People always ask about how I live in my van full time.

Van life and life on the road is the dream, right? Noooot exactly when you’re back in the big(ger) smoke making money. I’m talking coastal towns, but the true experience is in the sticks. Whether you’re living the dream in nature or grinding in town, living in a van unlocks a freedom you won’t find anywhere else. Except maybe living on a boat (but that has it’s own shortcomings).

When I have stable work, I housesit as much as possible to make it a biiiit more comfortable (easy laundry, not hunting for a shower after work), but I wanted to share some hacks for comfortably living on the road. Whether you are a weekend warrior wanting to go for longer or dreaming of packing in and hitting the road.

In this post, I cover:

• Showers
• Toilets
• Potable water
• Stealth parking at night
• Laundry
• Power

The East Coast of Australia is really accommodating for van lifers – while you can’t legally sleep in your vehicle in QLD, there are plenty of private cubicle showers (Noosa to Coolangatta), BBQs and potable taps along the coast. In Northern NSW, you are allowed to sleep in your vehicle as long as there aren’t signs prohibiting it, however I have found it harder to find a private cubicle shower and potable taps.

Toilet blocks by the beach sometimes have a private cubicle shower. It’s cold water but it’s refreshing in Summer and autumn. Whenever I find a new one, I save it to my maps.

Aquatic Centers and local pools have hot showers and usually charge a spectator fee <$5 to use them. There have been a few occasions where they’ve waved me through FOC.

When I finish work late and can’t get to a shower, I use my rechargable electric pump tap and folding sink to do a lazy sponge bath and shower in the morning.

For women, a porta-loo (or at minimum, a she-wee and a bottle) is the best investment you can make for your safety. Especially if you are travelling on your own – you don’t want to be getting out of the van in the middle of the night. Ideally once you’re parked up, you won’t be getting out of the van until the next day when you’re in a new spot.

A crawl-through hole from the drivers side to the back.
This is one of the first modifications we made to my van – access the back without getting out of the vehicle. This enables you to park and go to bed without drawing attention to yourself, but also if you are hungry you can reach back and grab a snack from the fridge without getting out of the car.
Don’t forget to put a privacy curtain up!

Finding a place to park at night.
I tend to park in streets with lots of parked cars or outside apartment blocks. (Overpopulated towns are gross, but the one benefit is you can blend in with the other cars). Don’t waste your time in beach car parks or by the water, just move there when you wake up.

Tinted windows – I can have lights on inside and you won’t notice.

Keeping 1 or 2 liters of water in the fridge for refilling your drink bottle is a godsend on hot days when the jerry can is warm. It’s also good idea to have some bottled water scattered around the van for emergencies.

A thermos or insulated travel mug.
Getting the stove out and boiling the kettle takes time, so I always fill my travel mug with hot water so I can have another cuppa after.

I have found 2 beaches on the Gold Coast that have a hot water station. What an asset! This is perfect for rainy days (especially if you have an outdoor kitchen like me).

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What I love about van life, is the ability to s l o w down.

Laundry. Sure, you can go the laundromat and put your things through a spin and dry cycle.

Or you can pull up at a quiet beach or park and handwash your things in the sink (I use my sink for many things but I don’t wash my dishes in it) and dry them on the tailgate line. If it’s a windy day, things dry in no time while you are reading or relaxing.

It’s really important to have a tap key. 9 times out of 10 you won’t have to use it but it’s always that 1 time when you need water and can’t get it. I keep a spare in the van too.

An inline water filter is great for ensuring you’re getting clean water. I hook it up to a hose and use the hose to fill up the jerry can.
When I rebuild the van, I plan to install a water filter under the sink.

Everyone has different electricity consumption and needs. I live very modestly – the fridge runs 24/7, the fan runs at night and I charge my devices every couple of days. I have 2 x 120ah AGM batteries and 2 x 160watt solar panels. This is plenty for me, but if you were wanting to charge laptops, run airfryers or microwaves, you would look at getting lithium batteries and an inverter.

My favourite thing about Van life is it offers an opportunity to live closely to nature without physical limitations. You wake up and you are already at the beach or at a park, there is no effort to get there.

When I am in a house, I intend to go to the beach but there are so many *things* that need to be done before I get there. The simplicity of van life cuts through the unnecessary noise.