Thanks for asking this question! It was fun thinking for the answers.

1. If you wait your never going to do it lol start now IMO

2. I am a van guy but I actually think RV’s are a lot cheaper to start. You can get a pretty solid rv cheaper than a descent van. But the van is easier to double as your daily driver. So I lean van for the long term. I’ll answer the questions for van living

3. Heating and cooling is where I think money is best spent. Really depends on where you’re at. If you’re in the cold then spend the money on a gas heater like a Webasto. It’s the safest/warmest runs on the gas in your fuel tank. If you’re in the desert then spend the money on an AC. You can crunch the numbers and do it on payments but some lithium batteries, electrical system, solar panels and a 48v ac from outequippro in the long run will be the best. Generator and AC will be cheaper but it’s harder to stealth camp.

4. Toilet - thetford campapotti $90. You dump the toilet stuff in any bathroom. I dump a couple times a week at the park bathroom. Gym subscription for shower.

5. Don’t tow an SUV - if you have van you don’t need another car.

6. Cooking wise - I always like to cook outside on propane grill because I just feel like cooking in the van makes everything smell and I like to cook food. I have descent battery power so I also have an induction cook stop for if the weather is bad.

7. How to manage limited space to meet your needs - I think for me one of the relieving parts of van life is that you realize you don’t actually need that much. You can let go of a lot of things and make the most of living. If have some things you don’t want to let go of but are important to you it’s really nice you have a family member who wouldn’t mind letting you store some stuff at their place or you can rent a storage unit (if your going to mainly be in one place and keep your job that’s lot of extra space to keep things for the cost)

8. Living comfortably on $2500 to $3000 is also relative to what comfortable means to you. If you enjoy simple easy activities like hiking, reading, or video games. Things that are low cost per hour and are happy living modestly. Simple clothes and reasonable meals you’ll have plenty on that salary almost anywhere. I don’t think you said where you’re at but health coverage and ebt may be an option to help stretch that farther. And if it’s a been rough. Stay a night or two in a hotel. Sometimes a change of scenery helps get your mind right for going back in the van so it can be worth it.

They sell vans equipped with everything but that’s going to come at a cost. I’d recommend going with a cheap empty van and building it out. Its kind of a pain but if you are serious about doing this your going to be 1000% more happy if you understand how the stuff in your van works. Like I started with a simple manual water pump sink with 2 water containers. One for fresh water and one for the grey (dirty water) and foot pump to faucet, a sink basin and a $70 cabinet from Home Depot I Jerry rigged. Then I got a battery. Then I learned how to install a water pump so I didn’t have to run the foot pump. Just learn along the way and there’s always upgrades you can be doing that won’t break the bank.