Hello we are Chris and Taylor also known as the @AdventureAllens.

We have been living tiny for over 3 years. It all started when we were living on a 32 foot yacht in San Diego. We were able to get the boat half price because it had a blown engine. The manager at the marina would ask almost every day “Are you living on your boat? I see on the key fob system you come in at the middle of the night.” Chris’s response would always be “No, I just like to keep it clean.” We knew that reason would not fly for long and we were eventually going to need a solution.

Our neighbor at the marina recommended that we take the boat out of the marina or go somewhere else other than the boat at the marina for a day or 2. Chris always wanted a van for the purpose of adventuring while having a space to crash. So this was the perfect opportunity to venture out and look for a van. We had a few requirements being that Chris is 6 feet tall and we have no experience building ANYTHING: 1. We had to be able to stand up fully. 2. We had to have a place to sleep comfortably and use immediately.

Using the same strategy we used to acquire the boat we went to Craigslist looking for a van under $20,000 with a semi-build with a 6 ft interior height clearance. A few weeks later we found the perfect candidate with a 2005 dodge sprinter with a fixed bed going for $14,000. At first we would sleep in the van two days out the week and spend the other days on the boat. We found it easier to live in the van on the days we worked, so we could park right next to our job (Ironically we both had 2nd jobs working together at a yacht club during the summer and got free food and showers at work) and spend our days off, living on the yacht at the marina. As time progressed we began to invest into the van adding upgrades such as lightning, fans, all terrain tires, a solar electricity set up, a sink , storage and many more. As the quality in life began to increase in the van we noticed the amount of freedom and versatility we had with the van. It made us think why don’t we sell the boat and just live in the van full time? We sold the boat for more than what we bought it for and worked another summer with both of us working 2 jobs saving some money. Then we hit the road full time traveling from as far as Northern California to Florida and even did a 2 month trip to Mexico where we camped out on 13 different beaches only paying for one for the cost of $5. We feel like everyone deserves to have this experience that wants to live tiny and do more. So we decided to compose this book to give people a guide to set themselves up for success on the road.

Even though everything sounds wonderful and looks perfect on the internet. There are questions you need to have the answers for to better determine how you will live in your tiny home on wheels. Our good friend who has been living in a van for over 9 years once said, “My Vanlife is different from your Vanlife.” It’s imperative to know what kind of Vanlife you will live so you can live your best life.

With the knowledge that we have learned from 3 years of living in the van, we have composed an eBook for everyone getting into #VanLife or tiny living on the road. We have laid out different ways of setting up your electrical system, picking your vehicle, heating, bathroom options, etc. This is a guide to help you take the leap into this lifestyle with meaningful and useful knowledge. It is available on our website AdventureAllens.com for $7. Link below.

Follow along with Chris and Taylor @AdventureAllens.

Produced, edited & published by Jared Melrose Campbell. Cofounder @vanlifediaries

@youandiandthesky

HOW TO #VANLIFE GUIDE by Chris & Taylor @AdventureAllens