The Exploring Alternatives

Guide to Van Life

A 160­page PDF eBook packed with tips, resources, and inspiration to help you enjoy life on the road

Danielle Chabassol

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Copyright © 2016 by Danielle Chabassol

All rights reserved.

The information provided within this eBook is for general informational purposes only.

While we try to keep the information up to date, and accurate, there are no

representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy,

reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or

related graphics contained in this eBook for any purpose. None of the products and/or

services mentioned in this eBook are sponsored and/or affiliate links. Use of the

information contained in this book is the sole choice of the reader.

Cover art by Mat Dubé

Edited by Laura Nicole Miller

Published by Exploring Alternatives

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

Meet the Van Life Veterans

How Much Does Van Life Cost?

How to Buy a Van

Converting Your Van into a Home

Finding Places to Park

Staying Clean

Going to the Bathroom

Finding Water

Cooking

Surviving the Elements

Power/Electricity

Maintaining Your Van

Staying Safe

Finding WiFi

Living in a Van with Kids

Living in a Van with Pets

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

About Exploring Alternatives

Appendix A ­ How to Estimate Your Gas Consumption

Appendix B ­ Monthly Van Life Budget Template

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Introduction

Welcome to the van life community! We’re an eclectic mix of people who, for a variety of

reasons, have come to the conclusion that living and travelling in a van — or any

vehicle for that matter — is the greatest idea ever, and we’re excited to have you join

us.

Some people might think that the van life movement is weird, or that it glorifies

homelessness, but I don’t think that’s true. It is a bit unconventional, but rather than

glorifying homelessness, I like to think that we van dwellers are normalizing the concept

of living in a vehicle so that no one has to be ashamed of it.

All kinds of people — students, travellers, retirees, young families, and yes, homeless

people — are living and travelling in vans all across Canada, the US, and abroad. And

why not? It:

Allows you to save money since it's usually cheaper than paying for an

apartment, a house, or a hotel room.

Gives you the freedom to live and travel with everything you need in the back

seat.

Offers an opportunity to live a simple, minimalist lifestyle.

Forces you to spend more time outdoors.

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Need I say more?

My husband, Mat, and I are passionate about van life for all of the reasons I just

mentioned, and that’s why we bought ourselves a conversion van to travel across the

US in 2014, across Canada in 2015, and it’s why we’re hitting the road again in 2016.

We just can’t get enough!

Not only are we passionate about our own van life adventures, but we also like to meet

other van dwellers to learn about their experiences, to trade tips and ideas, and to enjoy

the company of like­minded people.

All of our experiences and everything we’ve learned on the road keeps us inspired to

continue exploring this lifestyle, but it isn’t always easy. Ask anyone who’s lived in a van

and they’ll tell you it can be uncomfortable at times, and that it’s not for the faint of heart.

Living in a van might mean that you have to find a new place to park every night, or find

somewhere to hang out if it’s too hot to sit in the van, that you have to clean out a

smelly pee bottle or give yourself a wet wipe “bath” if you can’t find a shower — trust

me, life in a van can get weird.

That said, none of these problems are insurmountable or impossible to deal with, you

just have to be flexible and find solutions to them — and that’s where this book swoops

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in to save the day. We’ve compiled all of the lessons we’ve learned from the time we’ve

spent living in our van and from meeting other van lifers, into one helpful little guide.

In this book, we answer the most commonly asked questions about living and travelling

in a van including: how to buy a van, where to park, how to stay clean, and where to get

free WiFi. We’ve also included advice from nine incredibly adventurous van life veterans

that we admire and some gorgeous #vanlife photos to get you inspired and ready to hit

the road. Without further ado, let’s meet the van life veterans and jump right in!

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Meet the Van Life Veterans

The van dwellers we interviewed for this book have inspired us in their quest for

adventure while living in all kinds of vans and in all kind of places. They’ve done van life

with kids, with pets, solo, and with strangers. They’ve experienced living in vans through

summer and winter, through tough times and good times. We are supremely grateful

that they’ve taken the time to share some of their hard­earned road wisdom with us, so

take the time to get to know them by reading their bios below, and have fun learning

from their van life experiences shared throughout the book. I’ve included links to their

blogs, websites, and Instagram pages, and I encourage you to follow their journeys.

Julien from Go­Van Website: www.go­van.com Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/govancom Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/go_van_com/

“Full­time nomad, I decided to launch an online

magazine covering all aspects of the awesome van

life community and called it Go­Van. At first, I bought

the freedom vessel to go surfing with friends on the East Coast, but I realized that this

nomadic lifestyle was perfect for me. One thing led to another and soon I was driving

across the country chasing waves and going on different adventures. Besides being

the Go­Van founder/editor, I'm a video producer/director on the road! I'm not always

on time but always headed in the right direction.”

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Shelby and Simon from ShelbyandSimon Website: www.shelbyandsimon.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ shelbyandsimon/

Instagram: Instagram.com/shelbyandsimon/

“We're a travelling photographer duo from Ottawa

Ontario. We live and work out of a 1992 Dodge B350

camper. Shelby is a fine arts graduate from U of O using film photography and video

work to explore themes in identity, feminism, place and aboriginal culture. Simon is an

architecture graduate from Carleton U who works as a commercial photographer and

videographer with a focus on travel. We've been living in our van for nine months now

and we've traveled 25,000 km since then.”

Brett and Una from Journeys in a Van Blog: http://citizenofearth.ca/

“Our intro to van life started when we decided to drive

down to Latin America from Ottawa, Canada. We

figured our dog would appreciate not having to fly, but

40,000 km later I highly doubt that. We stripped,

designed, and built our van together with help from

family and friends in 10 days. Surprisingly enough the only things we seemed to have

missed are a corkscrew and a roof vent. It's now been about 10 months on the road,

and I have no idea where the time went, but it feels like we lived about 10 lives.”

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Marta and Alex from Wanderlust Vanlife Website: www.wanderlustvanlife.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCD04aV_mylCyTQp5DJQSbgw

Instagram: Instagram.com/wanderlustvanlife/

“We have experienced the cold of Canada in a

minivan, an RV and a camper van to the fullest. They

like to push the limits of the simple life to connect more with nature and each other,

always looking for the next adventure to challenge them. Though they have embarked

on many projects, the most exciting was living in an old RV in temps as low as ­30°C

and keeping to their budget and simple style. Marta and Alex work together to

produce video and photographic art while traveling; always pushing to escape

civilization deeper into wilderness and to raise nature conservation awareness.

Currently they are in Australia fitting out a Delica van for an all­out Aussie adventure.”

Nathan, Renée, Tristan, Winter, and

Wylder from Wand'rly Website: wandrly.co Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/wandrly Instagram: Instagram.com/wandrly

“We're a family of five who's been living on the road

since 2008, via a plethora of means and ways. Some

of us were here from the start, some had to be convinced, and others were born into

it. So far, so well!”

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Derrick & Paula from A Guy. A Girl. And A

Campervan YouTube:www.youtube.com/aguyagirlandacampervan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guygirlvan

“We're Derrick and Paula from Ontario, Canada. After

getting married in the summer of 2014, we decided to

give up our apartment, move into a campervan, and

travel across this magnificent country of ours for our honeymoon. Upon our return, we

decided to keep it up a little longer to save money and continue living a more simple

life. Fast forward nearly two years, and we've traveled from coast to coast to coast,

swam in all three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic), visited every province and

territory, and braved the extremes of two Canadian winters. An adventure of a

lifetime.”

Ben, Alaska, and Leah from Kombi Life Website: https://kombilife.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kombilife Instagram: https://instagram.com/hastaalaska

“We're Ben, Alaska, and Leah. We live and travel full

time in an old VW kombi which we intentionally share

with strangers that we meet on the road. Yes, we

must be crazy! We live on a budget of around $10 per day and we've been

documenting this alternative lifestyle for the past four years on our YouTube channel

(Kombi Life) so that you at home can share the never­ending dramas of this cross

planet van life expedition. Even we can't believe the number of twists and turns this

adventure has brought us, you’ll have to see it to believe it.”

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Corey & Emily from Where's My Office

Now? Website: http://www.wheresmyofficenow.com YouTube: http://youtube.com/wheresmyofficenow Instagram: http://instagram.com/wheresmyofficenow/

“Where’s My Office Now? began as an experiment in

January 2013 when we hit the road in our 1987 VW

Vanagon named Boscha. We wondered if it was possible to live a nomadic lifestyle

while working remotely. It was. And so we wandered, on a quest for simplicity,

freedom, and truth. It’s been a wild ride of ups and downs like inclement weather,

breakdowns, broken bones, moments of bliss and mind­blowing beauty, new

perspectives and new friends. Much has changed. Mostly, we’ve changed. Now we

know that anything is possible, nothing is guaranteed, and we are here to move.”

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How Much Does Van Life Cost?

Many of us are drawn to van life because it’s a way for us to spend less money.

Depending on our situation, spending less may allow us to work less, pay off debt,

travel on the cheap, or save a chunk of money.

Living in a van sounds like just about the cheapest lifestyle you could possibly choose,

doesn’t it? With no rent, no mortgage, and no utility bills, it seems like you could almost

get away with only paying for your groceries and one tank of gas at a time — and lots of

people do just that. On the flip side, there are people who spend heaps of money to buy

a brand new campervan and park it at the fanciest campsites.

Regardless of where you are on the budget spectrum, it’s important to be realistic about

how much this lifestyle is going to cost you, so that you can plan accordingly.

Since the cost of living in a van varies widely from person to person, from van to van,

and from place to place, there isn’t a simple one­size­fits­all budget and that’s why I

decided against including specific dollar amounts in this section. Instead, I’ve outlined

the major expenses related to living in a van so that you can pick and choose which

ones apply to your situation and then research the costs that apply to you.

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Cost of Buying & Converting a Van

When trying to figure out how much you’re going to spend on buying your van, there’s

more to consider than just the purchase price.

When we bought our van, we had only budgeted for the initial purchase price of our van

and figured we’d spend a couple hundred extra dollars on miscellaneous expenses

during the buying process. I was out of town the week that Mat found the van for us, so

he was alone in test­driving, negotiating, and buying the van. The whole process got

pretty ridiculous since Mat had no car to travel back and forth to see the van and had to

take about 20 city buses over the span of a few days to get everything done in the most

awkward part of the city to get to by bus.

Then, watching the expenses pile up to well over what we’d expected was really

stressful, and it felt like we were stuck in a process that was milking our bank account

dry. I know this happened because we were completely uninformed about the “hidden”

costs of buying a van. It ended up being an unpleasant experience that could have been

avoided if we had been better prepared.

To help you avoid the same mistakes we made, here are some expenses you might

need to include in your van­buying budget:

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Vehicle History Report

Before buying a van (or any vehicle for that matter), we recommend obtaining a

Vehicle History Report to discover important information about the van’s past —

like the accident history, for example.

In Canada, people typically use CARPROOF ( https://www.carproof.com ), and in

the US, they tend to use CARFAX ( http://www.carfax.com ). Find out how much

they charge for a report, and add that amount to your budget. Take into account

that you may end up buying more than one report if you’re looking at multiple

vans.

Pre­Purchase Inspection

Getting a pre­purchase inspection is always a good idea when you’re buying a

used vehicle. Take the time to call a couple of garages to find out how much they

typically charge for this service so that you can plan ahead for the expense. As

with the Vehicle History Reports, you may end up having more than one

pre­purchase inspection done if your first van doesn’t end up being “the one.”

Immediate Repairs

You might get lucky and buy a van that doesn’t need any repairs right away but

there’s often a little something that needs to be done right off the bat — even if

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it’s just an oil change. As soon as you know what needs to be fixed, add the

amount to your budget.

Vehicle Registration & License Plates

Once you’ve purchased a vehicle, you’ll need to register it with the provincial

Ministry of Transportation (MOT) or your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles

(DMV). The cost and process of registering your vehicle and getting your license

plates varies from place to place so you’ll have to do some research to figure out

how much this will cost in your area.

Sales Tax

When you register your vehicle at the MOT or the DMV, you might also have to

pay sales tax on the price you paid for your van. This amount will vary from place

to place but it’s usually a percentage of the purchase price so you should be able

to accurately estimate this expense ahead of time.

Emissions & Safety Tests

Some provinces and states have a requirement that a vehicle must pass an

emissions test and/or a safety test in order for it to be registered (e.g. Ontario’s

Drive Clean program). These tests are usually done at the owner’s expense. You

should find out if you need to do either of these tests and if so, how much it will

cost.

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Conversion Costs

Once you’ve determined which “hidden” costs apply to you, you can start thinking

about how much money you have left to spend on converting your van into a

home. This might include anything from solar panels, a custom bed, curtains, a

GPS unit, lighting, storage bins, etc. — whatever you think you’ll need or want,

add them to your budget.

After you’ve researched and added up all of these expenses, you should have a better

idea of the actual cost of buying and converting a van, and hopefully you should also

end up with fewer surprises at the end of the van­buying process!

Monthly Van Life Expenses

Before committing to living in a van, many people want to know how much it actually

costs to live in a van. Well, that really depends on the person, and the lifestyle they want

to lead while they live in a van. Just like any other lifestyle, you can do it cheap and dirty

hippie style or you can live it high­end, fancy style.

Since that distinction is obviously not very helpful, here’s a list of the recurring expenses

you might encounter as a van dweller.

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Insurance

Insuring your vehicle is always a good idea (and is usually mandatory) so make

sure you get car insurance. Shopping around to find the best possible price isn’t

too hard these days since many insurance companies can give you a quick quote

over the phone, or online, based on the make, model, and year of your van.

Gas

With gas prices always changing, it’s impossible to predict exactly how much

you’re going to spend at the pump, but we’ve included a step­by­step guide to

help you calculate an estimate of your monthly gas expense in Appendix A.

Mat and I usually try to over­estimate how much we’ll spend on gas since there

are so many variables that can make us spend more than we anticipated — the

price of gas might go up, we might take a detour, or our fuel economy might

fluctuate depending on the weather and whether we’re driving in the city or on

the highway.

To try and keep our gas expense as low as we possibly can, we make an effort

to maximize our fuel economy by doing things like keeping the tires inflated to the

recommended PSI (pounds per square inch), using cruise control on the

highway, and most important of all, we figured out the speed at which we get the

best fuel efficiency and we stick to that as much as possible, even though it’s a

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bit slower than most highway speed limits (for us, it’s approx. 90 km/hour or 55

miles/hour).

Your van’s ideal speed will be different than ours, but since speed has a huge

impact on your fuel consumption, and therefore your budget, it’s worth figuring

out.

Repairs & Maintenance

Just like a regular home, it’s almost impossible to estimate how much you’ll

spend on repairs and maintenance in a year but you should still try to set aside a

little bit of money each month so that you’ve got some funds tucked away if and

when your van does break down.

For some reason, a few of our major van repairs have ended up costing around

$800 CAD (getting new brakes and a new battery at the same time, for example),

and it’s turned into a running joke for us that whenever we take the van into the

garage, it’s going to cost us $800 CAD, even if we’re just getting the oil changed.

Still, with our somewhat arbitrary average of $800 CAD per repair and a random

guess that we’ll have three major van repairs per year, we can come up with

what some will call a wildly inaccurate estimate that we’ll spend $2400 CAD on

van repairs in a year. Even though this calculation lacks a solid foundation, it

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gives us a tangible amount ($200 CAD) to put in our monthly budget spreadsheet

and makes us feel like we have some small sense of control over how much we

spend on repairs.

Parking/Campsite Fees

Even if you want to save tons of money by never paying to park overnight, you

might still want to budget for (at least) a few nights at a campground each month,

just in case you have nights where you can’t find a free parking option.

Once you calculate how many nights per month you plan to pay for a place to

park, you’ll want to figure out how much it will cost per night. Take a peek at a

few campground and park websites to get an idea of how much they charge per

night for a vehicle like yours. In the Finding Places to Park chapter of this book,

we have a list of cheap or free places to park your van overnight that will help

you save money.

If you’re spending time in a city, you should also budget for daytime parking

which can add up surprisingly quickly. We’ve discovered that most cities and

towns have a parking map on their official website that indicates where the

parking meters are and where it’s free to park, which makes it easier to save

money on parking if you plan ahead.

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For example, if you go to the City of Seattle website and search for “parking

map,” you’ll find a link to a colour coded map indicating all of the different urban

parking zones, which you can use to avoid parking meters.

