Vanlife

In 2018 I decided that immediately following my 55^th birthday, I’d retire and explore the USA.  After spending over a year examining the best way to accomplish that, I found Vandoit’s website. 

Within a few days of my initial consultation with Van Guru Josh, my deposit was in. My Vandoit LIV model (with Quigley 4×4 conversion) pickup date was scheduled for February of 2020. That delivery date gave me about 9 months, while still working, to do some test trips. These trips allowed me to better judge what I did or didn’t need for full time exploration. In November of 2020, I retired from corporate America, closed on the sale of my house, and began exploring.  

The knowledge I gained on my short test trips was certainly helpful. Nothing really allows you to refine the van’s systems outside of using those systems long-term. I’ve now been full-time exploring for nearly 2 years and I continually find opportunities to further refine what I carry, how I store my stuff, and how I decide where I want to explore next.

Configuration of the van

When configuring my Vandoit adventure van, I needed to address the basic functions of life. I would need to have methods to keep perishable food items, a water system, prepare food, and maintain personal hygiene.  Further, I needed room for my dog Gunner (whom I lost in late 2021) and to carry the toys I would most enjoy while out exploring. This included a bicycle (and associated gear), an inflatable stand-up paddleboard, and hiking and running gear. The great part about the Vandoit adventure van is the great flexibility in setup, which allowed me to carry all of that and more.  

For the perishable food items, my van build sheet included the Dometic chest style refrigerator. I designed and built a small shelf on which to mount it.  This shelf is placed above the Espar heater and attached to the track system. Later I ordered a small Alpicoo l fridge, which I use in freezer mode. Both of these items are mounted using the t-track that is part of the Vandoit LIV model’s design. A bonus of the freezer and fridge locations: they become steps to access the bed, with space under the Dometic to store shoes.

For the water system, the build sheet included the Vandoit kitchen pod and water pump/heater module. The pump/heater module fits inside the kitchen pod alongside the grey water tank. The freshwater supply is strapped to the side of the pod. This makes my water system completely contained – providing the advantage of all water lines staying contained within that pod. That also means I can put the water system wherever I can make it fit within the van. I chose to install it on the slider door side, secured to the LIV model’s passenger side cabinet.  

I needed an option for outdoor cooking for my propane stove. I ordered the compact kitchen from Trail Kitchens. When set up, it provides space for the stove and gives plenty of counter space for food prep. If weather or another reason prevents me from setting up my outdoor kitchen, my hot food fallback is a backpacking meal that requires only boiling water. The only cooking I do in the van is using my backpacking stove to boil water. Of course, the fridge allows me to carry other cold meal options.

The only part of the water system that is outside the kitchen pod is the shower. I hung a shower curtain across the back doors and have a hose, supplied with the water pump/heater system, that stretches to the back of the van. I hang the shower head (a garden nozzle) on a bungee cord and place a mat on the ground. This gives me a semi-private shower space. There are plenty of times that a shower in this fashion is not practical so I’ve become quite adept at the “bird bath” inside the van.   

Gunner was a big dog and he needed the entire space behind the driver and passenger seats. He, his bed and bowls fit in that space. Without the modularity of the Vandoit van, the placement of my water system and fridge/freezer would not have allowed this space for him. His food and other supplies were stored with the rest of our gear in the garage’s gear slide.

There is a lot of stuff stored on the gear slide. Since it is made of t-track, there are lots of options for making sure it stays secure. My job was to fit it all in there without having to completely unload it every time I wanted to get something out. This occasionally becomes a challenge. The work to pare down this load is continuous.  

The Smallest Road Possible

I’ve never really seen anything when traveling over the interstate system. When I launched, I set my travel philosophy as “The Smallest Road Possible.”  I rather enjoy this philosophy.  Sometimes that does mean use of the interstate, more often paved back-country highways, but most often I’m traveling on dirt or gravel roads. I download maps for offline use to my iPad or iPhone, mounted on the dash or A-Pillar.  

