Description
Most people choose the easiest life, the one with a defined path. We as humans tend to bury our heads in our work and distract ourselves from the imbalance in 
our lives by purchasing material possessions, which ultimately offers phony fulfillment. We go to work all week to pay for the house that we leave vacant all day and the car that waits for us outside of our workplace. During our minimal time that isn’t spent working, sleeping, commuting, and completing chores, we are supposed to carve out a life for ourselves if we have any energy left, that is.
The good news is that there is a solution to this imbalance. By reducing your footprint, minimizing your possessions, simplifying your life, and embracing Van Life, you will find that you need to spend less time working, you’ll have more time for your passions, and ultimately the freedom to pursue the life that you would not otherwise be able to obtain.
This book is here to act as the ultimate guide to enable you to live a happy and healthy life based out of a vehicle, regardless of whether you are considering a series of short trips, using your vehicle as a part-time office to extend your weekends in the wilderness or a full-time lifestyle change. The information within these pages will answer everything you have been deliberating, and more importantly, it will also answer the questions that you didn’t yet know that you needed to ask.
We’re not here to sugarcoat van dwelling. We firmly believe that living nomadically from a vehicle can and will (if done correctly) enable you to live a happy and enriched life. However, we are not here to peddle a one-sided #hastagged promotion of ‘Van Life.’ Yes, you can wake up to a champagne view on a lemonade budget, and that is a major factor in why we have been exploring in our van full-time for almost a decade. That said, it isn’t always easy; in fact, sometimes it is downright challenging – and that is why we have put this guide together for you.
This book fuses our extensive experience with hundreds of hours of research. We have combined what works for us with the best solutions adopted by the wider vehicle-dwelling community to give you the soundest and most complete information possible.
This Van Dwelling Guide Helps You Through 3 Key Stages
STAGE ONE – Preparing For Nomadic Life
Everything you need to know about finding and customizing your vehicle for living a comfortable life Off Grid & On The Move, as well as essential personal preparations required to live or travel in a vehicle.
STAGE TWO – Living The Van Life
From stealth camping and wild camping to staying clean and healthy, this section is all about the fun part, life on the road! We’ll be sharing everything you need to know, from how to stay safe in your vehicle, how to stay connected, and even how to manage pets, all whilst you reclaim time to follow your passions.
STAGE THREE – Making Your Nomadic Life Sustainable
Do you remember that we said this lifestyle isn’t as easy as the social feeds would have you believe? Well, in part three, we share with you how you can mitigate the biggest challenges you’ll face and how you can make this lifestyle perpetually sustainable through a wide range of nomad employment opportunities, which can result in you having more disposable income than when you lived on the grid!
Graham –
LOVE IT! We’re planning on making van life part of our family adventures with our 2 young boys. This book was just what we needed, packed with lots of advice and tips we wouldn’t have thought of – you can tell Ben and Leah have been doing this a long time! Thanks you for making this!
Soul (verified owner) –
I haven’t read it all yet – but so far I’m very impressed – you really covered everything very well. great guide book
Stephanie Newsom (verified owner) –
Was about half way through when both my laptop & phone died. Living on extremely limited income took a while to get just the phone and now I have a laptop on the way.
I love the book and would like to have the new copy. Can you email the new edition to me? Hope so.
About to become a full time VW Westy dweller. Yippee!
Looking forward to no electricity, gas co., satellite TV and huge rent.
I realize it’s not for everyone, but considering I used to take off and sleep in an old VW Bug and then go hiking alone for weeks, the Westy is luxurious.
Ben Jamin –
Hey Stephanie, thanks for leaving us a review we’re stoked that you love the book. We can see that you successfully downloaded the latest version 3 days ago, but if you still need help please reach out to us via our contact page (linked in the footer below) and I’ll do my best to help you. Happy Travels, Ben
Sonia Rodriguez (verified owner) –
Great content for the dreamers of van life, like me.
Geoff (verified owner) –
I am retiring soon so some essential reading to plan my tours! Not planning on full time living But some longer trips around Britain.
Angela (verified owner) –
Love you guys!! Watching your adventures from start to finish and purchasing the book has been such and inspiration. I built my tiny house and now to start on the van for my adventure!
