Just found your channel. Brings back memories of living in my car for a month. Daily struggles, yet excitement and freedom. Keep keeping it real. Thanks!
You actually do a great job on your videos. I don't know if you were trained in video journalism or if you are naturally talented. But, your channel is different than all of the other van life UA-camrs that I have seen. Your channel reminds me of a piece in a professional TV news magazine format, like 60 minutes or that Sunday morning show. But, excellent-excellent job, keep it up. Hopefully, more people will find your channel.
Most van life channels I watch, they all go to actual grocery stores and stock up. Whether in the city or not. Much less costly, but if money is no issue for you then I guess it’s no big deal. Really like your YT channel.
Your comments about buying water and snacks in gas station locations is true. Everything is 5 or 10 times more expensive. I suggest you stop periodically at either Costco or Walmart, and buy a case of water for $3 for 24 bottles versus $3 for 1 bottle in the gas station locations. Just a thought…..continued safe travels.
Yeah people in these comments are like why don't I just go to Costco for everything all the time.... Like sometimes you need water here, a soda there, paper towels only the fly, Tylenol etc... Can't be driving 40 minutes out of the city to get that stuff every damn time. It's also crazy to stock up on a week of drinking water every time you shop. Maybe for a house but not in a van, that's a crazy amount of space and weight.
Having your sleep disturbed though out the night takes a toll on your health over time just so something to think about. If you ever travel to Arizona and need a place to park and camp with all services for free on my 5 acres in the country I have an out door kitchen and other things. Just not great for summer 😅
Ever since van living hit UA-cam , I check many vans now to see if someone is living in it. I’m probably not the only one that does it. It’s my curious factor now. You are right around the corner, people might stop to text.
8:01 Honestly now that I watch your channel - I notice SO many more vans - probably were always there I just wasn’t looking for them. But I see a ton of them around and you really can’t tell if someone is in there or if it’s just a delivery or service van.
Tickled me when you mentioned Lady Gaga parking behind you!! Zebra seat covers!! People sleep in parking lots here. We have parking lot guards. Who give tickets. I think I'd have some extra hickory smoke spray just in case you needed to protect yourself. 😜☺️😜
I began vanlife travels in Providence,RI in freakin March of 2019. I lived in prov for 15 years and of course know it well. There is a castle located on the west side on Dexter st called the Dexter training grounds attached is a park donated to the homeless of Providence by a member of the Dexter family and there is a monument of him with the dedication located at the edge of the park. City life is way easier when you know the area for sure. Mind you my van was almost totaled by drag racing teenagers while legally parked there about to walk my dog. So F vanlife in the city for that. lol
Congrats on you for gettin into vanlife just before the pandemic, rents are crazy since then. I agree with you on city dwelling, hit or miss (literally). I'd much rather be out in the woods.
I mostly park in parking lots to sleep for the night but am still hesitant to turn on my diesel heater too early. You can definitely hear it from quite a bit away. I have a BedJet (fan that hooks up to the sheets of the bed to blow air in) that heats and cools. I usually start off using that if I have enough battery to not worry about it. Thanks for the video the other day with meal prepping. I did it a couple nights ago and am going to try to do it more often.
Glad I found your channel. Very few videos about VanLife in urban areas. You should have bought a Promaster if you're worried about fuel economy. Still worth shopping at actual grocery stores regardless. Isn't there some sound dampening device for diesel heaters?
I have a muffler on the heater exhaust. It does well but not great. I mostly got the transit for the AWD which promoter does not have. Those and the sprinter are all good vans though.
Hi Van, I also live in my van in the city of San Diego. I always try to park in front of the other car, that way I'm not worried imagining someone is going to hit me in the back while I'm sleeping. Take care .😊
1) it’s a total stealth van! 💯 2) Ur so good at videoing ur private van life. Everything gets better on every vid! Let’s think about going full beard for the Holidays! :)>
I just feel like there should be a way that you could park at a MBTA station somewhere for free and ride into South station. And then you don't have to worry about downtown Boston parking.
There are 3 MBTA stations that allow overnight parking but two are off limits for me because they are garages and I don't have the overhead clearance (Alewife and Woodlawn).
Hey, I'm a new subscriber. You have a unique, thought-provoking channel. Curious if the area/ city you live in have ordinances prohibiting sleeping in vehicles? With all the issues (homelessness, RV-lifers, etc.) happening in Southern California and even parts of Colorado, it seems more cities in the East and SE are passing ordinances to prohibit sleeping/ living in vehicles. I have a Sprinter RV, and when I travel and have to stop, I'm always nervous parking overnight, even when I see other RVs parked in the area. Anyway, I appreciate your effort to provide thoughtful content on your channel. Take care!