Gym Membership

Since most campervans don’t have showers in them, van dwellers will often join

a local or nationwide gym in order to have access to their toilets and showers.

The exercise equipment is a bonus if you want to stay in shape on the road. If

you plan to join a gym, include the cost in your monthly budget.

Dump Stations

If your van has a blackwater and/or greywater tank, you’re going to have to pay

to have them dumped regularly. The longer you live in your van, the easier it will

be for you to estimate how many times you’ll need to empty your tanks and how

much it costs each time.

Propane

Do you use propane to power any appliances in your van, like a furnace, fridge,

heater, or stove? If yes, you’ll need to include the cost of propane in your budget.

Once you’ve lived in your van for a couple of months you’ll be able to estimate

how much propane you use and how often you need to refill/replace your

propane tanks.

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Roadside Assistance

Paying for a membership to a roadside assistance service like CAA or AAA can

sometimes save you money in the long run and provide peace of mind while

you’re on the road. If you plan to travel long distances, or if your van breaks

down frequently, it might be a good idea to have roadside assistance so you can

get free towing and other services when you need them. Memberships often

include free maps upon request and trip planning advice as well.

Our local CAA office even gave us a Bail Bond card when I told them we were

heading to the US for a road trip. It’s like one of those Monopoly “get out of jail

free” cards for members who might get pulled over and arrested for a traffic

offense. We haven’t had to use it, but it just gives you an idea of the services

these associations can offer for a relatively low price.

Storage

Unless you’ve done some extreme downsizing, chances are that you own some

stuff that will not fit in your van. If you’ve got a friend or a family member who has

extra space, they may let you store your stuff at their place. If not, you could end

up having to pay a monthly fee for a storage locker while you’re living in your

van.

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Seasonal Tires

If you plan to live or travel in your van in places where there might be snow, ice,

or freezing temperatures, you may need to purchase all­season or winter tires.

Keep in mind that you might also need to pay to put your second set of tires in

storage when they’re not being used.

In addition to all of these van­specific expenses, you’ll want to calculate how much you’ll

spend per month on your regular expenses like groceries, cell phones, student loans,

health insurance, life insurance, medication, entertainment — all that good stuff we can’t

live without.

Unless you’re a spreadsheet lover like me, calculating a budget might be the most

unpleasant task someone could ask you to do. I should know, I’ve had to listen to Mat

moan and complain about budget­making time for close to a decade. But I truly think it’s

a good exercise — even if all you do is jot down some numbers on the back of a napkin.

To make budgeting a little easier, I’ve provided a template for you to create a monthly

van life budget in Appendix B.

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Inspiration

Photo Credit: Kombi Life ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/kombilife

“Living in a van gives you the opportunity to step away from a

materialistic lifestyle of excess, simplifying and minimizing until all

that is left is what is truly important to and necessary for a quality

life.”

— Ben from Kombi Life

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How to Buy a Van

If you’ve already bought your van, you can probably skip this chapter. If not, I hope this

chapter will help you find the right van for you.

Before we go any further, let’s get one thing out of the way: There is no perfect van out

there. Trust me. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and they are all going to

need repairs at one point or another; so, unless you have an unlimited budget, there are

going to be some compromises. The good news is that there is probably an imperfect

van out there that’s perfect for you.

To make shopping for a van a little easier, I would suggest that you start by making a

list of your wants and needs, and then compare it to the list of benefits and drawbacks

of common vans that we included below to see if there are any obvious matches.

Here are some questions to help you start your list of wants and needs:

How many seatbelts do you need for passengers, and how much sleeping space

do you need?

Do you want a van that is fuel efficient for long trips?

Do you need the van to be stealthy (to allow you to sleep in your van on city

streets without being noticed)?

Do you want to be able to stand up in the van?

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Will you be living in the van in extreme temperatures that might require an A/C

unit or a heater?

How much money do you have in your budget to buy a van?

Benefits and Drawbacks of Common Van Types

Vans come in all shapes and sizes and I know it’s hard to choose which one is right for

you. Here are some of the pros and cons for the more popular van options out there to

help you make your decision.

Westfalia Vans

Westfalias are iconic campervans with loads of retro charm and a surprising

amount of amenities packed into a small space. They usually seat and sleep four

adults and have a pop top that allows you to stand up inside. They also usually

have a good kitchen setup, decent storage space, and rotating front seats to

create a comfy hangout space.

“Our home on wheels is a 1987 VW Vanagon named Boscha. We call her the swiss

army knife of the RV world because she has everything we need for life on the road,

in a tight, efficiently designed space. We love everything about her including the

floating sensation as we cruise down the road (because the engine is in the back),

the incredible and diverse community of Vanagon enthusiasts, the ability to maintain

and work on it ourselves, and even her occasional breakdowns because we learn so

much about ourselves and other people.”

— Emily from Where's My Office Now?

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On the downside, Westfalias have a reputation of breaking down often, they’re

easily recognizable (which makes it difficult to stealth camp), and the nostalgic

demand for them has driven their prices to sometimes ridiculous heights.

“We still do love as best we can and live in a 1978 Champagne Edition Volkswagen

Riviera Campwagen Bus. I love everything about it. It's small, underpowered, rusty,

and constantly needs work. I love /everything/ about it.”

— Nathan from Wand'rly

If you think that a Westfalia camper is right for you, the GoWesty website has a

helpful guide to purchasing one here:

http://www.gowesty.com/tech­article­details.php?id=38 .

“We travel in a South American VW Bus (a.k.a. Kombi). It is THE happiest vehicle in

the world. It guarantees that we are welcomed wherever we go and that we will never

be short of conversation, new friends, or hospitable invitations. It’s not fuel economic,

nor is it stealthy and it is definitely not reliable. Anyone following our travel series on

YouTube who has seen us struggle through 10 engine rebuilds will know that. Still,

we love it and it’s taken us to places that most modern vehicles wouldn’t dare to

venture.”

— Ben from Kombi Life

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Cargo Van

A cargo van is what we typically think of as a moving van/plumber van or

(unfortunately) a pervert van — where I come from at least. They’re so common

that there are usually a lot of them available for sale so if you take the time to

shop around, you’ll have a good chance of getting a great van for a fair price.

Since they’re designed as a work vehicle, they can easily be stripped down to the

bare walls and be converted into a unique campervan space.

“Cameron was our 2002 Ford E350 econoline passenger van. Its advantages:

Windows all around, easy to build in, fits in parking spots, stealthy, comfortable bed,

lots of storage, good offroad/on snow, reasonable on gas. Disadvantages: Can't stand

up inside.”

— Alex from Wanderlust Vanlife

Most people are used to seeing cargo vans around town, so they’re great stealth

vans because you can park them almost anywhere without being noticed (except

if you’re driving around acting weird, and then you might raise some suspicions).

Unfortunately, their fuel economy isn’t always great so they’ll cost a lot in gas on

long trips. Indoor space is also limited since they have a low ceiling that doesn’t

allow you to stand up inside, and you can usually only seat and sleep two people

in a cargo van once it’s been converted.

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We have a cargo van that was converted into a conversion van, and we made

the decision to get rid of the uncomfortable bench bed and seat belts in the back

in order to install a platform bed (that we love). We do miss the seat belts and

seats sometimes since we can no longer have friends in the van with us.

High Top Van

High top vans are basically cargo vans with a bit of extra head space, which

makes them a lot more comfortable because you can stand up inside them and

walk around a bit.

The high top does make them stand out as a potential campervan so they might

be a bit less stealthy than a cargo van. Also, the fuel economy might be lower

because of the additional wind resistance from the high top.

Sprinter Van

Sprinter vans are the new and improved cargo vans. They’re taller, longer, and

more fuel efficient, and despite all of these improvements, they’re still very

stealthy since they’ve become so common on the road. They can be converted

into incredible living spaces, and you can also stand up inside them which is

always a bonus.

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All of the goodness that a sprinter van has to offer does come at a fairly hefty

price, but if you’re making it your full­time home, the cost might be worth it for

you.

A note about the Sprinter name: it’s actually a brand name that has become the

informal name for this type of van — like how we call tissue paper by the Kleenex

brand name. There are multiple companies making this style of tall cargo van:

the Mercedes­Benz Sprinter, the Ford Transit, the Dodge Promaster, etc.

Minivan

Minivans (family vans) are small and affordable and tend to have better fuel

economy than larger vans, which would make them a good choice for long

distance trips.

Their small size makes it difficult to convert them into a comfortable campervan

since you can usually only fit a bed in the back. In my experience, only the most

hardcore van dwellers use them for more than casual or short term trips.

“Astrid is a 2003 Chevy Astro AWD van, previously owned by Montreal’s fire chief. We

feel quite incognito in this van. It’s a small and sturdy van and with AWD [All­wheel

Drive] we have been able to navigate some pretty rough, off the beaten track roads.

The worst thing about it is its lack of fuel efficiency.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

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Class B Motorhome

Class B motorhomes are often built on a truck or cargo van chassis, but they are

fully converted into a Recreational Vehicle (RV) style vehicle . They usually have

everything you need to live a semi­normal life, like a stove, fridge, furnace, table

and seats, toilet (a toilet!!!), etc. For a van, they are pretty much as comfortable

as you can get.

“I had my first van, a GMC Vandura 1989, for three years. It looked like a loungy

boat! I now upgraded my van to a 2015 Safari Condo converted GMC Savana. It's 20

feet long and it’s white which is perfect to go on stealth mode when I’m urban

camping. I have two solar panels and lots of cool features!”

— Julien from Go­Van

On the downside, they are usually very heavy and less aerodynamic than smaller

vans, so they use more gas in the long run. They are also more expensive than a

cargo van from the same year, and they’re much less stealthy.

“Our camper van is built on a 1992 Dodge B350 cargo van chassis and was initially

converted to a camper van by PleasureWay. When we purchased the van in 2014, we

gutted much of the interior and custom built the bed, dinette, storage space, etc.

Because of its initial conversion, we’re lucky to have a number of amenities that many

self­built camper vans don’t (flush toilet, sink, propane stove, fridge, etc.), but we also

have a custom sleeping and seating area, which was designed and built to our

specific needs. Unfortunately, unlike some of the newer vans, we do not have a

shower, or hot water.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And A Campervan

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“We drive a 1992 Dodge B350 conversion done by a small company in British

Columbia that no longer exists. We like that the engine is injected, powerful enough to

get us up the mountains but efficient enough on gas that we aren't totally broke when

we get there. The conversion is a smart use of space with a forward top bunk that

saves us a lot of space and lets us carry a full kitchen, furnace, water heater, and

toilet. We got a great deal on the camper so we could afford to upgrade the

out­of­date suspension and tires as well as install a more robust electrical system

complete with solar power. All in all we feel we got the best of all worlds, enough

space for two people but small enough it fits in a regular parking spot. Enough

modern amenities to be comfortable out camping in the desert for several days at a

time but not so heavy it can't handle a dirt path from time to time. Well­built, reliable,

albeit older vehicle but cheap enough we don't worry about it getting scratched or

dented. To want any more from this van would be to sacrifice something else and we

feel it's at the right balancing point on the scales.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

One last thing to consider when you’re choosing a van is where and how you’ll get it

repaired if it breaks down. Family vans and cargo vans are common vehicles that can

be repaired pretty much anywhere, but as soon as you get a bigger or less common van

like a Sprinter, a high top cargo van, or a Westfalia, you might have trouble finding a

garage that can lift such a heavy/tall vehicle or that has the parts you need on hand.

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Trying Different Vans

If the list of vans above didn’t help you narrow down options, you might want to start

looking at vans in person — not necessarily looking at specific vans for sale, but going

to see different types of vans so that you can sit in them, get a feel for the space, take

some measurements, etc. and decide which van type you like best.

Mat and I are total van stalkers. We check out vans in parking lots, on city streets, and

pretty much everywhere we go. It’s so much easier to decide if we like a van when

we’re sitting in it or standing beside it rather than just looking at photos online.

You might be able to test drive a friend’s minivan, ask a delivery person to see the

interior of their cargo van, or even rent a van for a couple of days to try it out for real.

We’re huge fans of trying a lifestyle before we invest time and money into it, and we

suggest you do the same.

Don’t be afraid to throw a mattress into the back of a van — any van — and go park it in

a Walmart parking lot (it’s free!) or just in your own driveway, if you have one. This

simple exercise will give you a really good idea of whether you actually like the feeling

of sleeping in a vehicle.

It’s easy to romanticize van life when you look at beautiful Instagram photos of vans

parked at the base of a mountain or on a stretch of sandy beach, and while that kind of

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thing does happen from time to time, the reality is that on most days, living in a van

looks a lot more like a Walmart parking lot, a residential street, or a small campsite. Like

many things in life, the reality can be very different from what we imagine it to be so

spend some time in a van — even just a couple of nights — before you go out and buy

one.

Shopping for a Van

Once you’ve figured out which type of van will suit your needs, you get to start

shopping. I find this to be an exciting but stressful part of the van life process. There are

so many vans to choose from and I fall in love with most of the ones we look at. Luckily

Mat was the voice of reason when we were looking for our van and he did the majority

of the searching and researching to find it.

Finding a good van for a good price that meets all of your criteria is not an easy task so

don’t worry if you feel a bit overwhelmed at first. Just take your time, do your due

diligence; and I’m sure you’ll find a great van.

To search for vans online, try Kijiji in Canada ( http://www.kijiji.ca ) or Craigslist in the US

( http://craigslist.org ) and also check out the websites of local new and used vehicle

dealerships. If you prefer to search for vans at dealerships, give yourself lots of time to

look around so that you don’t feel rushed into making a decision. In our experience,

whenever you buy a vehicle, you get the feeling that you have to rush, because there’s

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always another buyer looking at the vehicle, which creates a somewhat false sense of

urgency.

Obviously if you’re really interested in a van, you should try to speed up the process to

make sure you get the van you want, but don’t skip over any important steps because

you might regret it later. Doing your due diligence will help you avoid unpleasant

surprises in the long run, so if you end up losing a van to another buyer, just tell yourself

it wasn’t the one for you.

Getting a Good Price

Once you start to find vans with potential, you’ll want to determine if the asking price is

reasonable. Depending on your location, you can refer to the Canadian Black Book

( http://www.canadianblackbook.com ) in Canada or the Kelley Blue Book

( http://www.kbb.com ) in the US. Both of these websites have a search function that can

give you the estimated value of a vehicle based on the make, model and year you

select.

If the asking price of the van you’re looking at is much higher than what the websites

mentioned above tell you it should be, you’ll want to find out why. For example, is it in

excellent condition? Does it have very low mileage? Is it rust free? If there’s no obvious

reason why the price is so high, you might be able to justify bargaining for a better price.

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If the price is much lower than the estimate indicates it should be, you might want to find

out why as well. For example, is the mileage higher than average for a vehicle of that

age? Has the van been in an accident? Does it need new tires or other repairs? A low

price doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong with the van, it’s possible that

they’re just looking for a quick sale, too.

Test Driving a Van

Once you’ve sifted through dozens of van listings and come up with a shortlist of

well­priced vans that meet your criteria, it’s time to go check them out and take them for

a spin. Here are some tips to make sure your test drive goes smoothly and that you

gather all of the information needed to make the decision to buy the van, or let it go.

Bring a Friend

Ideally this would be someone who knows about cars, but anyone will do. You

just want to have a second set of eyes to help you check out the van since you

might be too caught up imagining where the bed will go to bother looking under

the hood.

Bring Checklists

It’s difficult to remember all of the things you need to look at — especially if the

owner or the salesperson is chatting with you the whole time. Bring an inspection

checklist and a test drive checklist to help you stay focussed, and take notes.

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You can find detailed inspection and test drive checklists with a quick Google

search and they’ll be more thorough than anything we could provide you with.

We didn’t actually bring a checklist when going to see the van we ended up

buying, and we later found some obvious problems that wouldn’t have been

missed if we’d had our list. Next time we purchase a vehicle, we’ll make sure to

bring our checklists and check absolutely everything on them.

Bring Paper Towels and Cardboard

We like to check the oil and poke around under the hood to see what the other

fluids look like to get an idea of whether the van was well maintained or not; and

it’s nice to have paper towels to wipe your hands off afterwards. We also bring a

piece of cardboard with us to put under the van’s engine after we’ve driven it a

little bit to see if there are any fluids leaking underneath.

