Van Life Lab

In episode 11 of The Van Life Lab podcast, we talk we cat owner, biologist, and dog trainer, Kayla Fratt, about all things Van Life with a cat.  We start off by hearing her story about how she became the proud owner of “Ditch Cat”, a stray cat she found just weeks before embarking on the Pan American Highway.  Which of course leads us into discussing her van life journey along the PanAm with 2 dogs, and a cat.  Be sure to listen to episode 4 if you are interested in van life with dogs specifically. 

After learning generally what living with a cat in a van is like, we learn what to look for if you are specifially selecting a cat for van life.  Kayla hones in on three cat characteristics: adaptable, confident, and optimistic, and why they are important for van life.   She also digs in to how you can prepare your cat for van life while sharing specific recommendations like a Tractive GPS collar, comfortable Harness/Leash combos, backpacks for adventure,and more.

Before closing out, Kayla and the Engineers who Van Life do “quick” round of pros and cons of doing van life with cats.

We are so excited to share this episode with you and hope that it equips you with the knowledge to conquer van life with a cat if you so desire! Thanks for listening to Van Life Lab, and we hope to see you next week.  

If you found this episode of Van Life Lab helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, and LEAVE US A REVIEW, it really helps us grow as a new podcast :)

If you're just getting started to outfit your van for a cat, here are some of the products Kayla recommends for success on the road.

Headliner Shelf as the cat's home. Vancillary makes great DIY headliner shelves and brackets and is definitely the way to go! USE CODE "EWVL" for 10% off your purchase!

Tractive GPS collar - $20/month sub is a bummer, but it's lightest for the cat and works well off phone, the app lets you draw virtual fences and get notified if the cat wanders. 

RC Pets harness/leash combo - honestly GREAT. Soft, adjustable, and Norbert happily wears it like 18 hours a day.

For backpacking with your cat Kayla uses this collapsable and portable cat backpack. And it's mostly mesh so it's best for air flow, has no dumb plastic bits, and has pockets for phone/keys.

Resources Mentioned:

Show Notes:

Maintaining a job while pursuing van life is a must for the majority of us nomads. Contrary to popular belief, we're not actually all trust fund babies (although wouldn't that be nice?). So that means working from the road. Listen to Colby and Kayla share their perspectives on what works for them, their expectations vs reality, and tips for you whether that be a regular 9-5 corporate job like Colby or freelance writing while owning your own business as is Kayla's case.

If you're just getting started with van life, think about your personal work situation, what sort of connectivity you will need, how many people will be living and working from your van, and the ergonomics of working in a confined space. Once you have those things figured out and are on the road you can fall into the routine that works for you. Among many other things, one thing both Colby and Kayla agree on is the importance of setting boundaries and carving both time and space out for your work. Maintaining focus, free from distracting, can be difficult while on the road, but leaving yourself margin at every step of the way can help ensure you create the productive work environment you need. Wether that be getting set up for work plenty early, or having redundant internet solutions so you are never left without a connection.

Here are some of Colby's and Kayla's top tips, hacks, and products that make working on the road a little bit easier.

1. Make sure you are set up for work in a safe location at least 30 minutes before you start. This leaves time to find a parking spot, test your internet connection before you start and move if you need to before settling into your day.

2. Utilize coffee shops and public establishments to utilize their wifi and other amenities while also getting a break from being confined inside your van.

3. Make sure you have a robust internet solution. For Colby this means using a mobile router, exterior antenna, and multiple cellular carriers to get the most reliable internet possible. Then for those extreme cases she uses Starlink as a backup. For a full rundown on Internet On The Road, go back to Episode 9 where Eric and Colby talk all about this!

4. Working while on the road is necessary for maintaining life on the road, so don't compare yourself to the highlight reels others post to social media outlets. Not every day is going to be glamorous - embrace the days you shack up in the parking lot of a big box store and just grind. We all have those days, and they are absolutely necessary.

5. Swivel seats make great use of the ergonomics built into the driver and passenger seats your van already has!

6. A portable monitor is a great addition to your mobile work station!

7. A good set of noise cancelling headphones can really help your focus by tuning out the abundant amount of background noise you will experience on the road!

Catch ya next week!

Another Solo Episode between Eric and Colby where they dive into one of their favorite topics: Building Vans with 80/20 Extruded Aluminum. Here is an outline of our discussion.

0. As a reminder, if you're looking to get your hands on some 80/20, if you purchase through our link then 5% will automatically be taken off your purchase price when you check out! Help support this new podcast and the work that we do and save yourself some money while you are at it!

1. Hear about why weight is so important to manage in a conversion van.

2. We define exactly what 80/20 is and talk a little bit about its general properties. Hint: 80/20 is just a brand name!

3. Then we dive into where you can use 80/20 in your van conversion. It's pretty much everywhere, but here are the things we move recommend building with 80/20.

4. Our absolutely biggest tip for working with 80/20? Loosely fit things together first, and when you are all done use blue Loctite 242 to lock things together! this isn't just recommended, it's imperative!

5. Is there anything we would NOT build with 80/20? Probably just a single thing in an entire conversion van. That's right - the headliner shelf. Vancillary (code: EWVL for 10% off) makes great brackets and a 3/8" plywood shelf will suit all your needs.

Our Complete Guide to Building Your Campervan with 80/20!

Colby and Eric dive into how to get reliable internet in your van so you can keep your remote job and live nomadically.

Read our Ultimate Guide to Internet on the Road here.

Peplink Routers and MIMO Antennas: We'll jump right into what we have found to be the BEST solution for generating RELIABLE internet on the road. That is the combination of a mobile router, such as the Peplink Transit Duo Pro, and a MIMO antenna, such as the Parsec Husky Pro 7-in-1 antenna. All of these things can be sourced through Mobile Must Haves, as well as the high gigabyte data plans that accompany them.

