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Van Life: How I Got Started And Practical Advice For People Interested in it.
Originally responding to a post, I think this deserves a post to itself. It's centered on how to transition to Van life for people that just need a break from life or want something different and see Van life and think, Freedom.
What often happens is people end up transitioning and end up viewing Van life as another form of enslavement, it can become that especially if people are just making a very sudden radical shift in lifestyle. But I want to talk about my journey and how I started because I think this approach is helpful.
Van life for me started with Social Media, watching 100,000$ vehicles, sunsets, community cook outs epic road trips. And I was hooked. Look at that Freedom. Adventure every day. But most of all was the thought of Driving anywhere, leaving stress behind as I travel, destination unknown, on my own time. No paperwork that needs to get done, no meetings or time card that needs to be punched. What a life.
Reality Check I'm poor. Although I've paid down debt, I'm renting an apartment and have a grand total of 5000 in my savings. Time to be realistic and stop day dreaming of Mercedes Sprinters with on demand hot water.
This led me to now having to be realistic about Van life and how I was going to actually go about it and how much I wanted to spend on a Van. I started looking at early 2000 Chevy Express Van's with 180k miles and Ford Ecolines. But after some realistic budgeting and build estimations and wanting to really not go in debt I set a budget of 3000$. It was important for me not to go into debt doing this because I really wanted the feeling of freedom, I didn't want to look at my Van and think great more debt.
I decided to start thinking smaller, and began looking at Chevy Astros. After weeks of searching, I found a GMC Safari 2002 with 155k miles, it wasn't AWD like I really wanted, but I talked the guy down to 3200 cash and I figured it was a start. I just told myself, maybe I can sell it down the road and get another Van later. This is what is offered to me now and i got to start somewhere. Don't feel like everything has to be perfect.
I got a Van now and I got 1800$. Next step the conversion. I started watching video after video, started fantasizing the perfect Van in my head and even started day dreaming at work of an epic way to quit my job that would be talked about for weeks as I then drive off into the sunset leaving my apartment packed up and my apartment keys at the office with a note saying thanks for the memories Hasta la Vista, or maybe just Chow, if I'm feeling Italian... I'm not Italian btw..
Anyways, it's time for a much needed reality check, again. I have no idea what I'm really doing, I have no building or electrical experience, I have no van life experience, so maybe, let's not rush to strip the van down leaving a dumpster of regret 50 feet from my front door, and have my neighbors all stare out their windows to the sound of my newly bought harbor freight hammer clumsily prying off plastic trim, before, I buy actual trim removal tools.
This now leads me to what I believe is the best way to start Van life. I decide to start slow. I keep the van exactly how it is, no epic tear outs, no tools spread between extension cords and cameras mounted capturing what would soon be the next viral youtube van conversion video. I just go to work the rest of the week. Friday morning I take the van with me., The only thing different about the van is I removed the middle seats and I have some bedding, a foam roll out, sleeping bag, change of clothes and a cooler. I take along 2 books I'm reading and make sure the gas is topped off.
I finish my work day and instead of driving home, I just drove toward the sunset. Just getting out of the city limits. I found a place to park after about an hour and just spent the next few hours reading. I forgot about my responsibilities and lose myself in my book. I then made my bed up and just relaxed and i remember taking a deep breath. I'm camping in my Van for the first time.
The next day I woke up, stepped out side, and just relaxed for the morning. I didn't remember anything particular but I didn't head back til the late afternoon. I just wanted to spend a full day in my Van and in a new place.
I did this each weekend for over a month maybe two. This by itself became a break from life. Each time I spent a day out, I thought about what I really wanted in my Van. I noticed my Van build change so much in my head during this time. At first i wanted to make my life fit into the Van but the more I camped out the more I just wanted an escape from life. My Van became more of a sanctuary for me.
When I first started I thought I wanted to live full time in my Van, maybe I still will, but now my Van is my weekend getaway vehicle and it's really grounded me again. And by going slow and taking my time it's allowed me to slowly build it in a way that really works for me.
I think if I had just jumped in, done the build, hit the road, I don't know that I would have lasted or enjoyed Van life for what it is.
My approach has also helped transition me to minimalism more, which I'm now starting to believe is necessary for people who are thinking of going full time.
I'm getting ready to take my first week long trip in my Van and I'm sure as I spend even more time in her ill figure out what's important for longer living.
I'm writing this because I think Van life can really offer people a positive experience and escape from stress, but I think it needs to be done in small steps to actually be a freeing experience. I realized with myself my wants and needs changed as well as my mindset into minimalism. I now feel that if I do transition to full time in the future it will be so much better now than had I just jumped in.
I read stories about how people give up on van life, how it's more expensive some times, and becomes actually a hardship rather than an escape. I think if people take their time slow down and allow for an organic type of transition it changes everything.
Thanks for reading Van lovers. Sorry for the long read just thought this might help some fellow Van lifers.
