Insulation Once you have the electrical wires installed and the hardware attached, it is time to insulate everything. I used 2″ thick Roxul 40 mineral wool. I happened to have a bunch of it on hand, although I would buy it new again if I was doing a new van. Mineral wool is amazing. It…

I want to begin by saying that the sexiest part of Vanderella for me, is the off grid solar system. It makes my nomadic life possible. Even as I now type this, I can only do so because I have power for my laptop, monitor, lights, and vent fan due to the solar power. There…

You will need to do repairs on your vehicle, and probably sooner than later. If you are going to be living in your van, you really want to keep track of any and all maintenance that you perform. It is easy to lose track of time for regular scheduled maintenance, and a maintenance log will…

Given that stealth is the main strategy used to keep people from asking questions or causing problems, it is important to have a vehicle that looks, sounds, and drives fairly normal. If you are starting with an older used vehicle, there is a good chance that the exterior might need some love. I’d recommend replacing…

The coolest part about vanlife is building your van to fit your specific lifestyle. And while there may be some similarities, no two are ever the same. The world is your oyster when you start with a big open box. I recommend taking ideas and inspirations from other vanlifers and tiny home enthusiasts. The small…

My van is a 2004 Workhorse Stepvan named Vanderella. A stepvan is the style of van typically used by Fedex, UPS, bread companies, chip distributors, uniform companies, and taco vendors. Also called a panel van, panel truck, food truck, bread truck, pie truck, and mechanics truck. This style of vehicle isn’t made by a single…

“How do you decide where you go?” As previously stated, I’m a bit of a homebody. I don’t have strong feelings about beaches, forests, or mountains. I enjoy them when the opportunity arises, I just don’t go and seek them out. Maybe someday. I do care about weather, people, work, opportunities, activities, stuff like that….

This is the question on everyone’s mind. It was on mine too, and I needed solid answers before I was willing to jump in and do it. Toilets I don’t have a toilet in my van, although that is rarely a problem. Toilets are literally everywhere. Most stores have toilets. I have met some people…