26 ms·

150 days of living and coding in a van

720 points by hwartig 9y ago

retube 9y ago
Nice. Tricky with family though.
- grecy 9y ago
  I have met plenty of people driving around the world with 1-4 kids.
- toomanybeersies 9y ago
  I know a couple who spent a year driving around New Zealand in a house-bus with their kids. It is possible. With kids, I don't think it would be a great thing to do for super-long term. I remember reading an article recently about a family that has been traveling the world for several years with their kids. I wonder what sort of effect that would have on their social development, since they wouldn't be able to form any long-term relationships.
j7ake 9y ago
Not all spouses would agree to the van life how do you deal with this ?
- King-Aaron 9y ago
  Trade them in for a newer model.
  - mariushn 9y ago
    Where can you find newer spouse models?
    - King-Aaron 9y ago
      Aaah that's a trade secret sorry
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- madeofpalk 9y ago
  Talk to them?
- staticelf 9y ago
  Break up and go for it. Your life, your choices.
- Fnoord 9y ago
  Not to mention children going to school. I don't think this model is very feasible for parents. Certainly not single mothers/fathers. I find Assange's early life [1] relevant to this conversation. He lead a nomadic life, lived in over 30 towns throughout his lifetime. One could say it affected his nomadic adult lifestyle. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange#Early_life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange#Early_life (contains relevant sources)
hellohellojello 9y ago
How did you find the remote work? Is it with an existing client who is flexible or do you take short term contracts instead?
- EugeneAZ 9y ago
  He is an intelligent investor now : D
- sampl 9y ago
  I think he works for github: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/leaving-berlin/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/leaving-berlin/
- classisch 9y ago
  I still haven't found the time to write a little "About" section. @sampl is right, I work as a full-time employee for GitHub. Meanwhile you can read a short summary on my unmaintained developer blog: http://mikrobi.github.io/about/ http://mikrobi.github.io/about/ :D
- peteretep 9y ago
  I'm completely unaffiliated with, but would recommend: https://remoteok.io/ https://remoteok.io/
dasanman 9y ago
Very cool. Have to be quite lucky with your job I guess, or with finding contractor work
d--b 9y ago
Good for him... I would totally hate the lack of space and comfort. I'd sleep really poorly at night when it's super hot in summer and cold in winter. I'd hate it to have to look for a good internet to work. I'd miss my friends all the time. I'd dislike having to socialize with random van neighbors every time I want to not dine alone. I wouldn't last a month of this...
- victornomad 9y ago
  I traveled in a similar way and sometimes thought about what you just described. But the reality was totally the opposite and I ended up doing a full year in two intervals. Some of the best experiences of my life!
- wallace_f 9y ago
  I bought a van, converted it into a camper with a surf board, and did a loop around Australia. It was an amazing experience, and you learn a lot about people, culture, and yourself. One of the things I realized is that life always offers you options to complain about: I think the greatest inconveniences and discomforts of our ancestors of 200 years past have now been solved, but then taken for granted. We just adjust, become jaded and move on to new things to feel uncomfortable, complain about, and fear. The experience was about making a story in my life that was more than just going back and forth between the same office, restaurants, etc. Getting out of my comfort zone and going on an adventure and exploring what is out there. In winter, you head north; in summer, south. The weather is great. You meet nice people, and rude. Generous and benevelont, but also some rotten and even dastardly. There's no escaping the realities of our world; but what can maybe be done for ourselves is to try to escape our human nature to be spoiled with what we have, go outside our comfort zones and on the adventures we dream of. At minimum, it at least offers a lot of perspective. But while all of this said is fair, to be honest: without the hedonism aspect--if I didn't so much enjoy surfing, the outdoors, and meeting new people--I would have quit such a long trip. TL;DR if you have a good reason to believe you would enjoy it, being uncomfortable might not be a reason to avoid it.
  - tonyedgecombe 9y ago
k4ch0w 9y ago
Nice man that looks awesome, pretty jelly. I can work remote and have been thinking about leaving for a while. How much was the initial cost of the van? How did you maintain your internet connection? What would you say is the biggest struggle?
- ahmetsulek 9y ago
  I'm also pretty curious about the costs.
  - driverdan 9y ago
    Living in a vehicle can cost as little or as much as you want. It depends on your budget and wants/needs. You can build a simple van for a few hundred dollars or a huge overlanding rig for hundreds of thousands. An inexpensive, decent van build can be done for <$5000. My bus cost somewhere around $50k so far, including the vehicle.
- classisch 9y ago
  Hey! > How much was the initial cost of the van? I bought the van for 7.000 Euro. > How did you maintain your internet connection? I'm working with 4G. Works perfect all most everywhere in Europe! I use a pre-paid Italian SIM-Card that I can use all over Europe. It costs me 9 Euros for 20 GB. I usually need around 30 to 50 GB a month. So it's roughly 20 Euros per month. You can read more about the technical setup here: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-... > What would you say is the biggest struggle? I'm currently in Madrid. Living the van life in big cities is more challenging. Especially if you don't want to stay in the suburbs. I plan to write a article about my city experiences in Madrid soon.
  - icebraining 9y ago
    9€ for 20GB and it works everywhere in Europe? That sounds like an amazing deal. Can you tell me which provider you're using?
earlybike 9y ago
Slightly OT: Living in a capital/big city is tough: - High rents, even in Berlin nowadays - There are more options but also much more competition for finding the right accommodation, job and spouse - In particular, finding your long-term partner can be a huge struggle in a big city in times of Tinder where nobody is committed anymore For some the solution is just to escape, avoid the challenge and call it nomad life (this is my feeling when I read such stories, maybe I am wrong). However, once they have kids, they have to settle and are back to square one.
- jlebrech 9y ago
  If you can convince an employer to let you work remotely and maybe let you fly in for monthly meetings you could move to a satellite city that has cheaper rent
- simonbarker87 9y ago
  If they have kids, the types of people who choose the nomadic lifestyle are probably more likely to question norms and pre-determined life choices, therefore less likely to have kids.
- phillc73 9y ago
  > However, once they have kids, they have to settle and are back to square one. I don't necessarily think it's back to square one. One doesn't have to settle in a big city. I moved out of London when my first child was due. We moved to a mid-sized (250k population) European city. I was able to find work, in an unrelated field to my previous experience but still using similar technical and management skills. The remuneration is less than I was earning in London, but the cost of living is significantly lower too. This was a lifestyle choice and the environment is much better, in my view, for raising children. Only my view of course, but in this case "better" means things like more green space, less pollution, less crime etc. It's not been 100% plain sailing. I have had to overcome a language barrier (not fully achieved that). I do feel culturally adrift sometimes. And Brexit seems to be trying to screw everything up. However, I still don't feel like I'm back to square one.
  - 9y ago
mvanbaak 9y ago
This is exactly what I'm planning to do, but instead of a van, use a sailing 'yacht' big enough to live on. As soon as I have enough funding to get the gear, I'm off!
- danielbarla 9y ago
  Interesting idea. Does sailing a boat typically allow for one to be immersed in coding for longer periods at a time (a few hours)? Or would you just park it while you work?
  - zenandpeace 9y ago
    Modern yachts basically sail themselves on an autopilot. If weather is not rough you can do whatever you want, as long as you still keep looking around from time to time
    - codesnik 9y ago
      staring at the screen while not in the calmest water isn't the nicest experience.
      - clort 9y ago
        When you are on a boat for a while, you become accustomed to the motion. Certainly looking at a screen would not bother me at sea. (there are exceptions - some people never do and they should perhaps stay on shore)
  - Freeboots 9y ago
    I suspect you would get the most done while in port. Like, this guy isn't working while he drives. Would pretty amazing way to see the caribean or med!
    - danielbarla 9y ago
      That makes sense - though with a boat, it might be reasonable to work while sailing, making it even more attractive. But I doubt that would be particularly realistic, w.r.t. internet connectivity, being able to pay attention to hazards, etc.
imaassman 9y ago
cool
simonbarker87 9y ago
I'm in the process of converting a van to a camper to make weekly commuting cheaper. Lifestyle will be slightly different to this as I will still be running a factory and in the UK winter, however, I am hoping that one day I can do some extended periods somewhere warm and outdoorsy using.
grecy 9y ago
I am doing something somewhat related. I built a Jeep Wrangler into a house on wheels [1], and am driving around Africa for two years. I am freelancing for Magazines, and earning money through my website and social presence. I have not done any coding on this trip, mostly becuase I find it hard to get remote work that meets my flexibility needs - i.e. weeks off-grid and only occasional checkins/calls. Last time I drove Alaska to Argentina, doing more-or-less the same thing. [1] http://theroadchoseme.com/the-jeep http://theroadchoseme.com/the-jeep
- donquichotte 9y ago
  I found your webpage three years ago when preparing for my silk road motorcycle trip. Never thought that you were a HN member as well. Beautiful Jeep, if somewhat overengineered for my taste! :-D
  - toomanybeersies 9y ago
    I'm planning on doing the silk road (well, actually Bali to London) in the next year or two. Do you have a writeup, or any crucial tips that I wouldn't find elsewhere?
    - donquichotte 9y ago
      Nice, I'm envious! I have a writeup at [0]. A short summary of the things I wanted to remember for next time is here [1]. Be sure to cross through Mongolia, the landscape is astonishing. Save travels! [0] https://goolge.io/motorcycletours/ https://goolge.io/motorcycletours/ [1] https://goolge.io/mototours/silkroadmadness/epilogue/ https://goolge.io/mototours/silkroadmadness/epilogue/
      - toomanybeersies 9y ago
        Oh shit, that's some great information there! I don't plan on doing the whole journey on bike, the main 2 parts I want to do on a bike is Vietnam (tried doing this last year, but had to give up due to the weather), and Mongolia. The rest, we'll see what happens!
yoavm 9y ago
I'm doing the same in Israel for almost two years now! The photos-haiku-blog is in Hebrew, but well photos are universal. http://bus.house/ http://bus.house/
- submeta 9y ago
  Holy cow. What happened to your social life, if I may ask? Friends, family. How do you maintain your relationships?
  - coldtea 9y ago
    If anything, it's easier to make and meet friends, and easier to be with your family, if you aren't tied to a 9 to late-at-night job.
  - yoavm 9y ago
    Israel is a tiny country. You can spend a week on the top of some mountain not seeing any human being, and then drive 30mins and be with your friends. I enjoy being able to choose when to be completely alone and when to be surrounded with friends and family. Besides, I can definitely stay in the middle of Tel-Aviv with my bus (without paying the crazy rent!). That's where I am currently, actually.
    - severine 9y ago
      Mouth-watering... thanks and congrats!
- lingz 9y ago
  It's amazing that you can do this even in a small place :). Gives us hope that this lifestyle can be opened up to more people regardless of what passport they have / country they live in.
codecamper 9y ago
