Visiting my Early Vanlife Locations

[@ryoung-v3g]

I use that wave heater. Tip: mount it to a wall using a small pivot type tv mount. Tucks out of the way against the wall when you're done with it

[@TheMomentEnds1]

That heater is worth every penny, been using in very cold temps for many years

[@NoFate247]

Loving these check ins!!! Getting spoiled with these releases coming so often. Thank you

[@snowbirdlady7221]

Beautiful day! You brought back some memories for me too. I grew up in OC back when it was still mostly orange groves and farms. I always loved those Live Oaks and Sycamores! The eucalyptus trees smelled so good. We used to have Tarzan rope swings and tree forts in them. Thanks for the update Brian.

[@marianfrances4959]

Absolutely, we need nature. All the best, Brian. 👍😎🇨🇦☀️✌️

[@timfarness9949]

Glad your trying a different van, hope it works for what you need. This was a great video showing your childhood stomping grounds. Best wishes on the next adventures.

[@AdventureVanMan]

Thank you. Fun times ahead!

[@timfarness9949]

@AdventureVanMan I have watched since you had your first van.

[@michaeltellurian825]

Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Also, your story is touching. Best wishes to you Brian.

[@scottpierce3969]

Isn't it amazing how natural areas can recharge the body and refresh the soul? I had something similar (state park, to be exact) during my teenage years and don't think I would have survived without it. And thus, began a lifelong appreciation of nature. . .

[@juanesebuitrago4040]

That was so beautiful and peaceful. Thanks for sharing.

[@paulkersey2179]

Pretty cool to see where I go for walks everyday in one of your videos.

[@thelegion_within]

i like the nature walk video, it hearkens back to some of your first few years ;)

[@cocos8970]

I love the nearby gems that are filled with nature that you can escape to. I have one 15 minutes away that takes me away from the city. I go there as much as I can. Thanks for the video.

[@raquelrockysanchez]

Thanks for this tour of mission trails and santee. I’ve been living out here in San Diego for 23 years and have never explored those areas of mission trails. Now I’m going to have to get on out there! Thanks for the video tour!!

[@skatingmom4]

Really enjoyed your walk in nature. So beautiful.

[@tamarackmi9195]

California has a lot of beauty to explore😄Thank you Brian🫠🧡

[@nancylagoyda5337]

Reminded me of my days living San Diego when I was young and would hike and bike all over that area!

[@trailcamvideo]

Brian, loved seeing the snowy egret. My husband said it looked like it had on yellow rain boots. Always enjoy your videos. Take care.

[@Marci629]

What an absolutely beautiful hike. Thanks for taking us along.❤

[@msvg3]

This time to reset and travel light will be a fun adventure! ✌️❤️🚐

[@kitaoden703]

❤ Thank you for sharing a walk down memory lane great video ✌🏼

[@Tony-um2el]

I have found on my van with the same heater, just barely open the roof vent on low pulling air in. Warm air raising up so you get good air flow and circulation. Plus you’re not pulling cold air through all the nooks and crannies into your space. Yes in pushes some warm air out but you always get fresh air coming in and your floors don’t get as cold.

[@adamd8587]

Looking forward to this new van adventure!

[@kathigee]

what a beautiful place!

[@deborahg4599]

Nature fixes me right up. 4.5 years now and I love it. Take it easy Brian!

[@Thelifeofwiley]

Always cool to see childhood haunts

[@dyerarch]

Hey Brian, I've been using a wave 3 for 2 years now. It works well, but it will probably work better in your van because of the smaller volume. I have switched to a 1500 watt ceramic heater because it heats up my tall space quicker. If you can position a small fan above the w3 to keep the air circulating, it helps. Excited to see how your new van works out. I will be building out a new cargo trailer over the next 2 months here in the Q. Will try to photograph the process. No promises though. Stay strong, travel on. Hope to see you down the road again soon. Rod.

[@bonniepwtf]

Really enjoyed watching the snowy egret doing it's search dance in the water. Beautiful area for you to have had to explore & ride bikes as a kid.✌️🤗🪶

[@jdtravelers1361]

Enjoy your videos. I have been using the Wave 6 for years in a 27FT floorplan trailer. Been in 22 degree weather and never ran it above low. Love the heater but I wish it have a thermostat with maybe a battery pack for the igniter. I have the same detector and it never went into alarm when heating with the heater on all night. Still have some moisture but nothing like a buddy heater. I think you will like the unit. Stay Safe..

[@charlesbarry7479]

Thank you Brian. I remember watching your early videos on my lunch break. This one is very reminiscent of those days.

[@scottthejeepguy7499]

Looks like a great beginning Brian, good luck, and away we go.

