Ahh, van living. You’ve seen it on social media–the beautiful van builds and young people from all over the world living full-time on the road. The van life is the magic life, despite its challenges. And here you are, dreaming about the lifestyle for yourself.
If you are reading this, then you are probably tired of the conventional hustle. In many wealthy countries, particularly in the US (where I am writing from), the minimum wage is too low, work hours are too high, rent is outrageous, and there doesn’t seem to be hope. Many young people today are living in fear that they will never be able to live a happy, fulfilling life.
Van lifers today were once in the same position you are now. Almost every van lifer I have met decided to go for their dreams of full-time travel, despite what society thought of them. And many of us have found liberation and freedom of the world’s open roads– myself included.
Coming from a background of poverty, being trans and queer, and having experienced homelessness and unemployment, there were times I had lost all hope. When I was forced to live out of my car in 2020, I had some financial privilege to make the lifestyle comfortable and permanent. And today, I am living my dream of full-time travel in a Sprinter van.
Although you may think the van life is unlikely for you, I’m here to tell you otherwise.
In this article, I am going to walk you through what van life is, the best and the worst parts of van living, and some questions to help you figure out if the van life is your ticket to freedom.
WHAT IS VAN LIVING?
The van life movement is full of people moving into vans and living on the road, either full or part-time. That’s it!
These vans are usually renovated to be mobile apartments. You may have seen van conversion videos on Instagram or YouTube (if you haven’t, I recommend looking at some!) If you have, that’s us! The van lifers.
Of these people living in tiny homes on wheels, many work remotely or travel for work. Either way, the core of the van life movement is travel, adventure, and self-determination!
If you want to read more about the van life movement, check out my article all about it!
WHAT IS FULL-TIME VAN LIVING LIKE?
Living in a van full-time is the dream for many, but before beginning the lifestyle, there are some things you should know about what to expect!
About six months before I moved into my Sprinter, I lived out of Jeep Grand Cherokee, so I’ve been living on the road full-time for nine months now. When I began living on the road, there were some things, both good and challenging, about the lifestyle I wasn’t expecting.
All of those unexpected things are compiled into this article about living in a van full-time. From weather and loneliness to experiencing the best the US has to offer and immense personal growth.
Read more about it here!
IS VAN LIVING RIGHT FOR YOU?
Now you know about van living, you’re wondering if it may be right for you.
That is why I have curated this list of questions to help you figure it out.
Go through them and really think about your answers to each. Write them down if that would help. Be open and honest with yourself so that you can get a clear picture in your head of how the van life may be for you.
Let’s get into these questions:
1. Do you want to live in a van? Do you want to travel full or part-time?
If your answer is yes to either of these questions, then the van life is for you. Period.
You may be saying in your head “yeah, but. . .” and it’s reasonable to have doubts and concerns. Your concerns may be about family, work, money, your lease, your home, your pets, your health, and so on. You are valid if these thoughts are bogging you down. At the same time, there are solutions to every problem, I promise.
If you want to live in a van, there is a way. I recommend reading through my article about the solutions to van life problems and seeing if it help alleviate your concerns.
Do you still have worries? Comment below and I will help you figure them out!
If your answer is no to both of these questions, then cool, van life isn’t for you. And that’s alright!
If you are hesitant to say yes to either of those questions, then don’t worry, go through the rest of the questions below. They will help you figure it out!
2. Do you like spending time in nature?
(Even if you don’t, van living could still be for you. I’ll explain!)
When you’re van living and traveling often, you end up spending a lot of time outside. There is free camping all over the world where you can feasibly park your van for a long time. And because vans are pretty cramped inside, you end up spending much of your time outdoors.
So, if the great outdoors, bugs, weather, and so on isn’t your jam, then maybe van life isn’t right for you.
However! (And this is where I explain myself) even if the outdoors isn’t your thing, you can still comfortably live the van life. In most cities, there are plenty of free parking spots, often near parks or outdoor areas, where you can park.
Someone I follow for van conversion inspiration, Tiny Home Truck, does this. He lives in Los Angeles and parks his tiny home truck in free parking around the city.
