A couple who lived in a converted van for four years to avoid expensive apartments have revealed they are now working on a new project: a secluded off-the-grid cabin in the Nova Scotia wilderness.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 28, and Jazmyn Canning, 29, bought a 6-acre piece of land with a cabin in the rugged Canadian terrain for $37,000 in July 2021 and have since set it up so they can be completely self-sufficient.
In videos posted on social media where they use the handle @vanwivesthe Ontario couple explained that their off-the-grid living experiment had been challenging with “daunting” DIY projects looming and brutal weather to contend with.
This winter they were hit by a polar vortex with temperatures dropping to -40F and in one clip, Jazmyn shared what the “Arctic” cold feels like.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 28, and Jazmyn Canning, 29, bought a 6-acre piece of land with a cabin in the Canadian Territory for $37,000 in July 2021
The couple have since built it out so they can be completely self-sufficient
In videos posted to social media, the Ontario couple explained that their off-the-grid living experiment had been challenging
This winter they were hit by a polar vortex with temperatures dropping to -40F
Standing outside in a winter parka with the wind blowing around her, she says, “Everything hurts. You know when your foot goes to sleep and you step on it, that’s how I’d describe what it feels like to be out for probably 10 minutes…maybe even less.
“Everything starts to tingle and sting… and your nostrils feel funny.”
In another clip, the duo revealed what the cabin looked like when they first moved in, with the roof tiles falling apart and the garden completely overgrown.
Some of the biggest jobs they undertook were installing a new metal roof and building a driveway, which required learning how to operate heavy machinery.
But their hard work has paid off and ‘after’ images show their new home looking good and looking more livable.
Some of Crystal and Jazmyn’s additions to the cabin include an outdoor toilet and sauna, and they say one of their potential projects this summer is the installation of a swimming pool.
In an effort to live off-grid, the couple installed a 48-volt electrical system with more than 10,000 watts of solar power and 28 kWh of battery storage to harvest the sun’s energy.
While watching YouTube videos to learn new DIY skills, the couple said friends and family helped along the way and they also received support from the local community.
Standing outside in a winter parka with the wind blowing around her, Jazmyn says, “Everything hurts. You know when your foot goes to sleep and you step on it, that’s how I’d describe it’
Some of the biggest jobs they undertook were installing a new metal roof and building a driveway, which required them to learn how to operate heavy machinery
In a clip, the duo revealed what the hut looked like when they first moved in, with the roof tiles falling apart and the garden completely overgrown
‘After’ footage shows how their new home is progressing well and looking more livable
Clearly pleased with her new set-up, Crystal says in a YouTube post, “It feels absolutely amazing waking up here.
“There’s just so much loneliness, it’s just so quiet… I haven’t seen anything like it in months and it’s safe to say we’re all very happy.”
Joining them in the cabin are the couple’s two Australian Shepherds, Bella and Izzy.
Looking ahead, they say, ‘Winter has been long, hard and challenging, but spring is just around the corner and we can’t wait to start planting our garden again.’
Before gaining fame on social media with their bus life adventures, the couple worked as waitresses in a casino.
They said they first started toying with the idea of living out of a transformed car because of Toronto’s high housing costs.
“The cost of living has definitely kept us from buying an apartment,” Crystal explained.
Some of Crystal and Jazmyn’s additions to the cabin include an outdoor toilet and sauna, and they say one of their potential projects this summer is the installation of a swimming pool.
Before gaining fame on social media with their bus life adventures, the couple worked as waitresses in a casino
They said they first started toying with the idea of living out of a transformed car because of Toronto’s high housing costs
“Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Toronto area starts at $880 (US$1,200) and then you still pay bills.
How can you do the things you want to do when all your money goes into the roof over your head? We wanted to make life our work, rather than make our work our life.”
It took the couple five months to find the perfect van and another eight months to make it their home.
Jazmyn explained: ‘We didn’t want the van to be just a travel mobile, we wanted it to be our own home mobile.’
Crystal added: ‘It took us eight months to equip the van and it was a lot of trial and error. We had no prior skills in plumbing, electrical or carpentry. YouTube has been our biggest educator.
‘During construction we were working full time. The van cost $10,200 (US$14,000) and the build cost $8,200 (US$11,000).’
While living in their van and paying no rent, the couple said they could save money and have no debt.
They now say their cabin, which they found online, was another bargain and they were able to live off the land while making money from social media, saving even more.