The brutal truth about VAN LIFE \\ watch this before you start

I think the hardest thing to do when making any large decision is to just start to stop thinking about it stop planning it stop asking around and simply begin sometimes I think back to the day that I purchased my van and I truly cannot believe that I did it it was the beginning of not only the van's transformation but also my own and to be honest this was not an easy Journey but for many of us I don't think that's exactly the goal in life now I've been asked countless of times how I faced the unknown or how I finally just went for it and what I would say to people in my position but it's not all that straightforward and I truly think it's different for everyone which is why I've put this video together for you and something unique about this video is that this is not just my perspective but perspectives of people who are living this lifestyle or who have lived this lifestyle from all over the country like Mandy who wrode in and said start to embrace being comfortable with with the uncomfortable I have found that when I push myself to be uncomfortable is when I feel the most alive I have spent too many years putting myself in a comfortable box afraid of what was on the other side out of that box is where you discover yourself that is far too hot did you hear that that was Aila burp burping she just burped good morning my name is lanaa and this is Aila and we are on year four which is crazy but we're on your four of living full-time in our van this is Togo and he's a 2016 Ram proom master I built him out all by myself with zero experience and I love him we both do but he is slowly falling apart and this is not due to poor building I know that because my build is quite robust and a bit over engineered in places but having your home on the road for as long as we have things just kind of wear down over time and this is my first and only build I haven't switched rigs so the four years have all been in this beautiful little cabin on Wheels so today I am in the middle of the desert we are the only people for miles and I brought some power tools and I went and got some Lumber And I am also telling you all the deep dark truth of everything van life so if you are looking into this lifestyle or deciding if a van is right for you or if you're doing your own DIY build all of those things mean that this might be a really great video for you okay so it begins really quick note I thrive in this lifestyle style I love living in my van I can't imagine not living in my van and so I asked for some truths and some advice from people who are currently living on the road or who have lived on the road so a lot of this is going to be not just coming from me but coming from all sorts of people around the country I think one of the more unique aspects of my DIY build is that I have this cute little wood stove in my van but today it's coming out I have a freshly charged battery and that just feels amazing all right this first piece of advice is from Haley at pause and reflect life on the road can take many forms one of the best things you can do is spend time reflecting on what matters most to you not what matters most to your parents or your neighbors or your friends or the van lifers you follow on social media but what you most value from there you can prioritize how to maximize joy in your day-to-day routine and consider when you might want to push your comfort zone in the name of growth for example we prioritize being able to travel with our sensitive Australian Cattle Dog and leave her behind in the van when necessary and non-pet friendly spots this affected decisions about our electrical system how many hours we might drive in one day what sorts of environments we park in ETC other people make different choices for their lives on the road that works with their own sets of variables and that is wonderful when you're secure in what you value and why why you're embarking on this lifestyle in the first place why it matters to you why you want to share it with the creatures you do it's a lot easier to handle challenges and avoid unproductive comparisons I have yet to meet somebody on the road that lives exactly the way that I do and that values the exact same things that I do everybody is so different and I think the vast possibilities and potentials of this lifestyle can be really scary but it also means that you can tailor it to exactly what you want and I think that I maybe need to take some accountability in this because I often tell people you don't need that don't put that in your rig you don't need that and that's because for me I enjoy being a little bit uncomfortable and I enjoy really really simple things I can understand that for other people for the sake of sustainability and doing this for long term they might need more or they might need something different and that's like totally okay so yes life on the road can take many forums and figure out what you value and then go from there awesome thank you Haley for the first I think two years living in my van I had a diesel heater and that was great until it wasn't I didn't love it and I was nervous about like Aila Kicking It On by accident in the van and just so then I went with a wood stove also because uh my boyfriend and I spent huh that is like really stuck in there we spent a winter off grid in northern Wisconsin so this just worked better for me for that overall wood stove in a van or a bus would I recommend it not for most people truly I think diesel heaters are best for most people with that being said I'll never go back I love my wood stove it is perfect for me and the winter season I'm pretty sure is over hot as balls out here okay from Shelby at Shelby and will my boyfriend and I just built out a 1995 Chevy G30 and I've been living in her for about 3 months we love the travel and all of the things we've been able to see and experience on the road something we didn't expect was how much negative judgment we have encountered on the road our van is almost 30 years old and has a DIY paint job and we get a lot of dirty looks from people in public parks