Living the van life is all about going on amazing adventures and having all of your conveniences along for the ride. It’s basically living the ultimate turtle life—taking your entire home with you wherever you go. Having an energy-efficient fridge to keep all of your favourite foods and bevvies cold is essential.

Most van lifers have a solar power electrical system so minimal power draw and maximum cooling is the name of the game. While RVs often have a house-sized refrigerator built-in, it’s great to have an alternative option for off-grid trips or a more affordable replacement.

We’ve had an interesting run with our Dometic fridge but once we got it tuned in, it’s great. We already had a propane system hooked up so having a 3-way absorption model works well for us. It allows us to run off of LP gas, 12 volt power from our batteries, or 110 volt shore power. If you’re starting a van build from scratch, considering non-propane 12 volt refrigerators makes a lot more sense.

There are lots of great upright and portable 12v fridges out there to choose from. This list will cover some of the key differences between each fridge style and highlight our top picks for the best camper van fridge. Let’s get into it!

Best Fridges for Van Life

The qualities of a great camper van fridge boil down to a few key characteristics:

• compact design that fits well in your space
• enough storage for your chilled essentials
• low power consumption
• durable body that can handle whatever van life throws at it
• has a dual zone freezer if you want one

Upright Fridges

An upright fridge is the most like a regular mini fridge. Most front loading fridges give you the option to pick which side you want your door to open on and can be mounted into a cabinet. They are slightly less efficient than chest-style fridges since more cold air can escape when you open them but the difference is negligible. That said, they offer convenient shelving and usually have an ice cream compartment—I mean freezer… We consider an upright fridge to be the best fridge for a van conversion since it’s off the floor and permanently mounted. The only downside is that they’re usually more expensive.

Dometic RM2354

Sure, we’re biased but this is the fridge that we have and it’s awesome. This is a 3-way fridge that can run off of LP gas, DC power, or AC power. It has 3 cubic feet of storage space with two shelves and three door compartments.

The LED control panel is at the top of the fridge and is super easy to use. There aren’t many settings beyond which power source it’s using but having the “check” light viewable from any angle is helpful if there’s ever an issue. There’s also a white clip on the metal fins inside of the fridge where you can adjust the temperature by a few degrees.

This Dometic refrigerator has a small freezer compartment that is surprisingly spacious. Plus, the front panel is interchangeable so you can have fun with the look of your fridge. We’ve had ours wood grain, white, and silver over the years and now we use paper prints to switch it up. Just remember, make sure to keep this fridge level since it is an absorption refrigerator.

Get the specs from Dometic and buy one!

If you already own a Dometic RV fridge and are having issues, check out our detailed troubleshooting guide.

Norcold N412UR

Along with Dometic, Norcold fridges are an RV staple. This model is very similar to the Dometic RM2354 but bigger. It’s a 3-way absorption fridge that can run off of LP gas, DC power, or AC power. This model has 4.5 cubic feet of storage, which is huge for a vehicle fridge!

One thing the Norcold designers did right was the shelving. There are two compartments on the door and two shelves. The bottom shelf has a cutout that you can flip-up to store taller bottles like 2L jugs or wine bottles. In our Dometic fridge, we often have to store taller bottles on their side because the shelving can’t accommodate them.

This Norcold fridge also has a small freezer compartment and an easy-to-use LED control panel. You can customize the front door panel to match your van conversion and switch up the design when you feel like it.

Read more about the fridge here and purchase one here.

Vitrifrigo VF62

This is the only upright 12 volt refrigerator on our list. That’s mainly because they’re hard to come by since most upright fridges cater to RVs with propane. That being said, this Vitrifrigo model is a great option for a low voltage front-loading fridge.

Unlike a typical upright fridge, this is a compressor fridge instead of absorption. This means that levelling is still important but isn’t as finicky. This refrigerator has 2.2 cubic feet of storage and even has a snazzy light inside triggered by the door opening. It only has one shelf and two door compartments but does have decent freezer capacity.

This Vitrifrigo only draws 40 watts of power so it can easily run off of solar power. It’s much more affordable than the other two upright fridges, making it a great option for van lifers.

Read more specs here and buy one on Amazon.

Chest Style Fridges

A chest fridge is a popular choice for van life. They’re low voltage, portable, and cool with utmost efficiency. They’re kinda similar to toting a cooler around when you’re going on a camping trip. It’s handy to be able to move it around and potentially even bring it outside depending on how you have it hooked up. Plus, they double as an extra seat in your van, which is always nice to have. The main drawback with these guys is that they take up a lot of floor space. You’re also always stacking things on top of each other but your things do stay in place securely when you’re driving.

Dometic CFX3-75DZ

Dometic makes an impressive line of 12 volt refrigerators. There are nine 12v fridges in the CFX lineup ranging from 27 quarts all the way up to 93 quarts. To translate, 93 quarts means it can hold 146 cans, which is nuts! Selecting from such a robust product lineup is awesome because there are lots of sizing options for every van.

Our pick is the Dometic CFX-75 because it is a portable fridge freezer with a 74-quart capacity. That’s 2.4 cubic feet, which is comparable to the upright models. This is the best Dometic fridge for van life because of its versatility. It has removable wire baskets for organization and the dual zone means you can set up two different temperature zones. So you can make the whole thing a fridge, rock a fridge freezer combo, or go full freezer.

Its rugged body is durable and ultra insulated so it performs well even in scorching temperatures. It also has an LED light inside to help when you have an ice cream craving in the middle of the night (it happens). The coolest part (pun intended) is that it has wifi! You can connect your 12v fridge to your phone and control a bunch of settings through the Dometic app. You can adjust the temperature, get open lid alerts, and turn off the fridge right from your phone!

Lastly, this off-grid compressor fridge has a USB port so you can charge your devices through it. Plus, if you’re ever running it off of your vehicle battery, it will monitor the power draw. It has a built-in battery protection system that will turn the unit off before it drains your battery.

View the full CFX series on Dometic’s website and pick one up for yourself!

ARB 50-Quart

This ARB fridge is a durable and energy-efficient option that’s ready to take on any off-road adventure. It is a chest-style compressor fridge that can run on AC/DC power. Just like the Dometic, you can hardwire it into your off-grid electrical system or use your car’s cigarette lighter.

There are four different sizes, ranging from 37 quarts to 82 quarts. We’d go for the 50-quart capacity because it can hold a lot but doesn’t take up as much space as the bigger models. This type of fridge is perfect for travelling because it can handle being bumped around and the lid fully comes off for cleaning.

ARB also makes sliding panels that can be mounted in your van for easy access to any ARB fridge. This keeps your portable 12v fridge secure and easy to tuck away when you’re not using it. While you can use this unit as a fridge-freezer, its freezing capabilities aren’t as powerful as the Dometic. Something to keep in mind if having a freezer is an important part of your refrigerator decision.

Check out the full description from ARB or purchase one on Amazon.

Costway 55-Quart

The Costway 55-quart portable refrigerator is a great budget-friendly option. The lower cost doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice storage capacity or cooling abilities. Some compressor fridges can do an amazing job at chilling but fall flat when it comes to freezing. This 12v fridge can cool down to -20°C (-4°F), which is super impressive.

The design is similar to the ARB fridge with an LED control panel above the handle for convenient temperature control. It also has an anti-shock and anti-shake design that keeps your items secure even on overlanding adventures. This portable fridge-freezer can work with any van build because of its slim profile.

While it does have dual compartments, this 12 volt refrigerator can only be set to one temperature. This means that you’ll be committed to using the whole thing as either a fridge or a freezer and not both simultaneously. It has wire baskets for organization and an LED light for optimal midnight snack scavenging.

Similar to the other compressor refrigerators, the Costway 12v fridge has a battery protection system. This prevents your battery from dying by turning the unit off when the battery is getting low.

Check out the details over at Costway and pick one up to try out.

BougeRV 53-Quart

This 12 volt portable refrigerator is another affordable option from BougeRV. Like the other compressor refrigerators, this can be hooked up to 12v DC, 24v DC, or AC power. It has a 53-quart capacity and can cool to -20°C (-4°F), making it a versatile option for your van or RV. The only thing to keep in mind is that you can only select one temperature for the whole unit.

The low power consumption draws less than 1 kWh per day when it’s cranked to max. That’ll be easy on your solar panels so you won’t need to worry about monitoring the per-hour power draw. Even with being so energy efficient, the compressor cooling technology works pretty quickly. In 16 minutes, it can get from 25°C (77°F) down to 0°C (32°F)!

It also has battery protection and a slim profile to tuck into tighter spaces. The LED display is easy to use and has an eco-mode for more control over power consumption. The best part about a chest-style portable refrigerator is that it doesn’t need to be kept level. This 12 volt fridge can handle a 30° tilt and still perform properly in your van.

Read more from BougeRV and grab one on Amazon.

Engel MR040F-U1

This 12 volt portable refrigerator from Engel doesn’t mess around when it comes to durability. It has a highly efficient compressor that is built to last. Engel even backs this up with a three-year warranty, which is higher than most other 12v refrigerators on the market.

The Engel MR040F-U1 has a 40-quart capacity that can run off of 24v/12v DC or AC power. The durable ABS construction makes this the perfect fridge-freezer for an off-grid van. It can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it and hold many beers along the way.

The fridge’s compressor only draws 1-2 amps per hour, which is 40% less than a traditional compressor. This makes it a good portable fridge option when you don’t have the strongest power source. The only thing that isn’t ideal is the size; it’s quite bulky and takes up a lot of floor space. If your van can spare the extra real estate, it’s one of the best 12v fridges.

Read more specs from Engel and purchase here.

What to Look for in a Van Fridge

There are lots of different fridges on the market and let’s face it, many look pretty similar. So how do you decode all the technical info and find the best fridge for van life? Well, the first step is to evaluate your needs, space constraints, power capabilities, and of course, your budget. Traditional RV fridges can handle all the bumps of the road and perform well on electric or gas. Buuuut all of these great features come with a beefy price tag.

To help guide you in your camper fridge journey, here are some things to look for when shopping for van fridges:

• Size
• Capacity
• Power Sources
• Layout
• Freezer Compartment
• Cost

Size

If you’re starting your van conversion from the ground up, you can customize your kitchen dimensions to accommodate your fridge perfectly. Otherwise, you’ll have to consider how much space you have to work with and how much floor real estate you’re willing to give up.

Capacity

Do you need to have a 6-pack of ice-cold beers accessible at all times? Do you shop at Costco? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you’ll probably want to opt for a refrigerator with a large capacity.

Power Sources

If you’re running on solar only, you’ll want a 12v fridge. Most 12 volt refrigerators have battery protection to prevent from draining your battery bank. If you hook up to shore power often, an ac/dc model might be great for you. Otherwise, if you already have a stove or furnace running off of propane, a 3-way fridge might tick all of your boxes.

Layout

Does your van kitchen work with a chest fridge or will you need an upright fridge?

Freezer Compartment

If you’re living in a van or RV full time, having a freezer is really handy. We have one in our fridge and even though it’s small, it’s great for saving food from going bad. And of course, having ice cream ready to go on hot summer days doesn’t hurt. Some chest fridges are “dual zone,” meaning they have separate fridge-freezer compartments with different temperature zones as well.

Cost

Not all camper fridges are created equal. You’ll find that there’s a pretty broad price range that can be confusing. Generally, smaller fridges are cheaper but the savings isn’t really worth it if it doesn’t work for your space. It’s fine to go for a low-cost fridge if you’ll just be using it on weekend trips or as a backup. If you’re living in your van or RV full time, however, don’t cheap out on your fridge.

What Are Absorption Refrigerators?

Absorption fridges are standard in most RVs. They usually offer more versatility in how they operate based on what you’re working with. They can run on propane, battery power, or shore power. Basically, a propane flame or electric element heats an ammonia-based solution. It then travels into a condenser where it dissipates its heat and creates cooling power through rapid evaporation. You should watch this video for a full explanation of all of the chemistry involved.

When run on LP gas (propane), absorption refrigerators are quite efficient, quiet, and durable. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that the fridge needs to be level in order to operate correctly. These things aren’t messing around either, you can get air bubbles in your cooling unit that will cause your fridge to stop cooling.

We have an absorption fridge and it works great. They all come standard with a locking mechanism to prevent your fridge doors from flying open while you’re on the road too. They’re literally designed for vans and RVs so, in our opinion, they’re the best option if you can afford them. Definitely skip it though if you don’t have propane and would be using it on full electric all the time. There are better low power consumption models out there geared for 12 volt usage.

What Are 12 Volt Refrigerators All About?

A 12 volt fridge runs off of the DC power from your batteries. Because it doesn’t need to be converted to AC power with an inverter, it is much more energy-efficient and will take little power draw. This means that your 12v fridge can be hooked up to your battery bank from your solar panels, or it can be hooked up to your vehicle starting battery. Most 12 volt refrigerators come equipped with multi-stage battery protection to prevent your batteries from dying. You wouldn’t want to permanently have your 12v fridge leeching off your vehicle battery but it’s an option for shorter camping trips.

