10 Tips for Living in Your Van

10 Tips for Living in Your Van

Living in a van can have a bit of a learning curve. There are some things about van life that you just have to figure out once you get out there on the road. But thankfully there are other things that you can learn from someone else's experience. Here are 10 tips we have learned for Living in your van.

1. ORGANIZE

Staying organized in a van is more important than I can even begin to explain. When you're living in 50 square feet of space everything has to have a place. And not only just a place for everything, but these places should really be easily accessible, and not so easy for things to fall out of, because your home does move after all. 

2. CLEAN OFTEN 

We all know keeping a clean home is important for healthy happy living, but when you can touch your sink full of dirty dishes from your bed, or your feet can kick your trashcan in your sleep, cleaning often becomes a major necessity. At some point every day try to wash your dishes, take out your trash, sweep the floor, and generally put things away. This may seem like a pain if you're coming from a large house that can handle a few days without sweeping before you start to notice it, but you get used to the routine pretty quickly, and it will help prevent you from sharing your home with bugs.

3. DON'T EAT OUT 

Now stay with me on this one. I'm not saying that you can't eat out ever. I mean, who doesn't love a great Italian dinner, or some mouth watering sushi every now and then, but if you want to save money and live comfortably on the road it is a good idea to have a nice usable way to cook and store food at your own home. 

4. GO WITH THE FLOW

When you're planning out your ultimate road trip in your brand new van it's very easy to get lost in the planning and try to mark out every little thing you'll do every day. When you're living on the road though, it's really great to just go with the flow. You may be driving down the interstate one day and see a sign for the worlds largest ball of yarn, but it's not on your itinerary. Well go forth, and follow those signs, find the ball of yarn of your dreams! Or if you're at a park and someone tells you about this great free show at a local bar that night, go to the show. Part of the adventure of van life is just going with how things end up.

5. MINIMALIZE 

I know those three identical quilts that grandma gave you are very special to you, and you're not sure where to store your 44 inch TV, but as you move into a van, it is time to minimalize. Part of van life is learning to live with less, and learning to release some things that you have held on to. And maybe that means getting a storage unit, and maybe that means giving away most of what you own, it's up to you to find the path to minimalism that works best for you.

6. KNOW THE LAWS

It is important to remember that a lot of van life isn't actually legal. Know the laws in your area and look them up for each new area that you go to so that you can be as legal as possible. And if the cops do come to question you about sleeping in your vehicle, be polite, and move on to a new place. 

7. TALK TO PEOPLE

Half of my favorite vanlife stories are actually stories of people I have met on the road. So when you're out there on the road, don't be afraid to talk to people. Share your story, listen to their stories, make friends! You'll meet people at parks and bars and grocery stores, talk to them all.

8. MAINTENANCE 

I get it, I promise. We all have those times when it seems like a better idea to grab a great bite to eat then to get an oil change, but you can eat a peanut butter and jelly tonight, your van house hasn't had anything to eat in months. You don't want to ever end up stranded thousands of miles from anyone you know with a van that broke down because it didn't have it's regular maintenance. So please, maintain your home. 

9. GYM MEMBERSHIP

Gym memberships are a godsend for those of us who live on the road. You will find yourself a few days between anyone you know one day, covered in grime, and smelling like who knows what, and you will walk into the gym that you pay for monthly, and go straight for the shower and be so thankful that hot water is only $10-20 a month. Get a gym membership.

10. HAVE FUN

A lot of van life is maintaining your vehicle, trying to make money, trying to figure out where to go next, and that can really wear down on you after a while. It is important to remember why you did this in the first place. You did this for the adventure, for the drive, and yes, for the fun. So please, don't ever forget to have fun!