"I stay safe living in my van by installing secret hiding places and taking self-defence classes"
A woman has revealed how she stays safe while living alone in her van - by installing secret hiding places and taking self-defence classes.
Sarah Yak, 26, has been travelling around America since 2018 and has so far visited 16 states.
After realising that university wasn't for her, Sarah dropped out and started working as a carer to save up for a van.
After a 12 months, Sarah was able to purchase her 2017 Ford Transit for $28k.
Sarah then spent $10 renovating her van - including a kitchen, a queen-sized bed and solar panels on the roof.
As she started out travelling alone, Sarah has since added extra security like an alarm system, hiding spots for items and a tracker inside the van.
Sarah, a videographer, from Austin, Texas, US, said: "Four years ago when I got my van it wasn't very popular so not many people were living in them.
"I took safety really seriously. I started taking self-defence classes. I learnt everything - from how to choke someone, to break someone's arm and to even kill someone.
"Doing those self-defence classes boosted my confidence on the road.
"Once I started travelling I added a lot more safety features.
"I installed a hefty alarm system and the van has a tracker inside, so if anyone steals it I would be able to track it.
"I also have an off-grid satellite phone so I will always have a signal in case of an emergency."
Sarah was studying marketing at Colorado State University when she realised she wasn't happy.
She said: "I was doing a degree and chasing a job I wasn't happy with - I really wanted to do art and see the world.
"I wanted to pursue a more unconventional life and that is why I decided to drop out."
Sarah bought the 10-seat transit van in 2018 and stripped it down so she could add her own touches.
Sarah said: "I installed solar panels, an induction hob, a fridge, toilet, outdoor shower with a water heater - everything you could possibly need to live full time.
"It took me around six months to complete and cost me around $10k."
When she started out on the road, Sarah said safety was a big issue - especially as she was travelling solo.
Recently, she installed Starlink - a satellite internet constellation - so she has Wi-Fi 24/7.
Sarah said: "Starlink has been a lifesaver. Whenever I can see the sky, I can get Wi-Fi which is a great safety feature.
"I also keep weapons stored in the van and I have secret hiding spots in the van to keep myself safe.
"I have a CCTV around the van too."
Recently Sarah's girlfriend, Tori Prince, 25, a videographer, from Austin, Texas, US, moved into the van with her in July, 2022 and the pair have no plans to stop travelling anytime soon.
Sarah said: "I can see myself settling down but not anytime soon - I am selling my current van and I have already bought a bigger one.
"The new one is higher, longer and newer - I am very excited.
"We will travel in that for a few years before we think about settling down in a permanent home.
Sarah Yak, 26, has been travelling around America since 2018 and has so far visited 16 states.
After realising that university wasn't for her, Sarah dropped out and started working as a carer to save up for a van.
After a 12 months, Sarah was able to purchase her 2017 Ford Transit for $28k.
Sarah then spent $10 renovating her van - including a kitchen, a queen-sized bed and solar panels on the roof.
As she started out travelling alone, Sarah has since added extra security like an alarm system, hiding spots for items and a tracker inside the van.
Sarah, a videographer, from Austin, Texas, US, said: "Four years ago when I got my van it wasn't very popular so not many people were living in them.
"I took safety really seriously. I started taking self-defence classes. I learnt everything - from how to choke someone, to break someone's arm and to even kill someone.
"Doing those self-defence classes boosted my confidence on the road.
"Once I started travelling I added a lot more safety features.
"I installed a hefty alarm system and the van has a tracker inside, so if anyone steals it I would be able to track it.
"I also have an off-grid satellite phone so I will always have a signal in case of an emergency."
Sarah was studying marketing at Colorado State University when she realised she wasn't happy.
She said: "I was doing a degree and chasing a job I wasn't happy with - I really wanted to do art and see the world.
"I wanted to pursue a more unconventional life and that is why I decided to drop out."
Sarah bought the 10-seat transit van in 2018 and stripped it down so she could add her own touches.
Sarah said: "I installed solar panels, an induction hob, a fridge, toilet, outdoor shower with a water heater - everything you could possibly need to live full time.
"It took me around six months to complete and cost me around $10k."
When she started out on the road, Sarah said safety was a big issue - especially as she was travelling solo.
Recently, she installed Starlink - a satellite internet constellation - so she has Wi-Fi 24/7.
Sarah said: "Starlink has been a lifesaver. Whenever I can see the sky, I can get Wi-Fi which is a great safety feature.
"I also keep weapons stored in the van and I have secret hiding spots in the van to keep myself safe.
"I have a CCTV around the van too."
Recently Sarah's girlfriend, Tori Prince, 25, a videographer, from Austin, Texas, US, moved into the van with her in July, 2022 and the pair have no plans to stop travelling anytime soon.
