. 

It is a 17-digit combination of numbers and letters, just like an automobile, so there is little difference in the VIN. They are issued on off-highway vehicles for the same reason as passenger cars: crime prevention. 

Does it come with an OHV title? Bill of sale? Or something else?

To complete our registration programs, you have to provide proof of ownership in one form, which is generally:

• Bill of sale

• MCO

• SF-97 for military surplus

• Title

• Transferable registration

“But I thought you said I’d get a title?”

Yes. With our program, it doesn’t matter what state your plate ends up in thanks to reciprocity. You can use any state’s title or registration as proof of ownership going in, and coming out, you’ll have a plate and title certifying your ownership of a street legal off-highway vehicle. Sweet, right?

Parting Thoughts

There are 50 states plus a bunch of territories that all have their own way of doing things. We can help you register and title your OHV, but you really do need to do your homework on how friendly or hostile your state is on the use of tagged ATVs and UTVs on public roads.

And it can vary from county to county, town to town, based entirely on the preference of the local law enforcement community. They might not win the cases, but they can sure make you miserable while you plead your case. 

If this sounds like something you want to try for your OHV, check out our street-legalization programs. And if you have any questions, we’re only a phone call away.