Our Essentials for Van Life

Whether you are playing with the idea of van life or just hit the road, this guide is a great check list for items that just make living on the road easier!

It has been a little over three months since we’ve moved into our truck camper, and we’ve learned a LOT in the process of living on the road in our tiny space. Here are our essentials that just make van life easier:

cleaning:

Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus: tiny spaces get messy very fast… and if you have dogs, it happens even faster. Between the dust, dirt, and dog hair, this vacuum has been our saving grace. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, we left our window on our camper door open after driving 20+ miles on dirt roads… Our entire camper interior was covered in a layer of desert dust! This vacuum sucked it ALL up. We waited a while to get a vacuum, and now I can attest that it is a need for us. You can watch the insane dusty incident here if you want to see how well this vacuum works. 🫣

multipurpose cleaner: Again, with tiny spaces there is not much room! For most messes, I make my own cleaning products. I keep an empty spray bottle in the camper to make the cleaner. Most of the time I my cleaning solution is a mixture of vinegar, distilled water, and essential oil. I use this to wipe our floors, clean our counter tops, and sinks!

broom and dust pan: Before we got a vacuum, we only used our little broom and dust pan. We still use this just about every day in the camper, and also to sweep off our camper steps, and outdoor mat when it gets too dusty!

kitchen

mini blender: You can’t own many appliances on the road, but I swear by my mini blender. I use it to make blended smoothies, coffees, even my protein banana pancakes in the morning–so it’s an absolute necessity. And it takes up very little space.

cast iron skillet: If you are going to get any pan in your camper or van… Get a cast iron skillet. Food just tastes better in a cast iron and its a low toxic option.

Zero Water Filter: We have an external filter that attaches to the hose of our camper when filling our tank, however, I only really trust my Zero Water filter! With how much we travel, water quality can change drastically on the location. I’d rather still filter my water that comes out of the sink that I drink. I use this small water filter pitcher, because it can fit in my fridge!

comfort/peace of mind

diesel heater: Last year, we had a carbon monoxide leak because we got a sketchy diesel heater to save money… This winter we plan on going with the Espar diesel heater. They are one of the best that you can get!

carbon monoxide detector: Speaking of carbon monoxide leaks… It is an absolute necessity to have a detector in your vehicle. Please do yourself a favorite and purchase one!

solar power generator: Power makes living on the road a lot easier–especially if you want to have lights working at night, or need to charge appliances. I love my Geneverse generator. It’s the one I have linked here!

WIFI: Whether you plan to work remote, or you just like the idea of having service in the middle of nowhere, Starlink gives me an incredible amount of internet, no matter how desolate an area. This has been a game-changer when it comes to being able to work from anywhere. And, in the end, I do think this is an equal or cheaper option to having to drive into town, and buy coffee at a coffee shop to get wifi any time I have to work somewhere that I don’t have service!