5 Things I Hated about Vanlife :: Lessons Learned Living in my Transit Connect ep1 

Republican converts? Phuque that.

They can't leggo they ego

I think he doesn't want to hear negative comments or "suggestions". I appreciate his honesty.

I wipe my ass with negative comments. How sad. The only light the hater shines illuminates their self hatred and inadequacies.

@@dickflinghammer58 Na dude he's living in a wagon, he didn't build a home on wheels and plan sh*it out, use some wisdom...

@@trodman9915 agreed. It blows my mind how much the uploader didn't base his build off of anything he really needed, or plan anything out before hand. I don't blame him for not wanting to live out of that thing. It looks soul crushing..and pulling out a loan on it and requiring full coverage insurance on top of that? Yikes. We're all guilty of impulse decisions. You live and you learn, and he's passing on what he learned so someone else doesn't make the same mistake.

100% its not ''vanlife'' its you're living in a van.

For everyone? You mean for no one LMAO !

I'm doing van life in England in a Citreon Dispatch - similar size to Transit connect. I've just had to stay at a friends place for a few days whilst my van is getting work done in the garage and can't wait to be back in the van.

Same here!

@@missyaero @StephenKingfan555 Happy trails yalls from California, USA 🇺🇸 I'm in quarantine with my family, I had been planning on van life for a couple years. I bought my van shortly before the covid quarantine began. Taking 2 weeks off work right now to get the van ready for camping in the desert

If your van needs repair then you would probably have to get a hotel room, and cart your valuables there with you.

@N S I'm in Somerset at the moment. No the van is very cosy and warm actually 😁 I'm also getting a diesel heater installed.

I think I'd just get tired of all the DRIVING. I just retired from my office job, I'm 65, and I dream about doing this van life for a lifestyle, (there are so many places I want to SEE) but I HATE to drive long distances. I'm ready to stop after 2 hours lol. I'd never make it.

It sounds like he planned badly and is blaming his van instead of himself for having bad planning.

@@dianaverhulst3407 why not do it your own way? There are no rules to how many miles must be driven per day. If you’re not paying for hotels, you can go as slow as you want. The tortoise wins the race, not the hare...Aesop

@@Greenisthebestcolor Well, I'm not going to do it anyway - married, with house, happy - but the allure intrigues me - being able to see places here in America that I haven't yet seen, and doing it without flying or staying in hotels kind of excites me. Maybe someday when my husband retires.

@@dianaverhulst3407 I love to drive 😀

@@anninriverside755 I don't think it's a matter of not thinking the whole thing through so much as you don't know it until you experience it. So you can plan and research and still be wrong. I've been living in my minivan for almost a year and a half. Everything he said is true, but I would still pick my minivan over ever renting another room or apartment. The freedoms I have gained in vanlife I like more then the disadvantages of being a full time city van dweller. So I think it's less lying and more nothing is true for everyone and everyone is different. I think my job does give me enough time out of my van that I don't feel trapped by it. And that's a big thing to, all of us earn money different ways so what may work for a successful writer/travel blogger with a standing height van with all the modern amenities might not work for a factory worker living out of a minivan in San Francisco with little to no ammenities. The fantasy of the "full time travel" lifestyle is more at fault then van life itself. Even people who like it will admit it's tougher when you are tied to town by your work.

I totally agreee! I was living in a van, class B, and finally an rv for 3 years! I just moved into an apartment.i love it! The comfort and electricity, internet running hot water, heat , space , place for my stuff I’m would gladly pay. I’m kinda sick of the videos that say just how wonderful it is and it does cost a lot! So people think twice before you try this

I live in a unconverted short school bus . Me and my dog . A big dog . And he's still a puppy. A 45-50lb puppy lol . I'm disabled and for me it's was a choice . I had a apartment before hand . Lived off 200$ a month on a fixed income After my bills were paid. For me it's better than being homeless on the streets and or living on section 8 housing . I do miss being able to take showers everyday , I do miss my old back porch balcony . I don't miss paying almost 700 a month to a slumlord . I still eat ramen noodles and sometimes steak on payday . I get my water from the local rest stop . Water is something me and the dog can't go without. My diesel cost a little more to maintain than a gas motor but I can stand up in my bus as before I couldn't stand up all the way in my old van .

