Hi, my name is Danielle. I am new to the group and new to van life. I am here to find out what I need to do how I need to do it and to get expert advice and opinions. I will be starting my van life journey next year I am gathering all the information I can thank you. Nice to meet you all.
Greetings & Welcome!
I’m not sure my opinion is typical, but I want all of the conveniences of a luxury motor home, without the cost. I want my own toilet & shower, kitchen, comfy bed, and a comfy chair with a table/desk. I want heating, cooling, power, & ventilation. I want to be able to cook anything I could cook in a house or apartment.
With all that being said, I don’t like propane, and I want to be able to live comfortably without the need for power. Okay, my phone & laptop require power, and for me they’re kind of essential, and I have a ton of powered luxuries, but I don’t need power for cooking, fridge/freezer, heating/cooling, or ventilation. This means I can live comfortably, without power, regardless of the weather.
I prefer power, and I charge my house batteries while driving, via a generator, or with shore power if I’m at a campground. I just don’t want to be dependent upon it.
Many people spend a fortune to begin this lifestyle, but I prefer cheap, simple, & easy. I bought an old but reliable high mileage van for $700, and spent about $300 converting it into a luxury micro motorhome. Drove it for over 10 years, 300k+ trouble free miles, and put it into storage when my family grew and we needed more room. So I bought a bus for $2k, and converted it for under $1k. Same basic principles, except I added solar, since got everything for free at a landfill. That’s right… Tons of FREE solar panels, controllers, and batteries for FREE at local landfills. I still have a generator, and still use it, but when solar is free, why not.
We’re still nomads, exploring N. America, working for ourselves from the comfort of our home on wheels anywhere we have internet access. We love camping, but are mostly city dwellers, because that’s where the supplies, restaurant’s, entertainment, etc. are, not to mention good cell & wifi connections.
Mostly we park on city streets, by vacant lots, churches, hospitals, and malls, but always on the street, never in parking lots unless we have written permission. So far none of the anti-camping laws have really effected us, but most areas have a 72 hour rule, so we make sure to drive it somewhere every 3 days. Normally we drive our mini van grocery getter, or take our ebikes/scooters.
Cheers!