We've been doing the same for a few years now. Funny.. these days I just want to go to Berlin and stay for a while! That's because I have wound up missing the buzz of a tech scene. I lived 5 years in SF & then the Hacker Dojo was born just as I was leaving. Since then, while sitting in my van, I just dream of sitting at the hacker dojo! Some of it is a great lifestyle. Tips on cheap data: Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain (not as cheap). ($1/GB) Somehow almost everyone else is ridiculously expensive. More like $10-20 / GB. The US now has Verizon unlimited. Something like 80 a month for unlimited data!? It's tempting to put the camper on a boat & go back. Also, if you are going to work out of a van, you are going to need consistent power. Please do not use a generator! Stick about 4 flexible solar panels on the roof. They can be attached with good 3m zip tie mounts & zip ties. One hole drilled through the roof. Get a lithium (lifepo4) battery & a controller from electrodacus.
- tomcooks 9y ago
  Thanks for the informations, what kind of panels would you suggest (watts or better model and maker, if it doesn't go against hn rules)? I succesfully used a small foldable panel during my bicycle nomadism
robotmay 9y ago
I've met a few people living in vans/converted trucks when I've been in France. There's quite a few countries around with great regulations that let you park up in lots of places, e.g. in France there are regular places you can stay along the major roads for free, usually with decent facilities. I met a girl there this year who had converted a truck into a mobile home. It even had window boxes for her plants! Unfortunately it's much more awkward in the UK. So much of this country is private land and everyone's so afraid of gypsies that you're basically prevented from setting up a van nearly anywhere. I work remotely and I've started experiencing leg problems from sitting too much. So I'm now trying to set the trend of "wood-working"; where I go for a walk to the woods nearby, sit on a rock by the river, and do some coding. It might catch on ;)
- codesnik 9y ago
  how's it going? I love to move around with my laptop, but nature is too damn distractive. Sun is too bright, stone under my ass is too cold, that view is too beautiful, oh, I'm already hungry, oh, it's sunset. That was a nice day, but I barely worked.
  - DennisP 9y ago
    I'm just the opposite. If I really want to concentrate on a hard problem, I take my laptop to the park, and sit at a picnic table surrounded by trees, overlooking a lake. For routine stuff I just need to crank out, it's headphones and coffee, but real thinking I do better in nature. All the mental distractions and trivia fade away.
  - timmaah 9y ago
    All excuses. Nature is the best part of this world for me. Everything else is a distraction. I know this afternoon I get to go hike up a canyon and climb the rim up to see a natural arch. On a normal Tuesday. So I'm going to get my shit done when it's a perfect day out with the sun shining in my eyes. Then I get to play.
  - robotmay 9y ago
    Glare on the screen can be difficult. Luckily most displays these days have retina-searing brightness options. I take a solid-fuel stove out with me so I have a good supply of tea + food, which helps!
classisch 9y ago
Hey everyone! I'm the author of that article. I just started the blog and still have a ton of things to write about. I like all the (critical) feedback. That inspires me for further blog posts. Thanks for reading!
- pdimitar 9y ago
  Thanks for writing this. It made me very sad because the traveler life appeals a lot to me but I still quite like the things I have in the city, so I have always been extremely conflicted about a nomadic life (or a period). How do you deal with the toilet troubles though? Also, can you give some details on how do you avoid cold weather? My girlfriend tells me there are areas in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece where summer is much longer and the winter basically means 13-17 degrees without snow -- in the worst case scenario. I was profoundly touched by your article. I am at a point of my life when I feel a desperate and very strong need for a change. Reasons are a lot and I don't want to derail this thread by making my comment a public confession -- suffice to say, I realize I dislike a part of my life and I want to do something about it. Truth be told however, I like my mega-strong internet (Bulgaria). I like being able to go buy cooked food when I feel lazy or sick or tired and don't want to cook -- telling yourself "get a grip and cook!" sounds like stress and forcing myself and not like something that relaxes you. I like being able to go to a cinema on a whim. The city gives me the sense of being able to spontaneously do various things. I really want to try some nomadism -- or at least travel to 10+ places during a period -- and as a 37 y/o with a burnout, nature's appeal grows in me with each passing week. Overall, I am happy your format worked for you -- it made me consider some traveling very seriously and I started to weigh pros and cons. Thank you.
  - tomcooks 9y ago
    When i had a burnout I quit my IT job and walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela trail, it was a liberating experience and a great introduction to nomadism. Give it a try!
  - peteretep 9y ago
    > I really want to try some nomadism So do. The van part is totally optional. Go to Chiang Mai and find a coworking space and an AirBNB. If you don't like it, go home! We have a fixed base we spend 50% of the year at, but also like to go and spend 6 weeks working elsewhere.
leoedin 9y ago
This is written in October. He's been living in the van since the middle of May. Basically late spring, summer and early autumn. How is he going to feel after another 150 days? Camping in winter can be fun, but it's not warm. At all. Trying to work in a van when it's below freezing outside will be pretty hard work. I can't even type when the room drops below 15 degrees. Vans like the one he has are basically uninsulated steel boxes - they get cold pretty fast.
- weavie 9y ago
  He is in a van. I guess he can just drive south.
- classisch 9y ago
  I'll probably spend the winter down in southern Portugal/Spain where temperatures are around 15 degrees in average during the winter. I've also installed an old heating that works with Diesel and electricity. But yes, summer life is easy and I'm looking forward to experience my first winter in the van. BTW: I bought the van in February and already worked and slept in the van while it was freezing cold: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ it was ok.
  - cfn 9y ago
    Inland Portugal can be freezing cold in the Winter, we got -2 C several days in a row last year (I know, -2 C is balmy elsewhere but try it without central heating). You should be okay if you stick to the coast as the sea breezes keep the temperatures in the 10-15 C most of the time.
    - toomanybeersies 9y ago
      If you've got a good sleeping bag, -2 C isn't that bad. I've spent the night with those temperatures in the high country of New Zealand. I know people that have spent the night in -15 C temperatures.
justonepost 9y ago
I think it's really sad and pathetic that someone can enjoy such a simple, non consumerist based life. How are you supporting the global economy? How are you proving that you are worthy? This sounds like homelessness to me. Without a home, are you really a worthwhile human being deserving of a mate? I don't think so. Unless you shop and own, man, you don't really exist.
- sealjam 9y ago
  I think (hope) the downvoters have missed the sarcasm in this comment
  - icebraining 9y ago
    Or they just don't think the comment brings much to the discussion.
  - Luc 9y ago
    Nah, it's just not that clever.
  - we_re_new 9y ago
    I think that removing the downvote button altogether is a good idea on this site.
    - davidsong 9y ago
      There's a downvote button? I've not seen it yet.
      - staticelf 9y ago
        It is unlocked when you get more points.
      - theandrewbailey 9y ago
        It shows below the upvote button when you get 500+ karma.
lafar6502 9y ago
No I can’t imagine all the nice places full of parked vans with programmers working/living there all the time. Go hermit somewhere else
- icebraining 9y ago
  Relax, there are more nice places than programmers.
lowglow 9y ago
I tried this around SF Bay Area. Unfortunately SF isn't as van-friendly as I would have liked, and the high crime rate and high rate of break-ins left me less than desiring to stay in SF. Had a friend successfully camp out in East Bay, but got sick of it. I moved down to Redwood City but the cops basically harassed me, and treated me like a criminal. I finally would park in my van outside of Social Capital in Palo Alto. Palo Alto remains a legal place to live the van life. You'll also meet a bunch of other van dwellers from tech companies around there. There is even a couple of secret facebook groups for nerds working/living out of their van in and around SF/BA.
- cvsh 9y ago
  That's the first big strike against vanlife for me. In the US there's no cheap and reliable way to park and sleep without being harassed by police. The second is illness: I ate some bad chicken earlier this year and was violently ill, projectile liquid from both ends ill, for three whole days. It was miserable but bearable because I had an apartment with a bed and a bathroom. I can't imagine what it would have been like in a van.
  - tomcooks 9y ago
    Should that happen to me I'd just check in at a cheap airbnb for a week until feeling better, possibly with a friend taking care of me while i complain about being sick
    - cvsh 9y ago
      I went from feeling fine to could-not-walk-three-steps-without-vomiting in the course of an hour. Could probably not have seen it coming and booked an airbnb in time.
      - lowglow 9y ago
        Here is a serious pro-tip, take two shots of apple cider vinegar and 30-40 minutes later you'll be right as rain.
staticelf 9y ago
Nice, I am not going to do exactly this but I am planning to live more freely in the coming years. MGTOW life seems like a much better way to live.
twobyfour 9y ago
Are there any women here who have done something like this and would be willing to comment on it? Theoretically it sounds cool, but I'd be a bit anxious about personal safety.
- cfn 9y ago
  There are a number of videos on YouTube about it. Search for "woman solo van". Here is the first result: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nMBNAlHQMo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nMBNAlHQMo
- et-al 9y ago
  You can try reaching out to Caroline of Little Package: https://www.little-package.com/about-little-package https://www.little-package.com/about-little-package She used to make awesome cycling caps, did the PCT, and is now traveling around America in a Vanagon.
- Jemmeh 9y ago
  Learn to use pepper spray. It's fairly simple and will empower you a lot. You can buy some that shoots a jet ~10feet. Also when you park lock the doors and make sure you can easily hop into the front seat and drive off. Most of the time no one bothers you, at least here in the U.S. I'm sure it depends on location a bit too.
mmahemoff 9y ago
I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a file tree and multiple files.
- jankotek 9y ago
  Just take a display with you...
- clappski 9y ago
  It depends on what work I’m doing - in the office I have a 32” and two 19”’s, when I’m remoting I use my T420 which has a 14” (I think). If I need to tail logs or remote onto a few servers the extra real estate is invaluable, if I have a coding or SQL-script-writing task it doesn’t make a difference. It might even help having a single small screen by removing obvious distractions e.g. emails I don’t need to read, IRC messages.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  They're nice but if you don't spend a lot of time with one you don't miss them that much.
- petercooper 9y ago
  If I'm in full-on development mode, I like to have at least one separate screen, though for more casual maintenance stuff I'm happy on a laptop. I seem to recall DHH (Basecamp/Rails) said in the past he frequently developed on an 11" MacBook at some point, only using a monitor when sat at a desk, so I guess it's doable.
  - DamonHD 9y ago
    I do all my dev and other work on a 13" MacBook Air and have done for years. I haven't had a desktop monitor since my last gig with a client in the City. Yes, the ergonomics suck relatively speaking, especially now that my eyesight is getting worse with age (and from falling off a Segway!), but it means that I can work anywhere and my desk at home can be tiny.
adamzerner 9y ago
The fact that this post mentions all benefits and no downsides makes it not very credible to me.
poushkar 9y ago
Oh, I think I attended one of your talks last year (about Mikado method). Nice to learn that you live this van life now, keep updating the blog, it's very interesting!
koevet 9y ago
Very inspiring, I wish I could try something like that for a while. Question: do you still declare your income in your home country (Germany, I assume) or have you found a different solution?
- mrnzc 9y ago
  I know the OP. He is declaring his income in Germany.
  - koevet 9y ago
    That is interesting. I wish one could acquire a "nomadic" status and pay only a fraction of the income tax in the country he lives in for a given period. But that open a bigger sets of problem, like health insurance, etc.
    - richardknop 9y ago
