TIPS & STORIES FOR #VANLIFE

Living in 60-70 square feet with another person sounds romantic until you're three weeks in and one of you needs space that doesn't exist. Van life with a partner is one of the best or worst things you'll do together. The difference comes down to three things: how the van is built, how you manage routines, and whether you talked about the hard stuff before you left. We've built vans for dozens of couples at Brooklyn Camper Vans. The couples who thrive in van life aren't the o

Heating is the system that separates a three-season van from a four-season home. Get it wrong, and you'll be sleeping in a sleeping bag at 40°F, wondering why you spent six figures on a van. Get it right, and January in Colorado feels the same as October. We've tested every major heating option across 80+ builds at Brooklyn Camper Vans. Here's what works, what doesn't, and why we chose the system we did. Camper Van Heating Options 1. Diesel Air Heaters (What We Install) A die

These are the three vans that dominate the conversion market. Every other vehicle is either smaller (minivans), larger (RVs), or less practical for a full build. We build exclusively on the Sprinter platform at Brooklyn Camper Vans, so our preference is clear. But we've researched all three extensively, talked to owners of each, and seen clients arrive at our shop after builds on Transits and ProMasters. Here's the honest comparison. Specs Side by Side Note: Interior dimensio

A camper van is a vehicle and a home running simultaneously. Both need maintenance. Ignore either one, and you'll pay for it - in repair bills, in lost travel days, or in systems that fail when you're 200 miles from the nearest mechanic. We've built 80+ vans at Brooklyn Camper Vans and seen what happens when maintenance gets deferred. The van that gets regular attention runs for years. The one that doesn't ends up on a flatbed. Here's the complete maintenance schedule - vehic

This comparison gets argued endlessly in online forums. Van people swear by vans. RV people swear by RVs. Neither side is wrong - they're optimizing for different things. We build custom vans at Brooklyn Camper Vans, so our bias is obvious. But we've also talked to hundreds of people considering both options, and the honest answer is that the right choice depends on how you plan to travel, how much space you need, and what trade-offs you're willing to make. Here's the real co

Most van lifers pay more in taxes than they need to. Not because the deductions don't exist - they do - but because nobody tells you what qualifies until it's too late to document it. If you work remotely from your van, freelance, or run a business on the road, significant portions of your van expenses may be tax-deductible. The keyword is "may" - because the rules depend on how your van is classified, how you use it, and whether you keep the right records. We're not tax prof

The monthly cost of van life gets all the attention, but it's the upfront cost that determines whether you can actually start. And the upfront number has a wider range than almost any other lifestyle decision you'll make - from $15,000 to $270,000+, depending on your platform, build quality, and gear. We've built 80+ vans at Brooklyn Camper Vans and walked clients through budgets at every price point. Here's what the startup actually costs, line by line. Van Life Startup Cost

The total cost of van life gets thrown around as one number, but what people really want to know is: what am I spending every month once I'm on the road? That number varies more than people expect - not because van life is unpredictable, but because the variables are controllable. How much you drive, where you sleep, and how you eat determine 70% of your monthly budget. We've talked to hundreds of people at Brooklyn Camper Vans about their real monthly spending. Here's what t

A custom camper van isn't a $30,000 impulse buy. A new Sprinter with a full conversion runs $200,000-$270,000 - and most people don't have that sitting in a savings account. The good news is that van financing exists and is more accessible than most people think. The tricky part is understanding which type of financing makes sense for your situation, what the monthly payment will actually be, and whether financing a van erodes the cost savings that make van life attractive in