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hashtagvanlife · 7 years

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Intentions for 2018

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My intention for 2018 is to ‘Let Go’.

I will let go of my desire to earn lots of money, my ego (this will be hard), my judgement of others, judgement of myself, my identity as an entrepreneur or a Crossfitter. I want to simply be present in the moment and not worrying about the future. Just be and know that I will be provided for….

Personally, my strengths lie in being persistent, reliable, ambitious while at the same time being polite, easy to fit in, diplomatic and very adaptable. My creative side loves new ideas while my practical side allows me to manifest and create these ideas. With all of these things, I have a deep rooted confidence in my abilities.

I am a seeker and searcher. 2018 will be more of that – seeking a higher truth. I don’t know what that looks like but when I find it, I am confident that my initution will let me know. I am going to devote most of my time to visiting communities/communal living of all kinds – ecovillages, cohousing, intentional communities, etc.

The foundation to 2018 is my daily habits:

getting out in the sun for 1-2 hours each day (at least mostly naked!)

meditating each morning

gratitude each evening

movement of some kind (Crossfit, walking, hiking, yoga, etc)

Experiments that I will try in 2018:

fasting for 3 days once or twice per year

eating a raw protein diet (meat/fish/eggs/milk/cheese) and lots of fermented veggies

stop using deodorant and build up my natural skin biome to combat stinkiness

Occasional activities throughout the year:

Stand up paddleboarding

Rock climbing, Mountain biking

Take ukulele lessons

Surfing, body boarding and skateboarding

Take dancing lessons

Group meditation and breathwork

Body work (rolfing, ART) and functional medicine doctor

Trips/Events 2018:

Attend Burning Man

Do plant medicine (Ayahuasca)

Go paragliding

Go deer and pheasant hunting in Minnesota and Pennsylvania

This year will be full of transformation and change.

What other 30-day experiments should I try? Comment below and I will try them!

The video is my ‘mind movie’ for 2018 recommended by Dr. Joe Dispenza. I watch it each morning after my meditation.

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hashtagvanlife · 7 years

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My Annual Review of 2017

This Annual Review will answer three questions. What went well this year? What didn’t go so well this year? What did I learn?

WHAT WENT WELL: This has been an epic year – a year of great adventure, much introspection, and a better understanding of my purpose in life. I traveled throughout the US and Canada for 8 months (Jan-Sept), started down the spiritual path, and began ‘letting go’. I made more money than I ever have in my life in only 4 months of work.

WHAT DIDN’T GO WELL: I shutdown my land investing business while I was traveling. It wasn’t a bad thing – I was able to enjoy the freedom of the road. It simply took some time to get the business started back up and running in September.

My last consulting gig was very stressful and I found myself reverting back to my old way of being – I was frustrated at the lack of change in the business and wanted to use shame to produce change. After speaking with my mentor, I chose positivity and the gig finished on a high note.

WHAT I LEARNED: Earning more money than I ever have in only 4 months is shocking and amazing to me after struggling and swimming upstream all of my life. Abundance is all around me – I simply need to let go and accept it.

I also learned that I must lead with love. Nothing productive will come from trying to force change.

Here is a ‘quick’ review of the year:

JANUARY-MARCH: The year started off on a 3 month ski road trip in January using the Mountain Collective Ski Pass to hit 12 different mountains. The highlights were 300″ of snow in Mammoth, California, driving through Canada in the winter, catching first tracks in deep powder at the unknown gem – Revelstoke, Canada, skiing and exploring Banff, Canada, and finishing the trip in Telluride, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico with powder days.

APRIL-JULY: It was then off to Denver for a consulting gig in April. Then a cross-country drive to see friends and family in NY, MA, RI, NH, and Maine. Went to my cousin’s wedding in Massachusetts, saw many college friends for the first time in 4+ years, and the van broke down in upstate Maine (luckily Kara and her family were there to help!).

Then I drove from Maine to Minnesota through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (beautiful country in the summer) for the 4th of July to see my cousins. After that, I drove to Denver to begin a summer roundtrip with Jen.

JULY-AUGUST: It started a little rough with altitude sickness camping outside of Telluride and some bad food but it quickly improved once we arrived in the North rim of the Grand Canyon. We then drove to Lake Powell for a week on a huge 70 foot houseboat with her brother’s family. We towed a speedboat so we could waterski and tube during the day and go paddleboarding at night. I definitely plan on exploring Lake Powell more – just in a smaller boat!

Once we departed from the boat, we hiked Zion, Capitol Reef, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks. After that we drove up to magical Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada. It was packed with tourists but was still so impressive. The Canadian Rockies feel like they are monstrous and right on top of you and there are clear, cold deep blue lakes every few miles. I swam in almost every lake that we passed especially the snow melt lakes at the high altitudes.

SEPT-NOV: It was then back to Denver for a followup consulting gig and then to Austin for another consulting gig. I returned to Denver for the final consulting gig with the same company – over the course of three 2 week visits, we fired 3 employees, hired 2 employees who subsequently hired enough people to triple the staff. Revenue has increased substantially and the foundational business systems and processes are in place for big future growth. Also invested in a business coach for my real estate company.

DEC: After Thanksgiving in Denver, we drove to Gaudaulupe and Big Bend National Parks for some great hikes. The short roadtrip finished in Austin, TX for Ryan Moran’s awesome Capitalism Conference. I then drove leisurely back (except for an uneventful stop by border patrol in Alabama) to Washington, DC for Christmas.

