So if you were to begin living in a van full-time, what should you expect?
When I moved into my car less than a year ago, there were lots of things about the tramp life I wasn’t expecting. And because I wasn’t fully prepared, it was more difficult to transition to the lifestyle than it could have been.
Luckily for you, I am sharing what I learned with you! Both the wonderful and the challenging. It is super important to understand what you’re getting into before getting into it. That’s why I’ve written this article for you!
WHAT IS FULL-TIME VAN LIVING, ANYWAY?
Before we jump into what to expect when you’re living in a van full-time, you may be wondering what the van life is, exactly.
The van life movement is full of people moving into vans and living on the road. These vans are often renovated to be complete apartments on wheels. Many even use renewable energy!
Some people live in their camper vans full-time, others part time. And there are van lifers all over the world!
If you want to read more about the van life and van life culture, click here. In this article, you get to read about that and more, plus you get lots of resources to explore!
LIVING IN A VAN FULL-TIME: WHAT TO EXPECT
Here is what you will most definitely experience when you move into a van full-time:
#1: Experience the Best Parts of Camping. . . Every Day
If you love camping and wish you could make it a comfortable, permanent lifestyle for yourself, then van living is the ultimate solution to your dream.
Right now, I am camping on the beach on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Every morning, I wake up to the sound of the crashing waves and seabirds hunting. I throw open my doors to the cool beach breeze and walk my bare feet on the sand for a while. After a morning dip in the water, I make breakfast, do yoga, and meditate, all with the gorgeous scenery of the Gulf Coast surrounding me.
When you live in a van, you get to spend a lot of time close to the natural world and away from the busy, populated parts of the country. You choose where you want to go and you get to explore where you want to explore.
Not only do you get the best parts of camping, but you don’t get some of the worst parts! You get to sleep in a bed, you don’t have to pitch a tent every new place you travel to, and you always have secure shelter from adverse weather.
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
#2: Experience some of the Bad Parts of Camping, too
On the other hand, you’re still spending a lot of time outdoors and therefore you get some of the downsides of camping, too.
For example, even if your van is very well insulated, you still are subject to temperature swings and bad weather. Cold and hot weather have a way of sneaking into your van; when it’s rainy or wet outside, your van is going to be rainy and wet, too; and it’s hard to keep the dirt out. As I said, I’m currently parked on the beach and it is next to impossible to keep the sand out of my van! I have to sweep once a day to keep the sand at a manageable level.
Then, there are the bugs. Especially if you are traveling in a wet, forested area of the world, the insects can be vicious. As an ode to this, the mascot of the college I went to on the coast of Maine was the black fly. But when you’re living in a van and can’t help but spend a lot of time outside, the bugs can be a major bummer.
There are solutions to both of these problems, of course. Good insulation, heaters, and vents are great ways to control the temperature. You can also adjust your cleaning routines to keep the weather out of your van. For bugs, there are bug screens you can install in your van and you can also choose to travel to places without as many insects.
#3: See the Best the World has to Offer
Getting to experience many stunning natural environments and diverse communities across the world is one of the best parts of living in a van full-time. When you are stuck in the rut of conventional living, you are not pushed outside of your routine very often. You aren’t exposed to much variety–in landscape and in community. And when you live this way, it’s difficult to really appreciate the amazing things around you.
When you live in a van full-time, your scenery changes often. Some weeks you spend deep in the mountains, others deep in the city. Either way, your environment changes often. And because of this, you get to more completely take in the magic of each place you go.
Picture the city you grew up in. Now imagine you have never left. Sure, you may love or hate the city, but because you’ve never left it, you become used to the sights, the sounds, the smells. Now picture leaving your city for a few years and returning. You are reminded of the nostalgic memories of the place. The city brings you a kind of unexplainable, deep joy. Finally, picture never having been to the city at all and visiting as a traveler. Can you imagine the feelings it would bring you?
That’s what it’s like to travel in a van. When you live in a van full-time, you get an outside perspective on the world that makes you appreciate the little things that make the place magical. You explore new places all of the time. And the places you return to always seem new again upon your arrival.
#4: Spend More Time in Parking Lots than You’d Like To
In contrast, you get to experience some of the not-so-great parts the world has to offer–in the many parking lots you’ll be spending time in.
This is one major aspect of living in a van that I don’t think is talked about enough. It’s also a major part of full-time van living that many people don’t expect when they jump into the lifestyle. If you are planning to live in a van full-time, it’s important to consider whether you are ok spending sufficient time in parking lots.
When you are going from one place to another, you sometimes have no choice but to overnight in a Walmart parking lot. It’s not ideal, but it’s fine to endure in the short term. Then, especially if you don’t have a wifi source in your van, you may need to spend time bumming wifi from cafes.
If you are worried about your safety and comfort when you’re spending time in parking lots, have no fear, there are loads of solutions for you. First of all, once you become used to parking lot life, it’s actually perfectly comfortable given you have your cozy home with you. Second, I highly recommend the iOverlander app. This app will help you find free parking spots wherever you’re traveling so you can avoid sleeping at Walmart.
If you’re still concerned about your safety in parking lots, then check out my article about solutions to van life problems. I have a whole section on safety when living in a van full-time.
#5: Meet Some Amazing People
All of those quirky van lifers you follow on Instagram are as fun and eccentric as you think they are.
The van life community is packed with many amazing people that you often spontaneously meet. Van lifers are people who have decided to throw the conventional lifestyle out the window to make their dreams come true. Many van lifers leave behind what society deems as how you “should” live and many van lifers have outrageous stories of life and hardship that led them to where they are today. This makes stories around the campfire truly meaningful.