Originally responding to a post, I think this deserves a post to itself. It's centered on how to transition to Van life for people that just need a break from life or want something different and see Van life and think, Freedom.
What often happens is people end up transitioning and end up viewing Van life as another form of enslavement, it can become that especially if people are just making a very sudden radical shift in lifestyle. But I want to talk about my journey and how I started because I think this approach is helpful.
Van life for me started with Social Media, watching 100,000$ vehicles, sunsets, community cook outs epic road trips. And I was hooked. Look at that Freedom. Adventure every day. But most of all was the thought of Driving anywhere, leaving stress behind as I travel, destination unknown, on my own time. No paperwork that needs to get done, no meetings or time card that needs to be punched. What a life.
Reality Check I'm poor. Although I've paid down debt, I'm renting an apartment and have a grand total of 5000 in my savings. Time to be realistic and stop day dreaming of Mercedes Sprinters with on demand hot water.
This led me to now having to be realistic about Van life and how I was going to actually go about it and how much I wanted to spend on a Van. I started looking at early 2000 Chevy Express Van's with 180k miles and Ford Ecolines. But after some realistic budgeting and build estimations and wanting to really not go in debt I set a budget of 3000$. It was important for me not to go into debt doing this because I really wanted the feeling of freedom, I didn't want to look at my Van and think great more debt.
I decided to start thinking smaller, and began looking at Chevy Astros. After weeks of searching, I found a GMC Safari 2002 with 155k miles, it wasn't AWD like I really wanted, but I talked the guy down to 3200 cash and I figured it was a start. I just told myself, maybe I can sell it down the road and get another Van later. This is what is offered to me now and i got to start somewhere. Don't feel like everything has to be perfect.
I got a Van now and I got 1800$. Next step the conversion. I started watching video after video, started fantasizing the perfect Van in my head and even started day dreaming at work of an epic way to quit my job that would be talked about for weeks as I then drive off into the sunset leaving my apartment packed up and my apartment keys at the office with a note saying thanks for the memories Hasta la Vista, or maybe just Chow, if I'm feeling Italian... I'm not Italian btw..
Anyways, it's time for a much needed reality check, again. I have no idea what I'm really doing, I have no building or electrical experience, I have no van life experience, so maybe, let's not rush to strip the van down leaving a dumpster of regret 50 feet from my front door, and have my neighbors all stare out their windows to the sound of my newly bought harbor freight hammer clumsily prying off plastic trim, before, I buy actual trim removal tools.
This now leads me to what I believe is the best way to start Van life. I decide to start slow. I keep the van exactly how it is, no epic tear outs, no tools spread between extension cords and cameras mounted capturing what would soon be the next viral youtube van conversion video. I just go to work the rest of the week. Friday morning I take the van with me., The only thing different about the van is I removed the middle seats and I have some bedding, a foam roll out, sleeping bag, change of clothes and a cooler. I take along 2 books I'm reading and make sure the gas is topped off.
I finish my work day and instead of driving home, I just drove toward the sunset. Just getting out of the city limits. I found a place to park after about an hour and just spent the next few hours reading. I forgot about my responsibilities and lose myself in my book. I then made my bed up and just relaxed and i remember taking a deep breath. I'm camping in my Van for the first time.
The next day I woke up, stepped out side, and just relaxed for the morning. I didn't remember anything particular but I didn't head back til the late afternoon. I just wanted to spend a full day in my Van and in a new place.
I did this each weekend for over a month maybe two. This by itself became a break from life. Each time I spent a day out, I thought about what I really wanted in my Van. I noticed my Van build change so much in my head during this time. At first i wanted to make my life fit into the Van but the more I camped out the more I just wanted an escape from life. My Van became more of a sanctuary for me.
When I first started I thought I wanted to live full time in my Van, maybe I still will, but now my Van is my weekend getaway vehicle and it's really grounded me again. And by going slow and taking my time it's allowed me to slowly build it in a way that really works for me.
I think if I had just jumped in, done the build, hit the road, I don't know that I would have lasted or enjoyed Van life for what it is.
My approach has also helped transition me to minimalism more, which I'm now starting to believe is necessary for people who are thinking of going full time.
I'm getting ready to take my first week long trip in my Van and I'm sure as I spend even more time in her ill figure out what's important for longer living.
I'm writing this because I think Van life can really offer people a positive experience and escape from stress, but I think it needs to be done in small steps to actually be a freeing experience. I realized with myself my wants and needs changed as well as my mindset into minimalism. I now feel that if I do transition to full time in the future it will be so much better now than had I just jumped in.
I read stories about how people give up on van life, how it's more expensive some times, and becomes actually a hardship rather than an escape. I think if people take their time slow down and allow for an organic type of transition it changes everything.
Thanks for reading Van lovers. Sorry for the long read just thought this might help some fellow Van lifers.
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