      It's gray area legally. If you have income in multiple countries you should pay income tax in each country (how much you earned while working there) but if you are just traveling in a van and don't have any residence and are on the move all the time, not sure how you can do that without it getting too messy. Probably easiest to just declare all income in home base country.
      - literallycancer 9y ago
        >It's gray area legally. If you have income in multiple countries you should pay income tax in each country (how much you earned while working there) but if you are just traveling in a van and don't have any residence and are on the move all the time, not sure how you can do that without it getting too messy. Probably easiest to just declare all income in home base country. Most countries have agreements to avoid double taxation, meaning you just declare the income in the home country, as long as you spend less then half a year in the other country. The agreements usually have some rules regarding which country counts as the home country if you e.g. own property in both of them.
yulapshun 9y ago
Wish I could live like him one day. So sad I'm living in Hong Kong which is just a big city with nowhere to go.
- sammoorhouse 9y ago
  Hey - I lived in HK for four years until 2015 - at least go backpacking, it’s easy! You’re a 2.5 hour flight from Da Nang.
  - rerx 9y ago
    Keep in mind that more severe visa restrictions might apply to the OP than to you.
madshiva 9y ago
I wish I can do the same, but remote works is hard to find.
agumonkey 9y ago
a solar powered one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ1zbqAGA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ1zbqAGA0 ?
peteretep 9y ago
My friend Tynan wrote a very indepth guide on working from a van, some years before it was cool: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XLK2LW/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XLK2LW/
cdnsteve 9y ago
This reminds me of those tiny houses you've seen where people can live very well on a low budget but with the benefit of being mobile. I've thought about it but it becomes impractical quickly with a family. When I'd go on week long + backcountry hiking or canoe trips I always felt like all the other stuff you have just don't matter. Time away from stuff doesn't make you miss it, it makes you realize you don't need any of it.
RickJWagner 9y ago
Cool story. I'm glad the author shared.
restlessdesign 9y ago
“…down by the RIV-ER!”
blondie9x 9y ago
I like the ideas behind the writer of this post. However I have worked remote for over a year and I have to comment. First of all working in a van for a long haul will probably be painful for your back. No standing desk no office chair and desk set up will not be comfortable to code for more then a few hours. Most of time working remote you need power and wifi. There is an expectation that you will be online during similar hours as your co-workers as peers. Maybe not exactly but similarly. So you gotta have a pocket wifi if doing this. Working in a van most days alone can be isolating. Trust me you will feel it. Even when you go to an office and don't speak much to people it still helps with social aspect. Being online and talking to co workers does too. If you have a pocket WiFi and are not totally off grid able to engage with famile or friends and colleagues online then it will be helpful. With climate change worsening sometimes it's hot really hot. It will be difficult to be outside for long stretches of time in a wide variety of places due to worsening climate change. When you are in the office you will not notice how bad it's getting less. Reading the news daily and seeing all the issues connecting to climate changes helps but working outside you really feel it directly. Historically a town might have had temperatures of 23 C now it's 28 C to 30 C on the bad days. However during working at an office you are usually in an AC building from 9 to 18 missing the hottest parts of day. When you work remotely to you will know how bad things are and it will trouble you more if you try to work in a van connected to nature. It's gonna be hot. Working remote is great but there are some drawbacks like everything in life. Those you need to be mindful of before onsetting on that path.
- classisch 9y ago
  > Working remote is great but there are some drawbacks like everything in life. Those you need to be mindful of before onsetting on that path. I totally agree. Working remotely is not just awesome. But I prefer it over a regular office job which has more downsides for me. > First of all working in a van for a long haul will probably be painful for your back. No standing desk no office chair and desk set up will not be comfortable to code for more then a few hours. I do a lot of sport (surfing, cycling, swimming pull-ups and other exercises for my back). I usually take regular breaks to avoid sitting in the same position for too long. My back feels great! > Most of time working remote you need power and wifi. There is an expectation that you will be online during similar hours as your co-workers as peers. Maybe not exactly but similarly. So you gotta have a pocket wifi if doing this. Check out my mobile office setup: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-... and https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-.... I have power and internet 24h 7 days a week. My connection is more reliable than some of my co-workers who work from home. > When you work remotely to you will know how bad things are and it will trouble you more if you try to work in a van connected to nature. It's gonna be hot. Yes, sometimes it just to hot. I've experienced this in the inland. My solution: I drive to the mountains or the beaches where the climate is milder. Or I take a siesta and wait until the sun sets to work. I can work whenever I want. Another advantage of a remote job!
majewsky 9y ago
> The amount of water that I used in Berlin to brush my teeth is probably enough for a whole day in my van. Maybe 80% of the water just flowed from the tap right into the drain without even touching my body. I hear things like that time and time again, and I can literally not understand it. Why would any sane person leave the water running while brushing their teeth? When I brush my teeth, the water runs for one second to wet the brush, then for another second to draw water into a glass for rising my mouth with, then for another five seconds (on a low setting) to clean the brush. That's maybe 100 ml. I literally drink 15-20 times as much per day.
- solatic 9y ago
  > Why would any sane person leave the water running while brushing their teeth? a) the price of tap water being cheap enough that the difference in consumption between efficient and wasteful behavior not causing a meaningful enough difference in the bottom-line cost of the monthly water bill to affect a change in behavior b) sanity not being the same thing as morality, with the sane person not considering the waste of fresh water to be a moral or ethical violation.
  - keldaris 9y ago
    I'm not really sure how wasting a bit of water while brushing your teeth in Berlin could be considered particularly immoral or unethical. Berlin is, as far as I know, in no danger of water shortages and being more frugal with water in Berlin does nothing whatsoever for the billions of people in the world who have no or limited access to safe water supplies. Am I wrong?
    - amigoingtodie 9y ago
      It is not being wasted. It is being paid for, and then goes back to the earth. It is not like it is being contaniminated with mercury.
- classisch 9y ago
  I closed the tap while I was brushing my teeth, too. But sometimes I'd open the tap to spit out the tooth paste. Don't ask me why, but quite often I just continued brushing my teeth for a few more seconds before I finally spat out the tooth paste. During these seconds I probably wasted a lot of water. Of course this is just an example. Maybe there are even better examples like flushing your pee away or ignoring a leaking tap... At the end I just wanted to make a point. I'm definitely not a perfect roll model for a sustainable life. But the van life made me more aware of how we take things for granted although they are limited.
bamboozled 9y ago
I live and work to travel and go on adventures and what I don't live for is work. Why would someone want to mix the two? I work full time remote out of a home office, but I couldn't think of much worse of an idea going on a "working holiday". I've done it and it just distracts me from enjoying my time. I mean, is the author really productive or just having fun and doing much less work? I'm not judging anyone for working less, I'm all for it, but this taking your work with you everywhere sounds horrible.
- lettergram 9y ago
  In school, and now out of school - I keep the same routine. I work 50 to 80+ hours a week programming, emailing, etc. Primary, Ive worked a full-time job as (senior) software engineer and on the side (as much as a possibly can get away with it) building businesses for the last year of college + the last three years. During that time I never once took more than a single day break from coding. That is four years with no vacation / adventure. I coded after everyone went to sleep, on planes, trains, ships, etc. Believe it or not I'm also married and have a fairly active social life. I found that traveling, and working makes it possible for me to see things I otherwise wouldn't. I also noticed that changing up my scenery made it possible for me to be more productive. Might not be like this for everyone, but I'm more invigorated when new stuff is going on. It keeps my brain on point. I should note, that since then I took my first real vacation in four years. It was two weeks doing w.e., traveling with my wife. Honestly, it was awesome to be away. That doesn't mean I don't bring my work with me now (as perhaps I'm overly ambitious), but I do intend to unplug now for at least two weeks every year. However, I can see how this guy would be able to travel and might even be more productive if they do it right.
yokisan 9y ago
This is awesome. So much so, I'm going to borrow his idea and kick this off next Spring. If the author is reading this, some questions: - How do you deal with solitude? Most can handle it but seeing as everyday is a new day in a new place there must be an urge to share that with somebody. - This mode of living must have an impact on the ol' love life. What do the ladies say - if you meet many at all - when you suggest going back to your van/office/home? - What are your plans for the Winter? I imagine just go as south-west as possible to chase the sun.
- classisch 9y ago
  > How do you deal with solitude? Most can handle it but seeing as everyday is a new day in a new place there must be an urge to share that with somebody. I haven't experienced solitude so far. Sometimes I even leave crowded spots because I want some time for myself. I travel in Europe, not in Alaska. I meet people everyday and on top of that I have a regular job and interact with my co-workers every weekday. Mostly asynchronous and sometimes synchronous. > This mode of living must have an impact on the ol' love life. What do the ladies say - if you meet many at all - when you suggest going back to your van/office/home? Yes, this is can be a problem. Sometimes you meet people who don't love the "simple" life like I do. I respect their opinions and either spend time with them in their world or make a compromise, e.g. stay on a campsite that offers all the facilities you have in a regular apartment. But at the end you usually hangout with people that get a long with you and your life style? > What are your plans for the Winter? I imagine just go as south-west as possible to chase the sun. Yes, I'll follow the warm weather once my naked feet get cold here.
  - yokisan 9y ago
    Thanks for the reply. Very neat adventure you're on. > Sometimes you meet people who don't love the "simple" life like I do. Hey, if the ladies don't dig the man with the van, their loss!
peterwwillis 9y ago
#Vanlife, the Bohemian Social-Media Movement https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bo... Five Harsh Truths You Need To Consider Before You Start Living The #Vanlife http://uproxx.com/life/harsh-truths-vanlife/3/ http://uproxx.com/life/harsh-truths-vanlife/3/
deleted 9y ago
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mjbrownie 9y ago
I drove around Australia whilst still maintaining several django projects for a web hosting company back in 2011. Started with an old 15 inch Dell and a Samsung Galaxy tab but got a 11 inch Mac Air later. Great fun! You really learn to optimise your setup around current draw and avoiding overheat :) My biggest lessons were combining mosh and tmux It'd be more of a struggle as a front end developer.
- lliiffee 9y ago
  Could you give more details about how you combined these? I'm aware of both of these tools, but wasn't sure how they could be used together. At the moment I heavily use mosh which is pretty much perfect aside from the fact that it kills my local scrollback history.
  - mjbrownie 9y ago
    Well tmux gives you back some scrollback (when you remember the key combination). I was doing linux sysadmin style work on remote cellular networks so mosh was great for the occasional dropouts. Also tmux gives you an extra layer of persistence and window organisation.
