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.

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*

After spending an amazing few months exploring the mecca of outdoor living in Campbell River, British Columbia, we teamed up with Destination Campbell River to shine a light on some more remote and majorly underrated spots within a few hours drive from the city. If you’re looking for clothes shopping and staying at Best Westerns then this definitely isn’t the trip for you. But if you’re game to soak in a ton of unspoiled nature and get a little muddy along the way then read on!

To make sure that you hit all the good spots, we’ve put together an easy to follow list of the highlights of this Vancouver Island Road Trip. Starting from Campbell River through Strathcona Provincial Park to Gold River, and from Gold River to Tahsis. We did the trip over the course of 3 days but there are lots of opportunities for longer hikes and more camping to make this a week-long trip.

START: CAMPBELL RIVER

Gear up with supplies for cooking and top up all of your vehicle’s fluids because services are very limited once you leave town. You also most likely won’t have cell service once you get 15-20 minutes in on the Gold River Highway (Hwy 28) so make sure you’ve got all your emails answered and accommodation arrangements (if need be) made before setting out. A Backroads Mapbook or offline map on your phone will also come in handy if you decide to veer off the main highway at all (which, needless to say, you always should).

ELK FALLS PROVINCIAL PARK

Just a few minutes after leaving town, you’ll enter into Elk Falls Provincial Park which has some great walking trails, camping, and a super cool suspension bridge. The falls themselves are a short walk from the park’s entrance and can be especially epic when the nearby hydroelectric dam is open, pushing massive amounts of water down the river. Entry to the park is free and the paid campground is open year-round.

STRATHCONA PARK LODGE

With the drop in cell service and the lack of folks around, you wouldn’t expect to find a beautifully-crafted eco-lodge hidden along a winding highway but yet, Strathcona Park Lodge exists. This lodge is rich in logging history and serves as a meeting point for outdoor adventure enthusiasts and those looking to learn more about the area. The lodge hosts everything from camps for kids to romantic getaways for couples looking to do something a little different. The lodge works hard to promote sustainable and eco-friendly living where no TV, Internet, or grid-connected electricity is to be found. Almost all of the food served in the dining hall, The Whale Room, is sourced from local farmers and fishers who are passionate about promoting a healthy and conscious lifestyle for those working and visiting.

The cabins are cozy yet modern and boast some amazing views of the mountains that hug Upper Campbell Lake. Whether you’re keen to take a kayak out for a paddle or a bike out for a ride, Strathcona Park Lodge is a great spot to really immerse yourself in Vancouver Island’s picturesque beauty.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: ENTRANCE

It’s obligatory to snap a photo with the huge elk marking the entrance to Strathcona Provincial Park. There are outhouses and trash cans here that make it a good pit stop before heading deeper into the park. We even took a walk down to the water for a taste of some of the amazing views to come. Similar to Elk Falls, it’s completely free to enter and explore Strathcona, but there are fees if you choose to camp at one of the park’s campgrounds or require a permit for backcountry exploring.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: BUTTLE LAKE

At this point in your Vancouver Island Road Trip, you’ll want to veer off of Hwy 28 and head down Westmin Mines Road to drive along the shores of Buttle Lake. Although it may seem like Upper Campbell Lake is the main drag, it is actually a man-made lake created after the construction of the Strathcona Dam in the 1950s. Buttle Lake, on the other hand, has always existed naturally but had way lower water levels before the construction of the dam and consequently, was much smaller. When water levels are low, you can see several tree stumps on the muddy shore which are some of the few remaining traces of the forest that used to stand tall pre-hydroelectric dam. Now, Buttle Lake is a popular spot for boating, swimming, and fishing and has two vehicle-accessible campgrounds. We didn’t camp here but we’ve heard that Ralph River on the south shore of the lake is definitely worth checking out.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: LUPIN FALLS

A short hike takes you up to a real-life enchanted forest where you’ll be surrounded by masses of old growth cedar trees blanketed in lavish green moss. Once you reach the waterfall, take a minute to soak in all the beauty surrounding you and don’t hold back from climbing up to the higher viewing area. If you’ve got an imagination, you could almost trick yourself into thinking that the tall, skinny waterfall is actually warm water and Lupin Falls would feel like a tropical oasis.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: KARST CREEK

Personally, when I think of sinkholes I think of seemingly bottomless cenotes in Mexico and had no idea that dissolved limestone – called karst – could create underground tunnels and a whole network of creeks below the earth’s surface – and all of this in Canada to boot! Karst Creek is a 2km trail that opens up to a “disappearing” creek, a waterfall and of course, a sinkhole. There is one section of the trail that involves crossing a riverbed that is only advisable to do only when the water levels are low. We did the trail in March and this section was almost completely dry.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: LOWER MYRA FALLS

