This book is written by Bob Wells. If you follow the #vanlife movement you’ve probably heard of Bob. He has lived in a vehicle since 1995, first out of necessity and then by choice. Bob has built quite an empire over the years. He has also dedicated his life to teaching people who want the freedom to live in a vehicle & travel. He also helps other people who have limited choices find a different, affordable way to live. Bob had a cameo, playing himself, in the excellent movie Nomadland (It’s on Netflix of you haven’t seen it).
Bob calls himself a “vandweller”. He begins the book by telling the story of how he began his journey of living in a van. Bob gives his description of what vandwelling is and goes through a list of reasons why people should live in a van. At the top of the list is freedom, getting out of debt, quitting a job you hate. Having more adventures is a bonus. It sounds pretty radical, and it is, but Bob does have some good points.
He offers suggestions to help get rid of stuff, describes the different types of vans you can purchase (and where you can safely park your van, often at no cost). Bob goes into the specifics of how to get started actually living in a van such as electricity and solar power, cooking, going to the bathroom & keeping yourself clean, heating & cooling your van, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
I hope to buy my own van to convert in the not so distant future. If and when I do I will share the process here. I don’t think I would want to live in it full-time but my husband and I plan to downsize fairly soon so it would be fun to have a smaller house with less maintenance and the van for long road trips. We think that when it’s just the two of us traveling that would be simpler than pulling the camper. Sometimes at least. But most importantly it would give me another DIY project! 😉
Thanks for reading. Take care!
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