and parking lots and we have profiled and stopped by police for no reason we often ask why we were stopped so I would just tell people that if you don't have a very inconspicuous Pras or Sprinter that's all new and shiny you may have to deal with some backlash for living an alternative lifestyle and that can be hard and scary when police are involved for us it's still worth it and we try to stay out of cities and towns and More in Wild Spaces but it's something that we had no idea that we might encounter all right he's officially going home for for summer and these are my flu pipes that I will store until next winter easy peasy okay wait shoot where's my cap oh my gosh I have so much more space where's okay one thing I will never understand is how I can live in a 60t space and lose stuff that's what blows my mind every day one of the things that's annoying me the most is my drawers so I built these drawers from scratch they're not like Ikea or anything I built these they're by pride and joy but I think the drawer slides are messed up and these the these top two have just come like flying out on every left-hand turn also these uh latches they just don't latch anymore cuz they've been latching for 4 years and I think that they're just tired so they've decided to retire which means that yeah this just there's a lot of fixing I don't want to do that right now I'm going to go to the garage welcome to my garage I think my thing is too hot okay welcome to my garage I need to fix this uh badly so yeah I have changed my garage like a few times in the last few years and based on what I'm interested in the Hobbies I have all of the gear that I'm carrying it just I need different things okay I have three rods here I need to figure out a better way to store these guys more fly fishing stuff a lot of my storage and my build revolved around SL revolves because I'm always changing things and rebuilding things but a lot of it revolves around how long I can stay out in the middle of nowhere so that's why I about 2 years in I rebuilt my kitchen so that I got have a freezer and store meat and veggies and things that um would you know go bad in a fridge and then I changed some of my storage in the front part of my garage to hold more water and I just I want more water so um the goal is then to like maybe build a shelf where I can fit another Bluey I like to charge my bluetti while I drive using this back plug all right I just need to start building okay do you think I can leave I could do 15 here is a really beautiful and real sentiment from Summer at some. love living on the road is like having a multi-mile trail composed of all terrain subject to any weather and flourishing with all different forms of life it's a beautiful way to see the places you've always wanted to see and dive deeper into connections you've always dreamed of having with that said it's still living and with living in this physical form in this physical world comes pain challenges frustration and fear there will be nights when you're cozy in bed with your fur baby and you are unable to shake an uneasy feeling possibly about where you're sleeping that night or simply just missing company of someone you love but the beautiful thing about that icky feeling is you can always drive away or drive into it what life on the road has taught me is that most fear comes from an Uncharted Territory it's that stomach drop before you start your track on a new Trail or the sweaty Palms before meeting up with a new friend and what better way to face fear than to look her dead in the eye walk into her and embrace that is courage my friends if you're thinking about starting this journey do it it will be worth every emotion that floods your body you will see those epic sceneries you will experience those kind connections and best of all you will meet yourself every step of the way hope this Sparks something in you that allows more clarity in your question lots of love okay let's see here please fit oh that is perfect and it even has a little wiggle room which means that I can fit my blue without taking off the spout lovely I think that reminder is always powerful that often people will assume making a big change in your lifestyle will fix your life and while it may bring more of what you want or more of what is fulfilling to you in your life like summer said it's still living and living in this physical form in this physical world comes pain challenges frustration and fear and that will just always forever be a reality of Our Lives the reason that I'm able to be out here doing this kind of work in the van in the middle of this beautiful desert is because of this ac240 so I want to give a huge thank you to bluetti for supporting my channel and for sponsoring today's video this is the world's first ip65 outdoor portable power station and it is ideal for Outdoor Adventures and desert camping and even off-roading now I can understand some concerns that one might have about portable power in these types of conditions the way that my lifestyle works I am out in the dust and the dirt and I tend to leave things accidentally out in the rain so I just have to highlight that the ip65 waterresistant and dustproof proof technology effectively resolves these issues because the ac240 can still function even after it is exposed to dust or splashes of water which will be incredibly important because I'm leaving for the property in less than a week and this will be one of my main power sources Colorado gets very windy I have purchased property in a very Aid Place really a perfect product for my type of situation living in the desert now and then purchasing property also in the dusty desert here are a few important specs the ac240 has an AC output of 2400 WS the power capacity is 30 amp hours and has a power lifting mode of 3600 WS this also has AC fast charging which is one of my all-time favorite characteristics because I'm not often near AC Outlets but when I am this unit can charge to 80% in just 45 minutes and it can get a full charge in about 70 minutes and of course it has a solar input which is what I use for the majority of the time