Test Drive the Vehicle without the Owner

Some owners may insist on coming with you for the test drive, which is a

reasonable request. However, we’ve found that this limits our ability to pay

attention to what the van is doing since we’re too busy making polite small talk.

Try your best to get them to let you drive the van without them.

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Be Safe

If you’re going to see a van that you found online, make sure that you bring

someone with you, or that someone knows where you’re going and when you

should be back. It sounds silly, but there are creeps on the internet and we have

to be careful.

Call the Dealership Ahead of Time

If you’re going to see a van at a dealership, let them know when you’re coming

and tell them which vehicle you want to test drive so they have it ready for you.

We’ve arrived at dealerships without calling in advance, only to find out that the

van’s battery was dead/the gas tank was empty/the windshield was broken, etc.

and it was a complete waste of our time.

Ask to See the Maintenance Log

If it’s available, get the vehicle’s maintenance log. Vehicle owners don’t always

have this, but it’s a very good sign if they do as it will show you what has been

done over the years in terms of scheduled maintenance. If they’ve kept a log, it

usually means that they’ve kept very good care of the vehicle.

Doing Your Due Diligence

If, after all of your searching, price checking, inspecting, and test driving, you’ve finally

found a van that you want, we recommend a couple of last inspections before you buy

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it. These are the last steps in the van­buying process because they usually cost money,

and you don’t want to spend any until you’re almost positive that this is the van you

want.

Get a Vehicle History Report

A vehicle history report will tell you things like the ownership status and the

accident history of the van, both of which are very good to know. In Canada,

most people use CARPROOF ( https://www.carproof.com ) to get their vehicle

history reports and in the US, there’s CARFAX ( http://www.carfax.com ). All you

need to get the report is the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the van you’re

looking up, so you’ll have to look for that on the sticker on the edge of the driver’s

side door or on the small metal plate located at the spot where the windshield

meets the dashboard on the driver’s side (it’s inside the van but you can usually

see it through the windshield). If you’re not able to get the VIN yourself, you can

ask the owner or the salesperson for it but make sure you double check that it

matches the van’s physical VIN before you make the final purchase.

Get a Pre­Purchase Inspection

Finally, we recommend getting a pre­purchase inspection by a certified mechanic

to confirm what you already know about the van and to bring to light any

additional repairs or concerns that might need to be addressed before making

the final purchase.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Exploring Alternatives ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives

“I enjoy finding simple solutions and creating really functional

spaces on a low budget. It’s almost sad when a van conversion is

done because a big part of the fun is working on it.”

— Mat from Exploring Alternatives

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Converting Your Van into a Home

Once you’re the proud owner of a van, it’s time to start thinking about how you want to

convert it into a home. This is a great time (a.k.a. excuse) to spend hours drooling over

images of campervan interiors — all in the name of research.

As you scroll through Pinterest/Google/Instagram images of campervan interiors, you’ll

see that some people keep their campervan interiors simple with just a few storage bins

and a platform bed, while others like to plan a full­on conversion with hardwood floors,

refrigerators, and more. Some of my favourite places to find inspiration are:

Vanlife Diaries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanlifediaries/

#vanlife on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/vanlife/

The Van Life website: http://van­life.net

A “campervan interiors” Google search: https://goo.gl/V96Kes

While we don’t have the resources to include plans for designing and converting

campervans, we did want to include some tips and ideas to help you plan your

conversion.

Bed

Living in a van can be tough, which is a big reason why we choose to have a full­sized

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mattress and fluffy blankets in ours — we like to make sure we’re comfortable and well

rested so that we’re ready to take on each new day in the van.

Comfort is not at the top of everyone’s list though, and a full­sized bed does take up a

ton of space in a van. Here are a variety of bed ideas to consider for your own van,

beginning with the simplest/cheapest/least comfortable option:

A Sleeping Bag on the Floor

This is probably the least comfortable sleeping option, but it’s cheap, easy, and it

takes up very little space in the van.

Bed Roll

This would be a slightly more comfortable option than just having a sleeping bag

on the floor. You could have a camping mattress, a feather bed, or a lightweight

cotton mattress beneath your sleeping bag for added comfort, and just roll it up

and out of the way each morning.

Hammock

If you like sleeping in a hammock, you can install a couple of hooks and hang

your hammock inside the van on a diagonal, suspended over your storage

bins/furniture/gear. This option might be tricky if you have more than one person

sleeping in the van, though.

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Tent

If space in your van is limited and you’re going to be parked at campsites and on

public land, you might prefer to sleep outdoors in a tent and not have to worry

about setting up a bed in the van at all.

Roof Top Tent

If the roof of your van is flat and you don’t have any vents or solar panels on it,

you could install a pop up tent on the roof of your van so that you’re sleeping off

the ground and not taking up any space in the van.

Camping Cot

A camping cot will keep you off the floor of your van to give you more comfort,

but will still be lightweight and small enough to store out of the way during the

day.

Sleeping Platform

A simple sleeping platform made of plywood will provide a flat place to install a

futon mattress or foam mattress and will provide you with some storage space

beneath the bed. This option takes up quite a bit of space in the van but is quite

comfortable.

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We posted a video on YouTube about our extremely simple and low­budget

platform bed here: https://youtu.be/SczpaP­6vpM . Keep in mind that this bed

could probably do with some added structural rigidity, although it has been

working well for us so far.

Booth Bed

Similar to many boats and RVs, a dinette booth with a table that lowers to

transform the space into a bed at night is a multi­purpose option that takes full

advantage of a small space. This option offers the added benefit of having

storage space in the seat benches.

Bench Bed

Some conversion vans have 3­seater benches that fold down into a bed. These

are very handy because they’re easy to convert from bench­to­bed, and they

provide additional seating if you have passengers during the day. Unfortunately

these benches can be quite lumpy and uncomfortable, kind of like sleeping on a

pull­out couch. If you don’t already have one in your van, you might be able to

buy a used bench online.

Storage Bed

A storage bed is basically a fancier version of the platform bed because it has

drawers and/or storage compartments underneath it to keep things organized.

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Storage beds are almost always custom DIY beds and can be very helpful in

allowing you to easily access all your gear. You can also design them to fold into

a bench during the day.

Bunk Beds

If you have a high top van, or a sprinter van, with space to stand up in it, and/or if

you’re travelling with a friend or someone you don’t want to share a bed with, you

might consider installing custom DIY bunk beds.

Kitchen

Unless you plan to eat out for every meal, you’re going to want to be able to prepare

some of your meals in the van. Here are four important things to consider when you

plan your kitchen setup:

Refrigeration

If you don’t have space or money to invest in a fridge for your van, you can stick

to buying foods that don’t need to be kept cool (see the Cooking chapter of this

book for a list of foods that don’t require refrigeration).

If you do want to keep your food cool, you have a few options to choose from.

The simplest would be a traditional camping cooler that will protect your food

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from extreme temperature fluctuations and would give you the option of adding

ice for the times when you might need extra refrigeration.

If you want a more consistent refrigeration option, you could invest in a 12­Volt

vehicle cooler that can be plugged into your van (or your solar power/house

battery) to keep your food cool.

Last but not least, you could purchase a propane or electric RV­style refrigerator.

These tend to be much more expensive than vehicle coolers but they act more

like a normal refrigerator and might even come with a small freezer.

Food Preparation

Think about where you want to prepare and cook your food. It’s nice to have a

flat surface where you can chop vegetables, make sandwiches, set up your cook

stove, etc.

You could have a folding table inside or outside the van, or a drop leaf table

attached to one of your storage cabinets or van doors. You could also keep

things simple and use a cutting board or a lap desk, although preparing food in

your lap can get pretty messy.

Cooking

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If you plan to cook food or boil water, you’ll want to have a cook stove with you in

the van. There are propane, butane, alcohol, biomass, and solar cook stove

options that come in all different sizes from tiny backpacking stoves to more

elaborate 2­3 burner stoves.

Do your research and choose a stove that will fit with your cooking style, and

make sure that you follow the safety instructions to ensure you’re not filling your

van with fumes or creating a fire hazard. Most cooking stoves should be used

outdoors, but a few can be used indoors with adequate ventilation.

I’ve included a list of the pros and cons of different cookstoves in the Cooking

chapter of this book.

Cleaning Up

If you’re preparing food in your van, you’ll want to plan a cleaning setup that will

allow you to wash your fruits and vegetables and your dishes.

A cleaning setup could be as simple as a jug of water, a wash basin, and some

dish soap, or it could be a fully plumbed sink with running water and a greywater

tank.

If you decide to go for a simple cleaning setup, this is probably a good time to

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mention that you’ll want to have a second water jug that you can use to dump

dirty dish water if you’re in a place where you can’t just dump it outside (if you’re

stealth camping or on a ferry, for example).

Curtains

Curtains provide privacy and a dark sleeping environment, which are both important if

you’ve got a lot of windows in your van. They might also help insulate your van from the

hot sun during the day and from cold air at night. You can take a peek at the curtains we

made for our van here: https://youtu.be/QvERcPTdbjQ.

Divider Curtain

A curtain to divide the driver’s area from the living and sleeping area is nice

because it blocks the view into your van from three angles: the driver and front

passenger windows and the windshield itself. This is good for privacy during the

day, at night, or when you’re not “home” and don’t want people peeking in.

If you plan to stealth camp, you’ll want to make this curtain as discreet as

possible so that it’s less obvious that you’re sleeping in your van. For

stealthiness, consider choosing fabric that matches the upholstery of the van’s

front seats, or a dark, uniform colour, like grey or black, that won’t stand out at

night.

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These divider curtains will be quite large and will require large pieces of fabric to

reach from floor to ceiling and side to side. Plan to make the curtains a little bit

wider than the actual width of the van so that they can still reach the sides of the

van even if they need to be pulled around bags/gear/footwear that’s piled on the

floor (which happens often in a small space!).

A second­hand bed sheet (the flat kind, without the elastics on the corners) is a

cheap way to get a plain piece of fabric that’s big enough for the job. A queen or

king­sized sheet should be big enough, but measure your van and the bed sheet

to be sure.

A divider curtain can be installed using a curtain rod, picture hanging wire, snaps,

safety pins, velcro, magnets, upholstery corkscrew pins, etc. Your choice will

depend on the weight of the curtain, what you’re fastening it to (wood, metal,

upholstery, plastic) and how much time and money you want to spend.

Picture Window Curtains

For the picture windows in your van, you’ll want to think about the type of

travelling you’re going to be doing before choosing your curtain solution. If you

plan to stealth camp, then you’ll want curtains that will block light coming from the

inside of your van so that people walking by, and driving by, don’t know you’re in

there.

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If this is the case, choose a fabric that is thick and consider doubling the fabric or

getting blackout curtains for extra light protection (a tip we learned from Derrick

and Paula over at A Guy. A Girl. And a Campervan !). Similar to the divider

curtain, your picture window curtains can be installed using curtain rods, picture

hanging wire, velcro, snaps, safety pins, etc.

Another stealthy curtain option would be to create cutouts of your picture window

shapes using a material that resembles foil­covered bubble wrap, and is

commercially known as Reflectix. It is sturdy enough to fit snugly into window

frames. Reflectix can be very obvious at night if streetlights, flashlights, or car

headlights shine on it, so you might want to consider wrapping the cutouts in a

dark fabric, and using glue, or double sided tape, to secure the fabric to the

Reflectix window cutouts.

One more cheap solution that gives us extra privacy and protection from the sun

is our accordion­style windshield sun shade. It’s not really a curtain but we use it

all the time for extra privacy and to reflect heat from the sun away from the

windshield. It’s probably the best $10 CAD we ever spent on a piece of gear for

the van.

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If you’re not interested in DIY curtain options, you could look into hiring a

professional curtain maker, seamstress, or a friend to create custom curtains for

you.

Storage

No matter how few things you bring in the van, it’s still surprising how quickly the inside

of a van can become a complete mess. Having an effective storage setup and a special

place for each item in the van will make it easy for you to keep your van tidy and

organized, and help you avoid those frustrating times when you can’t find the thing you

had in your hand just a second ago.

Take a few minutes (or days) to visualize your daily routine in the van and anticipate

which items you’ll need easy access to, and which items can be stored in less

accessible spots, like under the bed. Once you know which items you’ll want to have at

hand, you can plan your storage setup accordingly.

There are a few main materials that people use to create storage in their vans: wood,

plastic, and cloth. As you’ll see below, there are pros and cons to all three.

Wood

Wooden shelving, cabinets, and drawers are very effective and add a lot of

warmth and coziness to a van’s interior design. They are also probably the most

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durable storage solution.

On the downside, wood can be expensive, bulky, and you’ll need tools (and

skills!) to construct something useful. Buying second­hand drawers, kitchen

cabinets, and tables is one way to get cheap wooden storage for your van, but it

might also waste space since it won’t be custom made for your van’s shape.

Building with solid wood will also add weight to your van, which in turn will affect

your fuel economy and cost you more money in gas over the long run.

Plastic

Plastic storage bins are cheap and waterproof, they’re available in all shapes and

sizes, and they’re easy to clean.

The downside is that plastic doesn’t wear as well as wood does, and the bins

might start to look a little rough after a while. Plastic lids tend to break easily

which means you could be sending your bins to the landfill and having to replace

them sooner than you’d like.

Cloth

Cloth storage, which we like to call soft storage, is a cheap and extremely

lightweight option for storing items in your van. There aren’t as many pre­made

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cloth storage options as there are plastic bins, but many everyday items can be

repurposed as soft storage, like cloth shoe racks, canvas bags, mesh bags, cloth

baskets, etc. Another advantage of soft storage is that it can be folded and stored

away when not in use.

Materials and Air Quality

When you’re living in a small space like a van, it’s important to have good air quality.

Items that you bring into the van may off­gas (evaporate) toxic chemicals and produce

an unhealthy air quality around you, which will be concentrated in a small space. If you

are going to bring new materials into the van, like a memory foam mattress for example,

be sure to do your research and find out how to let the chemicals off­gas properly

before bringing it into your van.

Carpets

Conventional carpets may have been treated with flame retardants and stain

protectors and often have toxic chemicals in the latex backing, all of which will

off­gas. Do your research to find out how to properly install these carpets. You

may need to leave them outside for a few days before putting them in your van.

Another way to clean some of the nasties out of a new carpet would be to clean it

with hot water.

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The Ecology Center has an excellent blog post with more tips and information

about safely installing carpets here:

http://ecologycenter.org/blog/ask­the­ecoteam­my­new­carpet­is­off­gassing/

Once you read about all the gross stuff found in conventional carpets, you might

be ready to search for a natural alternative. There are lots of carpets made with

natural materials like jute, wool, cotton, coconut coir, etc.

A second­hand area rug could also be a good alternative, or you could look into

making a braided rag rug using old sheets and t­shirts.

Wood

Particle board and other wood products are often treated with formaldehyde,

which is a known carcinogen. Try to buy used furniture/materials that will already

have off­gassed the majority of the chemicals in the wood, or try to use natural

and/or sustainably harvested, solid wood alternatives.

The Ecology Center has another great blog post related to pollutants and their

sources (including formaldehyde in cabinets, particle board, and furniture) here:

http://ecologycenter.org/blog/air­quality­in­the­home­common­pollutants­and­sour

ces/.

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Bedding & Curtains

New bedding (sheets and blankets) and curtains are often treated with

formaldehyde and other chemicals like flame retardants. To avoid bringing

additional chemicals into your van, use sheets and fabrics that you already own

(the fabrics will already have off­gassed).

If you need to buy new bedding or fabric for curtains, wash the fabrics before

using them to remove some of the flame retardants from the material or let the

fabric air­out as long as possible (or both).

Cleaning Products

It’s nice to have a clean, fresh­smelling van but conventional cleaning products

and air fresheners are full of harmful chemicals. There are some cheap, natural

alternatives you can use that will give you a clean van without the chemicals.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) website

( http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners) has a guide to healthy cleaners that allows

you to look up brand name cleaners to find out what’s in them. It also suggests

natural alternatives for each type of cleaner.

You could choose to make your own natural cleaners, too. I’m not an expert, but I

easily found a recipe online for a natural DIY air freshener that uses only water,

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rubbing alcohol, and essential oils; and now I don’t have to worry about what I’m

breathing in when I spray it. We’ve also used a solution of white vinegar and

water to clean our windows instead of using mainstream window cleaners.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Exploring Alternatives ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives

“ Paradise on public land does exist,

you might just need a local to help you find it.”