I did not realize that van life is not totally awesome; like owning a house; life's not always perfect

Never rent and save thousands.

Bruh you forgot about planet express with there overnight parking security guards bathrooms and showerooms

Good luck kid......

Cocoa Beach=Surfer-Van Life-Hippie 👍

Awesome, not a right or wrong way to go about van life.

Look up "jobsite tool box steel". Ridgid sells them at lowes or home depot. THey are used by contractors who are tired of thieves stealing their tools at jobsites. Costs are 200$ on average and peace of mind = priceless.

Get a cargo van with no windows in the back that has a metal partition which separates the cargo area from the driving area. That way your cargo area is very protected as thieves can't break in through the windows in the back (as there are none), and even if they get into the drivers area they can't easily access the cargo area due to the metal partition which locks.

@@arthurias7693 if you have electronic locks they can just unlock the doors from the front. A locking cabinet is a pretty good solution; however nothing is perfect, not even an apartment.

@@anonanonymous1988 My van doesn't have electronic locks.. it's not totally safe, nothing is, but it'd be a hell of a challenge for a thief to break into the back of it.

@@arthurias7693 yeah that's good. Mine has them so I just keep it in a safe place. Unless I am sleeping in it, then it's protected by Mr. 9mm. The one thing I really need is shelving for storage 😪 I'm working on it right now. I also am installing low profile roof ventilation to go under my roof rack mounted 400 watts of panels.

indeed

sometimes long term humiliating when the things being discussed are significant.

Not humiliating to be honest....refreshing & appreciated

Each to their own... interested in his take as we all find our way differently.

humiliating if you're doing it cause you that's all you can afford. not humiliating at all if you're working and saving a ton of money

I did the same thing in Iceland and I was getting so anxious to leave after about three days and it didn't help that it rained for days continuously.

Awkward places nobody else likes to be? You towed your home with you, you could stop and sleep anywhere. I don't understand ;)

traveling around watching others grow can be liberating until you return and are faced with everything you could have missed while you were gone. where you would be if you had made a left instead of a right. to an extent you are in control of a life determined by happenstance.

Andrew Wisler..🤣🤣🤣

Your just a weirdo lol

2 excellent points!

Totally, I like to be by myself because I find that other people don’t like to watch me do the things I do when I’m by myself.

There are not many options to fill that downtime

@@Rainaman- reading, movies, sleeping, walking, painting, cards, eating and preparing food, And visiting because there is generally somebody around.

Yes but "old people" downtime is chilling in their 6 figure class A motorhome at a fully equipped RV resort. They aren't sitting in parking lots all day worrying about where they can sleep later that night without getting the 3am knock on the door.

The ugliest truth is, "I got too excited and didn't think or plan ahead."

@@bigballz4u Hi, I guess there are 2 groups of people the adventurous ones and the ones who have to join for monetary reasons. I belonged to the last group and went happily into it because I thought Oh that will be cheap! Well, it is not! Of course u are right if u have a mortgage of 2500 plus bills u save immediately, so its always in relation. At the moment, I am thinking of moving in a van, and again, I cant afford to buy one and built it. Van life looks like it is for the poor, which it isnt. U need quite a substantial amount to get started.Also its not easy to find a job on the internet because the typical callcenter job needs the cable which connects the pc with the socket in the wall, which u do not have. Working in Fiverr or something will not get u enough money to keep u going. So there are a lot of problems around it. I only wanted to point this out. Is it a great lifestyle? Of course, if u can afford it, like always in life. Like the homestetting farm or the cabin in the woods. Money is needed.