SPIRITUAL HIGHLIGHTS: a sweat lodge in Sedona, saw two Native American healers in Banff and Sedona, breathwork with Zach Rehder, walking many labyrinths, hiking to vortexes, meditating in nature, had readings from a pyschic and an astrologer, group meditation with Tara Brach, many floats, full moon meditation in Boulder, CO.

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hashtagvanlife · 7 years

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How I Make Money On the Road

The day and time is seared into my mind. I was parked 2 blocks from Venice Beach, CA, hanging out on the beach, surfing, and working a few hours per week. Life was good – relaxing and enjoyable but I was itching for something else, something bigger than simply having fun. I was listening to Ari Meisel’s Leverage Podcast and that is when I heard, The Land Geek, Mark Podolsky being interviewed.

I knew with 5 minutes of listening to him describe his business that it was going to be my next venture. I am ambitiously lazy – meaning that I hate to do repetitive tasks – and this business fit that ‘process-driven’ model perfectly.

However, I had a few requirements that my next business had to meet:

It had to be automated and require very little input from me (which meant that I could work from anywhere and be location independent)

It had to not require hiring employees (virtual assistants and contractors were OK)

It had to create passive, recurring income every month

Mark’s ‘land investing’ business fit all of the criteria so the next month, I bought his Land Investors Toolkit online. I then attended his free bootcamp a few months later (however I didn’t purchase coaching from Mark).

I dove into land investing full-time in July 2016. Since then, I have purchased 14 parcels and 9 sold of them (a few for cash but most are financed).

My monthly recurring income for the next 8 years (revenue coming in from financing the sale of a property) is $1200 currently and growing.

The benefits of buying land versus houses:

No need to protect it

The land lasts forever

There is no upkeep and is headache free

Consistent, passive income from owner financing a sale

Huge margins (+300% rate of return)

Simple to operate business

Very low risk business if properties are purchased at the right price

No tenants, no termites, and no toilets.

In hindsight, I would have purchased The Land Geek coaching – it would have jumpstarted my business and I would have been profitable much sooner than I was… but I’m a do-it-yourselfer at heart and I struggled through the ups and downs early on investing in land.

More links:

The Land Investors Toolkit

Attend The Land Geek Bootcamp

The Land Geek Coaching

Mark’s ‘Art of Passive Income’ Podcast

I bet you are thinking – why is he sharing this gold mine with me? The reason that I am more than willing to share is because there are more than 3000 counties in the US with 1.9 billions acres of land (in the lower 48 states). There is MORE than enough land to be bought and sold in America!

I will answer any questions in the comments.

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#How I Make Money On the Road

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hashtagvanlife · 7 years

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How to get Free WiFi On The Road

I recently added a wifi adapter in my van and it allows me to connect to any open (no password required) wifi network without having to go into a store that has free wifi (e.g. Lowes, Starbucks, Home Depot, McDonalds, etc). Since the antenna that I purchased is a directional antenna, I have to park the backdoor of my van facing the storefront since the antenna is mounted on the backdoor. Otherwise, it may not amplify the signal. I recommend mounting a directional antenna on the roof if possible.

I went from one bar of wifi signal to full bars of wifi even though I was parked more than 100 yards from a Lowes.

PARTS REQUIRED:

The cord on the directional antenna is only 3 feet long so I purchased an additional cable to extend the length. RP-SMA Male to RP-SMA Female Extension Cable

This is the antenna that is mounted outside the van – it MUST be pointed at the wifi source (e.g. the location where the wifi signal is coming from) TP-Link 2.4GHz 9dBi Directional Antenna

This is what amplifies a wifi signal from the wifi signal source (e.g. Starbucks): Alfa High Gain USB Wireless Network Adapter

The Alfa wifi adapter connects to my laptop via USB.

This setup only allows for one device to be connected (via USB) at a time.

The solution to this problem is to re-broadcast the wifi signal and allow other devices to connect through a wifi repeater (your smartphone, additional computers or tablets, etc): Alfa Wifi Repeater and Range Extender. Note: this device requires AC power.

All in this, wifi amplification system in my RV costs about $60. Not bad for some free wifi in my van!

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hashtagvanlife · 7 years

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Mountain Collective Road Trip Wrapup

In January 2017, I left from Los Angeles, CA to start my road trip to all of the mountains on the Mountain Collective Ski Pass. The mountain, the conditions and my accommodations for each ski resort is listed below in order. I drove a total of 6,800 miles and went through one windshield wiper, two bottles of windshield fluid, one oil change, two ball joints, two struts, and five glow plugs.

Mammoth Lakes, California 300″ base of snow – 30-35 degrees F – sunny and blue skies One of the largest ski resorts in the US. It was a great start to the trip – great coverage and blue-bird conditions with low wind. The terrain was very accessible and easy to get around. Lots of steep, fast runs (which I loved!) ACCOMMODATIONS: Mammoth Guest House (an awesome old wood A-frame).

Squaw Valley, Tahoe, California 158″ base of snow – 39 degrees F – raining/sleet/snow mix and windy (40 mph at mid-mountain and 100mph winds at the peak) Squaw has their first big snow season in almost 5 years however it was one of the worst days of skiing in my life. All of the locals had squeeges on their gloves to wipe away the rain from their goggles. The snow was like Elmer’s glue. Conditions weren’t going to improve so I only skied one day. ACCOMMODATIONS: Tahoe Hostel right on Lake Tahoe (about 30 minutes from the mountain) .