— Danielle from Exploring Alternatives

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Finding Places to Park

Finding places to park your van overnight might seem easy if you’ve never had to do it,

but it’s actually one of the hardest things about living in a van. The two main reasons

why it’s hard are because:

Sleeping in a vehicle is illegal almost everywhere in North America (unless you’re

at a campsite, on public land, or you have permission from the person who owns

the land).

Most land that can be easily accessed by a road is owned by someone who

doesn’t want you (and your van) on it.

If you have money in your budget to pay for a campsite each night, neither of these

issues will apply to you and you’ll have a much easier time living in your van.

It gets a little more complicated when you want to live on the cheap and not pay to park

overnight. You might end up stealth camping (sleeping in your van on city streets),

camping at a Walmart, or venturing off the beaten path to stay on public land (a.k.a.

Crown land in Canada or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the US), etc.

None of these parking options are terrible, they just take a little getting used to, a bit

more research, and they might not be what you expected.

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Living in a van is difficult, and since parking overnight is one of the hardest things to do,

I strongly recommend that you try sleeping in a vehicle — any vehicle — and practice

finding places to park just to see what it’s like before you plan a full­time van life

adventure.

For Mat and I, our first week of living in the van full time was really tough. We had to

work in the city and had the choice between driving 30 minutes outside of town to sleep

at a Walmart each night, or staying in the city to stealth camp on the street. We were

trying to save money and we didn’t want to waste gas commuting to and from the

Walmart so we decided to stealth camp. Since it was too cold to spend time outside, we

ended up sitting for hours in the van with the lights dimmed, waiting until it was dark

enough to start looking for a place to park for the night.

After a whole week of stealth camping, we were starting to doubt that living in a van was

right for us. It was exhausting to be sneaking around in the van late at night, looking for

a place to park where no one would catch us. We also resented the fact that we felt bad

about our lifestyle — all we wanted was to live simply, not break the law.

Finding places to park overnight did get easier with practice and we also got used to

sneaking around a little bit. Rotating between different parking options — stealth

camping, Walmart parking lots, campsites, and friends’ driveways — has become the

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best way for us to stay happy in the van.

“Most of the time I'm boondocking [camping off­grid without hookups]. I really enjoy

the search to find the best places to park overnight. If I'm in a city, I'm usually looking

for dead end streets, or in front of people I know so I can poach their WiFi! If there's

water nearby, I'm often going for marinas. In New York I slept on Broadway and even

got a parking ticket because I did not wake up early enough to move the van. In

Austin I woke up one day and a cop was parked right in front of me!”

— Julien from Go­Van

We know that living in a van is hard, so we want to make it easier for you to find places

to park your van. I put together a list of over a dozen overnight parking ideas and

resources to get you thinking about where you’ll lay your head each night. Some of the

parking choices do cost money but many are cheap or free.

When you’re reading through them, keep in mind that living in a van requires a lot of

flexibility, creativity, and resourcefulness. You might need to mix and match some of the

options, and you might also end up occasionally paying to park until you get comfortable

with some of the other options.

Last but not least, new websites and resources for van dwellers are popping up all the

time and I’ve done my best to capture most of them below. That said, you might want to

do some research to see if there are additional resources available to your specific

region.

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“My absolute favourite places to park are the wild and isolated camp spots where

having a mobile home is the only way to wake up there. I also love malecons

[boardwalks near lakes or oceans] and central plaza parking — it makes for some

interesting scenery waking up in city centers with life buzzing all around you as you

make your morning coffee and try and locate your flip­flops.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

Stealth Camping

If you’ve been learning about van life for a while, you probably have noticed that Mat

and I, and many other van dwellers, talk about stealth camping fairly often. There are

times when we haven’t been able to find a place to park overnight — when we get lost

looking for a crown land campsite, or when we arrive in a new city in the middle of the

night, for example. On nights like that, we’re happy that our van doesn’t look too much

like a campervan because we can park it on a commercial or residential street without

being noticed. We don’t want to be noticed because most cities and towns have a bylaw

that prevents people from sleeping in their vehicles, and bylaw officers can issue a fine

if they catch you — kind of like a parking ticket, except a little more expensive.

Mat and I chose our van partly because it was stealthy so that we’d have a backup plan

if our other overnight parking options fell through. Cargo vans, passenger vans, and

family vans are less likely to stand out on a residential street than a Westfalia or Class B

motorhome, for example.

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Regardless of which van we chose, we try to make sure it’s clean and presentable, we

avoid having camping and sports gear on our roof, and we avoid displaying bumper

stickers that identify us as travellers. We basically don’t want to draw any attention to

our van, or make it memorable in any way.

When we’re looking for a stealth camping spot, we keep these kinds of things in mind:

We watch out for no parking zones where we might get a parking ticket as this

will bring a bylaw officer right up to our vehicle.

We’re careful when parking on quiet residential streets — people notice new

vehicles and are more likely to phone the police if they’re suspicious of our van.

We put ourselves in their shoes and understand that campervans can be a bit

creepy if someone doesn’t know who’s inside.

We avoid parking directly in front of a house, especially if they still have their

lights on. Instead, we try to find a parking space that’s in neutral territory:

between two houses or beside a bush, tree, or fence.

We choose mixed residential streets that have apartment buildings and houses,

student housing, hotels, etc., because the people who live on these streets are

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accustomed to seeing vehicles come and go, so we’re less likely to stand out and

be noticed.

We avoid parking on a hill — even if it’s a super stealthy spot because we always

regret it when we lie down to sleep and have our feet above our heads.

We think about what our stealth campsite is going to look like in the morning. Are

we near a school or some other building that’s going to have a lot of foot traffic in

the morning? Are the vehicles we parked between going to be gone after their

owners go home from the bar, leaving our van alone to attract attention for the

rest of the night?

We avoid creeping down residential streets while we look for a place to park — it

makes us look like we’re up to no good, which could freak people out and make

them more likely to call the police.

We wait until it’s late, or at least dark outside, before we start driving around

looking for a parking spot. We are less obvious then, and more people will be in

bed or watching TV, which further reduces our chances of being seen.

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We never get out of our vehicle when we’ve found our overnight stealth camping

spot. We want our van to seem like a parked car with as little activity going on

around it as possible.

We leave our stealth camping spot early in the morning and go park somewhere

else to get ready for our day.

We try not to stealth camp in the same spot more than once since it could

increase our chances of being noticed.

We’re very quiet when we’re in our stealth camping spot for the night. We make

sure our curtains are drawn and our lights are off (or low). We want passersby to

think our van is just like every other car on the street. If they see the van moving,

hear voices inside, see the lights on, etc., they’ll be more likely to phone the

police to report suspicious behaviour.

We’re respectful. We avoid detection, don’t leave garbage behind, and don’t

make noise. The more respectful van dwellers are, the more likely we are going

to be tolerated and left alone.

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Walmart Parking Lots

It’s hard to believe, but of all the big box stores, fast food restaurants, and grocery

stores out there — most of which have massive parking lots — Walmart is only one of

two stores that we know of that allows you to park overnight in their lot.

That said, not all Walmarts allow RVs and vans to park overnight — for example, if

they’re part of a larger strip mall that shares its parking lot with other stores then you

usually can’t park there overnight.

The AllStays website ( http://www.allstays.com/c/wal­mart­locations.htm ) has a really

helpful, up­to­date list (and map!) of Walmart locations that’s organized by state and

province and includes details about whether you can, or can’t, park at each one.

Parking at a Walmart might seem weird and less than glamorous at first, especially if

you’ve never slept in a parking lot, but let me tell you, after an extended stretch of

stealth camping, it’s almost like staying at a 5­star hotel. First, you don’t have to worry

that you’re going to be kicked out of your camping spot in the middle of the night. On top

of that, you have access to their toilets and water fountains, and you can usually get a

WiFi signal in the parking lot so you can catch up on emails or watch Netflix before bed.

If you need to buy something in the morning — toothpaste, motor oil, orange juice — it’s

only a few steps away. And best of all, it’s free.

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Keep in mind that not all Walmart parking lots are created equal though. Some are quite

nice with mountain views and landscaped parking lots while others are not so nice, with

creepy campers and litter strewn everywhere. Use your discretion, trust your gut, and if

the parking lot doesn’t feel safe for any reason, go find another place to sleep. We

prefer parking at Walmarts that are open 24 hours a day in case we have any problems.

Campgrounds & Parks

Campgrounds and parks are an extremely comfortable overnight parking option

because they often have amenities like showers, toilets, potable water, WiFi, laundry,

etc. and they can be quite beautiful if they’re located by a lake, mountain, or even just a

few trees.

The downside of staying at a campground or park is that they can be quite far from

cities and towns which makes it an inconvenient option if you want/need to be in an

urban area during the day. They usually cost quite a bit of money too — especially if

you want hookups like electricity and water.

Even if you can’t afford to pay to stay at a campground every night, it can be nice to

splurge every once in awhile, especially if other parking options are limited. Here are a

handful of websites to help you find campsites in Canada and the US (for provincial or

state parks, you can do a more specific regional campground search):

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Parks Canada (national parks): http://www.pc.gc.ca

National Park Service (US): https://www.nps.gov/findapark

Kampgrounds of America: http://koa.com

ReserveAmerica: http://www.reserveamerica.com

AllStays: http://www.allstays.com/Campgrounds/

A Friend’s Driveway

Parking in a friend’s driveway can be a good option for short­ or long­term van dwelling

although this option does have the potential to get awkward if the details of your stay

are not clear. Take the time to let your friend know how long you’d like to stay and

whether you’ll be using their home for anything (shower, toilet, water, electricity), and

then offer something in exchange for their generosity — yard work, babysitting, cash,

etc.

At a Farm

We haven’t tried this yet, but I know that many farms are open to work exchange

arrangements so it can’t hurt to offer your help in exchange for being able to park on

their land. If you feel awkward about driving right up to a random farmer’s door, try to

target farms that sell produce or eggs at their farm gate since they’re going to be more

accustomed to having strangers stop by. You could also visit the local farmer’s market

and chat with some farmers there to find out if there are any farmers nearby who might

be willing to accommodate you.

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Public Land

Countries like Canada and the US (and many others I’m sure) have vast swaths of land

that are considered to be public land, which means that we can camp on it for free. The

concept of public land seems strange at first because we’ve all grown so accustomed to

the rules of land ownership and trespassing, so there is something inherently satisfying

about knowing that there are wild places that we still have a right to visit and spend time

on.

On paper, public land seems quite utopian and I have to admit that I sometimes

daydream about dropping everything and going to live off the (public) land, but it’s not

really that simple. There are often limitations on the duration and location of your stay,

for example the land might be leased for mining or logging, or it might be impossible to

access due to a lack of roads or trails.

It can be a tricky business finding good spots to camp on public land, but it’s certainly

not impossible; you just need to do your research. Talking to locals is helpful, but you

can also find quite a lot of information by searching online.

In Canada, public land is called Crown land and it’s usually managed by individual

provinces, so you’d want to search for “Crown land camping,” and your province.

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“In Canada we were big fans of the forestry free camps, they were always an

adventure!”

— Alex from Wanderlust Vanlife

In the US, public land is typically managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

or by the Forest Service, so you’d want to search for “camping on BLM/Forest Service

land” and your state.

The Free Campsites ( https://freecampsites.net) website also lists some Crown land

campsites among other user­generated listings, but the official public land website for

your province/state will probably be more comprehensive.

As I mentioned earlier, accessing public land campsites can be difficult because the

directions might lack detail, the roads might be unmarked, or they might be in remote

areas with no one nearby to ask for help. To avoid getting lost or stuck without a place

to camp, here are some tips for camping on public land:

Get detailed directions to your destination and cross reference them with

directions from other websites (if available) to make sure they match up. If a map

is provided, take screenshots of any important details and consider getting a

satellite image of the route since roads are often unmarked and you might have

to navigate based on geographical features.

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Pay attention to the details in the directions — sometimes you’ll only be given

specific distances to navigate — for example, the directions might tell you to turn

left after 1.2 miles with no other details about where you’re going. Use the trip

meter (also commonly known as a trip counter or odometer) on your dashboard

to help you find your way.

Ask a local if they have any advice about the campsite you’re looking for —

they’ll often be able to give you better directions than what you got online, or they

might be able to suggest an even better public land campsite.

Bring a GPS device with you, especially if the directions to your campsite include

GPS coordinates. This might not help you find the correct road to take, but it

should help you determine if you’re getting closer or farther away from your

destination when you’re in a maze of unmarked roads.

Give yourself plenty of time to find your campsite before it gets dark and have a

backup plan in case you don’t find it.

Tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back — even if it’s

just a rough estimate. You might be going pretty far out into the boonies and if

something happens, this foresight might increase your odds of getting help.

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Be respectful of public land campsites and leave no trace when you leave. If you

were able to drive your stuff in with you, you can certainly drive it out.

Be respectful and considerate towards other campers and keep in mind that

there is usually no security guard or park ranger to keep an eye on things when

you’re on a public land campsite. Be safe and be smart, and leave a campsite if

you don’t feel comfortable there.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing ( https://www.couchsurfing.com ) is a website typically used by travellers

who need a free place to crash, but some van dwellers are using it to ask Couchsurfing

hosts if they can use their parking space instead of a bed. If you don’t already have a

Couchsurfing account, consider setting one up and asking hosts if you can park at their

place while you’re in town. Even if they can’t offer you a parking spot, they might still be

able to give you suggestions about where to park in their neighborhood. Keep in mind

that hosts are extremely generous and selfless, and do your best not to take advantage

of their generosity.

iOverlander

iOverlander ( http://ioverlander.com ) is a traditional travel website that allows you to

search their database for hotels and hostels, but it also has listings for wild camping,

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established or informal campgrounds, and other services that might be helpful to a van

dweller, like water sources, sanitation dump stations, propane, etc.

RVwithME

RVwithMe ( https://rvwithme.com ) is a new website we’ve just recently found out about

that’s kind of like Airbnb, except that it’s designed for RVers and van dwellers. People

with a driveway, parking space, field, backyard, or any other space where you can park

overnight can create a listing on the website along with the price they charge per night

for you to park there.

This website might be useful if you don’t want to stealth camp in the city, or if you

haven’t had any luck finding a Couchsurfing host with a free parking space.

Guides and Directories

If you’re old school, or if you plan to be offline for extended periods, you might prefer to

have a hard copy of your camping options with you in the van.

If you’ve opted to purchase roadside assistance from CAA or AAA, they usually offer

discounted travel books with campground listings.

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In Canada, the Backroad Mapbooks ( http://www.backroadmapbooks.com ) are another

excellent resource for finding campsites in Canada. The mapbooks can be purchased

online or at outdoor stores, outfitters, general stores, book stores, MEC, etc.

Casinos

Casinos are notorious for using tricks and incentives to encourage people to spend

more time gambling, and one of those incentives that some (but not all) casinos offer is

free overnight parking to their customers.

The Casino Camper website ( http://www.casinocamper.com/rv­parking­locations) has a

very comprehensive map of RV­friendly casino locations in Canada and the US that’s

worth checking out.

Rest Stops & Truck Stops

If you’re driving late at night and you’re too tired to keep driving to a city or a campsite

then rest stops and truck stops can be a decent overnight parking option, although you’ll

want to be stealthy since they’re not usually meant for overnight parking unless you’re a

transport truck.

You’ll probably end up finding them on your route naturally, but if you want to plan

ahead, The AllStays website has maps of truck stops and rest stops in both Canada

and the US:

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AllStays Rest Stop Map: http://www.allstays.com/c/rest­stop­locations.htm

AllStays Truck Stop Map: http://www.allstays.com/c/truck­stop­locations.htm

Cabela’s

Just as we were having this book edited, our editor was moving into an RV and she told

us that Cabela’s (an outdoor gear store) allows overnight parking in their lots, which was

very exciting news! The more places we can park overnight for free, the better. We don’t

have many Cabela’s stores in Canada, but there are quite a few in the US. You can

take a peek at a map of Cabela’s store locations on their website here:

http://www.cabelas.com/stores/stores_home.jsp?WT.tsrc=CRD&WT.mc_id=stores

I sent an email to Cabela’s Customer Service to confirm that overnight parking is

allowed, and based on their response (below), it sounds like they have a very similar

policy to Walmart that allows you to park overnight at freestanding Cabela’s stores, but

not at a Cabela’s location that is part of a strip mall or shopping center:

“ Yes, Cabela’s does allow RV parking overnight at our retail locations but there is no

camping or hook ups. This is available at most of our stores excluding our Outpost

locations which are in a mall or shopping center location.”