If you are interested in living in a van in the city, I recommend looking into stealth parking and stealth conversions. Anti-homelessness laws and prejudice in some cities can get van lifers in trouble if police find out they live in their vehicles. So don’t make it obvious that your van is your home!
3. Ideally, what kind of work would you like to do?
Getting clear about what kind of work you do now, what you can do for work, and what you want to do helps you get clear about whether or not you should be a van lifer.
Going remote is what most van lifers do and others do work that requires them to travel. (Learn more about ways to make money on the road here). If you are not interested in doing this kind of work, the van life may not be for you.
However, it is still possible to live in a van while you’re working in a non-remote, permanent location position. Like I said under question 2, there are ways to live in a van while you’re in one spot. This way you could travel easily on weekends and during vacation time!
4. How much stuff do you have? Do you feel comfortable downsizing?
As you may have guessed, you can’t have very many things when you live in a tiny home. Well, you can, but it won’t be very comfortable!
One of the reasons why so many people love van living is because it forces you to renegotiate your relationship with things. It helps you downsize. It also helps to prevent you from buying more than you need. These are great practices for your mental health, your wallet, and the planet.
So if you have lots of things that you aren’t willing to part with, van life may not be right for you.
I will say that there are lots of creative solutions to fitting stuff in a van–you can fit a lot more than you think! For example, if you don’t want to depart with your TV or game console, you don’t have to. I know plenty of people you have both in their vans. Or if you have lots of kitchen equipment, you can fit that in your van, too. It’s all about priorities and designing your build intentionally.
5. How do you respond to new and challenging situations?
When you’re living in a van, your home is on wheels and is in a new place however often you decided to move it. And because you are so often, you encounter many new and challenging things. You might get stuck in a ditch, break down on the highway, have trouble finding work, and so on.
Because your life is changing so much on the road, it’s important to have the skills and capacity to adapt to these changes. And although these kinds of shifts may not seem like a big deal from the outside, they can take a surprisingly large toll on you.
Even if you are not very good at adapting to an ever-changing environment, it doesn’t necessarily mean the van life isn’t for you. If you want to live in a van, you will just have to go into it very mindfully.
Personally, I think moving into a van is a great way to challenge yourself in a healthy way to learn how to be more adaptable. So if you do move into a van, make this kind of personal growth your intention. I also recommend developing strong personal care and daily routines to help you transition easier.
6. How is your mental health?
Don’t worry, mine was shit, too.
For me, my mental health was much worse living in an apartment, with a stable relationship and a stable job–because it wasn’t where I wanted to be. My anxiety and depression were getting worse the longer I was living that way. And although I’ve had my highs and lows, I have been able to heal and grow in ways I never thought possible because of this new, nomadic life. This is the case for many people who live in a van.
Living in a van full-time, for many, is actually a great way to challenge yourself in healthy ways, reconnect to yourself, heal, and grow. The increased solitude, self-agency, and exposure to the natural world do good things for the mind, body, and soul.
I ask this question because it relates to question #4. If your mental health is very unstable and it is difficult for you to adapt to a changing environment, then, first of all, I’m really sorry you’re dealing with that. I’m sure things are challenging for you right now. Second of all, being able to learn and face challenges head-on is important to living in a van successfully.
Contrary to my experience, other people move into a life on the road and it breaks them. The stress of the constantly changing environment is too much and they end up going back to a conventional life.
Although van life can negatively affect some people this way, I fully believe it is because they do not prepare for the unexpected. This is exactly why I’ve created this article about solutions to van living problems. This resource is here for you to better prepare for whatever challenges may arise when you move into your van. That way you can experience the best the van life has to offer.
7. Are you self-motivated? Can you create your own structure?
Living on your own terms, especially if you create your own work schedule, can be really difficult for those who have a hard time being self-motivated. When you have complete control over your schedule–when you wake up in the morning, how much time you spend working, when you eat, etc.–it can be easy to let the time slip away from you.
Diversely, living the van life can be a great way to challenge yourself to become more self-motivated. When you are suddenly dependent on your self-determination to make money and stay healthy, you may be surprised how you naturally develop your own structure.
It took me about three months to get used to the control. At first, I was spending a lot of time doing nothing. Looking back, I think it was good for me because I needed to heal. And now, after a lot of practicing and phubbing, I am much better at creating my own daily structure. It’s getting better every day.