Alta and Snowbird, Utah 102″ base of snow – 30-35 degrees F – cloudy and light snow Met up with Ian who was also doing the Mountain Collective resorts in a van. His Sprinter van is completely new and he has a toilet. Watched the Super Bowl in Elko NV and stupidly left after halftime and Tom Brady proceeded to have a huge overtime win. Snowboarding is banned from Alta. Had some fresh powder both days. Also bought used powder skis and poles for 100 dollars. Alta was my favorite – lots of steep, fast runs. Overall a small mountain. Snowbird had either extreme steeps or moderate, blue runs – almost scary at times.It was fun under the Peruvian lift. There was a Rebel Wilson sighting (Fat Amy from the movie, Pitch Perfect) at Snowbird (sorry – no picture evidence). ACCOMMODATIONS: Walmart Parking lot in Sandy, Utah – next to an Anytime Fitness, Starbucks, and 5 minutes from the Ski Bus shuttle up to the mountains.

Sun Valley, Idaho 146″ base of snow – 25-30 degrees F – cloudy and light snow Definitely one of the richest and nicest resorts ever. Excellent groomers and caught some powder the 2nd day. Would love to come back on a powder day! ACCOMMODATIONS: Stayed in an AirBnB since it was damn cold at night and parking wasn’t allowed on streets due to plowing.

Whistler, BC, Canada 101″ base of snow – 30-35 degrees F – clear and no wind Crossed the border in one hour including a secondary stop and thorough search of my van. Whistler/Blackcomb was overwhelming big – there were so many runs and wide open terrain to ski that I didn’t know what to ski. I skied Whistler mountain in the morning and then took the peak-2-peak tram to Blackcomb for the afternoon. Whatever type of terrain your heart desired, they could provide it. I was there on a weekday (albeit a Spring Break weekday) and 20,000 people were skiing which would crush any other mountain. Watch out in 2017/2018 when Whistler is on the Vail Resorts Epic pass – this place is going to be mobbed. ACCOMMODATIONS: Parked in the driveway of a heli guide in town.

Revelstoke, BC, Canada 99″ base of snow – 25-30 degrees F – cloudy and heavy snow I arrived in Revi on a Sunday and I waited for a few days since powder was in the forecast. I skied two days of fluffy deep powder on the biggest vertical of any North American ski resorts (almost 8000 feet). Only 3 lifts and 1 gondola service the whole mountain and there is a fair bit of traversing needed to access the whole mountain. This was easily my favorite mountain on this ski trip (fresh powder doesn’t hurt either!). Met two cool Aussies (Harleyand Benny). Will definitely come back in the summer. Revi is a hidden gem. ACCOMMODATIONS: Stayed in the Samesun hostel in town (about a 10 minute drive to the mountain).

Banff, Alberta, Canada (Lake Louise and Sunshine and Norquay) 78″ base of snow – 10-15 degrees F – cloudy and light snow Finished a great few days at Revi and said goodbye to the Aussies – Benny and Harley. I will hopefully visit Harley in Australia in the winter. I then drove over the most avalanche prone strecth of road in North America – 163 avalanche chutes and the Canadian military drives around and shoots a huge howitzer gun at the tops of the cliffs to cause avalanches. As I was driving through a tunnel an avalanche was going over the top of me! Amazingly, even though it was snowing heavily, the roads were fine. The town of Banff is magical and beautiful at night. I followed the storm that came from Revi and I skiied some deep powder in the back bowls of Lake Louise.

Switched hostels to HI apline center and it had a commercial kitchen which was awesome! I skied Sunshine which was OK since some parts of the slopes were very flat but I found some good steep stuff later in the day. Locals told me about Toonie day ($2 to ski) at Norquay and warned me about the Jerrys. I went there and skied for 2 hours and then got the hell out since no one knew how to ski! I wasn’t skiing – I was avoiding other skiers. ACCOMMODATIONS: Stayed in 2 different hostels – HI Alpine and Samesun in Banff. Both were great places to stay. About a 40 minute drive to Lake Louise and a 20 minute drive to Sunshine.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming 157″ base of snow – 40-45 degrees F – clear and very warm Stayed overnight in Bozeman where it was considerably warmer than the -10 F degrees in Banff. Then drove the remaining time to Jackson Hole and arrived to 50 F degrees. I was bummed that it was so warm. Switched all of my ski gear to spring skiing. The 1st day was awesome – icy in the morning but it thawed and was great until 3pm. Jackson Hole is big mountain skiing and I only wish I could have skied it with fresh powder. The 2nd day was rough since it didn’t freeze overnight and was slushy. I skied only 3 hours. Met a cool German guy – Sebastian (who is a doing a 12 month road trip) and we had dinner. ACCOMMODATIONS: A rough, old hostel built back in the 1950s with the best location ever – ski in/out right at the base of the mountain!

Snowmass, Aspen, Colorado 78″ base of snow – 40-50 degrees F – clear and very warm Skied Snowmass – long, wide open runs. Most of the mountain is blues, very few green runs or catwalks. The bowls looked great for a powder day. I really enjoyed carving the long, blue runs. ACCOMMODATIONS: Parked at the Carbondale park and ride and the Intercept lot near Snowmass.