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Inspiration

Photo credit: A Guy. A Girl. And a Campervan: www.youtube.com/aguyagirlandacampervan

“The nearly two years we’ve spent living in our campervan have changed

our lives in unimaginable ways. Not only has it allowed us to explore our

entire country, meet new friends, and gain an appreciation for a minimalist

lifestyle, but it has also accelerated our financial situation to the point that

we’ve taken a huge bite out of our debt and begun to save a small nest

egg. Plus, living in a van gives you the freedom to move every single day,

without ever having to leave home.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And a Campervan

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Staying Clean

When you’re living in a van, you tend to have limited access to running water which

means that simple things like washing your hands, taking a shower, and doing your

laundry become a daily challenge.

I’m not going to lie, sometimes living in a van means you’re a stinky, weird­looking

mess, and the scary thing is that you might get so used to it that you don’t even notice

anymore.

I distinctly remember the first time I failed to notice how smelly I’d gotten (we’d been

living in the van for weeks with only a few showers and fresh­water swims to keep us

clean). I was standing in line at a grocery store in the middle of a hot summer day in

Vancouver, BC, and slowly became aware of the fact that everyone in line ahead and

behind me was staring at me with a look of semi­distaste on their faces (they were

mostly freshly coiffed old ladies so it must have been seniors day or something). I was

mildly embarrassed, but I was also surprised to find that I was content being in a more

“natural” state. Still, I went and found myself a shower right after.

Whether you want to be a smelly van dweller or a clean one, there are plenty of

solutions to help you feel fresh (or fresh­ish) while you’re on wheels.

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Washing Your Hands

If you’ve got a sink or a water jug in your van, you’ll quickly become an expert at

washing your hands with minimal amounts of water (turn off the tap when you’re

scrubbing your hands).

If you don’t have enough water to wash your hands, you could use hand sanitizer, wet

wipes, or a DIY rubbing alcohol spray (mix rubbing alcohol with water, and add a splash

of aloe vera gel if you want to keep your skin moisturized).

Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth in a van is pretty straightforward ­ all you need is your toothbrush,

toothpaste, a water bottle water (to rinse your mouth), and a greywater bottle. What’s a

greywater bottle, you ask? It’s a bottle where you store water you’ve used for any

household use, like brushing your teeth, washing your hands, etc., until you can find a

place to dump it. It’s nice to have a greywater bottle in the van so that you don’t have to

spit outside, or put your mouth near a pee bottle (more on pee bottles later). You can

make a greywater bottle using anything you like — an old water bottle, a juice bottle,

etc., but make sure it’s leak proof.

Showering

If you don’t have a shower in your van, you’ll need to find an alternative way to stay

clean. Here are some ideas that you can mix and match depending on your situation

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and budget:

Workout Gyms / YMCA

You can usually pay a one­time fee or a monthly/annual membership fee to use

the showers and facilities at workout gyms, YMCAs, or other recreation centers.

If you plan to travel outside your city or province/state, you could even get a

membership to a nationwide gym/center that allows you to drop in at their other

locations.

“While on the road, finding a place to wash up is always a major priority. We’ve

showered at truck stops, campgrounds, YMCAs, community centers, etc. Luckily

though, we also have memberships at a nation­wide fitness center, so we always

have a place to shower as long as we’re in a major city. When we’re boondocking in

the wilderness, we also have a portable shower, which uses a propane burner and a

battery­operated pump. We’ve even found a small collapsible dog bath that we can

stand in while washing up inside the van, and that stows away nicely under the bed.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And A Campervan

Truck Stops

Trucks stops often have shower facilities that you can access for a small price.

The AllStays website ( http://www.allstays.com/c/truck­stop­locations.htm ) has a

database of truck stops in Canada and the US, and the list can be searched by

province or state. You can look at the results on a list or a map and they indicate

if there is a shower available at each truck stop location.

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Campgrounds

If you’re going to pay to stay at a private campground or at a

national/provincial/state park, choose one that has shower facilities.

Beach Showers

If your van is near a beach, there might be open air showers nearby that you can

use.

Solar Showers

Outdoor stores often sell low­cost shower bags made with black PVC plastic and

a small showerhead. All you have to do is fill up the bag with water and set it in

direct sunlight until the water is hot enough to shower. They’re lightweight and

portable, but they can be awkward to fill unless you have a funnel or access to

running water. It’s also sometimes tricky to find a secluded area to use the

shower unless you’re at a campsite, so it might be a good idea to shower

wearing a bathing suit, install some kind of curtain or tarp for privacy, or invest in

a pop up privacy stall (it’s like a tall, narrow tent).

Another type of solar shower that’s becoming popular is a DIY version that’s

made with a black PVC pipe secured to your roof rack. You put a cap on one end

of the pipe, and a nozzle at the other, and when the sun has warmed the water in

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the pipe, you simply turn on the nozzle. Again, filling up this type of solar shower

might be tricky and/or awkward, and finding a private location to shower is still a

concern.

“We are pretty excited about our new roof water storage. We made it out of two

four­inch PVC pipes and a threaded valve where a shower hose can be attached. It

holds 19 liters of water and if it wasn’t so cold in the Andes we would definitely be

using it as a shower. Still, it’s handy for a quick wash. Otherwise baby wipes are

pretty popular in our van when we can’t find a shower in the city or a natural water

source in the wild.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

Portable Showers

Portable showers are similar to solar shower bags except that you use a foot

pump, or a battery powered pump, to create water pressure instead of relying on

gravity. This means that you can leave the bag/bucket full of water on the ground

instead of having to hoist it overhead, and some of them heat the water with

propane which gives you a nice hot, and reliable, shower.

Sponge Baths

If you’re having trouble finding a place to shower, you could use a sponge or a

wash cloth, some soap, and a small basin filled with a few cupfuls of warm water

to clean and rinse the important parts. Cleaning from your head to your toes, in

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that order, is much cleaner than doing the reverse :)

Wet Wipes

Wet wipes are an amazing way to freshen up between showers. We usually use

four wipes for a full “shower” — one for the face, one for the armpits, one for the

crotch, and one for the feet.

If you can, try to find wipes that are biodegradable and check the ingredients to

make sure they don’t contain any potentially harmful preservatives like parabens

and phenoxyethanol.

If you want to make your own, the Wellness Mama website has a great recipe for

making homemade wet wipes here:

http://wellnessmama.com/1459/homemade­baby­wipes/

Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo will help reduce the greasy hair look you might get between

showers by absorbing excess oil buildup around your roots. There are a few

conventional dry shampoo sprays available at pharmacies, but they’re usually

packed with chemicals and are fairly expensive.

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Baby powder works well but you can also make your own dry shampoo using just

arrowroot powder or cornstarch. If you have darker hair, you can mix in some

unsweetened cocoa powder to prevent your hair from looking chalky. If you’re

concerned with the smell of your hair, just add a few drops of essential oils like

lavender or grapefruit to freshen up a bit.

To use dry shampoo, you apply a small amount to the roots of your hair and

massage it into your scalp where it will absorb excess oil. I find that dry shampoo

works best if you apply it at night and brush out any excess powder in the

morning.

Lakes & Rivers

Taking a dip in a lake or river will keep you feeling fresh between showers. If you

plan to use soap or shampoo to get clean, make sure it’s natural and

biodegradable (we love the Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap, which is available at

most health food stores) and lather up on shore. You can then rinse off most of

the soap using a bucket or washbasin before you jump back in the water. This

method will ensure that most of the soap ends up on the soil instead of directly in

the lake (where it can wreak all kinds of havoc).

Doing Laundry

The easiest way to get your laundry done when you live in a van is to go to a

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laundromat. You can also plan to have your laundry days coincide with days when you’ll

be staying at a campground as they often have on­site laundry facilities.

If you prefer to wash your laundry by hand to save money and energy or because you’re

in the middle of nowhere without access to a washing machine, you’ll need a container

of some kind (like a bucket or a plastic storage bin), some biodegradable soap, and

water.

To start, fill your container with all of the clothes you need washed, add water and

laundry soap, and then swish your clothes in the soapy water until every piece of

clothing is saturated. The longer you can let the clothes soak, the less they will smell. A

quick rinse isn’t enough for very dirty clothes, so let them soak for an hour, or even

overnight.

Then, wring out your clothes and dump the soapy water in your sink, your greywater

tank, or outside (but never directly into a lake or river). Rinse your clothes with fresh

water, wring them out again, and then hang them to dry on your van doors (watch out

for greasy door hinges and latches!), or set up a makeshift clothesline between trees.

Although they do take up a bit of space in a small van, having clothespins will be very

helpful on windy days.

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If you’re in a rush to get your clothes dry, you can roll them up in a towel to wring out

excess water before hanging them to dry in order to speed things up.

We’re pretty lazy about doing our laundry, so we try to stretch the time between trips to

the laundromat by doing frequent mini loads (washing only what we need the next day

— a pair of underwear, socks, and a shirt). We usually have a small clothesline set up

inside the van for hanging things to dry overnight or while we’re driving.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: ShelbyandSimon ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/shelbyandsimon/

“We love the freedom to change plans at a moment’s notice, to be open to

new opportunities and crazy experiences. We love making our videos and

connecting with a growing group of followers and other travellers. We

especially love how the van has unlocked our futures, and how we see now

just how in control of our lives we are.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

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Going to the Bathroom

There is nothing worse than having to use the toilet and not being able to find one. If

you don’t already have a toilet in your van, you might be worried about how the whole

toilet thing works but don’t fret! There are a number of alternatives so that you don’t

have to hold it in (or let it out in the wrong place!).

Public Washrooms

Chain stores like Walmart, McDonalds, Starbucks, Chapters/Indigo, etc., will

often let you use their washrooms with no questions asked and are often open

late or sometimes overnight. Gas stations, public libraries, and grocery stores are

some other good public washroom options, too.

Using public washrooms can sometimes be uncomfortable or gross for a number

of reasons. Here are some tips to make it easier for you:

Bring a mini spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol to disinfect

questionable toilet seats, door handles, and taps if you’re worried about

germs.

Bring your own natural air freshener if you’re concerned about smells.

Choose the private toilet instead of the one with multiple stalls if you want

more privacy (unless there’s someone who needs it more than you!).

Leave the bathroom clean (or cleaner!) than you found it.

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Pee Bottles

Keeping a pee bottle in the van is a real lifesaver for early mornings or late nights

when access to public washrooms is limited. There are portable travel urinals you

can buy or you can repurpose an empty jug, like a plastic orange juice bottle. It’s

a good idea to choose a bottle that is large enough to hold a few “deposits.”

“We always have an emergency pee bottle but we generally encounter public

washrooms or we are so far out in the wild that the bushes are all good to go in.”

— Alex from Wanderlust Vanlife

To make it easier for women to pee, there are funnel­like adaptors on the market

or you can use a flexible silicone funnel. Be sure to clean these adaptors after

each use (I spray mine with our DIY rubbing alcohol spray after each use).

If you’re on the road, the easiest place to empty the bottle would be in a ditch

along a quiet road. If you’re in an urban area and you have a full pee bottle that

needs to be emptied, things get a little more complicated because you don’t want

to dump it just anywhere.

Honestly, there’s no perfect way to do it, and you might find the options to be a

bit awkward and/or gross. If that’s the case, you might not want to use a pee

bottle at all.

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When our pee bottle is full, we discreetly carry it in a bag or backpack into a

public washroom and carefully dump it into the toilet. It’s just pee, which we’d be

putting in the toilet anyway, so we don’t mind that much. We’ve learned to keep

our pee bottles pretty small so that we’re not lugging gallons of urine around in

our backpack, and we’ve also learned the importance of a properly sealed lid…

We are hypersensitive about doing this process in a sanitary and respectful way

and we never dump or rinse our pee bottle in a public sink. Instead, we rinse it

outside with a bit of our own water and then add a few drops of tea tree oil to

keep the bottle smelling fresh.

Bucket Toilet

There are bucket toilets available for sale in stores that sell camping gear, but

you can also make your own using a 5­gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid, some

biodegradable garbage bags, and an absorbent material like wood chips, cat

litter, coconut coir, or peat moss.

To use a bucket toilet, you line the bucket with a plastic bag, sprinkle some of

your absorbent material in the bottom, do your business and then cover it with

more absorbent material — just like a cat in a litter box, except without using your

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paws of course. When the bag starts to get full, you tie the bag shut and dispose

of it.

We’ve done a lot of research about the best way to dispose of bagged waste like

this, and there’s no obvious solution. It seems like most people who use this

option dump their waste bags in a dumpster. I’m not sure whether this is ok to do,

but if you choose to do this, be considerate and discreet.

One last thing to mention about bucket toilets is that they typically don’t smell as

long as you don’t pee in them. Instead, you would use your pee bottle and then

use the bucket toilet.

Composting Toilet

If your van is spacious enough to accommodate a composting toilet, then I would

say go for it! There are many models that have been designed for boats and RVs

that could easily be adapted for a van, although they often require a power

source for the fan that helps evaporate liquids.

Composting toilets are great because they don’t need to be pumped out,

although you do still need to find places to dump the waste drawer when it’s full.

On the downside, they’re often very expensive.

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We’ve heard from a few people that Sun­Mar

( http://www.sun­mar.com/prod_self_mobi.html ) makes the best composting

toilets on the market, although we haven’t tried any other brands (and they do

seem quite pricey) so keep an open mind.

Portable Toilet

Portable toilets, also known as chemical toilets, can be small and easy to store

out of sight. They’re affordable and easy to find at outdoor outfitters and marine

stores. While they do seem like a good option for an emergency toilet, it might be

troublesome to empty them out regularly.

Also, as you’ve probably noticed from previous chapters, I don’t like using

products that contain chemicals, deodorizers, and perfumes so I am not a huge

fan of this option.

Outhouse

Along highways, in parks, and on public land you’ll sometimes find outhouses

that are available for public use. They’re not as easy to track down as some other

washroom options, but we always take advantage of them when we come across

them. We always have a couple of rolls of toilet paper in the van in case we

come across an outhouse that doesn’t have any.

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Outside

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time on public land or out in the country, then

you might end up opting to do your business outside. While it does feel quite

natural to go to the bathroom outdoors, there are still some things to consider:

Use toilet facilities if they’re provided in order to keep high traffic areas like

trails and campsites clean.

Stay a couple hundred feet away from trails, campsites, and water

sources when you do your business outside.

Bring a trowel and dig a hole for number two, and then cover it up after.

Bring a bag to carry out your toilet paper and/or wet wipes. They take

quite a long time to break down and they litter nice landscapes when you

leave them on the ground.

Don’t do your business close to any water source.

“We prefer to live in wild places, where going to the bathroom involves digging a hole

and squatting it out. However, we often find ourselves in towns and cities in which

case public bathrooms are plentiful and our pee bucket (a reused yogurt container)

serves its purpose.”

— Emily from Where's My Office Now?

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Wanderlust Vanlife ­ www.wanderlustvanlife.com

“ Living in the van in a way forces and supports a simple

lifestyle away from consumerism, it's just not possible to

buy more things because there is no space!”

— Alex from Wanderlust Vanlife

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Finding Water

It’s fairly easy to find places to fill up water bottles. You can use drinking fountains at

shopping centers, gyms, and other public spaces; or you can ask your server at a cafe,

restaurant, or fast food chain to refill them for you. There are also a couple of apps that

can help you find drinking fountains, like WeTap ( http://wetap.org ) and Find a Fountain

( http://www.findafountain.org ).

To refill larger water jugs or water tanks, you can go to RV dump stations and

campgrounds, or you can use hoses at gas stations, garden centers, and at people’s

houses. Whatever the source, make sure the water is meant for drinking (potable)

before filling up. If you’re using a hose, let the water run for a minute or two until you’re

getting fresh water that hasn’t been stagnating in the hose. This will help to reduce any

rubbery aftertaste.

