Nelson Morales

Meet the travel vlogger who lives in his van full-time

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ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17640555602211.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Limuel Dadpaas, also known as Lem Official Outdoor, with his mini van that he converted into a home. Photos courtesy of Lem Official Outdoor on Facebook"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Limuel Dadpaas, also known as Lem Official Outdoor, with his mini van that he converted into a home. <em>Photos courtesy of Lem Official Outdoor on Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><p>Van life is an unconventional lifestyle that embraces full-time living and traveling in a converted van, transformed into a compact but functional home on the road.</p><p>Individuals who embrace this dynamic lifestyle travel long roads and countless destinations with a minimalist approach to living, trading excess for simplicity, freedom, and self-reliance.</p><p>For some, this drastic shift can be scary for a future that is filled with uncertainties, but for Limuel Dadpaas, widely known as Lem Official Outdoor, it is an ultimate fulfillment of his life-long ambition to travel freely -- and he is indeed living in the moment. </p><p>Lem is a travel vlogger and content creator known for his off-grid adventures and inspiring van life journey captured through an unfiltered lens. From bustling city streets to tranquil remote islands, he navigates the entire country powered by his tiny home on wheels. </p><p>Born and raised in Nueva Ecija, Lem had always been eager to explore and wander around the country.</p><p>“High school pa lang ako nahilig na ako sa pagta-travel. Gano’n ka-bata ‘yung isip at edad ko no’ng naisip kong gusto kong maikot ‘yung Pilipinas,” he told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>However, the limitations and lack of resources temporarily halted his journey, so his content creation mainly started with his mountain climbing activities in 2017, before transitioning to cycling three years later. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17640556104022.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="From mountain hikes to mountain bikes, Lem began his vlogging journey and explorations around the country through his determination and enthusiasm to seize the day. "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">From mountain hikes to mountain bikes, Lem began his vlogging journey and explorations around the country through his determination and enthusiasm to seize the day. </span></span></span></div><p>In 2021, he explored 65 provinces across the Philippines using only his bicycle, discovering local attractions along the way.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Restarting the engine</strong></div><p>It was not until the first month of 2024 that Lem acquired his mini van as a new year gift to himself. But according to him, shifting to van life was not yet in his initial plans at that time.</p><p>“Hindi pa dapat ako aalis; na-invite lang ako ng kaibigan ko sa isang car-camping event. So nando’n ‘yung iba&#x27;t ibang klaseng setup, napakaganda ng mga sasakyan, ang ganda ng mga tent nila na pang-camping talaga. And then, na-realize ko, hindi ko ma-a-achieve &#x27;yung ganitong level ng setup. Kaya sabi ko ano pang hihintayin ko? E di, ngayon ko na simulan,” he narrated.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17640556886033.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Despite unstructured plans and incomplete essentials in his mini van, Lem soon began with his first Luzon expedition as a van lifer that spanned 50 days. He went back home for three weeks to replenish his supplies before hitting the road again for a longer duration.</p><p>But his spontaneity didn’t end there. He had planned to return to a conventional life in Nueva Ecija after about six months on the road, yet the freedom he discovered while traveling proved too fulfilling to leave behind.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Driver of own destiny</strong></div><p>Now, along with his 1.5 million Facebook followers, he has been adopting the lifestyle for over a year and has no plans on hitting the brakes anytime soon. </p><p>“At the moment, in-e-enjoy ko muna ‘yung present na meron ako. May mga plano din akong [iniisip] kasi at some point, mabu-burnout ka rin sa daan, mami-miss mo pamilya mo, mami-miss mong matulog sa kamang totoo, na may malaki kang space sa loob ng bahay. Pero at the end of the day, darating din naman tayo doon, hindi ko pa nga lang siya iniisip as of now,” he said.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17640556956204.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>For Lem, the real benefit of van life is being able to cherish every second of the moment, as he had no desire to be constrained by people’s calculated plans and fixation on the future.</p><p>“Hindi ako masyadong fan ng ‘magtrabaho ka ngayon tapos mag-enjoy ka later’ kasi baka hindi ko na kayanin umakyat ng bundok, ang [magagawa] ko na lang outdoor ay uupo at i-e-enjoy ang sunset — ayoko ng gano’ng kwento. Gusto kong mabuhay sa paraang gusto ko at sa freedom na meron ako ngayon,” he added.</p><p>He also admitted that, like everyone else, his starting point as a content creator and van lifer was not perfect, but he continued to learn as days went by.</p><p>Through passion and authenticity, he captured the hearts of netizens and won the Best Travel and Adventure Content Creator and 5th Best Vlog Editing in Philippine Vlogger Awards 2025.</p>

<p>Van life trades traditional housing for freedom on four wheels, with travelers turning ordinary vans into full-time, mobile living spaces.</p>

Van life trades traditional housing for freedom on four wheels, with travelers turning ordinary vans into full-time, mobile living spaces.

Meet the travel vlogger who lives in his van full-time

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Meet the travel vlogger who lives in his van full-time

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern,

Alessandra Reodique

Published Nov 29, 2025 02:00 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 29, 2025 04:00 PM PHT

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