If Strathcona Provincial Park has ever been on your radar, it’s probably because of Lower Myra Falls. A gorgeous limestone-carved waterfall flows freely into pools of vibrant, turquoise waters that look like a paradise out of the Caribbean. It’s a steep 15 minute walk down to the falls where you can get up close and personal with the colourful water and even cool off in it if you’re feeling brave. Needless to say, be very cautious because the rocks can be super slippery and the water flows pretty rapidly. If you’re planning a longer trip, the 6km hike to Upper Myra Falls sounds like a pretty great way to spend an afternoon.

STRATHCONA PROVINCIAL PARK: LADY FALLS

Once you’ve hit Myra Falls, you’ll need to head back on Westmin Mines Road in order to link back up with Hwy 28 and continue west. Reaching the end of Strathcona Provincial Park, the last stop to make is at Lady Falls. A popular spot due to its brisk 900m jaunt from the highway, Lady Falls are a lot more aggressive than the name may lead you to believe. Similar to Elk Falls, the roaring cascade will surround you in a cool mist that would make for the perfect way to refresh yourself on a hot day.

Because we were on a shorter trip, we stuck to mostly shorter trails and tried to jam a lot into one day. The next time we go, we definitely want to work in having the time to do the Elk River Trail and Bedwell Lake Trail because they look incredible. It’s also important to note that this is only uncovering the Buttle Lake portion of the park – there is also the Forbidden Plateau zone that’s reached from Mt. Washington and would make for its own multi-day trip.

MUCHALAT LAKE

After a long day of trails and waterfalls, we continued on the final stretch of the Gold River Highway (Hwy 28) to you guessed it, Gold River. Instead of turning into town, we headed 20 minutes north to Muchalat Lake where we’d camp for the night. This BC Recreation Area is an absolute gem; it’s $15/night to camp from May-September but free in the off-season. There are several campsites and a big boat launch and wharf that would make any afternoon on the water a blast. The views of the mountains are absolutely spectacular and make for a pretty humbling experience as you stand surrounded by old growth forest. We were lucky to only have one or two other campers there but I’d imagine this spot would be pretty popular in the summer months.

VILLAGE OF GOLD RIVER

The Village of Gold River is a small community of only 1,200 people that’s nestled amongst mountains, forest, and a plethora of lakes and rivers. Aside from a couple of gas stations and Fields, a general store, there isn’t much to the village since more and more people have been migrating to Campbell River and elsewhere after the closure of the pulp mill in the late 1990s left the town without many employment opportunities. Those that did stay have established a beautiful community surrounded by nature that is an extraordinary launching point for many hikes and outdoor adventure opportunities. Do yourself a favour and stop in at Clayworks Café for a coffee and sandwich while getting a chance to admire the handcrafted pottery made by the local artisan couple that runs the café. Again, our short visit meant that we didn’t have as much time as we’d like to explore the whole area but the next time we’re back, the first thing we’re going to do is the Antler Lake Trail. It only takes about an hour roundtrip and is a local favourite; as Neil, one of the owners of Clayworks said, “it would be a shame to come to Gold River and not do the trail.”

AIR NOOTKA

Although it’s pretty much in the direct centre of Vancouver Island, a 15 minute drive to the end of Hwy 28 opens up to an inlet with stunning mountain views and salty ocean air. At the edge of this inlet, you’ll find the dock to board the MV Uchuck III for an ocean cruise on a historic ship and the dock to board one of Air Nootka’s floatplanes. We were lucky enough to join Scott, Air Nootka’s pilot extraordinaire, on a scenic mail route and discover some remote communities on the shores of Vancouver Island’s west coast that are unreachable by road. The mail flight is a two hour journey around the area called Nootka Sound, which looks like a rugged landscape out of a movie set in the Polynesian Islands or somewhere else that is definitely not the Canada that we’ve seen anywhere else.

The waters are crystal clear and painted with a gradient of light turquoise to deep, jewel-toned blue and wash up onto white, sandy beaches lined with coniferous trees. Scott gave us a rundown on the rich First Nations history of the area and let us in on all the best surfing and hiking spots. We made two stops in Kyuquot and Zeballos to deliver mail and medical supplies after flying over a herring spawn and getting a bird’s eye view of grey whales heading in for a snack. A flight with Air Nootka is a popular voyage for hiking enthusiasts looking to embark on the Nootka Trail, a 37 km hike around Nootka Island that’s guaranteed to be rich in wildlife, scenery, and more than a few challenging obstacles. The beauty of this trail truly lies in its remoteness and solitude with how few people you will encounter along the way. Flights with Air Nootka have a variety of destination and pricing options and are best to be booked in advance.