Telluride, Colorado 75″ base of snow – 30-35 degrees F – clear and big powder on the second day Skied the first day on a perfectly windless, clear day. Met an Aussie – Dane at the hostel, caught a ride up with him to the mountain the next morning and skied a crazy amount of powder on the second day (approximately 20 inches). My ski popped off on a run and went shooting down the slope and over a cliff. Luckily a tree branch caught it before it went off the cliff! ACCOMMODATIONS: Stayed at Old Mine Shaft Inn in Rico, CO (about 30 minutes outside of Telluride).

Taos, New Mexico 98″ base of snow – 25-35 degrees F – cloudy and snowy Hands down some of the best powder skiing of my life. It didn’t hurt to be riding with a semi-local (shoutout to Lucas) to show Dane and I where the prime hiking spots were to be found. We skied some fresh powder on so many runs – it was a great end to the road trip! ACCOMMODATIONS: Parked in the Taos ski parking lot on the mountain.

In total, I spent about $1250 on accommodations over 2.5 months and $780 in diesel fuel. I went into the ski road trip with very low expectations – I would be successful if I didn’t crash my van and didn’t break any bones. Luckily, neither of those things happened! Overall, this was one of the most fun road trips of my life – obviously the skiing was great but the people that I met and connected with along the way were what made this road trip really special.

from Mountain Collective Road Trip Wrapup

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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My Favorite Vanlife and Travel Apps

These are the apps that I regularly use to find spots to park my van overnight and to find interesting foods to eat, trails to hike, and sights to see. Most have apps for your smartphone and some have websites as well.

Overnight Parking and Camping Apps

Rvparky.com (iOS | Android) – displays a map of rest areas, Wal-marts, truck stops, and RV parks to park your van. I typically use it only for Wal-mart parking lots.

Freecampsites.net (No smartphone app) – Displays a map of free and low-priced ‘boondocking’ or dry camping spots typically in the Western half of the US.

Hipcamp.com (No smartphone app) – This is a website similar to AirBnB but is directly solely at camping rentals. You can also search for state and national park campsites.

AirBnB.com (iOS | Android) – You might be surprised to find ‘camping’ spots on AirBnB. I rented a parking space in a guy’s driveway off of AirBnB in Whistler, BC, Canada. Simply filter for low price ranges (less than $35 per night).

US Public Lands (iOS | Android) – This app show you all of the FREE areas to camp. If you can find a pulloff or cleared area off of a road in a National forest, BLM land, or National park you can camp on it!

Travel Apps

Foodspotting (iOS | Android) – I’m a big fan of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and I love to eat weird foods like tripe, tongue, liver, heart, bone marrow, insects, etc. This app shows all of the unique near your location.

AllTrails (iOS | Android) – This app shows you hikes that you can filter by short/long, easy/hard, small/large elevation. Highly recommend this if you enjoy hiking even in the slightest.

Trover (iOS | Android) – If you want the cool spots to visit while on the road, you can search by photos from locals and find unique places to check out.

Vanlife Apps

Gasbuddy.com (iOS | Android) – It allows you to search for the lowest gas price near you. Super handy!

SaniDumps (iOS | Android) – This app is a useful way to find dump stations.

What are you favorite apps that you use on the road? Post to the comments.

Picture is my Sprinter van in the freezing cold of beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada.

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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How-To Videos of T1N Dodge Sprinter 2003-2006 Model Repairs

These DIY videos are meant ONLY for the Dodge Sprinter 2003-2006 T1N model. I have done all of these repairs myself and most were fairly easy (no more than 30 minutes). The struts took me a few hours since the van needs to jacked up and the wheels removed.

Cabin filter

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Air filter

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Front Struts / Shocks

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Glow Plugs

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Fuel Filter

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Oil Change (I highly recommend using this part when you change oil)

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Rear Differential Service

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Brake Pads

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I have used a mechanic for the ball joints, transmission fluid change, and coolant change.

Here are some useful documents: The Sprinter service manual (PDF) that mechanics use. The Sprinter parts manual (PDF). The Error Code spreadsheet

If your repair isn’t listed here, check out the Sprinter Source forum and your repair will most likely have been answered there.

I also recommend the Sprinter Conversion Sourcebook for additional help.

— Picture is the van in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada frozen in -10 F weather.

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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Jan 2017 Monthly Expense Report

The real power of living in a van is lowering your monthly expenses. Being able to live on so little money, gives you freedom! I can live on as little as $850 per month (cooking all of my own meals and not doing any fun activities).

By converting my vehicle (a Sprinter van) into my ‘home’, I was able to put an expensive ‘asset’ that was unused for the majority of each day and was able to cut out my mortgage/rent payment completely. That simple act cut my monthly expenses down considerably – then I took a hard look at my fixed, recurring expenses. After two years of living on the road, this is what my monthly expenses look like:

Monthly, RECURRING Expenses (services that I either have auto-billed or I am in a contract with):

Car Insurance (Geico): $31

Cell phone (Google Project Fi): $22

Chiropractor Membership 4 times per month (The Joint): $59

Crossfit Membership (varies depending on where I am living): $150

Gym Membership (Anytime Fitness): $39

Amazon Prime Membership (prorated): $9

Audible Membership (I love me some audiobooks!): $17

Health Insurance: $268

Total Monthly, Recurring Expenses: $595

One-time Expenses (these change from month-to-month)

Yoga (I pay the drop-in fees): $40

Eating out (Chipotle, Pho, etc – I try to keep it under $10 per meal including tip): $261

Food and supplements (Costco, Trader Joe’s, Amazon): $387

Fuel for my van (depending on how much I travel): $98

Fun activities/Going out with friends: $180

Van maintenance: $29

Total One-time Expenses: $995

My total monthly expenses (one-time plus recurring monthly) for January 2017 is only $1590.

