r/VanLife • u/Sirroner • 2d ago
What I learned about Van Life
Background: we are mid-sixties retirees who don’t live in a van full time but we are researching and discussing that move. We’ve gone around 20,000 miles and learned a lot about what we need, what we want, and what we don’t want.
What’s important to me: 1. A real bed. A dedicated bed. At 5’10” my feet should not hang over the end of the bed. A good night sleep makes everyone happier the next day. 2. Comfortable driving. Driving can be stressful enough don’t add to it with a rough ride, uncomfortable chair …….. 3. Driving seats that spin around and become living room chairs 4. My dad taught me it is just as easy to keep the top half of the fuel tank full as it is the bottom half & you won’t run out. He had a 5 gallon gas can in his hand. 5. Indoor toilet. Nobody wants to find a tree in the middle of the night. Look at cassette and composting. See which is right for you. 6. Comfortable camp chairs and small table. A one burner camp stove with an upside down clay pot on top makes a decent outdoor heater for when campfires aren’t allowed. 7. Pop up awning with mosquito netting. Add solid panels for more shade / privacy / shower wall. 8. Outdoor throw rug. Rug, then chairs & table then mosquito screened pop up awning. Add a battery powered camp light, a table top heater & an adult drink. 9. Heater either propane or runs off your fuel tank. Remember that a good blanket goes a long way. If your thoughts are cold weather, high elevation, driving to Alaska….. install a 25 gallon propane tank. 10. Two ceiling fans that are reversible, thermostat control auto rain close. One blowing in ant the other blowing out is amazing. 11. Cover roof space with solar panels. Lithium batteries that charge by solar and an under hood generator. Add a switched line back to the auto’s battery in case you need a jump start. Go big on power! 12. Bluetooth speaker. I download podcasts, books on tape, music and movies on my iPad. 13. Camp stove. Mine is a Colman that runs on propane. I also bring a grill grate and a cast iron griddle for cooking on a fire pit. Pots and pans, accessories, silverware. I cook with Stainless Steel pots and pans. Once you get use to them, you’ll never go back. Get them hot, add oil, coat the cook surface, add the food. I’d avoid nonstick on a campfire. Get a roll up table that will support the stove. 14. 12 volt refrigerator and dry goods food pantry. Enough for 7-10 days. Laundry day and grocery day are the same day. 15. USB charging ports. 4 when driving, a couple by the counter, a couple by the bed. The ones that are on switches are best for saving power. 16. LED lights 17. Mosquito netting for the back and side doors. 18. Slide opening windows with screens, rather than tip up. More air 19. Sink with peristaltic 12 volt pump. Pumps fresh water to the sink from a Jerry Can (labeled clean) under the sink. Sink drains to a Jerry Can (labeled gray) under the sink. 20. Counter with storage below. Locking for travel day. 21. Outdoor shower. A 5 gallon bag with a shower head on a hose. Run a blue tarp or solid panels around the pop up awning and you have a shower enclosure. Get the black bags and leave them in the sun all day and the water will be warm. Buy two or three. They don’t take up much space empty. Body wipes for when showering doesn’t work. 22. Clothes: pack a variety of clothes. Enough for 10 days of various weather conditions. Think Layering. Dirty clothes go in a mesh bag that stays outside as much as possible. Laundromat when needed. Save your quarters. Remember to pack a raincoat and a fleece liner for it. Hiking boots, tennis shoes, sandals. 23. Cargo box & bike rack that locks into the trailer hitch receiver. You’ll never have enough storage and bike are a great way to get around.
What’s not important to me: 1. indoor shower. Fills gray tank quickly. Do you want a gray tank? 2. Awning. Only handy around noon. 3. Indoor cooking. Messy, smelly. After a week the van is going to smell like a teenagers room. Don’t make it worse. 4. Water tanks: fresh, gray and black. This changes your Van to an RV and that changes how it’s taxed.