CALA FALLS

After departing the Village of Gold River, you’ll start your 64 km journey on the Tree to Sea Drive to Tahsis. There are several viewpoints and landmarks along the way so we’ve included some of our favourites. The first stop is Cala Falls, a glorious waterfall fed from Big Baldy Mountain that’s easy to admire right from the road. The falls are only about 10 km away from Gold River and set a precursor for the outstanding amount of waterfalls you’ll continue to see along the way.

UPANA CAVES

Yes, you read that right – caves! The Upana Caves are a series of limestone and marble caves carved out by the Upana River. There are five caves to explore ranging from still-being-able-to-see-the-light-of-day to some pretty dark, tight squeezes. We visited at the beginning of spring so there was still a lot of snow and ice on the ground because the elevation is quite high but we still managed to do a little spelunking – don’t worry, we didn’t know what that word meant either until we tried our hand at exploring the caves and learned that “spelunking” is the correct term for this. It goes without saying that you must be extremely careful and mindful of your footing with the slippery rocks and jagged overhangs. We particularly liked the Resurgence Cave because it was the least claustrophobic and had some really impressive rock formations. The caves are completely free to explore and are a must-see if exploring the Gold River area.

COUGAR CREEK

British Columbia and the mid-Island region in particular are full of amazing camping opportunities in places that almost don’t even seem real. After a 40 minute detour off the main road, we came upon our new favourite campsite – ever. Cougar Creek is a provincial recreation area perched on one of the most serene and picturesque inlets that the Island has to offer. Similar to Muchalat Lake, there is a fee to camp here during the summer months but it is free in the off-season. In late March we had the entire place to ourselves and couldn’t have asked for a more spectacular spot to spend a night. The campground is a popular destination for anglers, which was made clear by the huge dock lined with fish cleaning tables and the endless waters that surrounded it. Truthfully, we had to remind ourselves that we weren’t in New Zealand as we watched the clouds clear to uncover everything from lush green mountains to rocky, snow-capped peaks. A visit to Cougar Creek is probably the most worthy detour you’ll ever make.

MOUTCHA + HEAD BAY

As you continue along the Tree to Sea Drive, the winding dirt roads and steep hills will open up to glimpses of breathtaking unspoiled nature and if you’re lucky, some pretty spectacular wildlife viewing. Just before Moutcha Bay, we got to watch a family of elk cross a riverbed while eagles flew majestically over our heads. Once you reach Moutcha and Head Bay, you’ll admire a perfectly still body of water with vibrant reflections of the peaceful trees and mountains that line the shore.

THREE SISTERS WATERFALL

This waterfall is epic – three parallel streams of crisp mountain water flow down the side of a rocky façade that looks like something out of National Geographic. The pullout for the lookout point isn’t very big but these tall waterfalls will be in view for a good portion of this section of the drive.

PRESIDENT’S TREE

This one is a bit of a sad stop. The President’s Tree or “The Big Tree” was preserved during the logging of the area done to make the road to Tahsis, which used to only be reachable by boat or plane. Dedicated to Jack Christiensen, President of the Tahsis Company, this 300+ year old Douglas Fir served as a welcome home marker to those en route to Tahsis. Sadly, the mammoth of a tree fell down last year in a storm and now remains fallen on the side of the road.

LEINER RIVER

Leiner River is a recreation area 5 minutes outside of the Village of Tahsis that is a popular destination for swimming, hiking, and camping. The campground is free to access all year round and makes for a great spot to do some tricks on the rope swing that hangs over the river. The area is very rainforest-y and links up with the Leiner River Trail. Be extra cautious of wildlife because cougars seem to enjoy this place just as much as humans.

