WE BOUGHT A VAN!! (Van Life Journey Starts NOW)
Hi there, we're naked, kim. We're a couple from belgium who left behind our home and jobs, in january, of 2019. To travel the world. Last year we visited, close to 20 countries, traveling through latin america, then over landing 12, 000 kilometers. From brussels. All the way to beijing. And hopping around, southeast, asia. We spent the majority, of 2020, so far in taiwan. After heading there in mid-march, to escape the kovac 19, pandemic. But in early, august, we decided, it was time to return, to belgium, and get ready for the next chapter, of our travels. After, many. Many, months of living, out of our backpacks. Our plan was to buy a van, and diy. Convert, it into a camper van, so that we could safely, travel around europe while the pandemic, sorts itself, out, we'll tell you more on that later, in this video. But to do that of course, we first had to find, a suitable. Fan. So, what are we doing today. Going looking for a van. Get in the van baby, my mom's car thanks mom. So i'm gonna drive about, one and a half hour almost, to the netherlands. We're going to see, if we can find ourselves a van there. In case you're wondering, where we are we're now in tongan, it's the oldest city in belgium and it's where we grew up where we lived or we went to school until, i left here until in my 20s. And it's actually a very, green, area here as well it's very rural, out of the window you can see loads of trees, lining the roads. And there are these fields, beautiful green fields, off the road, to accompany, us on this drive, but that is for another, video, today's, video is of course about. Our new home that we're gonna, hopefully. Find, today. Why are we going all the way to the netherlands, to find our new home. Well because. Well it's not even that far no it's not that far i mean it's like, it's about seven kilometers, until the border of the netherlands, but it's one and a half, hour driving total where we're going, but there's a company, um. In eindhoven. And they're really big and they specialize, in vans and i think they have about a stock of, 500.
Vans. Um. Probably at least 10 of the dives we're looking at so we're going to head there first because they have the biggest selection. And also really good prices some of the best prices, i've seen on the internet, in. Europe. 400, meters until we arrive to the company or when you're going to look for our van. Really excited, slightly nervous too i mean it's like quite a big step, to uh yeah it's like a substantial. Amount of money it's a big. Purchase it is. I can see the sign here. It's on here. We're here folks we're here we're here we're here this is like, van, haven well not happen because we're still alive, luckily, but. This is like the. Place where they all meet, and come together, so we went to the counter, and they told us we can just. Walk around for a bit. Check out the vans and if we see anything, that. Strikes our fancy tickles our fancy what's the word, we can just let them know so, hopefully. We'll find one here. This is one of the vans. The type that we're looking for for. The biggest, model. Quite tall quite high because. We're looking for one i can stand up in which is of course really really important for us and your hair has to be able to stand up in it as well yeah my my hair is getting a bit long again it's very windy. Today. We are standing. On the inside. Of a sprinter, van a sprinter no, a fort on this van, for the very first time and look at this the ceiling is perfect. Like i can really stand up, here. So that is perfect, but it does feel smaller. Than expected. I'm now standing about as far back, as i can. And like this is it you know. That's crazy but yeah i mean there's like this gray paneling, there are no windows. Yeah it will become. Feel more airy there will be a. Roof window so windows here where there's there windows there so. It'll be better but. Yeah this is it, so we're just basically, inspecting, all of the vans now they're all used cars. Trying to see which one has the least damage because every single one of them has like a few scratches. Most of them are just one year old with 30 to 50 thousand kilometers, so all of them have, cosmetic, damage so the question is like, what kind of damage which one is the prettiest. Yeah for the best budget. All righty. We're driving, yeah going for a test drive this is the one we picked out it's fairly new it's one year olds, uh, that's 36, 000 kilometers. Basically, no cosmetic, damage almost no cosmetic, damage a few small scratches, but nothing major, so uh, give it a ride shall. We. And are we buying it. How does it do at high speed tell us everything. All right folks, it is the next day. After yesterday, we lost you for a bit but uh. Yeah after our, test drive we need some time stinks, now the next day. We went to check out another one this morning wasn't really what we were looking for it was a good option but not really optimal. And then we had a lot more mileage, on it than the one we tried yesterday, and then by some stroke, of luck, we actually realized that they're also more affordable, for trans advance, right here in belgium, where we are now again. Um and we're at the ford dealership. And they have this beautiful second-hand, car. That we're gonna take for another spin i'm gonna take this bait first and i don't mean to spoil it but i think, i think this is the one i think this is our baby. We bought a band, we bought. It. We ended up buying it at our local dear little deer that's actually closest, to us just five minute drive. And i think we've been driving, for a few hours in total, i think like back and forth was like eight hours in total, yesterday, we went to netherlands, and back. Same today and then we ended up buying it from a dealer that's like seven kilometers, from where we're staying. Right now but oh, so happy that this all got sorted, yeah indeed. So excited, we should be having it next week hopefully it's now saturday, and hopefully they should have it by friday they need to. Get some stuff in order. Some small things are going to fix and then we should have it. So excited, about it. Oh this is a. Big purchase, really big purchase. I think what helped a lot is that we saw a bunch of those cars, and that we had uh, good grants of comparison. And this, this was definitely. Like the best. Option. In terms of the least like. Damage. Like, like you know, all of the used cars have some sort of, yeah, mark on them or a small scratch and this one looked really really good in terms of what we found, find important, this was the best one i think.