Hot Spots and Cell Boosters: We dispel a few myths about cell boosters and hot spots and describe why those solutions will not yield the best internet connection possible. Trust us. We tried. Life was HARD!

Starlink: We go over what many vanlifers think is the golden bullet of internet on the road is: Starlink. But that's not the case yet - there is definitely a list of pros and cons, and we describe who Starlink might work for, and who it would NOT work for.

Here is who Starlink work for. The person who is:

-Using internet where AVERAGE download/upload speed is needed, but not LIVE speeds. Think blogging, browsing the internet, watching editing videos, emailing, etc.

-Frequenting locations with wide open horizons and clear views of the sky

-Doesn't mind daily set-up and take down

-Has extra battery and power generation capacity to handle ~500 Wh per day (assumes 10 hours or daily "online" activity)

Here is who Starlink will NOT work for. The person who:

-Needs to be on video calls and needs CONSTANT connection speeds

-Moves daily, through inclement weather, or otherwise might be annoyed by daily set-up

-Frequents areas with moderate tree cover or mountain ranges

-Has a power system strapped for extra capacity

Read our Starlink deep dive here.

There is a time and place for many different internet solutions, but while on the road it's important to never rely on a single solution. For most of us this mean never relying on only a single cell carrier, but this also includes Starlink. There will be times when AT&T is better and Verizon is non-existent, vice versa, other times when the only way to get a signal is with Starlink, but also times when Starlink can't see its satellites so the only internet you can get is through cell carriers. In many ways living life on the road is cheaper than stationary living, but keeping your internet connection is one of the things that definitely costs more and is certainly more complicated. Don't let yourself down by leaving your internet as a weak point in your van life journey!

In this episode Kayla and Colby dive into Solo and Solo female van life.  Of course the obvious place to start is with van and travel security, but then they get into less frequently discussed topics like loneliness, finding community on the road, and handling the day to day chores on your own.

Detailed Show Notes: https://vanlifelab.engineerswhovanlife.com/solo-van-life

Resources Mentioned:

Have you ever wanted to take your van life journey south of the border?  Talk to Kayla as she travels along the Pan-American Highway from Alaska all the way to Patagonia.  Hear about how she prepares for border crossings and what she does when she's asked for bribes.  Learn about the general processes each country takes at their border and all the documents you need to be prepared.  Kayla brings a wealth of knowledge to this topic in the van life space and is truly inspiring in pursuit of her goals.

Detailed Show Notes: https://vanlifelab.engineerswhovanlife.com/central-pan-american-highway

In this episode Eric and Colby dive into the theory of heat transfer and apply the concepts insulating your van for van life.  At the end they reveal everything they did to ready their van Rover for the colder Colorado winters.

Recap conductive, radiant, and convective heat transfers and how to control them with mass insulations and radiant barriers.  Also learn the truth about vapor barriers and thermal bridging, including how Lizard Skins ceramic insulation is a game changer to preventing heat gain in the summer time!  When it comes to vapor barriers, condensation in the walls is the enemy of every van lifer, but they're entirely unnecessary!

Then learn about new innovations in the van conversion market including the all new Ranier subfloor system and how you can save weight, lower the profile of you subfloor, get total water protection, and an incredibly fast install!  Check out the full specs of the Rainier system here!

Here is how the Engineers Who Van Life chose to insulate their ultimate adventure rig Rover.

1. Lizard skin ceramic insulation (and sound deadener)

2. Rainer subfloor system serves as both their insulation and subfloor!

3. Havelock wool in all of the side wall cavities, nooks, and crannies

4.  3M Thinsulate on the ceiling because it holds itself up with spray adhesive very nicely.

5.  More thermal bridge prevention with 3mm low-e insulation (not used as a radiant barrier - just a thermal break!)

If you would rather go through this content with visuals, check out the complete insulation guide we have written on our blog!

Are you thinking of getting on the road with your pup?  Already on the road and wondering what it might be like to get a dog?  Hear what certified dog trainer Kayla Fratt has to say about selecting the right dog for van life, and in particular your unique van life journey.  Hear how size, breed, activity level, age, and so much more come into play as well as your own personal habits on the road.

Detailed Show Notes: https://vanlifelab.engineerswhovanlife.com/dogs-and-van-life

Want the full list of best dog breed for van life?  Check out this article!  

https://www.k9ofmine.com/best-dog-breeds-for-van-life/

Want to full list of the 10 most important things you'll need for your dog in a van?  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCXFKdV4_qM

Important things to consider in outfitting your van for dogs.  

- Crash safety!  See why Kayla recommends Variocage for crash safety.

- Food storage!  Do you ave enough room for a 50 lb bag of food?

- Are your floors too slippery for your pup?

- Most importantly, hear all the reasons why you SHOULD have your dog with you in your van!

In episode 3 of Van Life Lab, we dig into the three most common chassises people choose from vanlife.   We talk about their similarities, their differences, their pros, and their cons.  And, we provide you with a framework of questions you can ask yourself so that you can choose what is best for you!

Resources Mentioned:

Timestamps:

03:00: First questions to ask yourself

04:56: New vs. Used Considerations

07:00: How much did we spend on our three conversions + rigs?

10:20: Drive Train + Roof Height Considerations

17:22 - end: Mercedes Sprinter vs. Ram Promaster vs. Ford Transit

Welcome back to the Van Life Lab podcast!  This week we are Introducing co-host Kayla Fratt.  Kayla has lived in her van for almost three years now and is a professional dog trainer, conservationist, freelance writer, and much more!  Learn how Kayla fell into van life, what she loves about it, and where she is headed!