Please advise. Used real class B vs 25ish foot box truck or similar

I'm having trouble with my mentally unfit father, and I have no other family.  I thought about getting an apartment, but here in NJ they're mostly all very expensive.  I cannot meet the requirements to get a mortgage either.  Luckily enough, after asking a friend I can use their enormous property to park an RV way in the back.  He has lots of trails, more like dirt roads really, in his forest where he off roads his lifted truck.  He told me I can build another trail and make a clearing so I'll have privacy and he won't have to see my campsite while he's having fun. He's agreed to let me fill up big water tanks if I pay for the water, and he will let me run an internet cat5 cable so long as I put it underground (which will be a pain in the ass because it's gonna be hell to dig a quarter mile trench thru a forest) and even electric too but I want to use Solar panels, a battery pack and a lil Honda generator for cloudy days)

I've already started building the road, I've significantly narrowed down where I'll put the campsite, and it's looking good.  I can't put up a house as I'd like to, having grown up with a family construction business makes me know it will be easy, because he doesn't want to have to tear it down if the fuzz gets on his case after seeing it from a helicopter.

So an RV is the way to go.  I went shopping on Craigslist and didn't find a lot of motorhomes, and I noticed that they all are sorta cheap looking on the inside. I've been working in multi-million dollar homes for the past couple years doing locksmithing and I want to have that same luxury feel even if I don't have lots of space.  All kinds of construction work is my gig, so actually doing the conversion or remodeling is cake to me.

I'm just stuck at the point of deciding if I want to get a regular 30ish foot class B, or converting a bus or big box truck.  I know nothing about RVs, If I do a conversion I don't know how I would heat one in the winter. Would a wood burning stove work? I imagine it would, but I'd like to know my other options too, what other people are doing.  I don't know where I should go to buy water tanks and pumps either. I've never done indoor plumbing on a truck, I don't know exactly how it should be done while I am certain I could make it functional.  I was thinking about using an extra modified Diesel tank mounted outside the truck on the frame as the sewage tank, and having a grey water tank from the sink and shower to refill the toilet.

If I renovate an actual motorhome, what does a class B look like with the interior torn up?  I hate laminate floors and would put porcelain tiles in the bathroom and kitchen.  The way busses have curved roofs makes me wanna not use a bus because it would be harder to frame the interior. Plus I don't like lots of windows.

I was planning on getting the tallest largest used box truck I could, circa 90s for ease of maintenance and lack of really expensive components.  I don't want air suspension or brakes, those are more expensive to fix.  Keeping the box on, and framing the interior like I would with a house so I basically end up with a luxury hotelroom.  Tile floors in the kitchen and bathroom area, cheap hardwood and a rug or carpet in the rest. A shower and toilet and sink, a kitchen counter with a sink and a hot plate, a microwave and a toaster oven mounted above the counter, and using the rest as a bedroom loft.

What do you guys think is the way to go?  And how does plumbing and heating usually work in an RV?

There's going to be a steep learning curve moving from a home to an RV setting. First thing, cat 5 cable is only good for about 300', then you will have to install a repeater, run another 300', install another repeater. Not really feasible. If you need to run that far, use fiber optic cable. Being you're already trenching, trench deep enough to run water below the frostline. You will have to provide heat to keep water tanks from freezing. Being the RV will be somewhat permanent, I suggest a travel trailer or fifth wheel.

You asked this same question on another board, so here is my reply from there again
I would lean towards a higher quality 1990's class A, maybe even a diesel pusher if you could get it in and out, they tend to have much larger cargo capacity and larger holding tanks. Typically 100-120 gallon fresh water tank and 40-60 gallon black and gray tanks which should allow for cooking, showering and toilet use by one person for a couple of weeks at a time. Driving it out to dump and refill once every couple of weeks should keep the mechanical stuff in fair to good shape. Personally I would consider a 1990's Safari brand as they tend to have nice all wood cabinet work, if built in the late 90's will have solid surface countertops, as well as Fiberglass roof and Aluminum sides with full body paint. For the internet these days do a wifi link, with a pair of directional antennas, no need to trench in cat5, I am typing this message over a half mile long wifi repeater link through mixed vegetation and get fast enough speed to stream netflix. There are some great bargins out there on 1990's diesel pushers with iffy engines, that would likely be fine for 10-20 miles back and forth, but not up to cross country driving (oil blowby, etc.)

Perhaps something like this, just perhaps for less money and not in as good of shape
https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/1995-Safari-SAHARA-35--5001330433

or
https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/1990-Safari-SERENGETI-5001079314

p.s. heating is usually propane on that vintage, and you can connect to an external propane tank using  fitting called an extend a stay.  It is somewhat common for snowbirds to get a 100 pound or larger propane tank placed next to their RV's to last them for the winter season in the south.  Not sure how big of tank you would need in NJ.  Onboard propane tanks are usually 30-50 gallons, most commonly around 28-30 gal.

kdbgoat said:

There's going to be a steep learning curve moving from a home to an RV setting. First thing, cat 5 cable is only good for about 300', then you will have to install a repeater, run another 300', install another repeater. Not really feasible. If you need to run that far, use fiber optic cable. Being you're already trenching, trench deep enough to run water below the frostline. You will have to provide heat to keep water tanks from freezing. Being the RV will be somewhat permanent, I suggest a travel trailer or fifth wheel.

Click to expand...

This is not exactly true, you can only run 100BaseT Ethernet about 300 feet over cat5 twisted pair cables for about 300 feet, however you can get up to 10 times that distance using the same wire at the same speed by adding an ethernet to VDSL2 extender on each end, no need for mid point repeaters.  See https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-VDSL2-Ethernet-Extender-Single/dp/B002CLKFTG  for one of the cheaper / more limited range solutions, either way I would still pick wifi with directional antennas as being an easier install.

or better /cheaper yet https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-VDSL2-Ethernet-Extender-Single/dp/B002CLKFTG best of all it works on old cheap 1 and 2 pair phone line

Learn something new everyday. Thanks. )

Did not see anything that would indicate what area of the country you live in.  That would greatly impact answers to your "plumbing and heating" question.  Where you live in the country will also have a large impact on the effectiveness of solar over the four seasons.
Living in a remote location with a "mentally unfit" parent can also generate many challenges for you.  Especially as they become more and more dependent on you.  Best wishes and good luck.

I'm doing this to leave behind the mentally unfit parent.

I live in NJ

Who will look after your Father?

He can still take care of himself. He doesn't have issues with surviving, he has issues with personal relationships.  He's all closed up around strangers and people he wants to impress but really when his guard is down he's a violent psychotic guy.  Bipolar, refuses treatment, OCD refuses treatment, addicted to drugs refuses treatment.  The cops and the psychotic-emergency councilors don't care, didn't care when he was beating up my mom before she disappeared either.

Some days it's alright, sometimes I cant be around him because all I can think is "this is gonna be the day I don't turn the other cheek to him spitting in my face, shoving me, screaming and punching me. This is gonna be the day I put him down like the sick dog he is" and I don't wanna have a trial for killing the dumbass so I live on the streets for a few nights and then he's thinking he taught me a lesson when really, starting a physical fight because I like and purchased a brand of dish soap he doesn't approve of isn't any sort of lesson. It's just a confused sad old man no one will ever give a rats Ass about, all because he loves weed and hookers more than family or anything.

I see your point.  I'm sorry that things are as they are.  Dan