- kzisme 9y ago
  Did you blog or write about your experience at all? Are these projects you were working on before the trip - or were they a full time gig already? I'm always curious how people are able to do these sorts of things!
  - mjbrownie 9y ago
    No public blog unfortunately... It was a lucky mix of timing and life circumstance. Single, late twenties had just finished most heavy development work in 2010 and the sytems were running smoothely, a good bossfriend who knew I was hard to replace and I had a sister to catch up with on the other side of the country.
driverdan 9y ago
Nice writeup. I also live in a vehicle. I have a 25ft (7.6m) former airport shuttle bus I've converted to my home. It took me over six months of full time work and it's still not complete. I've lived in it for a bit over four months. Overall it has been good but not without challenges. I'm currently busy working which has led to neglecting stuff I need to finish on the bus. I can't travel far until I finish these things. Here are some recommendations and tips if you're considering this life: * If you haven't spent time camping in a vehicle rent one for at least a week and try that first. It's not exactly the same but similar. * Don't jump in blindly. Do significant research into what others have done, what works and what doesn't, etc. * If you decide to build something yourself expect it to take at least twice as long and cost 50% more than you plan. * Evaluate if it makes sense to do the build yourself. I wanted to build something physical instead of just writing code. Financially it would have made more sense for me to continue working full time and have a place like Sportsmobile do the build. I wouldn't have learned the skills and had the experience though. I have a lot of build photos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driverdan/ https://www.instagram.com/driverdan/ I'm happy to answer questions.
- wallace_f 9y ago
  That's a cool van! In Australia I built a van out of something like a Toyota Hiace for less than $500 + the cost of the van. I travelled in it for a year, living in it for well over 6 months of that, and sold it at the end. I actually didn't really need $500: I made money building the van as I bartered a deal to help out a carpenter with some basic office IT stuff, and ended up learning and helping a little bit around his shop, whiche he gave me cash-in-hand for at the end. I also used second-hand and bartered items for the interior, and even a little bit of left-over lumber, tiling and cloth, which saved at least $1,000. I have 2 pieces of advice: the first is that the most important thing is a comfortable bed, real bed. I bought a new, cheap one at Costco. Not fold out cushions, or a pad, or anything like that. A big bed with extra blankets, good sheets, and pillows. Consider that you want to be outdoors right? Ostensibly, you will use the van for driving, carrying a surf board and mountain bike (or your hobby of choice), and sleeping. That's the big 3, and you don't need much to make that possible, other than a van with a nice bed inside. I did also have bench inside for working, an electric cooler, and kitchen setup, but even all that was superfluous: I prefer to work in coffee shops, libraries, or laying in bed. I ate out or bbq'd. I showered at beaches, gyms, campsites, or at new friend's places (for some reason, most are very eager to help travellers and invite them over). The second is how much do you care about not looking poor? I have travelled in a ~$5,000 camper and a ~$200,000 camper. I slightly preferred the $5,000 camper. It is pleasant to drive rather than worrisome, doesn't give you motion sickness or pollute as much, easier to maintain and manage, and you can take it into the city, to the supermarket, and places the RV can't go. There is a reason those old Westfalias are so expensive other than them being rare! However, most people care mostly about not looking poor, or their status, especially in America(1). You will see, and be seen by other people differently living in a $5,000 camper, and that unfortunately presents challenges here. However, in the end I sold it for even more than that, and it taught me a lot. If you are thinking about doing this, you could always start with something basic, like this! Especially if you are young and want to go surfing, mountain biking, and snowboarding every weekend, I really recommend it. 1- content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1974718,00.html
atomical 9y ago
How do you keep your laptop charged? A separate generator?
ge96 9y ago
Sounds cool, main concerns are bathroom and internet connection. What about security and parking? The photo of laptop side of caravan in front of the beach looks nice though unsure in practice (smell) can you focus sort of thing, regardless cool, like the mobility idea it's what I strive for some day.
peter303 9y ago
You guys must have great dating lives
- daxorid 9y ago
  This mode of lifestyle would actually be a fantastic dating pool filter against vapid consumerists and the status-obsessed.
idlewords 9y ago
That van sounds like it could use a CO detector.
deleted 9y ago
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mikestew 9y ago
It would appear that “van” has a different definition in Europe. In the U. S. I think most would consider that a Class C RV. I’m not just being pedantic, as there is loads more room in the authors rig than our VW Westfalia, or even a Chevy conversion. I’d live full-time in what’s pictured (and plenty of U. S. retirees do just that), no problem, but I’d have to have a genuine need before I’d consider more than a month or two in the VW. EDIT: now I’m genuinely curious, so please help me out Europeans. Scroll to the bottom and relieve my ignorance: is this considered to be a “van” in Europe? https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ Because I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the U. S. that would call that a camper van.
- classisch 9y ago
  Ha! I'm not a native speaker. I used the word "van" because I didn't want to write "campervan" all the time. But maybe "camper" would have been better? > A campervan (or camper van), sometimes referred to as a camper, or a caravanette, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term mainly describes vans that have been fitted out, often with a coachbuilt body for use as accommodation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campervan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campervan I connect "RV" with something like this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Rv_classa.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Rv_class.... My mobile home is built on top of Mercedes 209D and is 6 meters long and 2 meters wide. It almost fits into a regular parking lot. I leave it up to the experts whether this is a van, campervan or whatever?
  - mikestew 9y ago
    Well, I hesitate to get too strict on definitions, as I genuinely am just curious about the differences in terminology and I'm not trying to be the #vanlife police. For instance, that first picture in Wikipedia article you link to, you can buy something similar in the U. S. built on a Sprinter chassis (Winnebago Navion/View). Technically, yes, it's probably a "camper van" as it's built on what was once a van chassis. Most folks in the U. S. would not call it a "van" probably because the only difference between a Navion and a traditional Class C RV is the chassis it is built on (a Class C uses a truck chassis). To me personally, and I'd extrapolate to the U. S. population, a "van" or "camper van" is a camper that kept the original body. For instance, classic VW Westfalia, Chevrolet/Ford 1/2 ton conversion vans (RoadTrek), VW California in Europe, Sportsmobile in U.S./Canada. But the instant the original body comes off (or more accurately, never had a body to begin with) and a new one goes on, it's an RV. To put it another way, when Westfalia received VW Vanagons to build out, the Vanagon had a full body (just stripped). When whoever built your camper received the vehicle, all it had was a frame and a drivetrain, with no body. But, again, you need not answer to me, call it whatever you want. :-)
FuNe 9y ago
Living in a van might also be part of the answer to the skyrocketing rents wherever there are jobs worth their salt. Which -housing- is one of the real big markets that desperately needs to be disrupted as it siphons money out of the productive sector into the rentiers' black holes. Disclaimer: Living/renting in Dublin/Ireland.
applecorruption 9y ago
I lived, coded in van. No money.. Apple laptop eat battery in 2 hours. Cannot recharge, no money for gasoline. Parking next to library to have internet..... never again. I hated it everyday. I do not recommend this to anybody.
imsd 9y ago
I'm going on 2+ years in a van myself and I even started a side project showcasing others doing the same: https://vanvaya.com https://vanvaya.com Being young and looking to save on expenses, living in a van is one of the best decisions I've made.
exception_e 9y ago
All I can think about is how I wouldn't be able to do this because I love my cats and rabbit too much. Wouldn't be possible. Very cool though!
beebmam 9y ago
This is cool, but honestly I think there's a bigger problem that people don't seem to want to address: Housing affordability. Why do we allow home prices to be so expensive? Simply no one from my (millenial) generation can afford to buy a house. Home prices are so beyond insane, and it's crippling my generation. I make $200k a year and I'm unable to buy a house where I live. That's how fucked it is.
- yardie 9y ago
  Remember all that money the various government treasuries loaned to banks to keep them afloat? Take a guess where it's being spent. There is so much currency in circulation due to quantitative easing that investors are running low on things to buy. So they are parking it in the few places they know to be safe; government bonds and real estate.
- screaminghawk 9y ago
  A lot of people are going to jump on this comment and say something along the lines of "change your lifestyle and you can afford one". That's not the problem here. House prices (in my location) have risen from 4x the average annual salary to 10x. Like the above commentor, I'm better off than most and I can just barely manage to scrimp and save enough to enter the housing market, by buying the parents home at a slight discount. There's not much more I could sacrifice. I have a huge advantage on the average Joe for a number of reasons and am still struggling. Sure, it's possible for me, but it's not possible for them. And that's the problem.
- superJoy 9y ago
  Maybe this is not brought up because this is not a universal problem. In the two metro areas I am most familiar with, Houston and Detroit, plenty of my millenial peers can afford and do in fact own homes. Admittedly, these are often starter homes well outside the urban core. But owning a single-family home close to the city center is a fairly delusional goal regardless of income, in my opinion.
- pascalxus 9y ago
  Your absolutely right. and no one realizes the enormity of the tragedy. With people traveling 10x longer commute distances the cost to the environment is also 10x as much as well!! Traffic on the highway gets clogged, causing people to spend even more time on their commute. So, CA laws that obstruct building like CEQA (an environmental protection law) are doing more to harm the environment than help it. Meanwhile, the next generation is being driven out of the bay area and eventually out of CA. And that's just the tip of the ice berg. All the solutions proposed by politicians (affordable housing, regulation) only serve to make the problem worse. The answer is, we need: massive increase in housing supply or a decrease in the # of employers/jobs in this area. I'm sure there's countless VCs and founders that want to solve this Housing/Transportation problems ~ potentially a multi-trillion dollar opportunity. But, it's absolutely unassailable: the barriers to entry are so extreme, and the amount of government legislation and politics in the way is so insurmountable, I don't even know of a single company or startup that's legitimately working on this problem. It's a man made problem, that will require a man-made solution. It'll take an army of politicians to make this happen, perhaps a startup filled with politicians, not engineers.
yingxie3 9y ago
This is nice. However I need two monitors - I'm not in my 20s anymore, my brain can cache less and I need the second monitor as the look-aside buffer, quite literally :P
smegel 9y ago
How the heck do you concentrate with all the scenery around you though? I would not be able to sit still.
valas 9y ago
Is it really more environmentally 'sustainable' to live in a van than in an apartment in a dense city? Don't we get economies of scale in cities?
applecorruption 9y ago
Why minus ? hacker news community is like googles fanboys.. hn starts to be like g more and more..
- ireallydonot 9y ago
  Nothing new.. you have to just follow agenda..