I identify with your content, I used to work in Boston and stay in my van overnight. I found several spots in Charlestown: main st. near whole foods, visitor parking @ city sq. park, and visitor parking @ another park up the hill a bit. there are a few visitor parking spot in the area if you can nab them. Remove my comment to not make it public, if you want.
I was told by someone that fuzzing out a license plate can be "reversed" in some scenarios and that's it's safer to put in a black box over it. Just passing on the tip.
Parking at night. You were concerned about pedestrians looking at you, but consider maybe THEY are more concerned about seeing YOU parked, looking at THEM. You know where pedestrians won't be concerned about you? If you are in the back, and they know you aren't paying them any attention, even if they hear you in the back. Go take a walk, be the pedestrian, and see how you feel about people parked in car's driver seat, checking you out, at night, as you walk past.
I agree with you. Every time I see someone sitting in their vehicle, especially at night, I’m definitely giving side eye and wondering what no good they are up to.
Wellington is a garage with clearance I cannot fit the van in. Same at Alewife. The only open lot MBTA station with overnight parking is Riverside which I stay at from time to time.
Actually, Wellington Station, is a wide-open parking lot. Lots of spaces and lots of flat parking areas. I'm not sure that they have a garage unless it's been built in the last few years.
I just tried to watch *My Entire Life Smells Like Hickory Now* and it says *members first* and I'd have to pay to watch. I'm confused as you told me you didn't do that.
The error code I got was "implausible air pressure", it may have had something to do with altitude. Either way I haven't gotten that error message again.
I am a van dweller in a Transit as well. I don’t need to go to convenience stores. I get my water from fountains (free until they close the fountains during winter) or grocery store fill stations (45 cents a gallon). I do like your meal prep. I spend too much time each day or get too lazy and have soup (but that’s high in sodium). Glad that Gaga is saving lives remotely, from her mansion in Cali.
Yeah meal prep has been key in cost savings for me. The thing about those canned foods - as you pointed out - they are WICKED high in sodium. I don't think people realize. You end up drinking. gallon of water every night and feeling all bloated the next day.
... ha , you're in the Northeast and can't find a grocery store ? , that's your excuse for shopping at gas stations ? c'mon dude been a nomad - in a big van - for over 30 yrs , and just find any H D / Lowes / Planet fitness / cracker barrel / park and rides , making it too difficult on yourself ... safe travels ...
The grocery stores worth shopping at where it's cheaper than dining out are 40 minutes outside the city. My van cost $0.80 / mile to drive. I do shopping hauls out to those places once a week, not worth it every day.
Industrial areas are my prefered spot, trucks and vans are expected to be seen there, no nosey neighbours, its quiet after 5 and nobody is using the 4g towers :) I also experienced random ppl pulling up on streets with nothing open on them and sitting in their cars for long periods. I imagined them in a sharehouse or living with family and their car was there way of having privacy. Seemed a bit sad to be sitting alone in a car for an hour but these are the times we live in.
Just found your channel. Brings back memories of living in my car for a month. Daily struggles, yet excitement and freedom. Keep keeping it real. Thanks!
When i was a kid my parents had a school bus camper. I got used to sleeping with road noise and now i kinda like it
You actually do a great job on your videos. I don't know if you were trained in video journalism or if you are naturally talented. But, your channel is different than all of the other van life UA-camrs that I have seen. Your channel reminds me of a piece in a professional TV news magazine format, like 60 minutes or that Sunday morning show. But, excellent-excellent job, keep it up. Hopefully, more people will find your channel.
Thanks man! I'm an accountant not a videographer but I'm doing my best!
I wonder if you can give a tour of your van. I'd like to see what your life is like in the van.
Most van life channels I watch, they all go to actual grocery stores and stock up. Whether in the city or not. Much less costly, but if money is no issue for you then I guess it’s no big deal. Really like your YT channel.
I do that once a week, I do not stock up on drinking water once a week because that's a ton of weight, space, and not practical.
@ oh okay. That’s good. Convenience stores are so expensive. They are convenient alright, convenient for the owner to make lots of money lol
Under the Radar, you consistently show up on my radar. I think somebody at UA-cam likes you. 🎉
Good to know, The YT algorithm mostly scares me
Aloha Matt - referring to the car in back of you as “Lady Gaga” just cracked me up!!!
