The Van Lifestylist
The Manual That Actually
Keeps You on the Road.
Van Life Foundations Manual — Logistical & Financial Systems for Life on the Road
There's incredible van life content out there — builds, campsites, gear reviews. What almost none of it covers is the infrastructure that actually keeps you on the road: legal domicile, multi-state tax compliance, financial safety nets, and what happens to your accounts if something happens to you on a remote highway. That's exactly what this manual is. 198 pages of the systems nobody else is covering — written by a credentialed tax professional who actually lives this life.
Van life content is full of build tours and campsite reviews.
Almost none of it tells you what actually keeps you on the road.
Nobody explains what happens to your accounts if you're incapacitated on a remote highway. Nobody tells you that your domicile state — not where you park — determines your health insurance options, your tax liability, and your legal protections. Nobody covers the multi-state tax complications that can blindside remote workers and retirees on the road.
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The Risk Nobody Talks About
A single wrong domicile decision can trigger unexpected tax bills, insurance gaps, or vehicle registration problems that force you off the road.
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The Financial Cliff
42% of women share a deep fear of running out of money. Most van life budgets don't account for the 3-6-9 buffer layers that actually prevent that from happening.
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The Invisible Emergency
If something happens to you on the road, can your people access your documents, your accounts, your medical wishes? Most solo travelers have no system for this.
What This Manual Is
Three Sections. Nine Chapters.
One Complete Foundation.
Work through it systematically as you plan, jump to the chapter that addresses where you are right now, or return to specific sections as your life on the road evolves.
Section 1
Operational Foundations
The Risk Mitigator
- Legal domicile & address infrastructure
- Health, auto & additional insurance
- Prescriptions on the road
- Vehicle maintenance systems
- Pre-trip inspection checklists
Section 2
Financial Command Center
The Audit-Proofer
- The 3-6-9 Buffer™ framework
- Van Life Money Calculator™ included
- EA-backed tax compliance roadmap
- Nexus, itinerant status & HSA management
- Legacy & legal protection systems
Section 3
Life Support Systems
The Emotional Insurance
- Digital ICE (In Case of Emergency) File
- Emergency contact & password systems
- Safety & site selection
- Traveling with pets
- The Nomadic Anchor — family, guilt & connection
The EA Edge
This Isn't a Blog Post.
It's a Credentialed Professional's Field Manual.
An Enrolled Agent is a federally credentialed tax professional — the highest credential the IRS awards. EA consultations run $250 or more per hour. This manual gives you that expertise — applied specifically to the realities of full-time van life — for a fraction of that cost.
No other van life resource covers Nexus rules, the 183-day statutory residency trap, itinerant tax status, or Roth conversion strategy for road-based travelers. This manual does — because I live this life and I know exactly where the gaps are.
- Tax myths debunked with actual IRS guidance
- State-by-state tax and residency implications
- Multi-state tax complications for remote workers & retirees
- Retirement income management on the road
- HSA strategy for nomadic health coverage
- Beneficiary designations & digital asset planning
What an EA Hour Costs vs. What This Manual Costs
A single consultation with a credentialed Enrolled Agent runs $250 or more per hour — and they won't have van-life-specific experience. This manual delivers that expertise, applied to your exact situation, for a fraction of that cost. And you can reference it any time, on the road, in the margins, with your own notes alongside it.
EA Consultation: $250+/hr · This Manual: $97 or $167
Same credential. Built for your road.
Chapter by Chapter
What's Inside Every Chapter
Each chapter includes checklists, worksheets, comparison tables, and cross-references — built to be used, not just read.
Legal Residency & Address Infrastructure
Domicile selection, permanent mailing address setup, PMB vs. P.O. Box, vehicle registration, updating federal agencies, and getting mail on the road.
Insurance
Health insurance for nomads, ACA marketplace strategy, prescriptions on the road, auto insurance for van life, agreed vs. stated value coverage, and roadside protection.
Vehicle Maintenance Systems
Pre-launch vehicle prep, what you must know about your specific vehicle, maintenance routines, scheduled service intervals, and a complete tracking system.
The Financial Engine
Preparing financially before launch, the Van Life Money Calculator™, the 3-6-9 Buffer™, budget tiers (Lean/Comfortable/Thriving), road banking, and month-to-month budget management.
Tax & Legal Compliance
Tax terms every traveler needs, myths debunked with IRS guidance, domicile maintenance, state tax navigation, multi-state complications for remote workers and retirees, retirement income on the road, and an overview of self-employment considerations.
Legacy & Legal Protection
Estate planning for physical and digital assets, Durable POA, Healthcare Directive, vehicle as mobile asset, and emergency pet planning.
Financial Planning & Protection
Net worth on the road, retirement accounts, HSA strategy, life insurance decisions, long-term care planning, beneficiary designations, and financial emergency planning.
The Digital ICE File
Building your cloud-based emergency vault, securing it, password management and emergency access, and setting up your complete emergency contact system.
Lifestyle Library
Self-care on the road, traveling with pets, hygiene systems, safety & site selection, weather, connectivity, the Nomadic Anchor (family & guilt), cooking, route planning, and van life wardrobe.
