Who here >#vanlife?

Cool. What are your favorite tips for van living? Useful gear?

why the fuck do you have so many pairs of pants, i wear like 3

i imagine laying in a cozy bed with a swivle mount computer screen shitposting on Veeky Forums from a beach, go lay in the water shitpost a lil, make a fire on the beach and eat hotdogs and watch the sunset

how do you power your shit through the night?

what model van?

do you have a toilet or what?

do you get back pain from the bed?

do people hasle you a lot?

I mean, how are you supposed to gap in that? Fucking manlets, I swear

hi ff

> want to take a break from school to do this
> too much of a pussy because no internet and a lot of work to get what I want
> worse about this is that I want to do this only to go to Colorado snowboarding and having somewhere to live

Life is suffering

Why do you not? I've got about 15 different pairs of jeans, 20 paints of trousers and slacks, then a few pairs of cords and "cargo" pants.

you are spoiled

you can get a solid month out of 1 pair of jeans

>> too much of a pussy because no internet and a lot of work to get what I want

You do know mobile internet is a thing? So is adjusting your wants to your income and ability. You can hang a modern camping hammock in a bare van and be very comfy. Many people sleep in hammocks at home, self included.
If I had to live in a van I'd just pack my old military mobility bag plus camping gear and have at it.

Then that's only 1 style and shade. And do you then wash your jeans every single morning or something? And how am I spoiled? By having choice?

What's the best Van to do it in and how much would it cost to start?
i have 10k

Is a Chevy Astro to small to live the vanlife in?

Depends where I am. I dont tend to stay places without anything going on. Lots of hiking, bike riding, hanging out with friends. Super rainy days in the middle of no where are the only bummer days.

1991 Chevy Astro van.
I have 2 pair to swap between and shorts for when its too hot.
Pants and jackets take up soooo much space.

Lots of public rest room for poopin. This might sound like a hell, but you adapt very quickly and stop even thinking about it after like a week. I honestly struggle more shitting in the woods than a public bathroom.
My girlfriend and I have a lot of friends all over the country that we visit often. One of the main reasons we travel is to see everyone, so its common for us to shower while visiting them. We also hit camp grounds time to time, which often have showers. If that's not an option, truck stop showers are a lot nicer than you would think.

Keep your van lowkey. The less you stand out the better.
There will be times when life isnt magical and youll need to park on a public street overnight. Having shit strapped all over the van or #VANLIFE on the side will get the cops called quick, but if you are lowkey, no one even looks twice.

The first year I did it, I had all sorts of camping gear and all sorts of gear I thought would make my life easier, but it really just took up space. Currently I just have like a slimmed down version of real life. Little sink, little stove, couple plates, couple cups. The only thing out of the normal is a folding camping saw, but thats luxury over necessity.

Used Sprinter van
Used C20
Used Econoline
Used dajiban

>doesn't answer anything
go fuck yourself

Just bought a 4x4 cargo van.
putting in bamboo tomorrow then cabinets and shag carpet.
Hope it can get it done in a month before it gets cold .
Gonna spend the winter onna beach in baja

Wouldn't a full sized chevy van be better?

This is going to sound crazy, but when traveling I dont have a lot of things I need powered through the night. Wifi isnt everywhere so laptops kinda boring. I play on my phone a lot, but you can run that off a car battery for weeks before it would actually drain it.

Its a 1991 Chevy Astro van. 2wd model.
I bought it while on a motorcycle trip when my buddies bike died. I never intended it to be anything other then a way home but after seeing 22mpg I couldnt sell it.

No toilet. Piss bottle or public rest room. Hardest part of vanlife.

No back pain. I use a memory foam topper as a bed so its comfy as could be.

Very very rarely. I keep the van lowkey so most people dont even know I am in it.

Define 10k.

10k for a van? unlimited funds to travel?
10k for van and repairs and gas?
10k for the entire adventure?

you can wear a pair of jeans for like 5 days before they're actually dirty enough to require washing

and if you can't see why that nigga called you spoiled then you needa move out ya parent's house

i love big cities and my endgame is a vehicle i could park in an outside lot or parking garage in a major city and have no one know

I haven't lived with my parents in over a decade...

then why are you dumping money into your closet when you could be dumping it into your garage bruh

No not at all.
Related Yes and no.

Lots more space and probably a better starting platform, but like half the MPG and slightly higher repair cost.

Why can't I be dumping it in both? 40 pairs of pants isn't that many. My body shape hasn't changed much, some of my jeans are still from university. They still fit well, levi's hasn't changed their style.
Fuck, I've got a couple suits that are 70 years old.

I did this in Phoenix for a couple weeks.

Really really fun being right in the mix of it all, but not being caught up in the rust.

