“What is Odyssey Camper watching on YouTube?”
I get this question at least a couple times a month, although it usually takes to form of, “what channels do you follow?”. Well, like half the world, I watch Bob Wells’ Cheap RV Living (although I kid that he copies MY content), but I also watch some vanners and travelers that are less polished and less well known. If you are looking for some new and interesting subs, check out the list below. No posers here, just authentic travelers!
1) Dr. John Leathers:
Doc John has traveled around the country at many times in his life, most recently taking his Scion xB on an epic road trip to Alaska. The link goes to an overview of how he set up the Scion, but subscribe because he’s about to head to Baja.
2) Perpetual Sabbatical:
Adam was one of the people that inspired me to just get my stuff in the van and get traveling. He’s gone through a number of configurations for his minivan, so I linked to #3. Note that Adam puts ALL of his content on the same channel, so you have to run down his VIDEOS page to see the van content, but be sure to watch his two videos about living in a shed and his matchstick video…
3) Travels with Jane:
This is not a solo female nomad channel, Jane is his GPS! I like this guy’s laid back style as he camps in a small travel trailer. I also think his RTR 2018 video is one of the best to get a feel for the event if you’ve never been.
4) A Nomad for Nature:
This IS a solo female nomad channel. Roxy has been traveling around on her own for well over a decade and she finds the most amazing spots. I’ve learned about a lot of cool spots to camp by watching her channel and chatted with her at two RTRs. Super nice lady! She also has a blog with a harrowing tale about escaping an abusive relationship. Check it out here:
A Year Without a Kitchen Sink–Introduction
I don’t think I fully appreciated what it can be like for a woman in that position. The good news is she made it out and discovered solo traveling along the way!
5) BlueStar 712
There is no van content on this channel but stick with me. I met the couple who does this channel when I was out in Leadville, CO. They had a cool 50s panel van with a modern 4WD drivetrain and drive into some very challenging places. We hit it off and talked for an hour. Cool people! OK, so his channel is going to seem a little weird to you if you’ve never watched time-lapsed videos before, but give one a try. I find these very relaxing and often put one on before I go to sleep in the van.
6) Wonderlife Travels
A couple that lived in their Honda Odyssey for over a year. I can’t imagine sharing the space with another person for a week, but hey, they were young! The direction of the channel has changed over time and you have to go way back for the good vanlife content, but it’s in there.
7) Dave 2D
Dave makes me laugh! The link goes to his “roast” of a couple of vanlife imposters (i.e. models that are taking advantage of a trend to rack up views). If you are from the wrong part of the country and don’t appreciate making fun of people, or you think that’s mean, this channel is not for you. It’s also not for you if you don’t like coarse language. But if you enjoy sarcasm and incredulity, you will appreciate this channel. Dave has lived and traveled very extensively in a number of vehicles, including a Jeep Cherokee and a recently renovated van.
8) Element Van Life:
I came across Nathan when looking for ideas for my son’s Honda Element. I’ve lost track of how long Nathan has traveled in his Element, but I think it’s going on two years. He just traded up to a Nissan NV200, so I’ll be watching to see what he does with it. Nathan’s channel is more of a travel blog, so you’ll have to go way back to see how he outfit the Element.
This is by no means an exhaustive list and I have a lot of friends who I follow. But a lot of subscribers to my channel follow those same people, so I tried to pick some offbeat content. I hope you found something you like.
–Darren at OdysseyCamper