r/vandwellers • u/Nav-Tech • 3d ago
Road Trip Finishing Three Years of Full Time Van Life
After three incredible years of living full-time in my vans, I’ll sadly be closing this chapter of my life and moving back into an apartment. I was lucky enough to pour my heart and soul into two beautiful builds, and every adventure I had with them was unforgettable.
I recently received my dream job offer in NYC, so I’ll be leaving van life behind at the end of this month. Rigby, my current build, will carry me through until my two-day road trip in a sedan, (which will feel like such a downgrade).
I want to take a moment to thank this community. Being able to share my builds, experiences, and questions here has meant more than I can express. To the few of you I got to meet in person, it was amazing connecting with like-minded people.
Van life will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll be following along from my cramped NYC apartment as this incredible community continues to inspire me and make me a little jealous. Good luck to all of you, and if anyone ever needs advice on electrical, plumbing, or anything else, I have two builds under my belt and would be more than happy to help.
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u/kmson7 3d ago
Are you in a thruple
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
They want to be, I’m a married man.
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u/RebelJustforClicks 3d ago
Wait... You are married to someone but instead of living in a house with them you are living in a van down by the river with a couple that wants to fuçk you?
I'm honestly not sure where to start here but something is not right.
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
*recently a couple, rings just for funsies. My partner and I finally got to a point where we are both in the same state so an apartment was the move.
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u/killerbanshee 3d ago
You know that's kind of how marriage worked throughout 99% of human history for 95% of people. Outside of the West and/ or wealthy, it's still mostly like this. Just a few witnesses and a holy man in a field or in the woods. Badda-bing badda-boom, you're married.
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
That’s fantastic news, I’ll have to go tell the wife how much we’ve saved on catering (thank you)
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u/charleytaylor 2d ago
LOL, my first thought was, "three dudes, one bed. Spicy!"
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u/Sunshiny_Day 3d ago
I need more information on this "Wine-o-matic".
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
I was building a wine dispenser in the back! It ended up becoming a bigger project than I was initially expecting.
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u/magicwuff 2d ago
What is that device you sketched on ?
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u/reykjaham 2d ago
Looks like a reMarkable eInk tablet
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u/LadyLucifer 2d ago edited 1d ago
The crystal special edition with the LAMY stylus <3
It's actually not a ReMarkable. It's the Supernote Crystal Nomad edition.
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u/GravyBoatJim 3d ago
Did the pothos do well? I want a plant but I'm worried all the movement light-wise and temp changes will just kill it
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
The pothos survived in my Jetta for three months before my second build! I just kept him in indirect lighting! In the van he did even better, I had a drip system for when I was out of the van.
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u/zadharm 3d ago edited 3d ago
Pothos will survive in a urinal. They may not thrive. May not get the most variegation. But as long as you keep a non-Arctic climate (okay exaggeration, but "fairly comfortable for a human with outdoors experience", between 45 and 120) and they're vaguely aware the sun exists, pothos will absolutely live and do their thing. Do not over water it, though. They do not like that. So a urinal with good drainage, I guess. If you're really trying to make them happy, they like tight roots (so smaller pot than you think it needs) but if your goal is just "I want cool green things in my space" that's not really something to worry about too muc
They're really cool, beginner friendly plants.
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u/redundant78 2d ago
pothos are literally the perfect van plant - they thrive on neglect and can handle temp changes better than most houseplants i've had lol
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u/-Datachild- 3d ago
What kind of job? And looks like a great van for the time spent, any favorite story?
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’m gonna be a mechanical engineer! This van (Rigby) has been my favorite out of all the vans I’ve built, and my favorite memories have been in San Diego and Oregon, lots of cool places to just pull over and explore.
Edit - Just wanted to add this for the idiot whose comment got removed: I spent four years in the military saving my paychecks to build my first van. Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Look at all the people on this sub and what they’ve accomplished.
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u/OpenTechie 3d ago
You and your partners look to have been so happy and enjoying the years!
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
What can I say, we keep eachother youthful /s (these guys drive me crazy sometimes, one likes to decarbonate soda in a shaker bottle, absolute animal)
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u/SnooCheesecakes8801 1987 Chevy G-20 2d ago
FBI has entered the chat
“You do what with the soda, now?”
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u/spaminous 2d ago
What's that app you're using for the wiring diagram? It reminds me of balsamiq
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u/08Estate 2d ago
Suggestion (if you can swing it): Keep the van. Find a spot to park/store it (NJ, Long Island, Upstate) that is easy to get to by train. NYC is super fun living, but you’ll really crave getting away periodically (or more often) and the van would be a great way to explore the NE.