[@AdventureVanMan]

It won't be long now!🚐💨

[@DamonVagabond]

This is great! I left on my new adventure about a month ago. Spent a week in SD, so busy. 😮Did you get a chance to go by Mission Bay Park at all? Rvs, vans, and buses have tripled. Pretty crazy to have been gone 4 years and then go back to see the change. Glad you had good weather.

[@mlbolts72]

San diego has some nice areas to camp / hike. Good luck w the astro van. Lookin foward to your new adventures 🌵🌲🤠

[@dianepines9014]

Thanks for the tour of Mission Trails! ☀️

[@cecilebecker9726]

Good luck on your new adventure Brian 🎉 l hope you have a safe journey and thank you for the wonderful videos and scenery. Also for sharing your life with us🤗

[@donniediggs]

I saw the snapshot in your new van and thought it was a throwback vid! Cool to see this process of going backwards in a sense...looking forward to the adventure as always!

[@ElleBaum]

Thanks for IDing the things! It’s crazy how many oaks there are. And how different from one another they can appear.

[@theathjr]

Brian thanks for showing us a side of the San Diego area that I have yet to explore. It is absolutely beautiful. The only thing I know about Santee is we played a team from there in Little League back in the early 80’s on our quest to Williamsport PA. Yeah. We lost. Great video and thank you for the memories faded as they might be✌️

[@Gracie.Paulina]

Thanks Brian... .

[@m.d.grimes1622]

Nice to see our own backyard, thanks Brian.

[@TRountree54]

You sure can tell you’re a San Diego dude. All the ones I’ve met over the years are so laid back and chill, easy going, and love being in the outdoors 👍

[@PedroNord]

Fun to see you back in the old stomping grounds in reset mode. Looks like fun !!

[@SonyaBayham]

Beautiful video. Awesome area. Enjoy the process of resetting your life. It's definitely an adventure .😊

[@LetGoAnLive]

Brian i have been fulltime for 7 years now in my 34ft motorhome. I have the wave8 heater and they work great! I only turn it on for a few hours in the morning and a few hours at night. They definitely only sip the propane. You will be nice and warm. Cheers

[@CarlynTucker-s9m]

Really nice look at the snowy egret(yellow feet) feeding! I look forward to your continued adventures.

[@AdventureVanMan]

Thank you. Can't believe it let me get so close!👍🏼

[@justinetherton4107]

Glad yer doing good brother! Love the Astro!!

[@TM-ev2tc]

I know it is a long way away, but if you are ever around Bodega Bay you should check out The Hole In The Head, and check out the history of the place.

[@CrankyBubushka]

Thanks for the fun tour.

[@sallys2423]

I've never seen a Snowy Egret hunting, very cool!

[@MannyWC]

LOVE my wave 3! I mounted mine on the wall about counter height - use a small 12v fan to circulate the air!

[@Johnjohnwild]

Hi Brian , I’ve followed you for many years and love your videos. I live on 3 acres in the Temecula wine country. If you need need a pit stop on your way to new adventures let me know

[@AdventureVanMan]

Thank you!✌🏼

[@Hunter357mag]

Thanks for the update! And the background of SD, great to see your favorite places.

[@Hiker_who_Sews]

Great childhood remembrances. Thanks. Peace.

[@kennyf9731]

Thanks Brian for the hometown memory flashback! Maybe for a shakedown of the Astro head out to Anza Borrego while it's still cool. Most awesome hike in Anza is to hike into the Goat Canyon trestle from Dos Cabazos and go through all the bridges and tunnels in total wilderness...

[@SilverTurtle65]

Nice basic set up and if I ever get back on the road again I’m definitely going to be looking at the Chevy Astro van. I think it’s perfect for living on the road. Safe travels.

[@ca98981]

Always enjoy the National Geographic moments

[@gwh21375]

What a gorgeous day, Brian! Thanks for letting us tag along.

[@No_motor_angler]

It’s always nice to reminisce old adventures. I remember when you moved from the van into the new box truck & came to Tampa to build it out. Man, time flies!!

[@WatersandWilderness]

I have a Wave 3 heater for my vansion. I stopped using it because it was such a hassel to turn on, wait till it warms the van, then turn it off, go to bed. I now have flannel sheets on my bed and on top of that, I have a fleece blanket and a "Wholly Mammoth Wool Blanket" which locks in warmth, then on top of that a have a thick faux goose down comforter! I freeze my butt off when I go to the bathroom at night, lol, but I would anyway because I cannot leave the Wave 3 on all night while sleeping. During the day, when really cold, I can leave it on while reading, cooking, cleaning inside the van. But I am awake the entire time. Yes, you must have airflow & good alarms when using these heaters. Be careful. I also purchased a hand held gas detector... I check my 5lb propane tank for leaks weekly. Keep your detection mechanisms in good working order as well as your tanks & heaters. Never skimp on these items.

[@AdventureVanMan]

Agreed, I never use a heater overnight. I'm plenty warm with my bedding.