@@tarot-karma-online You get it. Van life is interesting but highly expensive starting off. You would have to take a load out to start your build and this isn't including remolding mistakes. My guess would be building a venture that would make you profit over time. I am currently working on a book but for it to work I would need to build marketing behind it in *HOPES* it takes off. What I learned thus far is 1) You will need an address that you vehicle is linked to and maintain it somehow as no insurance will cover you living in a moving object 365/24 out the year due to how dangerous humans are left to their own devices. 2) A hell of start off for your build. My guess is the lowest margin you can play with is 30k and this is not including if you have to hire someone to do the labor you aren't knowledgeable to do. 3) Learn where to park and have a security system in place. Too many people get into this life come from comfort zones. Not me, humans are opportunist and will jump on any chance they can. So have lock boxes, cameras, a protection will be another factor. This feeds into my next part 4) Isolation will be a close unwanted friend over time. Unlike what what most van lifers post, because of the sketchy side of the lifestyle you will have people keeping to themselves or their small circle. And the nomad life has all kinds of characters, from people on the run, drug addicts, unstable mental disorders, lot lizards, and so on you can bet your ass "community" won't be too much different than anywhere else I just a lot more in your face. 5) I seen your debate on money making online while on the road. Now that may be true what no amount about of cell phone, mi-fi, or public wi-fi (outside of a college library and good luck there) will ever capture upload and download like a home internet unless you are paying for the full package a month. For at&t and Verizon mi-fi you can add an additional 150 to your bill. And this is only going to work for you if the connection is worth a darn in your area. If the signal has to fight you lose a lot of data. Which means you would have to stationary in one location weeks on end unless you work a 9-5 in town. 6) Maintenance will be a bitch. Imagine a blown tire on the side of the road and that premium AAA is only good for 50 miles but the nearest spot is like 200 miles thata way. Nevermind the hotel that is breaking you over the head in price, and the sleezzy shop you gotta work with if something got damaged along the travel. Sheesh. This is what many who have done it forget happensor others who are going into it find out the hardway. I see we aren't also talking about how the people who leave go away drug/std free up only to come with one or both. The best way I seen van life is the engineer. She rents her home out,had her van built and lives out of that while working. She is double dipping and saving a fat profit while enjoying the life.

@@GHSTTHERENEGADE Wow, thats a very thoughtful explanation. Thank u for taking the time, and yes , you are right on every single point. This is what the happy vanlifers do not tell their viewers. If u want to make money, forget about the book. I have had 3 published on books on demand, and u cant live from it. If u want to work at home or while travelling, best thing in my mind is either creating websites, and I do not want to scare u if u have never done it. A lot of small businesses like lets say a mobile hairdresser do not need a wordpress or better page. U can make them one with a homepage building set up, where u use easy templates and charge them 300 to 500 quid. They do not have a fullblown website because they cant afford the 5000 they usually cost but the templates one for lets say 500 they can afford. i did this quite successfully. Also u do not have to work 9 to 5 with it. Next thing, which I also did is telephone sales. People always need sales people. thats a fact and u earn basic plus commission. Cherio for your explanations, have a good time.

If you live in California it is Im going for a sprinter

Rent in san diego now approaches $2000 a month average 1br. My odyssey was $8k 3 yrs ago would cost $6k now. Some things cost more but my vans paid for.

Exactly like these are all responsibilities you have with a house and a car😂😂😂😂

2 I feel is an unfair comparison in most cases. But as far as expense, yeah you can really save a lot. And it isn't like you don't have vehicle insurance if you gave an apartment (unless you can get by with walking/biking).

If you’ve never had to pay rent or a mortgage then I can see where making a van payment would seem like a lot.i pay $1350./ mo rent AND a car payment of $350. I don’t live in an expensive part of the country like LA or NYC either. I do have maintenance costs on the car as that is just part of vehicle ownership. PPPPPP=proper planning prevents piss-poor performance. Maybe when you’re older and try a well planned van living experiment, you will have greater satisfaction.. I’m retired and I can see where it might work well for me.

It is way easier to break into a vehicle and happens more frequently than home break ins.

Thank you for pointing out all those points. Just a thought. Maybe the 1 month chunks thing is the case now. Maybe in the future, at a different age and/or personality, it maybe work for longer.

I love hitting the road like you said but I also love coming home to my nice comfortable, safe home with hot water and all that comes with a home.

I'm curious if you just talked yourself out of it before even trying. Remember, as humans, we can rationalize and think up multiple reason to not do something. The power to say, "F it" and just do it is the hard part.

@GLAMOR SOCIAL I appreciate that long and detailed, thought-out read. Thank you.

Smart. I've discovered that with many, many things in life, I like the IDEA of something, not the reality. The difference between living in your head where everything is always perfect, and living in the real world that requires work, struggle, effort, trade-offs, and sacrifices.

