If you’re a van lifer, you might have heard of Jennelle Eliana. This popular influencer has a bubbly personality and a laid-back lifestyle. She welcomes subscribers and followers to her YouTube and Instagram accounts, both of which document her travels and day-to-day life.
Let’s learn more about this relatable YouTuber and discover the life of Jennelle Eliana.
Meet Jennelle Eliana
California native Jennalle Eliana started her YouTube channel to inspire others to do what makes them happy. She documents her travels as she explores in her 1995 GMC Vandura Explorer with her pet snake, Alfredo.
Her channel has over 2.46 million subscribers and her Instagram account, @jennelle.eliana, has over 335,000 followers. She’s been living in her van for more than four years now.
What Is Jennelle Eliana Known For?
Jennelle Eliana is probably most known for traveling with her albino ball python. If travelers have pets, they’re typically the typical cat or dog — not a snake!
But Jennelle skyrocketed in popularity when she posted her first few videos two years ago showcasing her van tour and how she showers while living in a van. She went from zero subscribers to 1 million in just one month, which created some controversy.
Other YouTube creators wondered how she acquired so many fans in such a short period. Some even thought that YouTube planted her videos.
Why Did Jennelle Eliana Start Van Life?
In her YouTube video “Why Do I Live in a Van? (Q&A),” Jennelle explained why she started living the van life. She shared, “Moving into a van gave me the financial freedom to take the time to learn more about myself.” At the time of the video’s posting, Jennelle was 20 years old and still trying to figure out what to do with her life.
But she also explained how she was tired of paying rent for a place she rarely lived in. She worked full-time, went to school part-time, and was never at home.
In the beginning, she started living in the van but not traveling. She currently works for a data entry company that gave her the opportunity to continue working and start traveling.
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Jennelle Eliana’s Top YouTube Videos
Jennelle’s top YouTube videos are the four oldest videos, posted over two years ago. These four videos focus on her day-to-day life in the van. She also shares her views of van life and why she chose to do life this way during this season of her twenties.
Van Tour – Solo Female Traveler Lives Vanlife With Pet Snake
This is Jennelle Eliana’s very first video posted to her YouTube channel over two years ago. It’s also the longest, at just under 28 minutes long. She explained how she had been living in her van for two years and was excited to finally join YouTube and share her experiences.
In this video, she gave her subscribers a tour of her van and also showed what it looked like before she gutted it. Some features include an environmental air filter, a Dometic compressor fridge, and lots of under-bed storage.
Her bed is a bit shorter than a full-size bed but fits the van’s width. Jennelle also constructed a 20-gallon snake terrarium with a heating pad for Alfredo.
How I Shower Living in a Van
Jennelle’s second video answers the commonly asked question about how van lifers shower. She first tries to use a 10-liter pocket shower made by Sea To Summit. After filling her water tank at a local grocery store, she heads out to find a spot where she can shower.
Jennelle hooks up the pocket shower to the top of her van and hangs it over the side. She soon realizes this isn’t going to work.
So instead, she drives to the nearest gym and takes a nice, long shower in the women’s locker room. This is her preferred method of showering.
Why Do I Live in a Van? (Q&A)
In this video, Jennelle Eliana answers a few frequently asked questions. They include questions about what she does for work, how she gets mail, and how she does laundry.
She begins the video explaining why she chose the van life and details how living in California was just too expensive. She didn’t want to pay rent.
She’s also honest about the fact that she doesn’t know what to do with her life and is using this time to figure it out. This video is 12 minutes long and has over 5.2 million views.
A Day in My Life
Finally, this video showcases Jennelle in daily life. This is the second-longest video at just over 21 minutes in length and has over 6.8 million views.
The video begins near Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla, Calif., where she parked her van overnight. She stops by a coffee shop and then heads to the National Geographic Fine Arts Gallery.
From there, Jennelle goes snorkeling and gets scared by the sea lions swimming in the water. After returning to her van, she changes clothes and goes out for dinner.
The next day, she drives out to La Jolla Shores to go snorkeling again. Unfortunately, she gets stung by a stingray and receives treatment from a lifeguard. After recuperating from her stingray injury, she returns to her van to change and heads out for a bite to eat.
Where Else Can You Find Jennelle Eliana?
Jennelle Eliana became an overnight YouTube sensation. She has 33 videos on her channel that talk about how she stays healthy, her dad’s opinion of her van life, and much more. In one of her most recent videos, she shares how she bought a home on five acres of land to start a tiny farm.
If YouTube isn’t your thing, you can also follow Jennelle on Instagram, where she posts similar information about her life. If you’re a van lifer, check out her channel and handle. Her personality is contagious, and you’re sure to enjoy watching her successes and failures along the way!
Are you a fan of Jenelle Eliana?
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