r/vandwellers

Custom builds can be awesome, but they eat up time and money.

Do slide-in modules like Vancubic and PlugVan make sense? Why aren’t they more popular?

Building an insulated box from scratch isn’t difficult and doesn’t require expensive tools. I’ve built coolers from scratch using XPS foam, fiberglass cloth and epoxy. The largest cooler was 3x4. I’m wondering if it would be possible/practical to build a giant box that fills a high-roof Transit’s cargo space.

Hey everyone, I’m considering building a Nest/Google Home security setup for my converted sprinter van and wanted to ask if there are any major gotchas I’m overlooking before I spend the money.

I live/travel full-time in the van, so when I leave my van at backpacking trailheads, I’m not just leaving a normal car behind I’m leaving most of my life possessions often tens of thousands of dollars of camera gear, computers, hard drives, etc. Trailhead break-ins are extremely common in the Pacific Northwest, and most remote trailheads I go to have broken glass in the parking lot. I’ve had a car broken into at a trailhead before, and I know multiple other people who have too.

The usual advice is “don’t leave valuables in your vehicle,” but that isn’t really possible with full-time van life. I can hide/lock up valuables better, but I can’t remove everything important every time I go backpacking.

The system I’m thinking about:

• Two wired 2nd-gen Nest Cams outside the van, positioned to cover the main enterable angles: front doors, rear doors, slider door, and likely approach areas.
• One wired Nest Cam inside the van, hidden/discreet, aimed at the main entry/search area.
• One Google Nest Audio inside the van to play audio if triggered.
• Starlink running 24/7, so the van should usually have internet even when I’m away.
• Google Home/Nest notifications going to both me and an emergency contact, since I often won’t have cell service while backpacking.

The main goal is not necessarily to “catch” someone after the fact, but to deter the break-in or limit how long someone stays inside.

My thinking is:

1. If an exterior camera detects someone close to the van, I’d want it to trigger a subtle “occupied van” response.. Turning on interior lights and playing normal human-sounding audio through the Nest Audio, like a conversation or something that makes it seem like someone might be inside. (I'm thinking of recording and uploading a YouTube video of van life sounds that would be very reasonable and realistic that it would automatically play when triggered) A lot of vanlifers sleep at trailheads with window covers up, so unless someone physically watched me leave, they assume the van is occupied with the triggered activity.
2. I probably don’t want the first automatic message to say “you are being recorded” or “owner has been notified,” because that could accidentally reveal that the van is empty and just has a remote security system.
3. If the interior camera detects a person actually inside the van, then I’d want the Nest Audio to play a more direct warning like: “You are being recorded on live video. This footage is being saved remotely. The police have been called. Leave the vehicle now.”
4. If my emergency contact sees an obvious active break-in on the camera feed, they could call police/rangers/sheriff and potentially use the speaker/camera talk feature to tell the person that police have been called.

I’d mostly use this when parked at trailheads for backpacking trips, but I’d probably also enable it when leaving the van in cities or other higher-risk areas.

Questions for the community:

• Can Google Home automations reliably do this with Nest Cams and a Nest Audio?
• Can exterior Nest Cam person detection trigger a speaker/audio routine without too much delay?
• Can an interior Nest Cam trigger a different, more serious warning routine only if someone is actually inside?
• Is there a good way to notify both me and a specific emergency contact if a camera detects suspicious activity?
• Are there issues with using Nest Cams on Starlink full-time?
• Are there any problems with using Nest Cams in a moving/vehicle-based “home” instead of a fixed house?
• Would the newer wired outdoor Nest Cams be the right choice, or are there reasons to avoid them for this use case?
• Any limitations with Google Home scripted automations, speaker playback, camera event triggers, or emergency-contact notifications that would make this setup fail in practice?

I know this wouldn’t make the van impossible to break into. My hope is that it would make the van feel occupied, make a potential thief choose an easier target, and if someone does get inside, make them leave quickly instead of spending the time required to find my hidden valuables.

I’d really appreciate any feedback from people who have used Nest Cams/Google Home automations in more unusual setups, especially anything that sounds good in theory but doesn’t actually work reliably in real life.

Has anyone purchased raw land to park on during the summer or winter? Where and for what season? I've seen some YouTubers doing it, so I'm wondering what it's like.

I've read the FAQ so I know the air conditioning part can be difficult (especially in this heat).

I've been thinking a lot about RV living the past couple of years and most people advise against it when I ask their opinions, usually citing how incontinent it is and the gas prices. It's still on my mind as I'm not really someone who likes the idea of paying a landlord most of my income for years if I can prevent it.

I want to be realistic about my options though. So are there any things you'd warn me about before I make the decision? Would you say you definitely prefer this over an apartment or house?

If I buy a piece of land and park my Rv .. install a water tank and septic .. off grid power .. if I’m lowkey about it who I gonna find out ??