720 points by hwartig 9y ago

retube 9y ago

Nice. Tricky with family though.

grecy 9y ago
I have met plenty of people driving around the world with 1-4 kids.
toomanybeersies 9y ago
I know a couple who spent a year driving around New Zealand in a house-bus with their kids. It is possible. With kids, I don't think it would be a great thing to do for super-long term. I remember reading an article recently about a family that has been traveling the world for several years with their kids. I wonder what sort of effect that would have on their social development, since they wouldn't be able to form any long-term relationships.

j7ake 9y ago

Not all spouses would agree to the van life how do you deal with this ?

King-Aaron 9y ago
Trade them in for a newer model.
- mariushn 9y ago
  Where can you find newer spouse models?
  - King-Aaron 9y ago
    Aaah that's a trade secret sorry
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
madeofpalk 9y ago
Talk to them?
staticelf 9y ago
Break up and go for it. Your life, your choices.
Fnoord 9y ago
Not to mention children going to school. I don't think this model is very feasible for parents. Certainly not single mothers/fathers. I find Assange's early life [1] relevant to this conversation. He lead a nomadic life, lived in over 30 towns throughout his lifetime. One could say it affected his nomadic adult lifestyle. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange#Early_life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange#Early_life (contains relevant sources)

hellohellojello 9y ago

How did you find the remote work? Is it with an existing client who is flexible or do you take short term contracts instead?

EugeneAZ 9y ago
He is an intelligent investor now : D
sampl 9y ago
I think he works for github: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/leaving-berlin/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/leaving-berlin/
classisch 9y ago
I still haven't found the time to write a little "About" section. @sampl is right, I work as a full-time employee for GitHub. Meanwhile you can read a short summary on my unmaintained developer blog: http://mikrobi.github.io/about/ http://mikrobi.github.io/about/ :D
peteretep 9y ago
I'm completely unaffiliated with, but would recommend: https://remoteok.io/ https://remoteok.io/

dasanman 9y ago

Very cool. Have to be quite lucky with your job I guess, or with finding contractor work

d--b 9y ago

Good for him... I would totally hate the lack of space and comfort. I'd sleep really poorly at night when it's super hot in summer and cold in winter. I'd hate it to have to look for a good internet to work. I'd miss my friends all the time. I'd dislike having to socialize with random van neighbors every time I want to not dine alone. I wouldn't last a month of this...

victornomad 9y ago
I traveled in a similar way and sometimes thought about what you just described. But the reality was totally the opposite and I ended up doing a full year in two intervals. Some of the best experiences of my life!
wallace_f 9y ago
I bought a van, converted it into a camper with a surf board, and did a loop around Australia. It was an amazing experience, and you learn a lot about people, culture, and yourself. One of the things I realized is that life always offers you options to complain about: I think the greatest inconveniences and discomforts of our ancestors of 200 years past have now been solved, but then taken for granted. We just adjust, become jaded and move on to new things to feel uncomfortable, complain about, and fear. The experience was about making a story in my life that was more than just going back and forth between the same office, restaurants, etc. Getting out of my comfort zone and going on an adventure and exploring what is out there. In winter, you head north; in summer, south. The weather is great. You meet nice people, and rude. Generous and benevelont, but also some rotten and even dastardly. There's no escaping the realities of our world; but what can maybe be done for ourselves is to try to escape our human nature to be spoiled with what we have, go outside our comfort zones and on the adventures we dream of. At minimum, it at least offers a lot of perspective. But while all of this said is fair, to be honest: without the hedonism aspect--if I didn't so much enjoy surfing, the outdoors, and meeting new people--I would have quit such a long trip. TL;DR if you have a good reason to believe you would enjoy it, being uncomfortable might not be a reason to avoid it.
- tonyedgecombe 9y ago

k4ch0w 9y ago

Nice man that looks awesome, pretty jelly. I can work remote and have been thinking about leaving for a while. How much was the initial cost of the van? How did you maintain your internet connection? What would you say is the biggest struggle?

ahmetsulek 9y ago
I'm also pretty curious about the costs.
- driverdan 9y ago
  Living in a vehicle can cost as little or as much as you want. It depends on your budget and wants/needs. You can build a simple van for a few hundred dollars or a huge overlanding rig for hundreds of thousands. An inexpensive, decent van build can be done for <$5000. My bus cost somewhere around $50k so far, including the vehicle.
classisch 9y ago
Hey! > How much was the initial cost of the van? I bought the van for 7.000 Euro. > How did you maintain your internet connection? I'm working with 4G. Works perfect all most everywhere in Europe! I use a pre-paid Italian SIM-Card that I can use all over Europe. It costs me 9 Euros for 20 GB. I usually need around 30 to 50 GB a month. So it's roughly 20 Euros per month. You can read more about the technical setup here: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-... > What would you say is the biggest struggle? I'm currently in Madrid. Living the van life in big cities is more challenging. Especially if you don't want to stay in the suburbs. I plan to write a article about my city experiences in Madrid soon.
- icebraining 9y ago
  9€ for 20GB and it works everywhere in Europe? That sounds like an amazing deal. Can you tell me which provider you're using?

earlybike 9y ago

Slightly OT: Living in a capital/big city is tough: - High rents, even in Berlin nowadays - There are more options but also much more competition for finding the right accommodation, job and spouse - In particular, finding your long-term partner can be a huge struggle in a big city in times of Tinder where nobody is committed anymore For some the solution is just to escape, avoid the challenge and call it nomad life (this is my feeling when I read such stories, maybe I am wrong). However, once they have kids, they have to settle and are back to square one.

jlebrech 9y ago
If you can convince an employer to let you work remotely and maybe let you fly in for monthly meetings you could move to a satellite city that has cheaper rent
simonbarker87 9y ago
If they have kids, the types of people who choose the nomadic lifestyle are probably more likely to question norms and pre-determined life choices, therefore less likely to have kids.
phillc73 9y ago
> However, once they have kids, they have to settle and are back to square one. I don't necessarily think it's back to square one. One doesn't have to settle in a big city. I moved out of London when my first child was due. We moved to a mid-sized (250k population) European city. I was able to find work, in an unrelated field to my previous experience but still using similar technical and management skills. The remuneration is less than I was earning in London, but the cost of living is significantly lower too. This was a lifestyle choice and the environment is much better, in my view, for raising children. Only my view of course, but in this case "better" means things like more green space, less pollution, less crime etc. It's not been 100% plain sailing. I have had to overcome a language barrier (not fully achieved that). I do feel culturally adrift sometimes. And Brexit seems to be trying to screw everything up. However, I still don't feel like I'm back to square one.
- 9y ago

mvanbaak 9y ago

This is exactly what I'm planning to do, but instead of a van, use a sailing 'yacht' big enough to live on. As soon as I have enough funding to get the gear, I'm off!

danielbarla 9y ago
Interesting idea. Does sailing a boat typically allow for one to be immersed in coding for longer periods at a time (a few hours)? Or would you just park it while you work?
- zenandpeace 9y ago
  Modern yachts basically sail themselves on an autopilot. If weather is not rough you can do whatever you want, as long as you still keep looking around from time to time
  - codesnik 9y ago
    staring at the screen while not in the calmest water isn't the nicest experience.
    - clort 9y ago
      When you are on a boat for a while, you become accustomed to the motion. Certainly looking at a screen would not bother me at sea. (there are exceptions - some people never do and they should perhaps stay on shore)
- Freeboots 9y ago
  I suspect you would get the most done while in port. Like, this guy isn't working while he drives. Would pretty amazing way to see the caribean or med!
  - danielbarla 9y ago
    That makes sense - though with a boat, it might be reasonable to work while sailing, making it even more attractive. But I doubt that would be particularly realistic, w.r.t. internet connectivity, being able to pay attention to hazards, etc.

imaassman 9y ago

cool

simonbarker87 9y ago

I'm in the process of converting a van to a camper to make weekly commuting cheaper. Lifestyle will be slightly different to this as I will still be running a factory and in the UK winter, however, I am hoping that one day I can do some extended periods somewhere warm and outdoorsy using.

grecy 9y ago

I am doing something somewhat related. I built a Jeep Wrangler into a house on wheels [1], and am driving around Africa for two years. I am freelancing for Magazines, and earning money through my website and social presence. I have not done any coding on this trip, mostly becuase I find it hard to get remote work that meets my flexibility needs - i.e. weeks off-grid and only occasional checkins/calls. Last time I drove Alaska to Argentina, doing more-or-less the same thing. [1] http://theroadchoseme.com/the-jeep http://theroadchoseme.com/the-jeep

donquichotte 9y ago
I found your webpage three years ago when preparing for my silk road motorcycle trip. Never thought that you were a HN member as well. Beautiful Jeep, if somewhat overengineered for my taste! :-D
- toomanybeersies 9y ago
  I'm planning on doing the silk road (well, actually Bali to London) in the next year or two. Do you have a writeup, or any crucial tips that I wouldn't find elsewhere?
  - donquichotte 9y ago
    Nice, I'm envious! I have a writeup at [0]. A short summary of the things I wanted to remember for next time is here [1]. Be sure to cross through Mongolia, the landscape is astonishing. Save travels! [0] https://goolge.io/motorcycletours/ https://goolge.io/motorcycletours/ [1] https://goolge.io/mototours/silkroadmadness/epilogue/ https://goolge.io/mototours/silkroadmadness/epilogue/
    - toomanybeersies 9y ago
      Oh shit, that's some great information there! I don't plan on doing the whole journey on bike, the main 2 parts I want to do on a bike is Vietnam (tried doing this last year, but had to give up due to the weather), and Mongolia. The rest, we'll see what happens!

yoavm 9y ago

I'm doing the same in Israel for almost two years now! The photos-haiku-blog is in Hebrew, but well photos are universal. http://bus.house/ http://bus.house/

submeta 9y ago
Holy cow. What happened to your social life, if I may ask? Friends, family. How do you maintain your relationships?
- coldtea 9y ago
  If anything, it's easier to make and meet friends, and easier to be with your family, if you aren't tied to a 9 to late-at-night job.
- yoavm 9y ago
  Israel is a tiny country. You can spend a week on the top of some mountain not seeing any human being, and then drive 30mins and be with your friends. I enjoy being able to choose when to be completely alone and when to be surrounded with friends and family. Besides, I can definitely stay in the middle of Tel-Aviv with my bus (without paying the crazy rent!). That's where I am currently, actually.
  - severine 9y ago
    Mouth-watering... thanks and congrats!
lingz 9y ago
It's amazing that you can do this even in a small place :). Gives us hope that this lifestyle can be opened up to more people regardless of what passport they have / country they live in.

