So in the spirit of my original post, I just thought I’d put my final update out there.
I’ve been traveling with this bus now for two years, largely staying on farms through the “Workaway” program.
It has been so much fun, and such a great experience. I’ve learned so many things and met so many new friends. But at last, the time has come to sell my Shuttle.
During my travels, I picked up a travel partner whom I now intend to marry, and together we’ve worked towards setting aside the money to get our own farm. This has been a goal largely accomplished due to the kindness of these farms, and this wonderful minimalist lifestyle with my Shuttle.
So top things I’ve learned in two-ish years of Vanlife/Buslife/Nomad Life…
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Don’t bother with overly complicated fancy stuff, like recirculating showers. As you can see from my most recent update of the bus interior (pictured below), that $3000 shower was turned into a closet. The closet is WORLDS more useful than that stupid shower ever was.
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Keep cooking simple, I bought a Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker and it is hands down the only appliance you need for cooking. I turned all the rest of that space into just dry food storage and it’s been great. No pots, no pans, no fuss or mess. I never got into Influencing because how could I live a minimalist lifestyle but then try to convince others they needed to cram their vehicles full of junk? But I tell you what, that Ninja Foodi has been amazing. I will most certainly stand by that product as incredibly useful in the Vanlife lifestyle.
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Summer sucks, either make sure you insulate A LOT or don’t plan on being in your bus during the day. I got a floor AC that ended up spiking the electric one month (It was during that weird heatwave too, over the summer of 2022) for one of the farms I was on, just to try and keep it cool during the day. They were really nice about it, but even after all that money spent, it was still like 90 degrees in the bus during the day. (WITH the AC running)
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Don’t live IN a vehicle, live OUT OF the vehicle. I’ve met so many amazing people (some annoying too, haha) not just traveling but getting involved. Farm work through Workaway is amazing, just avoid the ones looking for cheap free labor. There are good places with good people, and being a part of those places has been the best part of my last two years.
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Plan for emergency maintenance, and have money set aside for it. So far I’ve got about $33k into the bus, total from purchase to the final build that I have right now. While that’s actually less than what I would have spent for an apartment in my hometown for the last two years, it did at times get a bit costly in sudden large bursts.
So while I hate to, now it’s time to sell the Shuttle. I’d rather let someone else get the opportunity and experience I did than let it sit on the farm I intend to buy, just rotting into dust. So that’s my story people, forget the glamour that Instagram and Tickle Tok make it out to be, that stuff isn’t real. But I assure you, from my own personal experience, that it can be an amazing journey.
Safe travels, all!
- Rydel