“During the warmer months, we fill our fresh water tank every chance we get. If we

happen to treat ourselves to a night in a campground, we make sure to top up before

we go. Plus, in our experience, most larger cities will have at least one potable water

source which is publicly available, whether it be at a municipal water treatment facility,

a gas station, or in some cases, even at the local visitor information center. During the

winter months, water becomes much more challenging. We winterize our water tanks

once the temperatures drop below freezing, and typically port in [carry­in] jugs of

water, which we fill at our office.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And A Campervan

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If you want water from a more natural source, you could fill up your containers at a

spring, lake, or river. The Find a Spring website ( http://www.findaspring.com ) has a

pretty comprehensive list of spring water sources that’s growing all the time. If you’re

collecting water from lakes and rivers, you’ll have to purify your water before drinking it

to avoid getting sick. Do a bit of research to find out how long water in your area should

be boiled before it’s drinkable and/or consider getting a portable water purifier.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Exploring Alternatives ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives

“We eat tomato sandwiches for lunch almost every day in the van

because they’re easy and we love them, but I do try to make

dinner a little more exciting.”

— Danielle from Exploring Alternatives

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Cooking

Some van dwellers choose to eat instant noodles three times a day and others make

every meal a feast. Since everyone’s cooking style, dietary preference, and van setup

varies so widely, I found it hard to make a personalized cooking guide that would suit

everyone’s needs.

Instead, I put together a few lists, including: cook stove options, kitchen tools to bring,

and ingredients you might want to have on hand, as well as some meal ideas so that

you can plan your own customized cooking setup.

Stoves

There are a handful of stove types, and each option has advantages and

disadvantages. Here are some things you should consider before choosing a stove for

your van:

Propane Stove

Propane seems to be the most common fuel used for cook stoves, and that might

be because propane is easy to find; and because it can also be used to power

additional appliances like heaters, refrigerators, ovens, etc.

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Unfortunately propane tanks can leak, and they also produce carbon monoxide

when in use, so they shouldn’t be used or stored indoors unless you have

excellent ventilation, a sealed storage compartment, and a propane and carbon

monoxide detector.

Butane Stove

Portable butane stoves are often quite affordable and their fuel canisters are

easy to find. One thing to keep in mind is that butane doesn’t perform well in

colder temperatures.

Alcohol Stove

Alcohol stoves are less common than propane and butane stoves, but apparently

they work just as well. We’ve even seen people make super cheap DIY alcohol

stoves using a drink can and some rubbing alcohol, like this:

http://tomsbiketrip.com/how­to­turn­a­beer­can­into­the­only­camping­stove­youll­

ever­need­video/.

Alcohol stoves can be very dangerous when they tip over since the fuel can leak

out and continue to burn, and since the flame is also very hard to see (almost

invisible) during the day. They should only be used outdoors, and we don’t

necessarily advise you to make your own as we don’t know how safe or reliable

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they are.

Biomass Stove

Biomass stoves use sticks, pine cones, dry leaves, etc., for fuel so they’re great if

you prefer not to use fossil fuels, or if you want to avoid spending money to buy

your fuel.

The downside is that the open flame in a biomass stove can produce quite a lot

of smoke so they cannot be used inside the van, in parking lots, or in other public

places. They could be a good stove option for public land and campgrounds.

Hot Plate

Hot plates are an interesting cooking option for vans because, unlike their

combustion compatriots, they don’t have an open flame, and they don’t produce

carbon monoxide when in use, which means they’re safe to use indoors.

Hot plates do require a lot of power to operate and apparently don’t boil water as

quickly as the other stoves I’ve mentioned though. Portable induction burners are

more efficient than electric hot plates, but they still require quite a lot of power to

operate. If you plan to be living in a van in a place where you’ll have access to an

electrical hookup, this could be a good option.

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Stove Safety

Don’t use stoves with open flames and/or fuels inside your van if you can help it. If you

do decide to have an indoor cooking setup, make sure you have adequate ventilation

(open your windows) while you’re cooking and have a fire extinguisher, a smoke

detector, and a carbon monoxide detector in the van with you.

Recycling Fuel Canisters

If you choose to use a propane or butane stove in your van, you’ll quickly realize that

disposing of small portable fuel canisters (not the larger 20 lb propane tanks) is not a

straightforward task. Fuel canisters often have trace amounts of gas left in them — even

when they seem empty — which can make them dangerous to people working in waste

facilities, and therefore makes them difficult to dispose of. They should never be put in

the garbage either.

The Appalachian Mountain Club website has some good tips for preparing fuel canisters

to be recycled, although the tips apply mostly to lightweight butane canisters (not the

disposable 1 lb propane cylinders). You can check out their disposal tips here:

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2014/equipped/how­do­you­recycle­a­us

ed­stove­fuel­canister.cfm

I’ve put together some additional tips below to help you dispose of your fuel canisters

properly. You’ll probably have to do a bit of additional research to find out which

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recycling/disposal options are available in your state or province.

Campground Collection

Many campgrounds provide collection bins for empty fuel canisters which allows

the campground to dispose of them properly. If you don’t see a collection bin, ask

a park attendant or ranger how to properly dispose of your fuel canister.

There are also projects like the Orange Drop project

( http://www.makethedrop.ca/what­can­i­drop/pressurized­cylinders­that­held­prop

ane­oxygen­helium­or­other­gasses/) in Ontario that help identify the nearest

drop­off point for compressed gas cylinders. You might have something similar in

your area.

Recycling Tools

In a growing number of places, butane fuel canisters can be recycled if the

canister has been punctured. Companies like JetBoil

( http://www.jetboil.com/Accessories/CrunchIt/) have designed a can opener­style

tool to puncture empty butane fuel canisters, which makes them recycling friendly

in some areas. You can also sometimes use a churchkey can opener as well.

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We’ve never had to puncture a butane canister (we use propane), so please do

your research to learn how to do it safely.

Refillable Propane Tanks

Disposable 1 lb propane canisters create a lot of waste since they cannot be

punctured and recycled like butane canisters. You can read more about the

issues here: http://calpsc.org/products/gas­cylinders/.

Some people have found a way to re­fill their single­use, disposable, propane

canisters with a special adapter, but unfortunately, disposable propane tanks

were not meant to be reused and re­filling them can cause them to rust from the

inside out, making them extremely dangerous.

The good news is that efforts are being made to solve the problem of 1 lb

propane cylinder disposal, led by companies like Manchester Tank and Flame

King. Both companies are designing portable 1 lb propane cylinders that can

safely be refilled for up to 12 years. You can learn more about refillable propane

cylinders using the links below:

Refuel Your Fun: http://refuelyourfun.org

Manchester Tank: http://www.mantank.com/green/refillable.htm

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Flame King:

http://flameking.com/index.php/products/1lb­refillable/1­lb­refillable­cylinde

r­refill­kit.html

Hazardous Waste

Last but not least, if you haven’t been able to puncture, recycle, or refill your fuel

canisters, hang on to them and drop them off at a dump that has a hazardous

waste collection site.

Kitchen Tools

Here is a list of the basic kitchen tools you might like to have in your van kitchen:

Stove and fuel

Cooking pot with a lid (typical thick­bottomed pots will take longer to heat up and

boil water)

Frying pan

Cutting board

Chopping knife

Can opener

Bottle opener

Strainer

Mixing bowl

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Cutlery

Plates

Bowls

Cups

Food storage containers

Coffee maker

Loose­leaf tea infuser

Dish washing tub

Dish washing cloth

Dish drying cloth

Biodegradable dish soap

Greywater bottle or jug

Ingredients

Here are some ideas of foods you might want in the van:

Dry Goods

Non­perishable foods are amazing because you don’t need to worry about them

going bad (obviously!). Here are some dry goods you might consider keeping in

your van:

Canned beans

Rice

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Oatmeal

Pasta

Tomato sauce

Couscous

Instant noodles

Canned soups

Canned chili

Canned vegetables

Broth cubes

Trail mix

Nut butters

Dark chocolate (melting hazard!)

Sesame seeds

Tahini

Shredded coconut

And more!

Fresh Produce

Even if you don’t have a fridge in your van, there are still lots of fresh fruits and

vegetables you can buy that will last for a few days (or more) without

refrigeration:

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Tomatoes

Avocados

Bell peppers

Potatoes

Onions

Garlic

Kiwis

Oranges

Lemons

Limes

Apples

Bananas

Mangoes

Pineapples

Melons

If you want more variety, you could buy fruits and vegetables that do need

refrigeration, like lettuce, and just eat them the same day that you buy them.

Bread

Bread doesn’t usually require refrigeration but it can go bad quickly if it’s in a

warm, moist environment (like a van). Try to buy smaller loaves of bread so that

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you can finish them before they start to get mouldy, and keep them in your cooler

or fridge if you have one.

Herbs, Spices, & Condiments

It’s easy to make simple meals taste amazing with the right herbs, spices, and

condiments, but don’t go overboard and bring too many since they do take up

quite a lot of space. It’s best to bring the ones that you use regularly.

In addition to salt and pepper, some classic herbs and spices to consider

bringing might be: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cinnamon, curry powder,

ginger, and cayenne pepper.

Many condiments do not need refrigeration, especially if they’re already

preserved with salt, vinegar, and/or sugar. Some condiments you might like to

have in the van include: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, soy

sauce, salsa, fruit preserves, etc.

You may need to experiment with different brands of condiments as some may

not last as long as others without refrigeration. Be cautious and obviously don’t

eat anything that looks or smells like it’s gone rancid or moldy!

Meal Ideas

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Below is a list of meals we’ve made while living in our van. They’re not very fancy, but I

thought it might help you start thinking about what you can cook with limited water,

limited food preparation space, and limited refrigeration.

You’ll notice that most of my suggestions are vegan or vegetarian and that’s because

Mat and I both try to eat a plant­based diet. You can add meat/dairy/eggs to your meals

if you want — these are just examples of what we’ve eaten in the past.

Breakfast

Oatmeal

Trail Mix

Fresh fruit

Bread with nut butter and banana slices

Lunch

Sandwiches (tomato, avocado, mustard)

Burritos (black beans, salsa, tomato, avocado)

Vegetable soup (broth cube and vegetables)

Instant noodles

Salad (lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber, sunflower seeds)

Dinner

Rice and beans

Curried lentils

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Vegetable chili

Pasta and tomato sauce with vegetables

Snacks

Tortilla chips and salsa

Tortilla chips and guacamole

Crackers and hummus

Bananas or apples with nut butter

Trail mix

Energy bars

Beverages

Lemon water

Tea

Herbal tea

Coffee

If you want more meal time inspiration, you could download the Good and Cheap

cookbook by Leanne Brown for free! She’s got all kinds of recipes that help you eat well

on just $4/day: http://www.leannebrown.com .

“A major reason we've stayed healthy on the road for 3+ years is the nourishing food

we eat. Our favorite breakfast dish is buckwheat (an incredibly nourishing seed), with

turmeric­ghee fried eggs, van­made kraut, fresh salsa, and any veggies we have.”

— Emily from Where's My Office Now?

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“We've fallen desperately in love with Mexican culture and food, so it's safe to say

that's become a staple in our day­to­day life. We also love a good sandwich. We're

constantly picking up local vegetables, cheeses, and meats as well as delicious

breads to make ourselves lunch.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Journeys in a Van ­ http://citizenofearth.ca

“The best thing about van life is the freedom of movement and the

constantly changing views through your same cozy bedroom window.

Every day is different and we never know where we will wake up. I love

that, it keeps my wanderlust alive.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

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Surviving the Elements

One thing you’ll quickly notice when you’re living in a van is how your comfort is

intimately linked to the elements — heat, cold, rain, and bugs (bugs aren’t an element,

but since mosquitos and blackflies can be awful to deal with in a small space, I’m

including them here). Here are some tips to help you stay comfortable in all kinds of

situations.

Rain

A rainy day can be a good excuse to relax in the van, and the sound of it showering

down on your roof might help you fall asleep at night. But if the rain forces you to spend

too much time indoors with the windows closed, it can start to feel stuffy and damp in

the van.

Installing a vent on your roof and/or installing rain guards on your driver and

passenger­side windows will help you get fresh air into the van without letting in any

rain, and they should make van dwelling in the rain a bit more comfortable.

If you’re in an area that gets a lot of precipitation, you might consider installing an

awning or a tarp on the side of your van to create an outdoor shelter from the rain so

that you can still spend time sitting, cooking, and hanging out outside, without getting

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wet.

Heat

The inside of a van can become dangerously hot when the sun is shining on it because

of the greenhouse effect (when the air inside your van heats up but it has nowhere to

escape).

“Heat in our van in Central America was extreme. We have a fan which nicely moves

around the hot air, but a roof vent would have been ideal so the hot air could rise and

evacuate our humble home.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

It’s helpful to have a thermometer with you so that you can keep an eye on the

temperature inside your van. We’ve found that spending time in the van starts to

become a bit uncomfortable when the indoor temperature is above 25°C (77°F). When

the mercury rises above 30°C (86°F), it’s usually time to figure out a way to cool down

the inside of the van or to hang out elsewhere until the temperature drops. Here are

some tips that might help you stay cooler in the van:

Choose a light­coloured van as they tend to stay a couple of degrees cooler

inside than dark­coloured vans.

Park in the shade as much as possible.

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Keep your windows open for ventilation.

Use a windshield sun shade to prevent the sun from beaming into the van from

the front, and close your curtains and blinds to block the sun on the sides.

Put up your awning or your tarp to create shade for your van.

Install a roof vent to suck the hot air out of your van.

Use a small USB fan plugged into a laptop, a 12­Volt outlet or an inverter to keep

air circulating in the van.

Install a small air conditioning unit that is designed for boats or RVs.

Cold

Living, travelling, and sleeping in a van when it’s cold outside, especially in sub­zero

temperatures, can be very uncomfortable. Keeping an eye on your thermometer and on

the weather forecast will help you anticipate and properly plan for cold weather

situations. Here are some ways you can stay warm in the van when it’s cold outside:

Pack appropriate clothing and footwear to keep you warm (layers, layers, layers).

Pack extra blankets, or an appropriate temperature­rated sleeping bag.

Flannel sheets make a world of difference, especially when you first climb into

bed.

Some people are warmer when they wear pyjamas and others are warmer when

they sleep naked — try both and do what works for you.

Wear a hat to keep the top of your head warm at night.

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Wear slippers in the van during the day.

Use a hot water bottle (never fill them with boiling water since they can

sometimes leak and scald you).

Plug in an electric blanket (if you have a power source to plug it into), or find a

battery­powered heat pad.

Close the curtains to provide insulation against cold emanating from the

windows.

Buy a small heater. Many van dwellers use the Mr. Heater

( http://www.mrheater.com/sporting/product/heaters/buddy­series.html ) portable

propane heaters because they’re small and they have important safety features

like an automatic shut off if the heater tips over. Make sure you have a window

cracked open anytime you use a propane heater indoors and that your propane

and carbon monoxide detectors are working.

Avoid using candles or having any other open flames in your vehicle unless you’re in a

serious emergency.

If you start the van and let the engine idle for a few minutes to heat it up, make sure

your exhaust pipe isn’t blocked by anything, like a snowbank, that could redirect the

exhaust (which contains carbon monoxide) inside the van; and also try to make sure

you don’t fall asleep with the engine running by setting an alarm for yourself.

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If it looks like the temperature is going to drop lower than what you’re prepared for,

prioritize your safety and go to a hotel, stay with a friend, or go sit in a 24­hour cafe —

anything to stay warm.

Damp

The inside of the van, and especially your bedding, can start to feel damp after living in

it for a little while. That’s because the moisture from perspiration, condensation,

breathing, wet gear, etc., builds up in the van and it can make your van a breeding

ground for mold if you’re not careful. Here are some tips to avoid moisture buildup in

your van:

Repair any leaks in your van roof.

Keep your windows open as often as possible to keep fresh air flowing in.

Let things like bathing suits, towels, wetsuits, and laundry, dry outside before

bringing them into the van.

When you can, hang your blankets and sheets on a clothesline to let them dry

out completely before making your bed again.

In the morning, use a cloth to absorb any condensation that may have formed on

the inside of your windows overnight, and wring the cloth outside.

Avoid cooking indoors — especially if you’re boiling water — as the steam will

add moisture to the inside of your van.

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If you notice that you have moisture in your van (damp sheets and upholstery, for

example), the best way to get rid of it is with heat. If it’s sunny outside, park your van in

direct sun, open all the windows, and hang any damp items outside to let them dry

completely. If it’s cold outside, you might be able to get rid of some dampness by letting

the heat in the van run for awhile.

We’ve heard of some other ways that people reduce moisture in their vans, like hanging

tea bags from their rearview mirror, keeping a bowl of cat litter in the van, using

commercial silica bead dehumidifiers, and even buying mini dehumidifiers, but we

haven’t heard of any solution that works as well as heat and fresh air.

