Traveling in Vans with Dogs

If you want unwavering loving support, even more of an excuse to go outside, and a guaranteed cuddle partner, traveling in vans with dogs is the way to go! Who wouldn't want to be able to hang with their dog 24/7? The constant companionship far outweighs the smells and mess from your dog.

My dog Noah is such a joy to have around, he has a constant smile on his face. When I was living in San Francisco, it was so difficult leaving my pup at home. Now that I live in my van full-time with my partner Theo, we get to see Noah all the time, and the memories that we've created traveling around the U.S. and Canada will be cherished forever. I never thought that my big 'ol Rottweiler would one day see so much of this world, 26 states and 2 countries to be exact! I can't say if Noah loves the actual travel (he hasn't told me yet) but I think he's a lot more at peace getting to be with his Mom and Dad, aka: the loves of his life, full time.

So I'm going to share some of my favorite dog-friendly places that we've been to along the way, and also offer up some advice on traveling full-time with your dog. 

How to camp for free on public lands

All photos in this post were taken on public lands.

Van life is awesome for many reasons, but a big one is that you don’t have to spend money on rent! And depending on what kind of lifestyle you want to live, you can certainly do it all on the cheap. One of the biggest spenders in van life can be campgrounds, especially if it’s tourist season and you’re in a popular place. I’ve seen campgrounds charge as much as $50 per night! More often than not it’s closer to the $20-30 range and those expenses add up. So free camping is definitely something to look for if you want to save some of your hard-earned bucks. Besides stealth camping in towns or parking in Walmart or Cracker Barrel locations, there’s one other way to camp for free… public lands! This is also known as "boondocking".