It's recording. It's recording. Is it recording?
Don't put your face in your iPad like your mom.
I'm Dom. I'm Marie.
We are the couple behind Vanlife Sagas.
Our first video is about the very first step of starting vanlife
which is: buying a van!
Is it recording?
So today is a very special day. Because three years ago...
No. It's a special day because we are starting vlogging.
Oh yeah. It's also our first vlog!
I don't know how it works. Of course you do.
Except that we do videos. And huh...
and it's a very nice vlog so far.
Buying a van: it's always the stressful part and a lot of people are asking:
Where did you get the idea? How did you get into vanlife? And why, and etc.
And it all started that day
where we got our Promaster. It was a...
2014. 2014, 136 wheelbase. High-roof.
No windows. It was a... Metro. Which is like a
Delivery truck. Yeah, grocery delivery truck.
That we got in Toronto, which is like 5 hours away from where we live.
We live on the french side (of Canada)
which is explains the accent, by the way.
There's no accent, I don't know what you talking about.
We did try a few vans, and that was really important
because we wanted to try different models of the van.
So we had:
A campervan in Iceland, which is really nice, from Happy Campers.
It was a Renault Master. It was.
And then we went to New Zealand
and we had a... what model was that?
Toyota Hiace.
That was pretty nice too. There was a shower in it.
And then we went to the U.S.A. with Native Campervans
and they have a fix bed. So it was the first time for us trying a fix bed
which was nice because we could compare both models.
And then we went to Norway with Arctic Campers.
That was a Volkswagen Passenger.
And then the last one was another Happy Campers in South Africa.
Was that still a Renault? I don't know which one it was.
I'll check it out.
And the one in, in, in Denver
was the Biggie by Native Campervans
and it was a Promaster 2014 or 15, 136 wheelbase
and from that point on, we said: "This is the one we need". Ya.
It's been three years. Three years today.
And I have a little something for you. A new car?
No... It's never enough huh?
What is it? No I prepared...
I found the footage, because I didn't remember
I had my camera that night.
Do you remember? I was filming all the time
and I didn't even actually give you the thing
it was your brother.
I was filming everything. Ya, with your iPhone?
With my cmaera. With my Canon! Really?
I have all the footage and I made a little... No!
Huuuuuum...
Video? Yeah, a little edit of that moment
I think it's gonna work here. Are they gonna see it too?
We can show them if you want!
Look at that.
This is me with my iPad of babyboomer.
Oh, no way!
So do you remember that? I do remember that.
Okay, so we're gonna share the screen for you guys as well!
I don't know if it's gonna work. But listen to this.
Oh my god, my hair was short. Shorter.
You're crazy man.
New car!
I'm going to get my new van!
Hihihi.
Go Nick, grab her like this.
[Inaudible]
No, no, no, no. Come here! Come here.
[DAD] We could've hidden the key somewhere in the parking lot.
[DAD] And ask her to find it.
She is looking for her truck in the parking lot.
She is looking for your truck.
THE truck.
I'm a big "van" of you Dom.
Tell me what happened in the last 24 hours.
Yesterday at 6:00 PM, you called me and asked if I was working today.
I was like: "Yes. Why?"
You said: "Can you go get a van for me in Toronto at 5:00 AM please?"
I was like: "Hmm? Let me see what I can do."
30 minutes later I said: "Why not!"
30 minutes after you sent me a train ticket for Toronto!
I was like: "Oh, okay, this is for real!"
I arrived at the train station. Called a Uber.
One hour later, I was driving your van back to Quebec.
Baby, are you okay? I'm doing very well.
What are you doing? I'm going to see my van!
A van in which we will sleep!
We will convert it into a campervan, and we'll travel the world!
You can let her go soon!
Haha!
This is amazing!
Oh wow, it is clean! Oh yes it is!
So she's saying the van is very clean.=
Oh! The door still does that sound.
Does Zachary know? I don't know!
Does Jay know? I think so yes.
Are you going to borrow it sometimes?
What do you think! Hello!
When you'll be too busy and won't use it, we'll try to, you know!
There is not a scratch on the floor!
Ahhhh!
What is that?
It's good to be home!
What's home now?
It's the van.
It's good to be home.
Oh that's amazing.
So that was the first... there's no big surprise at the end.
It's just, you know, a basic video I did.
That's it?
[Laugh] Shut up.
So that's when we bought the van and started working on it right after.
Remember the first weeks during that summer? Ya!
We were - I have all these pictures - we were taping the floors... Ya, I remember.
We were with you dad making calculations of how high the bench should be.
Where the window would be. The ceiling. It took us like three or four months.
And then we started, you know, cutting stuff, installing windows. Insulating everything.
We just woke up. It's 7:30 AM.
We are in St-Roch-de-l'Achigan
in a little family campground.
Yesterday night, we arrived late so we missed the corn roast.
And now, we're going to install the windows on the van.
Cool huh?
Where are we going to install these windows?
There's one there. One behind you.
And two at the back.
This way, it's going to look like a real campervans, and not like a...
pedophile truck.
You can get bad windows?
Yeah, some have a bad curve in them.
Do you want me to show you how to install your windows properly?
This side is up.
It's a very good souvenir. Ya, and then my dad kicked in with all his planning
and his engineer skills and everything. And he was like: Okay.
This project is far more complex than you guys think.
I was like... really? Yes it is!
And remember the conversation we had right there, in their kitchen?
No.
They were like: "So how much are you ready to invest in your project?"
And she was like: "$8,000 - $10,000".
After a few calculations, my father ends up with the final bill.
And he was like: "It's gonna be around $25,000."
But it is possible with $8,000... Ya, ya!
We wanted like... We were picky, we were picky.
We. were picky with the colors,
With the materials, with the counter tops. We wanted a rack for the paddleboards
which is expensive.
Ya. The boxes, the heater and everything.
So ya, the bill went up pretty fast
but that was the first thing that happened with the van
and not so long after that we decided to call it Vanessa. Ya.
Why did we call it Vanessa, Dom? I don't know...
I was kind of, you know, having too many beers one night
and I was like: "This van is called Vanessa." And you were like: "No."
And I was like: "Yeah, try to change my mind." And she was like: "No."
I was like: "Vanessa."
So she tried a bunch of stuff like, oh...
Like Henry and stuff like that. Henry. Penelope.
Bertha. I was like: "Vanessa".
And it stays. You won that battle.
I won that battle. Onnnnneeeee - Zero.
So that's what happened. That's it.
So this is how we got the van; you surprised me with the van.
Should we eventually do...
Is this how people do it? Should we eventually do a video on "Why we chose the Promaster".
We can talk about why we chose the van. We can talk about everything.
Actually what I thought is
we are going to take all the questions and suggestions we get in a week
and we already started collecting everything
and we are just going to answer all your questions.
We get a lot of. questions on Instagram, but if you guys here in the comments below
want to comment on things you want to see in the vlog as well
please do it.
If you have recommendations on things to do and not do in a vlog
please do it because clearly we are new at this.
I never know how to end this, but I've seen someone do this. Don't do it. Don't.
See you later. Don't do it. Don't do it.
Okay bye! I think you just press stop.
I'll press it. Okay bye!