Chapter 1: No Turning Back
Sunday, May 25th, 2025The morning of Thursday, May 22nd, I got a text from the dealership I’d been talking to for a couple days. They said everything had been approved on their end and wanted to talk numbers. We negotiated — not much, but enough — crunched some numbers, I made the deposit, and that was that.
A day later, I drove up to the lot (about an hour away), walked in with a hoodie, some cash, and a dream… and drove out with 3,500 pounds of steel and a payment plan. Close enough, right?
What did I end up with?
A brand new 2024 Ram ProMaster 159" High Roof — the exact model I’d been chasing for months. Honestly? I didn’t expect to go the new route. I spent weeks combing through sketchy used listings, trying to find a trustworthy dealer with a clean, low-mileage van. Nothing felt right.
Eventually, peace of mind won. This van came with zero miles… ish, zero question marks, and zero compromises. It might not be perfect — no van is — but if something breaks, at least I’ll know I’m the one who broke it.
What’s next?
The exterior.
Solar panels. Maxxair fan. Antennas. Flood lights. Anything that needs a hole? It’s going on first.
Once those are mounted and sealed, the real build begins.
Phase I plans will be in an upcoming post, but the goal is simple: build smart, build clean, and build for the long haul.
This was a huge step toward something I’ve been dreaming about for years, but it’s still just the beginning. There’s no turning back now.
