Last year, I was just starting out on the road, traveling the western US in a converted schoolbus with my dog, Penny. At this time last year, we were following the changing colors of Autumn across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. A year later, I find myself waking up in one of our first camps. The leaves are changing. The mountains are dusted with snow. Unlike last year, I don’t have that panic that I once did when I saw snow.

I’m not the same traveller I was last year at this time. Last year I was driving south like a scalded dog. I was just running. The only real plan that I had was to get to the desert before the snow hit. Along the way, I set goals. I bought a National Parks pass and decided to try to knock out as many National Parks and Monuments as I could within the next year. I think the last time I counted I was up to 15.

This year will be a little bit different. I’m tempered with experience and better equipment now. From the experience of a full year on the road, here are the game changers I wish I knew about early on.

Better Equipment

These are all game changers. So much so that I wonder how I got along without them as long as I did.

Tires

My original tires on the bus were these rigid tractionless bus tires from Continental. They were heavy, dicey on anything that wasn’t dry pavement, and loved to grip the grooves in dry pavement, and throw you all over the place. They were also gradually shredding.

For a small fortune ($1700), I replaced all six tires with some 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake tires from Les Schwab. Why Les Schwab? Because I had credit there, and they do an excellent job. Also, because they have a great warranty and I can get free service and rotations at any location nationwide. I’m not sponsored by them, but if they want to, they can hit me up!

Diesel Heater

My original game plan was to just not be anywhere it was cold. Like, ever. It’s a terrible plan. So, I got a Little Buddy propane heater from Mr. Heater. Even though it saved my butt a few times, I wasn’t a fan. It has an open flame, no ventilation, and uses one green propane bottle in about four hours. Depending on where you get thm, it could be $5-12 per bottle.

So I upgraded to a Vevor Chinese diesel heater, which is a knockoff of a German made diesel heater with a $150 price tag instead of $400. (It does the exact same thing). $4 worth of diesel—I use heating kerosine so, $11.77 at Walmart—gets you around 30 hours of heat. All without condensation or having all the waste of those little green bottles. If you have the right tools and knowhow, it’s about 2 or 3 hours to install yourself.

Propane

I use propane for cooking, and even when I’m not using those little green bottles, it can get expensive. I invested in a pony can, which is a 5lb bottle from Ignik. At $100 for the bottle, I can get it filled up at a filling station or hardware store for around $4. It holds as much propane as 5 little green bottles, and the best part is it’s reusable. It should pay for itself after four refills, which doesn’t seem to be anytime soon. I can also use it to run the Little Buddy heater in a pinch.

Mixed Fuel Stove

My original cookstove used compressed butane bottles, which is pretty convenient. The bummer is they are somewhat expensive. At the best price, which I found at an Asian market in Tucson, you could get four bottles for $7. Normally, they are $3.50 each—if they are even stocked at the store. I’ve seen them for as much as $7 each. A mixed fuel stove lets you use butane or propane., which means you can save money and have a decent backup either way.

Curtains

I don’t know what I as thinking in the beginning. I was covering up my glass to go dark with literally everything except curtains. They are easy, cheap, and make a great baffle for those cold nights in the desert.

Solar

An upgraded solar controller and then a better rewiring has been a total game changer. I think it’s worth the investment to have a pro actually wire the damn thing. YouTube has a place, but this isn’t it. Hopefully this winter I won’t have to worry about losing power on those short days anymore. Which brings me to backups.

Backups to Backups

When you are self-contained, think of your rig like a boat at sea. Everything needs to serve at least two purposes, and one of those ought to be as a backup for something else. Because eventually, EVERYTHING will break, given enough time. And usually at the least convenient moment.

Cooler

A good cooler, like a Yeti or Arctic. I use a 30L Mule from Canyon Coolers (made in Flagstaff, AZ), which I got on sale at REI for about $200. More than a few times when my fridge was using too much electricity, I moved all my perishable groceries to the cooler with a block of ice. It’s also good for keeping cans of water or soda pop handy without taking up room in your fridge.

Propane Heater

I already mentioned the Little Buddy heater. I still keep it on board for a backup, and when I was having fits with my electrical system last year, I’m glad I had it around. My diesel heater requires a 12v battery to fire up, and my glow plug had fouled out. Just in time for three feet of Cascadian concrete to hit me in a Spring snowstorm.

Attitude to Succeed in Vanlife

All of the other stuff are just tools to make your life a little more comfortable. The difficulties you encounter are much easier with Patience, Planning, and Trust in yourself. I’ll talk more about that in another post!

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