codecamper 9y ago

We've been doing the same for a few years now. Funny.. these days I just want to go to Berlin and stay for a while! That's because I have wound up missing the buzz of a tech scene. I lived 5 years in SF & then the Hacker Dojo was born just as I was leaving. Since then, while sitting in my van, I just dream of sitting at the hacker dojo! Some of it is a great lifestyle. Tips on cheap data: Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain (not as cheap). ($1/GB) Somehow almost everyone else is ridiculously expensive. More like $10-20 / GB. The US now has Verizon unlimited. Something like 80 a month for unlimited data!? It's tempting to put the camper on a boat & go back. Also, if you are going to work out of a van, you are going to need consistent power. Please do not use a generator! Stick about 4 flexible solar panels on the roof. They can be attached with good 3m zip tie mounts & zip ties. One hole drilled through the roof. Get a lithium (lifepo4) battery & a controller from electrodacus.

tomcooks 9y ago
Thanks for the informations, what kind of panels would you suggest (watts or better model and maker, if it doesn't go against hn rules)? I succesfully used a small foldable panel during my bicycle nomadism

robotmay 9y ago

I've met a few people living in vans/converted trucks when I've been in France. There's quite a few countries around with great regulations that let you park up in lots of places, e.g. in France there are regular places you can stay along the major roads for free, usually with decent facilities. I met a girl there this year who had converted a truck into a mobile home. It even had window boxes for her plants! Unfortunately it's much more awkward in the UK. So much of this country is private land and everyone's so afraid of gypsies that you're basically prevented from setting up a van nearly anywhere. I work remotely and I've started experiencing leg problems from sitting too much. So I'm now trying to set the trend of "wood-working"; where I go for a walk to the woods nearby, sit on a rock by the river, and do some coding. It might catch on ;)

codesnik 9y ago
how's it going? I love to move around with my laptop, but nature is too damn distractive. Sun is too bright, stone under my ass is too cold, that view is too beautiful, oh, I'm already hungry, oh, it's sunset. That was a nice day, but I barely worked.
- DennisP 9y ago
  I'm just the opposite. If I really want to concentrate on a hard problem, I take my laptop to the park, and sit at a picnic table surrounded by trees, overlooking a lake. For routine stuff I just need to crank out, it's headphones and coffee, but real thinking I do better in nature. All the mental distractions and trivia fade away.
- timmaah 9y ago
  All excuses. Nature is the best part of this world for me. Everything else is a distraction. I know this afternoon I get to go hike up a canyon and climb the rim up to see a natural arch. On a normal Tuesday. So I'm going to get my shit done when it's a perfect day out with the sun shining in my eyes. Then I get to play.
- robotmay 9y ago
  Glare on the screen can be difficult. Luckily most displays these days have retina-searing brightness options. I take a solid-fuel stove out with me so I have a good supply of tea + food, which helps!

classisch 9y ago

Hey everyone! I'm the author of that article. I just started the blog and still have a ton of things to write about. I like all the (critical) feedback. That inspires me for further blog posts. Thanks for reading!

pdimitar 9y ago
Thanks for writing this. It made me very sad because the traveler life appeals a lot to me but I still quite like the things I have in the city, so I have always been extremely conflicted about a nomadic life (or a period). How do you deal with the toilet troubles though? Also, can you give some details on how do you avoid cold weather? My girlfriend tells me there are areas in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece where summer is much longer and the winter basically means 13-17 degrees without snow -- in the worst case scenario. I was profoundly touched by your article. I am at a point of my life when I feel a desperate and very strong need for a change. Reasons are a lot and I don't want to derail this thread by making my comment a public confession -- suffice to say, I realize I dislike a part of my life and I want to do something about it. Truth be told however, I like my mega-strong internet (Bulgaria). I like being able to go buy cooked food when I feel lazy or sick or tired and don't want to cook -- telling yourself "get a grip and cook!" sounds like stress and forcing myself and not like something that relaxes you. I like being able to go to a cinema on a whim. The city gives me the sense of being able to spontaneously do various things. I really want to try some nomadism -- or at least travel to 10+ places during a period -- and as a 37 y/o with a burnout, nature's appeal grows in me with each passing week. Overall, I am happy your format worked for you -- it made me consider some traveling very seriously and I started to weigh pros and cons. Thank you.
- tomcooks 9y ago
  When i had a burnout I quit my IT job and walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela trail, it was a liberating experience and a great introduction to nomadism. Give it a try!
- peteretep 9y ago
  > I really want to try some nomadism So do. The van part is totally optional. Go to Chiang Mai and find a coworking space and an AirBNB. If you don't like it, go home! We have a fixed base we spend 50% of the year at, but also like to go and spend 6 weeks working elsewhere.

leoedin 9y ago

This is written in October. He's been living in the van since the middle of May. Basically late spring, summer and early autumn. How is he going to feel after another 150 days? Camping in winter can be fun, but it's not warm. At all. Trying to work in a van when it's below freezing outside will be pretty hard work. I can't even type when the room drops below 15 degrees. Vans like the one he has are basically uninsulated steel boxes - they get cold pretty fast.

weavie 9y ago
He is in a van. I guess he can just drive south.
classisch 9y ago
I'll probably spend the winter down in southern Portugal/Spain where temperatures are around 15 degrees in average during the winter. I've also installed an old heating that works with Diesel and electricity. But yes, summer life is easy and I'm looking forward to experience my first winter in the van. BTW: I bought the van in February and already worked and slept in the van while it was freezing cold: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ it was ok.
- cfn 9y ago
  Inland Portugal can be freezing cold in the Winter, we got -2 C several days in a row last year (I know, -2 C is balmy elsewhere but try it without central heating). You should be okay if you stick to the coast as the sea breezes keep the temperatures in the 10-15 C most of the time.
  - toomanybeersies 9y ago
    If you've got a good sleeping bag, -2 C isn't that bad. I've spent the night with those temperatures in the high country of New Zealand. I know people that have spent the night in -15 C temperatures.

justonepost 9y ago

I think it's really sad and pathetic that someone can enjoy such a simple, non consumerist based life. How are you supporting the global economy? How are you proving that you are worthy? This sounds like homelessness to me. Without a home, are you really a worthwhile human being deserving of a mate? I don't think so. Unless you shop and own, man, you don't really exist.

sealjam 9y ago
I think (hope) the downvoters have missed the sarcasm in this comment
- icebraining 9y ago
  Or they just don't think the comment brings much to the discussion.
- Luc 9y ago
  Nah, it's just not that clever.
- we_re_new 9y ago
  I think that removing the downvote button altogether is a good idea on this site.
  - davidsong 9y ago
    There's a downvote button? I've not seen it yet.
    - staticelf 9y ago
      It is unlocked when you get more points.
    - theandrewbailey 9y ago
      It shows below the upvote button when you get 500+ karma.

lafar6502 9y ago

No I can’t imagine all the nice places full of parked vans with programmers working/living there all the time. Go hermit somewhere else

icebraining 9y ago
Relax, there are more nice places than programmers.

lowglow 9y ago

I tried this around SF Bay Area. Unfortunately SF isn't as van-friendly as I would have liked, and the high crime rate and high rate of break-ins left me less than desiring to stay in SF. Had a friend successfully camp out in East Bay, but got sick of it. I moved down to Redwood City but the cops basically harassed me, and treated me like a criminal. I finally would park in my van outside of Social Capital in Palo Alto. Palo Alto remains a legal place to live the van life. You'll also meet a bunch of other van dwellers from tech companies around there. There is even a couple of secret facebook groups for nerds working/living out of their van in and around SF/BA.

cvsh 9y ago
That's the first big strike against vanlife for me. In the US there's no cheap and reliable way to park and sleep without being harassed by police. The second is illness: I ate some bad chicken earlier this year and was violently ill, projectile liquid from both ends ill, for three whole days. It was miserable but bearable because I had an apartment with a bed and a bathroom. I can't imagine what it would have been like in a van.
- tomcooks 9y ago
  Should that happen to me I'd just check in at a cheap airbnb for a week until feeling better, possibly with a friend taking care of me while i complain about being sick
  - cvsh 9y ago
    I went from feeling fine to could-not-walk-three-steps-without-vomiting in the course of an hour. Could probably not have seen it coming and booked an airbnb in time.
    - lowglow 9y ago
      Here is a serious pro-tip, take two shots of apple cider vinegar and 30-40 minutes later you'll be right as rain.

staticelf 9y ago

Nice, I am not going to do exactly this but I am planning to live more freely in the coming years. MGTOW life seems like a much better way to live.

twobyfour 9y ago

Are there any women here who have done something like this and would be willing to comment on it? Theoretically it sounds cool, but I'd be a bit anxious about personal safety.

cfn 9y ago
There are a number of videos on YouTube about it. Search for "woman solo van". Here is the first result: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nMBNAlHQMo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nMBNAlHQMo
et-al 9y ago
You can try reaching out to Caroline of Little Package: https://www.little-package.com/about-little-package https://www.little-package.com/about-little-package She used to make awesome cycling caps, did the PCT, and is now traveling around America in a Vanagon.
Jemmeh 9y ago
Learn to use pepper spray. It's fairly simple and will empower you a lot. You can buy some that shoots a jet ~10feet. Also when you park lock the doors and make sure you can easily hop into the front seat and drive off. Most of the time no one bothers you, at least here in the U.S. I'm sure it depends on location a bit too.

mmahemoff 9y ago

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a file tree and multiple files.

jankotek 9y ago
Just take a display with you...
clappski 9y ago
It depends on what work I’m doing - in the office I have a 32” and two 19”’s, when I’m remoting I use my T420 which has a 14” (I think). If I need to tail logs or remote onto a few servers the extra real estate is invaluable, if I have a coding or SQL-script-writing task it doesn’t make a difference. It might even help having a single small screen by removing obvious distractions e.g. emails I don’t need to read, IRC messages.
dsfyu404ed 9y ago
They're nice but if you don't spend a lot of time with one you don't miss them that much.
petercooper 9y ago
If I'm in full-on development mode, I like to have at least one separate screen, though for more casual maintenance stuff I'm happy on a laptop. I seem to recall DHH (Basecamp/Rails) said in the past he frequently developed on an 11" MacBook at some point, only using a monitor when sat at a desk, so I guess it's doable.
- DamonHD 9y ago
  I do all my dev and other work on a 13" MacBook Air and have done for years. I haven't had a desktop monitor since my last gig with a client in the City. Yes, the ergonomics suck relatively speaking, especially now that my eyesight is getting worse with age (and from falling off a Segway!), but it means that I can work anywhere and my desk at home can be tiny.

adamzerner 9y ago

The fact that this post mentions all benefits and no downsides makes it not very credible to me.