VILLAGE OF TAHSIS

If you thought Gold River was a small community, wait until you get to Tahsis. A small fishing-oriented village of 300 people hugs the shore of the Tahsis Inlet. Yet another striking mountain view welcomes you as you roam the cherry blossom-lined streets (in the spring at least!). There is only one store in the entire village, conveniently called Tahsis Supermarket, which serves as a grocery/liquor/general store complete with a restaurant up front. We had some dynamite fish and chips and a BLT at the restaurant while chatting with some locals about the area. Seeing as we’re travelling in a van, they were quick to inform us of the recreation centre that is free to use and has a swimming pool, sauna, and even a bowling alley! For a small town, at least they’ve got their priorities covered. Being the shoulder season, we were the only tourists around but the village seems to liven up in the summer months when anglers and outdoor explorers from the US and Canada come to visit. The Westview Marina opens up in April-May with mooring, an inn, and a waterfront restaurant serving up local food and beer. Just like Gold River, the population has decreased drastically since the closure of the mill in the late 90s but the village is rebranding itself as an outdoor adventure hotspot in an absolutely gorgeous location.

Well, there you have it; an amazing journey around some of Vancouver Island’s most beautiful yet far too often overlooked locations that make for an awesome outdoorsy trip. Most people visiting – or even living on – Vancouver Island generally spend most of their time on the southern half and maybe make the pilgrimage to Tofino. The south Island is lovely but if you’re headed this way, a road trip up north of the Alberni Highway 4 is where all the true gems are. Take our word for it and ditch your list of popular spots and make the expedition to the heart of Vancouver Island!

So rewind back to the fall when we set out for the mildest possible Canadian winter we could manage and headed for Vancouver Island. November, December and January had us laughing at how impossibly tame the coastal winter was until February came along and knocked us off of our high horses straight into a big ol’ pile of snow.

Needless to say, we thoroughly tested all of our van life winterization tips and discovered a bunch more good ones along the way. Let’s get cozy!

1. INSULATING EVERYTHING ISN’T ENOUGH

Although the Reflectix window inserts help tremendously (and are also going to be lifesavers in the scorching summer sun), cold air will still manage to creep its way in unless you’re totally airtight. Any older rig like ours is bound to have lots of little nooks and crannies where a draft can enter. We replaced a lot of the rubber seals around the doors and windows with new rubber weather stripping to try and block out the cold air as much as possible. We even added a Reflectix “wall” in front of the back doors to retain as much heat as possible around the bed. Of course we covered it in fabric so it doesn’t feel like we’re sleeping inside of a pizza delivery bag but at -20°C (-4°F), that doesn’t actually sound too bad.

You might also want to get a little area rug to make getting out of bed in the morning less painful and definitely up your wool socks game. Justin’s Nan in Newfoundland has hooked us up with some of the warmest slipper-like socks around and they’re awesome. If you don’t have a local grandma to knit you things, those funny looking down slippers are actually pretty great. They’re super warm and roll down into a tiny little pouch that you can take with you for overnight hikes or for just randomly whipping out at parties when your friend hasn’t paid their heating bill. Basically, even a cave of insulation isn’t going to keep you warm if it’s freezing outside so sometimes you might have to suck it up and go to bed with a toque on or wear a couple pairs of socks and long johns to be comfortable. And remember, snow is a great insulator so if you’re stationary for a few days, letting the snow pack onto your windows is actually better than trying to brush it all off.

2. MOLD IS REAL

Like we said in Part I, moisture prevention is just as important as trying to stay warm. Unless you’ve got an electrical hookup, a space heater is out of the question and the dry heat of a wood stove is not feasible in a lot of rigs – especially if you do any city/stealth camping. Propane heat creates moisture and when you’re in places with a damp winter (hello PNW), condensation is pretty much inevitable.

We got more of those dehumidifying beads at the dollar store and put one in every corner and every cupboard. They might not look like they’re doing much but we noticed a huge improvement in the more confined spaces like the storage boxes under the bed. Just make sure to not let them tip over and spill their juice out because it makes for a greasy mess (yea, that happened). But most importantly, a bit of airflow is key in preventing condensation from building all while saving you from carbon monoxide poisoning – a win-win!

Unfortunately despite all of our dehumidifying efforts, we still had to deal with a bit of mold. Mainly in tight spaces that don’t get a lot of ventilation and on the panels of our back doors that we hardly opened, we found small circles of black mildew like you often get in your shower. It was gross and as much as we’d love to say we found some natural solution that magically made it disappear, we used a bleach-based bathroom cleaner and eradicated it as best as we could and as quickly as possible. Yea, it smelled like a swimming pool and wasn’t good for our skin but it did the job and also worked as a preventive for regrowth in the areas that we sprayed it.

