Dive Deep Into Vanlife With These Popular Channels
It’s safe to say that YouTube is the gateway drug into vanlife. From daily vlogs and in-depth tours to grand adventures in 90 square feet homes on wheels, these vanlife YouTube channels are enough to spark the addiction.
Hopefully, most of you know that YouTube videos are also well curated and might just show the best parts of life on the road. What can be glossed over are the dirty or difficult parts of vanlife. We admire the creators who show both the breakdowns and the breakups for the entire world to see.
The following five YouTube channels document parts of real vanlife as well as some intelligent builds, unusual ideas, great gear, and friendly, open van owners.
We’re the Russos
With the thousands of van and camping channels out there, one of the OG couples still prevails. Joe and Kait Russo are as genuine in their videos as they are in real life. Not only do they show the day-to-day life of living in a van, they show the things that go wrong. In fact, they are not afraid to call it quits.
We’re the Russos started their life on the road in an RV, then downsized to a van where they lived for several years. Then they moved on to a truck camper, a house, and are now back in a van for part-time living. During their travels, they have toured various campers and trailers and have given us insight into the pros and cons of each one.
Their videos are creative, and beautifully filmed, and they get right to the point of each subject. Watching their vanlife YouTube channel is like being friends with these two wonderful creators.
Vanlife YouTube Channel: Nate Murphy
As one of the original van life dwellers, Nate Murphy has also opened up the intimate world of van life for everyone. Nate primarily profiles vans in Europe but has also created video tours of builds around the rest of the world. His own van builds (like the video above) are the epitome of how to bring astute observation and creativity into smart builds.
His beautiful videos of other van dwellers delve deep into various van builds. Rather than glossing over each van, he lets each owner talk about their van in detail. From cabinets and storage to bathrooms and toilets, each video is like a little movie with ideas, so have your notebook handy.
Kombi Life
Not everything goes to plan when it comes to life on the road. Ben Jamin has been running his Kombi Life YouTube channel for almost a decade and it’s been a series of massive ups and crashing downs. His journey in his various Volkswagen Kombi vans through the Americas, Africa, and Europe has covered everything from incredible adventures and scenery to busted engines and heartbreaking relationships. Ben has been open about it all.
Ben is a wonderful storyteller and also shows the darker and dirtier side of van life. However, he’s the genuine article and we love him even more that he shares the entire process with his amazing dog, Alaska.
Vanlife YouTube Channel: Tiny Home Tours
If you are just jonesing for beautiful and creative van ideas for your own build, then Tiny Home Tours is your channel. This channel profiles all forms of tiny living, but they do have a playlist specifically for vans. The tours run the gamut from basic minivans to high-end Sprinter conversions and everything in between. The owners and their brilliant ideas are the focus of this channel and each video runs at least 30 minutes to give full specifications of each vehicle.
What’s also nice about the Tiny Home Tours channel is that the owners also talk about their lives on the road. From the costs and finding parking to cooking and avoiding the dreaded midnight Walmart knock. Each video also shows the owners interacting with the living areas of their van. This helps to show the scale and ease of use of each build and each vehicle.
Kara and Nate
If you want to learn about van life from a couple of newbies, check out Kara and Nate‘s channel. This popular couple primarily film their international travel, but during the pandemic, they did a stint of van life that shows what can go wrong (and so right) when you first get a van.
Life in their preowned van was not all sunshine and rainbows They learned quickly how a separator toilet works and what bad propane connections and wiring can do to your vehicle. However, along the way, they started to get the hang of it and actually fell in love with the life, their van, and other van camping options. Watching their learning process is entertaining and endearing.
Drop your favorite vanlife YouTubers in the comments below and share why you enjoy their content.
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We really enjoy following A and K Adventures:
https://adventuresofaplusk.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU2XpPnwebf9VwOuddBb9NQ
This couple has a consistent upbeat tone about their travels, find delicious foodie ideas and use visuals and historical references with great professionalism!
Snow and Curt – best van YT out there. International.
The Vandersons – awesome young couple doing the world.
Hey Christina, thank you for including us on this list! We also enjoy watching Scott from Go Small Live Large!
Vancity van life, with Crome & his dog Cruise who live in his van in Canada.
I really enjoy https://YouTube.com/thegalavan because she really helps women get on the road!
Catherine Gregory: American solo, brilliant photographer
Foresty Forest: Canadian, amazing mountain climbs with dog Rocco
The Expawers: Brit couple who travel with 2 little dogs
We love Travel Beans, a British couple that travels the world in vans and is currently traveling the U.S.
https://youtube.com/c/TravelBeans
I love watching Nicole Wise Solo Female Traveler Van Life. Nicole did a very simple build on her van, basically a bed. Packed up her Chihuahua Kallie and hit the road making her simple meals, traveling the USA., Canada and the National Parks. Great photography, very scenic and informative. Ya gotta see it folks 🤪
My best and liveing in the real world woud be, “” Primal Outdoors””
Nomadic
Introvert. Shes soft spirited, calm, not over edited, & takes viewers on a play by play of her intro to van life & van cooking. She eats her meals with viewers by answering comment se ion questions as though we are dining in the van with her. Youtube. Link below.
https://youtube.com/@NotAnotherIntrovert?si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
AdventureVanMan’s YouTube channel is an absolute must for van life enthusiasts hitting the open road. Brian, the channel’s creator, brings a unique blend of experience and passion to his content, offering invaluable insights and tips for life on the move. With engaging storytelling, and a wealth of practical advice, AdventureVanMan is the ultimate source for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance in their van life journey.
https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureVanMan