How to work from your campervan
If you’ve been wondering how to work from your campervan for a while, this guide is for you!
Whether you want to work part-time remotely or even full-time, combining camping, travel, and work can be a great option.
If you want to make the switch and work remotely, there are a couple of things to think about in order to make the transition smoothly.
Remote working from a van is great for slow travel while working from wherever you want.
The world is vast and there is so much to appreciate. From getting to wake up in a new destination every morning and setting up your workspace to a gorgeous view, working remotely from your campervan is a great way to explore wherever you want to see!
I’ve had the opportunity to work from home for a couple of years now and it’s great to be able to do it wherever I want. So, combining my camping trips with my work has happened more than once.
So let’s get you set up with the best tools to answer your question on how to work from your campervan!
Choose the right campervan and equipment
Choosing the right campervan is crucial if you don’t already own one. You’ll want to have a campervan that has the right space for you and your work.
Whether you choose an RV, a trailer camper or a van is up to you. However, you’ll need to think about the right space to accommodate your needs.
Think about having a separate living area from your bed. This way when you work in the living area, it will be a space dedicated to work instead of your bed.
As for your equipment, since you’ll be on the road and working from pretty much anywhere, you’ll also want to have reliable equipment. This means having a good laptop and a comfortable working area.
This could mean making some small improvements to your campervan to accomplish that.
Where to park your camper van to work
There are plenty of places out there where you can park to work for the day.
The easiest is of course campgrounds. You can pay to stay a couple of days at the campsite. Here you can usually choose from campsites without any services to full hookups. Depending on your needs, you can choose accordingly.
Some campsites even provide internet access.
You can also choose to stay in free campsites. In this case, however, you probably won’t have access to electrical outlets, water, sewage and internet access.
You can read my guide on how to find free campsites across North America to help you know what to look for.
There are also stores where you could park. Always ask them before doing so as some of them do not allow parking for vans.
Stores such as Walmart, Costco, Camping World, Home Depot, Lowes, Cracker Barrel, 24-hour fitness centers, Truck Stops, Train Stations, and casinos are only a couple of examples.
How to get internet while working from your campervan
Someone else’s WiFi
By someone else’s WIFI, I don’t mean stealing someone’s WIFI from their home.
It’s more like using your cellular data on your phone to do a hotspot to your computer. You’ll have to keep in mind your data included with your phone contract every month.
This would be for minimal use though. Checking emails for example. If you need a high-performance internet to work, this might not be the best option for you.
You could also go to Starbucks for example and use their internet. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes that offer free Internet. It’s easily accessible. Just consider that it is not a secure connection. So if this is something important for your work, it might not be the best option for you.
Cellular-enabled mobile hotspot
Another option for you would be to purchase a hotspot. This will act similarly to your cellular data but without taking your phone data.
You will have to buy a monthly plan to use the cellular data. But this can be a good option if you need all the data you have on your phone on top of your internet for work.
When considering your plan, keep in mind how many people will be using it.
Also, keep in mind that you will need cellular coverage for the portable hotspot to work. Just like your phone, if you don’t have coverage in an area, the portable hotspot won’t work either.
So if you plan on road-tripping in your van in areas where there might not be cellular data coverage, you might want to consider a different option.
Satellite internet
Satellite internet will work anywhere. Since it is not limited to cellular coverage, you’ll be able to work from anywhere at any time.
The only downside, is the internet could not work in cases of bad weather or cloudy skies.
The equipment will be bigger than a portable hotspot. However, you’ll be able to use the internet anywhere.
You will also need a plan to use satellite internet.
I also have a complete guide on how to get WIFI on the road to help you figure out this part of the working on-the-road adventure!
How to get power while working from your campervan
Power is another challenging bit to consider if you want to transition from working from home or the office to working from a campervan.
You will need power to charge your computers and every electronics you need to work properly.
While preparing your campervan to go working on the road, you might want to consider what type of batteries you install. If you want to go off-grid, depending on the type you choose, some will last longer than others.
Make sure to ask your campervan dealer or mechanic to get the best system for your needs.
Electrical hookups
Your campervan will most likely have batteries installed but another alternative to batteries is electrical hookups. These can mostly be found in campgrounds.
By hooking up your van to the electrical hookup, you’ll have electricity as if you were in your house.
You’ll be able to charge all your devices without any issues or having your batteries run out of juice.
Generator
If you’re planning to be mostly off-grid, you could carry a generator with you. You’ll hook up the van to the generator and start the generator in order to use it.
This will give you some power to charge your items and work.
You will need gas to get the generator to work. So you’ll have to keep a gas tank nearby in case you run out of gas in the generator throughout the day to start it again.
Solar
You could also use solar panels. Make sure you have the right hookup on your campervan to plug the solar panels.
Solar panels will provide power to your electrical outlets in the van but can also recharge your batteries at the same time.
You won’t need any gas, the panels will charge with the sun which avoids having to carry extra stuff and weight while travelling around.
However, if there isn’t much sun, know that it might not be charging as fast or as well as a sunny day.
How to work from your campervan: Office Tips
Organize your workspace
Since you’ll be working from a campervan, you must consider having limited space to work. Your office space will be smaller than an office at home. You might not even have an office space in your van. You’ll probably be using your kitchen table.
So make sure to organize your workspace. If you’re using your kitchen table as an office, you’ll most likely put away your office supplies at the end of your workday to cook and eat.
You’ll want to have a space to put away everything quickly and efficiently.
When you’ll be driving around, you also want someplace secure for your work stuff. This way, you’ll avoid having your office supplies flying around while driving or breaking your electronics while doing so.
Set a work schedule
Setting a work schedule doesn’t need to be set in stone. But it’s good to keep some sort of routine to work. This way, you’re programming your mind to work between these hours.
