Van Life: Could It Be For You?**
Chances are you’ve seen van life influencers across social media lately. Some call their way of living “the new rich” and will show videos of themselves pulled up, enjoying themselves in beautiful locations that most people don’t get to spend all too much time in outside of vacations. Woodland, beaches, mountain bases - the list goes on and on. But what is van life and is this a type of lifestyle that could actually suit you?
What Is Van Life?
Van life is an alternative and nomadic lifestyle that involves - put simply - living out of a van. This is a lifestyle that has been growing more widespread since the 1960s, when hippies opted to live this way rather than having their lives dominated by work and paying for housing. Van life has been skyrocketing on social media lately with the hashtag #vanlife. At the moment, there are over 3 million posts using the tag. This number is only expected to grow at a rapid rate. Of course, these vans are specialised. They’re not an average van with a mattress thrown in the back. They tend to have basic facilities and home comforts, though this is minimalistic and simplistic.
The Benefits
There are so many benefits that come hand in hand with van life. This is why so many people are so eager to try it out themselves! Here are just a few different considerations if you’re looking for some of the pros of heading off and travelling in a van.
Freedom - when you travel in a van, you gain total freedom over where you go and when you go there. These type of vans aren’t just vehicles. They’re also homes. You can drive pretty much anywhere with road access, pull up and stay (as long as you’re not on private land or you’re paying the right owner of the land you’re staying on. If you decide that you want to change your route and go somewhere else, you can. If you decide you want to stay somewhere longer than you originally planned, you can.
Price - van life can prove a lot cheaper than other modes of living. Sure, the original outlay is high. A good quality van can cost a fair amount. But this tends to be a lot cheaper than the price of a flat or house. Plus, once you own it, you’re not longer going to be paying rent or mortgage payments, that most people tend to pay well into retirement.
More time in nature - the majority of us don’t get to spend all too much time in nature. We tend to spend time inside our homes, in workplaces, inside others’ homes and in other indoor spaces. When you live in a van, you don’t have as much room, so you are encouraged to head out and about a bit more.
The same working options - you get to have the same working options when living in a van. You can head out to work, the same as anyone else, but you can also consider remote positions as long as you can access public wifi, use a strong mobile hotspot or invest in a dongle to give your van internet access.
Minimalism - when you have a home, you tend to fill it. But when you live in a van, you tend to have a lot less space and consequently learn to adopt a more minimalist lifestyle. This can teach appreciation, gratitude and a lower maintenance and lower cost day to day life.
The community - most areas have some sort of van life community. You can gain the opportunity to meet others who have similar tastes, interests and an equally alternative lifestyle.
Comfort - van life can be surprisingly comfortable. Modern vans have room for beds and you can invest in a comfortable mattress and Richard Haworth bed linen. Many have refrigerators and basic cooking appliances. Some even have basic plumbing and room for a toilet or shower.
The Difficulties
Of course, there are difficulties that come hand in hand with living in a van. For some, this type of life wouldn’t be possible while maintaining their happiness and general well being. For others, they’re not a problem at all. It is safe to say that van life is relatively niche and that there aren’t as many people who enjoy this mode of living as the traditional one. Here are some common difficulties of van life that you should seriously consider before diving in the deep end.
You still need to work - though van life Instagram accounts tend to show the fun side of living in a van, you do generally (unless you have a lot of savings or someone else supporting you) have to work still to afford day to day life - the same as everyone else. It’s not complete freedom from capitalism and the wider world.
Toilets and showers - the majority of vans do not have showers or toilets and those that do are generally basic ones, such as solar powered water packs with a spout that will need to be used outside of the van itself. This can make maintaining day to day hygiene a little more difficult. You may need to pay for gym day passes or use local public showers to stay clean.
Cooking - you’re not going to find a van with full countertop space, a fridge freezer and a full size oven. It’s not surprising, then, that many will find cooking difficult while living in a van. This can result in more eating out, or more basic meals that you can create with the space, equipment and appliances available to you.
Parking - the same as driving any other vehicle, you may find difficulty finding appropriate parking when visiting certain locations. Everywhere isn’t always going to be scenic and appropriate to park overnight.
Temperature - it’s much harder to maintain temperature in a van than other living situations. You may face highs and lows of temperature that are uncomfortable or unenjoyable.
These, of course, are just the basics of van life. Hopefully, some of the information above will help you to make the best decision regarding whether this could be an option for you!