Um, Price wise, i mean we've, seen some better options price price which were. Which were pretty good in terms of yeah. Still, state. But since this is very close to us it still has full warranty, for, next two years. A bunch of other stuff so. It's a. No-brainer. That, is a pretty, tight squeeze. Oh. Yeah. And this is it this is our new baby this, is our new first, old little van that we bought, it's actually the biggest one we could find. There's no bigger fans out there maybe a mercedes, sprinter, has a bigger one but can't afford it this is the biggest one you could find in the fort, and she, is, a beauty. This is a fourth transit, the 2018. Model it's about two years old 39, 000 kilometers, so, really really new it looks like like new as well on the outside. This is the l4. H3, model it's. 6 meters 70, long and two meters and 70 or 80 high it is the biggest model, that they have they're built. As you can see i'm almost two meters but. I can't even reach the top. I cannot believe that it's finally, here, like we ordered it, almost, two weeks ago i think a week and a half ago. But then they had to do some maintenance stuff on it there were some, small things that they were gonna like replace, and, i just can't believe it's here now, so, right about now, some of you may be wondering. Why the heck did you buy a van and what does this have to do with the future, of your channel we're going to start a transportation, company. We're not going to start a transport, oh don't attempting, but we're not going to start transportation, company. No actually, um as you know if you've been watching our channel for a while you will know that with the pandemic with the covet 19 stuff happening everywhere in the world, we were super lucky, to, be able to hide away in taiwan, for five months. And now we're back in europe because driving outside of europe has become. Very difficult, and impossible, almost, basically we're not allowed to enter anywhere. And if we are we're not going to find travel insurance that covers us for, well covet 19, and probably some other stuff as well we will travel, in europe and safest way to travel in europe is maybe to have your own. Sleeping arrangements, on transportation. Own place where you can make food being socially, distant is the plan for the future and that's why, we bought a van and we're going to convert it into a mobile home we're going to make a bed a kitchen. A shower. Toilet. Closets. Obviously. Before we'll be able to travel, with this baby a lot, is gonna have to happen, on the inside cause right now i mean just a cargo, van. This is what it looks like on the inside, so. Well technically you can sleep in it. As you can see the home also has plenty of doors. Yep we have some doors here some doors in the front, something blocking my way which is going to be removed, very very soon so i have a about 10 centimeters, of headroom left even with already. Some flooring in it it's more than two meters high on the inside, four meters and 20. Uh just on the inside the space that we have so it's pretty pretty long and. Tall, it's about 1 meter 80 wide, so it's kind of perfect to build a van, one thing every vehicle, needs or at least that we've done with every vehicle, that we've owned in the past.