Marco –
I’m playing with the thought to start also to travel for longer time in a motorhome, i have a 36 years old Mercedes Benz 508D just under restauration. I download all your e-books and i really can’t wait to read all of them. You are really great and inspirational and i enjoyed also watching al your videos on your youtube chanel in a few months. Unfortunately i don’t know if i’ll be able to start my lont term travel because i’ve a healty issue that force me to have regular check ups every six months. But even i’m also close to 50 years i really would like to feel free.
Pam (verified owner) –
I’m so glad I purchased this ebook! Ben and Leah did a fantastic job of explaining all the details of living the van life! I cannot wait to embark on future traveling in my “home on wheels”! I definitely encourage reading this book! The information is presented in a way that never bores the audience!
Jeffrey (verified owner) –
I purchased the e-book and I received an email asking for an honest review, so here you go.
The book delivers on exactly what I expected it to. It’s informative and entertaining. It gives a really nice intro, some great tips, product recommendations, and overall takes a lot of mystery out of the air.
If you’re looking for the right amount of light reading and heft of info to give you a foundational understanding of van life, then the book is cheap and worth it.
The bonus material is really thoughtful too. After I started reading, I started scouring more opinions and in-depth how-tos. I’m not going as hard-core adventure mode as Ben and Leah, so I wanted to make sure I’ve got lots of power. The electrical guide taught me that I really need to read up on some basics more.
If you’re doing the van-life or RV thing, this is a solid place to start.
Thank you Ben and Leah.
Happy travels 🙂
Jeff
Andy Matthews (verified owner) –
A great book, written from experience and presented in easy to read chunks.There’s a lot of good advice and info here whether you are planning to go full time van dweller or weekend warrior. I’ve followed the Kombi Life adventures…I trust these guys! Oh yeah, and I own a kombi!
Michelle G –
I absolutely loved this book! I read it with a PDF editor so I could highlight my favourite parts (which there were a lot of!) and I also printed a lot of the book so I can read it again when I no longer have access to a computer. I love how it was broken down into stages and sections and there was so much helpful information! I really enjoyed the section detailing all the different vehicles and how to prepare for van life. I also subscribe to your Youtube channel and LOVE how you are honest about how it’s not all as perfect as Instagram shows. LOL. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the van dwelling lifestyle. Thanks for all the great info!
Stian –
If you ever think about starting your own «vanlife» adventure then you should really read this book! The book is full of great tips from a couple who have really been on the road and experienced most og what you could expect by living on the road. Thank you Ben and Leah for sharing your adventure and for all great advice! Safe travels!
Nicole Desiree –
Thoughtful, practical guide to vehicle dwelling.
I appreciate that they’ve divided the book into phases. Unless you’re in an involuntary situation necessitating vehicle dwelling, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time preparing. This book provides a framework and guide for preparing yourself for #vanlife. If you’ve seen any of the Kombi Life videos, you can expect the same quality here. The book has the design of a professional teacher making it very accessible and easy to apply in a real world situation. There’s still plenty of your own work and thinkin that you need to put into your own adventure, but if what’s holding you back are questions like Where do I start? What are the potential challenges ahead? How can I make this one of the best adventures of my life? Well fellow traveler, this book is for you! I’ve been long term long distance traveling for about 6 years, (sometimes voluntary sometimes not) but only now have I thought about doing it by automotive transport. I can affirm that much of their advice translates into good knowledge for any type of travel. Solid book, well done. I look forward to any subsequent editions for additional nuggets of wisdom. Best of luck to all!
PS: I noticed in the reviews some folks had a hard time finding the download. There is a link to the download with your initial receipt then you receive another link to the download via email from the Kombi Crew. If you still get lost, shoot them an email and keep in mind, these cool cats are always on the go, so be patient as they travel on and off grid!
