This is a man who lives off-grid in a Nissan NV 2500 van.
From the outside, you’ll notice a stealth white van with ladders affixed to the roof. At a first glance, it looks like an ordinary work van.
When you go inside, you’ll find a twin bed, small kitchenette, storage — and even headroom so you can stand up inside!
Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share below. Thank you!
Images © Enigmatic Nomadics via YouTube
What would you do to make your dreams reality? Are you willing to do the complete opposite of everybody else to build your dream lifestyle?
For the last year Vince has been living in his van in the sprawling city of Los Angeles. In his blog, Vince Van Go, he shares his true-life experiences while van dwelling in the city. When we first heard of Vince we were curious. So we asked him, “why did you start living out of a van? How has his life changed since doing it? And now that it’s been a year, what’s the rest of the plan look like? Have the benefits of living in a van been worth the challenges? And do you recommend this lifestyle to others who also want to pursue their dreams?” All of these questions, and more, are answered in the interview with Vince Van Go-Go below.
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Please enjoy our exclusive interview with Vince Van Go below:
When 21-year-old Daniel Norris got a $2 million signing bonus to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays one of the first things he decided to do was buy his dream car… Which just happens to be a 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia bus where he lives simply from. Yes. This is also his home.
The young man is from Johnson City, Tennessee and the people who know him definitely think he’s a little weird for his lifestyle choices. But at the same time, they find him interesting. According to GrindTV, Norris says, “I knew after I signed that I was going to get a Volkswagen van. It was my dream car.”
Now the van is set up with solar panels and all. And Daniel uses it to travel to practice training, to adventure, to surf, to go hiking, and more. Doesn’t this story inspire you to consider a similar or just simpler lifestyle? I encourage you to enjoy the rest of this story below and re-share it if you want to. Thanks.
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Photo © Daniel Norris
When Sam Jacquette was paying $1100 a month in rent and working at a job that he didn’t enjoy just to pay his bills he decided he would make some changes.
He set a 2014 New Year’s resolution to stop doing things he didn’t enjoy doing and to start doing everything he wanted to do. And making this 1985 Volkswagen Westfalia van his home on wheels would be the first step.
After buying it, he got rid of his apartment, quit his job, and has been living in it and focusing on his New Year’s resolution. To do so, he’s decided to only keep his “top 5 favorites” of just about all of his possessions. His wardrobe, for example, is very minimal.
As for work goes, now he’s doing something more in line with his passion since he’s able to afford to make the decision after the drastic downsize. He now works for Hofmann Architecture helping to restore Airstream travel trailers. And Sam’s goal is to upgrade into an Airstream in the near future.
Images © Faircompanies
I’m so glad Deb Nardi sent me this article on Ken Ilgunas, a Duke graduate who is now telling all about how he lived in a van to stay out of debt while finishing his grad studies at the University.
By the way, before that, he had completed his undergrad studies in Buffalo, and ended up with $32,000 of debt because of it.
And he was turned down for 25 paid internships after that with his college degree. So he was working at Home Depot for $8 an hour.
Before he went back to graduate school, he dedicated two and half years to working and paying off the student loan debt he accumulated.
Even after all of this, Ken was NOT willing to give up on his education. In fact, he seemed to be even hungrier for it. But how would he afford it without getting another student loan?
His solution? To create his own “Walden on Wheels,” as he calls it.
Photo Ken Ilgunas
“The van was more than just a way to save money. I wanted it to be an experience, to see how little I could spend. I didn’t want to be borrowing money from my parents any time I had a hardship.”
In late 2009 the downturn in the economy dramatically changed the overall substance of 30+ year business professional, Brenda Curtiss’s life.
In her words, “Even though I had always dreamed about and somewhat planned for the day I could be ‘free’ to full-time in a small RV or camper van, the need to do so financially, seemed to suddenly be thrust upon me when the once thriving Tax Planning Firm I managed for years, had to close due to the economic downturn.
I had bought a 2000 Astro High-Top Conversion Van with my meager savings and started my full-time vandwelling journey in it at a membership vacation community in the scenic North GA Mountains where I had bought memberships in better times.
When I started out I was on shore power (electric hook-up) the majority of the time and not very well equipped without it. It was a beautifully scenic area, but after I had explored it extensively, and entertained family and friends who came to visit throughout the year (staying in the cabins there) the excitement began to wane and the nomadic side of me that had always longed to explore God’s amazing artistry began to rise up in me once again.
Photos Courtesy of Brenda Curtiss
By the end of 2010 I was ready to hit the road to travel across the USA in my little campervan! Some good friends helped me get a good battery system set up and further ready my van to live more self-sustainably.
I wanted you to meet someone who decided to turn to become a van dweller in his 1991 Volkswagen Westfalia.
Kidding about the down by the river part but seriously: he decided to move into his van while still working at his job.
His reason behind it is because one of his dreams has been to become a photographer. He didn’t have to do this, as you’ll learn in a moment.
So he got rid of his house payment by living in a van made for traveling. In the video he’ll show and explain everything, including his:
Photo Courtesy of Living the Van Life on YouTube
I encourage you to check out the rest of the details and watch the video tour below: [continue reading…]
Glenn, a professional musician based in Los Angeles, made the decision to radically simplify his life by selling almost everything he owned and moving into a 1993 Class B motorhome he called “The Falcon.” His journey demonstrates how van life can provide freedom, time, and financial flexibility while maintaining a professional career.
