Identifying and Handling Mental Hardships on the Road
As awesome as van life is, it comes with mental hardships that aren’t often shared on social media. Here’s how to avoid burnout on the road.
Vanlife and Mental Health: How Vanlife Increased My Anxiety
Vanlife can set you free in so many ways. But there are real mental health consequences to moving all the time without a reliable place to sleep.
Gnomad Homies: Let’s Play Ride And Seek
We are super stoked to introduce you all to the entire crew behind @letsplayrideandseek! This amazingly vibrant and entertaining family is made up of Natalie and Abigail Rodriguez. They travel with their dogs Bear, a pitbull mix, and Peluche (pronounced pay-loo-chay, which means teddy bear in Spanish. They usually just call him luche for short)…
Diversify Vanlife and How to be a Strong Ally
It’s no secret that vanlife is not what it appears to be on Instagram. If you scroll through the vanlife reshare accounts, or read a media story about vanlife, or attend one of the many vanlife gatherings out there, you might come away thinking that vanlife is a lifestyle for young, attractive white people galavanting…
Gnomad Homies: Crystal Vanner
We are so excited to introduce you all to Crystal Vanner! Crystal is a hard working, YouTubin‘ solo female vanlifer who is all about speaking the truth when it comes to her travels – and we LOVE HER for it! She is originally from Northern Virginia, about 20 minutes from Washington DC. However, she now…
Gnomad Homies: Divine on the Road
We are extremely excited to share with you all the wonderful story of Sydney and Ella from Divine on the Road! Nothing inspires us quite like a strong and independent woman traveling on her own with her trusty, furry, four-legged side kick! Enjoy reading Sydney’s story, and begin to feel inspired by her fire and…
Gnomad Homies: The Open Road Trip
We’re stoked to introduce you all to a wonderful family of three – Haley, Miggy and Layla! They are traveling around in their 2005 Sprinter, Ferdinand, that was built out by the fine couple over at Always the Road! Feel inspired by their story as they share all the pros and cons life on the…
Gnomad Homies: The Wayward Home
This is the story of Kristin and Tom! Kristin is from Oregon and tom is originally from Minnesota. They have an exciting story that bounces around from living in vans to Prius’ to sailboats and more! Read on and feel inspired to strive for that nomadic life no matter what vessel you may have at…
Gnomad Homies: Chasing the Wild Goose
Today’s Gnomad Homies feature is this wonderful family of four, Shawn, Brie, their dachshund Milo and their newest addition (puppy) Jax. They are traveling around in their self-built Sprinter they have named Mosby! They quit their life in the big city of Seattle, chose to pursue their own businesses, built out their second rig, and…
Gnomad Homies: When You Wander
We’re pumped to introduce you to some more Midwesterners! This is Tom, Liana and Stan the Tan Van, who are originally from Wisconsin but lived in Portland, Oregon for 11 years before they hit the road. They chat all about life in their 1995 Ford E-150 Conversion Van and the endless streams of creativity that…
Gnomad Homies: Ubu the Van
We are super pumped to introduce you all to two dear friends of ours! This is Meghan (Meglie) and Stephen (Kilty Man) from @ubuthevan! They are from the suburbs of Chicago, IL, although originally Stephen is from South Africa. They have an epic van build they created with their own two hands filled with wonderful…
Gnomad Homies: Hilltop Van
We’re totally stoked to introduce you to a great buddy of ours, Jeff, and his wonderful girlfriend Rachelle and their pup Cash. Jeff is from Plymouth, MA and Rachelle is from Modesto, CA. Cash is a Tennessee dog that came into their lives via a rescue dog. Jeff and his family not only live out…
Our Adventure Becoming South Dakota Residents
Some of the biggest logistical problems that full-time nomads face revolve around not having a permanent residence. When you don’t have a fixed address, it can be very difficult to do many things that you need to do in today’s society, such as: Get a driver’s license Register your van Apply for insurance (auto, medical,…
Domicile for Nomads: Establishing a Legal Residence on the Road
If you’re a full time vanlifer, RVer, or backpacker, you live out on the open road, free from the restrictions of a fixed location. But when you live wherever you choose, that also means that you don’t actually live anywhere – or at least, not how society wants you to. Unfortunately for people like us,…
Mail and Packages on the Road: A Guide for Vanlife Nomads
How do you get mail and packages when you’re traveling long term and you don’t have a fixed address? This is one of the challenges of life on the road, but it’s not an insurmountable one. No matter what you need to have shipped to you – a letter, a package, an important piece of…
Gnomad Homies: Irie to Aurora
We are super pumped to introduce you all to two of our road besties, Dustin and Noami Grevemberg from @irietoaurora! Noami is an island girl from Trinidad and Tobago. Dustin is a country boy from Lake Charles, Louisiana – but they call great ole New Orleans “homebase”! They have a lot of big and exciting…
Vanlifer’s Guide to Sleeping, Camping, and Overnight Parking
So you bought a van, converted it to your new home, and now you’re about to hit the road. But once you’ve left the comfort of stationary dwelling, you’re faced with that looming question: Where do you sleep? No need to worry – there are plenty of places all over North America for you to…
Mounting an ARB Awning on a High Top Van (Without a Roof Rack)
We didn’t install a roof rack when we built our van. At the time, we didn’t see the need for one. “Our roof is going to be taken over by solar panels and a vent fan,” we thought. “There’s no reason for us to get a roof rack.” How wrong we were. We know now…
How to Sell Everything You Own to Travel in a Van
The seed has been planted! “That’s it! I’m ready for a big change! I’m going to buy a van, turn it into a tiny home on wheels and I’m going to travel wherever I desire!” Yes! Such an exciting time! Once you get your van built out you’ll have to move in all of your…
9 Vanlife Hacks to Make the Most of Your Home on Wheels
When you first hit the road, you learn pretty quickly what works with your build and what doesn’t. What changes you need to make here, and what would be great to add there. It can be a lot of fun coming up with your own personal tweaks to your new living situation, but the trial…