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We just got back from a 2000 mile 14 day trip to Oregon coast/Vancouver island and never had an issue. We parked almost every night in a parking lot that says no overnight parking….but I always go in and ask if it would be ok to park for one night. I tell them we will be gone before 8:00am and we have never gotten a no answer from anyone. They all say it is just because some people think they can live in their parking lot all year so posting this sign gives them the right to have them removed. Casinos are our number one choice and then any larger stores that have night staff like Home Depot-Walmart-Lowe’s etc. We have stayed in two different vans and now a van conversion hundreds of nights over the past 20 years and have only gotten the knock once and it was security checking to make sure everything was ok !

Great video! We're excited to see our pathway getting some use even before it's fully finished!

Good video! Thanks for putting this all in one place! EDIT: habor freight has the knock off kreg jig, fyi

Just a quick note. I did not include this in the video as I hope it will change soon. BUT if you are walking or biking to the trail head BE CAREFUL!!! You will be forced to ride along highway 3 and it is INSANE. If you try crossing highway 3 at 30 street to miss the highway 3 problems there is NO CROSS SIGNAL or a way for a cyclist or walker to trigger the lights so you may be there for a while or forced to cross against the light.

Thank You for the Tip

In my home, I only have electric appliances. But, I do have CO and Gas detector in center of house, many smoke detectors and a few Fire extinguishers.

Two is one, one is none. My propane detector failed to alarm, even though it was "working perfectly". Its sensitivity setting was not good enough to keep me safe. I was sick for 2 weeks before I felt OK again. I now have installed a second propane detector, different make and model. NEVER trust just one detector is the lesson I learned.

I am going to my new job in like 10 minutes, delivery driver and i have never driven a van before.. i am so nervous and stressed

We drive a vintage van with sliding doors and my smoke alarm😊/carbon monoxide detector from Home Depot would go off every red light that I sat at or every time I pulled into our garage or if doors were open at a campground with people having campfires or if I started cooking inside…I ended up buying one from a rv dealership and it has never gone off since ? So it either detects less or it doesn’t work ? But I’m good either way !!😂

Thank you, such a good reminder. Stay safe out there.

Sir! If my van got air conditioner will that work well for this problem?

Having some kind of awning with a clothes line would seem a good idea .

Thank you, Great advice.

Great ideas thanks. Yup, always heard ...vent air flow. Even in home 🙂

Another suggestion for keeping humidity out is to dry your wet winter clothes / wet towels & gear at a laundry mat.

Wireless rearview mirror/camera might be helpful. You can stick the camera anywhere, inside or outside

You have a lung disease but away you go! Whats my excuse?

Good advice. Thanks

We carry extra water but in reused gallon bottles--it also is more convenient to transfer water to 1 gallons from our 5 gallons. We have a water tank for the sink. Find a way to fill your tank by hand (without a hose and pressure). That will give more options to fill up where you can't use a spigot. Many parks and visitor centers have water but don't allow you to hook up a hose. In Mexico we used water purification back before we had filters. No harm in taking a backpack filter kit for emergencies. You can say you don't expect to find water, but it would be disappointing to have water that you can't drink if you do find it.

It looks good. I love the simplicity of your built. Not sure if you hid all the stuff or if your a true minimalist, but it it seems very comfy 👍🏼 Thanks for sharing 🎈

The answer to not running out of water is bringing more water. This can be applied to so many things. I avoid being broke by just bringing more money.

Yes, my immediate thought after reading the title was water. The thing about filtering water from nature is that it's often so silty that it blocks your filter & then you can't filter anything. There is a solution though. If you boil the dirty water, this destroyers the chemicals that keep the silt in suspension. Then you let the boiled water stand overnight & the silt will settle to the bottom. It is important to not move or tilt the container as this will stir up the silt again. Instead, siphon off the top clean water into a clean container, then run the siphoned water through your biological filter. For filtering, I use a Sawyer 2 bag gravity filter system. It's a system I can use for solo hiking, or I can use it for the camper trailer if it's 60 liter tank ever ran dry. Of course, this assumes you can get water from the environment you are in. As you say, that's not always possible, but you can replenish your supply when it is. Oh and if there is a lot of organic material in the natural water source, you may need to use a cloth filter, anything you have is better than nothing.

Great comments, agreed! My thinking for a cheao & reliable power system revolves around REDUNDANCY: 1) Good, flexible 2-3kw "solar generator" <ie. Jackery, Bluetti, etc> 2) Alternator connection for charging while vehicle is running 3) Portable solar panels, 150-200W, 4) Optional, but great to have for 1,000 different reasons... a small portable 1-2kw generator (Honda, Yamaha, etc)

This is a great video on several levels. I'm currently designing my "last" adventure rig, which will be a pop-up slide-in camper on my F250 4x4 truck. Listening to videos like yours is helping me to sharpen my list of gear & preparation needs. For me: Smaller is better... less is more... slow is fast. Living with minimalism and deep joy requires thought and experience. Thanks for sharing!

I totally understand your water situation. But it varies by location and time of year. I live in Montana and I often visit forest service campgrounds in the fringe seasons. In the summer, many of them have water available, but not in the winter. I often make these trips solo. So I carry only a 4 gallon jug. I will pick up gallon size bottled water every few days from convenience stores. I can usually get by for several days on my 4 gallon supply. A big problem I get faced with is the accumulation of trash! It gets hard to find places to dispose of trash when those campgrounds don’t have trash collection. I often spend time in some areas where even the closest small town doesn’t have available trash dumpsters. My other limiting factor during summer, when I use my RV trailer, is holding tank capacity. Yes, I have a portable tank, but then there is the challenge transporting it to a dump station. So my limitations are a mixed bag depending on whether I’m out solo in the fringe seasons or camping with my wife in our trailer. My list would be: Storage tank capacity Trash accumulation Water.