Is A name and for now. We don't really know what we're gonna call this venue. Um so we would like your help in case you have any ideas, on what to call this baby, my personal, suggestion, but nate is not really convinced that it's a good one, is to call it vin. Because it's a diesel, so it's vin diesel. Vin diesel. You get it i mean i quite like it but we do have this tradition, though the tradition is that we. Use the first letter of the brand it is so fourth would be an f. So, preferably, name with an f but if you've got any good, suggestions. Anything, even if it's not rnf. There's no down below when we had an audi in the past we called it alexander, when we had a bmw, we called it bernard. Yep. So any suggestions, please leave it in the comments we are looking for a name for our new home i can't believe we finally have it it's so crazy enough i actually have it right here. I've been thinking about this planning this for so long and then now, exactly here we can start building that's also why our posting frequency, has slowed down just a little bit on our channel recently, we've been spending time looking for vans and looking for stuff to put in it and like appliances. What, layout. Electricity. And solar panels, and. Taking a lot of time yeah it takes a lot of time so in case you're wondering where we are we are in a warehouse. And this, is a friend of ours he owns the warehouse and has kindly let us use his warehouse, and his entire workshop, and yes got all the tools that can use everything they want no problem which is just super super nice his nickname, is fogel which translates, into english as birdie. Birdie, yes. He's the bird man, and. The birdman, the birdmaster. He's our personal hero because he's lending us his warehouse, yeah so that we can work on it so that we have a good place to put it where it's not wet where it's dry and safe, yeah i can help as well so i'm a very handy man so though yeah thank you so much and he has his own license plate, oh yes the birdie this is a polaris. Uh, utility, vehicle and his license plates, birdie. It's personalized. Custom, very fancy. We're going to be spending a lot of time here during the coming weeks, but you got the keys you can come and go as you wish, thank you thank you so much and the fridge is full of beer so no problem there that is awesome. So we are honestly. Super, excited, that we have this van we're gonna convert, it into a home on wheels, and get to drive it across europe because as we said. Traveling across europe for us europeans, is still. Possible, it's still allowed, and with this fan we can do it safely, since we don't have to sleep in a hotel, go to restaurants, or take the bus so, basically can do everything, the only thing we need to do is get gas and, food and water i guess, yeah that's it which you need to do anyway, and then if it's safe we can still do like the usual, side seeing wherever we want but in periods that is like covered, alarm, and. God knows what else and the idea is not to do this, let's say, forever. In the van. We still, want to travel internationally, you still want to visit beautiful countries like. Japan is really high on my list actually so we're hoping yeah we're still going to travel outside of europe and travel as we usually, would. South america. And travel as we usually, would as well, um but only when it's safe and for the coming months i think this is gonna hold us over and make sure we can scratch, that travel edge.
Until The, until the pandemic, sort of blows over i guess so this is not gonna turn into like a van only channel if you've been following us for. Um for watching, beautiful stuff in nature for doing the side scene that we usually do it's still gonna be that sort of video that we're gonna be making, but it's gonna be from a van instead of from a hotel. Uh so, please step away from the van i was just chilling. So for the next two three weeks we'll be making van built videos we'll be showing you how we'll be building this. Um or attempting, to build attempting to build i think it will be entertaining. How we do it and also maybe, you can learn something from it from the choices that we made because i did a lot of research, and. It's not so easy to find definitive, answers to many things we're gonna try and enlist, some friends once, if we need some, special, uh. Specialty. Uh. Skills, but other than that now we think we've grown. We can do it ourselves we got this without setting it on fire hopefully, that would be great. The next step will be to strip, everything, out of that all these paneling. Flooring. This uh, separation. Wall, everything, is going to be removed. And then you just bought, all new tools. Which you were pretty excited about no. Yeah i bought some new tools so. Just the basics, well nothing major major but, so we can uh, yep. So we can build it and also well once we're on the road we can. Uh. Do not mess up the van. Oh my god. Anyway, bernie, also has a lot a lot of tools that he has kindly offered. To lend to us so we can use them for the build so, you'll see them one of the next videos he literally almost has everything, you could possibly, need but first let's get out this. Separation. There's wall way back now. First, screw, that i'm gonna attempt, to. You only loosen this one i think it's too easy, i'll do it, this one, i'll do a proper. One. I went very smooth i didn't expect it to go this smooth now i'll do this one so i'm still, i know i loosened. That. And this, van was really incredible, value for money because underneath, here. Behind this little piece of metal. There were some hidden, treasures. Like, those were free, can you imagine, if i ever. Probably if i do this i'm gonna get some horrible, oh that's dirty. There were some glasses. And this, screwdriver, a screwdriver. A tool that came with the incredible. Value. Second part. Well first. Oh part. Easy. Oh no. That's not good. That's so dirty, oh that's really dirty, oh that is horrible. Oh that's disgusting. That's how you lift up things, you will find some stuff. Oh we thought it was so clean like the outside is super clean but this is. Ew. I cannot clean under the board. Clearly no one ever has. Let's. Disgusting. It's nasty. But it doesn't look it's just a little bit of dirt there's no rust, as far as i can see isn't this rust. Maybe a little bit, best if we put some. Rust paint on it just to be sure but. It's nothing major maybe here and there's, a small spot but. Prepare to uh already prevent it, it starts happening you know we need to take this out right like. This needs to go out. Yeah but first we need to take out the rails, out. This, really, yeah. Well we can, yes we can. Look at that our new slogan, yes we can. Damn that is dirty. Oh. Oh yeah, this is something we've been thinking about for a pretty long time even before we left on our travels, beginning of last year we thought oh it would be so cool to one day like buy a van and convert, it and then drive that across europe and, god knows where else. Afterwards. So it is something that we've always had in the back of our mind and now just because of the pandemic. We sort of started to think well if there was ever a time to do it then it's now, we'll see how it all works out and then we should be ready.