[@bobcoopersliveyoutubevlog]

nice to see ,yur happier,

[@Badgeweefixstuff]

The wave heater awesome work great awesome video 🛠️🇨🇦🛠️🇨🇦

[@glennmorrell4907]

Nice video Brian. It’s good to check out our old haunts and relive earlier times while enjoying nature. Years ago one of my relatives took a job as director of a technical school in San Diego-he grew to love the area and explored it often. SE PA ‘scriber. Hope the Astro serves your needs.

[@MyAwesomevanlife]

I really enjoyed this video, thanks 👍 Nice camera work too !

[@rockymountainreseller]

I love California. Get very homesick. I’m from northern up by Yuba City. Hope to come back soon now that I’ve retired. Wyoming is rough in the winter. Love the van. I’ve actually been looking into those astros. I used a little buddy propane heater in my mini van when I traveled and it would run me out. San Diego area is so amazing. Thanks for sharing all your old stomping grounds. See you on the road !

[@jennifergrody]

What a beautiful place to hang out to unwind & recharge your soul. Thanks for showing a beautiful side of CA. These days we only hear of the fires & the politics of the state.

[@leeinwis]

He doesn't even have a dog 😥

[@jennifergrody]

@@leeinwis read again… nothing was mentioned about a dog. I am aware he doesn’t have a pet.

[@BlakeBlackstone]

I recently filmed my first time going to In-N-Out when I was visiting family in Texas. The video isn't up yet, but it was definitely not what I was expecting. I definitely like Culver's more.

[@bicyclerider8218]

Excellent video, thank you for sharing.

[@bethgarrison1751]

Nature bathing soothes the body/soul. Are there any ruins of old Mission nearby? Thanks for sharing.

[@AdventureVanMan]

The Mission was many miles down river. This dam was used to control the flow of the river downstream. The original Mission was in what is now Presidio Park but has been since relocated to Mission Valley. I remember touring the Mission as a field trip in grade school.

[@vancestory2320]

My old stompin' grounds in San Diego were at a little facility known as MCRD...Semper Fi!

[@blackwoodslawn]

Thank you for your service. ! God bless you !! God bless America !!!

[@stevekunz6573]

My old Lance truck camper had the same heater, the orange glow at night was very fireplace like the heat was nice.

[@JohnQSpock]

I grew up in Santee. And I stayed a few weeks at old Mission Dam. Back in the 70s

[@pwarelis]

propane heaters generate moisture as a by product of combustion, is that a good choice for your small van setup?

[@AdventureVanMan]

These put off very little moisture. It's actually welcome, my diesel heater is so dry it makes my nose bleed!

[@pwarelis]

@@AdventureVanMan are you sure? cursory search of online literature reveals that for every molecule of propane burned, four molecules of water are produced. could be problematic for small spaces

[@AdventureVanMan]

@pwarelis nothing beats actual experience👍🏼

[@pwarelis]

@@AdventureVanMan full disclosure, i enjoy your videos :). but you have a pretty big audience. make sure your advice doesn't affect anyone negatively

[@AdventureVanMan]

@pwarelis there are lots of videos on these heaters on youtube. My friend Scott did a good video on these heaters a while back. He is in a smaller van than my Astro. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKTJpGV3gtVsgK8si=Drx9P12Xk4anZ3ow

[@theskyehiker]

San Diego is a very pretty area. My experience is confined to the PCT, which is east of where you are. If you like hiking, you might want to head over there.

[@AdventureVanMan]

Yes, I have hiked all over the Laguna Mountains where the PCT goes through. Many family camping trips there too growing up.👍🏼😊

[@MsCar2008]

Looking forward to your new adventure. Good luck.p

[@Manitou36]

Good video Brian, always enjoy your peaceful content, and I added some more Google flags of places that I would like to go check out, thanks for sharing your journey, bud 😎✌️

[@victoriaburkhardt9974]

Pretty country. Thanks for the video.

[@avlisk]

Propane heaters: Don't skimp on CO detectors (or propane leak detectors, either). I got one of the $35 detectors. A CO leak in my propane heater made me really sick before the alarm sounded. It can take days to recover.Their threshold sometimes is set too high. Also, follow the rule: "Two is one, one is none" when it comes to detectors. You won't regret it.

[@AdventureVanMan]

Yes, most home CO detectors don't detect low levels of CO combined with the fact it can take hours for them to register and trigger the alarm. There are low level CO detectors with a 60 second reponse but they are a bit pricey but worth it in my opinion. There are propane detectors also that are a good idea to have as well.

[@Rasesvaridasi]

I used to use that heater in my Scamp and lots of condensation. Maybe in your small space it will heat up. It’s my back up still.

[@davechristensen3167]

Thanks for the video.

[@Tatiacha]

what about a couple two drawer file cabinets that would give you four drawers for food and kitchen stuff and it would be easy to put a piece of wood on top for cooking.

