My WORST experience while living in a van (a total nightmare) | Vanlife Horror Stories

In this episode of Vanlife Horror Stories, we dive into a story that I've been holding onto for a couple years. A day where everything that could go wrong, WENT WRONG for me on my travels. From getting stuck in the desert heat to stumbling upon a stranger trying to get into my van, this is a day that I'll never forget. - TTTHEFINEPRINTTT

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Video Timestamps:
0:00 Vanlife Horror Stories
1:21 A daring adventure
4:34 HelloFresh Ad
6:22 Making a terrible mistake
12:13 I caught him trying to break into my van
16:47 What I learned from this experience

#Vanlife #travelvlog #horrorstories

[Sageandgold]

The most important thing to remember is that they can happen to anyone, anywhere, and any lifestyle. Be safe and always aware of surroundings and people's energy. Trust your gut instincts. It feels different than paranoia. You'll know the difference

[helenstamenkovic]

I am a 62 yr.old woman and I enjoyed this video so much, I was laughing through much of it. You have this boyish enthusiasm that just brings me back to my youth and 20's. I can so remember young men from my younger days that had this very same boyish enthusiasm. So thank you. My Irish great-granny used to say "Go and be good and if you can't be good...be Careful!"

[gt]

Sadly, my only fear when traveling is of other humans. Great video as always!

[kiwionarope]

One of the first things we learnt in the 4x4 course I did in the military was....walk your route first, before you commit to putting your vehicle through it...

[Priscillaful]

Thank you for telling us we don’t travel much anymore and this story tells me we made the right decision. We are now 77 &78 no energy for the drama. No swearing but a great story so proud of you. Safe travels

[tracyj]

I am new here, but I wanted to say that Millie is the most precious and adorable travel companion ever.

[tinalangley]

I appreciate the fact that you are so open and vulnerable in ALL your travels! There is NO EGO in your journey! I am thankful that you have gotten insight and hopefully learn a lot about being safe in your space! I as a female doing the RV life had to humble myself about my surroundings! Stay safe!

[kylesky]

Once I drove 2300 miles across the country. I stopped at a rest stop next to a big interstate highway. Had a stranger pull a gun and shoot a round past my yourself. A trucker called the cops and he was arrested. Crazy dude.

[Drmikekuna]

I'm a part-time van dweller who built out a Promaster in 2018. I had been camping in it for several years at all sorts of places (BLM land, National Forests, deserts) with no problem. Then, a series of events happened. I was camping with my son in a perfectly good grassy spot. I was just off a dirt road. There was a slight depression off the road, so I backed in (the Promaster has front-wheel drive) and parked close to the road instead of further back. I didn't give it a second thought.

For some strange reason, I had looked up the tow points (the front one is hidden on the Promaster) before the trip. I had never bothered to do so on previous trips. I felt reasonably secure as I had rescue stuff in my "garage, " including rescue boards, a tow strap, a shovel, etc. At camp, I tried to open my back doors to get some firewood, and I heard a pop. Apparently, the cable to the doors either broke or slipped off. I couldn't get at anything (including my rescue stuff) from the back. I thought, "I'll take care of it when I get home, " and put it behind me. I wanted my son to have a good time.

As we slept, I heard a massive thunderstorm and woke to everything soaked with water. I was glad I had backed in and was close to the road, but when I tried to pull out, it was clear that I was stuck and couldn't use any of my rescue stuff due to the back door issue. I panicked but didn't want to frighten my son, so I looked cool on the surface.

I knew I needed a tow truck, but cell service was very poor, and there was no way I could open web pages to search for one. I remembered seeing a house down the road, so I walked to it. Thank God the owner was home. I told him my problem and asked if he knew of a towing service. He said he had a pickup and a strap, and we drove back to my camp. This guardian angel pulled me out (it was harder than you would think) with a strap that was not rated for a vehicle as big as my van, but it worked. He wouldn't accept any money and went on his way. There are nice people everywhere if you give them a chance.

By the way, I couldn't fix the back door when I got home and had to take it to my local Dodge dealership. They replaced the cable and. it cost me over $800! That was a less-than-nice experience.

[CognitiveDissident.]

Having the capacity to defend yourself (and potentially others) is part of being a responsible person. Quite literally, the ability to respond to a dangerous situation.

[thogusdonatus]

Not gonna lie that Van Looks Comfy to live in and i love the Wooden detail that u added to the walls

[cindylewis]

I’m old. Used to travel & camp around the world. It’s good to do when your young. We didn’t have cell phones, gps, none of it. Everyone was doing this, many hitchhiked. It was awesome, enlightening, educational. Great van, we did tents & a station wagon. Like your travels. Stay safe.

[ridah]

When I lived in a RV for a few years, I was always strapped and had back ups plans just in case. I have back up everything.

[dariusparks]

You should do late night campfire scary story hour!!!! I guarantee you will hit 1 million if u added a scary story bit!!!

[felicianomiko]

Oh, I feel this story. Husband and I stopped there in 2021 with our Skoolie. Parked way up at the top because we were not taking chances with the beast. But we took our mini cooper down like complete idiots. To be fair, many an idiot had gone down before us which fooled us into thinking it was safe. It was not at all. Got it stuck in almost the same scenario you described, got help from a super friendly Chad, flew across the sand and got stuck again right at the end. He helped us out again like the hero he was and it was all good. Crazy spot. We have a Jeep now. That poor mini put up with a lot it should never have been asked to do, it was a champ but it’s not made for bus life.

[winowarrior]

Bro, commend you for being badass adventurer and free spirit. I would urge you to adopt all of the legal means of self defense that are approved in all states. You will likely never have to resort to these measures, but if you are isolated and they are not available, you then find yourself in a bad situation. Love the channel and hope you stay safe and have a blast out there!

[rachelmead]

We also got stuck on that beach! It was so incredibly stressful. A truck ended up saving us as well. After that I found Matt’s Off-road Rescue YouTube channel and have watched it every since to learned so much. Glad you’re okay!

[BBrisebois]

Brother, I’m telling you….I’m out on the road throughout the states most of the year and I would advise you need some sort of protection. Although it may rarely happen, you can never predict a threat. It is better to be safe rather than sorry!
Safe travels my man, love the content.

[Crimsonoverlord.]

i hope your carrying something to protect yourself.. you put yourself out there showing the world everything they can take

[drewshoto]

Your story has made me realise that not everything goes to plan and we need to be more cautious wherever we go but still have fun. Thank you . I love enjoying your time and videos.😮😊