“We finally got ourselves a 12­Volt TEC dehumidifier that pulls moisture out of the air

on cold nights when we have the furnace running. We've also installed extra venting

to ensure air flows freely through all storage compartments and around the bed

especially.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

Bugs

Bug season usually coincides with the beginning of warmer weather when you want to

have your van windows open, so you’ll want to figure out how to get that fresh warm air

into the van without letting in dozens of black flies, mosquitoes, and other unwelcome

visitors inside, too.

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If you don’t already have screens on your windows, you can buy slip­on screens that fit

on your front doors, magnetic screens in different sizes that can easily be clipped onto

the outside of most windows, or you can attach your own DIY screen with whatever

materials you have on hand — velcro, tape, magnets, etc.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Exploring Alternatives ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives

“I just love the idea of getting free energy from the sun every day. Setting

up our solar power system was definitely a bit of a challenge but I’m happy

we learned how to do it.”

— Mat from Exploring Alternatives

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Power/Electricity

For most of us, the thought of installing anything electrical is pretty daunting, but with a

lot of research and a little effort, you should be able to get electricity in your van — if

you decide that you need it.

Some van dwellers decide to live in a van because they want an extremely simple life

and choose not to install a power source, while others want to have all the comforts of

home while they’re on the road and choose to install expensive and elaborate solar

power systems.

Take some time to think about whether you want to have power in your van, and if so,

what types of things you’ll need power for. Will you keep your needs simple and only

need power for a phone and a laptop, or do you need electricity for a kettle, a fridge,

and a blender, too? Once you’ve got a good idea of your power needs, you can check

out the following five power options:

12­Volt Socket

If you only have a couple of small electronic devices that need to be charged, like

a phone, an MP3 player, or a GPS, you might not need to install an additional

power source.

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Instead, you could just keep things simple by using the 12­Volt socket (cigarette

lighter receptacle) in your van to charge your small devices while you drive; and

all you’ll need to buy is a USB adaptor that fits in a 12­Volt socket.

You could even charge a laptop using your 12­Volt socket if you have a special

inverter (12­Volt input to 110­Volt output) that would provide you with one of

those 3­prong electrical outlets you’d find in a house.

Pros: Using your van’s 12­Volt socket is a simple, cheap, and easy way to

power small devices.

Cons: You can typically only use a 12­Volt socket when you’re driving,

otherwise you risk draining your van battery.

House Batteries

House batteries are secondary batteries (secondary to the battery that is

connected to your van’s engine) that you install in your van to power the

electronics and appliances in the “house” section of your van.

House batteries can be installed in a way that allows them to be charged by your

van’s alternator while you drive, but that isolates them when the van is turned off

so they can be used without the risk of draining your main battery.

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The Do It Yourself RV website has instructions on how to install house batteries if

you want to look into this option a little more closely:

http://www.doityourselfrv.com/bring­van­camper­life­add­batteries­solenoid­stealt

h­rv/

Pros: House batteries are affordable, and they’re a convenient way to

have power in your van without running the risk of draining your main

battery.

Cons: Installing house batteries seems pretty complicated if you’re not

electrically inclined, and the batteries will take up valuable space in your

van.

Propane

Many RVs and Class B Motorhomes (campervans) use propane to power their

stoves, fridges, furnaces, etc. so if your van already has a propane system, you

might find it to be the most convenient option for powering these larger

appliances.

For vans that don’t already have a propane system installed, propane might not

be the best option because you need an expert to install a new system, and

since the tanks can leak, they need to be installed in a sealed exterior

compartment, which you might not have space for.

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Any time you have propane in your van, even if it’s just one of those small 1 lb

cylinders, we recommend having a detector that will protect you from both carbon

monoxide and propane.

Pros: If your van already has a propane system installed, you’ll be able to

easily power large appliances like a fridge, stove, and furnace.

Cons: Installing a new propane system in your van will be costly, and

you’ll need space to install an exterior sealed compartment for the

propane tank.

Solar

Solar panels are a great power option if you live in an area that has a decent

amount of sunshine. You can check out this table that lists the Average Peak

Sun Hours by State to estimate how much sun you get in your area:

http://www.renogy.com/template/files/Average­Peak­Sun­hours­by­State.pdf.

A typical off­grid solar power system will include the following items:

Solar panel(s): to collect energy from the sun. Panels come in different

sizes and can be rigid or flexible. Rigid panels weigh more but cost less,

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and flexible panels are the opposite (they weigh less but cost more, and

they might not last as long).

Battery: to store the energy collected by the solar panels. They come in

different sizes and can be lead acid (more affordable but it can create

hydrogen gas while charging), or lithium ion (more expensive but also

more efficient).

If you go with a lead­acid battery, it’s best to get a sealed AGM battery.

Though they’re more expensive, they’re usually leak proof, making them

safer for indoor use.

Charge Controller: to regulate the energy current between your panels

and your battery. It also prevents the panels from overcharging your

battery.

Inverter: to convert the DC power from your battery to AC power that can

be used by your electronics and appliances. Inverters come in different

sizes depending on how much energy you need at once, and they will

usually have a combination of 3­prong electrical outlets, USB outlets, and

they might even have a 12­Volt socket so that you can power/charge

multiple items at the same time.

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To determine the size of the solar power system you need in your van, you’ll

want to do two things:

1. Calculate how much power your electronics and appliances will need. We

made a helpful video about how to calculate your solar power needs here:

https://youtu.be/4eXB4vF8mKk.

2. Plug the numbers from your solar power needs calculation into a solar

sizing calculator like this one: http://www.renogy.com/calculators.

This will help you determine the size of solar power system that will meet

your energy needs (size of panels, battery, inverter, and charge

controller).

If you prefer not to invest and install an off­grid solar power system in your van,

you could also consider buying a portable solar panel. There are different sizes

of portable solar panels — some are small enough to hang from a backpack and

others are the size of a large suitcase.

Most portable solar panels charge on demand, which means they don’t collect

energy in a battery for later use. If you want to use power after the sun has gone

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down, you can buy a small power bank/battery pack that plugs into your portable

panel, and this will save some of the power generated by your panel for later.

Portable panels can usually only power small USB devices like flashlights,

cameras, phones, etc., although some larger portable panels can charge laptops.

“We have two 40 Watt solar panels mounted on our van which charge a single 100

amp hour AGM battery. We use this electricity to power all of our interior lighting, the

blower fan on our [propane] furnace, and a small inverter for charging cell phones,

laptops, and other portable devices.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And A Campervan

Pros: Solar is a clean, renewable energy source. Once you have a solar

power system in your van, your energy will be free (no need to refill a

propane tank!), and you’ll have power wherever you go.

Cons: Installing solar power systems can be tricky and expensive, and

might require drilling holes in the roof of your van to install the panels. We

used industrial velcro to install our flexible panels, which seems like it will

last about two years. We’ve also heard that some van dwellers (like

Wand’rly!) have used this 3M tape to secure their solar panels to their van

roof with success:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/Brands/3

M­VHB­Tape/

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Campground Electrical Hookup

Some Class B motorhomes (campervans) have electrical systems that can be

plugged into electrical hookups at campgrounds. These systems are usually 30

amps or 50 amps and will meet most, if not all, of your electrical needs while

you’re plugged in.

Pros: A hookup is a convenient source of energy if you’re staying at a

campground or trailer park.

Cons: With a hookup, you only have power when you’re paying to park at

a campground or campsite. Also, campsites that have electrical hookups

usually cost more per night than campsites that don’t have hookups.

Safety

Working with electrical currents, batteries, and propane can be dangerous for obvious

reasons. Unless you’re an expert, I highly recommend taking the time to research what

you’re doing and find out how to safely install, modify, and use any of the power

systems I mentioned above. Even something as simple as disconnecting a battery can

be hazardous so don’t make the mistake of “winging it” in this department. If you’re

really not sure what you’re doing, consult with an expert.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Wand’rly ­ wandrly.co

“Life is just a drop of ink and I guess we're trying to smudge as much of the map as we

reasonably can. The world is all we have for now, until whatever comes next shows

itself, and we don't want to be caught in the afterlife without a few good stories to tell.”

— Nathan from Wand’rly

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Maintaining Your Van

If you’ve gone through the trouble of shopping for a van, buying one, and then

converting it, it’s probably pretty epic and I know you’ll want to take good care of it.

There are some really basic things you can do to maintain your van and keep it running

smoothly — some things you can do on your own and some you’ll probably need a

mechanic to do for you.

If you’re hoping to do a lot of DIY work on your van, Haynes publishes automotive repair

manuals ( http://www.haynes.com/autorepairmanuals/) for most vehicle models, and

they have tons of great information and instructions in them.

To stay on top of your van’s maintenance, consider keeping a logbook where you

record the date and details of any maintenance you do to your van.

Change the Oil

If you’ve just bought your van, it’s probably a good idea to get an oil change right away

so you know you’ve got new oil and a clean oil filter. Mark down the date of your oil

change and the distance indicated on your odometer in your maintenance logbook.

To find out when your next oil change should be, you can refer to your van’s owner’s

manual (if you have one). If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you should be able to

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find the details online by looking up the oil change schedule for the year, make and

model of your van.

It’s pretty easy to learn how to change your own oil (although it can be quite a messy

job) but the cost of having your oil changed at a garage is often cheaper than buying the

oil and the oil filter yourself.

Flush the Fluids

In addition to your engine oil, the other fluids in your van — brake fluid, coolant,

transmission fluid, etc. — need to be refreshed periodically as well. Check your owner’s

manual for the recommended fluid flush schedule or look it up online.

Flushing your fluids is a big job and unfortunately it can be quite pricey. Still, you don’t

have to do it that often so suck it up and get it done. Your van will thank you.

Change the Air Filter

When we first bought our van, we drove it over to the house of a good friend of ours

who knows a lot about cars. We brought a case of beer with us in exchange for some

maintenance tips and one of the things he mentioned to us was that changing the air

filter in our van would be a cheap and easy way to keep our engine running efficiently.

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I know that engines are all built differently, and we might be lucky with the design of

ours, but honestly, changing our van’s air filter is almost as easy as changing a vacuum

cleaner bag.

Remove yours out and take a look at it — if it has gathered quite a bit of dirt, dust, and

dead bugs, you should probably pop in a new one. They’re really cheap and you can

usually pick one up at a hardware or auto parts store.

Repairing Rust Spots

Small rust spots on the body of your van can grow into full­on holes if you’re not careful

so take the time to repair them. All you need is a bit of sandpaper, a can of rust

converter, and some rust­proof paint that matches your van’s colour.

To repair rust spots, you start by sanding off all of the rust, right down to the metal.

Then, you apply your rust converter spray, following the directions on the can. Once it’s

dry, you can apply your rust­proof paint, and voilà! Good as new.

Oil Treatment

If you live in an area that is humid, rainy, or snowy, you might want to consider

protecting the undercarriage of your van from rust by having it sprayed with a

rust­proofing oil treatment. Doing this will protect the important (and expensive) bits of

your engine, and make the whole van last longer.

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Check Tire Pressure

Before you head out on a road trip or whenever there’s a big temperature fluctuation,

you’ll want to check the tire pressure of all four van tires to make sure they’re inflated to

the correct PSI (pounds per square inch).

To determine the correct PSI for your van, you’ll need to consult your owner’s manual or

check the sticker on the inside of the driver’s­side door. Once you know the PSI, you’ll

need to use a tire pressure gauge (there are cheap ones that you can buy for a couple

of dollars, but they don’t work as well as the more expensive digital gauges), to check

all four tires.

Make sure you check your tire pressure before you’ve driven the van at all since driving

increases the temperature of the air inside your tires, which will increase the PSI as

well. Also, be aware of the sun’s position — sometimes two of your tires will be in the

shade and two will be in the sun, which will end up giving you inaccurate readings, too.

Try to check your tire pressure when all four tires are in the shade.

If the PSI is too high, you’ll probably want to let out some of the air until your gauge

reading matches the recommended PSI. If the PSI is too low, you’ll want to inflate your

tires to the correct PSI. You can do this at a gas station, or you can buy a mini, portable

tire inflator.

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Keeping your tires properly inflated isn’t really a maintenance thing, but it will make your

van safer to drive, and it will also help you maximize your fuel economy. It’s a smart

thing to do, even though it’s usually the last thing you feel like doing in the morning

before you head out for a drive.

Tools & Gear

In addition to the basic van maintenance tips I just shared with you, there are also some

tools and gear that can be handy to have on board, including:

Spare tire, jack, and tire iron

Extra headlight bulb

A set of wrenches (metric and imperial)

Tire pressure gauge

Portable tire inflator (12­Volt)

Windshield washer fluid

Engine oil

Wheel chocks

Booster cables

Tow strap

Flashlight

Rubber gloves

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Rags or paper towels

The maintenance tips and tools in this section are by no means comprehensive. They’re

just some of the basics that we try to stay on top of all the time and I wanted to share

them with you to get you thinking about how to take care of your van and keep it running

smoothly. The best thing to do to make sure you’re not missing any important

maintenance milestones is to check your owner’s manual and to review the

maintenance schedule listed in it.

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Where’s My Office Now? ­ http://instagram.com/wheresmyofficenow/

“We love the constant opportunity to explore, experience, and grow.

America is incredible and we love reconnecting to what little wild remains

through our passions of mountain biking, surfing, and yoga.”

— Emily from Where’s My Office Now?

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Staying Safe

I know that I’ve been giving copious amounts of safety tips throughout this book, and

you might be rolling your eyes at the fact that, after all those warnings, I’ve still got a

whole chapter dedicated to staying safe, but that’s just how I roll (pun intended).

Living in a van means that if something bad is going to happen, you’ll have less time to

react since you’re in a very confined space. So you need to be prepared. Whether it’s

fire, fumes, or intruders, it’s important that you take safety precautions to ensure that

you can protect yourself in threatening situations.

Fire

Fire can quickly get out of hand in any small space, and it can be even more dangerous

in a van since you’ve got a gas tank beneath you. It’s best to completely avoid lighting

candles, burning incense, and cooking inside the van. Even if you avoid open flames in

your van, it’s still smart to invest in a smoke detector and a fire extinguisher; and to

ensure they’re both functioning, correctly installed, and accessible at all times.

Two of the van life veterans included in this book have experienced devastating fires in

their vans, so this is a very real hazard that you need to be aware of at all times.

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Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is produced from your van’s exhaust fumes and/or from your cook

stove and can easily enter the van through open windows and unsealed doors, etc.

Avoid idling the van for long periods of time to reduce the risk of inhaling unhealthy

amounts of carbon monoxide that might find their way into your vehicle.

Never run your engine in an enclosed space (like a garage) and ensure that your

muffler is always free and clear of anything that could prevent fumes from escaping (like

a snowbank for example). If you’re cooking inside your van (we don’t recommend this),

make sure your windows and/or doors are open. Invest in a carbon monoxide detector,

install it correctly, and check it frequently to ensure that it is functioning.

Propane

Propane is often used in vans for heating and cooking. Since propane tank leaks are

common, you should always store your propane tanks outside, or in a sealed

compartment. Propane is also very flammable so you’ll want to have a propane detector

in the van to alert you if there’s a leak in your van before you light your stove or even

start your engine.

Hydrogen Gas

Lead­acid batteries produce small amounts of hydrogen gas when they’re being

charged that can be hazardous if it’s allowed to build up in a small, unventilated space

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(like a van). If you have a lead­acid battery inside the van, ensure that it has adequate

ventilation to the outside, that the inside temperature of the van never exceeds the

temperature limit indicated on the battery, and that the battery never comes in contact

with flames or water. A safer battery option for indoor use might be a sealed AGM

lead­acid battery since they’re usually leak proof and apparently produce little or almost

no hydrogen gas when they’re being charged.

Intruders

Intruders (unfortunately) are another threat that should be considered. Most likely, an

intruder in your van will be a thief looking to steal something and they’ll probably leave

when they realize you’re inside. On rare occasions, intruders may be trying to do you

harm. Be prepared by always having your keys at hand so you can lock the doors, start

the van, and leave the area as soon as you feel threatened. A cell phone can also be

helpful for calling for help if you’re within range of a cell tower. Any additional security

measures you use to protect yourself are to be used at your own discretion.