poushkar 9y ago

Oh, I think I attended one of your talks last year (about Mikado method). Nice to learn that you live this van life now, keep updating the blog, it's very interesting!

koevet 9y ago

Very inspiring, I wish I could try something like that for a while. Question: do you still declare your income in your home country (Germany, I assume) or have you found a different solution?

mrnzc 9y ago
I know the OP. He is declaring his income in Germany.
- koevet 9y ago
  That is interesting. I wish one could acquire a "nomadic" status and pay only a fraction of the income tax in the country he lives in for a given period. But that open a bigger sets of problem, like health insurance, etc.
  - richardknop 9y ago
    It's gray area legally. If you have income in multiple countries you should pay income tax in each country (how much you earned while working there) but if you are just traveling in a van and don't have any residence and are on the move all the time, not sure how you can do that without it getting too messy. Probably easiest to just declare all income in home base country.
    - literallycancer 9y ago
      >It's gray area legally. If you have income in multiple countries you should pay income tax in each country (how much you earned while working there) but if you are just traveling in a van and don't have any residence and are on the move all the time, not sure how you can do that without it getting too messy. Probably easiest to just declare all income in home base country. Most countries have agreements to avoid double taxation, meaning you just declare the income in the home country, as long as you spend less then half a year in the other country. The agreements usually have some rules regarding which country counts as the home country if you e.g. own property in both of them.

yulapshun 9y ago

Wish I could live like him one day. So sad I'm living in Hong Kong which is just a big city with nowhere to go.

sammoorhouse 9y ago
Hey - I lived in HK for four years until 2015 - at least go backpacking, it’s easy! You’re a 2.5 hour flight from Da Nang.
- rerx 9y ago
  Keep in mind that more severe visa restrictions might apply to the OP than to you.

madshiva 9y ago

I wish I can do the same, but remote works is hard to find.

agumonkey 9y ago

a solar powered one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ1zbqAGA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ1zbqAGA0 ?

peteretep 9y ago

My friend Tynan wrote a very indepth guide on working from a van, some years before it was cool: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XLK2LW/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006XLK2LW/

cdnsteve 9y ago

This reminds me of those tiny houses you've seen where people can live very well on a low budget but with the benefit of being mobile. I've thought about it but it becomes impractical quickly with a family. When I'd go on week long + backcountry hiking or canoe trips I always felt like all the other stuff you have just don't matter. Time away from stuff doesn't make you miss it, it makes you realize you don't need any of it.

RickJWagner 9y ago

Cool story. I'm glad the author shared.

restlessdesign 9y ago

“…down by the RIV-ER!”

blondie9x 9y ago

I like the ideas behind the writer of this post. However I have worked remote for over a year and I have to comment. First of all working in a van for a long haul will probably be painful for your back. No standing desk no office chair and desk set up will not be comfortable to code for more then a few hours. Most of time working remote you need power and wifi. There is an expectation that you will be online during similar hours as your co-workers as peers. Maybe not exactly but similarly. So you gotta have a pocket wifi if doing this. Working in a van most days alone can be isolating. Trust me you will feel it. Even when you go to an office and don't speak much to people it still helps with social aspect. Being online and talking to co workers does too. If you have a pocket WiFi and are not totally off grid able to engage with famile or friends and colleagues online then it will be helpful. With climate change worsening sometimes it's hot really hot. It will be difficult to be outside for long stretches of time in a wide variety of places due to worsening climate change. When you are in the office you will not notice how bad it's getting less. Reading the news daily and seeing all the issues connecting to climate changes helps but working outside you really feel it directly. Historically a town might have had temperatures of 23 C now it's 28 C to 30 C on the bad days. However during working at an office you are usually in an AC building from 9 to 18 missing the hottest parts of day. When you work remotely to you will know how bad things are and it will trouble you more if you try to work in a van connected to nature. It's gonna be hot. Working remote is great but there are some drawbacks like everything in life. Those you need to be mindful of before onsetting on that path.

classisch 9y ago
> Working remote is great but there are some drawbacks like everything in life. Those you need to be mindful of before onsetting on that path. I totally agree. Working remotely is not just awesome. But I prefer it over a regular office job which has more downsides for me. > First of all working in a van for a long haul will probably be painful for your back. No standing desk no office chair and desk set up will not be comfortable to code for more then a few hours. I do a lot of sport (surfing, cycling, swimming pull-ups and other exercises for my back). I usually take regular breaks to avoid sitting in the same position for too long. My back feels great! > Most of time working remote you need power and wifi. There is an expectation that you will be online during similar hours as your co-workers as peers. Maybe not exactly but similarly. So you gotta have a pocket wifi if doing this. Check out my mobile office setup: https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-... and https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/turning-my-van-into-a-.... I have power and internet 24h 7 days a week. My connection is more reliable than some of my co-workers who work from home. > When you work remotely to you will know how bad things are and it will trouble you more if you try to work in a van connected to nature. It's gonna be hot. Yes, sometimes it just to hot. I've experienced this in the inland. My solution: I drive to the mountains or the beaches where the climate is milder. Or I take a siesta and wait until the sun sets to work. I can work whenever I want. Another advantage of a remote job!

majewsky 9y ago

> The amount of water that I used in Berlin to brush my teeth is probably enough for a whole day in my van. Maybe 80% of the water just flowed from the tap right into the drain without even touching my body. I hear things like that time and time again, and I can literally not understand it. Why would any sane person leave the water running while brushing their teeth? When I brush my teeth, the water runs for one second to wet the brush, then for another second to draw water into a glass for rising my mouth with, then for another five seconds (on a low setting) to clean the brush. That's maybe 100 ml. I literally drink 15-20 times as much per day.

solatic 9y ago
> Why would any sane person leave the water running while brushing their teeth? a) the price of tap water being cheap enough that the difference in consumption between efficient and wasteful behavior not causing a meaningful enough difference in the bottom-line cost of the monthly water bill to affect a change in behavior b) sanity not being the same thing as morality, with the sane person not considering the waste of fresh water to be a moral or ethical violation.
- keldaris 9y ago
  I'm not really sure how wasting a bit of water while brushing your teeth in Berlin could be considered particularly immoral or unethical. Berlin is, as far as I know, in no danger of water shortages and being more frugal with water in Berlin does nothing whatsoever for the billions of people in the world who have no or limited access to safe water supplies. Am I wrong?
  - amigoingtodie 9y ago
    It is not being wasted. It is being paid for, and then goes back to the earth. It is not like it is being contaniminated with mercury.
classisch 9y ago
I closed the tap while I was brushing my teeth, too. But sometimes I'd open the tap to spit out the tooth paste. Don't ask me why, but quite often I just continued brushing my teeth for a few more seconds before I finally spat out the tooth paste. During these seconds I probably wasted a lot of water. Of course this is just an example. Maybe there are even better examples like flushing your pee away or ignoring a leaking tap... At the end I just wanted to make a point. I'm definitely not a perfect roll model for a sustainable life. But the van life made me more aware of how we take things for granted although they are limited.

bamboozled 9y ago

I live and work to travel and go on adventures and what I don't live for is work. Why would someone want to mix the two? I work full time remote out of a home office, but I couldn't think of much worse of an idea going on a "working holiday". I've done it and it just distracts me from enjoying my time. I mean, is the author really productive or just having fun and doing much less work? I'm not judging anyone for working less, I'm all for it, but this taking your work with you everywhere sounds horrible.

lettergram 9y ago
In school, and now out of school - I keep the same routine. I work 50 to 80+ hours a week programming, emailing, etc. Primary, Ive worked a full-time job as (senior) software engineer and on the side (as much as a possibly can get away with it) building businesses for the last year of college + the last three years. During that time I never once took more than a single day break from coding. That is four years with no vacation / adventure. I coded after everyone went to sleep, on planes, trains, ships, etc. Believe it or not I'm also married and have a fairly active social life. I found that traveling, and working makes it possible for me to see things I otherwise wouldn't. I also noticed that changing up my scenery made it possible for me to be more productive. Might not be like this for everyone, but I'm more invigorated when new stuff is going on. It keeps my brain on point. I should note, that since then I took my first real vacation in four years. It was two weeks doing w.e., traveling with my wife. Honestly, it was awesome to be away. That doesn't mean I don't bring my work with me now (as perhaps I'm overly ambitious), but I do intend to unplug now for at least two weeks every year. However, I can see how this guy would be able to travel and might even be more productive if they do it right.

yokisan 9y ago

This is awesome. So much so, I'm going to borrow his idea and kick this off next Spring. If the author is reading this, some questions: - How do you deal with solitude? Most can handle it but seeing as everyday is a new day in a new place there must be an urge to share that with somebody. - This mode of living must have an impact on the ol' love life. What do the ladies say - if you meet many at all - when you suggest going back to your van/office/home? - What are your plans for the Winter? I imagine just go as south-west as possible to chase the sun.

classisch 9y ago
> How do you deal with solitude? Most can handle it but seeing as everyday is a new day in a new place there must be an urge to share that with somebody. I haven't experienced solitude so far. Sometimes I even leave crowded spots because I want some time for myself. I travel in Europe, not in Alaska. I meet people everyday and on top of that I have a regular job and interact with my co-workers every weekday. Mostly asynchronous and sometimes synchronous. > This mode of living must have an impact on the ol' love life. What do the ladies say - if you meet many at all - when you suggest going back to your van/office/home? Yes, this is can be a problem. Sometimes you meet people who don't love the "simple" life like I do. I respect their opinions and either spend time with them in their world or make a compromise, e.g. stay on a campsite that offers all the facilities you have in a regular apartment. But at the end you usually hangout with people that get a long with you and your life style? > What are your plans for the Winter? I imagine just go as south-west as possible to chase the sun. Yes, I'll follow the warm weather once my naked feet get cold here.
- yokisan 9y ago
  Thanks for the reply. Very neat adventure you're on. > Sometimes you meet people who don't love the "simple" life like I do. Hey, if the ladies don't dig the man with the van, their loss!

peterwwillis 9y ago

#Vanlife, the Bohemian Social-Media Movement https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bo... Five Harsh Truths You Need To Consider Before You Start Living The #Vanlife http://uproxx.com/life/harsh-truths-vanlife/3/ http://uproxx.com/life/harsh-truths-vanlife/3/

deleted 9y ago

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mjbrownie 9y ago

I drove around Australia whilst still maintaining several django projects for a web hosting company back in 2011. Started with an old 15 inch Dell and a Samsung Galaxy tab but got a 11 inch Mac Air later. Great fun! You really learn to optimise your setup around current draw and avoiding overheat :) My biggest lessons were combining mosh and tmux It'd be more of a struggle as a front end developer.

