Roll up for the Mr. E Tour! That’s right, the Magical Mr. E Tour is coming to take you away (that’s an invitation). Follow along as 1st grade spelling bee runner up and former slightly above average 7th grade basketball player, Mr. E, shows you around his 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan. He lives out of it full time you guys!

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Here’s more about me and the ol’ van, as well as some of the items featured in my van. I’m not using affiliate links.

Mr. E abides…

Van: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE that I purchased here in Alaska for $3,800 in August 2020. As of this video’s publication in June 2022 it has 208,774 miles.

Bike: Felt 65X cyclocross bike. A great bike that I use as both a road bike and gravel bike, depending on mood and circumstance.

Bike rack: some old Yakima swing away model, long since discontinued.

Internet: I just added a line to an old phone, which doubled my mobile hotspot capability from 40gb to 80gb. Those mobile hotspot devices are kinda overpriced and kinda underwhelming, and most retailers these days seem to suggest simply adding a line to an old phone. So I did.

Work: Oh yeah, work. I work a full time 9-5 job on the creative team of a wine company based in Napa. Before this “office” job I traveled around the world making wine (I made wine in South Africa, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as throughout California and Oregon).

Residency: I’m an Alaska resident, though I don’t spend all of the year here. But I vote here, receive mail here, register my van here, and if there were taxes in Alaska, well then I would pay taxes here, too.

So…: I’m not really sure. Short term I want to do some more international travel (I think I’ve visited about 50 countries, but that’s not nearly enough), and longer term buy a bigger vehicle with 4-wheel drive and higher ground clearance (ground clearance has become my new obsession. It’s all I think about, all I talk about, all I long for). Maybe a pickup, possibly a flatbed, so I can build a camper on it. Longer-than-that term, maybe take this show on the water and do what I’m doing on a sailboat?

Seen in the van (if you were paying attention):
Thule Subterra 34L travel backpack
LED string lights
02Cool 5-inch portable fan
Jiffi 5000mAh USB rechargeable fan
Coghlan’s USB rechargeable water dispenser
Bissell Aeroslim vacuum
LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine
Bose mini soundlink
Kindle paperwhite
Yescom awning
Table Mate table (my desk)
DJI Mini SE drone (also bought a pack of 24 extra blades bc it’s very crashy when I’m at the helm)
ROAV dashcam
Boreeman folding stool
Alpicool C15 portable refrigerator
There’s other stuff that I’m forgetting probably

Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo) solar stuff:
Renogy 30A MPPT solar charge controller
Newpowa 210 watt solar panel
Chins 200AH LiFePO4 battery
GoWise 3000 watt inverter
Jackery 240 (backup)
Jackery Solar Saga 60 panel (backup)

Coffee time:
Chemex 3 cup coffee maker
Bialetti moka pot
Nutrifit rechargeable kitchen scale
Kyocera ceramic grinder

Shower time:
Ivation portable shower system
Green Elephant camping shower tent
1000w heating element
Bucket with Leaktite lid (purchased separately at Home Depot)

Bed time:
Fred Meyer mattress pads
Memory foam cooling pillow
Silk pillowcase
Fitted sheet
Vont USB rechargeable clip on reading light

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E-ditor’s note 1: the temperature changed drastically several times while I was filming, hence the warddrobe changes.

E-ditor’s note 2: I forgot to show how I cook, but you didn’t really miss much. I use a single burner pocket rocket. That’s it.

E-ditor’s note 3: Linked below are some other videos that go into greater detail about things I only briefly touched on in this video.

My kitchen build:

How I work remotely, and how maybe you can, too:

I’m a full-time nomad with no address, but I don’t always live in my van; sometimes I pet sit for people, and here’s how I do it:

Solar build:

How I made my curtains and reflectix window coverings:

My morning coffee routine:

Bug out bag contents and general #vanlife preparedness:

Finally, want to know what in my van floats and what sinks? [Everyone nods]. Well here’s the answer!

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