Van Life Lab

This week Eric and Colby take a step back and analyze the order in which things need to be build in your DIY camper van conversion.

Phase 1 - The bones - AKA the happy and easy going build phase. Everything is going right and projects and very stand alone.

Phase 2 - The Meat! AKA the "How the heck are all of these things going to fit together" phase.

Phase 3 - The Finishing touches - AKA the "Do I really need this" phase

Each of these phases has distinct project lists, and you can use these phases as guides to stagger your project days as well as purchasing of all your supplies to help manage your budget.

Resources Mentioned:

+ COMPLETE LAYOUT PLANNING GUIDE

+ OUR WRITTEN STEP BY STEP GUIDE

In this episode, we are working through a real life scenario of raising a puppy in a van! Eric and Colby ask Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Kayla, all of their questions they have the first week the have their new 8 week old puppy, Juniper. We talk:

If you liked this episode, let us know with a rating, review, or on Instagram, and we will be sure to do an another episode as our puppy gets older!

Eric and Colby sit down to bounce your biggest and best van build questions back and forth. From where it's worth splurging to which tools you might not actually need to buy, hear what the van build community as a whole is thinking and our opinions helping them out.

Cooking in your van is an act of deliberate planning, adaptation, and flexibility. Starting when you design your van you will either be cooking with a propane system or using electric with induction cooktops. Kayla shares her experience cooking with a propane system and how she stretches her 25 lb propane tank 9 months between fills. Eric and Colby give their hot tips for cooking via induction and how to design your van layout without needing to build in a permanent induction top.

Items / guides mentioned:

We discuss:

** Stick with us on the crumby audio, we ordered a new mic!! **

Ever visit the @MemesOfVanlife Instagram page? Honestly it's one of our favorite so we're just having a little fun with it.

Colby and Eric break down five recent #vanlife memes and debunk how much truth is under the surface! Here are the basic memes we break down.

1. Does anyone ever use their driver swivel seat?

2. He's a 4, but he's got Starlink

3. Did you really need that full sized shower?

4. White shiplap!

5. Cleaning your van like a mad man/woman before you show it to anyone!

This is one you do NOT want to forget. Wether you're full timing or building a pleasure rig for long weekends you will need a bathroom solution all the same!

One thing you may not realize is just how many bathrooms you will encounter on the road. So many that many times you might feel like you can get away without an on board composting or casette toilet. BUT! During the times you do need a toilet and don't have another one around you will fully realize the value of an on board toilet.

Hear about how we deal with our toilet solutions on the road so you can enter van life prepared for whatever the road can throw at you!

Resources Mentioned:

CompoCloset Cuddy

Nature's Head

Laveo Dry Flush

Pee Funnel

Would you rather read this post? --> Complete Guide to Van Life Toilets

For us summertime is the hardest time to live in a van just because of the heat. Your cargo van is essentially a metal box that is very prone to heating up, so listen to see what you can do starting when you first place your new van order. Of course these will be the insulation factor that will help you stay cool, but then there are also many lifestyle factors that you can optimize once on the road to make the heat a little more bearable.

Product Mentioned:

Join Eric and Kayla this week as they discuss the mindset you both need and will develop going through a van build that will ultimately prepare yourself for life on the road.

DIY van builds are daunting tasks. There is so much self learning that happens that really tests you as a person. It tests your adaptiveness, ingenuity, flexibility, temper, patience, and more. If you can make it though your van build, you are ready for life on the road! Hear real life stories and experiences learned from two DIY van builds and over two years in living in a van!

In Episode 13 of The Van Life Lab Podcast we are so excited to dive into part two of the Van Life on the Pan-American Highway Series.  This time we are focusing on the Arctic portion of the Pan-Am including Canada and Alaska.

We talk all about the route(s) specifically through the NW Territories portion of the Pan American Highway and what to be prepared for in terms of road conditions.  Kayla shares how she prepared for the driving portion including maintenance on her van and offline maps she made sure to download ahead of time. 

Offline Maps you might find useful for driving along the Pan American Highway are: AllTrails Pro for hikes, Google Offline Maps (FREE), Gaia (FREE or PAID), and Nat Geo Adventure Maps (ALASKA and CANADA WEST).

If you are planning to work as you drive up through Canada and Alaska, be prepared for little cell service unless you are in a town.  We talk about the importance of having a satellite device such as a GARMIN IN REACH beacon for communication.

Kayla shares how she prepared to safely travel with her dogs through the Northwest Territories.  This includes visibility vests, GPS collars, bear bells, proper leashes, and of course bear spray.

Throughout this episode, Kayla shares many tips, and nuggets of wisdom, that you won't want to miss if you are planning to head up to Alaska in your camper van, or take on the full Pan Am Highway! 

Thanks for listening! We would love if you left a review with your honest thoughts as we continue to grow Van Life Lab.

Complete Guide To Campervan Water Filtration

Campervan Water System Guide

Water filtration is extremely important as a van lifer. Even if a water source is labelled as "potable", bacteria and viruses can still be picked up between the water source and entering your tank. In this episode of the Van Life Lab, we share the science behind water filtration methods & how you can pick the best method(s) for your campervan water system.

We also address the basics of getting, and storing, water as a van lifer. What size water tank do you need? Where do you even find water? What do you need to plumb water through a campervan? And more!

Recommended Water Pump

Recommended Accumulator

Pex A Piping

Milwaukee Expansion Tool (for Pex A Install)

Filtration methods mentioned:

Thanks for listening!