Yeah reminded me of an ex gf!
Your comments about buying water and snacks in gas station locations is true. Everything is 5 or 10 times more expensive. I suggest you stop periodically at either Costco or Walmart, and buy a case of water for $3 for 24 bottles versus $3 for 1 bottle in the gas station locations. Just a thought…..continued safe travels.
Yeah people in these comments are like why don't I just go to Costco for everything all the time.... Like sometimes you need water here, a soda there, paper towels only the fly, Tylenol etc... Can't be driving 40 minutes out of the city to get that stuff every damn time. It's also crazy to stock up on a week of drinking water every time you shop. Maybe for a house but not in a van, that's a crazy amount of space and weight.
Having your sleep disturbed though out the night takes a toll on your health over time just so something to think about. If you ever travel to Arizona and need a place to park and camp with all services for free on my 5 acres in the country I have an out door kitchen and other things. Just not great for summer 😅
Thanks man I appreciate that
That’s a really really cool thing to offer him. He deserves that too
Ever since van living hit UA-cam , I check many vans now to see if someone is living in it. I’m probably not the only one that does it. It’s my curious factor now.
You are right around the corner, people might stop to text.
8:01 Honestly now that I watch your channel - I notice SO many more vans - probably were always there I just wasn’t looking for them. But I see a ton of them around and you really can’t tell if someone is in there or if it’s just a delivery or service van.
Easiest way to tell is if it has a commercial plate or not!
Love the roses in your van.😍💗😍
Tickled me when you mentioned Lady Gaga parking behind you!! Zebra seat covers!! People sleep in parking lots here. We have parking lot guards. Who give tickets. I think I'd have some extra hickory smoke spray just in case you needed to protect yourself. 😜☺️😜
lol funny you came back after swearing it off
I began vanlife travels in Providence,RI in freakin March of 2019. I lived in prov for 15 years and of course know it well. There is a castle located on the west side on Dexter st called the Dexter training grounds attached is a park donated to the homeless of Providence by a member of the Dexter family and there is a monument of him with the dedication located at the edge of the park. City life is way easier when you know the area for sure. Mind you my van was almost totaled by drag racing teenagers while legally parked there about to walk my dog. So F vanlife in the city for that. lol
Congrats on you for gettin into vanlife just before the pandemic, rents are crazy since then. I agree with you on city dwelling, hit or miss (literally). I'd much rather be out in the woods.
Thanks! Love your videos. Van life true to the way it is (have lived in my step van for years, in the city working, out in the countryside)
I mostly park in parking lots to sleep for the night but am still hesitant to turn on my diesel heater too early. You can definitely hear it from quite a bit away. I have a BedJet (fan that hooks up to the sheets of the bed to blow air in) that heats and cools. I usually start off using that if I have enough battery to not worry about it. Thanks for the video the other day with meal prepping. I did it a couple nights ago and am going to try to do it more often.
The meal prep save saver a s77tload of money. Like $600-$800 / month for me. Definitely worth it.
Great video, thanks again.
Glad I found your channel. Very few videos about VanLife in urban areas. You should have bought a Promaster if you're worried about fuel economy. Still worth shopping at actual grocery stores regardless. Isn't there some sound dampening device for diesel heaters?
I have a muffler on the heater exhaust. It does well but not great. I mostly got the transit for the AWD which promoter does not have. Those and the sprinter are all good vans though.
Be careful setting up your windows in the place you want to sleep. There were people walking past while you were explaining the back window.
Thats a lot of red😂😂😂solid video i actually like the city noise
Hi Van, I also live in my van in the city of San Diego. I always try to park in front of the other car, that way I'm not worried imagining someone is going to hit me in the back while I'm sleeping. Take care .😊
Yeah that's the way to do it
Nice video thank you for sharing!!
1) it’s a total stealth van! 💯 2) Ur so good at videoing ur private van life. Everything gets better on every vid! Let’s think about going full beard for the Holidays! :)>
If I quit my office 9-5 I would go full wizard beard
Thanks for the video. Be safe
Appreciate it
I just feel like there should be a way that you could park at a MBTA station somewhere for free and ride into South station. And then you don't have to worry about downtown Boston parking.
There are 3 MBTA stations that allow overnight parking but two are off limits for me because they are garages and I don't have the overhead clearance (Alewife and Woodlawn).