I've never boondocked in the same spot for more than three days but hopefully that will change after I retire. The collapsible water bags are a good suggestion. It's funny that you are defensive about using the small water bottles. I use them without guilt but I do refill when possible. I joke that filtering water is one of my hobbies.

I got out with six 3.5 gallon water jugs that I use for drinking, cooking, and showering which will last about 14-16 days depending on how often I shower. Like some of the other commenters, my stomach gets upset when drinking plain water - though it's not as bad if the water is cold. To help keep the stomach issue at bay, soaking a tea bag in a 20 oz bottle of water can provide many different flavors. Also, I sometimes soak small chunks of (dried) apricot in a water bottle, which tastes really good and satisfies my craving for something sweet.

Why don't you have some gallon-size water bottles instead?

My biggest challenge is when my van breaks down in the middle of nowhere

In the meantime, I would suggest a Geyser shower system that can heat the water via a 12 volt portable battery. I often showered in tents using a portable folding water basin. Uses only a gallon of water and lasts for 7 minutes using their sponge. Can also wash dishes with another extra sponge attachment.

Well….I hate to admit it but I don’t drink water and only drink Pepsi zero. If I’m doing something in the summer that’s got me sweating and hot I will drink a glass of water but that’s about it. We have a 30 gallon stainless steel water tank in our van but it is only used for showers and cooking. I tried only water a couple times but for some reason it gives me a gut ache and horrible heartburn ?? We use ice in a yeti cooler so probably 5 days would be our limit on how long we could stay out in the summer but winter I’m thinking we would be good for probably a month.

I'm getting a separator. A Trelino.

I have a road bike, and I have a commuter bike, I just bought an electric bike too. N+1. Cheap bikes aren't good, good bikes aren't cheap.

Also, you have to think about weight distribution, that's so important when you're driving down the road.

One of the complaints I see constantly is click and lock flooring, it starts shifting and then you have gaps that are hard to clean, and looks ugly. Yet I still see people doing it all the time. I'm getting vinyl flooring. Easy to clean, no gaps.

Do you have a video on moisture issues with installed insulation and wall finishes?

Be careful many of these insulations are toxic and and cause havoc on your health. Please research the product you choose to be sure to will be safe. I have both 3m insulate and havoc Wool best investment I’ve made 👍🏼

If you built a van out what did you use for insulation and why???

Great tips.

Just discovered you today!!! Great video and I agree - these are all the things I'm currently putting in my van build. I should be done (fingers crossed) by the end of June and hitting the road after the July holiday!!! Going to go now and binge watch your other videos!!!

There are good Van lifers and bad ones. The bad ones ruin it for everyone

My research lead me to the Pro Master. It’s wider than the other vans but it’s reliably is awful. So I chose a low roof Ford Transit . Immediately, after hitting my head numerous times, I needed to add a high top. I had Fiberine, in Long Beach, CA install one. Their service is great and each hightop is custom made. I love my van and travel in it full time. I believe it’s best to research throughly each van and buy the newest model within one’s budget. Thanks for sharing your process 🎈

This was so helpful. I’m retired and I plan to travel the country to my favorite sporting events. I have been doing my research for well over a year. Your post and others confirm my thoughts about going with Ford. I will buy a new Ford to build out. Again, this was very helpful because it confirmed my research.

GREAT ADVICE !!

If you skin the frame of a cabinet with 3/16” or 1/4” ply then the frame material can easily be as small as 3/4” X 3/4”. Glue EVERYTHING together. Use staples and glue to attach the plywood to the frame. Use any smooth cheap plywood for the skin and cover it with solid wood veneer. I did this for my build and three years later everything is as solid as the day I installed it. These cabinets so light that you can pick them up with one hand as well as super strong and beautiful.

A good list. Thankfully, I did everything you mentioned when I built my van

I agree with u in pre drilling

i have a 1994 ford e 150. took the seats out in the back. problem is now aaa will not tow me. surprise! so, you have to have the seats in for a free tow... i started with a 1971 vw van. sure- thing breakdowns. i like my size of van because i can go to denver and use the city parking down below. a little higher and i would not make it under the ceiling. also,I am thrown around enough on wyoming freeways so i dont want anything bigger. also, i can see all around me ! why block the view with showers, cabinets,seats? just one big queen size mattress,a 45 gal cooler, a gallon water to shower from warm in the sun. for over 30 years now i have traveled the usa parks like this. and with a girlfriend! she needs water more than i do. all things considered.... but like he says here...test drive.

I purchased a medium wheel base, high top VW Crafter and just love it. The medium base is the largest possible for a normal parking space. The high top allows for extra cupboard storage. I have a combined shower/toilet which is a must have for me. I love my van.

Most important think for all of us, where every you park, if they are trash right beside you put it in your trash bag, why all neighbors or anybody don’t want you around cause your taking their space, so they blame rv people throwing it out the window, yes you find out they don’t think highly you unless. It a work van, they are expert in knowing. That why if your sleeping over night in any neighborhood come in dark or almost and leave before 6: 00 you don’t want to be seen, they pay thousand in taxes and they don’t want freeloader. It reality , it the new rv guy young who think they got rights that ruin it for all. That why it like that, also the teen are also hanging out in cars nights and throwing their trash we’re picking up, than being blamed for it too.