Six months is not really "choosing to run without one" though, that's just how long it takes to save up for a decent one or find a used one on marketplace. I ran my E150 bare for almost a year and honestly the only thing I missed was hauling long stuff like conduit and lumber. After a while you just get used to sliding pipe through the back doors and tying the flag on it. The real trick is a couple of pool noodles on the roof edge so you don't scratch the paint loading up there.