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☆ A 24-year-old spent $140,000 buying and converting a Mercedes van. Take a look inside the luxury home on wheels.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

So, she set out to do just that for her most recent van conversion. AdvertisementFor the next nine months, she designed and built a space that's just as much functional as it is artistic. By the end of the conversion, Minor said she spent $140,000 on the build. For example, Minor used liquid fiberglass — a material that's typically used on the exterior of automobiles — inside her van. "In which case, it just turns into a regular business that's complicated, that's restricted."

Persons: —, Abbe Minor, Minor, Autoevolution, Noovo, I've, I'm, she'd, Diego's, Minor's van, van isn't, Abbe Minor's van, she's Organizations: Service, Business, Minor, Overland Locations: San Diego, Pennsylvania, Washington

☆ After traveling in a van for 2 weeks, I saw how the lifestyle could be cheaper than my Denver life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I wanted to explore the US, but I also wanted to see if van life was something I could do full-time. I quickly realized that these small costs — eating out, gas station snacks, souvenirs — are where van life can get expensive. AdvertisementSo finding a lifestyle like van life, which includes adventure and potential savings, sounds too good to be true. Monica Humphries/Business InsiderI experienced ways that living in a van could be cheaper than my lifestyle todayThere are hidden costs that come with van life. I'm not saying van life is necessarily cheaper than city living, but I am convinced it can be if I work at it.

Persons: —, ProMaster, I've, Apartments.com, Axios, It's, Brittany Newson, Monica Humphries, it'd, Zach Nelson, Joe's, Joshua, Ram, van, I'd, I'm Organizations: Service, Denver, Mercedes, Benz, Costco, Walmart Locations: Denver , Colorado, Denver, Southwest America, Plenty, San Fransico, Joshua Tree

☆ I spent years considering van life and finally embarked on a 2-week trip last fall. 5 months later, I'm still dreaming of the lifestyle.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The concept of van life has intriqued me for years. I've interviewed dozens of nomads who encouraged others to try van life with shorter trips. AdvertisementThose desires could be answered with van life — especially since the version of van life I saw scrolling on Instagram and TikTok seemed to fit my outdoorsy lifestyle. Related storiesI knew two weeks wasn't enough to experience every aspect of van life. Plus, the company's vans were what I dreamed of when I pictured van life.

Persons: I've, —, Monica Humphries, Maddy Garrett, Ram Organizations: Service, Valley Music, Arts, Gatorade, Allied Market Research, Business, Subaru, Walmart, Costco Locations: Bryce, United States, RVs, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Denver, New Mexico, Las Vegas

☆ Step inside Quartzsite, Arizona, where snowbirds flock for warmer weather and a cheap place to park their RVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementOne of those places is Quartzsite's La Posa long-term visitor area . Monica Humphries/Business InsiderIf off-grid living won't fit a visitor's needs, Quartzsite is home to more than 50 RV resorts . As I meandered around La Posa, I debated how close was too close to park next to a stranger. Monica Humphries/Business InsiderIn 2020, Quartzsite became a Hollywood backdropMost people recognize the name Quartzsite from the Oscar-winning movie "Nomadland," which was released in 2020. There was a sense of freedom living on La Posa, and almost everyone I met was friendly and eager to chat.

Persons: It's, —, snowbirds, Monica Humphries, you'll, Quartzsite, Casey Osborn, he's, Osborn, He's, Osborn doesn't, Bob, La Posa, La, Fern —, Frances McDormand, Fern, Paul Winer, Winer Organizations: Service, of Commerce, Tourism, Land Management, Vehicles, La, Social Security, Reader's Oasis, Oasis, Quartzsite Yacht Locations: Quartzsite, Arizona, Quartzsite , Arizona, Mexico, La Posa, La

☆ I spent $3,200 for a 2-week van trip. It was worth every penny.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I spent two weeks traveling around America's West in a van on a trip that cost $3,200. Instead, I shelled out $3,200 for a two-week van trip. Monica Humphries/Business InsiderThe idea for a van trip has been on my mind for years. The author's rental van outside of the Native Campervan Denver location. Monica Humphries/Business InsiderUltimately, the van trip led to new experiences and ways to travel for a trip I won't forgetI dropped off my van feeling energized.

