5 Things No One Mentions about Van Life
As van life trends on social media, influencers can sometimes leave out some hard truths about the lifestyle.
Van Life has captured the imagination of countless adventurers on social media, offering the allure of freedom, simplicity, and a closer connection to nature. Instagram feeds are filled with stunning sunsets over mountain vistas, cozy van interiors, and endless roads stretching toward new horizons.
But some aspects of van life don’t make it into the highlight reels. It’s tough to watch people vlog about how they felt unprepared or experienced hardships once they started their van life journey.
Since moving into my van, I can say my experience hasn’t been perfect or immune to mistakes. But the pros do outweigh the bad in my opinion.
For full transparency, I’d like to share five things no one mentions about van life.
The Constant Search for Resources
One of the biggest challenges of van life is the constant search for essential resources. Finding water, a safe place to park, and waste disposal facilities can become daily quests. While city dwellers can simply turn on a tap or use a bathroom without a second thought, van lifers always need to plan ahead.
- Water: Filling up your water tank isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Not all gas stations or rest areas provide potable water, and when they do, it might not be free. If you’re in an area that experiences four seasons, know that the majority of fill-up stations close for the winter season, so you’re stuck getting water from the supermarket.
- Parking: Finding a legal and safe spot to park overnight can be tricky, especially in urban areas. While apps and websites help, they don’t always guarantee peace of mind or security.
- Waste Disposal: Disposing of grey water, black water (if you have a toilet), and garbage requires planning, it’s never a fun experience when a sani dump overflows when you’re dumping. Not every location has convenient or accessible dump stations. Remember, you are in charge of your waste, and it’s legal to dump in some areas so watch out for signs.
Limited Space Means Limited Stuff
Living in a van means embracing minimalism to a new level. The limited space forces you to prioritize your belongings, often leading to difficult decisions about what to keep and what to leave behind. Every item needs to have a purpose, the ability to be organized easily and often a dual function.
- Clothing: You can’t carry a full wardrobe. Van lifers typically rotate through a small selection of clothes, which means more frequent laundry stops. Storing your off-season wardrobe may be the best option.
- Outdoor Gear: If you have a lot of outdoor gear like paddleboards, backpacks, bicycles, boots, and/or skis, storing them for the off-season is the easiest way to save some space too.
- Kitchen Supplies: Cooking in a van requires creativity and simplicity. With limited storage and counter space, gourmet meals become a challenge. Depending on the type of cooking appliances you have available to you, your meal prep will defer. I always recommend having a back-up cooking device as well. For example, if you mainly use propane, get a mini electric hotpot.
- Personal Items: Sentimental items, books, and hobbies that require equipment often need to be pared down and left behind. I always see van lifers on social media with an obscene amount of plants in their vans, which always surprises me as they take up space that could be used for essential items. But hey! If you have the space for it…
Weather Woes
While van life promises endless outdoor adventures, the reality is that weather can greatly affect your experience. Vans can get extremely hot in summer and freezing cold in winter.
- Temperature Control: Insulating your van and having a good ventilation system is crucial. Even then, without shore power, running air conditioning or heaters continuously isn’t feasible.
- Freezing Pipes: In the winter, making sure your water tank and water pump stay warm is crucial. If the water in the pump freezes and you try to use it, the gears will begin to burn causing a not-so-nice smell. If the water in your tank freezes, it can’t be pumped into your facets. If the water in your facets freezes, it can expand from the temperature change and break.
- Condensation: Managing moisture inside the van is a constant battle, especially in humid or cold climates. Condensation can lead to mould and mildew, which can damage your van and belongings.
Isolation and Loneliness
Despite the social media portrayals of van life being full of community and connection, it can often be a solitary lifestyle. Travelling to remote places means you might go days without seeing anyone else. Sometimes the people you meet, who don’t want to hang out, are in couples or with larger families.
- Loneliness: If you’re a social person, isolation can be challenging. Staying connected with friends and family often requires intentional effort.
- Community: Building and maintaining a community on the road takes time. While van life meetups and online forums exist, they don’t always replace face-to-face interactions.
The Unseen Costs
Van life is often marketed as a cheaper alternative to traditional living, but there are hidden costs that can add up. The memes of people trying to live a hippie lifestyle in a $300k luxury van always crack me up.
- Maintenance and Repairs: Vans require regular maintenance, and breakdowns can be costly. Being prepared for these expenses is crucial. Maintenance is different than fixing a breakdown from a check engine light, just because you’ve taken your van to the mechanic for repairs doesn’t mean it’s been given maintenance properly.
- Hotels: Whether your van breaks down, or you require a good shower, hotel costs add up.
- Gas: Depending on your travel frequency, gas can become a significant expense, especially if you cover long distances regularly. The more you move the more you pay. Some areas are better than others and don’t forget most vans take diesel, not regular gas, which is usually more expensive.
- Campsite Fees: While wild camping is an option, sometimes paying for a campsite is necessary for access to showers, electricity, and other amenities.
Van life offers a unique and rewarding way to experience the world, but it’s not without its challenges. The constant search for resources, limited space, weather issues, potential isolation, and unseen costs are aspects that aren’t always visible in the curated snapshots of van life.
Being aware of these realities can help you prepare better and decide if this lifestyle is truly for you. Despite these challenges, many find the freedom and adventure of van life to be well worth it.
Comment below your van life experience or thoughts.
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