Notice that I have do NOT have the following expenses:

a car payment

a mortgage or rent payment

a Netflix/Hulu or Spotify membership

debt payments (credit cards, student loans, etc)

A few notes: I value my health hence the majority of my spending on chiropractic and gym memberships.

If I want to watch movies or listen to music, I watch or listen to what is included for FREE with my Amazon Prime membership (Prime movies or music).

If you take away only one thing from this post, it is that the real freedom comes from cutting and ultimately minimizing your monthly, recurring expenses.

TO READ MORE:

How to go from Middle Class to Kickass by Mr. Money Mustache

The Shockingly Simple Math of Early Retirement by Mr. Money Mustache

How I live on $7000 per Year – Early Retirement Extreme

TO LISTEN MORE:

Radical Personal Finance Podcast

Choose Financial Independence Podcast

Mr. Money Mustache interviewed on Tim Ferriss’s 4 Hour Workweek Podcast

from Jan 2017 Monthly Expense Report

#Jan 2017 Monthly Expense Report

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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The First Step Toward Living the VanLife

The first step is not an obvious one – it is not researching vans or build outs or where you will travel.

The first step toward living the VanLife is getting rid of most of your possessions. It sounds easy but it can be a surprisingly long process.

When I began to purge my belongings, I used the Minimalist’s ‘Packing Party’ technique.

It is simple and easy to accomplish. Here are the steps:

Pack up all of your belongings as if you were moving (clothes, kitchenware, towels, electronics, toiletries, etc)

Continue to live in your home for 3-4 weeks

Unpack only the items that you need

Donate or sell everything that is still in boxes

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The video is the Minimalists TED Talk about their packing party.

You will find that you don’t need the majority of your possessions. You will also find that you will feel free and unencumbered.

“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” – Marie Kondo

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#The First Step Toward Living the VanLife

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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How-To Ski Four Colorado Mountains in One Day

It all started apres ski at Beaver Creek while riding the bus back to Bear Lot. We started talking to a bro on the bus about our plans the next day. He told me about how he skied all four Vail Resorts-owned Colorado mountains (Beaver Creek, Vail, Breckenridge, and Keystone) in one day (Arapahoe Basin is owned by Vail Resorts but they don’t have EpicMix on their slopes – so you can’t track your vertical feet skied). After getting a drunken download on how exactly to accomplish skiing four-in-one-day, we decided to hit it hard the next day. This plan is ideal for a Colorado local living on the Frontrange since you will be starting at the mountain farthest from Denver (Beaver Creek).

What you need:

an Epic pass that gives you access to all Vail Resorts

a 4WD car or truck to get you to and from each mountain

lots of snacks and a camelback and/or drinks

a place to stay in or near Avon, Colorado

an opportunity to accomplish this during a weekday (or during a late season weekend)

Here is what we did:

700am – Grab a big, delicious and hardy breakfast at Northside Cafe in Avon, CO

800am – Park in Bear Lot (free parking) and shuttle up to base at Beaver Creek

830am – Catch the first chair up and start skiing newly groomed runs

1030am – Shuttle back to the parking lot and start driving to Vail Ski Resort

1045am – Grab a quick snack and drink in the car while driving

1100am – Park in a covered parking garage at Vail (2 hours free parking)

1115am – Walk to the gondola and hit Vail for a quick 3 or 4 runs

1245pm – Head back to the parking garage and start driving towards Breckenridge

130pm – Eat lunch in the car (or stop for a quick bite – we ate all of our food driving from Beaver Creek to Vail)

200pm – Park in the main Breckenridge lot (typically it costs money to park but it should be open and free by 1pm or 2pm)

215pm – Catch the gondola and ski Breckenridge until closing at 4pm

415pm – Head back to the parking lot and start driving to Keystone (eat some more food!)

445pm – Park at the main Keystone Resort lot and walk to the slopes

500pm – Catch the gondola to the top of Keystone and start night skiing

630pm – Get in a good number of runs under the lit-up slopes of Keystone

700pm – Call it a day and a fun challenge completed. Start driving back to the Frontrange

A total of 1.5 hours of driving – 60 miles.

Potential Obstacles:

getting stuck in a gondola or ski lift for a long period of time

running out of gas, a flat tire, or other car troubles

not having enough food or water in the car with you

arriving at Breckenridge at 4pm (closing time)

When you complete skiing at four resorts in one day, you will receive the ‘Day Tripper’ pin from EpicMix. In total, we skied 34,464 vertical feet over four resorts. It was a long day but it was a fun challenge to complete.