I mostly do short term planning in detail and long-term planning broadly. My goal for the summer of 2022 was to visit western South Dakota – one that I did accomplish. I spent September exploring the Black Hills and the Badlands. I was in western Nebraska in early June and I only decided to enter Wyoming when faced with the choice of heading north into the Black Hills or west into Wyoming. How long I stayed in Wyoming would be based on what I could find to explore. I found three months’ worth of exploration!   

I try to get far enough into the forest with the van to leave a web of available routes to explore. I set basecamp long enough to explore the surrounding area by alternating riding and hiking on the available Jeep and hiking trails. The bike allows me to ride the ATV trails and other Jeep roads around an area. I have scouted routes for the van by bike numerous times–sometimes I drive the scouted road, and sometimes I don’t. It depends on the purpose. I scouted a 7 mile Utah section of the Rimrocker trail by bike one day, then drove that route the following day. Another time I rode up to Hurrah Pass after turning the van around lower on the road. The risks to the van became clear as I ascended to the pass. I was glad to have turned the van around when I did, and it made for a great bicycle ride!

In June of 2021 my brother flew across the country to meet me in Oregon for the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. For a week Jeff took care of the van and Gunner – at and between basecamps. I suffered in many ways but not because I was worried about Gunner or my van. Or my brother – the van was able to carry the additional equipment for him and he easily picked up on the few steps needed to go between “camp mode” and “drive mode” with the van and Gunner. After he left, I found an amazing campsite on a small lake in the Oregon Cascades. I paddled on that small lake every day for a week!  

Not all Roads are Smooth

As much as I love taking my van deep into the woods, I have found some drawbacks. I’ve crossed sections of the Northern Rocky Mountains in Idaho and Colorado. I have driven across the state of Nevada almost exclusively on dirt and gravel roads. Gunner and I explored the La Sal Mountains on a forest service road that connected to Onion Creek Road and then down to the Colorado river. The other vehicles I encountered on that road were 4x4s, side-by-sides, and motorcycles. At an uphill, off-camber switchback, the driver front tire came off the ground. The potential for rolling the van was there – I always have to consider the risks of taking my van deep in the forest (or desert), especially because I’m almost always traveling solo.   

While attempting to follow the Snake River, I spent almost 5 minutes trying to present – to myself – a convincing argument to continuing on my current path.  The maps showed the road diverting up a side canyon, then crossing the Wallowa Whitman National Forest / Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.  I continued up this rather narrow canyon on a rocky road for about 3 miles. Those 3 miles took 30 minutes – that’s roughly running pace! My maps indicated 10 more miles of this road before it connected to an improved Forest Service Road on the other side of the forest. I had less than 2 hours of daylight and I was looking at up to 10 more miles of the current road conditions.  On the drive in, about a mile before the canyon narrowed, I had spotted a suitable spot for an overnight. Evaluating the risk of not finding a campsite and having to drive through the night lost to backtracking to get a good night’s sleep. The next morning, with a fresh head, I selected an alternate route.

I was exploring the area to the west of the Green River in Utah. I saw a side path off the main road and started following it. I engaged 4wd shortly after turning.  The map showed the road heading to a bend in the Green River. I got within sight of the river. At the turn of a switchback at the very upper end of the descent to the river plain when I decided to scout on foot. I parked off the main trail and walked down the switchback. About 100 yards down the trail was an off-camber, downhill, rutted and bumpy curve. It happened that a group of side by sides came up the trail. As I watched them through that section, I realized that my 10’ tall van was not a good candidate for that section of trail. No problem–Gunner and I hiked the rest of the way.  

All of this risk analysis is aimed at keeping my Vandoit healthy. I wish to continue traveling this country until I am tired of it. Keeping the van healthy is the biggest challenge and one that could cut short my ability to explore. I have to consider the potential for real damage to the van and compare that to the ability to explore an area with alternate means.  

Scheduled maintenance comes up frequently with lots of miles traveled. I do my own basic maintenance, and finding a place to do those tasks becomes challenging.  Any work that I can’t do has to be scheduled carefully. After all, I am a full time explorer and the van becomes home. If a repair can’t be made quickly, I have to have an alternate solution in what is likely a relatively unknown town. I’m sure I’m not the only full time traveler who has these concerns.    