My brand new 505s beg to differ.
If you got the hookup on old 505s, Id buy like 3 right now.

the money you spend on your water bill by having to constantly wash all that shit and the time wasted sorting folding washing and putting it away god damn son

i wanna do this between chicago miami and nyc and la

10 for everything i have nothing

Ive done it in denver and LA a bit. Not sure I could get away with it today as its not as sneaky as it once was.
People in cool places know the trick now and call the cops more.

>Lots more space
how much more space really?
can you post pics of the inside of your van?

Ok then so 3k for a cargo van, get a small engine because you have not got much gas money.
2k should get you through the buildout if you have skills and access to tools.
Few hundred buckos for butane stoves and general camping gear leaves you about 4k for gas , food , insurance ,phone beows .
You gonna need a job in a few months.

How do your work look like and how much does the maintenance cost you?
Also, what about ordering things, do you just address them to your friends in your next destination ? What about classic mails?

My V8 cheby gets 17mpgs and I have a buddy with a 4.3 v6 getting 20 in a full size van.

he needs a secure seasonal job or a programming job that can be done remotely

its always so cute hearing americans talk about mpg. In europe good mpg for a van is 45. below 30 is considered horrific

Who here gets bux and has a van?

ebay.com/itm/1965-Ford-E-Series-Van-/122198266610

>imperial gallons
>diesel
>tiny
>not 4x4
>poor towing and hualing capacity

Yes and no.

$3k van. Yes.
$2k buildout. Ehhhhh. How serious are you about this? you want to live in this thing forever? or just go travel and have fun? My build out was like...$300? and lasted 3 years. Its only expensive if you want to look fancy.
Save the rest of those dollars for gas and foods and experiences.
That money will last so so so long if your not blowing it on booze and smokes.

try filling it with shit and driving it uphill or worse through a snowstorm

2k is not much.
My own build is gonna be way more than that.
I am gonna do solar and aux batts plus a good vented heater.
My fridge is gonna be 800 bucks alone.
This shit aint cheap

My computer crashed about a month ago and the camper setup has been pulled out while working.
Only pictures I have are on instragram, As soon as I can figure out how to turn an Instagram video into a .gif I'll post it the interior.

Maintenance has been pretty low.
I had a transmission blow out in PHX but since its an astro, It was $900 for a new one installed. Every other repair has been under $100. Its over 200,000 miles and as been great other than the trans. I cant really be mad that consider how cheap the van was and how much I drive it.

And yes, ship it ahead to a friends house. I do all my insurance and cell phone billing online so classic mail is pretty rare.

So, not being negative here, but do yourself a favor and do a small road trip before you buy all the big stuff. I use to lay in bed and dream about solar panels and battery banks, but once I got on the road I realized how much I didnt need all that.
We are probably completely different people, and I understand that you might need all that, but try it before hand just to see.

Wouldn't it be better to have a truck with a pop up camper than a van?

no because a majority of the world lives in around or near a city

Would it be better if you didn't live near a city?

I have done about 6 weeks at a time in a westy.
I like having all the comforts.
Cant live without a fridge stove and sink at minimum, I mean I could, but I dont really eat fast food and I like to cook.
Heater in winter is pretty key depending on where you end up, especially if you are a skier
Sick of propane fridge so solar and compressor fridge are a must for me.

The popup is great when you are out in the woods but looks really conspicuous everywhere else.
I take most here are stealth campers.

Stealth is huge.

Its also nice to know that if someone starts to hassle you, You can climb into the drivers seat and drive away without getting out of the vehicle.

It's pretty good. The little wooden book boxes are filled with a couple days worth of entertainment.

Needs to stop raining.

Stopped at my storage shed and picked up my winter sleeping bag. Getting a big buddy heater to make getting in and out of bed a smidge warmer.

I'd get a full size van if I was to start over.

>No toilet. Piss bottle or public restroom.
I just open the driver door for privacy and take a leak. If it's a busy place I'll pretend I'm doing something.

No. Can't speak for others, but you have to leave public camping spots after 15.. or was it 21 days in Michigan.

Not to mention, I'm fairly safe from mosquitoes. And I have a fan.

I'm setup for stealth camping but spend most of my time on state land. I use to carry a small pop up tent to reserve a spot and free up room in the van.

I'll agree on the stove, but nothing else.

Routine for me involves driving by the farmers market so I eat fresh food daily.

That is if I don't make a 1,400 calorie protein shake.

Going to start using a big buddy heater to help me get going in the morning, but there's no need for a heater.

I've yet to have anyone hassle me. Weird looks and people admiring my setup, but that's it.

Usually pull the shades out of the windows and drop the blackout curtains if I'm driving around.

>old dated picture
>32" 32000 lumen light bar and no light can be seen from the outside
>Except for a pesky slit I made to get the shades to fit around the hinges on the windows

I know where that photo was taken .
How did you like it there?
How long did you stay?

Im trying to do something similar with my truck.

I need to get off my ass and build a cabinet for storage on the bedsides.
Then install curtains and a better locking handle for whenever im inside of it.