Thanks for the vid! 👍
Hey, I'm a new subscriber. You have a unique, thought-provoking channel. Curious if the area/ city you live in have ordinances prohibiting sleeping in vehicles? With all the issues (homelessness, RV-lifers, etc.) happening in Southern California and even parts of Colorado, it seems more cities in the East and SE are passing ordinances to prohibit sleeping/ living in vehicles. I have a Sprinter RV, and when I travel and have to stop, I'm always nervous parking overnight, even when I see other RVs parked in the area. Anyway, I appreciate your effort to provide thoughtful content on your channel. Take care!
The areas I sleep in top not have ordinances, but several of the Boston suburbs do (Newton, Wellesley)
I identify with your content, I used to work in Boston and stay in my van overnight. I found several spots in Charlestown: main st. near whole foods, visitor parking @ city sq. park, and visitor parking @ another park up the hill a bit. there are a few visitor parking spot in the area if you can nab them.
Remove my comment to not make it public, if you want.
I was told by someone that fuzzing out a license plate can be "reversed" in some scenarios and that's it's safer to put in a black box over it. Just passing on the tip.
Hmm ok I'll try that
I don’t get the red interior. Not at all comfortable, surely.
I don't think I could deal with the red interior and wacky flashing lights, but to each his own...
Parking at night. You were concerned about pedestrians looking at you, but consider maybe THEY are more concerned about seeing YOU parked, looking at THEM. You know where pedestrians won't be concerned about you? If you are in the back, and they know you aren't paying them any attention, even if they hear you in the back. Go take a walk, be the pedestrian, and see how you feel about people parked in car's driver seat, checking you out, at night, as you walk past.
I agree with you. Every time I see someone sitting in their vehicle, especially at night, I’m definitely giving side eye and wondering what no good they are up to.
Did you know that you can park at some T stations overnight for $9? Wellington station for example - hop on the orange line and 4 stops to Haymarket
Wellington is a garage with clearance I cannot fit the van in. Same at Alewife. The only open lot MBTA station with overnight parking is Riverside which I stay at from time to time.
Actually, Wellington Station, is a wide-open parking lot. Lots of spaces and lots of flat parking areas. I'm not sure that they have a garage unless it's been built in the last few years.
Do you cover your windshield for the overnight?
I am in California and I go threw this exact same thing every night
Yeah you have to really like noise
@undertheradarvan I been doing it so iam already use to it already
I just tried to watch *My Entire Life Smells Like Hickory Now* and it says *members first* and I'd have to pay to watch. I'm confused as you told me you didn't do that.
Is your van all wheel drive or 4x4?
AWD
You live in a van and can’t get to grocery stores??? DUDE
The ones in the city are not worth shopping at because they cost a fortune. Not driving 40 minutes out of the city and back to save $1.50 on water.
Lady Gaga car! 😂😂😂
Did you fix the Rixen ?
The error code I got was "implausible air pressure", it may have had something to do with altitude. Either way I haven't gotten that error message again.
@undertheradarvan That's Great !
I guess you have to live near where you work but there are so many nicer places to roll your wheels.
House Porsche!
I am a van dweller in a Transit as well. I don’t need to go to convenience stores. I get my water from fountains (free until they close the fountains during winter) or grocery store fill stations (45 cents a gallon).
I do like your meal prep. I spend too much time each day or get too lazy and have soup (but that’s high in sodium).
Glad that Gaga is saving lives remotely, from her mansion in Cali.
Yeah meal prep has been key in cost savings for me. The thing about those canned foods - as you pointed out - they are WICKED high in sodium. I don't think people realize. You end up drinking. gallon of water every night and feeling all bloated the next day.
Ear plugs
... ha , you're in the Northeast and can't find a grocery store ? , that's your excuse for shopping at gas stations ? c'mon dude been a nomad - in a big van - for over 30 yrs , and just find any H D / Lowes / Planet fitness / cracker barrel / park and rides , making it too difficult on yourself ... safe travels ...
The grocery stores worth shopping at where it's cheaper than dining out are 40 minutes outside the city. My van cost $0.80 / mile to drive. I do shopping hauls out to those places once a week, not worth it every day.
Industrial areas are my prefered spot, trucks and vans are expected to be seen there, no nosey neighbours, its quiet after 5 and nobody is using the 4g towers :) I also experienced random ppl pulling up on streets with nothing open on them and sitting in their cars for long periods. I imagined them in a sharehouse or living with family and their car was there way of having privacy. Seemed a bit sad to be sitting alone in a car for an hour but these are the times we live in.