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Van Life

Hey there! So you’re ready to start your van life adventure! Congrats. Van life is a liberating experience, full of freedom and adventure. I started out by living in a Toyota Prius in 2015, then a Chevy Astro van, and now a DIY Sprinter van. I hope to help you along in your van life journey.

Want to see the EXACT GEAR I use in my van? Check it out here:

Which Type of Van Do you Want?

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Best Vans For Van Life

campervan rental in California

Mercedes Sprinters

Alaska inside a tiny house

Minivan Campers

Tourig Ford Transit Campervan with pop top parked in the mountain area

Ford Transits

Dodge Promasters

SUV Campers

What’s New in Van Life?

New Study Shows Free Camping Is Now America’s Favorite Way to Camp. Here’s Why, and How to Do It Right

Want to Keep an Eye on Your Pet in your Camper? I Tested Two Waggle RV Pet Cams

Gas Heater Kills Couple Sleeping in Their Campervan. It Looks Almost Identical to Heaters Many Van Lifers Own.

How to Make Money on the Road: 56 Proven Ways to Earn While Traveling Full-Time

The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Living: Van Life, Sailboat Living, RVing, and Tiny Homes

The 12 Best Van Life Blogs and Websites to Follow (Picked by a Full-Timer)

9 Ways Van Life Was Better in the ’70s Than in the 2020s

10 Relationship Rules Every Van Life Couple Should Know

Free Van Life Starter Kit!

Get the best vans for van life, where to buy a van, building resources, remote work ideas, and so much more!

Van Build Ideas & Inspiration

Thinsulate Van Insulation Kit: The Simplest Solution for DIY Van Builds

The Best 3 Dodge Ram Promaster Roof Racks for Your Campervan

9 Prefab Campervan Cabinets Perfect for the DIYer

5 Best RV Roof Vents for Serious Airflow in Your Camper

Maxxair Vs Fantastic Fan: What’s the Best Fan for Van Life?

The Best Campervan Roof Deck Ideas to Elevate Your Space

5 Campervan Kitchen Pods for the Easiest DIY Build

The 5 Best Diesel Heaters for Campervans That Actually Work in Winter

Choose Your Campervan!

It Took Me Years to Afford a Tall Van. Now, I’ve Rounded Up the Best Campervans You Can Stand Up In.

Noovo’s Brand New Off-Grid Camper Van Has a 7′ Roof and an Elevator Bed

These 11 Gorgeous Class B RVs Make Full-Time Van Life Living Easy

11 Campervans with the Best Gas Mileage

Off Highway Van Builds Amazing Overland Sprinter Van Campers

Wayfarer Vans’ Rad Pro Camper Van Conversions Start From Just $21,200

Sprinter vs Transit: Van Lifers Weigh In

12 Unbelievable Unimog Campers to Fuel Your Off-Road Fantasies

Living the Van Life Tips and Advice

Is It Illegal to Sleep in Your Car? The Rules Every Van Lifer Should Know

I’ve lived on the road for years with no fixed address. Here’s exactly how I get my mail.

16+ Stealth Camping Tips for Beginners

14 Mistakes New Van Lifers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

12 Ways to Save Money While Living the Van Life

How Van Lifers Get Health Insurance on the Road

55+ Perfect Gifts for Van Life: Practical Ideas Any Van Dweller Will Love

17 Winter Camping Tips for Van Lifers

Our Favorite Campervan Gear

The Winnebago Revel Mattress Replacement You Need (Sleep Better in Your Rig!)

5 Top Ford Transit Roof Rack Options for Your Campervan

The Best Air Conditioning Options for Campervans, Rooftop and Portable

The 5 Best Generators for Camper Vans, From Quiet to High-Powered

The 5 Best Portable Power Stations for Charging Devices While Camping

The Best Overlanding Water Tanks for Off-Road Adventures

The 6 Best Hatchback Tents for an SUV to Expand Your Space

The 5 Best Sprinter Van Roof Racks (And the One We’ve Used for Years)

Make Money from Your Van!