Smart.Horrible hard life

@@designstudio8013 Hard? Yes. Horrible? Not likely. If it were no one would do it. For many the hardness is part of the allure. Conventional life is too easy. Too comfortable. If you're retired, like me, there's barely a compelling reason to get out of bed. You have to create your own reasons. But many people find that hard to do all on their own. Living in a van or even an RV, you're forced to deal with a shifted reality every morning. Having limited space and supplies there's always something that needs to be done to sustain your life. By choosing a different, harder life you have given yourself a reason to take action.

yup this is true, it looks more like you'd just sleep in there than anything

Too many windows in his set up

True

My thoughts exactly

I agree his setup was not suitable for van life in anyway. He also said he would have been eating out fulltime no wonder it was so expensive.

Sometimes people just can't afford that initial cost. Plus a bigger van means bigger running costs as well.

@@Nick-xc4fy If they couldn't afford it why they jumped to it?! It's stupidity I WORK SO HARD 10 YEARS AGO TO BUY REAL ESTATE TO RENT IT SO I CAN GO DO VAN LIFE WITHOUT BE FORCE TO WORKING Vanlife doesn't mean you're homeless

once I realized the only thing my apartment rent got me that I couldn't have in a van, was my own private toilet and shower, that's when I decided that $750 was too much for those things. So not only is a personal toilet and shower FAR from priceless, it's not even worth $25 a day. It's not worth $12 a day. How much shitting and showering can someone be doing in a day to justify that price tag? What about when you're not at home? Don't you just use a public toilet of some sort anyway? I showered at a gym for $30 a month, pissed in a bottle when I was in my van and just used a public toilet whenever I needed it, while still having an "emergency" toilet just in case I couldn't wait.

These larger stand up van conversions can cost over $100K. Special security measures also needs to be done to prevent total loss in theft. They are also more obviously lived in. Why not instead get a proper trailer and live in a trailer or RV park?

@@romari2706 I bought my 1981 Dodge B200 Camper Van with a high fiberglass roof for $2500.

A really really good dependable mini van can be had for $3000 or less anywhere in the US. If you know how to find a mechanically reliable vehicle, or are willing to hire someone to help you, you won’t need “a bunch of money tied up in it”. Common sense goes a long way. Especially when choosing a home you will be spending a lot of time in. I wish people wouldn’t make silly comments like yours. It discourages some people from getting into this SERIOUSLY CHEAP AND RIDICULOUSLY EASY LIFESTYLE!!!

And I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear about your relatives experiences. I wouldn’t want to live in a prefabricated RV like that even if you paid me. Even some of the top dollar ones are made with garbage materials and things will start to fall apart quickly. Not always the case though. A very nice class D school bus (cab over or diesel pusher type) of the same size can be had for $6000 with 100k miles or so. Mechanically sound. Then it’s up to you how much you want to invest. Could be half a million or could be $500. It can be done cheap. Your relatives aren’t cut out for it.

Nice point

1 3 wait... a “really, really good dependable” vehicle for $3k? I’m assuming you just missed a zero.

"sold it within a couple years because it wouldn’t get down the freeway at modern speeds." The fuck? They were in any particular hurry? Driving on the freeway? Why o whyyyyy???? As a vanner you always take the scenic, slower, longer route.

Few people, if any, ever have HAD to live in a van. (Just say you didn't live in it, nice try)

this.

This comment was better than the video itself.

110% agree. and also if you learnt how to do engine maintenance and other maintenance like brakes and suspension it would be much cheaper if something brakes.

@@Riley.z28 Oh yes, I totally agree!

@Shane Lewis But again, a lot of the issues he was having (from his reflections) could have been avoided if he was better prepared. All is good, it is a learning experience and the outcome may show that this lifestyle is not for him, which is fine. However, I just think it is unfortunate as he might have had a better outcome and experience if done so.

He's probably complaining about Apartment living just the same, and still lonely glued to his "phone"...

@• 9 years ago You're an ass. And a liar. You've never met any such van lifers you describe. If you're living in a van in a city, your gym is your shower. Cheap. My gym membership at Las Vegas Athletic Club was $144/year. Plus, you don't need running water to stay clean.