You can always adapt your schedule as you go. If you’re more productive in the morning, set your work time during the morning.
It’s just better to set some time every day to work.
Good Internet
If you need good Internet to work properly, make sure you have the proper Internet to do so. If you need to have a secure connection, it’s also something to consider while looking at your different options.
If you just need WIFI to check emails, Starbucks or a personal hotspot will be just fine. However, if you need something more secure and more efficient, you might have to invest in a good satellite connection.
Avoid working from bed
Working from bed is not necessarily a bad thing but you’ll want to avoid it long-term. Setting yourself in a proper office space will help you be more productive and you’ll have better access to everything you need.
It will also be better for your posture if you’re working in a proper setup. Working from your bed, you’ll probably be sitting all kinds of ways and you could end up hurting your back.
Have a large monitor
Chances are, you’ll probably be using a laptop or iPad to work from your campervan. It’s a great tool as it won’t take up much space in your van.
However, the screen can sometimes be too small for what you need to do.
Get yourself a larger monitor to use as an extension to your laptop or iPad. This way you’ll have two screens to work with and a larger one when you need it.
Have a comfortable chair
Comfort and a good posture are a must when working from a computer or office all day. Living in a campervan can be challenging for this.
If you have an office space available in the van, make sure to invest in a good chair. You’ll be spending a lot of time there so you’ll want to be comfortable.
If you don’t have an office space and you’ll be using the kitchen table instead, you could change the seat cushions to better ones.
The seat cushions you’ll get when purchasing your campervan aren’t usually the best ones out there. A lot of materials used in building the vans some affordable ones. Cushions especially tend to be pretty thin and after a couple of weeks won’t be supporting much.
So investing in something better will help you have a comfortable office space to work from your campervan.
Headsets or headphones
If you’re alone in your van, this isn’t something that important to consider. If you’re with your partner in the van and both of you are working it might be a good idea to invest in good noise-cancelling headsets.
It’ll be good if you need to make some calls often, it won’t hinder the other person’s concentration on their work.
Stay charged
This is especially important when you plan on being off-grid for a day. You’ll want to make sure to charge everything while you’re able to hook up to electricity.
If you plan on doing a lot of off-grid work, make sure you have everything fully charged before leaving your spot with electricity, but also charge your campervan batteries as well.
You can also have some powerbanks with you. In case you don’t have any more batteries in your electronics to work and your campervan batteries are also drained, you’ll have your power bank to charge a bit.
Let your boss know about your situation
Before taking the leap and working remotely from your campervan, make sure to speak with your boss about it.
Nowadays, it’s super easy to work remotely with all the technology we have access to.
Some bosses are still reluctant to let their employees work away from the office.
It’s important to let your boss know that yes you’ll be working remotely but you’ll be travelling while doing so. Your boss doesn’t necessarily need to know where you are going and all your plans but for them to know you won’t be in the same area all the time is better.
Have a permanent address
A permanent address is something to consider for your mail. A lot of things can be sent via email but some documents are still sent out through the good old mail.
Having a permanent address will serve as your home base, receiving your mail but also is important for tax purposes.
How to work from your campervan: Travel tips
Avoid changing destination on a workday
Relocating on a workday can be a lot of trouble. You’ll probably rush to go from point A to point B to get your working hours done and the drive. You’ll also be rushed to put all your stuff away securely before leaving and avoid breaking anything on the road.
If you can drive on your days off, this will avoid these kinds of situations. You’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll probably enjoy the road trip more.
This way you’ll avoid unnecessary stress.
Keep track of your time zone
This is important if you’re travelling through time zones. Especially if you have a work schedule to maintain.
Let’s say your boss knows about you travelling but you still have to work from 9 to 5, you’ll need to keep in mind your time zones and work accordingly.
Remember to keep it light
Travelling and working in a campervan is a great way to explore the world. However, one of the downsides is that your space is limited.
Keep your equipment to a minimum as much as possible. The same goes for everything you want to add to your van.
You won’t have as much fun if you are overcrowded with all kinds of stuff everywhere.
Stay longer at each destination
A good way to appreciate a destination and have some time to explore it is to stay a bit longer. Since you have to work while travelling, you might not be up to exploring after work every single day.
By staying longer, you’ll have plenty of time to sightsee and work without having to run around to do everything.
Embrace slow travel
This goes hand in hand with staying longer at your destination. I’m a big fan of slow travel. Slow travel means taking your time to see what you want to see without a fixed timeline.
You don’t necessarily need to have a travel plan if you’re working from your campervan. You can pretty much take all the time you need in every destination before leaving for another.
Have your campervan set up for off-grid living
Before leaving on this great adventure, make sure to set up your campervan for off-grid living. It might not be in your plans to do so but it might come up anyway.
Being prepared and having the amenities necessary to do so will avoid problems in the long run.
Plans change. It would be kind of sad to have to refuse a great opportunity because you don’t have batteries to keep charged or even just a sewer system than can work for a couple of days without having to empty anything.
Have a van with a sewer tank, a potable water tank, and deep charge batteries. At least with this minimum equipment, you’ll be able to enjoy even more on your trip!
Be safe
Although a lot of places are safe to travel, always be safe with your van and with yourself as well.
I have a full safety section in this solo road trip tips on how to be safe while camping and on the road.
I hope that this guide on how to work from your campervan has been helpful.
Road-tripping is such a fun way to explore a destination. If you are able to travel all over the place while working at the same time, this is just the dream!
If you’re up to it or you’ve been planning to do just that, go ahead and start planning and making the moves to go on this campervan work trip, you won’t regret it!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!
Do you need more resources on road trip travel, camping or packing? I’ve got much more to help you out!