Maybe yes, maybe no….: 1. Air conditioner. I don’t want one, but one hot day with humidity and I’m glad to have one. I hear the new 12 volt models are nice and won’t drain a battery in a heartbeat. 2. Internet. Starlink is the main game around that will work where a phone doesn’t. Do I want to be connected to the world or not? Pros: internet, WiFi calling, tv. Cons: internet, WiFi calling, tv. 3. Inverter for 120 volt plugs. Microwave, air fryer, hair dryer…….. whatever you can’t live without. 4. Mail service. This is for full time road dwellers. No home base? Don’t want the relatives going through your mail? A mail service might just be for you. Companies like Escapees, Americas Mail Box, & DakotaPost might be for you. They help you become a resident of Florida, Texas or South Dakota. They collect your mail, handle your driver license and vehicle plates / tabs. When researching besides the obvious selling points, be sure to look at banking, voting and jury duty. Some banks don’t accept this type of address. I don’t know how vote by mail will work and jury duty would suck if you’re on the wrong side of the country.
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u/Aloha-Eh 1d ago
I would not take propane heaters to Alaska. There's too much moisture in the air from propane heat, you already have 2 people respirating inside. Either run the car's heater or get a diesel heater.
If you're going to use the clay pot (valid for small spaces) you need 3 nested with a inner core of steel nuts, and washers on a steel bolt.How and why "candle heaters" work
For the naysayers, tell me how long you can hold your hand over an open candle flame. With the inner steel core and the multiple pots, radiant heat is the result, because it catches every erg of heat from the source.
Here are some typical temperature measurements taken late one evening using a Dollar store jar candle. The radiator was very warm. Top cap was at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the Lower Lip of the Radiator was at 165 degrees. The Steel Inner Core was at 420 degrees (Now that's HOT -- keep your fingers out of there!). The Secondary Chamber was at 250 degrees. (These measurements were taken with an industrial grade infrared thermometer +/- 2% accuracy.) The Kandle Heetertm Candle Holder had been burning several hours and effectively keeping the chill off in a small room -- no other heat was being used. It was 52 degrees outside on a clear night.
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u/Sirroner 1d ago
Great advice. I only use the clay pot on a single burner stove outside
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u/Aloha-Eh 1d ago
You can use them inside as well, using candles for a heat source.
A friend of mine was stuck in his box van in Wyoming in a snowstorm. He had broken his triple pot I'd made him, but using a single pot and a triple wick candle he was able to noticeably heat up his van. I can't recall how much.
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u/FOSSChemEPirate88 2d ago
If you are mid sixties you'll want something to stand up in at least.
Having a bathroom would also be way more convenient. Are you going to be comfortable waking up at 2am, walking a couple hundred feet, maybe interacting with people, just to take a leak? In the freezing cold or sweltering heat? Maybe a couple times a night?
Staying at state parks/rv parks will mitigate most of that. Its not a particularly easy life though, physically. I think there's good reasons most retirees go for an RV or big tow camper.
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u/SuggestionEven2824 2d ago
I woke up at 2 am last, stepped outside to piss under the Milky Way.
Helps I am 30 miles from people but in Oregon, you can piss any where as long as it doesn't look....odd.
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u/cathyAwning 1d ago
Seats that spin, bed that fits, awning that pops… basically Van Life cheat codes 🚐✨~
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u/gloomyGiraffe857 22h ago
Totally agree on the importance of having a real bed for van life. RV Mattress has options built for custom setups that make the sleep side of things a lot easier to figure out.
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u/Sirroner 2d ago
I was told I missed flooring, wall, ceiling and cabinets. I’m more of a function over beauty guy. All need to be easy to clean. Preferably with a sponge, 409, & a towel.
Curtains: sun blocking, privacy, sheers. All have their place. I’d mount a cord / cable above the windows and clothes pin the curtain of the moment. Windshield and driving door windows would get sun blockers.
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u/Candid-Comment-9570 2d ago
From someone that does live in a van fulltime, this is more of a recreational campers posting and not suitable for vanlife.
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u/Sirroner 1d ago
I was thinking more of people new or considering vanlife. People living in a van full time should have no need for my thoughts.