3. POCKET WARMERS ARE KING

Sure, hot water bottles can be great. They’re reusable, cheap and work well…for 3-4 hours. By morning all you have is a super cold bottle of water dressed up in an ugly sweater laying in your bed that you definitely don’t want to be cuddling anymore. When we discovered the HotHands Super Warmers, our winter sleeping situation became a lot more comfortable. Technically you’re not supposed to sleep with them on but we put them under our fitted sheet (flannel sheets = huge upgrade) at foot-level and didn’t look back. So yes, they’re evil one time use chemical packets but we got a 10-pack for $10 at Walmart and I don’t think we would have been able to get through some of our coldest nights without them. Zippo sells refillable butane warmers that work in a similar way and would be better for longer-term use but these worked great in a pinch. Did I mention they stay warm for 18 hours?!?! Ok, it’s probably actually closer to 12 but that’s still pretty fantastic for $1.

4. BE PREPARED FOR WORSE

Nobody wants to be in a situation where you’re stuck in the snow or slipping down a hill but it does happen. If you think you’ve got the gear for the current conditions, get the gear for if it gets worse. With all of the forest road driving that we do, we were not nearly prepared for what the road conditions had in store. Winter tires are a given but do you have chains or a shovel to dig yourself out if you get stuck? We learned this the hard way after not bringing chains from Calgary and getting into a couple of really sticky situations. Take, for example, when we were at the final hill getting into Twin Lake and got REALLY stuck in some unbelievably wet snow that took us 2 hours to dig ourselves out of. All we had was our collapsible poop shovel and an ice scraper that saved us from sliding into the ditch. Long story short, even if you don’t think you’ll need a shovel, bring one because you won’t regret it when you do. Tire recovery boards or traction mats are also not a bad thing to throw in the back since you can use them in the snow and sand.

5. LOOK INTO A CHINESE DIESEL HEATER

These things have become really popular lately and seem to be an all-around more efficient alternative to a propane furnace. If you have a diesel engine, you can route the fuel to come straight from there or use the auxiliary tank for your designated heat supply. The fan doesn’t draw a ton of power from your battery bank and diesel creates a much drier heat than propane. They’re also quiet and easy to install. We don’t have one currently but if we stay in Canada next winter, we’re definitely going to get one.
**2019 UPDATE: We got a diesel heater! Total game changer. Nice, dry heat that heats the space up super quickly and doesn’t take too big of a toll on our battery. Yes, now we have to get three different types of fuel (gasoline engine, propane stove + fridge, diesel heater) but it’s totally worth it. 1000% recommend.

6. DON’T RELY ON SOLAR

Installing a solar system has been the best decision we’ve made along our entire van life journey. When it’s summer and you can charge your laptop and camera while enjoying the breeze of a fan, life is good. In the winter however, the limits of your battery bank will really be tested. We’d go days without sun and barely manage to absorb any rays even on the clearer days because the sun sits so low in the sky and is only up for a few hours. We have our alternator tied in to our batteries so they charge while we drive and we’d highly recommend this to anyone looking into a solar setup, whether you’re in a cool climate or not. Our old propane furnace draws a lot of power and even with our new batteries, it hogs all of our electricity in the winter so we rely on portable battery packs to keep our phones topped up. We’re extremely mindful of how much power we’re consuming and usually don’t stay in one spot for more than 3 days so we have managed fine with our current setup but a generator definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing to add into the mix. These Honda ones are efficient and relatively quiet and would make for a great back-up power supply.

7. BE PREPARED FOR THE WINTER BLUES

As we said in Part I, winter is only fun if you’re into winter activities like skiing and snowboarding. For the rest of us, the short days with little sunlight can really get to your head. Just like in a regular house, you’ll have to deal with spending a lot more time inside. That can be really tricky when you’re in a van because it’s such a small space and it takes a lot more effort to keep cozy than a regular home where you can take a hot bath or just veg out and watch TV in a Snuggie.

That being said, try to seek out other indoor spaces you can hangout at. We often seek refuge at bars and restaurants but that can get expensive so look into local museums, libraries, or book stores where you can hangout for a while and not have to worry about your propane levels or keeping your battery topped up. If you’ve got friends in the area you’re in, maybe you can hangout at their place and even spend the night if the weather is really bad, or hey, why not splash out on an Airbnb if you’re feeling fancy. You should also put effort into the little things you can do to warm yourself up from the inside like drinking hot drinks and making soup for dinner. Your beach bod can wait when it’s super cold and you just want some comfort food.

All in all, winter is a challenging season whether you live in a van, an RV, or even a house. Cost of living inevitably increases with heating costs and supplementary entertainment to keep yourself sane. While a tank of propane (35L) usually lasts us at least a month, we have to refill every two weeks in the winter and factor that into our budget. Some nights you might even need to plug in your block heater to make sure that your van will start the next morning. There’s no denying that going south is the easier option but we aim to show that surviving the winter in a van or RV is possible with the right preparation – even in Canada. Who knows where we’ll end up next year but with two van dwelling winters under our belt, I think we’ll be A-OK wherever we choose.