[@AdventureVanMan]

I'm going to start hitting all the thrift stores in the area to see what I can fInd. Something like that should work.👍🏼

[@CathyWestcott]

Loved the videography. The egret was beautiful.

[@georgiacorey954]

That's a beautiful park. I can see why it helps to ground you. I know you enjoy cooking. Food is a simple way of connecting to life, in my opinion. Are you going to allow yourself to cook multiple ways & also carry the seasonings & utensils you enjoy, & do your carvings, & music too? I've seen other minis vans where the passenger seat is removed to allow space for food & water storage. I respect minimalism & the joy it brings but also believe our artistic talents are gifts to also be respected. Best wishes on your transition to downsize.

[@RVingwithG]

😮😊😊. 8:00 I have this Olympian wave 3, in a 24 foot class RV and it’ll keep an ambient temperature of 57 when it’s below 30 outside.😊

[@AprilMadden-Jam]

Good to see you out and about in the new van. We also used the Wave 3, still have it. It's a good heater. Our van is still sitting, I got the inside mostly finished, but there are still a few mechanical issues that need attention. I am reluctant to get it back to a garage after being burned by the last two. In all fairness, the second mechanic tried to finish the job the first ones left undone, but they just did bare minimum work and I don't feel comfortable going back to them. I am hoping for a miracle, some day to find a mechanic that WANTS to help us finish out this van the right way. It does run and drive, but having an issue with the fuel tank letting gas smell out, so that needs to be fixed next. We shouldn't be smelling fuel. Any mechanics in Tyler Tx want to help me out??

[@havefunbesafe]

Brian, if you could talk to 2014 Brian, what advice would you give him?

[@AdventureVanMan]

Stay sober.

[@havefunbesafe]

@ amen brother. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@RedStickHistorian]

You are a resourceful, thoughtful, and interesting man. Thanks for sharing.

[@spookydonkey2195]

Beautiful spot! The bid that was fishing was really interesting. I wonder if the shaky steps it was taking was an effort to stir up sediment and attract fish. I know fish are attracted to underwater metal detectorists for that reason. Super interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@crackerjack6075]

13:00 Snowy Egret - a yearling It actually seems it let you get pretty close. ** I compliment you as well. You post video of the trail, the stream, the water pooling in front of the mission dam and of course the lake... and you were quiet, so we could hear the natural sounds. So many hiking videos posted and the music they thought was needed, but tracking completely over the top of nature. Thanks for sharing that.

[@MrSheymie]

Best of luck to you Brian.

[@tomcaldwell5750]

Great park. Thank you, Brian.

[@scable-eq7bp]

Going back to your roots, very cool video. I always thought of San Diego being flat, but boy was I wrong....

[@bradcreel7267]

Why don't you use just a regular electric space heater inside your van?

[@leeinwis]

lol

[@bradcreel7267]

@leeinwis I'm actually being serious. I looked up more information on the internet. Apparently, electric heaters are a big drain on the vehicle's battery.

[@JG-kv4oi]

Just plug it into a current bush

[@AdventureVanMan]

You need a lot of power for those. I use one when I'm at jobs that provide outlets to plug into.

[@chellierich8682]

Great video! Thank you ❤

[@matthewk2725]

Good stuff Brian! I think we are about the same age. I feel like if we would have been neighbors growing up we probably would have been friends. I spent all my summers bmx'ing, building jumps, skateboarding half pipes and was rarely indoors....man it was good. My friends and I dreamed of So Cal and how cool it'd be to live there (from Michigan) . Anyhow, I enjoy your adventures and stay stoked 🤙

[@sherryhicks4156]

Noticed others are down sizing as well.

[@poohsblusteryday8592]

Brian I have been using my Olympian Wave 3 for 2 1/2 years now. In my 22ft travel trailer, 2002 Northwood Nash. I actually don’t vent at all. But it’s a bit of room in here also.CO detector. I’m running it 24/7 this winter in Kentucky. It’s keeping me nice and toasty warm on high. Even during the arctic snow/ice sandwich storm 3 weeks ago and the -7 we had last week. I call it warm heat, it heats me to the bone. Unlike electric heat which I call cold heat 😂

[@MediaBrockman]

I knew you good guy! In and Out the best! 😊😅

[@originalsixx]

I finally got to try an In n Out burger last week. I’ve been wanting to try one since the first video that I seen you mention them a couple years ago. It was very good! 😊 Thanks for the video!

[@JohnQSpock]

Was that old Mission dam?

[@walterpace6099]

Brian, can you please put the heater info in description, thanks

[@AdventureVanMan]

Camco Olympian Wave 3 Heater

[@walterpace6099]

@@AdventureVanMan thanks Brain

[@petebach7221]

16:15 I didn't realize that the German settlers were there as early as 1816. Hmm.