Bob Wells

YouTube Star

Birth Year 1955

Birthplace Anchorage, AK

#165067 Most Popular

About

Video content creator, author, and nomadic dwelling advocate whose work has been utilized for news reports on CBS, Time Magazine, and PBS. He also portrayed himself in the 2021 Best Picture Academy Award-winning drama film Nomadland. He is the author of the 2014 book How to Live in a Car, Van or RV: And Get Out of Debt, Travel, and Find True Freedom. His informative and insightful video posts revolving around van living on his CheapRVliving YouTube channel have been viewed more than 175 million times by 750,000 subscribers.

Before Fame

He previously worked for over 20 years for Safeway in Anchorage, AK. After enduring an extremely treacherous divorce and witnessing his father pass away only 2 years after having retired, he decided to purchase a box van with his last $1,500. Over the years, he has relocated to different vehicles including a truck camper and a four-wheel-drive ambulance. He launched his website, which provides resources and advice to others living on the road, after witnessing a single mother and her 3 children living in their vehicle.

Trivia

In the year 2010, he founded Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, which is an annual van-dwelling convention that was called the largest gathering of its kind in the world after it garnered a turnout of over 10,000 in its 9th year. He also launched the nonprofit organization known as Homes on Wheels Alliance.

Family Life

He has 2 children with his 1st wife. He remarried in 2001 and moved to North Carolina with his 2nd wife before they divorced. He discussed the tragic loss of his son, which was based on a real-life tragedy that he endured, in the film Nomadland.

Associated With

He appeared opposite Frances McDormand and David Strathairn in the Chloé Zhao-directed 2020 drama film Nomadland.