and it works beautifully also I know many of you have the option of connecting your RVs camper van or even boats to um like Shore power it has a tt30 port [Music] which allows you to use the ac240 as a direct power supply for your RV or your camper van or your boat now I only have one ac240 but if I were to receive another one there's an option to connect both in parallel this would allow you to double the power and bring the output up to 4,800 Watts which would meet 99% of indoor load requirements basically the voltage would remain the same but the power would double make sure to click the link in my description below and order your own blue Edie ac240 to power your adventures and your crazy projects in the middle of the desert like I am doing [Music] today see if this fits oh oh that's perfect ooh I might have made this I did even check oh my gosh oh that is perfect from Jerica at jerich schara most often people will choose familiar even if it is painful over the discomfort of uncertainty there is cognitive science to this change often will not happen until people actually fully want it and when they recognize that the discomfort in the uncertainty is preferred over the familiar quote unquote pain that they are Desiring to change I don't know where everything went I have so much space uh one of the dogs jumped up and made this little rip and then it just get kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger as their like feet would get stuck in it so I have to change my sheets you are planning on living in a van because you're outdoorsy and adventurous and you like just being outside all the time don't buy white sheets even if you think it'll be fine it won't they get brown oh I just ripped this more yeah this is the rip so not repairing that one from Becca at discovering Beck less comfort more life I no longer live on the road but I still travel frequently in my van 4 years ago I met a boy and we sold everything we had to travel together we mostly him built out an old Suburban truck and traveled the country in that for 5 months we eventually sold it and moved to Australia for a few months before we ultimately broke up I was heartbroken yet a spark had been lit I had never tasted freedom and travel like that before I had never known what unstructured days felt like I had never experienced a life where I didn't have to be anywhere or be doing anything unless I truly wanted to be there or be doing that thing I had discovered a lifestyle where or every day you have to be present and connected you are conscious of your thoughts words and actions you are simply living without all of the noise in today's world my advice to anyone who wants to hit the road or just make a big change in the way they live their lives is just do it it will be hard it will challenge everything you thought you know you must Venture forth with an open mind and heart but I promise it will be worth it the best lessons moments and people come from being so far out of your comfort zone van life is one way to do it and I'm glad it's the path that I chose my biggest piece of advice to anyone and everyone is to leave your hometown move to a new city state or even country get out of the environment that you've been in for so long and taste somewhere new home will always be there and you can always go back but I promise you will not regret exploring someplace new so again less comfort more life do things that scare you go to new places and meet new people it will not be easy but you will grow and Blossom as you Journey on here's to you and all all of your adventures loose easy peasy this is the beauty of building your own van I know how everything is put together I know how I built every little piece I know exactly the process just to build this little frame for my for my drawer and so yeah fixing things is so easy there's a little bit of a sticking point but I think we're okay [Music] [Music] I just put this upside down L didn't even think about [Music] that stupid l ah wow all right that's perfect I have another little piece of wisdom for you fornite this is from Zach at Zack Isaiah uncore one of the biggest things I felt like I've been leaning into is making sure you're doing this lifestyle authentic to you when I first got on the road I thought I needed to take off and go to all the places and see all the things which really messed up my nerv nervous system and just emotional well-being I needed to stop and slow down and really evaluate how I wanted to move forward whether you want to move fast or slow there is no race it's not about getting up to the top of the mountain right away but also enjoying the way up there also allowing adversity to be my teacher before getting on the road my thought was I'll figure it out when it happens well three breakdowns later I'm realizing that's a good way to look at it but having somewhat of a small plan especially traveling with animals is definitely not a bad thing trust yourself and trust your intuition if you're fighting yourself the entire time you won't be able to enjoy the exact experiences that you were looking for you have to allow yourself to fully experience and that gets hard when you're having an internal battle with yourself I really had to give myself Grace and not allow the expectations that I had to not allow me to experience greater all done wow that looks good TOS you look good man Hell Yeah I broke um five mugs in the last month from these drawers flinging out You' think I would have done it a month ago here I am oh my God I love it early on in my van life living days um I broke down a lot I was stranded in Idaho twice I was once stranded in a Cherry Orchard I was also stuck in a small grocery store parking lot for about 4 days because my van would start I think all of that like when you're putting your entire life in everything that you own or in my case this was everything that I own I now have a few things in my shipping container but this for you know 3 years was everything that I owned there is a lot that can go wrong WR on the road and I think what Zach said like having the thought process of like I'll figure that