r/vandwellers

I recently bought a Chevy express with swing doors and am looking for a tent-awning to use with my van, around the side doors area. Easy up and down is very important. I'm in the USA and it seems that inflatable or popup models for this aren't sold here.

I basically want a screened-in area right outside of the van where I can sit and be outdoors but be in the shade and not devoured by mosquitoes.

Any suggestions? I've seen a few tents designed to attach to the back end of an SUV and wondering if one of those might work for me.

Hi,

I just switched to progressive because they are easy on full time rv use. Everything is good except the personal property coverage. They call it replacement value, but only cover 25% of the replacement value of the lost property.

Does anyone have a lead on something better?

Thanks

Anyone running this relatively new unit and can speak to its performance (as both an A/C and an exhaust fan)? I am building out a Promaster 136, so I'm debating a 2000R Mini with a MaxxAir vs. just the V3. Figure the V3 will allow me to get an extra 200W of solar. On a 136, every square inch of roof space is precious. Better roof fan functionality with the MaxxAir, and redundancy should the V3 crap out are pulling me that way.

Hi,
I’m tired of cheap kettles that only last a few months. And, im tired of having to get them out and put them away every day.
Has anyone found an electric hot water dispenser that runs on 120v at 3-4000 watts?
I know the flow rate would be low, but it would still be faster than breaking out the kettle.
I have a little space under the sink and think I can live with 205f water.

it's just metal and it has windows all around with no curtains, I'm out of the country and when I move back (in less than 10 days) I might not have enough money to rent a room like I have planned, but I do have this cargo van that I've been trying to sell, I'm 26 years old, Ik it's not healthy but I don't really use the bathroom much so I can rely on a planet fitness subscription for my bathroom needs, I have access to a rug and a pillow and maybe some other bedding stuff (it's in a storage unit, don't remember what's there exactly).
-what should I use to cover all the windows? the whole van is surrounded by windows, the whole side lengths and even the back doors.
-what should I get to keep me warm? since I can't do the whole insulation, walls, flooring etc, and won't have any electricity aka solar or batteries, are blankets enough? (I can withstand the heat or even a small fan is enough for me)
-how do I find safe areas to park at? (metro vancouver)
-anything else I'm too new to know that I need to pay attention to? or figure out before moving into the van?
-I wanted to move in a van (a built one) for sometime now, but being forced to do it without any preparation is taking a toll on me ngl, any advice on the mental front?
-it is a weird situation I'm in and I might get some money to rent a room after all, just saying this because I don't wanna waste anyone's time but I will take your advice and tips to heart, thank you

Hi all,

I spent the past few weeks building a bed frame into my RAV4. My partner and I just went on a little trip to test it out and realized that our hips, butt, and shoulders get pretty sore after a few hours of sleeping on it.

Ideally, we would love a proper spring mattress, but we are on a tight budget, and the mattress absolutely needs to be able to fold up so we can transition from sleep mode to drive mode.
Right now, we are using a 10cm Giselle foldable mattress with a 3cm memory foam layer on top. The memory foam is nice, but it compresses completely under weight and isn't fixing the "bottoming out" problem against the wooden bed frame.
I think adding a firm layer of foam under the mattress could help, but I'm having trouble finding a suitable solution.

Does anyone have ideas for a cheap, firm, springy material to put under the mattress to stop us from bottoming out? We'd prefer something we can buy in a physical retail store rather than ordering online.

Alternatively, if there is a budget-friendly replacement mattress that folds and won't break the bank, I’m all ears!

Thanks in advance!

I bought a brand-new 2025 Toyota HiAce LWB and had a roughly $5k storage drawer/setup installed in the back.

When I bought the van, I honestly didn’t put much thought into exactly how the drawer system would be mounted. I just assumed a professional installer would use an appropriate method. In hindsight, I should have asked more questions beforehand, so I accept some responsibility for that.

I’ve since realised the drawers have been mounted by drilling directly through the factory floor of the van in 4 locations.

The van is probably the biggest purchase/investment I’ve made, so seeing holes drilled through the floor of a brand-new vehicle has me pretty concerned about what I’ve done to it.

I’m mainly wondering:

Does this create any meaningful structural, corrosion, water-ingress or resale issues if the holes are properly sealed? From people who actually fit out vans: have I genuinely done significant damage here, or am I massively overthinking some mounting holes? Have I voided my Toyota warranty?

Not trying to blame the installer for the fact I agreed to have the system installed without asking how it would be mounted. I just want an objective idea of how bad this actually is and whether there’s anything I should do now to protect the van long-term.

Thanks all

I see these are showing up more in the wild. For those who have Built one of these out, how is it treating you?

Please Prepare for El Niño 🌧️🚐

El Niño is coming, and it could be extremely challenging for van lifers on the West Coast.

I don't want to alarm anybody, but we do need to talk about it. I remember in 2023, during the huge storm that hit the West Coast and caused massive flooding, my van flooded. At one point, it felt more like I was sailing through the streets of California than driving through them.

I still can't believe I allowed myself to drive through that. I remember seeing flooded fields, flooded parking lots, and water everywhere. It was insane.

There is a chance this could be much worse. Look, we need water, and I'm 100% for the rain, but we also have to prepare for it as van lifers.

So, what's your plan?

First and foremost, get your windows fixed if you have any cracks. Take some silicone sealant and go over any areas of your van that could allow water to get through the frame. Make sure any ports, fittings, or areas where your solar panels allow water to enter are properly sealed.

I would recommend preparing now. I don't think this is going to be a very cold winter, which is great. Cold winters are always the worst. But I do think it could be a very wet winter, and in many ways, that can be extremely dangerous.

I remember waking up in the middle of the night and seeing the water coming up over my tires. I realized I had to get the hell out of there.

It's important to prepare for this. You don't want your van to be destroyed. You need to develop good habits, like parking your van on higher ground and turning your tires toward the curb so your van is less likely to get washed away.

You also need to have a good eye for places that won't get washed away but also won't become submerged. You don't want to end up sliding down a hill and into another vehicle.

So, what are some of the ways you're preparing?

There's nothing scary about this. Just be smart. Especially if you're elderly or physically unable to push your van out of a ditch, you need to prepare now.

I suggest networking with local van lifers and creating mutual aid networks that can help your van life community respond to emergencies.

And there's no shame in going to a shelter. Some areas will have flood shelters, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with using them if that's what you need to do to stay safe.

Preparation and relocation are always the smartest options. Work with mutual aid networks, and keep building your own network of people who can help each other.

I understand that for people who have jobs or are expecting stability, this could be extremely challenging. That's why I don't think you should wait until the weather gets bad to prepare.

Do your research. Find places that are likely to be safe, know where you can relocate, and always watch the weather.

We can't control the weather, but we can control how prepared we are.

Let's look out for each other, stay connected, and make sure we're ready for whatever this winter brings. 🚐❤️🌧️

What are you doing to prepare for El Niño?