I love Slabs.
I have been 3 times, One month first time, 2 weeks the second time and a month the last time. Its where I plan on going this winter too.

The place is totally packed full of weirdos, but good weirdos. The fun ones that make you laugh and feel at home.

Been looking to turn my burb into a camping rig. Old ambulance so there's a lot there that I can use for it (e.g. 120v electrical system w/ 50a shore power hookup, empty rear cargo area, etc.). Where is the best place to start? What would you recommend for basic starting supplies?

...

Minimal but I like the way you have it laid out.
Swivel seat is a must have in my opinion.

Here is my setup.

This is also $8 amazon lights vs factory lighting at night.
amazon.com/Flexible-Non-waterproof-Decoration-Lighting-Daylight/dp/B00HSF65MC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1477533459&sr=8-3&keywords=led strip

Thanks man! Very minimal. The van was in great shape so I didnt want to cut up too much. The bed and shelf are also setup to be easily removable for when I need to haul motorcycles.

You cant really tell, but there is massive under the bed storage too. All our clothes and gear is under there. Strapped to the roof is the same bubble wrap window blinds as . We have the outside of ours painted black so when they are up, it just looks like heavy tint from the outside.

The little gravy fed sink works awesome too. We got caught up in an ice storm in Texas one time and it froze the line up so I couldn't
brush my teeth in the morning, but its been a champ otherwise.

Man would love to do this so I can go snowboarding on a budget. How do you guys deal with the cold, I don't think I could be comfortable at near freezing temperatures.

I dig the home engineering look of your gravity faucet.
I may someday do a minimal rig like that but for now I am going pretty high end since I have the resources to do my dream build right now.

I can go down to 20F without a heater but below that I want fucking heat.
If you really cant afford a heater, at least get a remote start so you dont have to get out of bed to get the van heater going.

can get an indoor safe propane heater for £70 if you can't afford that you cant afford a van lol

I'm considering doing this when I inevitably get kicked out.

Where can I park to sleep and get power?

I dont trust those things.
I live at high altitude and they dont work well at all.
Once you take one apart and see how the Low OX sensor works, you wont trust your life to one.

I run a single burner for 15 minutes as of right now. It'll get the back half comfortable enough my hands work normally.

Currently 34f outside. Parked near some thick pines to avoid wind.

Once I'm in bed I don't need heat. I've slept through -6f nights without problems. It's the getting out of bed and dressed that's a challenge.

thanks for the replies bros.

>tfw not living in a ratty dajiban badged as "dodgy van"
what am I doing with my life

>ratty
The only thing ratty about those vans is the interior
Those nips put like $10k into those

Well I wouldn't, mine would be a cheap imitation at best so it would indeed be quite ratty

where do you get the income from or did you save up

Van life gods. Will a sick custom van like this or pic related stand out too much? Will the cops get called on these?

>implying your even European and not just trolling for reactions

How do you get a chick to do this with you, are you her drug dealer?

god, could you eurofucks be any more annoying? do you morons ever think of anything besides finding ways to say "we're better than amerifucks"?

Isn't a Chevy Astro basicaly a S10 just with a van body?

would it be possible to have a water barrelle or something with a hose and a water pump for running water?

He's also forgetting that US MPG is different to UK/METRIC MPG, as many do.

4 litres to a gallon vs 5 litres to a gallon.

Converting...
40 Miles / Gallon (UK) into Miles / Gallon (US)
Result:
33.306967385846

Man, these look comfy af
It's making me want to get one of these for road trips and concerts.
Let me get shitfaced and not worry about getting home.

>METRIC MPG
We use liters per hundred kilometers tho, not mpg

I live 40 miles West of there. I drive my Jeep down a couple of times a year and hang out for a few days. It's a magical place.

Bump

Actualy its is more like that:
UK Gallon: 4,54609L
US Gallon: 3,785411784

And we calculate in litres per 100km here in europe, as said.

currently i have a LWB sprinter (4.4 meter load area)

and i drive for a living, courier work. im looking at buying the biggest XLWB sprinter (4. 7 meter load area) and having 3 meter load area in the back and converting the extra space into a sleeper cab, my company pays on 3 different tariffs im currently on the best one £0.9 / mile for 4 meter vans. but they still pay £0.72 for 3 meter vans, so i could have a nice living space plus load area then, and i would be able to get backruns on jobs too.

very often there's no work heading back to base so im going home empty, i dont really want to wait around or sleep in the van currently but if i had a sleeper cab i could wait around/sleep and then i'd get paid for coming home too.

plus it looks super comfy. one problem is i really want to get an XLWB sprinter with NO side door, which is almost impossible to find in england, i dont really want to spend ~£40k on a brand new van so that i can pick my options

my actualy van

freecandies/10

dont understand why all US vans are so small?

you guys have the biggest roads in the world, and yet you drive tiny little mini vans and shit?

most pickup trucks are bigger than your vans

You haven't seen a full size chevy van.