Vertical Feet Totals:

Beaver Creek – 2 hours skiing – 14,944 vertical feet

Vail – 1.5 hours skiing – 5,328 vertical feet

Breckenridge – 2 hours skiing – 9,873 vertical feet

Keystone – 1.5 hours skiing – 4,319 vertical feet

The Total Number of Feet Skied: 34,464 vertical feet

from How-To Ski Four Colorado Mountains in One Day

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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My Epic Skiing Road Trip to 11 Mountains

I will be starting an 11 mountain ski road trip on February 1, 2017. The ski pass that enables this is the Mountain Collective pass. For only $400 (about $18 per ski day), it gives you 2 days of skiing at every mountain. This trip wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for this pass – I am eternally grateful for it! The retail price for 22 days of skiing would be over $3000.

I plan on staying at each mountain 3-4 days bookended with one day of driving (and sometimes two days). So I will have 1-2 days of rest/non-skiing play at each mountain – if you have any recommendations of things to do, drink, or eat PLEASE comment below.

Most of the driving between mountains will be about 5-6 hours except for the 2 days that it will take me to drive to and from the three Canadian mountains (Whistler, Revelstoke, and Banff).

I plan on sleeping in the van only when it is reasonably warm (nights that are not below 20 degrees F). Otherwise, I will be staying with friends, AirBnBs and hostels (which I love). I do have a small camping heater and 12 volt plug-in blanket to keep me warm. I have a new set of winter tires, a spare tire, snow chains, 24/7 roadside assistance and I just changed my oil to a lower viscocity of oil (0w30) for the colder weather.

My criteria to define a ‘successful’ trip are very low – as long as I don’t crash the van or break my body or get horribly sick, the trip will be considered a success. With so much winter driving, inevitably something will go wrong. I want to be as well prepared as I can be.

The mountains (in order) are Mammoth (CA), Squaw Valley (CA), Alta/Snowbird (UT). Sun Valley (ID), Whistler, Revelstoke, and Banff (all in Canada), Jackson Hole (MT), Aspen (CO), Telluride (CO), Taos (NM). Of the 11 mountains, I have only skied one (Telluride) so almost every mountain will be new to me! Here is the map of my planned route (starting in California and finishing in New Mexico).

Please comment with any ideas, recommendations, or places to see or visit on my epic road trip!

—– Photo is Telluride, Colorado where guys ski in cowboy hats!

from My Epic Skiing Road Trip to 11 Mountains

#My Epic Skiing Road Trip to 11 Mountains

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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2016 Year in Review

Moved to Austin, Texas After being on the road for most of 2014 and 2015, I needed to find a warm place to spend the winter. I had never been to Texas before but heard wonderful things about Austin so I went there in January 2016. All of the hype was spot-on – I loved my time there!

Here are some quick highlights from my time in Austin:

Camped and hiked in Big Bend National Park

Went to lots of cold springs in Texas

Went ski diving for the first time

Sung karaoke for the first time (totally sober!)

Started investing in real estate and have owned over 400 acres of land in Texas.

Did the Landmark Forum and had multiple breakthroughs and now I see endless possibilities in life.

Learned how to have authentic, genuine conversations with anyone.

Learned how not to treat women and also how to seem women as people and not an object of my desire.

Built great relationships with many new friends.

Planned a 3 month ski road trip to 11 mountains over 7 states and into Canada

Sold my old rusty van and converted a new(er) sprinter van into my new ‘house’

New Crossfit PRs: a 310 lbs front squat, 410 lbs deadlift, 255 lbs bench press, 240 lbs clean, 8:51 Helen, 1:32 – 500m row.

Camped at most of Texas’s great state parks

Attended one of the best business conferences – Freedom Fast Lane Live.

Personal Goals for 2017 All of my goals this year will be possible from making $10k per month in personal income.

ONE-TIME Sell condo Pay off all remaining debt

ONGOING Do Yoga classes Begin learning Italian Thank everyone that has impacted my life Write daily Meditate and do gratitude daily

FUN STUFF Take massage classes Guitar lessons class Singing lessons Dancing classes Krav maga classes Do a silent meditation retreat

HEALTH Get consult with online doctor / Finish health related testing Screen for colon cancer Back squat 400lbs – front squat 350 lbs

BIG GOALS

Setup my life to start full-time international travel

Build the foundation to start building self-sustaining, intentional communities

Picture is of 50 acres of land that I own in Texas.

from 2016 Year in Review

#2016 Year in Review

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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My Current Home – 2006 Sprinter Van 158 Model

In August 2016, I purchased a used 2006 158″ Dodge Sprinter van (Super high) from a dealer in Texas for $16k. It has 98k miles and the bottom of the van has a rust-protecting undercoating.

I converted the van into my new RV in 10 working days spread out over 4 weeks. I purchased a one-month membership at Techshop so I had access to a chop saw, table saw, tools so all of my cuts were straight and accurate. The TechShop also was next to a Lowes so it was extremely convenient while building the van.

I modeled my van by using Cyrus Sutton’s folding bed/hammock design. I chose it because I would have easy access to the storage cabinets on each side of the van and it allowed for a much larger bed (almost king size) while not sacrificing access to storage.