Steve –
Really enjoyed the read. While we haven’t yet taken the full plunge on the nomadic Kombi lifestyle, we have spent cumulative years and 10 of thousands of miles travelling in the same ‘’67 split- tin top (!) with no day battery or hook-up. In some ways, the lack of juice has been the biggest inconvenience so the advice around the solar power is brilliant news. We picked up some new and interesting things form the book – would also say that all the information is learned from experience and much to be gained from that… Stumbled on Kombilife today by chance & will be sure to spread the word. Wish you guys all fun & happiness. Love & Light, Steve & Micha
Steve & Micha –
Really enjoyed the read. While we haven’t yet taken the full plunge on the nomadic Kombi lifestyle, we have spent cumulative years and 10 of thousands of miles travelling in the same ‘’67 split- tin top (!) with no day battery or hook-up. In some ways, the lack of juice has been the biggest inconvenience so the advice around the solar power is brilliant news. We picked up some new and interesting things form the book – would also say that all the information is learned from experience and much to be gained from that… Stumbled on Kombilife today by chance & will be sure to spread the word. Wish you guys all fun & happiness. Love & Light, Steve & Micha
David (verified owner) –
Bought couldn’t find download. Not very phone liteate
Ben Jamin –
Hey David, It looks like you’ve already figured it out as you’ve downloaded the book twice, but we’ve resent you the links to your email anyway and we’re here for you and happy to walk you through how to open the guide on your device if you like.
Tim McNary (verified owner) –
Was a good positive read. Was a VW Dweller for about a year while working on putting the phone system in at the U. of Oregon. A VW that does not leak? I have to commend you on that. Interesting and I just have to ask: why you did not drill holes and put John Muir’s book in a notebook as he instructed? I really wish you had said something as to being true to the (air cooled) VW Spirit. Why there was never an upgrade to install a microwave? Comfort foods; Microwave popcorn, vegetable/chicken/beef broths from boulion, on cold days…lol Quick grab and go foods like trail mix, and bars, slim jims, dehydrated foods and etc… was covered well. I still like to keep a case of 1 liter waters and refill the containers with labeled items; liquid soap(s), bleach (for purifying water too (4 drops/liter and wait 30 minutes), and etc… I hope you two took and take advantage of thrift stores and their treasures and how to choose what, why and how. There is a wealth of knowledge in your book and thank you for caring enough to share.
Ekkehard Schwartz –
Great book, worth much more than what we paid. We have been small scale “vehicle dwelling” earlier in our life and like to start again soon. The book covers all important aspects of living in a van for a longer period, and it is fun to read too. I find the “Off-grid electrical systems” very helpful since much has happened here since we were on the road the last time.
Rob Mclaughlin (verified owner) –
What a great book. It was a great read. Lots of things to include in your plans and ideas of what you will need on the road in a van or any RV for that matter. I have been camping in RV’s and Trailers for many years and there were several things mentioned that I needed to know. We are looking into getting a Van and i was hoping for a little insight as to what to expect and the book was definitely worth it. I will keep it handy while we build our Van next year. Rob
Alan (verified owner) –
I’m only about half way through this book, but I have to say it’s has some great information. Thanks Kombi Life
Cody (verified owner) –
Great information! Well worth the purchase price. I especially like Ben and Leah’s international perspective on van life in the US. There’s a lot of regulatory hurdles they wrote about that I hadn’t considered before.
Fabio (verified owner) –
Thanks guys, the book is full of Useful informations even for the ones who like me are only RV “weekend warriors”. You gave me a lot of big and small improvements to my on the road setup,
I really suggest it to anyone is interested in adventures on wheels of any kind.
Greetings from Sicily
Aylish (verified owner) –
This book gave me answers to questions I had never even thought of asking. It has given me so much piece of mind for my upcoming van adventure. Thank you for the priceless advice xx
Brittani Karpinski –
I purchased this book but never received it ? I was so excited to read it but it’s been months and I don’t think it’s coming anymore.
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Looking at our system, it seems you have already downloaded the guide, but I’ve sent you the link again via email for convenience. Let us know if you need further help.
Dawson (verified owner) –
great guide from very experienced people living life to its fullest.