Also, van lifers are often like-minded. We all have a general distaste for small talk and we get right to talking about our van builds, our travels, and our adventures. This means that developing deep connections with other people living on the road is easy, to say the least.
In the towns you travel through, you also get to meet many great people. It has been one of my favorite parts of living the van life full-time to experience so many colorful communities. Even in the United States alone, where I have been traveling solely since I hit the road almost a year ago, there is a lot of diversity throughout the country.
#6: Be a Bit Lonelier Than Usual
Although there is a stellar community of full-time van lifers, and although you’ll meet plenty of great people in the communities you travel through, you’ll likely be more alone overall.
If you’re a solo traveler, then you don’t have any roommates to spend time with. If you work remotely, then you are engaging with coworkers very often. And if you travel full-time, then it’s difficult to make deep and lasting friendships with people in the towns and cities you visit.
This isn’t a bad thing for many van lifers. More solitude leads to more personal growth and healing. The quiet of your campsites some nights is precious enough to make up for the lost social time.
And, of course, there are solutions to finding more community on the road. For instance, you can caravan with other van life friends, you can attend van life meet-ups, and you can make it a point to really engage in community events. If you want to know more about solutions to finding community on the open road, you can read more about it in my article about solutions to van life problems. In it, I talk about solutions to loneliness and so much more.
#7: Get More Instagram Followers
Not that this should be a major reason you should live the van life, but it’s true, it’s something to expect!
Whether it’s Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, the van life has blown up in popularity. There are many people, primarily millennials and gen z-ers, who are eager to consume van life content. So when you start living the van life full-time, you should expect there will be an audience that is excited to engage in your content (if, of course, you produce any).
In fact, many van lifers have made their lifestyle into their primary source of income, myself included! I talk to so many van lifers who have successful blogs, thriving YouTube channels, or have big brand partnerships on their social media pages. It’s not a get rich quick scheme by any means and it does take a lot of work, but it’s more than possible.
If you want to know more about ways to make money on the road, including how to start your own blog or become an influencer, check my article, How to Make Money Living in a Van.
#8: Ride Emotional Highs and Emotional Lows
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” said many van lifers.
Living in a van isn’t easy. In fact, it’s a lot of work. At first, it takes some getting used to–you have to dramatically change your routines, how you spend money, and more. And there are some road bumps you will have to navigate. These include vehicle maintenance issues, managing money, and dealing with legalities.
Even though it’s a lot of work, the rewards make the lifestyle worth it. After a few months, you settle into the lifestyle and you start to experience the highs of traveling full-time. Especially when you learn how to find the best parking spots, you understand why living in a van full-time is worth it.
Getting to the emotional highs of van living is easier when you have guidance getting there. That’s why I have created this guide to solving major problems van lifers face on the road. In this guide, I explain the major issues we run into and I give you many resources to overcome those obstacles.
#9: See Major Personal and Spiritual Growth
Moving into a van and hitting the road is one of the best things you could do for yourself. The lifestyle lends itself to great growth and healing.
The challenges van living offers are just enough to push you to grow in unexpected ways. Since moving into my car less than a year ago, I have never felt more secure in the world. I trust myself, my skills, and my instincts more than I had ever living a conventional lifestyle. It has been a difficult journey but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. And my story isn’t unique. There are plenty of van lifers who say they have experienced the same thing.
Then, you add the increased solitude, the starry night skies, the campfires, the community, and the rest of the beauty surrounding you when living in a van and you begin to heal in unexpected ways, too. I’m sure you have experienced it yourself–the power of the natural world to reconnect you to who are.
There are so many reasons why people decide to live in a van. If you want to read more about the magic of van living, you might like my article all about it. In the article, I discuss the major reasons people choose this lifestyle and all of the best parts of living in a van full-time.
#10: Put Your Time, Money, and Energy Where YOU Want to Put It
This might be the top reason people move into their vans: self-determination. If you feel stuck and are seeking a way of life that feels more authentic, then you should consider the van life.
Where do you want to go? What do you want to do with your day? When do you want to wake up in the morning?–When you make a life for yourself in a van full-time, you get to mold your life.
Of course, your flexibility depends on your specific needs, your work, etc. But without the constraints of a house, it is surprising how much more freedom you have.
Many van lifers say they have more time, energy, and money to put towards the art and activities they want to. For me, I get to spend a lot more time hiking and exploring the outdoors. For others, they have more time to make music, to climb, to bike, to write, you name it.
The “why”s behind people’s van life stories are truly inspiring. Read more in my article, Why Live in a Van?
MORE INFO ON LIVING IN A VAN FULL-TIME
Do you want more information about living the van life? Or many some excellent road-living inspiration? Well, I have you covered!
On my Bookshop page, I have created lists of my top van living books. Books about van builds, road tripping, camp cooking, and more! I recommend you check them out (and support Bookshop, too! It’s an organization dedicated to donating their profits to small bookshops across America!)
CONCLUSION: WHAT TO EXPECT LIVING IN A VAN FULL-TIME
There are so many things to expect when you begin the van life. Both the challenges as well as the beauty and the growth opportunities.
Are you dreaming of living in a van? What are some things you’re nervous about? Some things you’re excited about?
Are you a current van lifer? Share some of your own van living stories below! What were somethings you encountered that you didn’t expect? Do you have advice for new van lifers?
Thank you so much for dropping by, see you soon! <3
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