0
0
As I told my best friend in the whole wide world earlier today, I’m the kind of girl who does things first and worries about the sums working out afterward. But in the case of this goal, it is important to know exactly what I am letting myself in for, price-wise. After all, it would not be a cheap build, by any stretch of the imagination.
After talking to a Dutch company that specializes in expedition truck builds, I have come up with a provisional cost breakdown. It may cost more, or it may cost less, depending on the materials used and the time spent building it myself. So, here goes…
- Mercedes Unimog U1300L truck, in good running condition: 25.000 €
- Habitat Box: 15.000 €
- Windows (Expensive): 6.000 €
- Truck Modifications: 5.000 €
- Painting of both the truck and the box: 8.000 €
- Off-grid interior, if I do all the work myself: 20.000 €
Total: 79.000 €
That’s a truckload of money, no matter how you look at it! I am drawn to it, but at this stage of the battle, I have absolutely no idea how I am going to afford that truck! Yes, I am tempted to give in to despair, but I have promised myself that I won’t, so I can’t.
The good news is that if I go off-grid, I can get away with 220V domestic appliances that cost a lot less than the fancy 12V ones, so that’s some money saved off the bat. On the other hand, the building materials that I plan to use will probably cost a lot more. We’ll see when we get there. It’s Europe, after all!
I want to crowdfund the build, or at least get a big part of it sponsored, but it’s a catch-22 situation. I need to actually have the truck to start the build so that I can film the process from where I can make the money to be able to afford the build in the first place! And I have neither a rich husband nor a rich uncle to help me out! And I don’t think Dutch truckyards are the kind to loan me a truck “just in case”…
So…
I am going to see how I can afford this project a little at a time. Obviously, I’d be able to invest a lot (most!) of my own money into this build, but by the time the interior starts, there must be a handful of sponsors in place to help out. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.
I actually went on Skillshare to find out more about crowdfunding. I got some tips that are more geared toward artists than crazy travelers, but I am sure I can apply them here as well. So…
WATCH THIS SPACE!
Ps. If you’re the impatient type and you don’t want to wait for the crowdfunding campaign to kick off, feel free to drop some coins into my piggy bank here! It will be truly appreciated.
