This Day Was Full of Bad Ideas | Broken Van Life

“That looks like a bad idea.” “Oh, it is.” What started as a fun drive through the Idaho backcountry turned into one of our most stressful days of van life. A custom suspension part broke on Jason’s van, and we still had miles of rocky switchbacks between us and the Salmon River. Getting off the mountain was only the first challenge. We still had to find someone who could weld the broken radius arm and figure out how to get it back on at camp. Somewhere between the winch, the hammer, and a few questionable ideas, we managed to laugh about it. A big thank-you to Russell at Roosters Welding in Grangeville, Idaho, for getting us back on the road so quickly. Subscribe to Grit & Glam Adventures for more backroads, van camping, and whatever happens along the way. #VanLife #RoadTrip #BackroadAdventure #GritAndGlamAdventures Yankum Ropes (Support the channel by using the link below) https://yankum.com/?afmc=PrimalOutdoors Chapter Links 00:00 Something just broke 01:27 How bad is it? 03:59 Can the winch get us down? 07:00 Miles of switchbacks to go 11:18 We make it to the Salmon River 11:59 Getting the broken radius arm off 15:04 Russell at Roosters Welding 16:17 Putting the van back together 24:26 “That looks like a bad idea” 27:17 A cold beer and a job well done ❤️ JOIN THE GRIT & GLAM ADVENTURE! If you love van life, backcountry camping, overlanding, beautiful places, a little grit, a little glam, and two very different ways of exploring the outdoors… you’re in the right place. 👉 SUBSCRIBE & come adventure with us: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtRG2L8k5d2hXo1m-hcP_Nw Every view, comment, like, and subscription means more to us than you know. Big love to EACH and EVERY one of you for being here and becoming part of this adventure! — Jason, Beth, Ben 🐶 & Apollo 🐱 For Business Inquiries, email us at: gritandglamadventures@gmail.com 🏕️ ABOUT GRIT & GLAM ADVENTURES We’re Beth & Jason—two people with very different approaches to adventure. Jason and his dog Ben travel in a rugged 4x4 van, usually looking for the road less traveled. Beth and her adventure cat Apollo explore in a 2WD camper van, proving you don't need the biggest rig to have a big adventure. Different rigs. Different styles. Somehow, it just works. Together, we're exploring van life, backcountry roads, off-grid campsites, mountain lakes and some of the most beautiful places we can find. This is Grit & Glam Adventures. Different Roads. One Adventure. 🤍 BRANDS, GEAR & DISCOUNTS WE USE & RECOMMEND: 🚐 Noovo Vans: https://www.noovolife.com/ 🏕️ AllStays — 10% OFF: https://goto.allstays.com/c/7613376/3764436/47863 🥗 Mother of Macros — Healthy & Fresh Meals: https://motherofmacros.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=beth_test Use code: BETH10 🏕️ Good Sam — Get 50% OFF: https://bit.ly/3Z7yu81 🚽 Modiwell Dry Flush Toilets — $100 OFF: https://modiwell.net/s/Beth-LE-330 Use code BETH Applies to LE-330 (Space Egg), LE-310 (EVO) & R1808 (Elite) 🌲 Harvest Hosts — 20% OFF: https://www.harvesthosts.com/special-offer?utm_source=influencer&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=MidlifeAdventurer_May2026&utm_content=BETH25&show_code=true Use code BETH20 🌡️ Waggle RV Pet Temperature Monitor — Up to 65% OFF: https://mywaggle.com/discount/BETH65?redirect=/products/pet-monitor&utm_source=Beths_MidLifeAdventure_YT_Aug_2026&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Beths_MidLifeAdventure_2026_Aug_Campaign Use code BETH65 🎥 Waggle 4G Mini Camera — Up to 65% OFF: https://mywaggle.com/discount/BETH65?redirect=/products/rv-4g-mini-camera&utm_source=Beths_MidLifeAdventure_YT_Aug_2026&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Beths_MidLifeAdventure_2026_Aug_Campaign Use code BETH65 🛒🌲 VAN LIFE + OUTDOOR GEAR All our van life, camping & outdoorsy favorites: https://linktr.ee/mid.lifeadventurer Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mid.lifeadventurer?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_5440W739HTXW22B0V14G 📌 AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE Some links in our descriptions are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no additional cost to you. Using our links helps support Grit & Glam Adventures and allows us to keep creating and sharing these adventures. Thank you for your support! ❤️