She Sold Her Boston Condo To Live Full Time In This Beautiful Sprinter Camper Van

Sarah is a perfect example of someone willing to take risks to make her dreams come true! She was an awesome person to film with and I hope you enjoy the tour!
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[@cynthiagalvan837]

I have noticed. That all the other van life videos I have seen. She has been the one to actually and genuinely tell me the truth of all the obstacles and problems you can come across and I heard she had quite a bit. All the others have either forgot to mention it or just didn’t want to. Nobody starts out knowing it all at the beginning. I appreciate that about her. Thanks for your truth of your experience.

[@fastgurrrl]

Yeah, more of that is needed. Also, be interesting to hear an update after actually full on living in it for a while. I'm kinda fed up with all these yuppie glam vans though, tbh. Too many boxes crammed inside a box. They are not tiny houses. They're cars.

[@fastgurrrl]

@fredrik bergquist I'll check it out hon. Ty.

[@cynthiagalvan837]

👋 Hi Fredrik Bergquist. Thanks. I will check it out too. !!

[@cynthiagalvan837]

@ Jodie York. I hear you. I have seen on you tube that Some apartments are extremely small with ridiculous rents. This is just another option for rent free living and they get to travel the world while they are at it. I quess. 🤗

[@kellykirkpatrick8978]

you are sp right!

[@sophiarose7610]

I rather have a bathroom than a living room. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@4dnblovelyfe769]

Omg someone understands me 😀

[@noukhollands]

I agree im going to have it when i design mine

[@TheHermitHacker]

Yeah, especially when you realize your stomach suddenly decides to go sour and you are nowhere near a toilet. This is probably my #1 priority item in my conversion van rebuild.

[@suprea107]

@Maroxa’s Choices Public restrooms are so dirty though.

[@lb3659]

I would definitely do a fridge between the front seats and a narrower counter top and keep the bathroom. Some people pee in the night a lot 🤷‍♀️

[@lorcro2000]

The installation of the gas bottle and system is horrifying. The gas bottle should be in its own cabinet, with raised sides (think small tub), walls and a floor vent, so the heavier than air gas falls to the floor and then out the floor vent if it develops a leak. I have my doubts about those gas lines too. And the stove top itself was a bad choice, there are good RV-specific gas hobs. Where you can actually use both burners. But compared to the risk of being gassed to death or having the van explode when it fills up with gas, that's a minor issue.

[@jamiegurley4230]

Croft...gas leaks, explosions any good news?? 😂😂

[@lb3659]

This is a great van. I want to take her to a storage container store and organize for her though! I have issues

[@CaptVB]

Best campervan I've seen till date. Tastefully done interior. Practical and decent yet classy looking equipments. So organised. No so called idiotic personal touches. And those cushion covers looks amazing, blends in so beautifully. One should draw inspirations from your van before they start on their vans. Cheers

[@carolhewett4378]

I'm glad you mentioned how to do dishes. I use the same technique when tent camping which is to wipe everything clean with paper towels which would be burned in the fire and prevent attracting bugs and critters. It's amazing how little water and soap is needed. I found cast iron skillets the easiest to clean. After wiping away food, I can use salt to clean the rest or the tiniest of water and keep it dry in order to keep it seasoned. Even in a house I abhor the idea of putting food down the drain into a food disposal which requires even more water. I didn't have money to replace my clothes dryer and started hanging my laundry like I did 50 years ago with my mother. I love it especially the smell of sun dried clothes. Some van life ideas need to be brought back into the home. Good luck with your travels.

[@TheHermitHacker]

I lived off grid years ago with very little access to clean water. So i used sand to scrub down the dishes, then rinse with just a tiny bit of hot water left over from making coffee or tea. This worked well. Sand is cheap and can be purchased in 50lb bags. The sand can be dumped just about anywhere and it doubles as a neat emergency hazardous spill kit for things like oil, diesel or petrol. Sand also is great for that time where you accidentally step in dog poo. Throw some sand on the ground, put your shoe in it and give it a few minutes. The sand will absorb the moisture then it will make it easier to clean off with a wire brush. Expect to pay about $5-6 per 50lb bag almost anywhere. Lumber yards, Home builder outlets, many places carry it.