The Journey is the Adventure

My Vandoit adventure van allows me to really explore my country. With the Quigley conversion I have confidence to get off the beaten path. Staying off-grid isn’t an issue, as my power system is well maintained by the solar panels and all of my basic needs are covered. The Vandoit systems leave me relatively stress-free to work on the day-to-day details of exploration.    

I minimize my stay at any one campsite. With few exceptions – when visiting family or friends – the longest I’ve camped is 7 nights. Once I’ve explored what I can from that basecamp, I can easily move to the next whether it’s dispersed camping in the National Forest or an established campground in a National Park. I spent 2 months exploring Southeastern Utah. I also spent over 2 weeks to crossing Nevada, more than a month exploring the Olympic Peninsula, and a another month just exploring Wyoming’s Snowy Range. My Vandoit adventure van allows me to explore this great country, basecamp to basecamp.  

Hi!  I am Jena Newman, and live full-time in my Vandoit van with my husband Derek.  We have traveled over 40,000 miles from Maine to the bottom of the Baja Peninsula! The entire time we have had our chocolate lab, Barry, with us. 

Barry goes everywhere with us! Our hobbies include Barry–biking, hiking, boating, and, my favorite, eating! 

Where Can Barry Go?

One of our favorite things to do when we are exploring new places is to try new restaurants. We trained Barry to sit quietly while we eat, so we are able to take him to restaurants with us. Navigating this can be tricky when we are in a new place.

Some places are more dog friendly than others, so we have to do our research before showing up with Barry.

In general, we don’t expect or try to take Barry inside a restaurant. We prefer to sit outside anyway, so we look for places with patios. Once we find a place we like with a patio, I call ahead to be sure Barry is allowed. If we want a quick and easy search for a dog-friendly restaurant, we have used websites like BringFido to help us narrow it down. 

We have come across places where it is against the law to have pets at restaurants, even if there is a patio. We respect this and come up with another plan. If it is cool enough outside, then Barry will stay in the van, or we will order our food to go. There is almost always a beautiful park nearby to stop by and enjoy our meal! 

Barry’s Favorites

One of Barry’s favorite restaurants is Mickey’s Hideaway in Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very pet-friendly patio in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.  

Bentonville Brewing Company in Arkansas is a favorite because it has a dog park attached to it. Barry is able to get his energy out while we enjoy our craft beer and meal. They also have a kids’ bicycle pump track, and it’s adorable! 

We really enjoy the patio at Eddyline Restaurant in Buena Vista, Colorado. It is right next to the Arkansas River and has a great view of the mountains. Barry loves it because there are always other dogs there to meet, and he knows a long walk along the river is in his future. 

It is safe to say every restaurant in Baja, Mexico, was my favorite. They are so dog-friendly that Barry was welcome almost everywhere we went. We spent a lot of our time at Lazy Daze Beach Bar in Los Barriles. We parked our van a very short distance away on the beach for about three weeks. Barry was able to go off and swim in the ocean and then hang out with us while we played cornhole during dinner.

Dog Training

I have been training Barry since we got him at 8 weeks old. Being a dog trainer by trade, I knew that I wanted him to be a good canine citizen and be able to go everywhere with us. By starting young and focusing on certain behaviors, we have been able to give Barry the gift of adventure! 

Here are a few of the behaviors I focused on with him to make taking him to the patios enjoyable.  My personal favorite is sitting when he wants something. It is his way of saying please and showing self-control. 

I taught him to lie calmly under the table while we eat our meals. He doesn’t beg for food but is happy to clean up what is left over or what has fallen on the floor. 

He is also very good on his leash. He never pulls, which allows us to attach him to the legs of the table for safety, and we don’t have to worry about him pulling the table over. 

Reach out if you are interested in training your dog to be better at restaurants! We do a lot of virtual training while on the road in the van, and I would be happy to help you.