Persons: —, Monica Humphries, I've, Joshua, Ram, Joshua Tree Organizations: Service, Mercedes, Business Locations: America's, Dublin, Ireland, Sin City, Denver , Colorado, Joshua Tree, California, Paris, Airbnbs, Denver, Palm Springs , California, Utah, Joshua Tree , California, Jerome , Arizona, Taos , New Mexico

☆ 3 things I wish I'd known before I tested out van life on an epic 13-day road trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Finding parking spots was easier than I imagined and daily tasks took more time than expected. AdvertisementLike any trip or adventure, I went into my recent 13-day van trip across the American West with expectations, fears, and assumptions. Monica Humphries/InsiderAs I hit the road for my 13-day van trip, I couldn't shake my stress. AdvertisementI feared finding last-minute parking spots would be a nightmare. And out West, I relied on Bureau of Land Management land, which is land free for public use.

Persons: —, Monica Humphries, didn't, FreeCampsite.net, van, Joshua, pullouts Organizations: Service, Land Management, Walmart, of Land Management Locations: Joshua Tree , California, La, Arizona

☆ I imagined spending my 2-week van trip in scenic campgrounds. The reality was sleeping in parking lots at Cracker Barrel and Walmart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sleeping outside Walmart and Cracker Barrel was free, convenient, and a true taste of van life. AdvertisementA Cracker Barrel parking lot full of RVs. Sure enough, in the review section of Google, plenty of people mentioned sleeping successfully in the parking lot at the Flagstaff Cracker Barrel. AdvertisementThe Cracker Barrel sign through the author's windshield. Knowing that so many other people were spending the night in the same parking lot was comforting.

Persons: —, Ram, Joshua, Monica Humphries, Williams, van Organizations: Walmart, Service, Google Locations: Colorado, Joshua Tree, California, Walmarts, Williams , Arizona, Jerome , Arizona, Williams, KOA, Flagstaff, RVs

☆ A healthcare COO and a travel business founder have found that mobile innovation is changing their work lives for the better
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Samsung | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The rise in new mobile devices has allowed us to access aspects of our personal healthcare in increasingly simple and flexible ways. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne such business is Qured, a startup that was founded in 2017 in London that offers users access to at-home health screening. That experience really drove my determination to work with innovative tech startups," said Lyz Swanton, Qured's COO. "We are seeing more patients relying on their smartphones to access healthcare," Swanton said. "I am very excited for the future of healthtech and the possibilities of mobile innovation to transform lives," Swanton said.

Persons: —, Lyz Swanton, Qured, Swanton, Samsung Knox, Thomas Christensen, Christensen, campervans Organizations: CDC, Premier League football, Devices, Samsung, Insider Studios Swanton, Samsung Galaxy Locations: London

☆ How to Go Camping: A Beginner’s Guide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Elaine Glusac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For first-time campers, spending the night outside presents a planning wilderness, including figuring out what to bring. Choose your camp styleCamping comes in many varieties, from car camping, meaning you drive to a campsite and pitch a tent, to overnight backpacking, in which you carry everything on foot. Starter-friendly, car camping allows travelers to bring things like coolers and camp chairs, and most campgrounds maintain toilets. Rental camper vans often come equipped with gear, including bedding, cookware and a camp stove. Companies such as Escape Campervans, Wandervans and Native Campervans rent modified vans that campers sleep in.

Relentlessly rising rents, eight consecutive interest rate hikes, surging living costs and devastating natural disasters in the past few years have inflamed what was already among the world's least affordable rental markets. In Demographia's International Housing Affordability report this year, Sydney ranked the world's second-least affordable market, behind only Hong Kong. Australia's worst floods on record in the east of the country earlier this year destroyed homes and forced about 40,000 people to evacuate, adding to the housing crisis. SEEKING SOLUTIONSProperty owners say rising costs are forcing them to raise rents. Trina Jones from Homelessness New South Wales said for the move to be successful, homes need to be representative of social and affordable housing, and not aimed at making profits.

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