Fernando Mestre (verified owner) –
Excellent Guide!!! I strongly recommend the purchase of the ebook Van Dwelling…
Even for those who doesn´t want to have the van life…just have a van or motorhome for vacations/weekends purpose, it’s very interesting…
Congrats from Portugal
Jess (verified owner) –
Even for someone that has travelled in a bus before, I was amazed at how many little things I’d never thought of that Leah and Ben have. They’re experience is obvious while reading. VERY comprehensive.
Jim (verified owner) –
I’m just an old vanner always travel alone not in a pack just like to do my own thing my own way with no hassles I got two of these ebooks ” Outstanding books both of them well written easy read informative as was said above in another comment you can tell ” They Actually Walk The Talk ” ***** I also follow them on YouTube amazing stuff they put out there happy travels my new found friends be safe and keep us informed I enjoy your travels
Gina (verified owner) –
A good comprehensive intro to van life. Has some tips that I’d never seen before, and it’s a lot easier to purchase this ebook than to spend hours and hours surfing the web trying to find the same information. This book is helping prepare me for my dream mobile lifestyle
Colin Morley (verified owner) –
We are just going 4WD and camping in Western Australia. I like to be prepared and have loved your book and all its practical information. Your writing style is ideal, practical, down to earth and just what we need. This must have been a lot of work. Thank you all and wish you well in your adventures. I am working my way through the videos and have just got to California. I am addicted to them. You do it all so well.
Kandis (verified owner) –
This was such an amazing and inspiring book! A “must read” for anyone thinking about joining van life. I thoughly enjoyed every part! I have always wondered about the electical side of van life. Thank you for giving me the tools and tips I need to live my dream! 🙂
Don R (verified owner) –
Delightfully thought provoking insights into living on the road in pretty much the most challenging of conditions. Plan to do a more sedate version of this in a couple of years and the many tips are great for planning. The Kombi Life videos are inspirational and allow you to calibrate what you want and need in nomadic travel. Bravo to Ben and Leah.
Sissy (verified owner) –
This purchase was worth every dollar! It’s a great overview for everything especially for a newbie van dweller like myself! It covers so much that I never even thought about and has been a really awesome jumping point to delve into things further. I haven’t read everything just yet but so far I’ve just only one complaint–obviously not bad enough to warrant below 5 stars 🙂 but about the solar panels section, I wish there were recommendations of good brands to buy, as there was a recommendation for the AGM Deep Cycle Batteries. I’ve just been digging myself a hole in research with solar panels and it’s been mind boggling!! Aside from that, I love what you guys have put together and I’m happy to have stumbled upon this guide!
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Glad you love the guide Sissy – The latest version of our book has recommendations for solar gear, you should have already received a free copy but we will send you one now via email.
Rob Riddell (verified owner) –
Planning van life drive around the globe, start Mach ’17. Pragmatic, helpful book, works very especially when cross referencing and bringing into perspective key points in other first class guide reference books – buy it!
Grant (verified owner) –
Excellent read. Was very impressed with the information and topics discussed. Job well done guys. All the best for your travels.
Tony Hall (verified owner) –
Has very good information and considerations to help get started if you are considering Van camping/ living.
Tadej (verified owner) –
I am so happy and grateful that i found this book. I am preparing to move off grid myself in a month or so and finding Kombi life on youtube really gave me A LOT of new enthusiasm. The book really covers all the sections that need to be thought through when preparing for a van life. All the different options are presented, the technical aspects are very simply explained, yet still correct and on the dot regarding optimal solutions 🙂 (can vouch for it as a physicist). The book helps me a lot as i tend to over complicate and overthink on the technical aspects.
For sure a must have for anyone planning to travel in a van for a longer period.
Thank u both sooo much for sharing your knowledge and experience with the rest of us!
Will Boudle (verified owner) –
Love the book. I have several pages bookmarked and it really answers most of the questions you might have before embaring on van life.
Hannah P –
Fantastic ebook! If you are interested in van life, full time travel, overlanding, or anything of the sort, definitely check this book out. Ben and Leah give tons of helpful information and this book is a great investment. Extremely useful and interesting, with extra tips and details you won’t find in any of their free content. Highly recommend!
Kelley (verified owner) –
Loved the book….had no problem downloading it. I’m in the preparation stage of my journey, all of this information was very helpful!