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u/FearlessChair 3d ago
Hell yeah, brother!
Literally wrapping up my 5 year journey and moving back into an apartment within the next month too! I'm going to hang onto the van but mainly just using it for weekend trips.
Congrats on the job!
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Thank you!! Congratulations on your 5 year journey, that’s huge. Hanging onto the van makes sense, I’m glad you get to live it up on the weekends!
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u/alexisqueerdo 3d ago
Best of luck to you! Thanks for sharing your pictures and experiences. Hope the next chapter in life treats you well.
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u/DESR95 3d ago edited 3d ago
From a dream life to a dream job; hard to complain about that! What a delight to have been able to live on the road for three amazing years only to move right into another great situation! I'm sure your three years on the road gave you a lifetime of memories ✨️
Best of luck in your new endeavor! :)
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u/gaiatcha 2d ago
fucking well done mate what a gorgeous down to earth van but so stacked with comforts and features, makin space for vinyls and a proper computing setup is so clever (:
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u/InitialWin89 3d ago
Congrats on everything! Your photo dump makes it look so fun...but a dream job offer? You cant beat that at all! Onward!!
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Thank you, it’s sad to leave it behind but hopefully the dream job can make up for it.
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u/pardonyourmess 3d ago
You are one lucky sumabitch haha not meaning you didn’t work for it but I am so happy for you. Living in NYC is still my dream! (constantly reevaluating as one does at 7 years on wheels…)
Onward to you. You’ll be glad you did this. You have a moment to set yourself up for retirement. That is the key!!! And who knows where that adventure will take you!?
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u/shit-i-love-drugs 3d ago
Open liquor while driving nice….
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Thank you “shit-i-love-drugs”
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u/jonnyvegashey 3d ago
I hate this “rule” so much. If driver is under limit who gives af
I love sipping on whiskey while having a DD, it’s so much fun.
No one cares when you’re in a limo or rich af either
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u/Slyfoxuk 2d ago
>No one cares when you’re in a limo or rich af either
ah see, theres the difference2
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u/jessicattiva 3d ago
Only thing better than a dui is posting a picture of yourself doing it to the internet
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
After I chugged the whole bottle of wine I pushed the DD out the driver door and crashed into an orphanage/hospital (we are pulling into the campsite)
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u/TrickyMoonHorse 3d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitPostCrusaders/comments/1n83w4u/driving_in_my_car_ceekos/
OPs theme song, probably
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Is it the wine dispenser in the back, was that too much? I could swap it for a light beer.
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u/Weak-Excuse3093 3d ago
I’ll buy the van but you cover the cost of cleaning and disinfecting it 😂🤣🤭🤭. But I will buy it. I want that life and I’m 70.
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u/Weak-Excuse3093 3d ago
Btw I’m in Canada. You’ll have to deliver because there’s no way I’m crossing that border! ☹️☹️
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u/scumbag_college 3d ago
Props for the Jurassic Park book. One of my favorite novels.
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
I didn’t expect it to be that different from the movie. It’s been one of my favorite reads in the van.
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u/COCPATax 3d ago
i do love NYC. i hear if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. NY. NY. 🍀
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u/Subtlerranean 3d ago
What's that thing you're drawing on?
Also, what a cute van! Grats (sorry?) on the job!
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u/keelanstuart 3d ago
I remember your former post - you're the one with the epic record collection!
Cheers!
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u/Rrubhu 3d ago
Guys I don't know any dynamics of living in a van, but how do they refill water tanks to use water for bathing and toilet
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u/Various_Clothes_1829 2d ago
This is a beautiful build and it inspres me! Best of luck and congratulations on the new job!
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u/LimitGroundbreaking2 2d ago
How did you afford to do van life for 3 years?
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u/Nav-Tech 2d ago
I work part time jobs and saved for four years in the military!
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u/LimitGroundbreaking2 1d ago
Congrats glad you were able to make that work. Thank you for your service
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u/lightbulb8697 1d ago
i wish i had friends like yall i swear i would have been a great guy to take along im very good with my hands i got a ton of fun stories and i have some expirence traveling.
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u/vintagewanderings 1d ago
RECORD PLAYER?!?! Literally tell me how you do this without damaging your player from the bumpy roads?? I want to have one in my van but I'm terrified that I'll mess all my records up 😂
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u/Nav-Tech 1d ago
I keep the records in a heat proof storage box if I’m out of the van for more than a day. For the player itself, Velcro, so much Velcro to keep things from flying around.
