How Cheap can Vanlife be? | This is how much I spent after one Month of Van Travel 

I’ve thought about that. Planet fitness is probably the most wide spread gym out there right?

@@bgrace27 i think so! probably some different national options also

Yup Planet Fitness is the way to go!

I'm from Los Angeles and am in Northeast Tennessee. Will be living in my van, but not traveling. I've seen planet fitness across the country. Plan to get a membership to shower and use equipment for preparing for hikes.

Were you in Tooele county?

That’s so awesome man, very impressive

You're robbing your health with just beans and rice. You need protein, vitamins, minerals. Sure you can live cheap, but you're going to pay in other ways.

@@bgrace27 taking a shower every day has a very negative effect on the health of every person because it washes away the protective properties of human skin

Boy you must have been gassy eating those beans every day 😖🤭

@@theonlyonestanding8079 😂

Sounds like a good idea for gas ⛽️

Thanks

I actually have one! You’re right, it’s very much worth the money, I love having that thing around

I didn’t know about the pass and I’m practically around the corner from the Tonto park in AZ. This is so awesome! Thank you for sharing it!

🤙🤙

better to just pay $10 (or 20 if you want access to multiple gyms) a month for a gym shower to actually get clean. if that's unaffordable, then there's bigger things to worry about

Whats even cheaper is using a small towel anf soap water. Also, less waste. And gets you arguably cleaner than just having water sprinkle over your body like in a shower. Plus, its healthier to not shower/wash every day unless you're sweaty.

But most are not biodegradable and lands in our landfills for decades.

What is wrong with a bit of water and soap, do we really need prepackaged chemical babywipes to wash ourselves these days?

How about 3 parts at the correct temperature...

@@chrisniner8772 what temperature is that?

@@Avery-rb2bd a comfortable temperature I'd imagine.

😊

$40 will get you a rechargeable battery powered one, drop it in a bucket with warm water and pump away.

I’ve seen them at Walmart for around $3-$4 so I’d definitely pick some up at the dollar store for cheaper! Thank you

For real bro, thank you. Certainly a better way to live a fulfilling life while also saving money

@@bgrace27 Damn right

I sure hope so!

Thanks for sharing

$40 buys a rechargeable shower head/pump. Bottles of water on the dash driving in the sun heat them up, dump in a bucket, put in pump, and shower away. lasts about 3 years, or 25 cents a shower...

Sounds like a great time but I can’t blame you for not wanting to do it again!

Try that TODAY you would get ARRESTED! Good luck getting a job while you're HOMELESS! Would not happen BOOMER. Let alone find a job that would let you SLEEP on their property. They would call the COPS and put you in JAIL

Awesome bro

I think it’s time I get a PF membership

I’m headed to cali soon and looking at gas prices they are around $5 a gallon 😔 I think this next road trip will be a little more expensive unfortunately. A garmin satellite is a great idea 💡

​@@bgrace27Look into bulk freeze dried foods. All you need to add is boiling water.

Don't visit Canada as $40 gas will give you a quarter of a tank. And foods way more than it is in the USA.

I have a Zoleo GPS SOS device...can send a "I'm o.k." msg to a few contacts...send a SOS when it hits the fan...and send a few texts if needed too - and it's $20 a month for peace of mind.

Those mountain house meals are 13.00 and change now. No longer worth it in my opinion.

Since I have moved into my van 🚐 my petrol has now become my rent

@@user-eo6bk9sg5yhow do you stay licensed and insured? I can’t figure this out.

I’m glad I can help!! Welcome to the channel my friend

Do you ever wish you had a van instead of an SUV?

@@MeJaneEntrprsz all I can say is yes. Because I'm new to this I am learning.

@@kennethgardner3090how long do you stay in a town? Sorry for asking 😅 I want to travel through the USA down to Central America but right now money is tight.

