Van life with its sunset views and cozy living quarters seems like a dream — until you see the price tag on a 4x4 Sprinter. 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 that you can afford.
Jason started overlanding more than a decade ago in an ancient $350 Ford Explorer. Sure, the old Explorer was oxidized and smelled a little funny on the inside. But the car took him everywhere he wanted to go. When it came time to live full time on the road, Jason knew he was due for an upgrade. He found a 1994 Ford van on Craigslist that cost $2,000. And it was perfect. Of course, like any good overlander, Jason spent tens of thousands of dollars on upgrades. But those modifications came at a pace that his pocketbook could afford and it took years to get the van dialed exactly how Jason wanted it.
"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.”
Four wheel drive, a toasty propane heater, and a brand new electrical system are just three upgrades that Jason says were crucial to everyday living in the van. In this episode, Jason goes deep on gear and ultimately admits that backpacking has influenced his philosophy on what makes it into the van and what stays behind. Plus get an inside look at Jason's custom 300-mile Bend to Alvord route in his home state of Oregon. Jason says that the scenic trip is accessible to beginners and experts alike and offers so much more than a challenging off-pavement drive.
"It's not just a trudge to the desert. There's an old airplane wreck. There's an old ranch house out there. There's some caves that you can check out. There's the sand dunes if you want to stop and play in the sand for a day," Jason says of the route he created.
Learn more about Jason on his Primal Outdoors YouTube channel. Join his Patreon to get his GPX tracks. And follow him on his Primal Outdoors Instagram page for the best photos on living vanlife to the fullest.
Don't forget to pick up your discount on a Gaia GPS Premium Membership so you can get on the Bend to Alvord route ASAP!