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u/Ham_Coward 3d ago
Do you like coke zero?
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u/indiana1106 3d ago
Suck comics dude! Is that a X-men marvel zombies one? Nice. Were those the only ones you had up? Nice build too
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u/JohnnyDrastico 3d ago
Congrats on your change of life!! I think life is constant evolution, sometimes some passages are just necessary steps/transitions so things now you perceive like downgrades maybe are just temporary or functional for achieving other good things. I see two very big and joyful things here: you're moving with your partner and you found your dream job, that's really super good!
When I decided I had enough of my previous life I left my city, my friends, my family, my roots, everything, and moved in a microscopic apartment to start my new life and new job. Life got almost instantly better except for the job, that was not that good. But after a year I switched again for another company, and after another year I was able to move in my actual house, soooo much bigger than before and with a big garage where I can do all my things with cars and hobbies and stuff. I just had to hang on and "drive" my life where I wanted to go, for now I'm satisfied, we'll see what happens in the future 😜
So are you selling your van? Not possible to keep it in the Big Apple?
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Thank you for the thoughtful response, I feel like I’m in a similar boat! And a house, in this economy!? Congratulations that’s huge. Very happy for you. And to answer your question I’ll be selling the van, I’m trying to find it a new home before the big move at the end of this month!
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u/siMChA613 3d ago
This post would look great in /r/Southwest Airlines ;)
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Is it because it’s crammed like their airlines or am I missing something?
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u/Count_Verdunkeln 3d ago
Any tips for someone about to make the same step. This setup is peak btw
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
Taking time to make sure everything works prior to installing it, like check at least twice, the amount of problems that would have been resolved if I had just checked twice, insane. Feel free to dm me if you need help with wiring or carpentry or anything else.
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u/emassame 3d ago
This is awesome! Curious - what kind of tablet is that? the white one
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
It’s the Supernote nomad, I freaking love this thing
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u/Bamboozle_Kappa 3d ago
Fellow Nomad appreciator. Got hyped when I saw it and had to make sure I wasn't back in r/eink
Great post, man.
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u/PlanetExcellent 3d ago
Do you have a blog or ebook where we can read about your build and your travels?
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u/Scathainn 3d ago
What's the plan with the van itself?
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u/Nav-Tech 3d ago
I’ll be trying to sell it in the next month, if it ends up taking too long I’ll leave it with a friend in SoCal.
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u/purehippy 3d ago
i never got to do it but i hope my son is into things like this when he's older 🥺
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u/therealbatman420 3d ago
Awesome! Thought I'd get along with the flipper zero/electronics guy until I saw the OS font on his tablet.
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u/NoManufacturer9039 3d ago
will you upload the video you are working on in the photo?
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u/really_isnt_me 2d ago
Can’t fool me, this is all a subversive ad for Michael Crichton.
But really, congrats on your three years and on your new job/city!
A lot of people seem to be commenting on having three men living in one van. I’m assuming that wasn’t how you usually rolled (bah-dum-tiss), but for some type of visit/event. Am I wrong?
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u/RhodyVan 2d ago
I'd be interested in your lessons learned from your builds - what really worked for you and why? Also what are all the electronics on your dash?
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u/Nav-Tech 11h ago
It’s got my security system, PA, CarPlay, back up cameras, ect. I wanted to be able to control nearly everything while I drove.
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u/Nav-Tech 11h ago
I learned that with 200W - 400W of solar, I didn’t really need a bigger battery system than 800Ah, I was able to go for months between solar and the alternator in both my builds without needing to plug in (this was my experience in CA where it’s sunny often). Also, woodworking is a b*tch. Trying to build custom cabinetry from scratch was much harder than I had anticipated. I bought a circular saw and a pocket drill set thinking I could knock out a few cabinets in a week or two, I was wrong. Recycling, sturdy, hard wood cabinets (not particle board) was the move. It adds weight but living in it full time I needed something sturdy. If I had money at my disposal I would have opted for aluminum extrusions but $18 an hour can only take me so far on marketplace.
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u/The_bluest_of_times 2d ago
That's wayyy too much asparagus for three guys living in a van.
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u/Ok_Test9729 2d ago
What I find most interesting is 3 guys and I don’t see 1 inch of ink. How’s that possible 🤣
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u/Peanuts0s 3d ago
Congrats on the job offer bro! Your photos look really fun and it looks like you had amazing time! Nice van too