If you are very social, then must I warn you, living in a van can be very lonely sometimes.
There many solutions to this and, of course, there are some exceptions. Being intentional about meeting people when you travel, attending van life meet-ups, and getting active in local communities will all be important for you. I also recommend looking for busy campsites, there will almost always be other van lifers there to meet!
On the other hand, if you are very introverted you may find solace on the road. I am very introverted myself and I have never been happier than I am in the solitude of America’s open roads!
However, living in a van can be overstimulating sometimes, too. At some of the campsites I’ve been to, there have been so many people that I haven’t been able to find a quiet place to park. This doesn’t happen very often so I’m sure it won’t be much of an issue for you, but it is something to keep in mind.
9. What makes you feel happy? What makes you feel alive?
Take a lot of time to think about this.
Write it down. Get detailed. Whatever pops into your head when thinking about the answers to this question, write it down.
This might be the most critical question you answer–because it will determine your “why”.
Do you love to explore? Do you like to meet new people? Maybe you have an art form you wish you could spend more time doing. Whatever it is that makes you happy is really important when thinking about living in a van.
Why? Because van living will help you do more of what you love.
As I have said, the core of the van life movement is self-determination. That means the core of the movement is all about your passions, your interests, and your drives.
When you live in a van, you get center the important things–your joy and happiness!
Plus, when you have bad days, bad weeks, or bad months, your “why”s are what will get your through the hard times.
THE BEST OF VAN LIVING
There is a reason (actually, there are many reasons) why so many people choose to ditch the conventional life to live by their own will on the world’s open roads.
Picture this: you wake up in the morning to the sound of birds singing and a gentle creek nearby. You get up, stretch, and make your morning coffee. As your coffee brews, you push your van door open to the sight of rugged peaks in the distance emerging from the crystal clear waters of a spring-fed river. You’re in a field surrounded by a thick pine forest, almost in complete solitude. You enjoy your morning coffee sitting outside in the cool mountain breeze of the morning.
Living in a van is truly one of the best ways to live. Although there are challenges you will be forced to confront, the “why”s behind our nomadic lifestyle make it all worth it.
Time to focus on your passions, agency over how you spend your time and money, personal growth, amazing people, and so much more. If you want to know more about the drive behind the van lifer’s lifestyle, read about it in my article.
THE WORST OF VAN LIVING
On the other hand, van living can be very difficult at times.
Sometimes, you spend more time hanging out in a parking lot than you’d like, something you get a flat tire in middle-of-nowhere, Utah, without service, and sometimes you’ll feel unsafe where your sleeping. The list of unexpected challenges anyone might face on the road goes on.
The good news is there are solutions (multiple solutions) to every problem. When people aren’t prepared for these challenges, they burn out.
Yes, there are difficulties in the lifestyle, but with a bit of reading and excellent resources to rely on for help, I know you will get through those issues with (relative) ease. Read more about the solutions to van life problems.
MORE VAN LIVING RESOURCES
If you are looking for more information about van living, then you may like to explore some print van life resources!
On my Bookshop page, I have compiled lists of the best books for future and current van lifers. Here, you will find books about van life culture, van builds, van life how-tos, camp cookbooks, road trip planners, and more!
(Plus, you should support Bookshop! They are an organization dedicated to keeping small book stores across the nation open and thriving. They are amazing. Read more about them here.)
CONCLUSION
Van living is a dream. You might be surprised to learn how fit you are to live it. If that’s what you’re thinking, I am really happy for you!
There are good times and there are bad times, but no matter who you are or where you come from, it is possible for you to be a nomad (if that is what you desire!)
I would like to note that I haven’t mentioned finances in this article. That’s because, no matter your financial situation, it is possible for you to live the van life. I recommend reading my article about ways to make money on the road. In it, you will find lots of options for you to work remotely. I promise, there are options for you.
So, I want to know. . . Have you decided van living is right for you? Why or why not? Tell me about your decision in the comment section below, I would love to hear your story.
In the meantime, happy trails and I hope to see you again soon!
Thanks for stopping by <3
Affiliate disclaimer: By clicking on some links in this article and making a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