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Electrical additions:

TWO 6 volt Fullriver batteries Large 12 volt AGM house battery (Duracell 20 amp hours) ($235) with voltage monitor ($11) http://amzn.to/2bo3p9v

White LED lights on the ceiling in the center of the van hooked up to a toggle switch ($17) http://amzn.to/2bdsXFR and switches: ($6) http://amzn.to/2bnzoIc

Fuse Box ($11) http://amzn.to/2byP0G4

TWO solar panels mounted on the roof – Renogy 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit with MPPT ($420)

Whynter45-Quart Portable Refrigerator/Freezer ($514)

Other additions:

Mattress 4-Inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper ($143)

Hand powered water pump ($21) attached to a 5 gallon water tank

Portable Toilet ($69) http://amzn.to/2aeFxAv

Maxx Fan with remote ($258) http://amzn.to/2aeH4GI

A/C 500W inverter that has 2 AC plugs and 2 USB ports ($30) http://amzn.to/2b1IyFg

Wireless antenna amplifier ($65) http://amzn.to/2bdus7b and wireless repeater ($79) http://ift.tt/2bCi5CD

Insulation:

Reflectix insulation ($23) http://amzn.to/2aLdwCO

Denim batting on the sides and ceiling of the van

12-Volt Heated Travel Blanket ($32)

When I first started researching the vanlife, I picked up the Sprinter Buyers Guide.

After I bought my Sprinter van, I used this Sprinter Conversion Sourcebook to aid in the buildout.

from My Current Home – 2006 Sprinter Van 158 Model

#My Current Home – 2006 Sprinter Van 158 Model

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hashtagvanlife · 8 years

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2005 Dodge Sprinter is for sale – 144 High Top 2500

I’m selling my first DIY camper van that I converted myself. I am not a wood worker and it’s a little rough but everything is completely functional.

Priced to sell at $12,900. The van is located in Austin, TX.

2005 DODGE SPRINTER VAN 2500 ¾ ton 144″ WHEEL BASE.

SUPER HIGH TOP ONLY 180,000 MILES PERFECT CAR FAX

The vehicle number is WD2PD644455726505. The title is clear and is in hand.

On the inside, the seats are both in good condition, with no sign of wear. The fabric is good on both seats, with no rips. All gauges and indicators work fine. Mechanically, the 2.7 liter Mercedes diesel starts quickly, runs quietly, and has good power. The transmission shifts smoothly. The front end is tight. There is no sway or wobble. The tires are at least 75% all the way around. All service has been performed.

Here are the minor issues with the van:

The air conditioning needs to be recharged

There is rust on the frame in a few spots however I have painted all visible rust with Rust Stopper

The side sliding door lock is sticky at times

The radio does not work (I have no idea what is wrong with it – I just never took the time to diagnose it)

One glow plug seized in the head – was still able to start in 0 degrees in Colorado winter. Two error codes: P0380 and P0672 – the codes are for the bad glow plug circuit. It has no effect on the performance of the vehicle.

The brake light is on but the brakes are in excellent condition.

The front 2 tires only have 12k miles on them while the rear tires have only 2k on them. Oil, fuel and air filters have been changed religiously. Sprinter mechanics are always impressed with how smooth the engine runs. It is ready for another 100k miles!

Conversion additions (which will be sold with the van):

Large 12 volt AGM house battery (Duracell 20 amp hours) ($235) with voltage monitor ($11) http://amzn.to/2bo3p9v

White LED lights on the ceiling in the center of the van hooked up to a toggle switch ($17) http://amzn.to/2bdsXFR and switches: ($6) http://amzn.to/2bnzoIc

Fuse Box ($11) http://amzn.to/2byP0G4

One solar panel mounted on the roof – Renogy 100 Watt Polycrystalline Solar Starter Kit with PWM ($180) http://amzn.to/2bdtkjX

Storage area above the front cab with LED light bar attached to it ($7) http://amzn.to/2b1Of8Z

Food storage is using a marine Pelican cooler 35 quarts ($295) http://amzn.to/2b1HuRQ

Queen memory foam bed ($127) http://amzn.to/2aeEGjy with storage area next to it and secret storage area underneath the mattress (comes with the pillows, sheets and comforter – black)

7 gallon water tank ($13) http://amzn.to/2b1IANl

Portable Toilet ($69) http://amzn.to/2aeFxAv

Maxx Fan with remote ($258) http://amzn.to/2aeH4GI

Hand pump faucet ($31) http://amzn.to/2aeEj8H and sink ($85) http://amzn.to/2a5ylXW in the kitchen

Privacy blinds in the front of the van.

A/C 500W inverter that has 2 AC plugs and 2 USB ports ($30) http://amzn.to/2b1IyFg

Wireless antenna amplifier ($65) http://amzn.to/2bdus7b and wireless repeater ($79) http://ift.tt/2bCi5CD

Handmade wood cab storage between the captain chairs (can easily be removed)

Roof rack using metal pipes ($82) from Home Depot

Other improvements:

FatMat Sound Deadener on the floor, walls, and ceiling ($200) http://amzn.to/2avo5vN

Reflectix insulation ($23) http://amzn.to/2aLdwCO

R-5 Rigid insulation on the sides and ceiling of the van ($30) http://ift.tt/1MqPo2Z

$1854 in additions have made this Sprinter a great, comfortable van to sleep in. I having been living in it full-time for 2 years. I recently bought a new van to convert so this one needs to be sold. It is ready immediately for a road trip!

The van is located in Austin, TX.

Email me at [email protected] or comment with any questions. Thanks for looking!

I have stayed on top of all engine maintenance since I purchased the van on January 5, 2015.

