Things We'd Change About Brunilda (& Van Life)

 Hey Y'all!

Sorry I'm a day late, again. We did enjoy a great day at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, so forgive us- that was a lot of fun, you'll soon see.

Onto today's... er yesterday's topic.

Things We'd Change:

Our Van Specific~

1) Size, we'd make her a bit bigger. Not so much as to be classified as an RV, but she's a shorty, so we'd go a bit longer. Chris says a bit taller too, he wouldn't mind being able to stand fully upright.

That one isn't doable, but the rest of these are, and are on the list of eventually we will.... eventually.

2) Remove the 3rd seat, we don't use it like we'd thought. Stuff just gets piled in it, and then we can't use it as a seat, and so why not free up all that space.

3) Window tint on the front. I don't know if it was a legal issue at the time (some states allow far more tint that others, especially in the 90s) or if owner opted out, but the back windows are all tinted perfectly. The front aren't at all. It gets bright, and warm when cruising down the road.

4) The bed. Remove that seat/bed. Build our own. That will free up so much space we may no longer want a longer van. Currently we have our memory foam, and plywood over the original seat, and that framing is... cumbersome. It's bulky, and crisscrosses itself, and just takes up far more space than necessary.

5) The rear A/C. It's got to go. It too takes up a huge amount of space, for no reason. It doesn't even work, and even if it did we'd never use it. With it gone, and the bed switched out we'd gain so much space there'd be extra room. Almost unheard of in van life, lol.

Getting those big projects done though requires us to be somewhere we can take things out, and apart for several days... So they're on the eventually list.

What would we change about van life?

1) It wouldn't hurt if finding a free spot (to park/camp/sleep) was a bit easier. Yes, we have the free apps, yes we use the map. But on the eastern side of the U.S. it's not always easy. We did find one on public lands, but changed our plans and came to AL instead. 

2) Following that same theme, it'd be nice if the free water fill ups were easily notated. We've not had an issue, and always find water, but it's usually an "Oh awesome, they've got water." and not an intentional stop.

3) I wanted to do three things here, but neither of us could come up with a third... we wouldn't hate it if gas were cheaper. Though I'm sure that applies to everyone who drives currently.

I'm not saying it's all glamorous, cold and rainy days are kinda boring. Not all showers are fantastic- some are downright cold, and feel like the water is barely trickling out and you're lucky to get the soap rinsed off before you freeze. Cooking outdoors on a windy day is complicated, and takes longer. However, it's all part of the experience, and we wouldn't trade it for sticks and bricks right now. We really are loving life.

Thanks,

The Outlands