Generally, all 12 volt fridges are compressor fridges. A compressor fridge in your camper van will operate the same way a residential fridge does. They use a refrigerant like Freon to draw out hot air and vent in cold air to the back of your fridge. You can watch this video for a full breakdown of how the process works.

Can You Use a Normal Fridge in a Campervan?

Short answer: no. Normal residential fridges are designed to work off of the 110v AC power you’d have at home. Even energy-efficient residential fridges draw way more power than a 12v DC model for mobile use. Also, if you’re doing van life right, you’re probably going on lots of adventures. These fridges are not meant to be shaken around or moved at all really. A normal mini fridge might seem appealing because of price and availability, but they are not designed for mobile living.

There is one scenario where a normal fridge can be used in a van or RV. If you live in an RV park or on your own property where you’re stationary and have an electrical hook-up, go for it! Some folks prefer a normal fridge because it has more shelf space and they’re usually much cheaper. But again, a camper fridge is more expensive for a reason.

Final Thoughts

Selecting the best van fridge for your camper van or RV doesn’t have to be a stressful process. While the cost can be daunting, investing in a high-quality refrigerator is an important step in the van life journey. You want your off-grid life to be as comfortable as possible so make sure that your fridge can stand the test. Whether you splash out on a dual-zone 12 volt fridge-freezer or keep it simple with a 12v DC unit, you’ll be eating ice cream on the road in no time!

What kind of fridge do you have in your van?

WHAT IS VAN LIFE?

Van life at its core is exactly what it sounds like – living inside of a van. However, as the nomadic lifestyle continues to build momentum, van life has become a social movement promoting freedom, minimalism, and simplicity.

The idea of living with less and rejecting the societal norm of working your ass off to buy a house with a white picket fence while you slave away at a 9-5 job that you don’t even like is extremely liberating.

The “American Dream” is changing and people are realizing that there is more to life than just doing what society tells you to do.

So what does living in a van have to do with liberation? Doesn’t that just make you homeless?

Well, kinda! We like to look at choosing to live in your vehicle as being houseless, not homeless. Not every vehicle dweller is doing it out of choice and it’s important to not over-glamourize or sensationalize living in a van as being some sort of ticket out of arbitrary hell. It takes a lot of work, adaptability, and open-mindedness to overcome the inevitable hurdles of a major lifestyle adjustment. That being said, the views are totally worth the climb.

WHAT’S THE APPEAL OF VAN LIFE?

The appeal of van living is rooted in three things: freedom, flexibility, and minimalism. People want to live a more fulfilling life that’s not focused on material objects or arbitrary accomplishments. People want to get out of their home towns and discover more of their country or somewhere completely new. Above all, people want to break out of societal constraints and discover what it feels like to truly be happy.

FREEDOM

Having the freedom to live in a different zip code every night and not be tied to one city or one state is something that seems almost too good to be true. When you live in a van, you have all of your stuff with you and as long as you can keep your gas tank full, you can take your little adventure mobile pretty much anywhere.

This means that you can finally get to dip your toe in the ocean or visit that mountain you’ve always wanted to see without having to worry about booking a hotel or relying on fast food to keep your belly full. You now have the opportunity to open yourself up to new adventures that have never been on your radar before and continuously discover new places, meet new people, and try new things.

Truth be told, there’s a lot of work that goes into even the simplest of tasks when you live in a van. Things like having clean drinking water, finding a level place to park, and even getting rid of your garbage are all day-to-day tasks that require thought and planning. Because of this, every day is an adventure! Even if driving into random ghost towns to find propane isn’t on your adventure bucket list now, it really does keep every day interesting and far from the routines and normalcy of conventional living.

All of these factors can lead to the kind of personal growth that transcends van living and leads to developing a beautiful, well-rounded person who’s open to new experiences and can think outside of their own bubble. To us, no amount of work experience or academic accreditation can match the wealth of knowledge you absorb while travelling.

FLEXIBILITY

As I mentioned before, if you want to plan your life around chasing the sun or even following a band on tour, you can totally do that. If you want to turn your van life journey into a quest to try and find the best burger in every state or to meet up with long lost family members you haven’t seen in ages, do it up!! It’s your journey and embracing whatever makes every day exciting for you is what it’s all about.

The best part about van life is how quickly you can adapt. If you’re on the fifth state of your national burger quest and feel like you’re really enjoying the vibe of the area you’re in, then stay longer! We’ve always tried to cling to a few anchor points of where we want to go and at what time of year, but we never tie ourselves down to planning a day-to-day or week-to-week plan so that we can embrace the flexibility and see where the wind takes us.

When we first set off in our van from Alberta in December (brr), the northern states were just as cold as the temperatures we were trying to leave so what did we do? We kept driving until it got warm. On the flip side, we’ve been hyped up to go to certain places that kind of fell flat so what did we do? We moved on. The point is that you’re not tied to hotel reservations or flights, so just go with the flow and make going to bed with a smile on your face your priority each and every day (maybe not literally…that’s kind of creepy).

Heck, you might even meet another van lifer on the road and decide to scrap your entire plan and convoy to Alaska instead. That’s the beauty of van life because when you have a home on wheels, home truly is where you park it.

MINIMALISM

Minimalism has been a buzz word floating around the internet for a while now. So what’s minimalism all about? Minimalism is the idea of simplifying your life by living with less while highlighting the value of the things that you do choose to keep. To be clear, this has absolutely nothing to do with monetary value, but rather an item’s utility or personal connection.

By surrounding yourself with only the things that you need and those with which you have a strong connection, you will feel less cluttered mentally and emotionally. How deep! But really, most of us know that “stuff” is not the answer and it can be really challenging to get rid of unnecessary stuff when you have lots of cupboards and storage closets.

When you live in a van, you have no choice but to be extremely critical of every item that earns its spot in your space because every inch is prime real estate. Honing in on your needs and not your wants can be difficult but it’s really amazing how little you need to survive and still enjoy life.

In addition to satisfying your utilitarian needs, having only a few personal non-utility items actually makes them that much more special. For example, from the wall of books I owned, I only chose one to come on the road with me. I turned to this book when I was bored or sad or just needed to zone out. I chose a book of poems for this reason because having one versatile item is far more valuable than three or four separate items.

There are a few key questions to consider when determining what items to keep to suit your minimalist lifestyle.

• Does this item fulfill a specific purpose that I need on a regular basis?
• Is this item high quality and intended to last?
• Is there a more versatile item I could get to replace multiple single-purpose items?
• Does this item make me happy? (Remember, while minimalism is all about living with less, having items that you enjoy using on a day-to-day basis is also important. Things can be useful AND pretty!)

All in all, minimalism is about assessing your needs, fulfilling your needs, and enjoying your menial tasks by surrounding yourself with things that make you happy and serve a purpose. It’s not about eating your meals with the fork on your pocket knife because you don’t want to own cutlery, it’s about finding a set of cutlery that is durable, reusable, and maybe even comes in your favourite colour.

HOW DO I KNOW IF VAN LIFE IS RIGHT FOR ME?

You’re never going to find a definitive answer to this question from any person or Buzzfeed quiz. There are a few key traits that certainly make the adjustment a lot easier but ultimately, it’s a personal journey and you’re really never going to know for sure until you try. If you tick some of the below boxes then maybe van life should be your next adventure!

I LOVE THE OUTDOORS

For starters, a love of the outdoors is a major driving factor for a ton of van lifers and other nomads. Maybe you want to hit up a bunch of climbing spots around the US or visit every National Park in Canada; whatever the case, lots of folks use van dwelling as a gateway to the outdoors. Let’s face it, you’re going to spend A LOT of time outside when your living quarters are so small, so being comfortable with some mud beneath your feet and some bugs around your head is definitely helpful.

I’M LOW MAINTENANCE

There are often times when you will go several days without a proper shower or you will wear the same clothes for days on end. Sometimes it’s because you’re in the middle of nowhere and can’t go to a laundromat and other times it’s because you’re having so much fun that changing your shirt is very low on your priorities list. The point is, most folks’ vans don’t have hot showers and can’t support running a blow dryer every morning so these are sacrifices you have to be willing to make. Let’s be real—you also have to poop in a bag sometimes so, buckle up!

I CAN WORK REMOTELY OR AM COMFORTABLE WORKING SHORT-TERM JOBS

How to make money on the road is one of the main questions we get asked and can be one of the trickiest aspects of getting your vanlife journey started. If you’re lucky, you might already have a job where your employer is comfortable having you work remotely. One positive element to the Coronavirus pandemic is that more and more companies are realizing that remote workers can work just as well as an in-person team. This is lifting location restraints for so many people and creating more opportunities for finding remote work.

Ideally with a remote job, all you need is internet and a place to plug in your laptop periodically to work. We are fortunate enough to be in this position because we’re both self-employed. While it is great for many reasons, it also requires a lot of discipline and organization, so keep that in mind.

There are lots of options out there for those that might not have the skill sets for a web-based job or would rather be out working with their hands. We’ve met lots of people that stay within a given area because they work contract jobs in construction or farming. You can still go on trips on the weekends and enjoy laying your head down at night knowing that you don’t have to pay rent or commute an hour on public transit.

Finally, another option is to work seasonal jobs. We have a few friends that work their butts off all winter so they can travel all summer and repeat the process until they get sick of it. There are lots of opportunities to follow a quintessentially nomadic lifestyle and move around based on employment opportunities. You could work at an orchard in California for the summer and a ski resort in Vermont for the winter, for example.

I’M HUNGRY TO EXPLORE NEW PLACES AND MEET NEW PEOPLE

The world—or what’s connected by land at least—is really your oyster when you’ve got a home on wheels and the means to keep travelling. You can explore every corner of the USA and even drive to the southernmost point of Argentina if that’s what suits your fancy. A hunger to explore everything from relaxing beaches to rugged mountaintops is what makes for the most exciting and fulfilling endless road trip.

Meeting all of the interesting people along the way is the cherry on top. Even if you prefer to keep to yourself, you’re constantly going to gas stations, grocery stores, and visitor centers so you’ll cross paths with a lot of people from different walks of life that all have unique stories to tell. We’ve had some incredible encounters that we’ll remember forever in the most trivial of places like Walmart parking lots and Tennessee truck stops.

Further, the van life movement has shaped an amazing community of like-minded people who are super helpful and supportive. If you’re nervous about living the van life solo, you can reach out to people who are in the same boat and would be happy to convoy together or even just meet up for a coffee here and there. The most important thing is to keep an open mind and never stop exploring.

I CAN READ A MAP

This might sound funny but being able to properly read a map and navigate is extremely important when you’re living on the road—especially if you plan to veer off the beaten path. In the USA, cell service is pretty good but lots of Canada and other countries are total dead zones. Being able to repeat directions from Google Maps is one thing, but having the confidence to navigate from a paper map and a compass is a very valuable skill.

I’M COMFORTABLE WITH UNCERTAINTY

Van life is full of surprises and unexpected mishaps. You need to be ok with not having a dependable place to sleep every night and expecting the unexpected. You can do hours of research and still be met with unpredictable hurdles and unanticipated changes that sometimes end up being really positive experiences—or at the very least, make for a good story. The point is, your routine and daily rituals are all subject to the uncontrollable environment around you so if that excites you, you’ll love living in a van!

I’M OPEN TO LEARNING

With all the unexpected situations you’ll inevitably encounter on the road, you’re bound to learn a lot of new things—especially mechanical things. Even if you’ve got lots of money and can hire a professional every time something goes wrong, there will still be times where you have to figure things out on your own to get moving.

For us, this is exciting and we feel really proud when we’re able to repair an issue on our own. Because of all the mechanical hurdles that come with owning an older vehicle, we’ve become amateur mechanics and feel way more comfortable being in the middle of nowhere with no one around to help because we’re confident in the skills that we’ve learned along the way. If everything was smooth sailing the whole time, that would be great but where’s the fun in that?!

WHAT IS VAN LIFE REALLY LIKE?

So we’ve all seen the perfectly styled Instagram pictures with the most amazing view out the backdoors, a half-naked girl on the bed, and not a muddy shoe in sight. Is this what van life is really like? For the five minutes it took to take that photo, yes, but the rest of the time, no.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been many times where we’ve had to pinch ourselves as a reminder that this amazing life is actually ours and those moments are very special. With those moments come a lot of less glamorous realities that remind you that there’s a lot more to living in a van than driving to nice locations and snapping pretty photos. After three years of living full time on the road, here are some van life realities that we didn’t expect.

IT CAN BE EXPENSIVE

As amazing as it is to not have to pay rent every month and say goodbye to stacks of utility bills, living in a van can still get expensive. Just like owning a home, unexpected repairs and upgrades all come at a cost and usually hit at the least convenient times. You’re also way more pressed to do the repairs quickly because your vehicle is your home and your home is your vehicle.

To give you an idea of how much van life costs, we would spend an average of $2,500 CAD for the two of us each month, which is approximately $1,900 USD, or $950 USD each. This includes everything from gas to food to travel insurance. Expenses vary greatly based on your vehicle, how much you’re travelling, and what your habits are.