How I Afford Full-Time Van Life and Boat Life (No, I’m Not a Trust Fund Baby)

How Van Lifer Kim Butler Makes Money Taking Elopement Photos on the Road

How to Make $500-$1,000 Per Month on the Road as an Amazon Influencer

How Van Lifer Joey Morin Makes Money as a Content Creator

How Van Lifer Kae Orlando Runs An Etsy Shop While Traveling

How 10 Van Lifers Make Money on the Road

How Van Lifer Kaelan Makes Money as a Traveling Communications Manager

How Sierra Built a Thriving Marketing Business on the Road

All Van Life Posts:

15 European Camper Vans You’ll Wish We Had in the U.S.

15 Ford Transit Camper Van Conversion Companies Van Lifers Swear By

16 Genius Minivan Camper Interior Ideas To Inspire Your Conversion

21 Pop Top Camper Vans for Epic Family Adventures

8 Insider Secrets to Snagging the Perfect Used Camper Van from a Private Seller

Timber Vans’ Rad Custom Conversions Come with Crystal-Clear Pricing

Westfalia is Back! The All-New Wave hits the U.S. Market

8 Affordable Campervans that Won’t Break the Bank

Next-Level Dodge Camper Van Conversions for the Ultimate Getaway

The Timeless Allure of VW Camper Vans: Why they Still Make Van Lifers Drool

The VW Pop-Top Camper Showdown: What Van Lifers Need to Know

16 Best Vans for Van Life (Which Would You Choose?)

12 Incredibly Small Campervans for Van Life Simplified

The 15 Top Luxury Campervans for Glamorous Travel

Stunning Jeep Wrangler Campers and Conversions for Off-Road Adventures

The Top AWD Vans for Rugged Van Life Adventures

The Top 19 Camper Vans That Sleep 4 – Class B, Custom, & DIY

16 Simple Toyota Sienna Camper Conversion Ideas for Minivan Camping

17 Off-Road Campervans for Epic Overlanding Adventures

14 Ford Transit Connect Camper Conversion Ideas to Jumpstart Van Life

14 Stunning Sprinter Van Conversion Ideas for Your Van Life Adventures

12 Must-See Honda Element Campers (DIY and Conversion Kits)

Mini Cooper Camper: 13 Ways to Take Your Mini Camping

Land Rover Camper: Inspiration & Ideas to Take Your Rig Off-Grid

Family Camper Van: The Best Layouts for Family Adventures

14 Top Spots to Find a Sprinter Camper Van For Sale

8 Gorgeous Mitsubishi Delica Campervans

So, You Want to Live in a Car? Here are Our Top Picks!

New Study Shows Free Camping Is Now America’s Favorite Way to Camp. Here’s Why, and How to Do It Right

We’ve used public lands to camp for free for years. Now, more and more campers are picking up the trend.
Want to Keep an Eye on Your Pet in your Camper? I Tested Two Waggle RV Pet Cams

Traveling with your pet can be both a delightful and stressful experience, especially when you have to leave Fido inside your rig to run errands,…
Gas Heater Kills Couple Sleeping in Their Campervan. It Looks Almost Identical to Heaters Many Van Lifers Own.

An inquest found a married couple died of carbon monoxide poisoning after running an outdoor-only gas heater inside their campervan.
How to Make Money on the Road: 56 Proven Ways to Earn While Traveling Full-Time

56 proven ways to make money while traveling full-time — from Facebook pages and freelance work to gate guarding and travel nursing — tested and ranked by a full-timer earning on the road since 2017.
The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Living: Van Life, Sailboat Living, RVing, and Tiny Homes

Van life, sailboat living, RVing, or a tiny home? A journalist who’s lived in a Prius, a van, and on a sailboat compares what each really costs, who it suits, and how to fund the life.
The 12 Best Van Life Blogs and Websites to Follow (Picked by a Full-Timer)

A full-time van lifer shares the van life blogs, websites, communities, and apps actually worth your time.
9 Ways Van Life Was Better in the ’70s Than in the 2020s

Did you live in a van in the 1970s? Maybe you can relate to these.
10 Relationship Rules Every Van Life Couple Should Know

Living in a van can bring couples closer than ever, but surviving life in a tiny space requires communication, compromise, and a few important relationship rules.
She’s in Her 80s and Built Her Own Van, and It Might Be the Most Inspiring Van Life Story You’ll See

She’s in her 80s, built her own van from scratch, and is living proof that the road doesn’t have an age limit.
Is It Illegal to Sleep in Your Car? The Rules Every Van Lifer Should Know

Sleeping in your car isn’t illegal everywhere — but the rules are shifting fast, and knowing your state and city’s laws before you park could save you a ticket (or worse).
We Live Full-Time in a Van in Ireland. Here’s What Americans Always Get Wrong About It.

American van life and Irish motorhome life look the same on Instagram — sunrise shots, coffee on the dash, misty hills. The reality is a different story entirely.
I’ve lived on the road for years with no fixed address. Here’s exactly how I get my mail.

Getting mail with no fixed address sounds impossible — until you know the systems full-time RVers and van lifers actually use to make it work.

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