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When I hear talk about van life, I am almost always immediately reminded of surfers’ lives or hippies traveling on mythic road trips.
With a notorious passion for driving, I am emphatic about heading out on the road and traveling. With the ability to decide where to go to and where to stop, I have a full sense of freedom while on the road.
Van Life is most closely synonymous with freedom and total deliverance to free-range destinations. For independent travelers, it is quite possibly the best way to travel. Who hasn’t dreamed of traveling in a van across incredible landscapes? While enjoying magical moments, such as spending evenings by a fire in the wilderness?
This van life philosophy is not new and has existed since the mythical Sixties’ hippie era. Today, the vast majority inspired by low van prices along with social media networks such as Pinterest or Instagram, the phenomenon has taken on an entirely new dimension with a vast amount of additional possibilities.
“The rebirth of a nomadic and self-sufficient spirit has never been so alive! The motivation to seek alternative ways of living is the necessary factor in engaging into van life, a lifestyle-on-wheels where your van is your home.“
How long did I spend on the road with a camper van?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have taken a few van life trips in the past, but my most recent adventure was truly epic. It lasted for a full year and took me on a journey of over 35,000 kilometers. I started in Russia and traveled through Central Asia, eventually reaching the Middle East in countries like Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. The van served as my home on wheels, and I was able to see and experience so much during this incredible journey. Van life can be a rewarding and exciting way to travel, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to embark on this extended adventure.
What type of van did I have?
I decided to embark on a vanlife adventure and chose a 2012 4X4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 316 CDI as my vehicle. This particular model has a powerful 170 horsepower engine, making it well-suited for tackling off-road terrain. The Sprinter is also known for its spacious interior, making it a comfortable and convenient choice for living on the road. Overall, I am very happy with my decision to go with the Sprinter for my vanlife journey and have confidence in its performance and durability.
Was driving to Tajikistan, Iran, and Iraq with a European camper van was dangerous?
During my year on the road with a camper van, I never encountered any dangerous situations. I spent an extended period of time in Tajikistan and also had long stays in Iran and Iraq. Despite common misconceptions, I found Iran to be a very safe country and was pleasantly surprised by my experiences there. I also had a positive and incident-free visit to Iraq. Overall, I was fortunate to have a smooth and secure journey throughout my van life adventure.
Did I travel alone for one year?
I did not travel alone for a year in a camper van. In fact, I was accompanied by my wife and our 2-year-old son. By the time we completed our trip in September 2018, our son had just turned three years old and had stopped wearing diapers somewhere in Iraq. Traveling with a child can certainly add some extra challenges and considerations, but it can also be a rewarding and enriching experience. We were able to share so many memorable moments as a family and create lasting memories together on the road.
What happened to my 4×4 Mercedes camper van?
After my vanlife adventure came to an end, I made the decision to sell my trusty 4X4 Sprinter. This was not an easy decision, as the van had served me well on my journey and had become a beloved part of my travels. However, there were a few practical considerations that led to my decision. For one, I had purchased the van in Poland, but I live in Morocco, which made bringing the vehicle back home somewhat complicated and not legally possible. In the end, I decided to sell the van through the online marketplace Mobile.de. The website proved to be an effective platform for finding a buyer, as I received interest from over 90 potential buyers. After some negotiation, I eventually sold the van to an Austrian man who was willing to fly all the way to Poland to pick it up. It was a bittersweet moment to say goodbye to my van, but I was glad to have found a good home for it and to have made a nice profit in the process.
The story
My history with vans goes back a few years ago when I made the decision to purchase a 1992 Peugeot G5. The primary reason I bought the truck was that I needed to move from Portugal to South Morocco in the cheapest possible way.
After cross-examining all available options, I deduced that paying 4,000 euros for a professional moving company’s services was completely out of the question. That is when a friend offered to sell his old surfing van to me, for only 1,500 euros.
After the purchase, I embarked on a 1,400 km (900 mi) road trip to the city of Erfoud, in the Sahara Desert, where I lived for almost five years before relocating to Ouarzazate, also in south Morocco.
A bit later, my wife and I flew to Portugal, from where we traveled for a month while living inside my Peugeot G5 converted into a very simple DIY-campervan. An incredible and liberating experience, with no need to pay for accommodation we truly enjoyed our complete freedom of movement.
After driving from Europe to Central Asia, my wife and I committed ourselves to explore Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, making a Nissan Primera our “home on wheels” for a few months. This was an epic trip that once again made us understand the necessity of having a proper campervan.
During an 18-month journey around the world a few years later, we then purchased and lived in a small car while driving in South America. From Ecuador’s Mitad del Mundo, we drove to Fin del Mundo in Ushuaia, Argentina.
Driving in South America was extraordinary, giving us our final resolve to travel independently thereafter and to seriously consider investing in a proper campervan vehicle in the near future.
Recently, my wife and I took the decision to go on the road for an unspecified and unlimited duration of time. The thrill of exploring, together with our passion for travel, encouraged us to save money in order to go and hit the road again!
This time, our main objective was to have a means of transportation suitable enough to live within comfortably. For us, the best option was to find a vehicle giving us total autonomy and this is where our #VanLife project came to life. We decided to stay on the road for a full year, driving from Europe to Central Asia and back to Europe.
Living inside a van
I suppose there are moments in life when we find ourselves with a profound desire to leave everything behind. For some, adopting a nomadic attitude coincides with an intelligent and logical approach to life together with a need for obtaining even more wisdom.
While either searching for adventure or just the thrill of exploring new lands, hashtag #VanLife is becoming more and more fashionable among travelers. True Van Life, living inside a traveling van, is an alternative way of life experienced while having a predisposition towards freedom and a new philosophy in exploring the Unknown. The Van Life phenomenon is a lifestyle, or a way of traveling, based on the prerequisite of making and experiencing your van as your home.
On several van life blog posts, I will guide you through my own VAN LIFE.
While compiling key points of various aspects of this venturous subject, I will also highlight useful topics for your own research and motivation. In the end, it should, hopefully, make it easier for you to dive straight into this way of living as I did! From campervan conversion technical details to personal tips, tricks and ideas – Rest assured, you’ve journeyed to the right place and this Van Life blog will not leave you indifferent!
Mercedes Sprinter van conversion
If you think converting a van is easy and all it will require is interior trim panels and floor mats, you’re far from reality! Actually, there are a vast number of things to do before you can even consider comfortably living in a campervan.
On my van life series, I will provide a rather extensive list of the most important steps necessary to convert a normal van into a campervan. I will be f
Mountains turn all white when you decide to cross Central Asia during the winter. Waking up with a beautiful morning somewhere along the Pamir Highway at 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), Tajikistan ?? #vanlife #photography #travel » https://t.co/dPEsLhiJ1J pic.twitter.com/jjdEGRozc1
— ? Nomad Revelations (@joaoleitao) December 5, 2017
Our 2005 4X4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2.7, 316 CDI was originally purchased as a minibus. After an intense conversion process into a campervan, the vehicle can now accommodate four people in total comfort. However, significant changes needed to be made to the van’s structure in order to achieve our ultimate conversion result. The conclusion is, before thinking of converting your own van, it is of utmost importance to define your accommodation needs. You need to thoroughly plan what you desire your living space to be during your course of travel.
