Roxy and Ben Dawson - The Falcon Guide to Van Life: Every Essential for Nomadic Adventures

STEVE & RANDI HITCHCOCK

RANDI AND STEVE TRAVEL AS A FAMILY WITH THEIR SON, CODY, in their Ford E350. They crawl up weather-beaten washes in Utah in search of arrowheads (to photograph, never take), and play bocce on whatever terrain their van happens to be parked on that evening. Theyve recently made the switch from van life to boat life to expand their exploring to the wide-open seas.

VEHICLE + WHY

2006 Ford E350 Cargo Vanit was diesel, had an extended body, and parts are readily available.

2002 Fountaine Pajot Athena 38-foot boatwe wanted a galley-up model, right around 40 feet and within our price range.

CONNECT

@van_humboldt, @destination_adrift

TIME ON THE ROAD

Part-time, 8 years

TRAVELING AS A FAMILY

Get to know one another really well before you head out for a long period of time. Its a very different situation in a van than when everyone has a separate room to go to, or electronics to check out with. Youre in it together literally. All. The. Time. Pack lots of unplugged activities (small games like a deck of cards or a mini chess set) so that you have backup if you get bored. Take lots of outdoor toys (as long as they fit) that youll use often. For instance, our sons snorkel gear keeps him occupied for hours at a lake or beach and hardly takes up any space.

WORDS OF WISDOM

My husband and I love it! My son would probably not say the same, but as long as he can plug in sometimes and access Wi-Fi, hes okay (and actually does have fun when we kick him off or he cant connect). We have created quite a special family bond. We delegate tasks that each person does to help set up/tear down camp, and even have many more fun traditions now that we are not bound to city life (such as camping out during full moons and howling). At times, its trying its a small space for three adult-sized people and two dogs.

climate trends expands your backyard options and ability to recreate outdoors. There are also some van lifers who follow colder temperatures and snowstorms, looking for the best skiing and winter sport conditions. This guidebook focuses on North Americas camping areas and both warm and cold weather.

One of the biggest questions about van life is how to make money. The short answer is technology and creativity. A lot of work doesnt require office space, giving rise to the digital nomad. A digital nomad is anyone who works remotely while traveling. There is a growing trend of remote work in the United States, as well as a growing trend of employers offering remote work options. Almost every coffee shop offers free Wi-Fi with a purchase and most libraries offer free internet (and many other services like printing if needed). While pay is usually lower, living in a van also lowers your expenses. If you are full-time, you dont have rent or utilities. You often shop less, order less, make more of your own food, and generally have less stuff to maintain and replace. Being a digital nomad requires a functioning laptop and skills that can transfer to online work. We know many van lifers who run other types of business from the road, including selling jewelry, paintings, and other homemade hard goods. Some van lifers house-sit and pet-sit for extra cash. With lowered expenses, there are many avenues to make ends meet.

COLIN BOYD & SOFI ALDINIO

COLIN BOYD & SOFI ALDINIO

COLIN AND SOFI TRAVEL WITH THEIR TWO YOUNG BOYS in a mystical, orange Mercedes.

VEHICLE + WHY

1978 Mercedes 508D German Command & Control Vehiclethe universe delivered it to us.

CONNECT

@AfueraVida

TIME ON THE ROAD

Full-time, a year and a half

LEAVING

Travel and experience have guided our spirits since a young age and both of us felt a deep desire to share this with our children. However, our life leading up to van life looked a lot like those who are likely reading this guide. A full-time nine-to-five job, a full-time parenting role, scheduled weekends, a fragile marriage, increasing expenses always leaving little money in the bank, and a whole lot of commitments in our life that we did not consciously sign up for.