Designed to Be Printed
This Isn't a Digital Product.
It's a Working Manual.
The Van Life Foundations Manual was designed from the ground up to live in a binder, not on a screen. It's formatted for 3-hole punch so you can tab the sections you reference most, write in the margins, check off the checklists as you go, and update worksheets as your situation evolves.
This is a living document — one that grows with you from research phase through your first year on the road and beyond.
- Formatted for 3-hole punch binder use
- Checklists throughout every chapter
- Worksheets for recording your own information
- Cross-references connecting related chapters
- Tip boxes from personal road experience
- Resources & links section for every chapter
- Complete glossary of van life terms & definitions
Choose Your Edition
Get the Foundation That Keeps You on the Road.
Printed & Shipped Edition
The Flagship Manual
Professionally printed, 3-hole punched, shipped to your door
Shipping included · Printed & shipped directly to you
- All 198 numbered pages, professionally printed
- 3-hole punched & ready to drop in your binder
- Van Life Money Calculator™ access included
- Binder shopping list with recommended supplies
- Shipped directly to your door
- No printer, no paper, no setup — just open and use
DIY Print-at-Home Edition
The Blueprint
Full manual — you print, you drop it in a binder
Instant digital delivery · Print at home or at a print shop
- Print-optimized PDF — all 198 numbered pages
- Formatted for double-sided, B&W printing
- Van Life Money Calculator™ access included
- Binder shopping list with exact supply links
- Instant delivery to your inbox
- Print at home or at any print shop
Not ready for the full manual yet? Start with the Van Life Money Calculator™ for $37 — the interactive tool that answers "Can I actually afford this?" It's included in both manual editions.
Questions
Frequently Asked
Everything you need to know before you order.
What's the difference between the Printed Edition and the DIY Edition?
The content is identical — every page, every chapter, every checklist. The difference is fulfillment. The Printed Edition is professionally printed, 3-hole punched, and shipped directly to you. The DIY Edition is a print-optimized PDF you download and print yourself, at home or at a print shop. Both include the Van Life Money Calculator™ and the binder shopping list.
How long is the manual and what format is it in?
The manual is 198 numbered pages across 9 chapters and 3 sections. The front matter (welcome, how to use, table of contents) adds additional pages for a complete file of 210 pages. It is designed for print — not as an ebook or digital-only product. It is meant to live in a binder alongside your notes.
What binder do I need?
A standard 1" to 1.5" 3-ring binder works perfectly. Both editions come with a binder shopping list that includes direct links to the exact binder, tab dividers, and supplies I recommend — so you're not guessing at the office supply store.
Is the Van Life Money Calculator™ really included?
Yes — both editions include access to the Van Life Money Calculator™, the interactive Google Sheets tool built on the proprietary 3-6-9 Buffer™ framework. It normally sells separately for $37. It's included because the financial chapters reference it directly and you'll want it alongside the manual.
I'm not a full-timer — is this manual for me?
Yes. This manual was written from a full-time van life perspective, but most of the systems apply whether you're a full-timer, a part-timer, a weekend warrior, or someone simply considering the lifestyle. The domicile chapter, the Digital ICE File, and the financial frameworks are genuinely useful for anyone who spends significant time on the road — or who just wants their critical documents organized and their people protected. You don't have to be or intend to be full-time to benefit from having a solid foundation.
I'm already on the road. Is it too late for this manual?
Not at all. Many chapters address systems that travelers discover they need after they've already launched — particularly the tax compliance, legacy planning, and Digital ICE File chapters. It's never too late to build a proper foundation.
How long does shipping take for the Printed Edition?
Shipping times vary based on your location. You'll receive tracking information once your order ships. If you need the manual quickly, the DIY Edition delivers instantly to your inbox.
From Catina
I Wrote the Manual I Wish I'd Had.
I'm Catina — a full-time solo traveler, Federally Credentialed Enrolled Agent, and the founder of The Van Lifestylist. My mobile life didn't start in 2023 — it started in 2016 with an 80-day road trip across the eastern US, followed by selling my house in 2018, living in tiny house communities, and spending a full year in a 33-foot motorhome before I ever stepped into a minivan. In September 2023 I launched full-time van life in my Toyota Sienna with a Roadloft conversion kit and my 9-pound co-pilot, Henry.
I brought two things to this manual that you won't find anywhere else: nearly 20 years of professional tax expertise as an Enrolled Agent, and the lived reality of what it actually takes to stay on the road as a solo woman. The gap between those two things — between what the van life community talks about and what actually keeps you legally compliant and financially stable — is exactly what this manual fills.
Function Over Fashion. This is the foundation.
— Catina & Henry 🐾
"You don't need a $150,000 Sprinter van to live this life. You don't need to be a mechanic or a carpenter or a financial expert. And you don't need to be 30. You just need the right foundation — and that's exactly what you're holding."
— Catina Borgmann, The Van Lifestylist
You've Done the Research.
Now Build the Foundation.
198 pages. 9 chapters. The infrastructure that keeps you on the road.