Got your own helpful winter van life tips? Share them in the comments so we can share the warmth!

They say a house is the biggest purchase you’ll ever make and although choosing a van may not be quite that, buying a van to live in is a pretty major decision. Some people have distinct visions for their van life. Maybe cruising through the sunset in a candy-coloured VW bus or ripping through the mountains in a decked-out Sprinter. But for anyone weighing out their options, here are a few pros and cons to consider.

The best vans to live in balance size, capability, and your budget. Not just your upfront purchase but your monthly gas, insurance, and maintenance expenses too. When deciding between an old van vs new van, you should first figure out a few things. Consider how much you can afford, what you plan to do with your van, and how much space you need. The best van for van life should tick all of these boxes.

Also, I want to clarify that when I say “old van” I mean anything pre-new millennium. In the car world, pretty much anything over 10 years old is considered to be old. But in the van world, there are a ton of vintage rigs kicking around that still have plenty of life left in them. Using that benchmark, a “newer van” would be pretty much anything made in the 2000s onward but it seems like the past 15 years have been the most prolific.

IN THIS CORNER: OLDER VANS

PROS

Usually significantly cheaper upfront cost

Our van only set us back 5 grand while it’d be a bit of a challenge to get a newer one for under $15k (CAD). Buying a used van will always be cheaper upfront.

They’re everywhere

We’ve travelled a good chunk of this continent and in every state or province, there are older used vans around. They made a lot of these things in the 70s and 80s and most are still in use in some way or another. Basically, if you have a non-rich person budget, you’ll probably have more to choose from if opting for an older rig.

They’re easier to fix

This doesn’t apply to ALL old vans but a good majority of American-made models were so widely mass-produced that the parts are still easily available at any auto parts store. You can also benefit from pick-n-pulls or junkyards to find used parts. You’ll probably feel way more confident about doing the repair yourself as an amateur mechanic than you would with some spaceship-looking modern vehicle. To that same point, it’s much easier and more realistic to learn how to do routine maintenance like oil changes, filter changes, and brake pad replacements yourself on an older vehicle.

It might already be a conversion van

Camper vans were all the rage for many years before they got grouped into the luxury RV market. If you’re a 20-something who can afford a Winnebago or Pleasure-Way van then kudos to you but they’re usually geared toward retired folks with far more capital. Our van was already converted so we didn’t have to worry about installing tricky things like a propane system. Instead, we only had to spend a month and less than $1000 freshening it up before being able to hit the road.

They’ve got character

Older vans can be pretty quirky – we see this as something that adds to the van but it’s fair that some people don’t. I think it’s really cool that other people have gone on fun road trips and had awesome experiences in our van and that we’re able to keep adding to these memories 30+ years later.

Insurance is usually cheaper

I say usually because insurance has so many facets that influence rates. For us, it’s about a $300-500/yr difference if we were to have a 2005 Sprinter, for example. Plus, conversion vans can be tricky to insure if you did the build yourself and not by a professional.

CONS

Fuel economy

This speaks for itself…we get about 5 km/L or 12 mpg, which is pretty terrible. We also have a 137L (36 gallon) gas tank so you can imagine that our gas fill-ups aren’t cheap.

More likely to have rust or other sorts of body damage

Again, pretty straight forward. It’s been on the road longer and if it hasn’t been stored in a garage all the time then rust can be somewhat inevitable – especially if you’re in a place that uses road salt.

They can be “interesting” to drive

Back to the quirks thing, driving an older van can be a pretty different experience from driving a modern vehicle. For example, our van has a carburetor, which requires a special pattern of gas pedal pumping and engine revving to get started and idling correctly. Similarly, older Volkswagens have air-cooled engines which might limit how much going you can do at one time in hot places among other things.

Performance capabilities

Of course with a new engine and other costly replacements, an old van can run like a hot rod. However, lots of older used vans in their current states need to drive a little slower and might struggle with mountain passes and other situations that are stressful on the engine. In any case, most people are fairly receptive to older rigs and will give you your space or pass as they do with transport trucks. Some people are still jerks though and just love to ride your tail.

