I hate to say it, but my days roaming with Rover are coming to an end. I love this van. It has served me (pretty) well for almost a year now. But in that year, I learned a lot about what I need out of a van—and what I don’t.
The allure of #vanlife may have gotten to me a little more than I’d like to admit. I collected ideas from other van-lifers and I was too ambitious with my setup. The big conversion project, quitting my job, and finding a fully-remote job seemed to imply that I was going to hit the road for the ramblin’ life. Friends were asking, “Where are you going?” or “Where are you now?” Uhhh, home, still.
I’ve always loved a good road trip, but I never intended to live on the road. Furthermore, traveling with five dogs isn’t simple. The van has made it a lot more comfortable, but I’m still limited to traveling during cold-weather. Aside from the risk of overheating, I need cooler temperatures to take them running and tire them out. Otherwise, I’d be rolling with four tightly wound balls of energy, restricted to tie-outs at rest stops and campsites.
The true purpose of this van is to haul dogs and gear to trails. More than anything, I’ve used this van for day trips. I slept in the bed a grand total of one time. I cooked inside the van a few times, but it’s easier (and safer) to set up the camp stove outside.
I could do without the cooking desk and use that space for storage. I also don’t need a permanent bed for most of my trips. The ability to roll up and store my bedding would keep it clean and free up more room. Once you take away the 4” thick mattress and interior cooking space, there’s no real reason to have a super high top. As it turns out, there are a lot of bridges and underpasses that Rover can't fit under, especially with the cargo box on top.
When I bought Rover, I wasn’t planning to relocate to California. There are logistic concerns of getting the van across the country and having it survive the 6,000'+ elevation gains of the San Gabriel mountains, where I plan to live. It’s also unlikely to ever pass California’s emissions.
This year has been all about downsizing and simplifying. I went big out of fear that I wouldn’t have enough room, but now I know how I can condense. Rover taught me exactly what I need out of a van and I don’t regret the purchase one bit.
After diving back into van research and visiting a cargo van depot, I've landed on the Ford Transit Connect XLT (2010-2013 version). They’re small (as far as vans go), affordable, fuel-efficient (compared to Rover), and from this decade. If it were just me traveling in this van, I’d probably stick to something older and "cooler", but I need something dependable when I’ve got five dogs traveling with me. I’m going to salvage what I can out of Rover’s build and transfer it, so most of the money I put into the conversion will not be wasted. Oh, and if anyone's looking to buy an empty '89 Ford E-150...