Wishing you the Best in your suvlife

EXACTLY DUDE!! It’s all about getting out there and living life to make memories. Have fun out there brother

@@bgrace27 I'm 55 and I got exposed to the van scene way back in the seventies as a kid, then I had my first van in the 1980s and it's been my addiction since then I've led the van life before it became very popular but I love it and it's so fun cuz nothing stays the same always something new down the highway or back roads

A gallon of hot water is just as hard to come by 😂😔

I forgot to mention@@bgrace27 Car campers need to have some kind of stove with them. I'm a backpacker with over 1/2 dozen stoves. What I recommend for car campers is the Coleman funnel shaped stove which screws directly onto the (typically) green, 1 lb propane cannisters at walmart. Coleman calls this the "Bottle Top Propane Stove". Nice, because it is affordable, burns clean (very low CO production), and the fuel is available all over the place, and lasts forever. White gas stoves are not ideal (flare ups and CO), 230 gram isobutane backpacking stoves are as good as the Coleman, just expensive fuel. Alcohol stoves I really didn't like, running in an enclosed tent. In a pinch, in a sunny climate, any 2L plastic bottle can be spraypainted flat black and left in the sun. The water will be pretty hot in a few hours.

✌️✌️

For sure! That’s awesome

Do you sleep in the parks?

We normally sleep just outside the parks. It can get expensive in the parks.

Thanks for watching!

🥰

That’s an awesome deal, you’ve seriously got it setup for living cheap, way to go

I love the Eurovans 🤤 thanks and welcome to the channel

dude what are you braying on about you donkey? boats, ATVs, 1000 gallons of fuel?? lol shut your mouth. nobody needs all that you silly little mail- order- wife. this guy did it in a van, no land. Americans COSPLAY LMAO? sorry not everybody grows up in garbage, trash countries. it's not cosplay sweetie, some of us are minimalists and we don't need to pretend to come from garbage cultures to justify our lifestyle. you married a "Wealthy Americano"? good thing you did, or you would still be sleeping on the dirt floor. show some respect to the nation that literally saved you from wriggling around in the dirt like a worm. give that man a top tier BJ tonight to show your gratitude for your nice, western lifestyle.

I dont travel I stay in my town where I have resources or incase I break down I know people and my area I fish and hunt rabbits and quail with my high powered pellet gun I'm on s.s.so I have free gym membership to shower also I go to YMCA

If you don't mind the taste you can use powdered milk.

Yes gas was a pain to spend on. I certainly will be more cautious and meticulous this next travel season. Luckily in Utah I found TONS of free camping everywhere I went. Not once I paid for camping or a spot to sleep but that also meant a lack of amenities Also, welcome to the channel!!

You’re welcome, thanks for watching

I’m glad you’re enjoying! What kind of SUV are you traveling in?? I’d love to know! I just looked into tuna and mercury poisoning 😵‍💫😵‍💫

@@bgrace27 I've been living full time in my 2004 Toyota Highlander for almost 4 years and it's the best thing I've ever done. It's more than enough room for me to live in and I can park her anywhere without being noticed. The savings on gas is also a huge plus and there are few roads that I can't venture down. I'm currently building out a 1994 Chevy G20 Gladiator van conversion so my girlfriend can join me on some of my travels here in SoCal. I'll keep living in the Highlander for the economy and use the van when my girl wants to go"Glamping" LOL. And who knows, she might come to love this Lifestyle as much as me and join me full time but only if we live in the van. Lol I hope you make some time, in your traveling schedule, to come visit the mountain and coastal communities of Southern California. We're one of the few places where you can go surfing in the morning and snow skiing in the afternoon! Not to mention all the crazy stuff to do in between! I just Love it here and I think you will too.

@@rickcooper156 a Toyota Highlander would be a pretty good rig to get into, I think it’s awesome 👏 I personally thought about building out a G20 as well so you’ve got me jealous! • I’ve got big plans for SoCal….some day

I’m glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching!