We would cook most of our meals and go out for dinner occasionally but because we were having to grocery shop in smaller batches and usually paying a premium for smaller size containers, our grocery bills were higher than when we were living in an apartment. We also drink a lot of beer, don’t skimp out on good quality ingredients, and have a thing for expensive cheeses (Justin’s lactose intolerant and aged cheese ain’t cheap!).

In terms of gas, this is hugely affected by how much you travel and where you’re travelling to, but above all, your van dictates your gas budget. We saved a lot of money buying an older van but we definitely visit the pump more often than those with a newer Sprinter or ProMaster. To give you an example, we usually spend just under $300 CAD (~$225 USD) driving from Vancouver to Calgary, which is about a 1,000 km trip (620 miles). We did this same trip in a rental car recently and spent $70 CAD (~$50 USD). Driving through the mountains is always a killer, along with highways with high speed limits—looking at you, Texas.

Expensive gas bills and unforeseen repairs aside, we were still spending less living in the van than we did living in an apartment in a big city. We also only started tracking our expenses when we moved into the van, which has become a great tool for budgeting and sometimes crying into a pillow when you realize how expensive life is.

IT GETS DIRTY REAL QUICK

Living in a van being messy and dirty seems obvious, but the rate at which it happens is kind of astonishing. You have very few surfaces to put things on so once you set a couple of things down on a counter, your whole space is cluttered and things can spiral out of control. Ok, that’s a bit dramatic but it really is a constant battle to stay organized and make sure you put things away after you use them.

If you do any outdoor activities, you’re bound to come in with muddy shoes or sandy feet and it feels like a constant cycle of sweeping and wiping and repeat. Our bed sheets are always full of little twigs and leaves and the floor gets dirty at superhuman rates. This can be a struggle for people like me, a self-proclaimed neat freak, because the only way you can keep a pristine van would be to never do anything fun and that’s just not a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE WEATHER

When you spend most of your time outside, you really depend on having pleasant weather to enjoy your time. It’s not like you can be out all day in the rain and come home to a nice hot shower or put your stinky wet shoes in another room to dry. When the weather is bad, you can get cabin fever pretty quickly from being cooped up inside such a small space with limited resources. A rainy day here and there makes for a fun board games day or a cozy time to read that book you’ve been working on. But we’ve spent quite a few weekends just sitting inside watching the snow outside while the furnace pumps away all that diesel you just filled up and you bundle yourself up to go dig a hole to poop in—not exactly the #vanlife dream that you saw on Instagram.

Another often overlooked reality is how in tune your sleeping patterns get with the sun. Especially in the winter when it gets dark at 4 PM and it feels like midnight. In the summer, you’ll find yourself waking up way earlier than usual as the sun beats down into your windows and cooks you into a sweaty human sausage roll.

PEOPLE WILL JUDGE YOU

Despite the waves of young, ambitious millennials setting sail in their vans to conquer the world, lots of people still share the van-down-by-the-river stigma and think that you’re either in a bad situation or you’re a complete dirtbag. Even if you keep your van nice and tidy and appear to be a respectable citizen, someone out there is always going to have a problem with the way you live, mostly because they don’t understand it.

The people who set up camp in a Walmart parking lot with chairs and a garbage fire always make the rest of us look bad. But some days we’re just sitting in a parking lot enjoying a coffee and a bowl of cereal inside and people will glare at us like we’re scum. The bottom line is that you can’t let this get to you and if you haven’t already told yourself this today, YOU ARE NOT SCUM!

RELYING ON PUBLIC FACILITIES GETS OLD

Unless you have a completely decked out rig, you’ll probably find yourself having to rely on a lot of public facilities, like gyms, laundromats, and coffee shops. We’ve used record-setting amounts of public bathrooms and have showered at a laundry list of different places. At home, a shower can be relaxing and meditative. A shower at a public pool is less than ideal when you’re repeatedly hitting the button for water and praying that this time, it’ll come out hot as you rinse your shampoo out to the tune of screaming kids. Not exactly a spa-like experience.

If you plan to work while on the road and need wifi, you’ll find yourself at a lot of different coffee shops, libraries, and McDonald’s parking lots leeching off that sweet internet juice. Doing the whole Starbucks office thing gets old pretty quick and you actually end up spending a fair amount of money to warrant parking yourself there for the day. When the weather’s nice and you can rely on solar to charge your laptop, installing a wifi signal booster or cellular signal booster would be an excellent investment.

IT’S AMAZING

There are a lot of harsh realities that can be hard to cope with but at the end of the day, van life is amazing. You can drive to the middle of nowhere and sleep in complete silence under a blanket of stars or wake up to the crashing waves of the ocean right at your front door. A lot of these experiences could also be had with tent camping but setting up camp when you’re in a van makes tent camping seem like such a chore. You literally just pull up and park—no fussing with poles or tarps, no waiting for your tent to dry out before packing it, and no need to pack! Having all of your stuff with you at all times is such a convenient way to live! You can have a comfortable bed, a cold refrigerator, and a furnace ready to go whenever you need it—if that’s not glamping, I don’t know what is.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN A VAN AND HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THEM?

There’s no way to prepare for every challenge that comes your way and approaching and dealing with these challenges is how you learn and grow as a person. Even in a house, you will face numerous hurdles that seem to come out of the blue when you least expect it or when the timing seems the most inconvenient. The most important thing is to keep calm and be resourceful.

From daily challenges to potential trip-enders, living in a van is full of surprises. Here are some of the most common challenges that you can expect to face and some thoughts on how to approach them.

FEELING CRAMPED DUE TO LACK OF SPACE

A big adjustment when transitioning to living in a van is coping with the lack of space. Our van has about 70 sq ft of living space, which is a far cry from even the smallest of one-bedroom apartments. Some days you’ll barely notice how cramped it is because you’re out doing fun things and only popping into the van to lay your head down. Other days, when it’s raining outside or you’re taking a rest day, it can feel like you’re living in a closet with nowhere to stretch out and be comfortable—especially if you have travel companions of the human or fur-covered variety.

Another contributor to the cramped feeling is the height of your ceiling. Lots of people opt for standard height cargo vans without a high-top and accept the fact that they can’t stand up in their vans. We have a high top on our van, but Justin is 6’4” so he always has a sore neck from slouching. Over time this definitely gets old so consider that when shopping for a van.

The best ways to deal with feeling cramped start with good organization and use of space. Keeping all of your things tidy and tucked away in cupboards or drawers helps to make your space feel more open and less cluttered. Even small things like choosing lighter colours for the interior of your van help to brighten up the space and not feel like the walls are closing in on you. Try to open your windows or doors as much as possible to get airflow and to feel less closed off. And above all, try to get outdoors and switch up your scenery once and a while because your van is meant to be an adventure mobile, not a prison.

MAINTAINING GOOD HYGIENE

Peeing, pooping, showering, and doing laundry are all basic tasks that can get a little complicated when living in a van. For bathroom breaks, we try to use public bathrooms whenever they’re available, go outside when we’re in the woods, and use our portable toilet when the former two options are a no-go. Always try to have some wipes and hand sanitizer around in case you’re low on water and can’t wash your hands.

For showering, there are portable solutions that work well if you’re in a warm place, but having a gym membership is a lifesaver. We relied on Planet Fitness locations around the US and Canada to keep us clean for $20 a month with truck stops and public pools sprinkled in along the way. You’ll learn to be ok with not being able to shower every day and having a shower bag ready to go for whenever you need it. Showers certainly became more of a chore than an enjoyable experience so we’d opt for public pools sometimes where we could use the hot tub or sauna for a very low-budget spa day.

Doing laundry while living in a van can be frustrating for those that are used to having a washer and dryer at home. We’d been using laundromats for years before moving into the van so our only change was having less hamper space but truthfully, I find the laundromat the most efficient way to do laundry since you can have multiple big machines going at once. Lots of laundromats have wifi and even a sink where you can fill up a jug or two of water. If you’re looking for a backup solution, get a Scrubba Wash Bag so you only have to visit the laundromat when you have a full load.

DEALING WITH VEHICLE BREAKDOWNS

Being prepared on the road is important for your safety and can prevent many expensive tows in your future. We have peace of mind with a CAA (Canadian version of AAA) membership that has saved us more than once. We’ve been towed, had fuel delivered to us, and had a battery replaced on the spot all thanks to our membership that’s just over $200 a year—a small price to pay for getting rescued when you’re in trouble.

The most important thing you can do to prepare for vehicle breakdowns is to prevent them. Regular vehicle maintenance like oil changes, checking your tire pressure, and keeping your fluids topped up should all be part of your routine along with the less frequent stuff like brake pads and tune-ups. Getting to know your vehicle and being in tune with its sounds and vibrations will come with time as you drive more and learn the quirks. In our van, there are some components that have failed more than once so we try to keep a backup ready to swap in if we need it—and we have….many times.

FINDING PLACES TO PARK IN THE DAY AND PLACES TO SLEEP AT NIGHT

Finding places to sleep at night is a constant process that doesn’t necessarily get easier with time. There are certain parts of America where free camping is bountiful and it feels like the options are endless. Other areas can be really difficult to stay in because there’s less public land or there are bylaws in place that prohibit sleeping in your vehicle. There are so many apps and online resources, like our Camping Directory, to help get you started in your search but remember, some of the best spots are those that you discover yourself.

It can be a battle trying to navigate forest roads while avoiding private property or active logging sites, but you’ll learn to be very resourceful and when in doubt, ask the locals. Finding a place to sleep in a city can be a huge headache and there’s really no way to avoid this since each municipality has its own rules. The only way to prepare for this is to do lots of research and never just assume that a spot is fair game. Also, if there’s one tip that we can give about city “stealth camping,” it’s to avoid parking directly in front of someone’s house. We always look for apartment buildings or more commercial areas to park in because if anyone is going to have a problem with your van, it’s going to be the nosy neighbours.

Aside from finding free places to camp at night, finding parking spots in the daytime can be tricky too. Most vans are oversized and aren’t the best ways to explore dense cities with skinny streets and tight parking spots. Try to plan routes where you don’t have to worry about height restrictions or ideally, park somewhere safe and take public transit or ride a bike into town.

STARTING OR MAINTAINING ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

If you’re living in a van with a partner or travel buddy, you’re about to get real close real fast. Every sound, smell, and habit is going to come to the surface because quite frankly, there’s nowhere else for it to go. There isn’t really a way to prepare for this, beyond choosing to embark on this journey with someone that you trust and are comfortable around. Living in such tight quarters and doing a lot of driving to unknown places certainly tests your relationship and you’re bound to learn A LOT about whoever you’re travelling with—maybe even things you didn’t want to know. Above all, keeping open lines of communication is essential in making this work and remembering that there’s no couch to sleep on if you start an argument.

If you’re traveling solo, loneliness can definitely set in. It’s nice to share new experiences with someone and have a co-pilot but dating while living in a van can be challenging. Unfortunately, a lot of people will be judgemental or just assume that you’ve fallen on hard times since you don’t have a stable place to sleep every night. Even meeting new friends can be tough, but if you keep an open mind and put yourself out there, there are plenty of folks that think living in your van is rad and will admire your lifestyle.

FINDING RELIABLE INTERNET/CELL SERVICE/ELECTRICITY

Having stable internet and cell service is especially challenging if you work remotely while living on the road. We’d do a dance of coffee shops to libraries to wifi-enabled parking lots to get our work done or to take a call in a quiet enough place that your client doesn’t know you’re sitting beside a garbage can at McDonald’s. We’d often base our weekly journeys on being closer to cities when we knew we’d need good cell service and staking out places to plug in for a little while.

One way to prepare for this would be to get a wifi or cell signal booster. These allow you to get better service in areas with weak signals, which is especially helpful when you’re outside of a city. Consideration of where you’ll be travelling when you know you need to be connected is important; we had killer cell service across the desert but a week in the mountains is a different story.

MANAGING FINITE RESOURCES

Even if you have solar power hooked up, most of your resources in a van are finite. You only have so much room for clean water in your tank or space in your fridge for groceries. You’ll find yourself going to the supermarket more often because you can’t buy large size containers or store things in a freezer. You’ll need to scout out places to fill up drinking water and dump your wastewater. You’ll probably need fuel for your furnace that might be different than the fuel for your stove. There are a lot of moving parts that keep van life going that you always need to keep on top of. With time, you’ll learn how long it usually takes to go through a tank of water or a canister of propane and you can plan your top-up trips around refilling these things before you run out instead of when you’re scrambling with no water or fuel.

IS VAN LIFE LEGAL?

While there is no law stating that you cannot live in a van (in Canada or the USA, at least), there are a lot of factors that dilute this question into something much more complicated. For starters, you need to have some sort of an address to have a drivers license, car insurance, and to file your taxes. You can use your parents or friend’s address or rent a postal box like we do, which gives us a suite address instead of a P.O. box since P.O. boxes aren’t valid as permanent addresses.

