23 Tips From People Who Live And Travel Full-Time In Their Vans

Van life has always been appealing, but now more than ever people are considering decking out a van, moving in, and hitting the road. There are some obvious perks, like the fact you can stay socially distanced and mostly keep to yourself, but that doesn't mean it's safe — we're still a pandemic, so any travel poses risks, and right now most places still have travel restrictions in effect. But as the coronavirus vaccines roll out and give us glimmers of hope, you might feel ready to start planning for the future.

Unfortunately, packing your life into a van isn't quite as easy as it might seem — there are a few important things to consider. So I chatted with some experienced van-lifers who live and travel in their homes on wheels to find out their top tips.

If you're unsure where to start, take a look at what other people are doing. Will and Carla of @wandering.wanda said they figured out how to set up their van by watching others on social media. "Before we started, we didn't know anything about building. But just from looking at other peoples' Instagram accounts, you can work out where to start and what to do."

Carla and Will said they did a lot of research before deciding which van to purchase — the Mercedes Benz Sprinter or the Ford Transit are some of the most popular models. It's ok to buy second-hand, but just remember that the older it is, the more issues you're likely to have.

If you don't know your fan belt from your wiper fluid, that shouldn't stop you from embarking on a van journey. "Honestly you can go into the adventure not knowing anything about cars or car maintenance," said Dan and Chelsea of @living.simple_van.

It's probably a good idea to watch a few crash-course videos in basic van maintenance before you hit the road. "It would be a massive help and money saver if you have some mechanical knowledge in regards to simple maintenance... There's nothing worse than getting stuck in the middle of nowhere," said Chelsea and Dan.

And if you're planning to travel around a coastal area, Will and Carla recommend educating yourself about protecting your vehicle from rust.

It took Chelsea and Dan about a year's worth of weekends to convert their empty van into a cozy living space. Even though Dan's a builder by trade, it was still "challenging at times, but the reward at the end is completely worth it."

"We like to pick one major goal destination for the year and then just find cool things to do along the way," said Will and Kristin of @numberjuanbus. "Our first year on the bus, our goal was Nova Scotia, Canada, and we started in Florida. We explored all up the East Coast of the USA on our way."

One of the biggest perks of traveling by van means that you don't have to book ahead or arrange accomodation. Everyone I spoke with said it's best to be spontaneous and open to changing your itinerary at the last minute. Sometimes you'll get somewhere and you love it so much you want to stay for two weeks.

"We find that when we park up somewhere with the doors open, we normally always have someone come and chat to us who gives us endless lists of cool places around the area to visit," said Chelsea and Dan.

*Obviously while keeping a safe social distance as need.

In some states and countries, it's illegal to sleep in your car. The US has many free campsites you can park up in, while countries like Australia restrict camping to certain areas. Always do your research — you don't want a cop knocking on your window at 3 a.m.

It's easy enough to install a travel shower in your van, but you'll need a real one eventually. If you're traveling up the coast in Australia, there are often free beach showers you can use. Or if you're planning to stay in caravan parks every few nights, they've almost always got warm showers. But if you're going to free camp, or if you're in Europe or North America where you'll be passing through more towns and less remote areas, it might be a good idea to join a cheap gym chain (one that has tons of locations) so you can pop in to use shower every few days.

If you're traveling in Europe, Sabrina from @brina.explores recommends using truck stops and swimming pools for cheap shower access.

You can deck your van out with aesthetic blankets and fairy lights, but don't skimp on the essentials: a good mattress and pillow. "People are so excited by making your van look good that they forget they're going to be sleeping there every night for the foreseeable future — it needs to be comfortable," said Will and Carla.

Will and Kristin had an incident recently where they ran out of fuel on a back highway, without any gas stations or civilization for miles. "We just expected there to be another gas station in time for us to fill up, and then we got on a highway in Oregon that was nothing but wide open spaces. Needless to say, we fill up anytime we get near half a tank now."

According to Will and Carla, a toolkit is one of the most important things you should bring: "A couple of screwdrivers, a drill, even things like electrical tape and zip ties are really handy for fixing things around the van. We've been through, like, 20 tubes of marine-grade sealant; it just fills all the gaps and keeps everything in place."

The thought of setting out on your first #VanLife journey might be daunting, but Will and Kristin reckon it’s not as hard or as scary as you think. "Once we finally decided to make the jump, we discovered that while yes, there is a learning curve, it's not as challenging or as scary as we imagined."

Yes, traveling with a pet does make things a bit more difficult. But Sabrina and her partner have been on the road with their dog Gerda since 2018, and say that it actually makes them feel safer, especially at night.

Just be wary that some national parks and campgrounds may not allow dogs, so always double check before you go. Obviously, keeping your dog safe is paramount: never leave your pet in a hot car, and make sure you've got a comfy and secure bed they can sit in while you drive. There are a couple of things you must consider when traveling with pets, but if you can't part with your pooch, then it's definitely worth the extra effort.

Will and Kristin are traveling in their converted bus full-time with their toddler, but don't find it any more difficult than raising him in a static home.

"Kids are challenging no matter where you raise them. The biggest 'challenge' is coordinating travel days around nap time and bed time. We also try not to have her in a car seat for more than three hours a day, so we have to move a little slower, but that just allows us to see more along the way," said Will and Kristin.

For a short journey, a cooler does the trick, but if you're living in your van for a while, you're going to need a proper mini fridge.

Again, it depends where you're traveling, but cars and vans can get really hot in the summer time. Chelsea and Dan said that getting a good fan is an absolute necessity, especially as they're currently driving around Australia — which in case you didn't know, gets pretty damn hot.

If you want to make your van lifestyle as sustainable as possible, you'll probably have to work as you travel. If you're lucky enough to have a job you can work remotely, that's great. Otherwise you can pick up temporary gigs on the road – seasonal jobs like fruit picking or working on ski fields, national parks, or campgrounds.

According to Chelsea and Dan, one of the best things you can buy is a good-quality storage tank or container for water. Some vans have space underneath where you can store it.

Even if you think you'll always be near populated areas, you never know what's going to happen, and the last thing you want is to be stranded somewhere with no water.

Van life can be a pretty budget-friendly way to live, but you should always have an emergency fund. "Our worst experience was when we had to have the van towed to a mechanic and found out we would need to buy a new engine for our tiny home on wheels," said Dan and Chelsea. "This has been very stressful financially and emotionally...but we love the van life lifestyle so much we would do anything to continue our journey on the road."

"#VanLife can be really hyped up on Instagram," said Carla and Will. "You see all those point-of-view shots of people jumping out of bed, grabbing their coffee, hopping out of the side of the van and getting straight in the water. Sometimes that's realistic and it's amazing. But there are some not-so-glamourous aspects, like having to empty out your toilet, being woken up by people tapping on your window, or trying to find a safe place to park at 11 p.m."

Everyone I spoke with wouldn't change their experiences for the world — the good definitely seems to outweigh the bad. If it's an adventure you're considering embarking on, just go for it!