Glad I could help 🫡

Ahhhh hatchbacks are awesome and all but you’re going to be the baddest traveler out there! I mean seriously, I rarely see anybody doing this travel thing in cars much less sedans… That means you’ve got some guts, it’s awesome 👏 Have a great time traveling! It’s coming soon

I have a pump up sprayer and put a sink sprayer on it I put a black bag over it and set it in the sun all day to heat the water some times the water is too hot to use lol

Glad it was helpful!

I would love to know how to do this. Getting a new engine for my van next week, so I have reliability. My question is, how do I have a valid drivers license and insurance without a home address?

Thank you!!!

Depends on what your income is. If you're on SS, you won't have enough left over to save.

​@@youdontwanttoknow5203 it's according to how long you worked and how much you made per hour. A lot of people get more than 2,000.00 a month.

Very cheap if you’re in a fixed location

Big facts right here

I’m glad I could help bro 🤙 Welcome to the channel, let me know if ya need anything

Kia Sedona are legendary for lots of length for sleeping if you can't swing a van. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H3SNwpzPQI0.html People have even rigged a way to shower in the recessed floor!

All the best to you!

Mmmm I should put the recipe in the description….

$28 a day in El Paso for the monthly rate.

I considered but since propane for a month is like $3 I don’t mind plus with an electric stove, I’d have to worry about getting ENOUGH solar charge all the time.

Thank you! 🤗

😎

Yesssssir

The wood covers insulation in the walls which lets you stay cooler in the sun, or warmer at night, depending on your travels. I "tented" up with a blanket "fort" overhead (like when you were a kid) and slept in 38 degrees near Yellowstone 4 years ago in my van. My thermometer middle of the night showed 63 degrees under the blanket fort due to my body heat getting out of the summer weight sleeping bag. $20 fuzzy blanket from Walmart. Slept like a baby. You use light weight cheap woods and it's not a problem. Vans have quite a load capacity also. Fully kitted out with 600 watts solar, sink, shower, microwave, etc., my RAM ProMaster 2500 weighs less than a Amazon van pulling out for a day's worth of deliveries.

Thanks bro ✌️

Crank windows and no cruise control 🤙 Heck yeah bro, the Rally Wagon would be awesome! The outdoors and nature is a whole new world. One day you’ll find yourself on top of a mountain at Sunset and you’ll never go back, promise 🤝

That’s for reals tho. IOverlander was a lifesaver

I've stealth vanned for a total of about a year altogether over the last 4 years in 2 van conversions. One way streets with little used parking spaces or neighborhoods without driveways are easy pickins, even in places like Miami. Look for a street on the side of homes with a fence, back up to the car behind you to conceal out of state plates to casual drive bys. Buy 3 gallon water jug, fill at any Walmart if you can't find free water in city parks, restrooms with a 1g jug, etc. Orange Home Depot or similar bucket and a toilet seat they sell for mounting on top, and a bag and you've got #2 covered. for couples, easy DIY on composting toilets which when properly used and vented offer NO smell. As a guy, I picked up an airtight plastic box, roll up the bags and put inside for no smell until you can make a dump of them. $40 rechargeable battery powered shower head/pumps on amazon get you free showers. Put bottles of water on the dash while parked or driving for the sun to warm them, dump in a bucket or pail, put in the pump, and shower away. I've even rigged a hanging shower curtain that sets up from a roof rack in 20 seconds, or you can often just shower in shorts as a guy. There's also pop up shower / changing enclosures you can buy. there's solutions to every need out there, just need to look.

I think that would be wise 😂 I think I’ll spend more and get a flamethrower!

