Vandwelling 101 - You've Just Moved Into Your Van...What To Expect

You're exited. The day has come, your new life of freedom and adventure awaits you. You're a vandweller now. No more mundane housework, nothing but excitement ahead right?   Ummm No. Not even close to reality.

First of all, no matter how well organized you are, a move is a move. It'll be awhile before you remember automatically without thinking about it where things are.

Second...while in sticks n bricks it isn't critical to immediately always put things back where they are, in a van it is vitally important. That bag of canned goods you put right next to driver's seat...will roll around the floor and scatter.

Those things you put up on the dash...are going to slide as you turn a corner and fall.

oh shit...that crash from the back...what did i leave laying on my bed.

Best one of all...you forgot to secure the pee jug and your carpet now reeks. (easy fix)  Great Value pro-strength carpet cleaner & a roll of paper towels $5.

The biggest pitfall for newbies vandwelling is expectations and boredom. I remember that phase well. I've been in a van awhile. I've yet to have time to be bored.

Today I thought would be a boring relaxing day watching videos and facebooking. What I've actually done:

-moved from night parking spot to daytime spot facing east to take advantage of passive solar heat
-dog pottied, fed, & bundled up in a blanket
-coffee on. burner left on a bit to warm things up.
-morning tidy up, make bed, brush hair, change clothes.
-rearranged van a little to make better use of space, reduces clutter
-took trash to a dumpster
-checked my pm's and notification, answered as needed
-quick empanadas pastry for breakfast

It's noon, I've found enough change while cleaning/organizing that I'm going to treat myself to a green chile hamburger meal from Blake's.

I already know where I'll park tonight so that chore is done.

Those first weeks in a van will be spent getting to know your new home and routine. It's totally normal at first to have the night parking dominate your day.

You'll also find that every single thing you took for granted in your day requires active thought, changing clothes, getting clean, dealing with meals and clean up. This is totally normal.

After a couple of months, life will be much less frustrating. Things will start to come naturally. You'll become much more tolerant of other's lifestyle choices since it really doesn't affect you.

In my opinion, vandwelling is a much better easier way of life. I don't want a sticks n bricks house or apartment. The money I used to spend on rent now goes for gasoline & land payment.

Finally had enough time to sit down and compose a blog.

So, See ya down the road somewhere
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - Why Buy Land

As one of the biggest rebels on the plane, most ask me...why buy land, you prefer living in your van. 

Actually yes I do prefer my van. It's nice to own off grid land where codes allow me to park my van (or my vintage 18 ft Amerigo travel trailer)  legally and stay there for as short or long a time as I wish.

As long as I own property, it differentiates me from homeless drifters. As a landowner, I'm more likely to respect land and private property, I'm not as likely to get ticket from BLM or DNR for "living on public land".

I remember a "YouTube star" getting a $300 ticket on BLM land. Guess he shouldn't have been so public about living full time in his vehicle and how he really doesn't work.

Society and the law is getting tired of the so called hippies and homeless squatting wherever they like leaving trash and human waste around. Actually so am I.  Like other responsible people, i pull into a campsite and if there's trash n waste, I get out my rubber gloves, face mask, garbage bags, and rake. When I leave, it's clean and looks like mother nature intended. I tend to be welcome back almost anywhere I've camped. It's called Leave No Trace.

Eventually I'd like to have an acre here and there in several states where i can pull onto my own property and enjoy the beauty of nature.

I just signed contact today for a piece near historic Rte 66.

I buy owner financed vacant land with a low down payment and low monthly payments. I can make my payment online with just a few clicks on my smartphone. It's literally that easy.

see Hannalore Inman at http://www.LandIsHome.com go see if something there interests you. Ask questions.

see you on the road
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - Safety When Parked Alone

Many people make many suggestions on Facebook. Lots of those suggestions are based on over thinking and over reacting.

Bear spray or Wasp spray...if you carry it to protect yourself from humans and use it other than its intended purposes, you could be in really big trouble. You are at risk of being charged with assault with a deadly weapon, intent to do grevious bodily harm. FELONIES.