[@mer2633]

I use paper towel and use a plastic insert in my sink for washing dishes.I know you have a composting toilet so don't need this, but I dump the used dish water into a gallon jug which I then use to "flush" my Rv/toilet that has a black tank. I use another tub (they're stackable so no extra space) under the shower in the tub. Any extra water that falls into the plastic tub there is used in black tank or to wash my dog or any other way to recycle.

[@joycebates9499]

Another solution after wiping with paper towels is to spray with vinegar & wipe again. Vinegar disinfects.

[@LoveToday8]

Paper towels to dry dishes? Whatever happened to folks using towels. I can't imagine all that waste.

[@sarahmichaud1691]

For dishes that are really messy, I'm wiping them with a paper towel so the food doesn't go down the drain. The dishes are dried with real towels.

[@pbtraveler694]

@@sarahmichaud1691 I do the same in my house----keeps me from calling the drain guy every time you turn around!

[@cynthybailey5440]

pbtraveler j

[@Seastorm-nh8cv]

Beautiful and weell thought layout! Her honesty is refreshing. And I look forward to seeing more of her travels. Thank you, Sarah!

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Thank you!

[@campervanchick8916]

I love your van, and the honest commentary. Lots of food for thought. Happy travels!!

[@paulbarnett9620]

"Next time I'm home" ? But I thought the van was home.

[@femaletrouble]

I was confused by that. I wonder if she just means Boston?

[@jaysuper8255]

Your lucky to have a job that lets you work remotely.

[@lemurianchick]

YOU'RE not as limited as you may think you are. Hire yourself and utilize your talents to help others. We make our own luck, my friend.

[@cesalt2408]

It's obvious that her builder has great skills, but I do note the issue with the heater. Still, she recommends him, so I'm glad to know of another source as I prepare to hit the road.

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Yes I would still recommend him! Living in a van is bound to have problems and it was something I was prepared for.

[@afringedweller]

I think you said you have a lot of stuff you don't foresee using & want to get rid of- thrift, charity, hospital auxiliary shops are everywhere!

[@oldestsurvivalist5334]

Nice conversion. Install slide out drawers for your cupboards & garage. No more squatting down, just pick out what you want & slide back in...

[@277kne]

Are you the same woman that was interviewed on GHOST,Jarrod Tocci? Looks familiar. And well done build.

[@nanhuicolon9862]

Cross the country is our bucket list also,so may you have many blessings & have wonderful trip in your nice van!

[@leejee88]

I would of bailed out of the most expensive city in the country too for the van life

[@advorlando9855]

I've often wondered why people use the word 'utilize' rather than 'use'. Maybe I should utilize it more :) :) Seriously this is one of the nicest vans I've seen, but too tight for me. I prefer the skoolie as long as a 6' person is comfortable in it.

[@CarrieJo5916]

Good for You going for your dreams when you're young and healthy! Beautiful van!

[@NicholsKT]

Thank you for pointing out the problem with the 2-burner hob. While designing my tiny house, I did my best to anticipate problems such as this, so I wouldn’t have too many regrets post build. I noticed all these boat and RV ranges with 2-3 burners, but it looked obvious that 2-3 pots couldn’t fit on them at the same time, so I thought “what the heck?” My solutions: Buy pots and pans that are slightly smaller than usual. For instance, I had a Cuisinart set that included 1 qt. and 1.5 qt. sauce pots. The typical sizes tend to be 1.5 qt. and 2 qt.. The sauce pan (like the kinds that are good for pasta sauces) was 2 qt., where the typical sizes are 3 qt. or larger. The line even included a compact 6 qt. Stock pot with pasta and steamer inserts. Most stock pots start at 8 qt. The slightly smaller sizes made it so all the burners could be used on a compact stovetop. Another solution involves using PITT burners. They’re really good looking single burners that can be built directly into any countertop and configured however you need. That means you can set them a little further apart than 2-3 burner hobbs tend to be distanced from one another. Voila. You can use whatever size pots you desire.

[@MJ-vf1im]

Excellent advice!

[@nanhuicolon9862]

Look so clean & organized ,great ,much better than tiny house

[@rockiemountin7535]

You changed a 10a fuse to a 20a fuse I hope your wire size can Handel that current

[@wayneblackman6407]

Love your hat.

[@lizh1988]

Love all the cactus. The cabinets work really well to draw out the length visually. If you get any moisture problems in the overhead shelf up front, get a wool blanket to put under those storage items. I hear a lot of people say this. I do think the moisture comes with heat on the van when it's pretty cold out. Beautiful, enjoy it.