Good to know, thank you

It’s worth it! Thanks for the support

That’s badass man, you’ve got it worked out 💪 have fun getting back on the road

I’ve got those fancy upgrades

😁

That’s cause it is 😏 😁

Yes for sure, you could go for SO cheap

I have more in my van than he has (full size RAM ProMaster 2500 with sink/shower/microwave etc. and have less than $5K total, all DIY. 12v fridge is the first thing to get, since it means keeping condiments cold, and buying things to eat that last over several days, instead of meal by meal at greater expense and having things like milk or cold drinks/water. I've converted 2 vans, but if I was near destitute starting out in one as an empty shell, I'd sleep on an air mattress and use the first saved $$$ for a solar panel on the roof, LifePo4 battery and cheap charge controller to run a small 12v fridge. Under $300 total. Any full time job at even minimum wage could after a week's wages or so pay your food that week and buy such a setup if living in the van and doing it DIY from any of dozens of YT videos. Now you have power for LED lights at night, power to charge a phone, power to cook a meal in a HotLogic Mini ($40) for FREE. Put in some 12v LED lighting and a USB charge port ($6). Depending on time of year / climate where you are, a powered roof vent ($150) might be next. Less than $1K you can have everything in a van to store and preserve food and drinks cold and cheaply, cook, bathe ($40 rechargeable shower head pump, bottles of water on the dash in the sun to warm, dump in bucket, put in pump, shower away), and sleep comfortably (2" nylon strapping stapled or screwed down, wrapped a time or two around 2 2x4s spread apart by 1 cut in half to make a 4' wide bed and fastened to the walls make a sling bed for sleeping comfort with any foam padding and a sleeping bag or in summer just a sheet.

Thank you! Cheers!

I’ll keep it in mind 😊

Thank you for the compliments!!! I have a 12v air pump for my outdoor shower that runs off my van battery!

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

Lol you must be joking😂 It all depends on the location. I'm in Florida $1,000 and more per month studio or not.

Oh and the landlord can kick you out at will from your studio 7-30 days depending on again location. 😂 Also don't have a felony or pets way worse 😅😂

I’ve got an outdoor shower, it was so hard to use it for that road trip but on my current one, it’ll be a bit warmer thank godness

I have an electric bike that gets 40 mi.a charge is very handy

Thank you 😊

Yea it was kinda crazy in some of those small towns. It was rough spending double on groceries and getting half as much 😫

@@bgrace27 in a small town look for Dollar General. they often beat prices in the mom and pop Super stores

For sure man, I’ve been watching out for those repairs. Luckily I can do 90% or any mechanical work myself so that cuts costs a ton. I’m just praying for my preventative maintenance to work! Thanks for the sub!!

Honestly that's nothing though compared to how much you save on rent. Im stacking an extra 2500 a month in the Bay Area on top of my regular savings. I also have good credit and a Capital One CC with a $4500 limit. The van i chose is also notoriously cheap to repair. (GMC Savana 2500)

It beats paying a grand a month to be stranded without a car. Some people have to choose, car or room….

@@ITech2005You are stacking cash living in a van in SF?

@@4kasiavlogs Yes, i park in Burlingame. Have a full time job and uber on the side.

It sure does paying rent. Here as a single dude in Utah it’s kinda rough trying to find a place as well. It was either move into an expensive apartment or into a van so here I am! I’ll have to look into making my travels a business, that’s an excellent idea

@@bgrace27 Are you monetized on YT yet? As soon as you can get monetized, start a LLC, and keep track (keep all receipts) of your expenditures, and make YT a qualifying side hustle business!! BTW my home on wheels is my 2015 4Runner Tank Girl and my 5x10 cargo trailer Jet Girl.

other way around actually, one of the best ways to be incognito when van lifing is keeping the white paint, or going with a bright noticeable color, then slapping some made up company logo on the side of it. I slapped a pest control logo on the side of my van and would just park in grocery store parking lots over night and was left alone 9 outta 10 times because its pretty common at least in my neck of the woods for major box stores to have spraying and bug control done at night or over the weekend when closed so employees thought nothing of it. The black out and army green ones usually stick out like a sore thumb unless your gonna squat on a old logging road.

Nobody else does the yellow ~ personally I think it’s very fun and extremely unique so I kept the ugly color! I agree though, the adjustment was tough in the first two weeks

Thanks for the tips! If I ever don’t want to travel around as much you betcha that’s what I’ll do!!!

Great idea bro

Indonesia 100oo = 1800oo their

That’s a great deal man, way to go!