Yeah, but the latter problem is solved by the usual 5e assumption that looted gear is generally garbage that isn't better than what you've got, and no one wants to buy it.
OTOH, I'd still use the Vendors, if it were me, with a small number of hand-picked items sold for coin.
My question for you is: What do you do with the iconic NPCs? Make your Players play PreGens? Have them around, but not necessarily part of the party? How about "Camp"?
Speaking of which - I have been able to figure out where most of the campsites are, relative to the rest of the areas. They all exist, as far as I can tell, just slightly off-map or around corners from other locations.