• Make sure all his needs are met so he won’t get restless. We feed him and play fetch with him before expecting him to sit still while we enjoy our meal.
• Make sure he is sitting out of the way so people can walk by. We never want him to cause someone to trip.
• We will bring a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter to keep him occupied if he starts getting bored. 
• We always attach his leash to our chair to be sure he can’t wander off while we are deep in conversation.
• Barry’s favorite rule: If they have a special snack for dogs on the menu, we make sure to get him a treat, too! One of his recent favorites was in Canada at The Lockstreet Brewery in St. Catharines, Ontario. He thoroughly enjoyed his Beef Tendon Chew while we devoured our sandwiches! 

When we find the perfect patio for Barry, we make sure he maintains his good behavior and doesn’t bother other patrons. Here are our tips for the best restaurant experience with your dog:

Dogs And Vanlife

Our van makes these restaurant visits possible because we have everything we need to be prepared for any circumstance. We are able to store all of his toys to ward off any boredom he may have while on a patio. 

It is also a safe place for him when he isn’t allowed to join us. We are able to give him a puzzle toy while we are gone and not have to worry about him getting bored in the van. 

What are your favorite dog-friendly restaurants? As we travel around, we are always looking for places to eat with Barry. Maybe we can stop by your personal favorite, too!

My husband and I have owned a Vandoit for over three years; we are actually on our second camper van.  We are in our high-roof LIV model for about six to eight months every year, not consecutively, but for several months at a time.  From spring to fall, we go to mountain biking destinations near and far.  In winter, we head west and southwest to the mountains to snowboard and snowshoe.  

No matter what time of year we travel, there are items that live in our camper van year round. There are a couple of reasons for this. The obvious one is that the weather is unpredictable.  The less obvious reason is that we are not predictable.  We keep our travel plans pretty loose.  

We typically have a destination in mind, but for various reasons, we may opt to keep moving.  This might involve an entirely new direction and, with it, varying conditions.  Being prepared for whatever may come our way allows us the freedom to be spontaneous and go wherever, whenever.  

Years of van travel and two Vandoits have helped us to narrow down which items are essential to pack in our camper van–and which ones we can do without. We want to share those essentials with you.

A Word on Vandoit Storage

Before we even get into the essentials of what to bring, let’s discuss how and where to store these items.  In our first Vandoit, a 2016 GO model, we did not have any thermal curtains at all, so having window pockets was not an available storage solution. At that time, the storage modules Vandoit had available were limited to an overhead cabinet or two.  

In hindsight, the lack of storage limited how much gear we could keep in the van year round.  As a result, there was always something–or lots of somethings–that we didn’t have but could have used.  There is nothing worse than being cold and knowing you have a great blanket and down coat that wasn’t packed in the van!

The Packing Essentials

1. Blankets & cold weather gear

We keep a Rumpl blanket, down jackets, knit hats, and gloves in our thermal window curtain pockets.  Rumpl blankets store small but warm big.  The same goes for down jackets. We can pack our REI down jackets super small, along with a cap and some gloves.  

Mexico in January or the Pacific Northwest in summer can have some cool nights, so cold weather gear is a must-have any time of year!  I like to keep my mountain biking gloves in the van since they can be used for warmth and for biking.  My preference for gloves is Dakine, as they are very durable and well priced.  

Don’t forget to have something for rain too.  We keep inexpensive rain ponchos by Totes on hand.

2. Water gear & sun protection

On the other end of the weather spectrum, we also keep bathing suits, sunblock shirts, and Keen shoes.  Keens function as water shoes, but they are also great for hiking or walking around town.  

I like Under Armour’s sunblock shirts because they provide protection in the water and out.  We use Turkish towels for the beach and for showering because the towels take up little space and dry quickly.  We carry two sets as they pack so small (a common van refrain), and doing laundry is not always an option. 

Baseball hats or anything with a brim are good to keep on hand, as well as an extra pair of sunglasses and sunscreen.  Zealios Sun Barrier SPF 45 is a favorite sunscreen of ours.  It contains zinc oxide and still absorbs really well.  They also offer a reef-safe version.

3. Soap & cleaning supplies

Dr. Bronner’s soap is always in our van.  It’s a multipurpose wonder for washing dishes, the van, you, the dog–whatever.  An added plus is that it is environmentally friendly.  

