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Van Life

Blogs

  • Everything you need to know about Camper Van Windows

    Everything you need to know about Camper Van Windows

    We’ve installed 6 camper van windows while building our tiny home on wheels, and we’ve learned everything you need to know about van windows. Adding several windows to our campervan was a huge part of our van build design. Whether it’s helping you decide if you need windows or not, what types of windows are…

    August 17, 2024
  • The ULTIMATE GUIDE to VAN ROOF RACKS and What We Choose

    The ULTIMATE GUIDE to VAN ROOF RACKS and What We Choose

    We installed a DIY pre-fabricated roof rack on our Sprinter Van and learned everything possible to create this ULTIMATE GUIDE for VAN ROOF RACKS. We installed Orion Van Gear’s Stealth+ Roof Rack and would highly recommend it to anyone planning a roof rack, but before you buy, read this article to learn about the ins…

    July 18, 2024
  • EVERYTHING you need to know about CAMPERVAN FLARES

    EVERYTHING you need to know about CAMPERVAN FLARES

    We installed the new (2024) Flarespace flares on our 170” Mercedes Sprinter Van as the first major project of our van build. It was a HUGE endeavor and it was the first time we cut into our van. It kicked off our entire build with a bang and was a non-stop learning train. Everything from…

    July 9, 2024
  • Designing our Dream Van

    Designing our Dream Van

    We bought our used 2023 Mercedes Sprinter Van and decided to make it our full-time home. In this post, we will share our steps for designing our campervan layout to fit our needs, as well as tips for making your perfect campervan layout. Every campervan layout is slightly different because everyone’s needs are slightly different.…

    July 2, 2024
  • The Best Van for Van Life: Why we Bought a Mercedes Sprinter Van

    The Best Van for Van Life: Why we Bought a Mercedes Sprinter Van

    When building out a van, the first question is what is the best van for van life. There are many options, including popular options from Ford, Mercedes, and Dodge. Outside of the make, there are differences in the manufacturer, and finally, we need to decide whether the best van for van life is a used or…

    March 19, 2024
  • Victron vs. EcoFlow PowerKit for Van Life: Ultimate Review

    Victron vs. EcoFlow PowerKit for Van Life: Ultimate Review

    Deciding on Victron Energy Components vs. EcoFlow PowerKit and your electrical system as a whole, is challenging. With the amount of articles available, you can get bits a pieces here and there, but we’ve done all the research and compiled it here. There is no “one size fits all” approach to van life, and so here…

    March 16, 2024
  • EcoFlow PowerKit Review and Guide for Van Life

    EcoFlow PowerKit Review and Guide for Van Life

    As we self-convert a Mercedes Sprinter Van for full-time van life, we’re researching different power options to supply us with enough electricity to live and work off-grid. In this article, we share our research on the EcoFlow PowerKit and whether it will be a proper solution for our van. Read to the end of our…

    March 11, 2024
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Sometimes it’s not the bucket list but random mo Sometimes it’s not the bucket list but random moments that you’ll remember forever 🐶

After filming our YouTube series on Carlsbad Caverns NP and White Sands NP we had to spend one day in the park and just catch up on work. 

It was a little warm, but randomly running up the sand hills throughout the day was so worth it. 

It’s l moments like these that were so grateful to live and work out of our van. 

Follow @schoandjo for more slices of life as we explore North America. 

#travelcouple 
#van
#vanlife 
#diyvanbuild 
#nationalparks
#whitesands
And 2 seconds later, Summit was dirty again 😅 And 2 seconds later, Summit was dirty again 😅

As two East Coasters, deserts are so strange and wonderful. Both barren and full of life. 

We stayed on our first BLM outside of Carlsbad, NM, and we were greeted with something entirely new for us… a dust storm! 

We hadn’t washed Summit since being on the road, but that was the trigger for a deep clean. Coming from boat life, we’d just wash Pivot at various marinas. 

Now we go to car washes! I have to admit, that I was not really looking forward to the chore of washing Summit, but the feeling of a clean home was super worth it. With some good tunes, it was actually pretty fun! 

Follow @schoandjo for more, as we learn more about life on the road on our exploration around North America! 

#vanlife
#travelcouple
#sprintervan
#carwash
#newmexico
#duststorm
#rvlife
We were racing against the clock ⏰ When we firs We were racing against the clock ⏰

When we first stepped into White Sands National Park, we knew we had to get sunset photos, but while almost everywhere in the park is perfect for it, there is a cut-off time. 

You must be out of the park no later than 30 minutes after sunset. 

BUT, since the sun goes over the Mountains earlier than sunset, you have more gorgeous golden light.

Follow @schoandjo as we visit all 63 National Parks. This is park 7/63.

#whitesands
#nationalparks
#newmexico
#hiking
#photography
#travelfamily
Don’t Miss this Ranger-Led Tour ‼️ When we Don’t Miss this Ranger-Led Tour ‼️

When we went to Carlsbad Caverns this April, we were shocked to learn they restarted ONE tour. 

If you didn’t know, Carlsbad Caverns lost roughly half its front-facing staff with the NPS cuts. Due to this, they were forced to cancel all their ranger-led tours and just focus on keeping the park running. 

The park service desperately wanted to open a tour to help educate small groups about the park’s history, challenges, and wonders, hoping those people would then share why our parks are so important to keep open. They’ve found a way to stabilize and open one tour.

The King’s Palace tour visits scenic rooms closed to the public, so you’ll visit places very few people can see.

With this being said, every day is different, and as of now, they don’t know in advance if they will be offering the tour, so you’ll have to show up early regardless.

The visitors center opens at 9:00 am, so we sat outside since 8:00 am, ensuring we could get a spot. 

The other people who had heard of the tour started arriving at 8:15, and by 8:30, there was a decent line outside. If you want tickets, arrive by 8:30 am at the latest! 

You don’t need a timed entry as the tour will count for your entry. The tour is $10 USD per person, on top of standard park entry fees. 

The King’s Palace tour starts at 10:30 am, so you’ll need to take the elevator down, and then you’ll have a few minutes to wander before the tour. 

The tour lasts about 1:30 to 2 hours, so come fed and with plenty of time to learn about the Caverns! 

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or have seen anything different in recent days. Huge kudos to the NPS for navigating these challenging times. 

Follow @schoandjo as we visit all 63 US National Parks, this is park number 7!

#carlsbadcaverns
#nationalparks
#newmexico
#hiking
#caves
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