Ok, so you’ve got an address sorted and you’re ready to hit the road and freely sleep wherever you want. Not so fast! The man doesn’t make it that simple. Every municipality has their own rules and bylaws about where and for how long vehicles can be parked and if sleeping in your vehicle has specifically been banned. Take Squamish, BC for example — the town is working on passing a bylaw that prohibits anyone from sleeping in a vehicle outside of a paid campground. I get that people can be disrespectful and end up ruining it for all of us, but there are so many folks out there that are living out of their vehicles out of necessity and they don’t have the means to go anywhere else. This hard and fast rule that absolutely no van dwelling would be allowed is just NIMBY-ism at its finest (something you’ll deal with A LOT while living in a van). Thankfully, the Vehicle Residents of Squamish advocacy group have done an awesome job at getting their voices heard and having the bylaw be reevaluated.

At one point, sleeping in Walmart parking lots used to be a dependable place where you knew you could stop and rest after a long day on the road. Nowadays, so many locations won’t allow this because of insurance reasons or municipal bylaws, coupled with a shameful amount of people taking advantage of these free overnight spots and dumping their black water tanks or setting up camp for a week. Wouldn’t it be great if living in your van was allowed everywhere but being an asshole was illegal?!

Another thing to consider is that even though your van is your home, it’s also a motorized vehicle so if you’re crashing downtown after a night out at the bar, you can technically be faced with DUI charges. Even if you’re not driving and are seemingly doing the responsible thing by going to sleep, you have the keys and are—albeit loosely—behind the wheel.

Ultimately, living in your van is legal with a lot of problematic layers on top. Every country, state, and city has their own rules and the onus is on you to educate yourself about them. The best piece of advice we can give is to do your research and never park in areas where you know you can’t, and if you do get a knock on the window, be polite and stay calm. The easiest solution is to just move on instead of dragging things out and arguing what you know of your rights—being mobile is what it’s all about anyway.

All in all, while van life might not be for everyone, it’s an incredible way to live outside of the norm and create memorable experiences that are sure to last way longer than any gas tank fill-up ever will.

Still have questions about the ins and out of van living? Leave us a comment or pop us a message!

Don’t you just love when you buy groceries and then they all spoil because your fridge decided to stop working? It’s my favourite. Not. We recently experienced a long, drawn-out fridge repair that was super stressful and held us back from travelling until we got it sorted. After tons of manual-reading and YouTube-watching, we tried about every different test we could find to try to isolate our issue and figure out why our Dometic fridge isn’t cooling. We have a Dometic refrigerator (RM 2351) and the manual makes troubleshooting quite simple: if your fridge stops cooling, take it to a service centre immediately. How helpful… With the wealth of information available on the internet these days, it’s worth at least giving it a shot before taking it to a professional. Save yourself some cash and maybe even learn something new with our guide to troubleshooting a Dometic RV fridge.

Full disclosure, we are by no means technicians. We’re just a couple of folks that did a ton of research, spoke to experienced professionals, and fixed our $1200 fridge for $7. Also note that this list only applies to absorption fridges. Do yourself a favour and watch a short video to understand how these things work so you can better understand where your issue might lie.

THE BASICS

Before getting into the more technical stuff, check the basics. Absorption fridges rely on gravity to function properly so make sure that your fridge is always level. Unscrew the back panel on your fridge’s vent outside of your van/RV, remove the control board cover and check your fuses. Side note: apparently it’s quite common for wasps and other insects to build nests in these vents, especially if you’re stationary. So be careful when removing the vent. Ours has two glass fuses, a 3A and a 5A, so be sure to inspect both.

Next, check to make sure that your 120v outlet works. When plugged into shore power, plug something else into it (i.e. a string of lights, a cell phone charger, etc.) or get your multimeter and check for a current.

Lastly, make sure you have propane and that it is in fact, on. If you’ve solved your problem by this point then rejoice! Your RV refrigerator troubleshooting days are behind you and you can move on to cool, refrigerated happiness.

Also, remember that these things take a while to cool – 6 hours is the recommended time by Dometic to test the temperature. As the technician told us, every time you open the door to the fridge, you lose 1-2 hours of cooling.

CULPRIT: LP GAS (PROPANE)

First, bypass the LP system by putting your fridge on auto while hooked up to shore/AC power and see if it works.

Test the propane by removing the fridge’s vent cover while the fridge is off. Remove the metal cover under the flue tube. Make sure that your fridge is on gas mode, not auto, and have someone turn it on while you listen for the sound of the propane igniting. Once it lights, observe the flame – it should be a nice clean blue flame. If it’s not, there could be an air bubble in your line so bleed the line (turn propane off and light stove until the flame goes out and there’s no more propane in the line before turning the propane back on) and try it again.

Next, clean your flue and flue baffle. These are very funny names for very important elements. The flue is essentially the chimney of your fridge and the flue baffle is a twisted metal piece that sits inside the flue tube. These should be cleaned periodically; buildup and dust can affect the performance of your fridge. Also, please don’t be silly and test for propane with an open flame – you’re just asking for it.

View It On Amazon

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CULPRIT: ELECTRIC ELEMENT

First, bypass the 120v system by putting your fridge on gas while disconnected from shore power so it will only use propane and 12v DC power and see if it works.

With the fridge off, switch back to auto and make sure that you’re connected to shore/AC power. Turn it back on and check if the boiler gets warm. If it doesn’t, you may need to replace your electric element or always run on gas mode.

CULPRIT: CONTROL BOARD

Turn your fridge and propane off and disconnect from 12v and 120v power. To test if your control board is shot, which is very common and super easy to replace, you’re going to need to bypass it. Find an appliance you have lying around that no longer works (or get something from the dollar store) because you’re going to need to steal the plug from it. Cut the wire on your dud appliance (leave a foot or two in length) and locate the wires that power the electric heating element, which run from the boiler into the control board. Unplug them from the control board and you’re going to need to hardwire them to the loaner plug that you cut off from your spare appliance. Polarity does not matter so you don’t need to worry about which wires are positive or negative.

With your fridge now having a direct plug that doesn’t require the control board or fuses, plug it into your 120v outlet while connected to shore power. Alternatively, you can plug it directly into the shore power source. If it gets cold after a few hours then you’ll need to replace your control board. In theory, if your control board is broken then your fridge should be frozen if you leave it overnight. These run about $100 but are as simple to replace as unplugging your current wires and reconnecting them to the new board. Here’s a link to a video to watch it being done.

CULPRIT: COOLING UNIT

First, check to see if there’s any crusty yellow liquid inside or anywhere on the back of your fridge. It’s possible that ammonia is leaking and therefore, the cooling unit can’t operate properly and needs to be replaced.

Next, since you’ve been such a good reader and attentively watched the video on how an absorption refrigerator works, you know that the cooling unit is powered by a series of chemical state changes. The only way these state changes can occur is if the tubes are clear for the ammonia to flow through. It’s possible that there is a blockage, which is either past the point of no return or can be “burped” by turning the fridge upside down. Sounds odd but this is an old school trick that can work shockingly well and costs no money – AKA the perfect solution.

You’ll need to make sure your propane and AC/DC power is off and then disconnect your fridge completely. Take a photo of the back of the fridge first so you can see where all your connections go. Then label and take photos of each piece as you unhook them so you can easily hook them back up in reverse order. Remove the fridge from its housing inside of your RV and carefully turn it on its side and then on its head and listen for the sounds of liquids flowing. I’ve read a lot of mixed information about how long you should leave it upside down and there doesn’t seem to be a definite answer. We rotated it 2-3 times consecutively and then left it upside down (and level) for about 3 hours. We could hear the liquids moving through the tubes as we turned it so we knew that was a good sign.

After 3 hours, turn it right side up and leave it to sit overnight before turning it on. It’s important to leave it turned off and sitting upright for longer than 3 hours to let everything settle again. Carefully hook everything back up, turn on your power and propane and turn the fridge on. Test the temperature in 6 hours. A cooling unit can be replaced at home but is a little messier than upgrading other elements. If you can find a replacement at a decent price then go for it but be aware that these are usually $500+.

CULPRIT: THERMISTOR

Most RV fridges are equipped with a clip on the back fins that allows you to control the temperature slightly. The sensor inside that thermostat is called a thermistor. In a nutshell, as the temperature drops, the thermistor increases resistance and sends more ohms through to the control board. Once it reaches a certain temperature (usually about 1°C/34°F), it’ll reach an ohm rating (usually between 7-10k Ω for Dometic fridges) that sends a signal for the fridge to turn off. It won’t come back on until the temperature rises to a point where the ohm rating is below the shut-off level and requires cooling again.

Anyway, if the thermistor is broken then either A) your fridge will cool slightly then stop because it thinks it’s cold, or B) your fridge will always be frozen because it thinks it’s warm. To test your thermistor, unhook it from the control board (follow the wire coming out of the back of your fridge beside the drainage tube) and turn your fridge on. Within 6 hours, it should be cold and if left overnight, it should technically be frozen depending on what your ambient temperature is. You can replace the thermistor by buying the kit from Dometic, buying a temperature control dial with a built-in thermistor, or buying a generic thermistor from an electronics store. A generic thermistor will require connecting the wires to those of your broken thermistor in order to reuse the plug specific to your control board.

This ended up being our culprit, so we bought an epoxy coated thermistor that came with a tiny resistor and wired that into our existing plug. You must make sure that it is an NTC thermistor (negative temperature coefficient) so that the resistance increases as the temperature drops. The ohm rating is key here, ours is 10k Ω, which is a pretty standard one. Standard, but not suitable for this purpose (see below).

*JAN 2019 UPDATE:

Although the 10k thermistor we swapped in got our fridge working again, now that it’s winter and we need far less cooling power, we’ve noticed that the fridge never shuts off. As mentioned above, the thermistor should send a resistance of 7-10k when the fridge reaches temp telling it to turn off. Turns out the 10k resistor isn’t our answer because it doesn’t send that ohm rating until it reaches +25°C, AKA not a temperature you ever want your fridge to be. With some research, we’ve found that you’d actually want to buy a thermistor with a 2.8k rating instead of 10k (data sheet for further reading here and product link here). Send us a message if you find yourself needing to replace your thermistor with one of these bead ones and need some direction on how to do so. You’ll need to solder it onto your existing wire and coat it in epoxy or liquid electrical tape to assure it’s waterproof.

All in all, RV fridges can be pretty intimidating but are really not as scary as you may think. It’s worth taking some time to troubleshoot your Dometic RV refrigerator on your own before taking it in for repair or replacing it altogether. Just make sure to be careful when dealing with all electric and gas connections and to give your fridge enough time to cool down. They are said to take 12 hours to fully reach temperature but factors like the outside temperature and humidity can slow this down and leave your fridge working overtime. The ambient temperature in an RV parked in the desert is going to have a huge effect on the performance of the refrigerator in comparison to a fridge sitting in a 10°C/50°F room. Be patient, be careful and keep that fridge level!

Missing something? If you have any additional tips/tricks, feel free to let us know and we’ll add them in!

(Parents, if you’re reading this, no, this isn’t just a not-so-subtle hint…)

The holidays are all about hanging out with friends and family, eating good food, and sometimes getting random gifts that you have no clue what you’ll ever do with. When you live in a van, you really need to evaluate the usefulness and versatility of pretty much every item that earns its place in your cupboards. Because of this scrutinous process, it can be really tricky to determine what’s actually a useful gift for a van lifer. Well, we’re here to help!

A few things to consider when evaluating a van life gift idea:

Size – this is an obvious one. Real estate is very limited so maybe hold off on that air fryer or bean bag chair for now (although having a bean bag chair would be pretty sweet).

Versatility – this is a huge sway factor for us whenever we’re buying something new. The more we can get out of one single item, the better (as long as it does everything well, of course).

Sustainability – most people have limited electricity from solar or a generator or no access to power at all. Power-hungry appliances or things that you’ll only use a few times probably won’t make the cut.

Quality – this is a key component of living a successful minimalist lifestyle. You only need a few good quality items to replace drawers and drawers of cheap gimmicky gadgets.

So with that, let’s dive into the best gifts for a camper van!

1. WOOL BLANKET

While this might seem obvious, a really good quality wool blanket might be the kind of thing that the adventurous van lifer in your life may not want to splurge on on their own. Wool keeps you super toasty while also helping to regulate your temperature because it wicks moisture and holds a pocket of air against your body. Wool is also mold and mildew resistant and is truly intended to last a really, really long time.

I’m personally a really big fan of Pendleton because they’re high quality, nicely designed, and are made in the USA. The Pendleton Yakima is a classic. There are lots of other lower cost options out there too, just be sure to look at the tag that it is 100% wool. A bonus with wool blankets compared to down blankets is that they’re versatile. They can still be used in the future on a bed or a couch and don’t look like a sleeping bag. What a future-thinking van life gift idea!

