When we first planned to travel by van, we had no idea whether we’d love it or hate it. It’s one of the reasons we kept our minivan conversion very simple: if we only traveled for a few months, it would be easy to turn the van back into a car and sell it. Now that we’re winding down our… Read more →
Looking back on our two and a half years of van travel, there are six stretches we especially enjoyed. All of this is highly subjective, of course. But people often ask us, “What are your favorite places you’ve been?” And we find that the same answers pop up. So, without further ado, our favorite U.S. road trips: 1. Dark… Read more →
When you have a two-burner propane stove — and the occasional campfire — what are your meal options? We struggled with this when we first started van-dwelling. Most camping recipes involve preparing something in a full kitchen in a house, then reheating it at the campground. Or food for 8-year-olds who only eat hot dogs and hate vegetables. Regular cookbooks don’t… Read more →
If you’re not familiar with IAmA on reddit, it’s when someone says who they are and encourages users to AMA, or “Ask me anything.” It usually looks something like this: I am a van-dweller who has lived in a minivan-turned-camper for 2+ years while traveling full time. AMA There are so many questions we get about the miscellaneous ins and outs of… Read more →
You live in a van and have unreliable refrigeration — or none at all. Which foods should you keep in your van? This is an adjustment for people used to house-dwelling. A fridge and freezer make perishables possible for longer. One thing we’ve noticed about folks our parents’ age is a love of buying lots of meat and stocking it… Read more →
Last Sunday, we drove back to our campsite ― and found it empty. After two years of traveling full time by van, someone finally jacked our stuff. The good news is we hadn’t left behind anything valuable. Our two-burner camp stove, two camping chairs, hatchet and two bundles of firewood were taken. Altogether worth about $100. Frustrating since we’re not made of money,… Read more →
We’re spending a lot of time away from our trusty van Red Delicious this year. We went to Australia (where we rented a van) and we’re about to spend a couple months long-distance hiking in both the U.S. and England. This begs the question: What do you do to store your van safely when you’re away? 1. Leave your van… Read more →
Fact: Spending a lot of time in a vehicle isn’t good for physical fitness. One of van living’s big challenges is that driving equals sitting — and sitting is the new smoking. Even if you travel slowly and don’t drive long distances daily, van life is essentially one long, seated road trip. We’ve been struggling with staying fit since we set out. It was especially… Read more →
We’re not talking about getting someone to watch your van for you. 😉 If you love travel and animals, have you considered house sitting? We’ve recently taken on more house-sitting assignments as a way to shake up van living. (As if van living weren’t exciting enough!) House sitting is a staple in the full-time traveler’s diet: it’s a way to earn free… Read more →
Hello from Swansea, Tasmania! We’ve been touring this small island state south of Australia for about a week by campervan. Hiring a campervan/caravan is a popular way to travel in Australia since the outdoors are so beautiful and the country is quite expensive. We thought we’d share the pros and cons with you in case you’re ever considering it. A… Read more →