One of the trendiest things taking over the internet right now is vanlife. Vanlife is something many 20- and 30-somethings are doing to escape the nine-to-five corporate city life. Vanlifers usually sell their homes, sublet their apartments, and sell their things to invest in a van where they will live full-time. Vans are typically regular work vans that need converting into a livable home—and a lot of them are really cool! Discover the vanlife essentials for your build so that you can join the vanlife.
Keep in mind that if you make a purchase through any of our affiliate links, WatchMojo may earn a commission.
A Quality Fan for Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation is absolutely essential for vanlife. Vanlife means that your van is where you live—it’s your home. While your van may have working windows, often you’ll need more than this if you plan to cook in your van.
Invest in a high-quality fan for your van to ensure you will be safe if a cooking error or small gas leak occurs.
Sneaky Storage Solutions
One thing lots of hopeful vanlifers forget is how much stuff they have. Even on the road, you still need clothing, kitchen utensils, recreation items, and more. For all this stuff, you need a place to store it.
Living in a van means assuming very little floor space—so whatever floorspace you do have shouldn’t be full of clutter. Find ways to build in sneaky storage to hold all your possessions, such as under the bed, in cabinets, and in lots of storage furniture.
A Functional Kitchen
A functional kitchen is a must-have when it comes to living in a van. Many people choose this lifestyle to save money, so eating out for every meal isn’t in-line with that goal. Design a cute and functional kitchen area with flooring that makes sense, such as a trendy patterned porcelain tile. Many people make the mistake of using the same flooring throughout their van, but using tile for the kitchen and bathroom areas and wood or laminate for the other living areas can help create a bit of room separation and make your space more functional.
There are many factors to consider before selling off all your belongings and taking to the roads, but from countless testimonies from current vanlifers, it seems to be worth it all. Even if you’re just starting a DIY vanlife project, keep these vanlife essentials for your build in mind—and remember, always measure twice and cut once.