Cruise sites like YouTube<\/a> and Reddit<\/a> long enough, and chances are you\u2019ll find yourself down the van life rabbit hole. It sure looks cool, doesn\u2019t it? One day, you\u2019re on a remote beach, and the next, it\u2019s stealth camping in an urban hotspot.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t clean out your checking account for a Sprinter van just yet. Dreamy as it might seem, van life isn\u2019t always selfies against a scenic backdrop. Relatively few van lifers actually make a living as content creators, but every van lifer will eventually need some source of income.<\/p>\n In other words, don\u2019t count on the Gram<\/a> to keep you fed!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n You could go viral, sure, but you\u2019d be much better served with a plan in place to hold you over until fame comes knocking. Let\u2019s take a tour of some practical strategies for making money online while you\u2019re living the van life.<\/p>\n When it comes to the essentials, let\u2019s assume you\u2019ve already decided on basics like your bed, cooking setup, and storage for food and other stuff. We\u2019ll touch upon a few areas of your rig that should be geared toward moneymaking.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re working at a computer for any length of time, a comfortable office space<\/a> will be key. Consider aspects like room, lighting and furniture.\u00a0<\/p>\n It might be tempting to wing it, but imagine committing to a job that requires hours of screen time. It could easily become an ordeal if you lack, say, a decent chair or a place for your keyboard.<\/p>\n Similar to a good office space, make sure your computer setup can support the type of work you\u2019ll be doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, solely having a mobile device is fine for easy stuff like posting on social media, but it might become tedious if you need it for more involved tasks like composing emails for a campaign or editing images.<\/p>\n Most van lifers will need an external source of electricity beyond their vehicle battery. At a minimum, check out portable power stations such as Jackery<\/a> or EcoFlow<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n These won\u2019t support a lavish lifestyle, but they\u2019re easy to charge between stops, either plugged into your vehicle or a solar array.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n Speaking of, the gold standard is solar panels that continuously charge batteries, which then power all your stuff. These systems, from companies like Renogy<\/a>, are fast becoming less expensive and more modular for an easier setup.<\/p>\n Using your phone as a hotspot miiiight<\/em> work, but you\u2019ll eventually face throttled speeds and spotty service. Many mobile providers, like T-Mobile<\/a> or Verizon<\/a> offer home internet on their 5G networks, with modems that are relatively small and easy to power.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, if you\u2019re uber-dependent on being online, check out satellite providers like Starlink<\/a> for a potentially quicker and more reliable connection.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t mind a little offline labor, having the necessary tools handy is key. Say you drive by an overgrown lot and the homeowner is looking to drop a few twenties to make the problem go away.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lugging around that string trimmer wasn\u2019t such a bad idea, right? Speaking of, if you don\u2019t mind pulling a small trailer full time, hauling services can be in high demand, especially in rural areas.<\/p>\n Now that your rig is all dialed in, let\u2019s explore some practical strategies for making money online<\/a> to fuel your van-life adventures. It\u2019s likely you can turn any work-from-home enterprise into a job you do from your van.<\/p>\n The smoothest way to transition into van life is going remote in your current role<\/a> (if you haven\u2019t already). It\u2019s important to be honest with your employer, however, and let them know you plan to hit the road.<\/p>\n It might help to explain to your boss some of the considerations we just went through, so they can have more confidence that you\u2019ll remain productive. Have a conversation about what times you\u2019ll be available for meetings and such, and when you\u2019ll be traveling.<\/p>\n If your current employer shuts down your van-life pitch, it might be time to think about switching to a remote-friendly role \u2014 those jobs are definitely out there. Just check sites like Indeed or LinkedIn, making sure you enter \u201cremote\u201d as the job location.<\/p>\n And as we just discussed, make sure you\u2019re honest with your new employer about your van lifestyle. It\u2019d sure be a bummer to hang all your hopes on your new role, only to find out later that they aren\u2019t cool with the idea.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re confident enough to forgo guaranteed paychecks, freelancing<\/a> is a good option that offers tons of flexibility and variety in the kind of work you do.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s writing, photography, design or whatever, the first step to getting freelance clients is putting together a portfolio<\/a> to showcase examples of your work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n With that in hand, create a profile on freelance websites like Upwork<\/a> and Fiverr<\/a>. You can also search traditional job sites for contract work or freelance gigs. And don\u2019t overlook good ol\u2019 Craigslist<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s a great resource for freelance work in a specific location.<\/p>\n Word to the wise: Get some freelance work lined up before you head out on your adventures. It takes time to build relationships with clients, so the money won\u2019t come pouring in right away.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re crafty, creating and selling goods online can bring in some decent money. Solid internet is key here, as you\u2019ll spend a lot of time working with your ecommerce platform<\/a>. A good photography setup is another necessity, as well as space to shoot product photos<\/a>.<\/p>\n As with freelance work, it\u2019s a good idea to get things set up before starting your travels. Your website will need some time to start ranking and you\u2019ll want to do some marketing in order to build awareness of your brand \u2014 don\u2019t expect a big payday right away.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve got your van set up for making money online and explored a few job ideas, let\u2019s take a quick look at some other stuff that can help keep you flush.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Van life considerations for making money online<\/h2>\n
Office space<\/h3>\n
Computer setup<\/h3>\n
Power supply<\/h3>\n
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Internet access<\/h3>\n
Tools and equipment<\/h3>\n
How to make money online from your van<\/h2>\n
Taking your current career remote<\/h3>\n
Start a career that\u2019s remote-friendly<\/h3>\n
Freelancing<\/h3>\n
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Start an online store<\/h3>\n
Other stuff you might need to make money online<\/h2>\n
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