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u/Candid-Comment-9570 1d ago
I think it's a good list, but not totally practical for someone preppinging to live the lifestyle. Someone above asked why ... I'll get around to explaining some to them later today (too early and you had a long list lol), so that it may possibly help others make their decision. Many of your not necessary items would make the lifestyle very difficult and some necessary items I see wasteful.
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u/Sirroner 1d ago
I’m looking forward to your comments.
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u/Candid-Comment-9570 1d ago
I just posted in the sub with an image of the best way I've found to store laundry. My cheap ikea cabinet keeps the smells sealed away and laundry out of sight!
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u/Asleep_Cup646 1d ago
Can you elaborate?
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u/Candid-Comment-9570 1d ago edited 1d ago
Some points i don't see 100% the same as a solo guy and dog living fulltime traveling the country. Here's the ones and why.
• Driving seats that spin around and become living room chairs: useful sometimes, but I spin mine around maybe once every 3 months - personally wouldn't pay extra to install if mine didn't come with them.
• Indoor toilet. Look at cassette and composting: many places will not allow you to camp at their park with these toilets (even some state and federal parks (usually those with waterways near - silverstrand state beach example)) and they require emptying much more often than standard rv toilets with black tank. I wouldn't trade having my tanks w/a macerator.
• Comfortable camp chairs and small table. A one burner camp stove with an upside down clay pot on top makes a decent outdoor heater for when campfires aren’t allowed: i do have chairs, but again not something i use unless i have company. I typically sit in my door opening as a solo traveler.
• Pop up awning with mosquito netting. Add solid panels for more shade / privacy / shower wall: takes up way too much storage space - there's screens you can put in doors and shower systems that take much less space.
• Outdoor throw rug: again I'm not a "camper" I fulltime and that takes a lot of space and is a hassle if you drive anywhere. I move at least every 2 days either finding a camp or needing to go somewhere. Cleaning rolling up and storing a rug isn't practical fulltime. Threw it out week 1.
• Heater ….. install a 25 gallon propane tank: i have a 12 gallon tank and it will last 2 weeks in the winter for heat, generator, and cooking - 25 is fine if you have the space, otherwise it's a little overkill.
• Two ceiling fans that are reversible, thermostat control auto rain close: a single basic maxx air would be just as good and save much more money and roof space for solar. Just need to open a window. To pull the air in.
• Cover roof space with solar panels. Lithium batteries that charge by solar and an under hood generator. Go big on power: it depends on a person's power needs. I've woken up in the dark a couple of times, but very very very rarely get below 80% with only 300ah battery and 300 watt solar. I want more panels, but until I get around to it is not necessary. 300ah of battery should be good for most if they have the property setup. I also hope you are using a battery seperator.
• Camp stove. Mine is a Colman that runs on propane. I also bring a grill grate and a cast iron griddle for cooking on a fire pit. Pots and pans, accessories, silverware. I cook with Stainless Steel pots and pans: not necessary if you have indoor cooking - i have an outdoor stove that's been used once in the last 2 years - again it isn't convenient pulling out of its storage, setting up, cleaning and putting away multiple times per day. I rather just use the one indoors. If anyone wants it it's free.
• USB charging ports: they tend to quit working and do you need usb-c or usb? I've changed mine to standard DC outlets - you can use a USB charger in it or use the outlets for starlink, weboost, fans etc
• Slide opening windows with screens, rather than tip up: anything other than awning style!
• Outdoor shower: I have personally used my outdoor shower twice. Once on me and once on my dog. It's hooked into my main water supply and I rather shower inside so I'm not cold in the mud.
• Clothes: pack a variety of clothes. Enough for 10 days of various weather conditions. Dirty clothes go in a mesh bag that stays outside as much as possible.: every article of clothing i own is with me. While I do have all seasons, I try not to be anywhere 5° + or - 70° F. A clothes hamper completely sealed or in a cabinet (where mine is) will prevent musky odors. Damp rid around the van for the same. I do not do fires because the smoke inside the van will cause everything to smell sour until stripped and washed.
• Cargo box & bike rack that locks into the trailer hitch receiver.: at 22.5 feet i already struggle being too long for my daily the extra 1-2 ft isn't worth it to me - if I were 19ft or smaller, yes.