Much of the rest of the world don't see us as nomadic adventurers. Instead we can be seen as homeless living in our vehicle. Granted, I consider my van a very compact and comfortable tiny RV. However, the rest of society may have a different view. Remember we live in a consumeristic society that thinks more is better, bigger is better.

Let's talk about the things I rely on to keep me and my van safe.

Most of the time simply yelling What The Hell Do You Want deters people. There's also Get The Fuck Away From My Van. Quite a few thefts are crimes of opportunity.

1. Keep my cool, be aware of my surroundings, stay a little alert at all times.

2. At dark, my windows up, doors locked, keys handy, van always ready to start and drive away.

3. If someone approaches van after dark, I don't get out of van. If i roll window down, it's an inch at most.

4. Say someone actually breaks a window...put keys in ignition, start van, drive away.

5. Always remember you have the ability to escape...put keys in and drive away. You're boondocking & have things outside van? Drive away. Things can be replaced. You or your pets can't.

6. You have weapons to defend yourself in your van. Look at your kitchen items. I know I carry a couple of cast iron skillets. I definitely carry kitchen knives & good camping knives. The tool box....tire iron, hammer, screwdriver, big wrenches...these all work. An ink pen or pencil can also be used.

The point I'm trying to make, if you choose not to carry a gun, rifle, stun gun, then just look around your van. There are plenty of items you can use to defend yourself. Your primary weapon is your attitude & determination to not be a victim.

The goal is your safety, your pets safety, and your van intact.

So stay safe and relax a little.
LOU

Vandwelling 101 - The Zen Of The Van

I'm amazed at the new breed of vandwellers. They get everything all set up and perfect before they take their first trip. They pack way too many normie things as well as way too many clothes.

When I moved from a Pontiac Sunfire with a cartop carrier into my 97 Ford e250 extended body van, I put my stuff inside, added a camping cot, and still had 3/4 of the van empty.

I needed some time to get to know my van, the Zen of the van. It would tell me what was needed. First thing it whispered to me was it's name...it was the Rolling Doghouse. Mona and Bear ran that van.

Having had to replace my Ford conversion van, I bought a 1990 Chevy Mark III conversion van. I've left the seats in and actually I'm liking it. It's been fun working around the seats but they come in so handy for holding stuff from flying forward or I bungee things to the seats.

First thing in was the hassack with storage and a reversible table top. It went behind the second row of seats into the bed.

The next major renovation and installation was a chest of drawers behind the third row seat. The third row seat actually makes into a full double bed but I'm a little short thing with a fat little Chihuahua. We fit on it without folding it down into a bed.

This week I found a narrow depth cabinet with the laminate doors laying beside it. Poof into my van it went. Perfect solution and it was free.

The point I'm making is that by doing it as I go and taking my time, it's actually turned out much better than if I had planned it.

This is not even close to my first van...so I've got most of the gadgets I needed already. Less is definitely more.

I do flea markets as a vendor so I also needed room for my stock and my jewelry making supplies.

It's all coming together nicely. I'm happier than if I'd been given a camper van. This space suits me, my life, and my properties.

You won't learn how to make your van perfect online or in a book. That comes with experience and a van strips away the mask of possessions we use to distract ourselves and hide from ourselves. That is the Zen of the van. You don't have enough room for possessions to hide from yourself. Unless you've got 400 watts solar and a huge battery bank, you can't use electronics or appliances too hide from yourself.

Bottom line, the prefect van Is the one you have at the time.

Here's my list for the basics you'll need while you're learning the Zen of your van:

Something to sleep on (a bed)
Something to sleep in (blankets, sleeping bag, pillow)
A way to cook & make coffee ( 2 burner propane stove, backpacking stove, butane stove, Coleman dual fuel stove (I've used all of these types at one time or another))
Coffee pot, sauce pan, cast iron skillet
A small bag of clothes (you can always buy clothes cheaply at thrift stores)
Empty large coffee can (makes great potty)
Washcloth, towel, bar of soap
A hat
A sweater/sweatshirt
A damn good sense of humor

See ya on the road somewhere
LOU

Vandwelling 101 - Gadgets

We all love gadgets. Newcomers buy lots of them, and end up losing, breaking, or being unable to find them in all the stuff they bought.

