The first month of quarantine, I was supposed to be studying between the hours of 1- 4 pm. Instead, I got stuck watching van tours on Youtube.
I became obsessed. It was all I could think about. I was convinced I needed to live in a van. My husband wasn’t so keen on the idea, especially since our time living in a 500 square foot studio wasn’t the most comfortable situation. I was the one with the most complaints.
My husband is right, I didn’t enjoy living in a tiny studio with another human being, and now we have acquired a cat and a very hyper dog… so I would probably lose my mind.
But I am still determined to try it out! Even if we live in a regular house, I’d still want to own a camper van to use between SF and LA. My parents are down south, and this would be a fun way to get down to LA more often.
If you are thinking about the van life or have always wondered about it, below are some resources you should check out to “try it on first”.
Native Campervans
Native Campervans offers ready-to-go converted sprinter vans that you can rent for the ultimate camping experience. They include a full concierge service as well to help you plan the ultimate camping experience.
They have pickup and drop off locations in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Denver.
Each van offers all the amenities: Fresh bedding, all the cooking supplies, camping chairs and tables.
Check out their amazing vans and stories: www.nativecampervans.com
Follow them on Instagram: @nativecampervans
Monterra Camping Vans
Monterra Camping Vans offers full itinerary packages with more pick up and drop off locations including: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Jackson Wyoming, and Whitefish Montana.
This option would be great for families because they offer the “pop-up” van which features two beds.
Their packages also include all of the amenities, which are itemized on the website which makes it easier for packing.
Check out their website: https://gomoterra.com/
Follow them on Instagram: @gomoterra
Go Vintage with Vintage Surfari Wagons
Vintage Safari Wagons is based out of Costa Mesa, CA. Their fleet features 1970’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000 era VW campers loaded with all the goodies needed for the ultimate California road trip.
Each camper is has a unique name and design. They offer group camping tours and their rates are very friendly!
These babies are only available for California trips…As a Californian, I’m proud to say our state has a lot to offer! So I’m still down.
Check out their VW Campers on their website: www.vwsurfari.com
Follow them on Instagram: @vwsurfari
For similar styles, check out these other brands offering more pick-up locations:
Outdoorsy – The Airbnb for mobile homes
Escape Campervans – LA, SF, NY, Denver, Seattle, Vegas, Miami.
Lost Campers – SF, LA, Salt Lake City
Wandervans– Boise, Idaho
Roamerica– Portland, Oregan
So what say you? Ready to try out the #vanlife? 😉
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A GREAT POST! So much good information, as well as smart questions to consider before embarking this sort of life!
Thank you!
Great content! Keep it going
Thanks for reading! 🙂
I would really like to try this out. We love camping and road trips. Lots of good information to get started, thanks. Now it’s just convincing my husband.
lol! You and me both! 😉
Me and Sarah did a ton of campervan trips using Escape. We went up and down California staying in all the state parks and even into Nevada and Arizona and Texas. It was a great experience I think of often. It’s also useful to go in the winter, less campers and you have the warmth and comfort of the van to stay warm and comfortable. Also when we were in the middle of nowhere and had to find a lot to just crash in real quick it added a level of security.
That’s awesome. I think I remember you mentioning it before. Perhaps while we were camping in Santa Cruz. I can’t wait to try one out.
Not going to lie, I 100% did the same thing! I’ve become overly obsessed with camper vans. Every time I see a sprinter van on the road I wonder if the inside has been converted 😂. My husband, too, is not a fan of the idea. I love this post, I’m going to have to save this so I can rent one once it’s safe to travel again! Thank you for sharing!
-Hillary
http://www.hillarybush.com
Lol! I do the same thing when I pass them in my neighborhood AND I’m always pointing them out to my husband like “Seeeeee, totally doable…” lol He isn’t convinced. I hope we can try it out soon :)_
I had a friend who traveled around Hawaii for two weeks while living out of a van. I thought it was the coolest thing! I’ll be pinning this to my travel board for sure.
yay! Oh that is so awesome. Hawaii is probably a dream to try this too. Thanks for the support, comments, and shares 🙂
Such a cool idea! I get so claustrophobic and car sick sometimes I don’t think I could survive this. Sounds awesome though!
http://www.theweddedmillennial.com
Car sickness is no fun! I get it from time to time and it’s the worst. Especially when I fly, which sucks because I love to travel. My husband can throw back bloody mary’s on the plane but I can’t stomach anything in the air. I’m envious of him because his vacation always starts earlier than mine 😉
Great and informative post – thanks for writing!