AN ASPIRING nurse has revealed what he does on his off days while living in a van full-time.
Arslan from New Jersey started living in his converted micro-camper car a few years ago after being fed up with paying high rents.
YouTube/@solarcampercarArsalan lives in his van full-time[/caption]
YouTube/@solarcampercarArslan cooking mashed potatoes in his tiny kitchen[/caption]
YouTube/@solarcampercarArslan’s dining table setup[/caption]
YouTube/@solarcampercarArslan making pancakes for dinner[/caption]
YouTube/@solarcampercarArslan likes to have dinner while watching Netflix[/caption]
In a YouTube video, he said: “My life completely changed a few years ago after I slept in my car one night and realised I saved 50 dollars.
“Since then I ditched paying rent and started living full-time in my car.”
He now travels around the US in his Chevrolet SUV all while saving money from rent to build his own house.
The vehicle is so cramped inside that he can “barely crouch” but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
After stripping out everything except the driver’s seat, he managed to fit a desk, leather chair and even a 3/4 mattress inside, the latter of which he perched atop a built-up wooden storage unit to give extra space.
Arslan, who has a degree in nursing, says he likes to cook nice meals and watch some good shows on his computer during his day off.
The vlogger showed a day in his life in a YouTube video where he cooked mashed potatoes and pancakes – and did some regular chores to maintain his camper life.
He started his video by saying: “I am hungry and I am gonna make some mashed potatoes with some bacon, olives and ranch dressing.”
He then goes to the kitchen section inside his van and starts prepping his “gourmet” meal.
After finishing cooking, Arsalan took his food to the dinner table and lit up some candles to enjoy his meal.
He said: “This is the difference between eating and dining.”
Arslan likes to take up small car maintenance work during his off days.
He showed how he added tinted windows on his camper – all by himself – which helped him maintain his privacy inside the camper.
After eating his food, the enthusiast went to the gym for a workout and took a shower to get fresh.
After returning to his converted home, the solo traveller decided to make some pancakes for dinner.
He pulled out a ready-made mix from his pantry and cooked a few pancakes to enjoy with his iced tea.
Arslan revealed he likes to watch some Netflix while eating his dinner at peace – and enjoys some alone time far off buzzing cities.
He ended his day with a thank-you note to his followers and promised to come back with another video.
While Arsalan’s converted home might be tight on space, it has all the necessary features including a water pump, sink, mattress, bin, coffee machine and pot plant.
He collects rainwater to purify, which then supplies his sink, while the chemical loo means he can keep the tiny space sanitary and avoid any unpleasant smells.
And he doesn’t even have to pay to power his fridge and neon lighting.
That’s because he has gone with the ingenious solar-camper concept, covering the 4×4’s entire roof with solar panels, feeding into a power bank from which he can run all his appliances.
It even gives him enough power to have a TV, of sorts, in the form of a Samsung tablet.
Some might question if all this is worth the effort but Arslan quickly revealed just how much he saves through his unusual lifestyle.
He explained: “My old apartment cost me £1,400 per month plus utilities.
“I spend nine months out of the year in my car and three months leaching or crashing with friends
“So nine times £1,400 is £12,600 a year.”
And that doesn’t even take into account his savings on things like energy bills.
He added that he plans to use all the money he’s managed to save in order to build his own home so he never has to pay rent again.
YouTube/@solarcampercarArslan’s 2014 Chevy SUV that he converted into a tiny home[/caption]
YouTube/solarcampercarArslan saves £1,400 a month living in his SUV[/caption]
YouTube/@solarcampercarThe cramped car is barely large enough for him to crouch in[/caption]