Here are some I've actually found useful. Generally they are small, easily tucked into a nook or cranny, easy to use, and make my life easier. I refuse to be a slave to gadgets. 

1. Kaito Voyager solar crank radio. It charges a variety of ways: solar, hand crank, USB, battery. It includes a light and USB port to charge smartphone. It's a NOAA weather alert radio. 

2. Universal car charger for laptops. It comes with a variety of tips and voltage adjusts. Look on back of your laptop for correct settings. I run my Toshiba off it.

3. Platinum choice solar phone charger. Easily one of my favorite because of size and shape. 

4. U2Cool usb/electric fan. At $10, this little USB fan is a definite win. The fact it folds flat and can run off a small battery bank makes it double useful.

5. Small 2 port solar phone charger & small battery bank. Charge bank during daylight, handy for night or portable use. 

6. My Coleman 440 single burner stove. Dual fuel Coleman fuel or white gas.

7. My oil lantern (uses lamp oil). I love it. Generally a bottle of lamp oil lasts me at least a month.

For the record, I'm not affiliated with any of these products, I don't have an Amazon store, and I don't accept any free or discounted products for review.

Vandwelling 101 -Unplug From The Grid

Seriously... If you need all that electric power...buy a mobile home or a Rv and put it in a park.

Otherwise, unplug.

For most routine things, that cigarette lighter power plug in your van will work.

I can charge my laptop (car cord), netbook (car cord), tablet, kindle (old school e book reader), and cellphone. I even have a USB battery charger.

Get out of the van and into life. That smartphone doesn't have to be in your hand as if it's a part of you.

Don't be afraid to travel where you have no signal.

Want light? Oil lantern at Walmart about $7. Enough lamp oil for a month about $8.

Cooking? Propane, Coleman fuel, alcohol stove, rocket stove.

Heat? See cooking.

Instead of giving up comfort, I've gained time & peace.

So...Unplug

Vandwelling 101 - Let's Talk Stealth

Stealth is one of the most discussed topics in van groups. There's almost an obsession with it. In my opinion, it's one of the most misunderstood and misused terms there is.

It's almost impossible to be 100% stealth. Granted there are many places where it's illegal to live or sleep in your vehicle.

First of all- the law enforcement are much better observers than you think. They pretty much know that you're there.

Law enforcement is often selective based on complaints and your own behavior. I've actually had police tip me off to where to sleep so they don't have to officially notice. I've never had a ticket for sleeping in my vehicle. I've been notified twice that I had a couple of hours and that any vehicle remaining after that time with people sleeping in it would be ticketed. I chose to move my vehicle.

These are my own personal guidelines for sleeping in my conversion van when not boondocking in national forest or BLM land.

-keep vehicle legal at all times...up to date registration, title, plates, sticker. 

-don't draw attention to yourself or your van. This includes attire, stickers.

-I keep my license, registration, and insurance card in a plastic bag clipped to driver's side visor. Law enforcement is well within their rights to ask for this documentation. I also inform the officer that I'm reaching up for my documents prior to doing so. Police are not necessarily the enemy...unless you give them reasons to be.

-there are no illegal substances in my van. Any alcohol is stored back by the back doors, not easily accessible to the driver.

-keep dash and front seat area neat and uncluttered. This makes a better impression and deters theft. Expensive electronic devices don't need to be easily visible

-where I sleep isn't where I spend my day. I pull in, put my windshield cover up, go in rear where I have blackout curtains hung up.

-don't park the same place every night...unless you're renting a driveway.

-use headphones or earbuds. That flickering light from your tablet or smartphone draws attention. Blackout drapes

-my dogs food, treats, and water are always clearly visible. I've actually had a do-gooder call animal control on me. I now keep shot records and license up on visor next to my vehicle papers.

-don't dump any liquids, trash, or human waste. This is the number one complaint many have with dwellers.

-don't run in and out of your vehicle... Especially at night

-keep your vehicle and yourself clean

-be respectful of property and property owners. That residential street is not the best place to park.

In many parts of the southwest, vandwelling is not looked down upon. I base in Las Cruces NM where I can be open about my lifestyle.

I empty my potty daily...in a portapotty. Perfect place to safely dispose of human waste.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of how to be a stealth vandweller. This is merely my own experience.