Mileage Date Oil change Fuel Filter Air Filter Transmission Fluid Shell ATF 134 Tires Engine Coolant (60k) Notes 140,000 1/1/2015 New brakes, pads and rotors, new alternator, new turbo tube and resonator 160,000 3/5/2015 x Replaced ball joints, front struts, and oil seals. Completed rear diff service. Completed wheel alignment. 165,000 8/1/2015 x x x New camshaft position sensor, replaced turbo resonator with aluminum eliminator 166,600 9/16/2015 x 2 rear New transmission fluid and filter. Used Shell ATF 134 fluid. Glow plugs replaced 171,280 1/5/2015 x Oil change 174,536 3/6/2015 x Put 2 gallons of Pennzoil Dex-Gold and flushed out old engine coolant 175,700 4/24/2016 x x Oil change and air filter 176,000 5/17/2016 2 rear Rotated and balanced rear tires to front; 2 Yokohama tires 225 /75R16

from 2005 Dodge Sprinter is for sale – 144 High Top 2500

#2005 Dodge Sprinter is for sale – 144 High Top 2500

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hashtagvanlife · 9 years

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Why am I living in van

My traveling, downsizing, and living in a van is in response to many things that I experienced over the past few years. Here are a few:

My experiences owning a junk removal company I spent 7 years of people paying my franchise to remove and haul away items from their house. Especially when the items were in perfectly good shape and could continue to be used. Let that sink in. We donated or recycled over 75% of the items but I was always shocked at how many things people owned but didn’t need.

I was also surprised at the number of items that were still ‘new in the box’ or never opened that we hauled away. It shows you that items are sold at such a low price that people don’t think twice about getting rid of an item that they never even used!

Living in a condo I purchased a 2 bed/2 bath condo in late 2008. It was a steal but I quickly realized that I didn’t spend much time in my condo. I never got a television or cable and it was 30 minutes from downtown Denver so friends never came to visit.

My daily schedule dictated that I leave my condo between 6-8am and return between 8-9pm each day. I used my condo just as a place to sleep for 8-10 hours a day. That’s when I started to think about not commuting each day to my office and being truly mobile.

My high school years I wholeheartedly believe that the job of a parent is to raise their kids to become independent, self-reliant adults. I feel that my parents did a wonderful job of this because at 15 years old, I felt like I could take on the world. I bristled at authority and being told ‘No, you can’t do that’ – I would often disobey my parents and do what I wanted to do.

My high school years felt like I was biding my time to get to college and then the ‘real world’. It was a time that I felt that I didn’t have much control over my life and was constantly yearning for freedom. Many young people see the the ‘real world’ as a scary place, but for me, it’s the most freedom I’ve ever felt in my life. I could do what I wanted – no expectations and your choices could forge your own path.

These experiences had been bouncing around inside of me for years and finally manifested itself after my talk with my coach in my #vanlife. I still may not know exactly what I’m going to do with my life, but at least I feel like I have the freedom and autonomy to choose how and where I live.

from Why am I living in van

#Why am I living in van

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hashtagvanlife · 9 years

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7 Reasons to Choose a Sprinter Van to Live In

The reasons that I chose a Sprinter van over other types of RVs or campervans were: 1) Sprinters come with a 2.7L turbo diesel engine which produces a super efficient 21-25mpg with a very active community on the Internet 2) The interior height allowed a tall guy (I’m 6’2″) like me to stand upright 3) I wanted a van that wasn’t huge, imposing, and obvious if I parked it in a residential neighborhood. I wanted ‘stealth’ so I could camp anywhere. Sprinter vans do not look like an RV.

Minor reasons to go with a Sprinter van: 4) A fixed top/roof. I really preferred the fixed ‘high’ roof over popups (like a Westfalia van) because they are warmer in the winter, quicker to setup (or instant), easier to walk around in and easy to boondock (aka camping where you are not supposed to camp). 5) Shorter vehicle for better manuverability and easier to park than a big RV and high clearance so you can take it off-roading. 6) Most Sprinters are cargo vans so they typically empty and a blank slate for your vanlife building imagination! 7) Has tiptronic shifting which is nice on hilly roads and as a brake assist.

Here are a few annoying issues that I have had since I purchased the van: – The door locks are a royal pain in the ass. I hate the Eurovan ‘central locking’. Give me a simple lock/unlock button any day. Quite often the remote doesn’t even work. Very frustrating for what should be such a simple thing. – The lack of an anti-sway bar. The van handles front to back bumps just fine, but if you hit any bump that rocks the van sideways, be prepared to wait for 20 seconds for it to stop rocking. – Failure of the turbo resonator and the associated pipe. Both of which are easy fixes but can leave you in Limp Home Mode (where you can’t accelerate over 35 MPH).

After searching for weeks on Craigslist, eBay, cars.com, and used car dealer websites, I purchased a 2005 Dodge T1N Sprinter from a HVAC company on the border of Wyoming and Montana that was the 2nd owner. It was originally from Pennsylvania where the wet winters caused a significant amount of rust on the frame. I got it for $10,000 with 160,000 miles.

I used CarGurus website to give a quick and dirty estimate on whether a van was a good value.

Overall, I have had a great experience with my Sprinter van, learned a lot about repairing a diesel engine and would definitely purchase a Sprinter van again!

from 7 Reasons to Choose a Sprinter Van to Live In

#7 Reasons to Choose a Sprinter Van to Live In

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