Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Discover & Reserve Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 22, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia Overland: One Map to Rule Them All

      May 24, 2022

  • Home
Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Discover & Reserve Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 22, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia Overland: One Map to Rule Them All

      May 24, 2022

  • Home

How to Get into Vanlife without Breaking the Bank

by Mary Cochenour October 27, 2021
by Mary Cochenour October 27, 2021

How to listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts |Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | iHeart Radio | Castbox

Get a Discount on Gaia GPS Premium

Van life with its sunset views and cozy living quarters seems like a dream — until you see the price tag. A decked out 4×4 Sprinter van can cost more than the price of a modest home. But Jason Darrah, star of the viral YouTube show Primal Outdoors, is here to show you a better way. All it takes is buying – and being happy with – the vehicle you can afford.

Jason carrying a log over his shoulder.
Photo credit: Jason Darrah

For years, Jason has been living in a Ford van that he bought off Craigslist for $2000. He named the van “Sasquatch“ and considers it a solid upgrade from his first overland rig – an ancient $350 Ford Explorer. Both of Jason’s economical vehicles have explored the farthest reaching corners of the Pacific Northwest, where Jason calls home.

“I like to encourage people to look at this as an option … maybe start with something used,” Jason says. “Something you could build and tinker with and just over time it will get better and better. And pretty soon you’ll look back maybe two, three years later and it will be like, ‘wow, I’ve got this really rad overland vehicle’ and I just built it from nothing.”

Over time, Sasquatch has seen tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades, including a conversion to four wheel drive, a propane heater to warm the cab, and an electrical system to keep the lights on. Jason adds on to the van when he can afford it. Now, Sasquatch is built out perfectly for full-time living and 4WD exploring.

“People might look at the van at this point and think that it’s crazy,” Jason says. “But if you add up all the stuff I’ve done to it, I’m still under the base price of a Sprinter.”

Sasquatch has proven to be a worthy overland vehicle for Jason. He used the van to discover and map out a 300-mile custom route from Bend, Oregon to the Alvord Desert. The trip takes about a week to complete, yet only about a mile of the route touches pavement.

Jason explains on episode 7 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast that almost any high clearance 4WD vehicle can complete the Bend to Alvord route. Plus, get the low down on Jason’s method of building out a van for everyday living, how backpacking has influenced his vehicle-based adventures, and why he loves to cook up and eat chicken hearts while out on the trail.

Learn more about Jason on his YouTube channel, Primal Outdoors, and follow his exploits on Instagram. Join Primal Outdoors Patreon to get Jason’s exclusive GPX tracks and files.

Last Episode: Around the World with Hourless Life

Brittany holds her son next to a fully rigged jeep. Sunset desert in the background.

Brittany and Eric Highland moved out of their home seven years ago and have lived on the road ever since. A few weeks ago, they crossed the US border into Mexico, kicking off their biggest adventure yet — a giant road trip around the globe. With no return date in mind, the couple expects the trip to take 10 to 15 years.

Go back and listen to episode 6 of the Gaia GPS Offroad podcast to hear how they built out their Jeep Gladiator for international travel. Plus, get the details on traveling around the world with their adorable four-year-old son, Caspian.

For exclusive content, join the Hourless Life Patreon. Follow their journey on Instagram. Get their best tips and tricks on the Hourless Life website.

Trails Offroad: Get 2,700+ Detailed Trail Guides with Difficulty Ratings

You don’t have to go around the entire world to have an overlanding adventure of your own. Our show’s sponsor Trails Offroad has thousands of routes for you to explore right here in the United States. Trails Offroad’s trail guides come with detailed route information, including a downloadable gpx track and waypoints, campsite information, photos of important places, and a difficulty rating so you know what you’re getting yourself into. And the best part: you can send all your Trails Offroad routes straight to your Gaia GPS account with a single press of a button.

If you don’t already have a Trails Offroad membership, you’re in luck. Podcast listeners get a sweet 20 percent off. Jump on this offer while it lasts.

Get 20% off Trails Offroad
gaia gps offroad podcastoverlandingPrimal outdoorsvan life
0
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Mary Cochenour

Mary Cochenour worked on the marketing team at Gaia GPS from 2020 to 2022. She enjoys backpacking, skiing, and mountain biking in the mountains near her home in Montana.

previous post
Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You Need to Know.
next post
5 Gaia GPS Hacks You Didn’t Know About

You may also like

How to Plan a Backcountry Ski Tour with...

January 26, 2023

Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

January 25, 2023

New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

January 11, 2023

How to Get Started Overlanding

January 9, 2023

Our Favorite New Maps and Features

December 23, 2022

2022 Mapped: Gaia GPS Year in Review

December 22, 2022

Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle...

December 14, 2022

How to Use Maps to Help Avoid Avalanches

December 14, 2022

How to Find a Christmas Tree Using Gaia...

December 1, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

December 1, 2022

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Popular Posts

  • 1

    How to Read Topographic Maps

    July 1, 2021
  • 2

    How to Download an Entire State Map with Gaia Topo

    August 19, 2021
  • 3

    How to Save Phone Battery Life in the Backcountry

    March 25, 2021
  • 4

    Using Gaia GPS to Find Free Camping in National Forests

    March 9, 2022
  • 5

    Unlock Adventure with Gaia GPS on Outside+

    September 30, 2021

Categories

  • Adventures
  • Android
  • App Comparisons
  • App Updates
  • Backcountry Skiing
  • Boating
  • Company News
  • Emergency Response
  • Featured
  • Fishing
  • Gaia GPS
  • Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast
  • GaiaCloud
  • Hikes
  • How-To
  • Hunting
  • iOS
  • New Features
  • New Maps
  • Newsletter
  • Offroading
  • Out and Back Podcast
  • User Profiles
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • RSS

@2022 - All Right Reserved. Gaia GPS


Back To Top