Have you heard of VanLife? For those of you who don’t watch my YouTube channel, I have been building out my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan into a stealthy, mini camper. I have the build almost completely done, and it’s really starting to feel like home.
Living in a van, AKA VanLife, has become quite the internet sensation. I am so excited about this new venture in my life, and I think for the most part, other people are excited for me. However, I do regularly get the “Why on Earth would you WANT to live in your van?”
Why would someone want to live in their van?
There has been some polls in Facebook forums and I thought it was a good idea to highlight some of the main reasons people want to live in a vehicle. There are so many reasons, and not everyone’s journey is going to look the same. I can understand people’s concern, though. It isn’t the conventional lifestyle we’re trained as kids into adulthood that we are supposed to follow.
To start off, I want to say there is a huge difference when someone is wanting to live the #VanLife, rather than someone who has been forced to live in their vehicle. I have talked about this before, and I believe that there are people who choose to live a more nomadic lifestyle and those who would rather live in a standard sticks and bricks. To save the trouble, I’m only going to be talking about the reasons why people would CHOOSE to live in their van, rather than those who are doing it out of necessity.
The number one reason to live the VanLife is to travel.
People love the idea of being “Nomadic.” To travel the world and to see everything this earth has to offer is a lot of people’s dreams. The idea of being able to live in your van and also travel full-time is a large pull to this lifestyle. There are tons of bloggers and vloggers dedicated just to traveling full time in their vans. VanLife is an easy way to travel, without having to worry about the expenses of hotels and accommodations.
Also, if you’re traveling in the U.S., there are so many spots to camp that are actually completely free. Most BLM land will allow you to park and stay there for two weeks, and after that you’re only required to move to another spot and you could stay another two weeks. There are also multiple sites and apps you could use to find free camping like FreeCampSites.net and iOverlander.
Just because VanLife can be the most economical way to travel, it doesn’t have to be.
You can make your van as luxurious as you want. I’ve seen people who have a decked out $100,000 Class C Rv. Just because you choose to live in a vehicle, doesn’t mean you have to be “poor” or live below your means. For an example, these are different RV options you can buy from https://www.rvingplanet.com.
You can buy a high top sprinter van for $50k before any building happens, and it’s easy to go overboard. You can even hire a contractor to have your van professionally built into a high quality living space. It is easy to spend thousands on a solar set up, or picking out the most expensive backsplash for your kitchen. You can choose to live this lifestyle (or any lifestyle) however you want.
That being said, the second biggest reason someone wants to live in their vehicle is to save money.
What would you be able to do if you didn’t have to pay rent? Average rent in America is $800, and that’s on the modest side. What would you do with an extra $800 a month? This entices many to live a more nomadic lifestyle and vehicle living.
The reason for wanting the extra cash will vary person-to-person, but we all have our reasons. Whether that’s to, again, travel more, or pay off debts, or save up for something. Whatever the reason may be, the fact that this way of living allows you to actually save money is a huge reason why someone might want to give up four walls for four wheels.
Another reason to live in a van would be to try to be more minimal.
Minimalism has become another popular reason that people want to live in their vehicle. Humans have gotten to a very complex state of consumption. Especially in the United States, we are a society of consumers. It almost seems that no matter how much money we do or don’t have, we adjust our spending to our wallets.
Lets say someone who makes $15,000 a year is able to support themselves on that. Yeah, it’s paycheck to paycheck living, but still able to afford the necessities (Food, Rent, Gas, etc..). Now, let’s say that same person gets a promotion and now is going to be making 30,000 a year. The reality of the matter is that even though that person is now making twice as much money, they most likely won’t be saving that extra 15 grand. They will find something else to spend that extra 15,000 on other things they might “need.”
Vanlife doesn’t allow you to mindlessly purchase items.
You can’t just buy that pool table with your tax return money because you literally have no where to put it. This way of living really helps you decide what it is that you actually need and what you have in your life that is simply a luxury item, sold by corporations in a way that makes you believe you need them.
I started practicing minimalism four years ago when I was preparing to move across the country; I drove my small Saturn Ion from Illinois to Oregon and I only took what I could fit in my car. When going through all of my belongings, it got very overwhelming. Getting rid of all of your stuff isn’t as easy as it sounds. Most people don’t even realize how much they’ve accumulated over the years. I had clothing items that were over a decade old that I never wore, yet something in me felt that I absolutely needed to keep it for some unknown reason.
I would highly recommend watching the documentary the Minimalists. This documentary changed my life. I’ve talked about minimalism in other blogs, but I truly believe that the less clutter on the outside equals less clutter on the inside. Minimalism also helps eliminate the pseudo sentimental feelings toward inanimate objects.
Besides travel, saving money, and minimizing their lives, what are some other reasons someone might choose to live in their van?
There are many other reasons including wanting to be more in nature, convenience of commuting to a job (Either because you originally lived far away from your job, or because your job location changes a lot), more freedom that living in a standard sticks and bricks can allow, affordable housing option for students, horrible credit that made it hard to find suitable housing… and so, so many more.
I just wanted to share this with you guys because I have gotten so many mixed reactions when I tell people that I am moving into my van. There’s so many other reasons besides homelessness that someone lives in their vehicle. VanLife has been a dream of mine for so long.
For me, personally, I was driven to this lifestyle when doing research on tiny houses. I originally wanted to buy a piece of land and build a tiny house/ecovillage where I would grow my own food and avoid society. After a couple years of watching videos about tiny houses, YouTube started recommending VanLife videos. I was instantly hooked.
My ultimate goal is to travel slowly, full-time, while living a minimalistic lifestyle that aligns with my values.
I hope in reading this, it might give some insight into why someone might want to live in their van. It is highly encouraged to drop all stereotypes and not to judge anyone for where they live, or what they do or don’t have. Someone (like me) might not be interested in the 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house that you have dreamed of buying. I don’t dream of having an expensive car, or fancy jewelry.
I dream of seeing the world, and not paying rent while doing so.
Thank you for being here. Please subscribe at the top of this page and check out my YouTube channel for more #VanLife content. I love all of you and I hope you are all living the life you actually dream of an not what other people expect of you. It is really hard inner work to break down the insecurities and expectations that society has burdened us with. I really appreciate all of the love and support I’ve gotten through this venture, and I really hope that I can help anyone who might be wanting to live a similar lifestyle.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out. You can comment below or you can personally contact me through the contact page. I reply to them all and I really love getting to know all of you.
xoxo
