Living life in a vehicle seems like an exotic idea. The truth is that it is both very exciting and pretty demanding at the same time. Living in your van enables you to wake up every morning at a different destination. However, you must know that living in it requires certain preparations. Living a van life is basically a changing lifestyle, and you need to be entirely prepared for it. Therefore, we compiled a list of the things you should know before you make a major turn.
When Switching to Van Life, Find the Vehicle to Suit Your Lifestyle
When choosing a vehicle for your daily life, you need to do your homework and seek the vehicle that will suit your lifestyle the best. This means that your vehicle is meant to support your needs, including hobbies, travel plans, and habits. Also, living in a van is an adventure in itself. Hence, choosing a van that can help you satisfy your adventurous spirit is essential. In any case, you should conduct considerable research on the automobiles that will be the best choice. To this end, it is the wisest option to compile a list of vehicles that can potentially make the best picks and choose among them.
DIY Vans
Another thing you can do is transform a vehicle into a campervan. When said like this, it seems like the task is impossible. However, it is not. Just as with picking the most suitable campervan for your needs, you should select the most suitable vehicle for your transformation. To this end, building your dream camper van project may include cargo vans, old-school vans, and high-top conversion vans. Speaking about the execution of this very project, there are a lot of things to do. Firstly, you must take out all the seats from the van, if there are seats, and work on the walls of the van and flooring. Also, if there is enough space, then fitting in a small kitchen along with a bathroom is one of the top demands. Additionally, you should think of sleeping places and cozy corners. It sounds pretty demanding, but with the right project and a good idea, it can be done pretty quickly.
Part-Time Van Life or Full-Time Van Life?
Before you jump into your van, you must decide how much time you will spend on the road. Or to put it in other words, how long are you planning to live in a van? This is a mandatory decision to be made if you want to go well-prepared on your trip. Knowing this will enable you to get all of the necessities and prepare yourself for a stress-free start. So, if you plan to spend a couple of days roaming the mountain roads, you will probably not need a power system, a solar panel, or too many things, but you will have to prepare a water system and a propane system. On the other hand, if you are a full-time van dweller, among the first things you should do is to set up the equipment that will allow you to live comfortably, and you’ll be functional for long-distance destinations.
Think of the Place to Sleep?
Normally, vans allow you enough space to spend the night. However, you can not park in the middle of the road and tuck comfortably into your bed. Instead, you should find a safe spot where you can sleep in your van or even set up a tent. If you do not think about finding your spot on time, you will end up driving around aimlessly. Typically, there are places where you can spend the night for free, while some other parking lots may charge you a fee. If you find these spots beforehand, it will save you a lot of stress. Similarly, you should know about small tricks when it comes to sleeping out. If you are lucky enough to spend the night near a spring of clean water, then you can use the water from these sources for washing and cooking and save up your own sources.
In Conclusion
Living in a van is a completely different lifestyle from the one we are used to. It is a sort of off-grid living where you get to know how to live in nature and be one with it. Besides making your van a place where you can spend your days, you need to learn how to use natural resources that will make your life easier. Living in a van is not just about driving around and absorbing beautiful scenery; it is also about staying safe along the way.