[@ariane44199]

What is the van she used? Sprinter van 144 regular ceiling ?

[@dirgesinthedark5637]

I vote for "paper plates"!

[@CaptVB]

One can buy plates made of leaves too. Cheers

[@gonewiththekale]

Fellow Bostonian here! Congrats to her, I know how tough it is to first leave Boston, but her wanderlust has greater plans - and Nirvana Upfitters did such a BEAUTIFUL build! WOW, I want one!!

[@dl7423]

wow - a lot of information packed into a short time - she seems cool

[@catherinegarmon720]

You said you had drips from the faucet when travelling, try a ziplock bag around the faucet head and zip it closely. Bag will be reusable and keep your countertop dry

[@michaelyoung2694]

R u looking 4 A traveling companion?

[@leslieross7555]

I liked the way she talked about how she learned from her mistakes - appreciate that

[@good4damoney]

70 grand build at least. To each their own.

[@anneconnolly2749]

YOU ARE SUPER INFORMATIVE AND SO INSPIRING! Wishing you well on all of your adventures!

[@afringedweller]

This was the best van tour. 1 thing I saw you might like for the garage: a sliding shelf the length of the bed & 3/4 width of the door, so they didn't have to dig for everything. You are the coolest, no kidding!

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Thank you! I considered the sliding shelf but it took up two much room and with the water tank and batteries in place it wasn't really practical, but I agree it would be very handy!

[@DonnaTheDogGroomer]

You can use dry shampoo spray instead of wearing a hat. I recently discovered it and I only wash my hair once a week now.

[@lorimav]

My hair used to be so oily I needed to wash it daily. Then I discovered vitamin A (not beta carotene) which I take with vitamin D and K2 and my hair can go a week easily.

[@ediekoller1144]

Outdoor shower by the van? OH well I would need a shower curtain to take the shower.... This lady is brave. I could never do what she is doing but then I am old enough to be her mom or grandmother. To Each their own..I still like the comforts of a indoor plumbing.

[@LindaWolfe20]

Nice build... I do like the natural wood look.. good for you Girl doing that while your still young...

[@catherinegarmon720]

try Kon-Mari method for clothing

[@egoodson1]

Norwex is awesome! You can use the wash cloth with only water to bath because it is dense microfiber with baclock as well. You can go completely chemical free. 😊

[@garyarsenault7445]

hi Sarah, I love what you are doing n you seem so happy in this video. you are right why wait until you retire do it when your young if you can. Happy motoring n stay safe:)

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Thank you!

[@globalsetdarkpool8276]

Single guy van life is cool but their van design be basic. I noticed most van life videos with women included look bomb. It's neat and we'll designed. One guy had a cool van life ....he was single but van was tackey. The couple's vans be mad nice....can tell a woman is involved. If you leave it to men...our vans will look like dirty tackey man caves 😀!!!!! WE NEED WOMEN YO.....THEY CAN BE A PAIN BUT WE NEED THEM!!!!!!!!!

[@PidasianHippie]

I absolutely love her attitude of taking the steps to make it possible to travel and do the activities now rather than waiting until she retires. If you are still in contact with her Chris, you could suggest that she install drawers in the bottom cabinets to make it easier to access the things in them.

[@tokthe]

Pidasian Hippie is

[@deborahswett3508]

Darned right!!! You go girl. Do and see our beautiful country. I'm 69 and feel like I am just waiting for something to go wrong. Be careful and ENJOY!!!!!

[@susanava6120]

I love her hat where is it from?

[@bettea.trotteralfter7076]

Very neat coach..love the design and coloring. Happy traveling!

[@brichusi]

The blown fuse. What was the designed orginal fuse size?

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

Smart...I use an empty "kitty litter" container... as my initial sink with a drop soap and a drop of bleach...then rinse under sink water. Water good for a full day...less waste.

[@280zone]

Nice build but a little organization would seem to make life a lot easier. Also, it probably isn't wise to change a fuse size just to keep it from blowing. The wiring associated with that fuse is probably too small to do its job if you had to up the fuse. The fuse is the designed weak point moving the weak point to the wiring isn't a good idea.

[@bellavita3097]

You're so brave, enjoy the journey.

