I know you already have your dream machine...
But another great start for a vehicle is a small bus. Yeah, I know... "I rode the short bus to school!" But hear me out!
They're extremely cheap, and always in excellent condition (by law). All they need is some paint, and you can rip out some of the seats to make room. A small sheet of plywood can turn 2 seats (facing each other with a gap between) into a double bed for the night. And they'll run forever, the engines are built to last. At least up here, that's how it works, because the province has to get rid of the buses after 10 years of service, and they tend to still be in perfect shape. Besides, they're built to protect kids! The shell is solid steel. If you know a welder you can basically turn them into anything you want. Then, just have it inspected and get the vehicle class changed from bus to whatever you want, like recreational vehicle. Cheaper insurance.
It's not an option for me right now, but I have a couple friends who have done it. They're happy and relatively free.
Yeah was looking at one. Will do more pictures of inside for the next post!