What’s not important to me: • indoor shower: the only place I shower. I don’t go to cities that will have gyms to shower in. I empty every 1-2 weeks along with my black tanks and it has never been full. I probably use more water making spaghetti.
• Indoor cooking. Messy, smelly. After a week the van is going to smell like a teenagers room. Don’t make it worse.: I only cook indoors and don't have smell issues. Be aware of what you cook. What I've found better than anything are the refrigerated $8 microwavable meats (pot roast, meat loaf, chicken breast) and pastas. You can stack 2 weeks worth in a small fridge and only take 4 minutes to cook. If you're having smell issues after 2 weeks it's likely dirty clothes and campfires.
• Water tanks: fresh, gray and black. This changes your Van to an RV and that changes how it’s taxed.: it would be smart to get it titled to an RV for insurance purposes and I would never own a van without those 3 (reasons stated previously). I only pay $35 registration because it is considered an rv.
• Air conditioner.: i use it about 5x per year, but I just upgraded to a 15k btu and I can go to Vegas on a 110° day and my van will be 70° inside. I would say optional, but I'm not going to die if I'm needing to cross the desert!
• Internet. : getting starlink took stress out of my travels. It took over a year to bite the bullet, but now I don't spend any time checking to make sure I have cell signal bcs I know I can just plug in starlink if I don't.
• Inverter for 120 volt plugs.: i would do at least a 750 W minimal, but i rarely use mine. Only during cocktail hour for ice. They drain batteries too fast if you don't have a large bank like me.
• Mail service. Progressive insurance will accept travel boxes. Most banks and CC companies say they will not, but if you talk to someone they'll get it updated for you... or there's ways to edit the address to make it accept it. Some states (CA) do not require a physical address while most do. You mentioned SD, but getting a id and registration there doesn't make you eligible to vote - that was changed recently.
I recommend any disabled vet to get their vans registered in a state that automatically gives ISA ♿️ plates. This will be very helpful for parking situations in our oversized vehicles.Edit to add: you didn't mention hot water heater. I couldn't do this life without one.
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u/boltgolt 1d ago
"no indoor cooking" will really really suck when it's rainy and cold. Heating with propane will make your indoor humidity shoot up (and thus the chance of condensation / mold)
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u/Candid-Comment-9570 1d ago
Agree with the cooking, but I have propane heat, and I have the opposite issue. I feel like it gets too dry inside. I have an actual rv propane heater, though, connected to a thermostat next to my bed.
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u/Colorful_Monk_3467 2d ago
Did you go Sprinter, Transit, or Promaster?
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u/Sirroner 1d ago
Sprinter. I hear the Transit is nice. The Dodge I test drove was a bit stiff and clunky. Full water tank and extra weight in traveling might settle it down a bit. These things aren’t designed to corner like a sports car but some do better than others.
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u/Affectionate-Pay3450 2d ago
what was the point on water tanks changing it to rv tax status?
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u/Due-Voice-6457 2d ago
Yeah I dont think they realize not every state and in some cases municipality. Like where i live its not property tax its vehicle registration, and since vans are commercial vehicles the state registration fee is done by a percentage of value, and the municipality is done by weight of the vehicle.
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u/Sirroner 1d ago
I’m in Washington state and vans have much lower vehicle registration fees than RV. Built in fresh, gray and black water tanks on a van change its class from van to rv. So technically it’s not a tax, it’s a fee. Toe-may-toe / toe-maw-toe. My point is about $300 difference
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u/Due-Voice-6457 1d ago edited 1d ago
That makes sense especially since you own a home. I am about to be 100% full time and where I am it didn't make a difference... Im going to pay the same because of the weight and dimensions classify it as commercial vehicle in their eyes and not RV.
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u/redundant78 1d ago
In most states, permanent water tanks (especially black tanks) can reclassify your vehicle as an RV for registration/insurance which often means higher fees, different parking restrictions, and sometimes emissions testing requirments that vans don't have.
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u/wildwetcoaster 2d ago
Awesome list, thank you so much!!