[@josephhughes9490]

Sarah, You are a incredible Boston girl. Hope you're safe and doing well. Love your van and hope you fixed your stove burner and smart by the way with the solar panels. How do they get protected from hard rain or hail?? You are gorgeous girl. Let me know where you are heading now. Good luck on your travels.

[@rockyalvarez520]

So pretty ... Oh not you the van Ha ha ha ... OK just kidding you're pretty too lol. Actually what are the first things that I've noticed is your van design is elegant and your personal appearance is classy so overall I give you 8 of 10 stars good job

[@marleiserashford396]

Your cabinets on the floors should be pull out drawers not open doors.

[@kariwick-InnerPeaceCoaching]

Good tour! I would like to know where she got the various cactus pillows/pillowcases? Thank you, Kari (formerly yogawick)

[@sarahmichaud1691]

All on Amazon!

[@kariwick-InnerPeaceCoaching]

Sarah Michaud Thanks for replying! I am doing my 2007 class a RV with a desert theme, since I am from Tucson, AZ.

[@Soxandnicole]

This lady did her homework. Good on her.

[@ladytradiej8027]

Interesting that Americans call that bench top a butcher block. It's not in Australia. A true butcher block has small squares with the grain facing up...

[@shavaunaronan3188]

Really enjoyed this video with Sarah. Great van build, I like she has a toilet as well. I think she is an awesome person and is going to have lots of fun on the rd. Safe and happy travels to her!

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Thanks so much!!

[@Js18100]

I think she meant that she has 2 100 AH Renogy Batteries and not 2 400 AH batteries... regardless, its nice to see someone with a lived-in van that they enjoy

[@sjladuke75]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your new home. Congrats on the great build & living your dream. It's been something I've been considering for awhile. As a fellow east coaster, I'll definitely check out your builder: Nirvana Upfitters. Enjoy your journey.😊❤ As for those who feel it's necessary to insert negative (not talking about constructive criticism) comments, take it elsewhere. It's not necessary & surely not appreciated. Just keep scrolling.

[@catman8670]

Everything one needs and in a great mobile package!❤️

[@mauricelamaredwards2624]

I enjoyed watching your video showing your camper van I like it!

[@dyzway]

You grit your teeth while you talk. That'll grind them down fast. Nice van.

[@peggychapman7835]

Congratulations on your adventures many blessings to you

[@KreativeFreedom]

Beautiful build! Happy for you. We're so happy living life free in our RV!

[@lgirouard1835]

Beautiful van home, thanks for posting. Wishing you all the best in your adventures! :)

[@imdurmac1]

Her home is beautiful.

[@plutoplatters]

( the wood is just fine with some wear from use actually it adds appeal ..patina ? I think its called) great set up

[@tp7485]

Good video. My only advice would be don’t wear a hat indoors...you look cool in it but it’s unlucky...!

[@wmrmartin9801]

What is your average overnight fees (parking)? Can you find free over night parking?

[@rogerwhiting9310]

I wish more of these builds would be NON sprinter vans. I am not impressed with them at all.

[@leilal8053]

I love all the white and the windows.....not wild about the floorplan though.

[@carolannrompca5495]

Put the handle over the work surface ,and buy some smaller pans there is only one of you?

[@WingsandWheelsAlaska]

Absolutely love the van!

[@theresedignard7445]

Very well designed.

[@leelunk8235]

IT'S SO HEAVY NOW THAT SHE GETS 10 MPG

[@pamelamilton6755]

put coffee filters between your dishes and that will stop the rattling.

[@sheilashay3865]

Did you register the vehicle under RV or commercial?

[@teamolafson2732]

No bathroom for 20 min video. No need to waste time

[@naimasrael6829]

i replayed the battery part of the video several times: "two 400amp lithium batteries from Renogy". I've never seen that size in any conversion video or google search. IAm lookin' again.🤗 Maybe She meant two 400ah AGM deep cycle batteries??? Either way, Congratulations on Your Beautiful vanHome. Thankhz so much for sharing. Wholeness n Essence of Love ((-;

[@featherlily2908]

nice set up. glad that you have a toilet and even an outdoor shower.. safe travels

[@joseantonio4416]

Linda van menina voce bonita e fantastica sua vida na linda camper kiss menina boa noite

[@jerryhofstra6894]

Beware, this is the future of the human personality

[@grayeagleswolves]

I'd love to keep up with her I really Liked her van

[@bellavita3097]

I love your ceiling and all the lights too! with the windows in the kit you could grow herbs there basil, rosemary, dill etc

[@sarahmichaud1691]

Love the idea!