When you don’t have the ability to shower, Klean Freak antibacterial body wipes come to the rescue.  They are biodegradable and alcohol-free.  We also use them for pup wipe-downs.

4. Water and drinking containers

In the beverage category, we like Dometic water jugs, coffee cups, and camp cups.  They are super durable and are designed to serve a variety of purposes. We also have some by Yeti and Klean Kanteen.  You can’t go wrong with any of these hard-working vessels.  

The water tanks that come with the Vandoit adventure van water system are BPA-free, so they are safe for drinking water.  However, due to temperature control, we prefer to store drinking water in stainless steel containers.  

Typically, we carry ten gallons of drinking water in the Dometic containers and six gallons of water in the Vandoit water system tank for the kitchen sink and showering.  

5. Grab-and-go food options

For food, we keep protein bars, protein powder, and coffee in our air-tight containers, as they are a low-prep no-brainer.  My personal favorites are RX Bars because I like the ingredients, and Shakeology because it blends well in a shaker cup, so you don’t need a blender.  

For coffee, I like to find a local blend when we travel, so that is always up for grabs.  All of these food options store perfectly in the hanging cabinet storage containers Vandoit offers.

Having these items in our Vandoit at all times allows us to focus on other aspects of the adventure.  That’s the point of having an adventure van, right?  Knowing we are covered with some of the essentials has saved us lots of time and frustration and made our trips even more enjoyable.  We want your packing experience to be just as easy and hassle-free!

Do you have a dog?  Do you want to try van life?  With a few fundamental essentials, living the van life with a dog is doable.

My name is Jena. My husband Derek and I have been in our Vandoit camper van since the summer of 2020. We have put over 40,000 miles on the vehicle. 

We work full time while on the road, running our dog training and care company, which we have been operating for 11 years. In the past two years, we traveled from Maine to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula and everywhere in between. Our chocolate lab Barry has been by our side every step of the way. 

While running a full-time dog care and training business – and being dog lovers ourselves – nothing brings us more joy than having Barry on all of our adventures with us.  When we decided to jump into van life, we knew having him with us was a priority. His comfort, along with our own, was important. 

We needed to find the best ways to regulate airflow, keep him clean, manage wear and tear from paws and equipment, and ensure all of this was as easy as possible.

When searching for the perfect van, Vandoit came in first in this category: We loved it for our comfort but especially for the ease of having a dog with us.

Our Vandoit Van Has Four Things We Can’t Live Without:

 1. MaxxAir Deluxe

The MaxxAir fan is a game changer when traveling with Barry. This fan helps regulate the airflow throughout the van. We can set the speed as well as the airflow direction.  

It has given us the freedom to leave him in the car to run into a store or to go somewhere dogs aren’t allowed. We have to be sure the temperature outside is mild, and we never leave him in the van if it is too hot. 

When we park in the shade and have the windows cracked, we can leave him unattended safely most of the year. (He doesn’t mind, either. He finally gets his daily nap without all the outside stimulation!)

2. Shower Nozzle That Is Accessible From The Back Door.

Let’s face it–dogs are dirty. The point of having him with us is to allow him to explore different environments. Barry gets pretty dirty by the end of the day. Having water at our fingertips to clean him is so helpful. 

The best part? It’s all outside, so there is no mess inside the van!

3. Ultra-Durable Flooring.

We chose the Heather Grey Woodgrain Polyvinyl flooring and have no regrets! It has been super easy to clean and maintain. With a quick sweep and wipe down, the floor is clean in minutes. 

4. The Modularity Of The Van Is The Best Part!

We all know dog hair gets everywhere, so being able to take the van apart and give it a deep clean had me look no further. 

We spent three months in Baja, Mexico, this past winter, and every couple of weeks, we would empty the van and clean it out thoroughly. It was easy and made the trip much more comfortable in a world of sand and dog hair.

I know we got this van for ourselves and the adventures we wanted to go on. As it turns out, Barry is having the time of his life exploring oceans, mountains, deserts, lakes and rivers. This wouldn’t be possible, or nearly as comfortable, without our Vandoit.

Want to see what vanlife with a dog looks like?  Check out this video of our Vandoit story!