April 2025
Background
In 2021, after years of kicking around the idea of buying a van, we finally decided to get a 144 wheelbase Sprinter Van. I won’t get into all the details about the build in this post, but after 30,000 miles on the road, we have assembled our list of not-so-obvious tips and tricks that made vanlife easier or more enjoyable. Like most folks, when we first started building our van, we read the forums, blog posts, and the countless lists of everything you should buy. Everyone does vanlife differently, but this is our take on what things actually made a difference.
#1: Bathroom Options
I’ll start off by saying there is no bathroom option that will ever quite feel the same as a regular bathroom in a house with proper plumbing and running water. Every toilet option in a van is some form of a compromise. We tried a few different options, ranging from cassette toilets to composting toilets, and finally, the tried and true 5-gallon bucket. Below is a comparison of the pros and cons of each, but we’ve found the 5-gallon bucket with the Luggable Loo Lid to be the simplest and most effective option (although technically, we use a 3-gallon bucket).
5-Gallon Bucket
Pros:
- Easy clean-up: bag and toss in the trash
- Works well in winter; cassette toilets can freeze and crack (ask us how we know)
- Lowest cost, both for the upfront purchase and ongoing
- Portable
Cons:
- Greater visual exposure to waste
- Feels a bit more primitive
Recommendation: Unless you have a specific use case for the others, the simplicity and ease of clean-up with the 5-gallon bucket. Try it out first, and worst case, you’re out ~$20
Product Links:
- Luggable Loo
- Toilet Bags
- Gel Packs
Composting
Pros:
- Minimizes potential smells
- Works well in winter; doesn’t require any water or chemicals
- Fairly lightweight and portable
Cons:
- Can be expensive depending on brand
- Visual exposure to waste
- Requires sawdust or litter
Recommendation: Many of the composting toilets available on the market today work quite well; however, they feel like a fancier version of the 5-gallon bucket with a few extra steps involved
Product Links:
- Trelino Composting Toilet
- Compost
Cassette
Pros:
- Feels the most like a regular toilet
- Limits visual exposure to waste
- Separate, sealed chamber for waste to minimize smells
Cons:
- Requires water and chemicals
- Difficult to dispose of waste
- Hard to clean
- Heavy (especially when water tank is full)
Recommendation: I’m not sure why these toilets are a popular option. We found almost zero redeeming qualities, other than it felt the most toilet-like with the flushing water. We never looked back after getting rid of ours
Product Links:
- Dometic Cassette Toilet
- Gel Packs
#2: Water Jug
While our van is plumbed with a ~20-gallon water tank, when it came to camping in cold weather months, we drained our entire system to avoid any pipes breaking (we learned this lesson the hard way). Enter the water jug. A very simple addition to any setup that allows you to have a faucet for cleaning dishes, washing hands, etc. As we are driving, we store the water junk in the sink to keep it from going anywhere. If you’re using your van in cold weather, this is a simple addition to your winter setup that brings the comfort of semi-running water without the worry of busted pipes.
#3: Storage Bins & Bags
Most people have some sort of storage bins or baskets in their van; however, it’s worth being mindful of the type of basket that you use. For organizing all the stuff we store inside our cabinets, we opted for these woven rope baskets, which do the job of keeping everything organized but the soft fabric has the added benefit of reducing rattles when driving down bumpy roads. A small point, but when you think about everything in your cabinets, these baskets go a long way in reducing noise and rattles. For gear storage in the “garage” (the space under the bed), we use the Black Diamond Stonehauler. Similar to the woven baskets, the Stonehauler is designed for climbing gear and includes padding on the sides of the bag. A very minor detail, but just another way to keep the rattles and sound down.
#4: Rugs
Perhaps this is a bit of an obvious one, but van floors can get cold and see a lot of dirt. Enter the rug. For whatever reason, we didn’t have one in our van for a while, and once it finally occurred to us to add one, it was a big improvement. The rug gives you somewhere to stand when the floor is cold, and it traps a ton of dirt that would otherwise end up all over the van. It’s a simple addition, but don’t underestimate the impact.
#5: Coffee Makers
Telling people how to enjoy their morning coffee goes over about as well as you would expect. That said, I’ll attempt to make the case for instant coffee and why we find it works well for van life, particularly the weekend warriors. Most of our weekend trips involve long days and alpine starts, which are well-suited for instant coffee. Boil water, add coffee, done. Now, for the days when we have a leisurely morning, we keep an AeroPress handy. We’ve tried options like a French Press, Pourover, etc., but keep coming back to the Aerospace for its simplicity, ability to make good coffee, and maybe most importantly for us, the easy clean-up.
For the days we don’t feel like making coffee or are trying to cover some serious miles on the road, we have been testing out a variety of gas station coffees. More to come here as we compile our favorite gas stations to hit for a quick, cheap cup of coffee.