2. LANTERN BATTERY PACK

Yeah, headlamps are handy but this little green lantern that we got on Amazon for 12 bucks has been such a lifesaver for us in so many situations. It’s a flashlight-lantern-battery pack with a built-in hook and magnets so you can hang it up or even stick it to the side of the van! The battery charges by USB and always lasts a suspiciously long time when you’re just using it as a light. When you’re in a pinch, you can also charge your phone or other USB device from its internal battery. It’s not a huge battery pack but it’s great to give you a boost when you need it. They don’t sell the exact model anymore but this lantern is an even more compact version and there’s also a bigger version available if portability is less of a factor.

3. BACKROADS MAPBOOK

Remember paper maps? Everyone has been all about digital maps for quite some time now but at the end of the day, there’s nothing more reliable than a good ol’ paper map. In Canada, we have Backroads Mapbooks which are amazing spiral-bound books with in-depth maps of every inch of land that show forest roads, hiking trails, and topographic information. They also come in a waterproof fold-out format but the spiral-bound book is truly an adventure bible. It’s loaded with additional information like fishing regulations, trip itineraries, and local insight into the given area. Just like people used to take pride in their encyclopedia collections, we would LOVE to have a coast-to-coast Backroads Mapbook collection.

For our American comrades, there are a few different options out there. For starters, you can opt for the classic Rand McNally Road Atlas that will cover you from Washington to Florida AND will also include helpful maps of your dear neigbours, Canada and Mexico. If the van lifer in your life is all about chasing the next adventure, you can go for National Geographic’s Road Atlas: Adventure Edition. This puppy is all about getting you to the next National Park or recreation area and also includes maps of Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico! Finally, if you want to help take the guesswork out of your special van lifer’s trip planning, you can pick them up a MAD Map. These highlight awesome scenic drives and road trips on a state-by-state basis. Heck — get ‘em all!

4. LIFESTRAW

Beaver fever is a real thing and it is not fun whatsoever. Drinking out of a lake or stream might seem like the cleanest water out there, but you just never know what that water has travelled over before it got to you. With the help of a handy dandy LifeStraw, you can be sure that you’re drinking clean water that is free of waterborne bacteria and parasites — without the aid of harsh chemicals like iodine and chlorine. The best part is that there are no batteries to replace and it can filter A LOT of water before it needs to be replaced (4,000 litres or 1,000 gallons is a lot more than the recommended 8 glasses a day). This makes it an excellent gift idea for any van lifer’s toolkit. You can drink directly from the unfiltered water source with the classic LifeStraw or get one of their cool water bottles so you can continue filling up and staying hydrated all day.

5. NATIONAL PARKS PASS

This is arguably one of the best gifts you could get a van lifer. Treat them to a Discovery Pass if you’re in Canada or an America the Beautiful Pass if you’re in the USA. While Canada’s Discovery Pass covers all of your day use and extended camping or backpacking trips, the America the Beautiful Pass also gives you discounts on camping at certain recreation areas. We stayed at Aguirre Springs just outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a while back and were able to camp for $3 a night because of our parks pass — cha-ching! This makes a great gift for any camper van because knowing you have the pass definitely encourages you to check out more national parks. Especially the lesser-known ones that you might have otherwise passed by.

6. PACKABLE HAMMOCK

Really, who doesn’t want to relax in a hammock when you have the chance?! Instead of the typical braided rope hammocks with a wooden frame, try out one of these packable nylon hammocks that come in 1 or 2-person sizes. They’re made from super durable parachute nylon and are way stronger than they look. They’re also much more convenient compared to the old school woven ones because they pack into a small little bag and can easily be put up with the included straps, carabiners, and the help of a couple of sturdy trees.

7. CORDLESS VACUUM

There’s definitely a theme in these van life gift ideas and that’s practicality. As I mentioned above, space is so valuable in a camper van so every item needs to really earn its place. A broom is a staple in any van but you know you’re living large when you have a cordless vacuum. This handheld Black+Decker Dustbuster has a powerful lithium-ion battery so it will last longer and it only draws 15 watts to charge — music to the ears of those with less access to electricity. If you really want to get crazy, you can pick up a Dyson dupe for under $150 and vacuum your way into sweet, cordless heaven.

8. SOCKS

And lots of ‘em. Anyone who’s been on a multi-day camping trip or hike knows how amazing it is to know that you have another pair of dry socks with you. Wool socks are key for any outdoor adventure because they wick moisture, control temperature, and keep your tootsies nice and warm. While receiving socks for Christmas when living in the city can be a bit boring, getting good quality wool socks as a van lifer is actually a super awesome gift. An extra pair of socks is always good to have because you can use them as gloves and for many other purposes too. These Danish Endurance socks made from merino wool would be a dream but there are also great options from brands like Carhartt and Dickies.

9. DUTCH OVEN

A cast iron dutch oven is a beautiful piece of cookware in any kitchen. Why they work so well in a van kitchen is because most vans don’t have an actual oven. The dutch oven allows you to do cool stuff like bake bread or make a hearty stew. They work great on a gas or induction stove and even better on a campfire. You don’t need to swing for a quintessential Le Creuset pot (even though they’re really pretty) and break the bank either. There are lots of other options out there that make for a great investment, like this beauty from Crock-Pot that’s less than 100 bucks.

10. AUDIBLE OR KINDLE SUBSCRIPTION

Remember what I was saying about super limited space? Yeah, books tend to take up a bit of that and are also susceptible to feeling the effects of changing weather conditions. If you’re in a van in a place that gets cold, moisture issues are inevitable and books will be the first ones to show it. So in this lovely digital age, we can now access tons of books online and read them on e-readers or iPads and only need to think about storing that one skinny < 1 cm thick item. Gifting someone a Kindle subscription is a really cool way to have access to thousands of books without having to worry about physical copies.

Further, you don’t even need to read the books anymore — you can listen to them! Listening to a podcast or audiobook is an awesome way to spend a road trip, whether it’s hearing how a murder mystery unfolds or tuning into a spicy standup special. You can gift someone an Audible subscription for the ultimate this-literally-takes-up-no-space gift of all.

11. YETI RAMBLER MUG

When you’re busy hiking up mountains and flying through the backroads, you want some nice, hot coffee ready to be sipped on at any given moment. Stainless steel tumblers have been around for a long time but lots of them leak or don’t actually maintain temperature that well. We’re not big on needing brand name everything but when it comes to travel mugs with crazy good insulation, Yeti nailed it. The Yeti Rambler Mugs are perfect for camping because they’re super durable and actually keep your drink hot. There are also tumblers that are extra versatile because you can use them for cold or hot drinks.

12. GAS CARDS

Most people who live in a van do it to travel and let’s face it, gas is expensive. For us, having a gas-guzzling older vehicle definitely holds us back from exploring every inch of road that we can find. While newer vans are certainly more efficient, knowing that your next fill up is covered is always a good feeling. A $100 gas gift card could be all it takes to start planning an awesome little weekend adventure.

So there you have it, some awesome van life gift ideas for the adventurous minimalists in your life. The most important aspect of all of these van gifts is the thought that went into them. Although some might not understand this nomadic, minimalist lifestyle, it’s really nice when others take the time to do some research and make some really thoughtful choices. Of course, the holidays aren’t all about gifts but we always enjoy being able to tell people how much something they’ve given us has come in handy or gotten us out of a tough situation. A lot of the items we have are like souvenirs of people or places and we love being surrounded by things that tell a story. With that, Happy Holidays and keep on vannin’!

Camping is great. Whether you’re at an established campground with luxurious vault toilets or you’re deep in the backcountry, there’s nothing that spoils a camping trip more than the remnants of a previous camper’s mess. Something we’ve always stood by is a concept that you’ve probably heard of before: Leave No Trace camping. We aim to leave every spot we camp at nicer than it was when we arrived. Sometimes this is just a matter of tidying up rogue branches that have fallen across the road, while other times this has involved removing actual chicken cutlets from an abandoned fire pit — yes, true story.

Anyway, we figured we’d take this opportunity to create a guide to leave no trace camping for van lifers and talk about how not to be an asshole camper so hopefully next year, we can all enjoy the beauty of nature together without having to step in soggy toilet paper everywhere. Onward!

1. PEE AND POOP PROPERLY

Peeing and pooping are inevitable. Doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, you’re gonna have to relieve yourself eventually (please don’t hold your poop!! Just looking out for your health…). There are many ways that you can go to the bathroom outside that won’t hurt the environment. Here are a few tips:

• Many established camping areas have outhouses or vault toilets. You can use the bathroom like a regular toilet in these but please don’t put garbage in them. The tanks are meant to hold organic waste only so it’s not the place to throw wrappers or cans into.
• If you’re in the woods and need to go, tuck away from any paths or open areas and find a spot that’s far away from rivers or streams (200ft or 60m is recommended). We ALWAYS have toilet paper on us for unexpected situations and we keep it in a bag; this way, we can put the used TP in the bag and dispose of it when there’s a trash can around. If you’re pooping, it’s best to dig a small hole about 6” or 15cm deep so you can cover it up with dirt, rocks or leaves after and leave the area seemingly undisturbed. Burying TP is a no-no in our books so coming prepared with a bag is best to carry your TP out with you. Leaves also work if you don’t have any toilet paper but make sure to bury these in your hole. And if you’re a female on your period, pack away any used menstrual items with your used TP because there’s no place for those things in the woods.
• If you’re in an area where you’re unable to dig a hole to safely bury your poo, it’s not a bad idea to carry a roll of dog poo bags with you so you can remove the solid waste and dispose of it accordingly.
• Pee funnels are an option for ladies so there’s no squatting required. I’ve never personally used one but it’s a neat idea and you can get one here. If you are squatting, make sure to keep a wide stance with your shoelaces out of the way and look for an area with soft dirt or leaves, if possible, so the pee absorbs and doesn’t spread around.
• You can get creative with DIY toilets if you’re not comfortable going au naturel. A 5-gallon bucket with a pool noodle on top makes a pretty comfy seat (or you can get a pre-made version if you’re not feeling crafty) or a designated bottle works too. Just make sure that you’re disposing of the contents in an area that’s far away from paths, campsites, and water and that no garbage gets dumped along with it. If you’re in a van or RV, do not dump your entire black water tank in the woods — that’s just gross and not cool.
• Nowadays this is just a way of life, but carrying hand sanitizer with you is a good idea for post-bathroom hygiene.

2. PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT

Aside from human waste, it is crucial to bring any trash or unwanted items out with you. The only acceptable thing to leave at a campsite is unused firewood (even that is technically not recommended but most people appreciate it) because no one wants to deal with anything else. Don’t leave any garbage; doesn’t matter if it smells or it’s dirty, you’re taking it out with you and you can always ditch it at a gas station trash can on your drive out. Remove any tarps or rope you attached to trees and try to leave the campsite just as it was—or better–than when you arrived. This means dishwater and food scraps too; even though food is biodegradable, it’s not going to decompose before the next campers arrive. Not only is it gross to arrive at a campsite where people have left food and garbage, it’s potentially dangerous too if there are bears and other wildlife around. Another thing to mention here is to take all of your empty cans with you too and stop, I repeat, STOP leaving beer cans in the fire pit. They never fully burn and just end up creating a mess. In most places they’re worth money too — do you like burning money?!?!?

3. CHANNEL YOUR INNER SMOKEY BEAR AND PREVENT WILDFIRES

The one and only Smokey Bear said it best: Only You Can Prevent Wildfires. This means that you should be conscious of where you’re having a fire and make sure to ALWAYS fully put out your fire before you take off. Here are a few tips:

• Use an established fire ring or pit if one is already there. Lots of places have metal rings or rock mounds that folks in the past have used that you can easily use again. The rock border helps to prevent the fire from growing outside of its confines and absorbs heat to protect you from getting too close.
• Slowly put out your fire carefully by spreading out embers and pouring water on it repeatedly (*Note: I was also going to suggest using sand but I’ve recently learned that this isn’t recommended because it can actually insulate the hot coals so they can potentially ignite later. Now we both learned something!). This takes time and isn’t as simple as pouring a water bottle on a flaming log and walking away. Don’t leave until you are sure that the fire is completely out and the ashes are scattered.
• Always check to make sure the area you’re in doesn’t have a fire ban or heightened restrictions that may require a permit. And respect fire bans, they’re there for a reason.
• If the area has lots of dry brush around or it’s quite windy, find another spot or skip the fire altogether. It’s not worth risking a flaming branch being carried away by the wind into a pit of destruction. It’s always good to have a camp stove like this one as a backup to cook a meal without depending on a fire.
• Avoid burning any garbage that won’t fully disintegrate. I mentioned cans above but even plastic and metal items are common to find in abandoned fire pits.

4. BE BEAR AWARE AND MINDFUL OF OTHER WILDLIFE

These animals were here before us. It’s not cool to run them out and take over some of the last places they have left. If you’re collecting firewood, try to only use fallen branches and not mess with any nests in the trees. In terms of bears, don’t leave any garbage or food items outside, and be especially mindful if you’re sleeping in a tent. Non-food items like deodorant or toothpaste also carry a scent so pack these away in your car or hang them in a tree (try one of these cool kits) if you’re in the backcountry. WildSafe BC has some helpful guidelines to follow when camping in bear territory (in other words, most of British Columbia). It goes without saying that preventative action is much better than dealing with a potentially dangerous wildlife encounter. Be smart and keep your distance if you do spot an animal.

5. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE

This can encompass a lot of things. Overall, don’t treat your campsite like you’re the only person in the world and respect that other people are trying to enjoy their day or weekend too. A few examples might include:

• Keeping your dog close or on a leash if s/he is not trained well or is not friendly. Even if your dog means no harm, some people are scared of dogs and don’t want to be approached by a strange dog in the middle of the woods. A long lead like this one with a stake in the ground is a good balance when you’re at a campsite.
• Being mindful of noise. Keeping music at a volume that isn’t interfering with other people’s day is ideal because some people go to the woods to enjoy the tranquility. If you do play loud music, turning it down at night is the right thing to do, along with keeping chainsaws or generators for the daytime.
• Be nice 🙂 We can all enjoy the outdoors together as long as we respect one another.

In addition to this list, The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has seven principles that are meant to guide both backcountry and frontcountry campers and day-use explorers in enjoying the outdoors with minimal impact. These principles are:

• Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Others

Our Van Lifer’s Guide to Leave No Trace Camping mainly covers tips related to van camping but you can read more about the LNT’s principles here and think about how you can change some of your habits that might not be conducive to protecting the beautiful nature that surrounds us. I’m sure there are things we could improve on as well and it’s never a bad time to make positive changes.

All in all, many of these guidelines are common sense and I’m confident that most, if not all, of our readers and website visitors already do most of these things. I honestly think the best way to pick up on good habits is by experiencing other peoples’ bad habits first hand — any time that we’ve shown up at a spot that’s been a mess, the first thing I think is that I never want to leave a site like that for someone else. Along with the obvious things, we can all afford to learn new things about our impact on the environment and explore what small changes we can make to minimize it. So with that, let’s keep turning down random dirt roads and exploring new places, all while leaving these places just as exciting and beautiful for the next person.

I think it’s safe to say that when I wrote our Pandemic Van Life blog back in April, we still had a glimmer of hope that we would all be able to wash our hands of this in a few months and resume a somewhat normal, albeit modified, way of life. Now, almost four months later, it’s clear that the world will never be the same and it’s going to take a very long time for people to feel comfortable travelling freely again.

So much has transpired this year that has made us extremely grateful for our health, our safety, and all of the adventures we were able to go on in the past few years. As much as we would love to be cruising up to the Arctic this summer like we had originally planned, we realize that these smaller communities cannot handle any tourists because they barely have the resources to supply their own residents. Towns like Whistler and Squamish begged Vancouverites to stay away and not add any additional stress to their already scarcely stocked shelves – especially when toilet paper was the new gold for a while there (why did that happen anyway..?). Without turning this into a rant, my point here is that now is not the time to be selfish. Yeah, it sucks that the travel plans that you’ve been working on for the past six months got spoiled but if that’s all you’ve got to complain about then you’re doing pretty damn good.

That being said, we’ve been getting messages here and there wondering how we’re doing and if we’re still living in the van so we wanted to give a little update on where we’re at in the midst of all this craziness. In our last blog, we were renting an Airbnb on Vancouver Island with hopes that it would only be a temporary situation. After a month there, we realized that this isn’t going to be over anytime soon so we started looking at more long-term options. We knew that the only way we could get through this would be if we were close to nature so we found a great little spot in Nanaimo that’s close to the ocean and a ton of hiking trails. We were hesitant to sign our lives away on a year-long lease but we knew we had to prioritize the ability to work and use the bathroom, as these were basic things that we realized we took for granted once they were no longer available to us.

So there you have it, the end of full-time van life has come upon us. We have become involuntary weekend warriors after an absolutely amazing 2+ years. That’s not to say that we still won’t be travelling and going on road trips (still so many places we want to see!) but we will have a shower to come home to now, which is a weird but welcomed adjustment. We are so fortunate that we can afford to live in an apartment and still keep the van and we truly feel for those who live in their vehicle out of necessity and not leisure – this can’t be easy. So with that, I’ll leave you with some photos of some mini-adventures we’ve been able to go on while adjusting to this new normal. ✌️

Well, that was a short jaunt back on the road. When we left Alberta in early March in search of greener pastures, we were so excited to be back on the road, out of the cold and surrounded by nature. We spent a little while in Vancouver before boarding the ferry back to Vancouver Island, where we planned to stay until the summer. At the time, we were very much in the loop with the rapidly increasing global scare over coronavirus and the inexplicable toilet paper crisis that somehow came along with it. Although we weren’t blind to the fact that it could affect us in many ways even if we weren’t infected, it didn’t seem like it was going to throw much of a wrench into our lifestyle. Boy, were we wrong.

We spent a nice weekend in the woods, sitting by the campfire and forgetting the fact that Covid-19 exists. Our usual spots were undeniably busier than normal but we just attributed it to the nice weather and brushed off the idea of people starting to quarantine themselves in the woods. When we got back into cell service on Monday morning, we were greeted by a barrage of text messages from friends and family asking if we were ok and what our plan was going to be for stocking up on food and supplies. We didn’t dismiss those concerns but admittedly, we weren’t feeling too stressed about it. As the day went on and we were flooded with news from every angle advising everyone to “just stay home,” we started to realize that this was all for more than shock value.

So, how do you “just stay home” when you don’t have a home? I mean, of course our van is home to us but living in it requires that we have access to a network of public services and that we have a safe place to park it during the day and night. Sure, we could hole up in the woods for a while, but we need cell service and internet in order to work and stay connected to our friends and family. That meant that we had to spend a lot of time in public, whether we liked it or not. With coffee shops and libraries closed, we found parking lots with wifi that made for a half-decent home office – that was until the public bathrooms closed.

We immediately headed to the public pool to get showers before they shut their doors indefinitely later that day. We popped by McDonald’s to get breakfast and to use the washroom but the bathrooms were closed off and that’s when things started to get real. When you’re in the woods, you can go to a bush to pee or dig a hole to poop but when you’re in a busy parking lot, that’s not really an option. Even with our emergency toilet, having to put window coverings in just to go pee isn’t really ideal. I stopped drinking coffee in the day in hopes that I could hold my poo until we got out of the city at night (TMI?); we were practically dehydrating ourselves so that we wouldn’t have to drive to Walmart to use the bathroom (with the added possibility of having to wait in line just to get into the store).

As much as we so badly wanted to be on the road living freely and without a dependence on public services, it just wasn’t feasible. We had to prioritize work and being connected to the internet is the only way we could do that. Elon Musk, if you’re reading this, we will totally be guinea pigs for Starlink – having internet access in the middle of nowhere would be life-changing! Anyway, dreams aside, we started looking for a short-term apartment because the alternative of staying at an in-town campground or RV park didn’t seem like it was going to be a reliable option. Rightfully so as they officially closed National and Provincial Parks shortly after. That’s also when our sink broke, we found out that the truck stop wasn’t filling up propane, and we were reminded that we couldn’t fit into 90% of drive-thrus. Real winner of a day.

We ended up finding a spot that’s usually an Airbnb that we jumped on immediately. We’re going month-to-month and are really unsure of how long we’ll be here. Wishful thinking was a month but now the government is advising at least three. We’re not sure how the rest of the year will play out (is anyone?) but for now, we’re just happy to have a toilet and a shower. With all public facilities closed, we went nine days without showers and yes, there were a lot of baby wipes used.

All in all, I think everyone can agree that this is a super weird time to be alive. We’re happy that we made the decision that we did for peace of mind, especially when we heard that the provincial government had even shut down camping on public lands. I would normally try to load a post like this with useful links and resources but things are changing so quickly that I can barely keep up myself. For now, we’re just focusing on how fortunate we are that we have the option to rent an apartment because there are many people who don’t choose to be “homeless” like we do. With that, we hope that everyone is safe, healthy and sanitized and that people realize that we’re in this together and that that pair of shoes you want to go out and buy is probably not that important right now. I hope that others living in their vehicles have found a spot to park up and hibernate for a while, whether it’s at the dead-end of a forest road or in a friend’s driveway. Here’s to things getting back to “normal” in due time, whatever your “normal” may be.

And of course, a HUGE shoutout to all the healthcare workers, grocery store employees and everyone else working overtime right now to keep the world spinnin’.

I think by this point in #vanlife‘s jarring popularity, most folks are aware that living in a van isn’t always opening the back doors to a killer mountain view or half-heartedly playing the ukulele beside your supermodel girlfriend while she slices an avocado for your breakfast on the beach. There are a ton of extra daily hurdles that you just don’t have to deal with when living in an apartment and even though we love it, it undoubtedly is not for everyone.

Long time no talk! For those that didn’t know, we decided to rent an apartment on a short-term lease for the winter this year. Although making the return to being slaves to rent goes against everything we’ve worked toward over the past 2+ years, we made this somewhat reluctant decision for a couple of different reasons.

Initially, we considered spending the winter in Mexico but Pierogi (our pupperino) doesn’t do well in the heat and we didn’t have the time or resources to figure out an air conditioning solution. So, we figured it would be best to stay in Canada again – that way we have the freedom to travel into the states this summer without worrying about maxing out our visas. Last winter, we settled into the warmest year-round place in Canada: Vancouver Island. It was fantastic until February hit and we were stuck spending our nights at truck stops and rest areas because most of the forest roads were inaccessible with the heavy dumps of wet snow. Although the worst of the winter had blown over by mid-March, that month and a half of unpleasant conditions were enough to make living in a metal box outside not the most comfortable. Not to mention the mould….lots and lots of mould.

Anyway, with our options limited, we decided that hunkering down in an apartment for a little while would be a good opportunity to save up some money and not have to worry about things like heat and water. We settled on Calgary because we knew we had to be here for the Christmas holidays and it’s a very affordable place to live. We signed a 6-month lease, wrangled a ton of free furniture from Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji and moved on in.

Now that our six months are coming to a close, we’ve reflected on what we’ve enjoyed about being in an apartment and what we really miss about being in the van. So, behold our personal list of pros and cons of van vs. apartment living.

VAN

Pros

• No rent – This one is obvious. When you’re in the van, you can spend as much or as little as you need to on gas based on how much travelling you plan to do. All your annual fees coming due in the same month? No big deal, just stay stationary for a little while.
• Flexibility – Storm coming? Annoying neighbours nearby? Move on! In a van, you have the flexibility to chase the sun, follow a touring band or hit up every National Park; you’re not tied to any one place (that is, assuming your work allows for it).
• Owning your own home – When you live in a van you’re not subject to any landlord or building rules to hold you back from painting all of your walls pink if you so choose. You also have all of your possessions with you all the time and going on a road trip without having to worry about packing a bag is pretty great. Also, road snacks when you have a proper fridge and stove are always that much better.
• Living outdoors – A lot of people always ask us, “how do you survive in such a small space?” The truth is, we spend way more time outside than we do in the van. Depending on the weather, it would be more accurate to say that we live outdoors and sleep in a van. In any case, we don’t really need to tell you how spending time in nature is a positive thing, but we will say that when friends come to visit, it’s a lot more memorable to drive to a mountaintop and camp than it is to sit on a couch and watch Netflix.

Cons

• The bathroom/shower situation – This is an obvious one. I don’t care how down to earth you are, most people would rather pee in a toilet than into a plastic jug. When you’re in the woods and can relieve yourself outside, it’s no big deal but when you’re trying to be stealthy in a parking lot and all the nearby shops are closed, say hello to the piss jug. We bought a portapotty when we first hit the road (and love it) but we reserve it only for #1 emergencies – #2’s can stay in a 6” deep hole outside or in public washrooms. The lack of a shower speaks for itself. Yes, we have a portable solar shower and no, it’s not the same.
• Keeping up on fuel and power levels – Running out of propane in the middle of the night and having your furnace click off is never fun. Having to run the van because your batteries are low and the sun hasn’t poked its head out in days is also not fun. We’re well aware that that’s the trade-off with off-grid living but it’s still nice to not have to think about those things when you’re on city power and water.
• Tight quarters – Your quality of life in a van is largely dependent on the weather. Life is always what you make of it but after a few consecutive days of rain when you’re stuck inside a 70 sq foot space, things can get a little tight. It’s human to need a bit of space or private time regardless of how close you are with your partner or travel buddy. We treat the driving area and the bed as two separate “rooms” and that usually works for us but keep in mind if someone farts in the next “room,” it doesn’t have very far to travel before it hits your nose.
• Inevitable mechanical issues – Shit happens. Stuff goes wrong in houses and vehicles but you’re a little more on edge when your vehicle is your home. We’ve been stuck in places we had no choice but to stay the night at because the van wouldn’t start. You don’t have a workshop or a garage to go to when you want to make upgrades or repairs so you’re sometimes living in an active worksite.
• Security – Although having everything you own with you is great when you’re in the van, when you leave the van for the day/night, it can be a little nerve-wracking. We’ve heard so many break-in stories where people snatch up expensive camera gear or laptops with a quick smash of the window.  It’s wise to have a bolted-down safe or some sort of security method along with keeping really important things like your passport and cash with you at all times.

APARTMENT

Pros

• Plumbing – Toilets, showers, hot water – you’ve got it all and you don’t even have to think about it! We’re never advocates of being wasteful with water but when it’s freezing out and you can fill up the bathtub or stand in a hot shower for a while, it’s pretty darn nice.
• Space – Even in a studio apartment, you have space to spread out and can achieve some division in your area. Everything in the van is multi-purpose, which is great for achieving a smaller footprint, but not having to constantly shuffle things around to make space for other things is definitely a perk. Admittedly, it’s been really nice having counter space and not having to play fridge Tetris every time we get groceries. Also, if I want to go to bed early and Justin’s still up, we can be in separate rooms and not disturb each other whereas, in the van, this would involve some climbing around and a definite need for headphones.
• Predictability – The “where are we sleeping tonight” thought can be exciting sometimes but a bit of a dread at other times. Knowing where you’re going to be sleeping every night is pretty nice and you never have to think twice about ordering pizza or Amazon packages. To this same point, you never have to worry about being stuck somewhere because your house won’t start.
• Ability to entertain – We’ve had plenty of friends over in the van but it’s obviously a lot easier to have people over for dinner or to host a party when you have the space for it. You can also cook stinky foods freely and not have to worry about being suffocated by the smell as you sleep. And you more than likely have an oven! Ovens rule – you can bake stuff or heat up a quick frozen pizza. If you’ve got a couch, you can even have people crash at your place, unlike the van where friends are more than welcome to stay in the guest house but that guest house is a tent.

Cons

• Rent – Duh. Paying rent sucks.
• Being stuck in one spot – Sure you can take weekend trips but for the most part, the place you live is the place you live. If that place is surrounded by cool stuff (like Campbell River), then it’s all gravy but in a place like Calgary, when it’s -30° out, you’re pretty stuck.
• Neighbours – We majorly miss the peace and quiet of being alone in the woods and not having to hear the people across the hall blast music at 3 AM. The noise doesn’t even bother us all that much compared to people’s disrespect for shared spaces; leaving stinky trash bags of kitty litter out in the hallway and vandalizing the elevator is just not cool.
• Having to rely on others – The more time we spend on the road, the more self-sufficient we get with repairs, maintenance, etc. Being in an apartment building means that we have to call a guy when our heat stops working or when the batteries die in the keyless door lock while we were out (yes, this happened and yes, we were locked out for a couple hours the day after Christmas). You also have no control over when they decide to test the fire alarms or shut the water off.

Conclusion

All in all, both dwellings have their pros and cons. The biggest takeaway I got from writing this is that many of the things we considered cons of the van can be fixable. We could install a hot water boiler and a pressurized shower. We could build in an oven. We could get a bigger van or upgrade to an RV or a schoolie to relieve the space issue. Ultimately, there is still plenty of room for improvement in our mobile-tiny-living-dream that involves striking a better balance of living modestly while still having modern conveniences. We love the freedom and flexibility we have in the van but at the end of the day, we still love pooping in a toilet. There are so many basic things that you take for granted while living in a house or apartment that we have a completely renewed appreciation for.

Staying in one spot for this long has definitely been tough in some (read: most) respects but it has also been helpful in others. Namely, we’ve been able to do some much-needed repairs and upgrades to the van that should allow us to hit the ground running once our lease is up (two more weeks – yay!!). Our plan is to head back to Vancouver Island from here to wait out the rest of the cooler months and then embark on a very special adventure after that. Let’s just say we’re heading to a very cool spot (pun intended) that’s been a long time coming…

If you’re planning on living a more nomadic lifestyle or just want to learn a little about solar power this guide will be a great launching point! We’d like to note that we are not electricians but we’ve gathered all of the information while building a solar system for our own converted van. You can see our build here.

Let’s get started!

What is solar power?

Solar power is the ability to convert the sun’s rays into electricity.

There are different ways to use the sun’s rays to create electricity; the main one we will be focusing on is creating solar energy with photovoltaics.

Ok, and what are photovoltaics? 

Well, to put it simply they are substances that have the ability to convert solar rays into usable electricity.

What are the basic elements of a solar powered electrical system for a van or RV?

There are a few basic pieces to every solar setup. Your solar needs can be very complicated or very simple but in all cases you will always require the following items to get started:

Solar Array

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Charge Controller

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Battery Bank

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Wiring

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MC4 Connectors

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Ring Terminal Mounts

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Breakers or Fuses

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DC to AC Inverter

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Battery Monitor

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Proper solar power installations can include inverters, breakers, kill switches, various sizes of wiring and many other items based off of your power needs. You’ll have to source the necessary parts so you can build a system that can handle the amount of electricity you plan on consuming.

In some cases your power needs outweigh your personal budget for the solar power setup so you may want to consider a generator if your power needs are high and your budget is low.

Let’s learn some basic terminology about solar power & electricity.

Here are some basic definitions as defined on Wikipedia.

Watts

Power is the rate at which energy is generated or consumed and this can be measured in a unit called a watt.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Volts

Volts are the unit of measurement that tells us the amount of electrical potential something has. One volt is defined as the difference in electric potential between two points of a conductive wire when an electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power between those two points.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Amps (Ampere)

An ampere or amp is the base unit of electrical current.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Ohms

Ohm’s law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

How do I calculate all of these things?

This is Ohm’s Law Triangle. Ohm’s Law states the relationship between voltage (V), current (A) and resistance (Ω).

And the Watts Law Triangle. Watts Law states the relationship between power (W), current (A) and voltage (V).

Series Circuit

This is a type of wiring technique that creates a circuit where current goes through every component of the setup. All components in a series connection carry the same current.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

The basic takeaway here is that if one of the lights dies in this circuit the whole circuit will be interrupted. A great example of a series circuit is old Christmas lights. When one light dies you have to find which blub popped and replace it to get all of the other lights to turn on again.

Parallel Circuit

If two or more components are connected in parallel, they have the same difference of potential (voltage) across their ends. The potential differences across the components are the same in magnitude, and they also have identical polarities. The same voltage is applied to all circuit components connected in parallel. The total current is the sum of the currents through the individual components, in accordance with Kirchhoff’s current law.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

With a parallell circuit we don’t have quite the same concerns as with the series circuit. If one of the lightbulbs stops working it won’t turn off the others.

AC Power

AC stands for alternating current, which means the electrical current frequently reverses direction. AC electricity is measured according to its cycles, with one complete cycle being counted each time a given current travels in one direction and then doubles back on itself.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

To use the AC power in your solar setup, you’re going to require an inverter – we’ll cover what those are a bit further down in the guide. All houses use AC power to energize your appliances and other electronic accessories. When you plug your toaster into the wall at home you’re drawing AC power to heat up the elements. All modern homes are connected to the main power grid to use AC power.

DC Power

Direct current (DC) is a unidirectional flow of electric charge. A battery is a good example of a DC power supply. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even through a vacuum as in electron or ion beams. The electric current flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from alternating current (AC).

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

DC power is the primary type of current you’ll be working with when setting up your solar system. From our experience, we’d also suggest using DC power for as many items in your system as you can.

Why should I use DC powered appliances in my camper van or RV?

The main reason is because your battery bank is already putting out power in a DC current. When we convert our DC powered battery to AC using an inverter we actually lose a bit of power in the conversion which makes AC appliances and electrical items a little less efficient to run.

It is highly advised to use electric accessories for your van or RV that are DC powered. Having the option to use AC power in your home on wheels is great but relying on AC power will drain your system more quickly. You can find almost every appliance and device for your RV that can run on DC including your fridge, lights, fans, and even your furnace. Even your phone is a DC powered device and that little brick you use to plug it into the wall actually converts the AC power from your home power socket to DC to charge the phone. It’s easy enough to install a few marine style USB ports in the wall of your van or rv and you’ll never need the little power brick again.

DC Powered Lights

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DC & Gas Powered Fridge

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DC Powered Fan

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DC USB Ports

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DC & Diesel Powered Furnace

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DC Water Pump & Tap

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Breakers & Fuses

Breakers

An automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit as a safety measure.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

These are very important to any electrical setup as they can stop overloads in your system from happening. Different breakers come with different strengths depending on how much electricity you want to flow through a specific connection. These breakers are set up in between a connection between two points where electricity will flow and can “break” to impede the flow of electricity if the current is overloaded.

In our van, we used breakers instead of fuses for our solar installation. We made this decision because we’re not always close to a store where we can buy new fuses. If our system ever overloads then the breaker will pop and disconnect the electrical current. All we have to do is check to see where our issue is, fix it and then re-engage the breaker.

Fuses

Similar to breakers a fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an electrical circuit. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts or breaks when too much current flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. It is a sacrificial device; once a fuse has operated it is an open circuit, and it must be replaced or rewired, depending on the type.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Just like breakers, these come in different strengths to allow systems to safely stop without causing a fire or a major system overload. Fuses get placed in the same areas that breakers are connected in a circuit. Unlike breakers, fuses actually destroy themselves to protect the system. If a current becomes large and your system is overloading the fuse will break and halt the electricity from flowing through the connection. We find the only downfall to having fuses is that they’re not always available so you have to be sure to keep a supply of them with you on your travels. Fuses used to be used in home electrical setups as well, but we now use breakers because they are easier to reset and don’t require you to purchase new ones every time the power overloads.

Using fuses or breakers are important safety measures that you have to think about while creating your solar power setup.

Breakers

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Fuses

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Fuse Panels

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Wiring Sizes

Similar to breakers a fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an electrical circuit. Wiring comes in many sizes and types. To properly determine if the wire you’re using is safe, you should make sure your wire size is able to handle the amount of amps you will be placing through it. The main way to determine wire sizes and their ratings is to use the American Wire Gauge system (AWG). Most wires you purchase from the store will have a rating on them depending on their size. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts or breaks when too much current flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. It is a sacrificial device; once a fuse has operated it is an open circuit, and it must be replaced or rewired, depending on the type.

Here are some common sizes for wiring and how many amps they can usually handle:

• 14-gauge wire: 15 amps
• 12-gauge wire: 20 amps
• 10-gauge wire: 30 amps
• 8-gauge wire: 40 amps
• 6-gauge wire: 55 amps
• 4-gauge wire: 70 amps
• 3-gauge wire: 85 amps
• 2-gauge wire: 95 amps

To learn more about wiring sizes check out this great article.

Solar Panel Wires

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Battery Wires

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Other Wires

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Solar Panels

Solar panels are made of an array of photovoltaic solar cells. These cells are wired together to create a desired watt rating for the panel. Generally you buy your solar panel already assembled but for those people out there that are a bit more adventurous, you can build your own solar panels from scratch. Unless you’re quite clever with a soldering iron, we’d highly recommend buying pre-built solar panels.

150 Watt Square Solar Panel

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100 Watt Solar Panel

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160 Watt Solar Panel

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Types of Solar Panels

Monocrystalline

These are the most commonly used solar panels and they are made of monocrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline panels generally have a high-efficiency rate, they are less sensitive to high temperatures and they last a long time.

Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline solar panels are easily distinguished by their random triangular looking patterns in the panel. These panels are created by melting raw silicon and are generally less expensive and not as efficient as a monocrystalline panel. Polycrystalline panels can also be more sensitive to higher temperatures and they’re often not that efficient at producing electricity.

There are also Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon & Concentrated PV Cell Solar Panels but these won’t really apply to creating a good solar power system for your van or RV.

Which solar panels should I choose?

This question is a difficult one to give a straight answer to. The type of solar panels you choose will depend on your budget, how much power you need, and the amount of surface you have available to mount the solar panels. For most general purposes people will choose monocrystalline panels.

Hard Solar Panels or Flexible Solar Panels?

A hard solar panel will require a bit more effort to ensure they are stable and well secured to your vehicle’s roof but these panels are strong and can handle the most ware and tare. Going with a flexible panel can be a great option if you have an uneven roof but from our research, we’ve found that these panels can start to warp over time and the surface can be easily scratched if you’re driving into places with low hanging trees or objects.

A hard solar panel will require a bit more effort to ensure they are stable and well secured to your vehicle’s roof but these panels are strong and can handle the most ware and tare. Going with a flexible panel can be a great option if you have an uneven roof but from our research, we’ve found that these panels can start to warp over time and the surface can be easily scratched if you’re driving into places with low hanging trees or objects.

Solar Mounting Brackets

There’s not much here to explain! Mounting brackets are used to attach your solar panels to the top of your RV or van. The way you mount your solar panels will depend on what type of panels you choose and if you want to build or use an existing roof rack to attach your panels. There are many ways to mount your solar panels; some folks use mounting brackets that will allow you to angle the panels toward the sun and others will just mount their panels flat on the roof. Mounting your panels flat will be the least amount of work but will be the least efficient way to mount your panels. A panel that is tipped and pointing directly at the sun all day will net you the most electricity from your solar panels.