So two days ago we decided to test running the air conditioner (12,000btu, 120v) on battery. The van (Ford Transit, extended length) was in direct, Desert Southwest sunlight all day. We also had normal electricity usage (microwave, kettle, freezer, fridge and hairdryer for defrosting the fridge).

We started at 1820 with full batteries at 96° ambient temp outside. We ran with the a/c thermostat at 80°. After 12 hours, we were down to 84% capacity, 114ah in the red. At 1545@ 100° outside, we were at 83%, 123ah in the red. At 24 hours (98° outside), we were at 70%, 212ah in the red. We switched back to shore power at 2200 as wedidn't want to run it for the second night as today is cloudy. After 28 hours, we were at 86° outside, 58% capacity and 291ah in the hole.

We built the system to hopefully be able to keep the a/c on in Phoenix in the summer with temps in the 110s. With these results, it looks like we can run it for 12 hours or so, just enough to come into town for doc visits for a day. Otherwise we will have to find hookups.

If you're curious, our system is 24v with 1300w solar and 16.6kwh battery. We also have 1"-4" insulation everywhere except the windows. We did not cordon off the front because the dogs like to hang out there. If we were in Phoenix, we would close the insulated curtain between the cabin and the cockpit.

I hear ye share that this 250th anniversary of US independence also serves as a momentous day for me. After owning my van for about 15 months, I finally broke out the travel toilet and broke it in.

Just felt that I needed to share this occasion. You’re welcome.

I've been obsessed with one problem for a while: you're out on a trail or a remote highway, you pass another rig that looks like it's been everywhere — overlander stickers, roof tent, the works — and five seconds later they're gone. No way to connect.

So I built something.

RoadMates is an app where travelers share their GPS location alongside their license plate. When you're on the road, you can see other RoadMates near you on a live map — their vehicle type, their plate, their flag. Tap them, send a wave, or invite them to meet at a nearby spot (gas station, trailhead, restaurant). No algorithm, no social feed. Just a live map of people actually moving.

What it does right now:

• Live map showing nearby travelers (cars, trucks, vans, RVs, caravans, motorcycles)
• Filter the map by vehicle type — so you can see only other overlanders, only vanlifers, etc.
• Send a wave (ephemeral ping, nothing stored)
• Share your GPS or a point of interest as a meetup spot
• Plate-based identity — you're your vehicle, not your username
• Works with Google login or email

What it doesn't do yet:

• iOS (Android only for now)
• In-app chat (intentional for now — keeping it simple)
• No social profiles, no followers, no algorithm

I ride solo a lot. The idea is not to replace the community you build over time — it's to make accidental connections possible. The person you'd have never met otherwise.

APK link + install instructions in the comments. Android only, side-load required (takes 2 minutes).

Honest question for this community: does this solve a real problem for you, or is part of the culture deliberately not connecting? I'm genuinely curious before I build further.

Hey all, coming back for more community wisdom on how to best remove sealant thats dried onto different areas of the van? I discovered some (many) leaks on my van that the previous owner "forgot" to mention. So i had to cover them up asap and not being a DIY person by any means, i got the job done and 99% of the seals covered BUT its messy as hell.

I used 3m marine sealant 4000, if that info help any and the van is a 01 roadtrek :)

I just want to know how to remove any excess, dry sealant that is in the side of the van, slightly on windows, on the fiberglass hull, etc., without picturing or breaking anything. Its not that messy but it hurts my eyes to look at lol. It had to be done otherwise id be driving a pool. So to anyone about to buy a van, check it out as its raining if possible or immediately when rain passes!

Ive bought a vevor 2kw diesel heater, and id like to vent the exhaust through the wall of my van instead of the floor if possible. Im struggling to find any good guides on how to do that though on google and youtube. If you have recommendations i would appriciate the help!

Thinking of an urban stealth camping van. Thinking that a large decal would make it more covert and less conspicuous. I don’t want anything that will make people think value tools are inside. Florist best choice? Any suggestions? Thank you.

My lease ends October 1, and instead of signing another one, I'm seriously considering making the jump to living out of my vehicle (possibly my Prius at least to start, until I get a better rig).

I work remotely, so location is flexible. I've spent the last while bouncing between California and Utah and have connections across the West Coast. My leading options for a winter home base are Southern California, San Diego/Orange County, Sonoma/Marin County or Oregon Coast. I have some friends/family in each area. Since this would start right as winter's coming on, I'm trying to figure out how much weight to put on climate for the first few months versus just picking based on community/connections and adjusting later.

For those who've done this or something like it: how big a factor should winter climate actually be in picking a first home base, especially starting out in a car rather than a built-out van? Anything you'd do differently if you were starting in October instead of spring? And if you've spent a winter in SoCal vs. coastal/inland NorCal/Oregon specifically, I'd love to hear how that went.

Just want to get some first person intel before I start locking things in.