Erika (verified owner) –
Very realistic and relevant!!! Excellent resource!
JD (verified owner) –
Nothing ever gets 5 stars from me but if I did give them this book would get it. Great job Kombi Life.
Jeannette Lemieux (verified owner) –
Loved the book, I really enjoyed reading it. Well written and easy to read. It’s very informative and extremely helpful if you are thinking about living in a van on full or part time basis. I would recommend this book very much.
Jonathan Hill –
Just what I was looking for – Love the pictures and info – very happy with this. Thank you
Celeste (verified owner) –
I purchased the ebook and it has been extremely helpful until it would no longer download stating I’ve reached my download limit. Hoping for a helpful response so I can continue reading ?
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Hey Celeste, We’re stoked to hear that you are enjoying the guide. We sent you a personal message today to help with any issues you are having with downloading on your device. We recommend that you save the ebook to your device rather than downloading it each time you wish to read it, let us know via email if you need further help with this.
Michael (verified owner) –
I alr bought the book but now I can’t seem to open it again help pls?
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Hey Michael, Don’t worry we’re here to help. It looks like you’ve downloaded your ebook twice so you can still access the book. If you are having technical trouble with your device, just let us know and we will do our best to help you through it. We sent you a direct message via email.
Johnna –
I had a bit trouble downloading the book since I’m clueless with eBooks but Ben helped me through the process and was super helpful and determined to help fix the problem! I’m super excited I discovered this book and even more excited to read it!! ❤️
Skylar (verified owner) –
Hi I just bought the book! It didn’t give me a link to the OffGrid Electrical Systems Guide though. Please help, that was a big selling point for me. Thanks!
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Hey Skylar, Thanks for purchasing our guide. You will find the Bonus 36 pg Electrical System Guide included within the pages of this First Edition Vehicle Dwelling guide. Please check the contents page and do let us know if you run into any problems. We’ve also emailed you directly to offer assistance should you need it.
Debbie Tenore –
I would like a hard copy, please, please, please.
Phil Stace (verified owner) –
I’d love to print a version to keep in my van… any advice on how I might do that? Thanks
Kombi Life (verified owner) –
Thanks for your purchase and review Phil. We’re stoked that you like the guide. Unfortunately at this time it is not available as a printed version. We wanted to keep the cost down as much as possible to keep it accessible to all. Thanks an Happy Travels
mauri –
Very complete information of this lifestyle. Perfect for anyone who is planning to do vehicle dwelling full or part-time. Very good tips, you can tell they know and lived what they are writing about. Thanks!
Denese Gentry (verified owner) –
Thanks for helping with download. You have a great support system.
Janne (verified owner) –
loved the book! They share such great tips and talk about things that never crossed my mind while thinking about vanlife. I could recommend this to anyone!
Jacob Baseluse (verified owner) –
I loved it. I was so hungry for all this information and it was so much easier to read this book than to sift through 1000 blogs and YouTube videos. Thank you.
B. Moss (verified owner) –
A very practical book on living out of your van. You can tell they actually walk the talk. Very helpful suggestions. I highly recommend this book. Thank you for putting this out there!
Felix (verified owner) –
Very nice! Very complete! Thanks!
PJ & Elise (verified owner) –
This is the perfect read for every one wishing to start his own adventures on the road, with a VW Kombi or any other vehicle! Easy to read, full of useful details, it helped us to nail down our needs (choosing a camper and how to make everything fit in, what to/not to bring, how to secure your belongings…) for our next road trip in South America. We warmly recommend it!
Kent (verified owner) –
The information you present in the book is spot on and relevant for anyone wishing to join the van life, or just upgrade a van for more practical use.
I would recommend this book for anyone considering an extended stay in their van. It gives great ideas, but also gives you the not-so-fun aspects that may not have been considered. Such as bathroom alternatives. 😮
Nicole (verified owner) –
I am so impressed with this book. This is the most completed guide of it’s kind that I’ve seen. You talk about EVERY aspect of nomadic life. Everything is on point. You must have spend so much time and effort gathering and writing it. IMHO this is the only guide one needs for a successful life on the road. Good on you guys.