Living the Van Life

Have you ever wanted to simply pick up and leave life behind? Travel to destinations wherever your heart desires, without worrying about where to sleep or eat? That's the beauty of what we call ‘Van Life’. Go anywhere and everywhere, taking your home-away-from-home with you. 

Before you sell all your worldly possessions, here are a few things to consider. 

    1. Why adopt the Van Life?

Freedom?  Save money?  Ultimate travel?

    2. Will this be part or full time?

Be realistic when answering this one.  It will determine the type of van you convert and what features it needs to have.

Eg/ Will you travel in a hot climate? Cold climate? Both??  Does your van need to be winterized? Will you need a work station?.

    3. What about financial living considerations?

Even with the most minimalist lifestyle, you still need money.  This brings us back to the full or part time question. If your plan is part-time, you may be able to make enough money when at home that you don’t need to work while travelling.  If you’d like to travel and live full-time in your van, how will you support yourself? Casual work from time to time or perhaps work remotely?

    4. Do you have enough money to get started?

One of my favorite things – spreadsheet time!  You will need to buy the van and convert it. Some of this money may come from selling items you will no longer need (especially for full-time mode and you simply can’t take everything with you). Also, the more work you tackle yourself, the less money you’ll need to invest.

    5. Where will you sleep?

This is an important one.  It’s not as easy as pulling over and jumping into bed.  You need to think about security, where you’re legally allowed to park and how long you’ll be staying (1 night, or are you posting up?).

    6. Do you choose to ‘stealth camp’?

A very important consideration.  To ‘stealth camp’ you’ll want your van to easily blend in.  We suggest the Metris cargo or passenger van or the Sprinter cargo van.  All have a low profile and most people won’t give these a second look when parked around the city.

    7. What about personal grooming?

In the city it isn’t much of a problem with an array of public washrooms/facilities.  However, in the ‘middle of nowhere’, you need to have an idea of how you will shower and handle ‘personal routines’.

    8. How will you maintain your life balance (happy and healthy)?

Make sure to take time for selfcare – enjoying a cup of coffee/tea, yoga, hiking and more.

    9. What about inclement weather and the evil ‘cabin fever’?

Be prepared for the odd bad day.  There will be challenges and everyone experiences some days harder than others.  It may be helpful to schedule time with friends or family so you don’t completely burn out.  This will also make your van life more relaxed and enjoyable.

   10. Maintenance – keep on running.

Are you mechanically inclined?  Do you have experience maintaining a vehicle?  If not, learn – for those times when you’re not near any sort of service centre. When in doubt, check Youtube for tutorials.