lliiffee 9y ago
Could you give more details about how you combined these? I'm aware of both of these tools, but wasn't sure how they could be used together. At the moment I heavily use mosh which is pretty much perfect aside from the fact that it kills my local scrollback history.
- mjbrownie 9y ago
  Well tmux gives you back some scrollback (when you remember the key combination). I was doing linux sysadmin style work on remote cellular networks so mosh was great for the occasional dropouts. Also tmux gives you an extra layer of persistence and window organisation.
kzisme 9y ago
Did you blog or write about your experience at all? Are these projects you were working on before the trip - or were they a full time gig already? I'm always curious how people are able to do these sorts of things!
- mjbrownie 9y ago
  No public blog unfortunately... It was a lucky mix of timing and life circumstance. Single, late twenties had just finished most heavy development work in 2010 and the sytems were running smoothely, a good bossfriend who knew I was hard to replace and I had a sister to catch up with on the other side of the country.

driverdan 9y ago

Nice writeup. I also live in a vehicle. I have a 25ft (7.6m) former airport shuttle bus I've converted to my home. It took me over six months of full time work and it's still not complete. I've lived in it for a bit over four months. Overall it has been good but not without challenges. I'm currently busy working which has led to neglecting stuff I need to finish on the bus. I can't travel far until I finish these things. Here are some recommendations and tips if you're considering this life: * If you haven't spent time camping in a vehicle rent one for at least a week and try that first. It's not exactly the same but similar. * Don't jump in blindly. Do significant research into what others have done, what works and what doesn't, etc. * If you decide to build something yourself expect it to take at least twice as long and cost 50% more than you plan. * Evaluate if it makes sense to do the build yourself. I wanted to build something physical instead of just writing code. Financially it would have made more sense for me to continue working full time and have a place like Sportsmobile do the build. I wouldn't have learned the skills and had the experience though. I have a lot of build photos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driverdan/ https://www.instagram.com/driverdan/ I'm happy to answer questions.

wallace_f 9y ago
That's a cool van! In Australia I built a van out of something like a Toyota Hiace for less than $500 + the cost of the van. I travelled in it for a year, living in it for well over 6 months of that, and sold it at the end. I actually didn't really need $500: I made money building the van as I bartered a deal to help out a carpenter with some basic office IT stuff, and ended up learning and helping a little bit around his shop, whiche he gave me cash-in-hand for at the end. I also used second-hand and bartered items for the interior, and even a little bit of left-over lumber, tiling and cloth, which saved at least $1,000. I have 2 pieces of advice: the first is that the most important thing is a comfortable bed, real bed. I bought a new, cheap one at Costco. Not fold out cushions, or a pad, or anything like that. A big bed with extra blankets, good sheets, and pillows. Consider that you want to be outdoors right? Ostensibly, you will use the van for driving, carrying a surf board and mountain bike (or your hobby of choice), and sleeping. That's the big 3, and you don't need much to make that possible, other than a van with a nice bed inside. I did also have bench inside for working, an electric cooler, and kitchen setup, but even all that was superfluous: I prefer to work in coffee shops, libraries, or laying in bed. I ate out or bbq'd. I showered at beaches, gyms, campsites, or at new friend's places (for some reason, most are very eager to help travellers and invite them over). The second is how much do you care about not looking poor? I have travelled in a ~$5,000 camper and a ~$200,000 camper. I slightly preferred the $5,000 camper. It is pleasant to drive rather than worrisome, doesn't give you motion sickness or pollute as much, easier to maintain and manage, and you can take it into the city, to the supermarket, and places the RV can't go. There is a reason those old Westfalias are so expensive other than them being rare! However, most people care mostly about not looking poor, or their status, especially in America(1). You will see, and be seen by other people differently living in a $5,000 camper, and that unfortunately presents challenges here. However, in the end I sold it for even more than that, and it taught me a lot. If you are thinking about doing this, you could always start with something basic, like this! Especially if you are young and want to go surfing, mountain biking, and snowboarding every weekend, I really recommend it. 1- content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1974718,00.html

atomical 9y ago

How do you keep your laptop charged? A separate generator?

ge96 9y ago

Sounds cool, main concerns are bathroom and internet connection. What about security and parking? The photo of laptop side of caravan in front of the beach looks nice though unsure in practice (smell) can you focus sort of thing, regardless cool, like the mobility idea it's what I strive for some day.

peter303 9y ago

You guys must have great dating lives

daxorid 9y ago
This mode of lifestyle would actually be a fantastic dating pool filter against vapid consumerists and the status-obsessed.

idlewords 9y ago

That van sounds like it could use a CO detector.

deleted 9y ago

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mikestew 9y ago

It would appear that “van” has a different definition in Europe. In the U. S. I think most would consider that a Class C RV. I’m not just being pedantic, as there is loads more room in the authors rig than our VW Westfalia, or even a Chevy conversion. I’d live full-time in what’s pictured (and plenty of U. S. retirees do just that), no problem, but I’d have to have a genuine need before I’d consider more than a month or two in the VW. EDIT: now I’m genuinely curious, so please help me out Europeans. Scroll to the bottom and relieve my ignorance: is this considered to be a “van” in Europe? https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ https://ruby-on-wheels.github.io/blog/the-first-ride/ Because I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the U. S. that would call that a camper van.

classisch 9y ago
Ha! I'm not a native speaker. I used the word "van" because I didn't want to write "campervan" all the time. But maybe "camper" would have been better? > A campervan (or camper van), sometimes referred to as a camper, or a caravanette, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term mainly describes vans that have been fitted out, often with a coachbuilt body for use as accommodation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campervan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campervan I connect "RV" with something like this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Rv_classa.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Rv_class.... My mobile home is built on top of Mercedes 209D and is 6 meters long and 2 meters wide. It almost fits into a regular parking lot. I leave it up to the experts whether this is a van, campervan or whatever?
- mikestew 9y ago
  Well, I hesitate to get too strict on definitions, as I genuinely am just curious about the differences in terminology and I'm not trying to be the #vanlife police. For instance, that first picture in Wikipedia article you link to, you can buy something similar in the U. S. built on a Sprinter chassis (Winnebago Navion/View). Technically, yes, it's probably a "camper van" as it's built on what was once a van chassis. Most folks in the U. S. would not call it a "van" probably because the only difference between a Navion and a traditional Class C RV is the chassis it is built on (a Class C uses a truck chassis). To me personally, and I'd extrapolate to the U. S. population, a "van" or "camper van" is a camper that kept the original body. For instance, classic VW Westfalia, Chevrolet/Ford 1/2 ton conversion vans (RoadTrek), VW California in Europe, Sportsmobile in U.S./Canada. But the instant the original body comes off (or more accurately, never had a body to begin with) and a new one goes on, it's an RV. To put it another way, when Westfalia received VW Vanagons to build out, the Vanagon had a full body (just stripped). When whoever built your camper received the vehicle, all it had was a frame and a drivetrain, with no body. But, again, you need not answer to me, call it whatever you want. :-)

FuNe 9y ago

Living in a van might also be part of the answer to the skyrocketing rents wherever there are jobs worth their salt. Which -housing- is one of the real big markets that desperately needs to be disrupted as it siphons money out of the productive sector into the rentiers' black holes. Disclaimer: Living/renting in Dublin/Ireland.

applecorruption 9y ago

I lived, coded in van. No money.. Apple laptop eat battery in 2 hours. Cannot recharge, no money for gasoline. Parking next to library to have internet..... never again. I hated it everyday. I do not recommend this to anybody.

imsd 9y ago

I'm going on 2+ years in a van myself and I even started a side project showcasing others doing the same: https://vanvaya.com https://vanvaya.com Being young and looking to save on expenses, living in a van is one of the best decisions I've made.

exception_e 9y ago

All I can think about is how I wouldn't be able to do this because I love my cats and rabbit too much. Wouldn't be possible. Very cool though!

beebmam 9y ago

This is cool, but honestly I think there's a bigger problem that people don't seem to want to address: Housing affordability. Why do we allow home prices to be so expensive? Simply no one from my (millenial) generation can afford to buy a house. Home prices are so beyond insane, and it's crippling my generation. I make $200k a year and I'm unable to buy a house where I live. That's how fucked it is.

yardie 9y ago
Remember all that money the various government treasuries loaned to banks to keep them afloat? Take a guess where it's being spent. There is so much currency in circulation due to quantitative easing that investors are running low on things to buy. So they are parking it in the few places they know to be safe; government bonds and real estate.
screaminghawk 9y ago
A lot of people are going to jump on this comment and say something along the lines of "change your lifestyle and you can afford one". That's not the problem here. House prices (in my location) have risen from 4x the average annual salary to 10x. Like the above commentor, I'm better off than most and I can just barely manage to scrimp and save enough to enter the housing market, by buying the parents home at a slight discount. There's not much more I could sacrifice. I have a huge advantage on the average Joe for a number of reasons and am still struggling. Sure, it's possible for me, but it's not possible for them. And that's the problem.
superJoy 9y ago
Maybe this is not brought up because this is not a universal problem. In the two metro areas I am most familiar with, Houston and Detroit, plenty of my millenial peers can afford and do in fact own homes. Admittedly, these are often starter homes well outside the urban core. But owning a single-family home close to the city center is a fairly delusional goal regardless of income, in my opinion.
pascalxus 9y ago
Your absolutely right. and no one realizes the enormity of the tragedy. With people traveling 10x longer commute distances the cost to the environment is also 10x as much as well!! Traffic on the highway gets clogged, causing people to spend even more time on their commute. So, CA laws that obstruct building like CEQA (an environmental protection law) are doing more to harm the environment than help it. Meanwhile, the next generation is being driven out of the bay area and eventually out of CA. And that's just the tip of the ice berg. All the solutions proposed by politicians (affordable housing, regulation) only serve to make the problem worse. The answer is, we need: massive increase in housing supply or a decrease in the # of employers/jobs in this area. I'm sure there's countless VCs and founders that want to solve this Housing/Transportation problems ~ potentially a multi-trillion dollar opportunity. But, it's absolutely unassailable: the barriers to entry are so extreme, and the amount of government legislation and politics in the way is so insurmountable, I don't even know of a single company or startup that's legitimately working on this problem. It's a man made problem, that will require a man-made solution. It'll take an army of politicians to make this happen, perhaps a startup filled with politicians, not engineers.

yingxie3 9y ago

This is nice. However I need two monitors - I'm not in my 20s anymore, my brain can cache less and I need the second monitor as the look-aside buffer, quite literally :P

smegel 9y ago

How the heck do you concentrate with all the scenery around you though? I would not be able to sit still.

valas 9y ago

Is it really more environmentally 'sustainable' to live in a van than in an apartment in a dense city? Don't we get economies of scale in cities?

applecorruption 9y ago

Why minus ? hacker news community is like googles fanboys.. hn starts to be like g more and more..

ireallydonot 9y ago
Nothing new.. you have to just follow agenda..