Sarah said: "I can see myself settling down but not anytime soon - I am selling my current van and I have already bought a bigger one.
"The new one is higher, longer and newer - I am very excited.
"We will travel in that for a few years before we think about settling down in a permanent home.
Transcript
00:00 I've been living in this van for over four years, but I'm actually selling it and I bought another Ford Transit.
00:03 So this is why I went with Ford Transit again instead of doing a Sprinter or a Ram Pro Master.
00:08 The Ford Transit is wide enough that I could comfortably sleep this way and so can my girlfriend.
00:13 That way our bed could be situated this way instead of taking up more room in the living space.
00:17 The other reason I went with Ford Transit is because it's very easy to get it serviced.
00:21 Pretty easy to get parts and there's dealerships everywhere.
00:24 But you also don't need to get it serviced that often since there's not a lot of mechanical issues.
00:28 In over four years, I haven't had a single problem in this van.
00:31 It hasn't been just regular maintenance and I've heard so many people with Ford Transit have the same experience.
00:36 And I also just really love the way it drives.
00:38 It drives like a minivan or a truck.
00:39 It doesn't drive like a bus or a big cargo van like it is.
00:44 So yeah, that's why I went with the Ford Transit again.
00:47 And I will probably continue to do so because I am a big fan.
00:50 These are five things that just make sense in my van build.
00:53 Number one is my slide-out induction cooktop.
00:55 I love this because I can cook on it, but I can also slide it in.
00:59 That way it opens up the space.
01:01 My bed actually lifts up.
01:03 That way I can access everything and I don't have to go through the back doors to do it.
01:07 You would never know that this is actually a drawer and there's a secret way to open it.
01:12 But once you do, you have a drawer where you can keep important things like money, social security card, passport, anything you need to hide.
01:20 This is my closet.
01:22 It's pretty messy right now, but it also doubles as a seat when you move this forward and then latch it off.
01:29 Multiple people can sit on it now and there's heavy-duty drawer guides.
01:32 So it's rated for a lot of weight.
01:34 Those are five things I love about my van and I'm actually selling this van soon.
01:38 So if you're interested in buying it, I am going to list it on Sunday.
01:42 These are all the safety features I included in my van as a solo female traveler.
01:45 I leave my keys beside my bed when I sleep at night and on my keys I have an alarm system.
01:49 When I arm the alarm system, the floodlights around the van light on and off to light up the perimeter of the van and also makes a really loud noise.
01:56 *alarm noise*
01:58 I also have these security cameras on three sides of the van so that I can see everything around me when I have the curtains up.
02:04 This is my secret drawer. There's also a secret way to open it.
02:07 Inside of this drawer, I keep my social security card, spare cash, passport.
02:11 That way if anyone were to break into the van, they probably would not figure out that this was even a drawer, let alone know how to open it.
02:17 So I feel really safe with all my important documents in there.
02:20 If you're interested in buying this van, I'm actually listing it on Sunday and the final van tour will also be up on Sunday so stay tuned for that.
02:27 I'm so excited but I've also been living in this van for four years so it's definitely really sad.
02:32 But we're starting a new chapter. I have a new van that I'm so excited to build out and so excited to bring you guys along for the journey.
02:38 I just finished renovating this van so let me give you a tour.
02:40 In the entryway, we have this seat but it's also my nature's head composting toilet.
02:45 In the kitchen, I have a nice big fridge and underneath that I have this drawer where I store all of my shoes.
02:52 Up above, I have a charging station and to the left of that, I store pantry items in here.
02:58 I also have this sink with 30 gallons of running water and underneath I have trash and cleaning supplies.
03:03 To the left of that, I have my induction cooktop and 640 watts of solar on the roof to power it.
03:09 And underneath that is one of my favorite drawers, the pantry drawer.
03:13 I also have this big drawer for utensils and knives and underneath that I store my pots and pans.
03:18 And over here is my dog, Choya, and he's getting cold so we're gonna bundle him up.
03:22 Go on in.
03:23 I think I'm doing this wrong.
03:24 Oh no.
03:25 There you go.
03:26 Inside my van, I have a queen-size bed and underneath I have this big drawer which has all of my clothes in it.
03:33 But I also have this sliding plank so that I can sit on it.
03:36 Underneath that big drawer, I have another big one and this one has toiletries and miscellaneous items.
03:43 Now let's move on to the back of the van.
03:45 The back of my van, I have this outdoor shower with a water heater.
03:50 I have a 30 gallon water tank.
03:51 I have this massive drawer with a bunch of camping gear and climbing gear.
03:55 And then I have my diesel heater and that is my van tour.
04:00 My name is Sarah Yak and I'm going to be selling this van soon, actually right now.
04:03 So if you're interested, go to the link in my bio to learn more.
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