Adjustable Solar Panel Mounting Bracket

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Corner Bracket Mounts

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Z Bracket Solar Panel Mount

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Batteries

There are so many types of batteries out there it’s hard to know what will work best for you. Buying batteries is one of the most important decisions you need to make when setting up your solar power system. Your batteries store all of the electricity that your solar panels collect during the day. Ideally you want to be able to use your electrical devices and appliances during the day and still be able to charge your batteries so everything still works when the sun goes down. This will require you to have enough panels to collect light but also enough battery power to run everything.

Lithium Ion

Pros:

• Longer lifespan
• Up to 80% safe discharge
• Faster charge times

Cons:

• Very expensive

100AH Lithium Ion Battle Born Battery

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100AH LiFePO4 Lithium Ion Battery

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Lead Acid

Pros:

• Cheap up-front cost

Cons:

• Short life
• Require regular maintenance
• Should only be discharged to 50%
• Have to be vented
• Need to sit upright at all times
• Longer re-charge time compared to Lithium Ion

Trojan T-105 225Ah Deep Cycle

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Trojan T-1275 12V 150Ah Deep Cycle

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Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)

Pros:

• Can be placed on their side
• Don’t require ventilation

Cons:

• Shorter life
• Should only be discharged to 50%
• Longer re-charge time compared to Lithium Ion

VMAX 12V Deep Cycle

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Renogy 100Ah AGM Deep Cycle

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What is an amp hour?

An ampere hour or amp hour (symbol Ah; also denoted A⋅h or A h) is a unit of electric charge, having dimensions of electric current multiplied by time, equal to the charge transferred by a steady current of one ampere flowing for one hour, or 3600 coulombs.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Essentially, it’s a way to give us an idea of how long a battery will last based on a 1 amp discharge of your battery over time.

For Example:

We want to run some LED lights that are rated at 1 amp.

If your battery has a capacity of 100 amp hours then theoretically, your lights will stay on for 100 hours. This calculation isn’t 100% accurate and will change depending on the type of batteries you use and the current temperature of your batteries. Weather can dramatically change how your batteries operate and should be taken into consideration when choosing the right batteries for your system.

Inverters

In order to convert your battery’s DC power to AC power you’re going to need an inverter. Any devices or appliances you have that require a standard wall plug will need a higher voltage of electricity to operate. Inverters take a standard 12 volt DC current and can convert it to usable 120 volt AC current.  Be warned that converting power from DC or AC or back the other way can result in some power being lost and most of the time results in having your batteries drain faster. We feel like you should plan to use AC power as little as possible when planning a solar power system.

If you’re going to be using your solar power to charge your sensitive electronics like laptops and cameras then your only option for clean power is a pure sine wave inverter.

Renogy 1000 Watt Inverter

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Reliable 3000 Watt Inverter

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AIMS 5000 Watt 12 Volt DC Power Inverter

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Types of Inverters

Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Pros:

• Very clean power free from other electrical interference
• Works well powering all electrical devices

Cons:

• Generally a little more expensive

Modified Sine Wave Inverter

Pros:

• Generally a cheaper device
• Works well for a lot of general electrical items like tools

Cons:

• Not safe for more sensitive electronics like laptops and CPAP machines

Charge Controllers

This device can be seen as a brain for your solar panels that protect your batteries and charge them correctly. Buying a cheap charge controller isn’t a good idea so spending a bit more money to get a decent charge controller is a wise investment.

The most efficient is the MPPT charge controller as it charges your batteries in stages and it will help you get the longest life out of your battery bank investment.

What does a solar charge controller do?

A solar charge controller limits the flow of electrical energy from your solar panel to your batteries in order to charge them safely and efficiently. Without a solar charge controller, solar panels would be connected directly to your batteries and this could cause serious risks to your safety. If you do not connect a solar charge controller between your solar panels and your batteries you may overload your system and cause fires or your batteries can explode.

Charging your battery bank from your alternator – is it worth it?

Having your house battery bank connected to the alternator in your engine is helpful if you move around fairly often. If you’re planning on staying in one spot for longer periods of time then this wouldn’t be a very effective option for you. It’s also a bit of a daunting task to connect if you have a more modern vehicle, so unless you’re really into digging into electrical manuals and consulting electrical charts we’d say leave this to a pro.

Our van already had the wiring in place to charge our house battery from the alternator. This was the only way to charge your house batteries in the 80’s before solar panels (our van is a 1984 Dodge B250). We decided to upgrade the wiring and add a kill switch so we can disconnect the alternator’s power from the solar charge controller.

We find with our alternator we can fully charge our batteries on cloudy days if we take a long drive. This also required us to purchase a special charge controller that allowed us to have our panels and our alternator to tie into the same system.

CTEK D250S DUAL

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Kill Switch

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Battery Wiring

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Calculating Power Needs

How much power will my items draw?

To do this you need to add up how many watts each of your electric items will draw on the battery and determine how many hours per day you will have to power each item. There are a ton of great solar power need calculators on the web to help you figure out your final number.

Will solar power be useful for me?

Before you start buying all of the pieces for your solar power system you should ask yourself if the amount of electricity you require is worth the price you spend on buying all of the elements you need to put your solar power system together. Your battery bank is where you’re going to spend the most money in the entire setup.

Here’s a helpful list of questions you can ask yourself to see if solar power is right for your situation:

What’s your budget for electricity?

Depending on what your budget is and how much electricity you plan on consuming, you should weigh over all costs of going solar vs buying a generator. Going green and off the grid is great but for a lot of situations, buying a generator and gas will be cheaper. Solar is a large one time expense while a generator costs far less upfront but has recurring gas expenses.

Are you spending a lot of time remote camping?

You’ll have to determine what type of camping you do most. If you’re going to be boondocking (dry camping) in the middle of nowhere often, having solar power can be quite helpful. Running a generator also works and will provide you with more power, but you have to think about noise & gas as well.

Are you a city dweller?

Running a generator in the city isn’t an option if you want to do some stealth camping. In this situation, you should look into building a solar system that will provide you with the power you need to get through the night.

Will you be spending most of your time at paid campgrounds or RV parks?

If you’re spending most of your time at paid campgrounds or RV parks, they generally have electrical hook ups so having a solar system probably isn’t necessary.

Are you staying in areas that you can’t run a generator?

If you are, solar is your only option.

Are you concerned about your carbon footprint?

Using a solar system can cut down on the amount of times you need to plug into the main electrical grid which, in the long run, will be better for the environment. It’s also a far healthier choice than using a gas-run generator.

Do you want to run air conditioning?

This isn’t impossible but you’re going to have to spend a fortune in panels and batteries to handle the load an air conditioning unit will put on your battery bank. Most vans and RVs simply don’t have enough space for the amount of solar panels and batteries you’re going to need to keep your air conditioner running. If you’re dead set on having air conditioning, you’ll probably want to look into staying at places with dedicated electrical hook ups or buy a generator.

Do you have more questions?

Contact us here!

Ready to get started building your solar system?

Listed below are all the items we used to build our camper van solar system. If you want some more in-depth information about our van build (and wiring diagrams!) you can read our Complete Van Life Solar System article.

DOKIO 150 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel

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Renogy 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

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Trojan Reliant T105-AGM 6V Deep-Cycle Battery

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CTEK D250S Dual 12V 20A Battery Charger

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Solar Panel Wire 10AWG 10′ Wire with MC4 Connectors

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15A Inline Circuit Breaker

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MC4 Branch Connectors

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Battery Capacity Monitor

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Mounting Z Brackets

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Weatherproof ABS Solar Double Cable Entry Gland

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Rotary Power Isolator Switch

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USB & 12V Power Ports

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This information can be applied to any sort of solar power system that can be installed in any application that requires electricity. However, when creating a solar system for situations where your dwelling is hooked up to your region’s main power grid there are other considerations, like stopping your solar system from improperly discharging into the grid. You would also need to do plenty of research about the rules and regulations of installing solar power on your residence. We won’t be covering any aspects of residential solar power in this guide and we’d highly recommend you get in contact with your local solar power provider before setting up solar on your permanent residence.

Thank you for taking the time to read our helpful guide! We hope it’s been a great resource for you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us on our contact form or Facebook.

*DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. ALL INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE IS BASED OFF OF OUR OWN RESEARCH. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE EXPERIMENTING WITH ANY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS*

We left the mountains and corn was calling our names. Not really but we were on our way to Minneapolis and it was nothing but fields of corn that stood between us. We added the 32^nd state to our list and crossed into Nebraska by way of Big Springs and headed toward North Platte. As under-the-radar as Nebraska may be, it’s chock-full of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) that make for a buffet of free camping options. Most that we checked out were small grassy areas on some sort of river or slough that weren’t necessarily places we’d want to set up camp for a week but made for great overnight spots with easy access to the highway. As convenient as being 3 minutes off the Interstate was, it was definitely a little noisy at times but nothing we couldn’t tune out.

The sun that we had briefly got re-accustomed to had quickly disappeared back into a heavy mass of brooding rain clouds that seemed to hover above us wherever we went. As much as torrential rain sucks, we seemed to have left Colorado at the right time because they got dumped on with another 15”+ of snow – suddenly the rain didn’t seem so bad. We spent about 5 days driving across Nebraska in a routine of finding a Starbucks to work at and then a WMA to sleep at. Again, this was shockingly easy to do. One of our last stops was in Aurora where we stayed the night at a city park with free hookups and even a pool with a giant waterslide. Sadly it wasn’t open but that was probably for the best because the sky looked like it was getting heavier and heavier. We spent another night earlier in the week where a local actually came to check up on us the next morning to see if we survived the rain. Just like in Alberta, the thunderstorms in the Midwest are pretty intense. Coming from Ontario, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lightning storm so electric in my life. Naturally, we were too entranced by the light show to take pictures. Somehow Pierogi managed to sleep through it all and barely batted an eye when the thunder rolled through.

Instead of cooking over to Des Moines, we made a little detour to check out Kansas City. It’s never really been a place that’s caught our eye on a map but we had recently heard a lot of cool things about it and had been told it’s a super underrated city. We were three hours away so why not? We continued to venture into new territory and closed in on the city in the late afternoon of a scorching hot, humid day. After running a few errands and remembering it was Memorial Day weekend, we thought we’d be best to try and snag a spot somewhere to camp for the weekend and do our exploring on Monday. A wise choice it definitely was because we scooped up the last open spot at a free campground in Louisburg, KS just in time. Unfortunately, the excessive rain turned the lake we were on into a swampy bug-filled mess and didn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon. We were happy when it started raining because it broke through the heat but the many folks tent camping definitely were not as thrilled.

We used the long weekend as a chance to catch up on some repairs and maintenance projects instead of slamming cans of Budweiser and eating Americana-coloured foods like I assume Memorial Day is usually celebrated. We packed up on Monday morning and headed to the city and quickly realized that we made an excellent decision by choosing to visit on a holiday. The streets were empty and free parking options were abundant. We parked at the River Market and scoped out all the cool food and drink options around while a Pierogi fan club started to form and we realized we couldn’t get very far without people constantly stopping us to give her some puppy love. We eventually managed to explore the surrounding areas and see the library in person, which was one of our must-sees in the city. If you’ve never seen photos of it, the parking garage for the public library is painted like a giant bookshelf with the locals’ favourite titles on the spines. It’s really, really awesome.

The only downfall of the holiday was that Boulevard Brewing and Joe’s BBQ were both closed. We headed to the east part of town and went to Gates BBQ and man oh man those baked beans were something else. We both agreed that we’d never had beans so good or quite frankly, that beans could even taste that good. The pork was amazing and the sauce was amazing but those beans were out of this world. People of Gates, if you’re reading this, yes, we would love to do a sponsorship. Please get in touch. Please.

After a great day in the city, we headed slightly north to camp around St. Joseph and continue en route to Minnesota. Similar to Colorado, we seem to have left KC at the right time because the tornado warnings were coming in hot. We were driving through Missouri to Iowa when the emergency signals took over the radio. It was a violent rain storm already but the winds were really picking up around the Kansas/Missouri state line. Thankfully we seemed to be in a safe zone with only flood warnings upon us but even driving in that was a task. We settled into a very wet county park near Osceola and considered ourselves lucky because the tornado in Kansas ended up having a one mile radius. I’m sure people down there are used to it but that’s just plain nuts.

We put in a work day in Des Moines and stayed the night at a lovely lakeside spot near the Minnesota state line and were ready to conquer the home stretch drive to Minneapolis. The Midwest always gets a bad wrap for being boring but honestly, there were way more trees and things to look at compared to driving through Texas. Sorry Texas, your cities are cool but getting from one to another is boring as hell. Anyway, we’re always stoked to be pleasantly surprised by underrated places and states and felt like this little jaunt did exactly that. People often coin these areas as “fly-over states” but next time you’re through, slow down and smell the corn because it actually smells pretty sweet.