Canadians convert vans into houses to beat ‘9 to 5 grind’ – Halifax | Globalnews.ca

A few years ago, Chrome Valdez was struggling with the challenges many Canadians face on a daily basis.

“It got to the point where I was reeling, will I be able to pay the rent or not?” said the British-Colombian during his visit to Nova Scotia.

Valdez eventually grew tired of living paycheck to paycheck and decided to overhaul his lifestyle in an unconventional way.

“I just needed a change in my life. I was sick of the nine to five grind. So, I slowed down from the 9-to-5 hour, quit the day job, moved into my van, started a YouTube channel,” he said.

He launched into a world of creative production, documenting his experiences online.

Their Youtube channel now he has more than 200,000 subscribers and lives off the income he generates.

“It fluctuates. Sometimes we have good months, sometimes we have bad months, but it kept me full, it kept the dog full and it kept us traveling,” he said.

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The van lifestyle has taken him across the country on adventures where he has met countless people who also live in vehicles converted into homes.

“We also have the people on the other side who just can’t afford the high cost of living today, or the lack of affordable apartments. So the channel has a broad message,” she said.

During his travels he connected with another van youtuberEmilie Guerin, a Quebec-born woman who also struggled to meet basic needs, worked as a janitor and earned minimum wage.

“I slept in my car for a whole year, believe it or not, and during that time I was obviously saving money on rent. And I bought this truck after a year of living in that car,” he said.

Valdez and Guerin struck up a relationship. The two are embracing the nomadic lifestyle, despite any stigma they may face.

“It’s a lot for people who don’t understand it. They see us as homeless, but this is 100 percent my home,” Valdez said.