To Hit europe, up with our van. By autumn. Hopefully. Or winter. Or spring. Maybe next summer, maybe the pandemic, will be long gone. By the time we actually. Finish, this. Man. Nope. More. Training. What kind of screw do we need. Starships. Too big. Pretty. Perfect. Progress. People progress. I think with these bars going. This should come off. But i'm not sure i guess we'll find out, in. Three. Two. One. Oh my god, look at this. And i did this all by myself because my ink is going to the shop. This is awesome. Today is such a good day everything is going so smoothly. Like. You would not believe, how many stuff i already predicted would be wrong by now, oh i think he's coming back, this is gonna be so amazing i don't think he knows i made this much. Progress. Oh. What a difference. Phase one of demolition, is complete people. Look at it. We completely. Stripped, it well we. Came completely, stripped that she did this most of it by herself. I think i did except take the take the floor out, except for that i did everything by myself, wow. Really nice, so one of the changes, that is going to happen. First or that it's going to happen as soon as possible. It's putting in some windows, because, now it's already so different because everything is very very, wide and breezy. Compared to when we got it but it'll be some windows here in the side walls there and sidewalls. Normally in the sliding door here as well one here a big one here as well both. Back doors so probably windows as well at least that's the plan for now might change but. You want to, have loads of fluid there's lots of light, so far the only practical, problem we've encountered, really many many more. Is that uh, part of the electricity. Here is, built on top of the structure, well, normally, it runs through the walls like here it would run through the walls while the space which weird that they did this but i don't know. Uh they did it. And. Yeah this is like really in the way of everything we're going to build. We could leave it up here because there's going to be some. Uh, top hand closets, here and stuff like that but that would take away a few more centimeters. From the side, paneling, or you would have to drill, for every. Single one of it like, run it through the closet which is also a possibility. But i'm hoping that we can, reroute, it through the walls, because what is this. Yeah it's it's all these upper lights which is not a problem. But then also it goes down so i think it's the rear lights the braking lights it's also the third braking light on top. Oh, and we weren't finished. I just noticed that. There's more. Let's put those, let's get those out as well no yep. Captain. Quite the difference though captain bird. It's going very well. Very well yeah. Captain bird to the boys. Is with me. Captain bird approves. Anyway. Super happy about the star wars we've made today, yes first day nothing's really gone wrong just a few hours, so.
Last Job of today, is gonna be. Me cleaning the floors, yep we're gonna do that today we're gonna do it tomorrow. I don't know it's your job. It's gonna take a heck of a long time. Maybe tomorrow, because there's also a lot of dust in there and then, tomorrow we'll have like a special vacuum cleaner more industrial, one and we can get it out, maybe we should get the vacuum cleaner today, yeah we can get the vacuum cleaner today get some other stuff. Um. By the way the flooring, has arrived. They called me. Really, it's supposed to take two weeks i sent you a message and it only took three to eight i don't have my phone i called you. Oh, sorry i'm just so excited. But uh maybe we still need to take that pedaling out. And that paneling, and then, we're done for today tomorrow, cleaning time and. Insulation. Yep let's do it go. So we hope you enjoyed this video. If you did please leave a big thumbs up and make sure to hit the subscribe button if you're new to our channel also, we still would love your input on how to name the van, otherwise, by default we're going to go with vinnie even though it doesn't start with an f, it doesn't really matter. We hope you liked it and we will see you tomorrow when we put in the insulation. And do some other stuff we still have to make a list, see you tomorrow. Bye. You.
2020-09-22 16:41