Hahaa! Right! More parking!!

how do you shower? all gyms are closed for coronavirus

@@StreetFighterIIFeb Ever heard of a sponge bath? Human beings lived thousands of years without plumbing, do you think they were all just dirty and stinky all the time?

@@TheBabylane2 they had rivers before they invented sponges. most of humanity has lived near a water source which simulates an actual bath at home in modern life today if not lucky enough to be at a waterfall like a shower

@@StreetFighterIIFeb You're kind of proving my point there. It wasnt just about spongebaths, the point was there are other ways to stay clean than a shower.

"There’s absolutely no reason why this honestly would be humiliating." He reported about his failure, which defines humiliation. "It just is what it is and there’s no shame in that." Wrong. It is what he made it, and that is very shameful. "I truly appreciated the realness." It isn't real, tho! All his "problems" were easily avoidable or aren't even perceived as problems by most vanners. Nothing to be appreciated in that video, nothing to take home, nothing to gain, nothing to learn. Useless.

@@orcaflotta7867 Wow. Your ego is just over the top. Your comment shows your true character and I'm glad I don't have anyone like you in my life. That would be exhausting (lol). I am sooooooo glad that he made this video because I found it to be 1,000% helpful. For anyone who is considering this lifestyle, whether (as you say) his problems could have been easily avoided or not, it is very important that these issues are looked at first before making the decision to do this. It is a VERY VALUABLE VIDEO. It is HIS experience (and I'm sure many others' who are going to be honest about this lifestyle). It is helpful, VERY MUCH NEEDED and APPRECIATED. So please...get over yourself.

@@girlygirl1890 "Your ego is just over the top." Oh, now it's my fault the girlyboy fucked up his van-experience? Having common sense makes one a big ego now? Did you ever spend more than just a weekend in a van, caravan or tent? Becasue if you did you wouldn't find that whiner's video very much needed or valuable at all. "So please...get over yourself." Where did that come from? I gave my honest, based on facts expertise in a short, concise comment and forgot about it since, like, LOL 2 months already!!! I haven't been emotionally involved in his shambles at all, just commented on a very very badly misdirected video. Case closed. And now, out of nowehere comes you and accuses me of an over-the-top ego. Hello??? Anybody home?

@@orcaflotta7867 Awwwe. You are such an angry soul...However though...I still wish you the best in your life. Take care of yourself and be safe.

@@girlygirl1890 Angry soul. Me? Sorry, but can't you read da inglisi lingo? I'm an ESLer and still better than you in processimg written info. Didn't I just state that I'm not emotionally involved at all? Quite contrary to you it seems, or why did you find it necessary to needlessly and wrongly attack a co-commenter? Have you no perspective but only your stupid gurly emotions? Got anything useful to add, about his bad build, his lack of proper planning, wrong expectations, wrng choice of vehicle, needless boredom ... ? These are all points worthy of discussion. My state of mind, otoh, is not! Because this ain't my video, and I didn't put myself out there, admitting defeat. Neemore did, so he's up for some good-hearted ridicule. Oh my, some people's kidz. *sigh

Lol that's sad homie go out and explore the beautiful word

@@edwardhobbs3036 u cant tho CoRoNa dont risk other ppls life just cause ur bored stay home

@@loveyou5507 You can explore some place new where there are no people.

Exercise and books

@@chrisanderson9157 You can do the same thing in a van tho . . . 🤷🏻‍♀

A woman reciting Mark Twain quotes? Where have you been all my life?

The trailhead theft issue is super REAL.

@@frenchfryfarmer436 Yeah? Then don't go there. Is it the whole state that's bad? Move out of that state. You're in a van. It's a hell of a lot easier to move on from a bad area than living in a building.

@@pieceofschmidtgamer no sheet....just saying it coming to a place near YOU and me.

​@@frenchfryfarmer436 That's entirely irrelevant. There's nothing we can do with the flow of crime all we can do is move with the tide. If the place you're currently becomes too dangerous, being in a van means you can easily move, so move.

Would probably be cool but knowing that you have a regular house to go back to if things aren't going well.

Exactly. Books are a great way to learn as well as pass the time...