IN THIS CORNER: NEWER VANS

PROS

Clean slate

By going for a Sprinter or other cargo van, it’s much more likely to find them completely empty or with minimal structure to remove before converting. Even if you have to remove rows of seating, buying an empty van allows you to do whatever you want with it and not adhere to an already established layout that may not work for you. Most cargo vans are blank canvases so you can make the best setup for your van life needs.

Warranty or financing options

Whether you’re buying brand new or new-ish, you’re more likely to have financing options or still be under some sort of manufacturer/dealer warranty. Personally, this wasn’t something we cared about but having financing as an option is helpful if you’re buying a pricier rig. Warranty can also relieve a lot of stress for people who aren’t mechanically sound, even though going through warranty often ends up being a huge headache.

Fuel economy

Yeah, this is a big one. Less fill-ups and more efficient fuel consumption can save you a lot in monthly expenses.

Modern conveniences

If having dash air conditioning and things like GPS or Bluetooth-enabled radio is important to you then a newer vehicle is probably a better fit. That’s not to say that older used vans won’t or can’t have these things but it’s far less common or would require your own modifications. Safety features are also a thing but even all the bells and whistles won’t save you if you’re a reckless driver. It’s all about going low and slow, regardless of the age of your vehicle.

Stealth/Anonymity

This doesn’t apply to all old vs. new vans but usually, a white cube van parked in an industrial area or even a residential street doesn’t scream “camper van.” Meanwhile, many older rigs are a bit more forward. In good and bad ways, our van attracts a lot of attention and has a distinct look while Sprinters blend in pretty much anywhere.

More size options

You can get some pretty long and tall Sprinters, Transits, and Promasters that are similar in size to a small RV. These things come out of the factory with tall roofs and extended bodies while a lot of older vans have had these modifications done after-market.

CONS

More upfront expenses

The initial purchase price of a newer vehicle is going to be higher unless you’re going for some crazy souped-up collector’s van that Mick Jagger might have sat in once. According to your budget, you have to weigh out if it’s more realistic for you to pay more for the van itself and less on fuel over the years or vice versa.

Costly repairs

Looking under the hood of a newer vehicle is not the same as looking at the guts of an older vehicle. Usually, the new compartmentalized style is geared toward having to get a professional to do most of your repairs and of course, paying a pretty penny for it. Also if you’re in a rut and on warranty, repairs done by you or a non-certified garage can void it. If you break down in the middle of nowhere, this can tack on a lot of extra stress.

Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s better

A lot of things nowadays are built with planned obsolesce in mind. Would a manufacturer genuinely want you to buy a vehicle and then barely spend any money on it for a decade? Of course not. They want you to buy brand-specific parts and do maintenance at arbitrary factory-determined intervals. Also, just like a new pair of shoes or a baseball glove, things are just better once they’re broken in.

Higher insurance rates

It’s pretty simple, the newer vehicles are worth more so they are naturally more expensive to insure. Plus, a conversion van can be difficult to insure.

Lack of windows

In many cases, Sprinters or Ford Transits are cargo vans and not passenger vans so owners have to install windows themselves if they want them. Personally, we love being able to get tons of natural light and have the feeling that we’re outside when we’re not from the panoramic windows. If you’ve ever lived in a basement apartment, you’ll get it.

AND THE WINNER IS….

There is no winner. Womp womp womp. Ultimately, this is a very personal decision based on your budget, mechanical know-how, and how much work you want to put into it. The best vans to live in are those that work with your needs, lifestyle, and budget. Owning an older vehicle is a labour of love that’s priceless for some and completely unappetizing for others. If you’re willing to learn and are motivated to do repairs yourself then even with the higher costs of fuel, an older van will still probably end up costing you less after 5 years. As this redditor puts it,

“[…]if I compare my Econoline at 12mpg to a new equivalent Transit at 17mpg, it takes 204k miles at $2 a gallon to pay back even $10k of extra cost on the Transit.”

A lot of things added in modern vehicles geared at making your life easier can often make your life hell when they’re not functioning properly. Computerization can be a blessing and a curse. I suppose the final thing to consider is how long you plan to own the van and how its resale value will be affected after that term. New vehicles lose value as soon as they drive off the lot so let someone else take the depreciation hit. Just remember, newer doesn’t always mean better and whichever route you choose, make that van your own and get cruisin’!

Unlike many vanlifers these days with decked out Sprinters and high-end school buses, we bought an older van that was already converted. Wanting to spend more of our budget on travel than renovations, we kept the existing layout of the interior of the van and focused mainly on aesthetic upgrades like painting the cabinets and ripping out all of the god-awful green carpet trim.