To reduce your chances of an unpleasant encounter, trust your instincts and leave an

area if you feel uncomfortable for any reason. We also never leave valuables (loose

change, GPS, iPod, etc.) in visible areas, like the cockpit of the van, to avoid tempting

anyone to break into the van.

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“Our van got broken into in the center of Granada, Nicaragua, which is a popular

tourist spot. Even though the car was parked on a busy street, we made a mistake of

having one side of the car face abandoned buildings. We didn’t bother calling the

police. The biggest annoyance was having to drive into the capital to find a window

replacement. Now we make sure the car is left in a busy place, preferably outside

guarded buildings (banks, hotels). In much of Latin America there is always someone

willing to watch your car for a bit of change, we often take them up on this.”

— Una from Journeys in a Van

Loose Items

Everyday items like canned food and books as well as larger items like coolers and

shelving units can become dangerous projectiles in your van if you need to brake

quickly or if you’re in an accident. Try to secure as many loose items as possible before

you drive the van anywhere so they don’t shift around while you’re driving. You can bolt

permanent structures to the frame of your vehicle, and tie movable items to the base of

your seats with straps.

Drugs & Alcohol

When you’re operating a vehicle, you obviously need to make sure that you

drink/consume responsibly. That said, you need to be even more cautious when you’re

living in a van because if you were ever caught intoxicated in your vehicle, it would be

difficult to prove that you did not have the intent to drive under the influence.

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Be especially careful if you’re stealth camping since you could be woken up in the

middle of the night and asked to leave, which you won’t be able to do if you’re drunk or

high. It’s best to stay completely sober unless you’re in a campground or in a friend’s

driveway with the clear intent to sleep and not drive.

“We've never had any issues with safety in the van. We have an alarm system, auto

locks, GPS trackers, and a big black dog. We keep our bikes double locked to the

frame of the van and we move spots every night. That being said, we fully anticipate

we'll have something stolen eventually. It's just part of living in a world filled with other

humans.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Kombi Life ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/kombilife

“Being able to wake up to a new location and deciding to call that spot

home is what makes van life desirable. Watching the sunrise every morning

and swapping night time television for the night sky is a lifestyle change

that has been incredibly rewarding.”

— Ben from Kombi Life

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Finding WiFi

If you’re used to having a stable internet connection at home, you might be a little bit

worried about where and how you’ll get WiFi when living in your van. Luckily we live in

an exciting time when there is WiFi everywhere, making it possible for internet addicts

like us to stay connected almost anywhere in the world.

If you have a cell phone, a tablet, or a mobile hotspot device with a data plan, then you

can get the internet wherever there’s a tower, but data plans are pretty expensive,

especially here in Canada.

To save money, you can keep an eye out for free WiFi hotspots at cafes, grocery

stores, department stores, fast food restaurants — almost anywhere these days. Some

cities even have free WiFi zones in their central business districts that extend for

several blocks so you can get a signal on the street.

If you need more than a quick email check or if you want a quiet place to work, public

libraries are a really great option, although they often have wacky opening hours. You

can also look into using a co­working space, which is basically a communal office space

that you can pay to use by the day, week, or month.

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Last but not least, there are WiFi range extenders that might help you pick up a WiFi

signal while you’re sitting in your van. We’ve heard good things about the Wirie

( http://www.thewirie.com ), but it is a little pricey. As with most potential purchases, I

would recommend waiting to see if you need something like this before buying it. You

might be surprised at how easy it is to find free WiFi on the road.

“Our work as of now involves lots of social media updates and freelance writing. We

connect to the internet with our iPhones using the Verizon LTE network, which we've

found to have the best coverage. If we are uploading a YouTube video, we hit up a

cafe with faster WiFi, and so we don't burn through our limited data plan.”

— Emily from Where's My Office Now?

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Wand’rly ­ wandrly.co

“We've traveled in an RV and an Airstream trailer before. But for us, those are too big. We strive

to make the most of ‘being together’ and at the same time want the best of both worlds: we want

to fit into tiny forest roads, small town gas stations, and friend's driveways. Anything bigger than

a van makes that tough. But we also just want to be close, and you don't get closer than a van.”

— Nathan from Wand’rly

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Living in a Van with Kids

Mat and I don’t have kids, so we admittedly don’t know the first thing about living in a

van with young ones, but we know there are people out there who want to try it — even

if it’s just for a short trip. I didn’t want to ignore families who are interested in van life, so

I put together a brief section here with some resources that will show you it’s doable and

might give you an idea of what it’s like, too.

Wand’rly does a great job of sharing the day­to­day realities of van life with their

three kids on their Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/wandrly/.

They’ve also interviewed other nomadic families in their online magazine:

https://wandrlymagazine.com .

“[The challenges of living in a van with kids are] nothing we wouldn't have dealt with

living in a house. Our boys fight with each other and kick and scream to get what they

want. It has nothing to do with the Bus. I truly believe that and know it for a fact. The

only ‘challenges’ are finding grocery stores and restaurants we like. Hardly something

to complain about. And homeschooling them I guess is harder than shuffling them off

to a public school, but we dig it so it's not a challenge in any negative way. We all

grow together.”

— Nathan from Wand'rly

Kirsten Dirksen has a simple living YouTube channel

( https://www.youtube.com/user/kirstendirksen ) that has inspired us for years.

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One of the videos she shared on her channel is a full­length documentary about

the summer she spent living in a VW bus with her partner and their three

children. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/7Iti4JU5ObU .

Go­Van recently published an informative blog post written by @FamilyVanMan

( https://www.instagram.com/familyvanman/) about how to road trip with kids

here: http://www.go­van.com/stories/how­to­road­trip­kids­vanlife .

“I am proud as hell of what we've done and that we've done it together. I love knowing

that Renée is tough enough to handle this life of long drop toilets and cold showers,

that my boys spend 90% of their waking hours outside. That they learned to ride bikes

and swim and make bows and arrows at a really young age. That they know the

names of trees and are in touch with nature in the most literal sense. That my

teenager owns a tent but chooses to sleep outside on a cot instead. This is the only

life for me, so I guess the thing I enjoy most is just being fortunate enough to have

figured out how to make it all work.”

— Nathan from Wand'rly

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Inspiration

Photo credit: ShelbyandSimon ­ https://www.youtube.com/user/shelbyandsimon/

“Champ is the best travel companion you could ask for. He's constantly in a

good mood, doesn't complain, loves seeing the world and is also happy just

taking a nap.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

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Living in a Van with Pets

Bringing pets to live in your van can be an amazing experience. Dogs make it an

adventure because they’re so enthusiastic about everything, and cats will keep you

company if you’re feeling a little lonely at night.

We’ve met and read about lots of people who travel with their cats and dogs, and they

all seem to love having their furry friends around, but there are definitely some things to

consider before making the decision to bring them along.

Parks & Campgrounds

Many parks and campgrounds don’t allow pets so you’ll want to do some research in

advance to figure out where you can stay with your animal(s).

Temperature

Vehicles can reach extremely hot and/or cold temperatures in a very short period of

time. If you’re going to leave your pet alone in the van for any length of time, be sure

that you’ve got a good climate controlled setup and a bowl of water to ensure they’re

comfortable at all times. It’s a good idea to have a thermometer in the van so that you

know exactly how hot/cold it is when you make the decision to leave your pet in the van

or take them with you.

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It might be easier to travel with your pet if you’ve got a travelling partner so that one

person can always stay behind to keep an eye on them if necessary.

“It can be tough planning your trip around dog laws and accessibility. Living in a

vehicle also poses issues, not so much in terms of comfort for him because the van is

climate controlled, but because of the perception people have of camper vans.

Camper vans exist in a limbo between passenger vehicles and RVs. Depending on

who you ask, they believe our van is either a home or a car, but it only takes one

person to smash our windows and steal the dog away. We've gotten warning tickets*

on cloudy days in cold weather so it's safe to say keeping the dog out of sight when

parked is the safest course of action. The amount of happiness he brings makes it

definitely worthwhile.”

— Simon from ShelbyandSimon

*Some states and provinces allow civilians to break a car’s window if an animal is locked inside when it’s

very hot or very cold outside.

Stealth Camping

An animal that barks/makes noise might compromise your ability to stealth camp.

Litter Box

Litter boxes are pretty bulky but you might be able to put them in the footwell of the

driver or passenger seat when you’re parked or under a platform bed if it’s high enough

for your cat to get in and out.

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Your Pet’s Well­Being

Putting aside your desire to travel with your pet, think about how your pet will feel on the

road. Will they be scared and uncomfortable while you’re driving? Will they be anxious

about being left in the van when you’re out running errands? Will they be afraid of

unfamiliar sounds and smells?

“We picked up Alaska (@K9AdventureTime) back in Peru and we couldn’t have asked

for a better travel companion. She’s travelled more than most humans we know and

spent her whole life waking up in a VW Bus and pursuing new adventures. Her

happiness in van life is a reflection of our own.

Alaska has been at our side through the best and the worst of it, she has definitely

been one of the best things to come out of our adventure.”

— Ben from Kombi Life

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Inspiration

Photo credit: Go­Van ­ Go­Van.com

“I really like finding a parking spot after dark and

discovering where you are at sunrise.”

— Julien from Go­Van

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Conclusion

Living and travelling in a van can be an extremely fulfilling experience in many ways,

whether it helps you to save money, explore new places, meet new people, or enjoy a

simpler lifestyle.

That said, it’s not always easy and it’s important to remember that learning to live in a

van is a process. Any lifestyle offering such wonderful freedom will also have some

drawbacks, which might be frustrating and discouraging at times.

“Despite being an incredibly positive experience overall, van life has not been without

its unique challenges. We’ve had day­to­day issues associated with maintaining an

older vehicle, and of course the limited space means that it’s nearly impossible to

have guests over for dinner. However the most obvious challenge for us has been

dealing with family and friends who simply cannot understand our lifestyle. We’ve

found ourselves regularly answering questions about our long­term plans and pointing

out that ‘houseless’ does not mean ‘homeless.’ Living in a van requires thick skin and

enough self confidence to live your own life without concern for other people’s

approval.”

— Derrick from A Guy. A Girl. And A Campervan

Van life is not for everyone, and even though Mat and I have spent long periods living in

our van, we still always have an adjustment period at the start of each new adventure.

It’s a bit of a shock to suddenly find ourselves without the comforts of a conventional

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home, but soon after we move into the van, the things we found difficult for the first few

days, like finding water and a place to sleep, become part of our daily routine and they

help us to appreciate all the wonderful small things that happen to us each day that we

would normally take for granted.

It does take a special kind of person to be able to handle the sometimes bizarre

responsibilities that come with the lifestyle, but there is clearly something that attracts us

to this unconventional way of living. For many of us, the desire to be nomadic and to live

simply is deeply ingrained in us, and vans have literally become the vehicle that allows

us to fulfill these needs.

The experiences that Mat and I have had living in our van far outweigh the challenges

we’ve faced, which is why we, and so many others like us, continue to pursue a life on

wheels as often as we can.

We’ve done our best to collect and distill all of the lessons we’ve learned from our van

life adventures, and from our fellow van life veterans, in this book; and we hope the tips,

advice and inspiration have helped prepare you for life on the road.

Take care and happy exploring!

Danielle

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Acknowledgements

First and foremost, the writing of this book would not have been possible without the

support of my partner in all things, Mat. Not only have you been a hilarious van life

co­pilot, but you have also encouraged me to pursue my goal of completing this project,

even on the days when I doubted my ability to wrangle all of my ideas into a

well­behaved text. Thank you.

Next, I am happy to thank my incredibly supportive parents for proofreading the first

draft of this book. Dad, I agree that you made your grade­school grammar teacher

proud with your love of commas and your appreciation for conciseness. Mom, your

attention to detail made me the spreadsheet­loving maniac I am today, and I appreciate

every morsel of feedback you shared with me.

I’d also like to thank you, Laura, for being the incredibly talented editor that you are. You

tackled this passion project head on and pulled it together into its current cohesive,

readable, and grammatically correct form. Any remaining errors in the book are my own.

Thank you to Mat’s parents who gave us a room and a workspace this winter when it

was too cold to sleep in the van. And thank you also to my family and friends who seem

to love me (or tolerate me) even when I show up on their doorsteps looking (and

smelling) like a crazy van dweller.

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And finally, thank you for purchasing this book and for joining the Exploring Alternatives

community. Your support means more to me than you know.

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About Exploring Alternatives

Exploring Alternatives is a social media project dedicated to living large with less. We

publish weekly videos about alternative living and we regularly update our blog ,

Facebook, and Instagram pages. You can join the Exploring Alternatives community by

following us on:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploringalternatives/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exploringalternativesblog

Our Blog: http://www.exploringalternatives.ca

Exploring Alternatives was founded by Mat and Danielle, a couple of minimalist nomads

who are exploring long­term travel and road tripping in their campervan.

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Appendix A ­ How to Estimate Your Gas Consumption

1. Calculate your van’s fuel economy

Your owner’s manual might indicate your van’s average fuel economy, or you

might have a digital dashboard that calculates it for you. If you don’t have either

of these, you can easily calculate it for yourself.

Start by filling up your gas tank and resetting your trip counter to zero. Drive your

van as you would normally drive it, and once you’ve covered a distance of a few

hundred km, or miles, fill up your gas tank again to find out how many litres, or

gallons, of gas your van consumed to cover the distance indicated on your trip

counter.

Once you know the distance you drove and the quantity of fuel consumed, you

can calculate your fuel economy. In Canada, it is often calculated as: litres per

100 km (L/100 km), and in the US, it is usually calculated as: miles per US

gallon (mpg) . I’ve included example fuel economy calculations below for both

Canada and the US.

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In Canada

Let’s say you drive 500 km, and then you go to the gas station and pump 60 litres

into your gas tank to fill it back up after driving those 500 km. With these two

numbers, you could calculate your fuel economy like this: 60 litres / 500 km x

100 km , which would give you a fuel economy of: 12 L/100km .

In the US

Let’s say you drive 300 miles, and then you pump 15 gallons of gas into your gas

tank to fill it back up after driving those 300 miles. With these two numbers, you

could calculate your fuel economy like this: 300 miles / 15 gallons , which would

give you a fuel economy of 20 mpg.

2. Determine how far you drive in a month

We use Google maps to plan a route of where we’re going to travel in a year and

then we divide the total distance we’ll be driving by 12 months to get an

approximate monthly distance.

If you’re not going to be travelling much, you can use the “trip counter” function

on your odometer to determine how far you tend to travel in a month.

3. Calculate how much fuel you need in a month

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To calculate how much fuel you’ll need per month, you would take the distance

you plan to travel in a month (from your Google map estimate or from your

monthly odometer reading) and divide that by your fuel economy.

In Canada

If you were planning to travel 800 km per month and your fuel economy from the

Canadian example above is 12 L/100 km, you could calculate how much fuel you

need per month like this:

800 km / 100 km x 12 L = 98 litres of gas/month

In the US

If you were planning to travel 500 miles per month, and your fuel economy from

the US example above is 20 mpg, you could calculate how much fuel you need

like this:

500 miles / 20 mpg = 25 gallons of fuel per month.

4. Calculate how much your fuel will cost per month

Now that you know how much fuel you need per month, you can multiply that

amount by the cost of gas to find out how much you’ll be spending on gas per

month.

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Using the calculations from our Canadian example, if the price of gas is $1 per

litre and you need 98 litres per month, you would multiply 98 litres x $1, which

would tell you that you’ll be spending about $98 per month for gas.

Using the calculations from our US example, if the price of gas is $3 per gallon

and you need 25 gallons per month, you would multiply 25 gallons x $3, which

would tell you that you’ll be spending about $75 per month for gas.

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Appendix B ­ Monthly Van Life Budget Template

You can print this budget template to help you estimate and plan for your monthly van

life expenses. I included a couple of blank rows in case you have additional expenses

that you want to add. Once you’ve filled in the cost of each expense that applies to you,

you can add them all up to give you an idea of how much you’ll be spending on van

related costs each month.

Expense Type Cost per Month ($)

Car Insurance $

Gas $

Repairs & Maintenance $

Parking/Campsite Fees $

Gym Membership $

Dump Station Fees $

Propane $

Roadside Assistance* $

Storage Locker $

Seasonal Tires* $

$

$

TOTAL Monthly Van Life Expenses $

*Roadside assistance memberships and seasonal tires are usually annual expenses

but you can calculate the total cost for annual expenses by dividing them by 12

and then including the monthly amount in your budget.

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