This is a great question to help people decide! For me, YES, I can and want to camp 365 days a year. I acknowledge that is quite the statement though.

My thinking, exactly!

Surely living in a bedsit is no different except you're probably pay an extortionate rent. The whole purpose of van life is about travelling, if you are staying in one place all the time for work yes by all means pay out for an apartment. Van life should be about escapism, it can be just as boring sitting around within four walls as many have found out under lockdown.

Camping is different than having all or most the comforts of home on a smaller scale.

my solution = medium sized home + medium sized rig = super fun.

I totally agree. Because I'm planning to live full time in a van, and I making lot of searches and I'm so impressed that he don't have power, water, sink, cooker, freezer. This way is really impossible to live in a van. A camper van (that normally have all the things I mentioned) is more clean of stuff, but a van home MUST have all these tools to be liveable.

Yes u need to plan way ahead to make a change

Vinegar spray bottle is key. All part of the process called "Thinking". So few do this nowadays, too bust buried in their phones LOL

Exactly! :)

Especially in the cold

Especially when u don't put a shower!... Lol

That vehicle is NOT a van. It is a car/station wagon! He is doing car life! NOT van life!

@@paulortiz8063 ford themselves call it a van

having a life isn’t easy

Chrome and Eric too!

THATS ONCE IN A LIFETIME ADVENTURE LIFE IS TOO SHORT LIVED WITH IT TNX..... GOOD DAY... 💯👍🇨🇿

he's the only one doing it right. not this guy who just stayed in my gym parking lot and was glued to his phone! 🙄😂

Don't forget his trusty crockpot!!!

Tom Green has put out some great stuff too

I agree with your comments. He appears to be van existing rather than van lifeing. I'm 20 months into my vanlife and it's the happiest I've ever been. Good luck and bon voyage for your future VL Mother NATEur. 👍

Hey all wise and knowing person, are u living in a van right now ? $100 says ur not , bet u lasted 2 months

@@midwestboss8808 why u mad 😂

Helllllo, he said he’s afraid of break ins. That is really, really scary.

@@midwestboss8808 oh hey... didn't see this comment. If you checked out my channel, you could have answered your own question.

Ditto for pets pissing in public (vs me).

No it isn't. The security concerns and the parking stress exist no matter what kind of rig or set up you have.

100% Jeep6242. He can’t call that “van life” he folded down the back seat and then wondered why it wasn’t working out as an accomodation, office, and love shack. Right van, right idea and right preparation and it’s a home, office and a place you can bring the ladies to. This guy might as well kit out a cardboard box and then complain it doesn’t work out real well as a home either.

@@automnejoy5308 OK. So most of what he said is about bad prep not 100%. Happy?

That's still valuable considering there are a lot of people who wouldn't consider what it takes to prep. Been watching Steffi Lee's van build videos and I was like, ok she's really putting a lot into it. Would definitely recommend those videos for anyone looking into it. I think if people were considering all the stuff she is, a lot would realize it's either not for them or that they will have to front more cash at the beginning to make it sustainable.

The cold never bothered me anyway.

Thanks for watching!

Glad I saw this. Good reason to disable airdrop on your Macbook and/or turn on airplane mode on your devices.

John Foley Thanks!

The only thing I can deduce from this theft concern, is not to leave your van very long or hike very far. I would not be out of sight of my van unless I was picking up groceries.

yeah sounds like very poor planning.

Yes. Well said. It is tough to change a pattern. A momentum. Some team support. I have had some estranged times vehicle living. But that was my rut. There were equal pluses.

Yes, some planning about the work might have led to a more robust laptop or something like that which could take the place of the desktop. But it would have been an expensive laptop. A bigger battery or something, some way to keep it up. Of course he was in a building at first which was good and then got "kicked out", don't know what happened but maybe that was when the plan derailed, when the budget deflated. The money is always a concern, he looks like he should be monetized? But RU-vid does not make everyone a millionaire. I totally get his fear of theft though, that can happen anywhere. He is very conscious of not being able to replace things if he loses them. Needs to build up resilience and self sufficiency if he wants this to work. Or, maybe a long shot, get married to someone who likes this lifestyle so he's not doing it alone.

In Australia u can get free wi fi in the main street or close by the city pays for it real good 😁