[@jacobww1]

i think its illegal to have a gas tank like that in ur van that not in a air tight box cuz they still leaks gas i could be wrong im pretty sure that why RV's have them on the out side lol

[@lorcro2000]

Yeah, and never mind illegal, it's potentially lethal in several ways. There are rules and regulations for how to set up gas, apparently the people building this were incompetents.

[@angelbonser4909]

Hi Sarah! I wouldn't test drive a 170" either!;P Can you please tell me if this lovely van is a 144"? I know your description says 17:30-19:59, but I don't know what that means.

[@victoryou59]

I like her van and I like the information she gave

[@DerrynEHahn-ir2jv]

Beautiful van. For your clothes storage problem you could pack outfits together (shirt leggings, knickers, socks) rather than in separate cubes. For that cabinet that you can’t reach perhaps put the shelves on a drawer slider & put a sheet of wood on the back of the doors (joining them together but keeping the look of 2 doors) & hinge from the bed side.❤️✨

[@mer2633]

Could you have an opening for your commode in front of the cabinet to empty the compost or put it in the same cabinet closest to the door with a front opening? Not as far to lug, risking spillage on your nice floors. Someone mentioned your bed being smaller for a single person. I'm guessing you did this for resale value? I travel and try to boon dock as much as possible in an old RV 4 months of the year. I have a bit of knowledge of the issues that arise. I"ve stayed in a few major cities in parking lots because I'm 24 ft.I wish I could stealth camp! It's rare that boon dock camps takes showers every day. That doesn't mean they don't sponge bath or are dirty! Shame on the poster that is wasting so much water on a regular basis! You don't deserve the ignorant or nasty comments that people have posted.

[@robwright5940]

Aren't humans communal? Like dogs? Looks like were becoming like cats. People need to sacrifice their personal space a bit more, so the life will be better in the long run.

[@blackcatnh]

Human psychology is a funny thing. Nobody wants to get together until you're on the road. Then all of a sudden friends who were too busy to meet up more than once a year call all the time and want to know when you're going to be back so they can put it on their calendars. Nomadic people arrange to meet more often than a lot of city people. The city people keep thinking "we can get together any time we want" and it never happens. Nomads have vanlife gatherings and bus fairs. Not all are mobile every day either. That's expensive unless their job is either well-paying telecommute or traveling (course instructor, medical, sales, media.) Many others do job searches in places they want to live for a while. Find parking nearby and walk, or carry a bicycle/motorcycle on a rack and be able to dock the bus a little farther away. It helps if you have a friend in the area with a big enough driveway or land for you to park on. Or, get an apartment for a year and rent the vehicle as an Air BnB. It can also make a nice retreat from roommate issues and neighbor noise until the lease is up.

[@gabrielaleguizamo5471]

Your very honest is refreshing thank you

[@lorenl9262]

Great set-up!!! Thank you for sharing :) Looking into #vanlife fulltime and it is amazing with all the different options that people offer!!

[@Amacott99]

Gorgeous van. So love your attitude. There is such an amazing world out there.....and to wait for retirement to see it all is crazy! We’re a family of 5 that moved to India 4 years ago. (From Australia), it hasn’t been easy.....but if you challenge yourself at least once a day.....you know you’re truly alive❤️❤️

[@henimsay]

I like your van, but I need water-daily on my body; it's essential. I see van life would not work for me, unfortunately. Happy trails to you though- great video!

[@marynelson1977]

I really like her. Pretty, sweet and practical. God bless! 🙂 And I’m happy to follow in Ig.

[@rowangallagher]

Hmmm sketchy storage of that has bottle

[@pamelamolina5623]

What a wonderful van. U did a great job designing it and Nirvana outfitters did a great job building it. Thanks for the tour. Great energy. Happy travels.

[@NebRadojkovic]

Sweet.

[@mvol8439]

It is beyond me where 102 viewers give a thumbs down on someones vlog that is just showing you here home for viewers to get ideas. Would someone tell me why they tumbed down this informative vlog?

[@earthiusproject]

One suggestion for clothing storage is to roll up or fold entire outfits into one bundle. When you reach in and grab a bundle it already has the shirt, shorts/pants, undie, socks, etc.

[@Cinnmon10]

Nah, I'm good. Why not get a small RV, with a shower?