You really can’t anticipate what you might need or want to do differently until you move in and start living. We’ve been quite lucky with how our van is set up because the flow really does work well for us. That being said, if we were to gut the inside and start fresh or begin with a blank canvas like an empty Sprinter, here’s a few things we’d change.

1. Have a designated sitting area that’s not the bed

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A post shared by Justin + Olivia (@genericvanlife) on Feb 14, 2018 at 8:57am PST

Our bed is super comfy and surrounded by windows that allow us to feel like we’re in a glass bubble even when we’re inside. It also doubles as a dinette in a classic RV style where the centre of the bed attaches to two metal poles to form a table and the header and footer of the bed become bench seats. In theory, this is an ideal set-up for making the most out of a multi-purpose space. In reality, we rarely ever make the bed into a table and just end up sitting on the bed to eat dinner, work on our laptops and just hangout. Especially being wintertime, we have so many layers of blankets on the bed that it can be a bit of a hassle to put them all away when we want to use the table. You can call us lazy but at the end of the day, we would really value having a bench seat of some sort to give us a place to sit and to not have to cram everyone onto our bed when we have friends over.

2. Insulate the floors properly

Although we didn’t build out our van from scratch, we did remove a lot of the existing finishes and kind of regret not completely tearing up the old floor to add a layer of insulation. In the interest of time and head space, we installed our faux wood floor directly on top of whatever thin wood was below the old carpet. Justin already can’t stand up in the van so losing another ½” in height in exchange for a warmer floor might be a worthy trade-off.

3. Have an overhead storage compartment over the driving area at the right height

Our overhead storage in the front is fantastic for storing our shoes, snacks and other quick-access items but has one major flaw: Justin can’t sit up completely straight while driving without bumping his head. Before you think we’re dummies for not measuring that properly, the shelf was already installed when we bought the van and is something we’re seriously considering raising up a couple of inches. Most people slouch a bit while driving anyway, but at 6’4”, sometimes you just need to stretch out your back.

4. Install an extraction fan

For anyone who’s gone down this road, you know the name Maxxair and you know their price tag. No, they’re not thousands of dollars but they’re not cheap (especially in Canada) and we’ve been putting off investing in one in a while. We might need to pick one up sooner rather than later because proper ventilation while cooking is pretty important and with the freedom to even use it in the rain, it would help a lot in getting the air in the van circulating and reducing condensation build up.

5. Have a slatted bed

Moisture is a huge issue we’re battling with now that the air is cooling and our breath isn’t. Every morning I tent up the bed cushions to allow some airflow under them since they quickly get damp from our body heat. It’s an inevitable problem that even million dollar RVs deal with that doesn’t seem to have a clear solution unless you have access to shore power to run a dehumidifier. If we had a slatted bed then at least the bottom of the mattress would get a chance to air out and (hopefully) not get as damp. Because our bed is also our table, we can’t really swap it out for slats unless we want to ditch the dinette system altogether.

Now for some of our favourite things…

Every home is a work in progress and the more new things you do, the more your needs may change – especially when you’re travelling from the dry deserts of Arizona to the damp rainforests of BC. Even though our van is constantly adapting with us, we have made a few small changes that have been huge upgrades:

Even after switching all of our light bulbs to LEDs, they were still consuming more power than we were comfortable with. Although fairy/string lights are usually just decorative, we decided to hard wire them directly into our battery and install a switch. They use little to no power and light up the entire van at once, all while looking magical!

Along the seam of where the metal body of our van meets the fiberglass high-top, we added some wood all the way around with white MDF trim to create a shallow shelf that’s perfect for storing things like cords and spice jars.

We opted for a peel-n-stick backsplash in “the kitchen” to make it easy to wipe clean while still giving 3D texture like real tiles. We didn’t want to fuss with grouting or the weight of real tiles so this made for a cheap and easy solution.

Securing things like our utensil jar and garbage can has helped to keep things tidy and not have to worry about things moving while we’re driving. We used to have magnets glued onto our counter top to secure the utensil jar but some of the dirt roads we travel on gave them a run for their money. Now we have a hose clamp screwed onto the side of our cabinet so everything we need is fastened and accessible while the counter top stays clean.

We think it would be really fun to start on a blank canvas after learning from the mistakes and design flaws we’ve already made. If you’re just getting started, the best advice we can give is to make small trips before your van is complete and test your plans before you set them in stone. Things can work great theoretically but you’ll never know how they’ll fare for you until you put them into practice…ahem, our dinette bed.

Have you made any small changes that made a world of a difference? Designed something that didn’t really work out? Let us know in the comments below and we can swap stories.