Van Life Lab

This week we're back with 5 things that are easier in a house, along with 5 things that have been harder for us as we move into our new house and take up part time van life. 5 things that are easier 1. Grocery shopping and bulk food buying 2. Internet bill is much cheaper 3. Getting up and going to bed at different times 4. More space for cooking and cleaning.  Unlimited hot water 5. A daily r...

Part 1 of 2 in this transitioning lifestyles mini-series! What are the hardest parts and unexpected small changes experienced when transitioning from house life to van life? We dive into all of that and more!

Shopping for vanlifers is tough! We don't have the luxury of space, so gifts have to be well thought out. That's why we put together a list of our top 21 gifts for your fellow vanlifers this season!

After having put in over 20,000 miles on our van in the last 5 months we have become well aquainted with long road trips! 48 hours up to Alaska and back? No problem! 2,500 mile weeks to visit family? EASY! We have become ROAD TRIP PROS and have our system dialed in! Don't forget that we also have an email subscriber list to sign up for ! Okay - Here's the QUICK version of uur top tips for...

What exactly is a BMS System? Confused between Internal Vs External BMS? What should a QUALITY BMS system include? Find out all these answers in this technical deep dive podcast! Key components discussed: Battle Born Batteries (Internal BMS) Victron Batteries (External BMS) (5% off w/ code 'engineers') Victron External BMS (5% off w/ code 'engineers') Wakespeed Regulator Nation&#39...

Why are van walls so often an after though during a van build? Well no more! We discuss nearly all the possible options for constructing and finishing your walls, as well as WHEN to put your wall panels up! Topics discussed: -Wall panels Vs shiplap and tongue and groove. -Staining Vs painting Vs upholstering -How to make full wall panels. DIY templating vs DIY kits vs fully pre cut. Relevant Links...

Full time vans should be EASY to use with storage in mind, while part time rigs should be VERSATILE! Outfitting your campervan for full time or part time vanlife? Hear about the different functions your van will serve and how you can properly size your systems and design your layout to best suit your adventure style! Electrical, water, general storage- we cover it all!

Highlights, lowlights, travel logistics, and everything you need to know about bringing your camper van and traveling to Nicaragua. Kayla from Collies Without Borders has lived on and off in Central America for over a decade and is extremely well versed with the ins and outs of living van life in Nicaragua. If you enjoyed this episode, stay tuned for one last episode in this mini series. Kayla wil...

Final farewell to our amazing cohost Kayla! In this episode we reflect with Kayla - a full time vanlifer of nearly three years - on the lessons learned, experiences gained, and opportunities seized as she transitions from full time vanlife to part time van life to pursue her dream PhD. We dig deep into what makes vanlife so special and how it might just be more accessible than you think.

We are back from 2+ months of van life-ing up in Alaska and we are diving deep into everything you need to know to van life successfully up there.  In this episode we cover: A lay of the land: where to van life in Alaska What to expect about weather in Alaska The difference between seeing Alaska and experiencing Alaska Our absolute favorite parts about our van life summer in Alaska How we prepared...

Have you ever had to store your van for the winter? Just finish a big trip and need to couple month break from vanlife? In this episode we dive into all the things you should do to your van to prepare it SIT for an extended period of time. That's right - putting you van into STORAGE. Topics covered: 1. Ventilaiton, moisture, and mold/mildue 2. Rodents 3. Fresh and grey water systems 4. Batteri...

Highlights, lowlights, travel logistics, and everything you need to know about bringing your camper van and traveling to El Salvador. Kayla from Collies Without Borders has lived on and off in Central America for over a decade and is extremely well versed with the ins and outs of living van life in El Salvador. If you enjoyed this episode, stay tuned for further episodes in this mini series. Kayla...

Winter vanlifers are a different breed. They're hearty, relish in the cold, and gobble up any adventure winter has to offer. Hear about what winter vanlife is, why it's so awesome, some unique challenges that come with the territory, and how both The Engineers Who Van Life and Kayla have tackled the problems to live life in the mountains.

Hot Takes! Is vanlife going to live up to your expectations once you hit the road? What should you ACTUALLY be prepared for? Well guess what - You're never going to use your rooftop deck! That bed conversion? It's going to stay in bed mode all the time! And all those fancy exterior upgrades? You probably won't use the half of them! Oh, and the hottest take of all? Van cats > van dog...

[ Episode updated ! Sorry for the mis-upload! ] Highlights, lowlights, travel logistics, and everything you need to know about bringing your camper van and traveling to Mexico. Kayla from Collies Without Borders has lived on and off in Central America for over a decade and is extremely well versed with the ins and outs of living van life in Mexico. If you enjoyed this episode, stay tuned for furth...

What are our biggest gripes about vanlife? From the silly to the serious, from the toilet to relationships, Eric, Colby, and Kayla all give a fast paced conversation this touching on every aspect of van life that they hate.

Were periods ever any fun? What about dealing with them without access to reliable clean running water? Colby and Kayla have a chat about how they deal with their periods while in the van and give you lots of actionable tips about what works and what doesn't!

So you just started vanlife. Now what? As much as we like to think of starting vanlife as "having made it," it's only the beginning. Buying and building your van can take such a toll on you that when you move in it feels like that's it. Life on pause for a while. But vanlife isn't the end all be all - it's just one step in your life journey. Your finances, relationships,...

It's fourth of July so in the name of giving ourselves some sort of a true break we will be taking the week off from the podcast! But at least you can hear how our drive to Alaska went! Stay tuned for next week when we discuss whether or not you actually need to put your life on hold to move into a van and start your van life journey. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Eric and Kayla sit down to discuss Alaska and all the van preparations that are being made for the Engineers Who Van Life's upcoming summer adventures in Alaska! Specifically, hear about all the preparations that are being made to: -The van chassis -The build itself -And then the Alaska specific gear they are packing Kayla gives her input on what they missed and some of the realities of Alaska...

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...

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: Campsite safety for young puppies Camper van considerations Should your puppy jump into and out of the van? What should you focus on with a new pu...

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...

** 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...