Beginner’s Guide to Living In A Van Full Time.

Living In A Van Full Time, A Beginner’s Guide

Apart from being a preferred mode of transportation, vans have of late become a residence of choice for travelers mostly backpackers. In a bid to save costs or just for the spirit of adventure, vans have been converted into homes and they do serve this purpose rather well.

You may want to join in on the trend and decide to live in your van full time and have a worthy experience while at it. However, before you venture into this lifestyle, there are things that you need to note. Let us get into living in a van full time, a beginner’s guide to see what you need to know and consider before converting your van into your home.

The Type Of Van For Your Stay

One thing that you need to get right is the type of van that you want to live in. the type of van should be congruent to your lifestyle and able to accommodate your needs. If you are going to be traveling a lot, then you need a more resilient van with some modifications to meet the road you will be hitting.

Factor In The Bed And Storage Space

Living in your van means the van takes on the role of your home and essentials such as resting and storage space should be factored in. The good thing with most vans is that they have much ample interior space and the seats can either be used for sleeping or modified into a bed.

The bed should be made comfortable enough to your preference and modifications can be made to create storage space to keep your personal belongings.

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Do Not Forget About The Bathroom

For many van dwellers, one problem that presents itself is where to clean up or help themselves, the washroom. Some vans that have been designed for a dwelling may have these areas catered for. However, for the normal vans, you need to have a place where you can go clean up be it a hotel or a public restroom.

Be On The Lookout For Emergencies

Living on the van can present a lot of perils on your path such as accidents, fires or even being stranded if you are traveling. You need to be always ready for such situations as you cannot predict when they will happen. As such, have emergency utilities with you at all times such as a spare wheel, a fire extinguisher and also a medical kit.

With such utilities, you are able to get out of many situations that can present themselves when living in a van full time.

Consider Having A Conditioning System Installed

When you decide to live in your van full time, you need to factor in the varying weather conditions that can make staying in the van unbearable. For example, during cold conditions most would prefer tuning on the engine for warmth. This is risky as you can inhale the poisonous carbon monoxide gas. The best option is to have a conditioning system installed to help you deal with varying temperatures in the van.

These are some of the considerations that you need to note as a beginner once you have decided to live in your van full time. Being conversant with the considerations will ensure that you have a worthwhile time living in your van.

Living In A Van Full Time. – Related Questions

The monthly expenses of living in a van full time.

Groceries- This is an obvious one because whether you live in a house, a van or space, you still need to nourish your body. However, for budgeting purposes, if you plan to live in a van full time, you should try to purchase groceries in bulk and on sale, to save some money.
Fast food-There will be instances when you want to indulge in takeaways, as opposed to home-cooked food, this will add on to your monthly expenses.
Diesel- another obvious expense would be diesel. Living in a van full time means that you’re likely to spend more time traveling than the average person. As a result, it is only normal that you require more diesel.
Maintenance- although your van is your living quarters, it is still a vehicle. You would, therefore, have monthly expenses of the likes of replacing old furniture and equipment, refilling the stove propane, as well as modifications you would want to be done to the van.
Insurance- you would need insurance for your van, to cover any damage, as well as health insurance for yourself and whomever you are sharing your van experience with.
Laundry- living in a van typically means that you most likely do not have access to your washing machine. You will, as a result, spend a good amount of money on Laundromats.
Campsites- unfortunately, not all campsites are free and there will instances where you would need to park your van on payable sites.
Leisure- living in a van does not mean that you become a hermit. You will still need to socialize, and this needs to be budgeted for.

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How to make money living in a van?

Adopting such a living situation will ideally require you to work from “homeA|,” as it would be more convenient for you. Following are a few of the ways on how one can make money from home;

Using online platforms like Fiverr and Freelancer will allow you to sell your services online, whether it be a video editor or graphic design.
Blogging has proven to be very profitable if correctly done. There, take a short course, start your own blog and monetize it using certain strategies, in order to make money from your computer.
Start selling products online through a profitable niche.
Start a business that you can easily manage while you’re on the road.

Van living must-haves

The following items are a few of the most essential possessions to have when living full time in a van:

Maxx fan
A heater
Solar chargers
Solar panel
A cooler
A propane stove
A compost toilet
Kitchen essentials
Camping chairs
An awning
Blankets, preferably made of wool
A solar shower

One can probably do without some of these items. However, van life should be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. It is therefore recommended to have, if not all, then most of the items on the list as this will make van living more enjoyable.