out when it happens that's also is very similar to me and there were a few times where I was stuck in some really difficult situations because I didn't have a plan so yeah having a plan is obviously important especially when you're taking care of another being like in my case Aila and as far as what Zach said about really going slow and that there's no race once you get on the road I think that my situation was unique in the way of I prior to living in my van traveled so much already I traveled in my Camry I traveled in my Forerunner I traveled overseas there was a lot that I had experienced before living in my van and I see a lot of people transitioning into van life without having any experience camping or car camping or traveling and I think that's really amazing too and I can imagine that that makes the transition into this lifestyle so much more difficult than what I experienced and so yeah giving yourself Grace and allowing yourself to move really slowly like through the country or while on the road stay in places for maybe longer than you had initially wanted to um it can just help with some of that adjustment if you're one of those people okay next project I don't I don't want to do this one wow this is [Music] disgusting here's the deal when I built my van I was on a budget I had very little money so I got my floor the front does not match the garage I got two different types of flooring because that's all they had at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore I got all of my flooring for $11 total based on that price you will gather that it is not waterproof or stealed in any way so over the years especially of having a Kila yeah my floor is destroyed and it looks terrible and there's um warping and a bunch of Nicks and scrapes and there's water damage and that's okay that's what happens when you live in a tiny space with a big dog so I am not not changing my floor but I do want to seal it from Ali at Ali roams my advice is to not let others influence or change your dreams you don't need the most expensive rig with the most expensive gadgets just whatever gets you outside it's your journey and you get to make what you want of it at your own pace also never make a plan and think that it will go through as soon as you hit the road the universe will trash all of your plans so just go with it things will break and that's okay okay get out of your comfort zone as much as possible because it will help you overcome life's Road bumps everyone I know that has a convertible bed never has it in table mode everyone that has a compostable toilet never poops in it so opt for the cheaper option you think you would miss showering on the road but it actually becomes a chore and you keep pushing it back another day and another day it can be hard to make friends on the road at first but eventually you will fall into a group of people that you love and you'll travel in all different directions and somehow all come together again in a magical spot in the forest now I do love making delicious fancy meals but I wanted to show you that often times please don't today was a long day so instead of making something elaborate and that takes a long time I this is a half a pound of beef from aila's dinner so we just split dinner I made myself this burger put avocado on top and then mixed I had some mayo and then I put some garlic and lemon juice in it for like a garlic aoli and that's my meal and I have one more project to do I just might wait till tomorrow I have a few things to burn as well so maybe we'll just do a fire tonight and I think tonight's a full moon from Lissa at Wild North Wanderer girls no toilet get a shiwi it's not gross it's practical and for safety this way if you are parked in a city you can pee safely at night in your van in a jar I had a terrible experience in Vancouver in a well-lit park at a portapotty I don't go outside at night alone anymore and the $15 I spent on the shiwi was well worth [Music] it from jod at Huckleberry Crow the first thing that comes to mind is believe in yourself believe your capabilities and limitations but Embrace new adventure even if you might be a little scared pay close attention to your inner voice and gut I have been in super remote areas as a single female if something or someone feels off have a plan or a way to defend yourself on the flip side trust people who feel okay I had a hunter who was passing through at that remote location he help helped me when there was a propane leak I had put out a propane fire the night before in the 100-year-old cabin me and my two dogs were staying in that is another story be brave believe in yourself and embrace Adventure [Music] [Music] from Shannon at Shan wandering about I meet a lot of people who say you're so brave and further conversations reveal that they think I'm not scared and that they couldn't do this because they are too scared of leaving or finding new work of being on the road alone of many different things but the thing is I am often scared bravery or courage is not the lack of fear it's taking the risk even though you are scared you don't have to wait until your fear has subsided to make a change work on building trust in yourself your world and God whoever or whatever that is to you then you can do anything even if you're scared start small make little changes and moves that scare you build those muscles and I will see you on the road [Music] when we wake hear the birds and see the sun side by side our face are done all the good times just begun [Music]

Channel: Linnea & Akela

Views: 173,837

Keywords: van life, living in a van, van conversion, van life tour, van tour, van life build, van life vlog, the truth about vanlife, van living, living in a camper van, tiny home, living the van life, van life winter, living in a van full time, living in a van in the winter, living in a van with a dog, living in a van tour, van conversion camper, van conversion ideas, van conversion tour, van conversion cheap, van conversion diy, van conversion step by step

Id: ds72hmUYpro

Length: 29min 56sec (1796 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 29 2024