Your #Vanlife Dreams vs. Reality: Before You Hop on The Van Wagon
As romantic as this notion seems, van life isn’t always a proverbial bed of roses.
The #vanlife movement is enjoying its time in the limelight. People across the globe are quitting their jobs, selling off their furniture, cancelling their leases and investing in RVs that allow them to travel their countries, and indeed the world, on a budget.
As romantic as this notion seems, van life isn’t always a proverbial bed of roses.
Life on the road can be a great and constant adventure, and there are certainly many great experiences to be had while travelling. All the hundreds of Instagram pages dedicated to documenting van life can attest to that. However, there is a more sobering side to nomadic life as well, ranging from breakdowns and poor weather to all the risks involved in travelling with your worldly possessions stashed in a vehicle.
If you want to make the most of van life, you will need to budget for certain expenses and risk. You’ll also need to spend a considerable amount of time repairing your vehicle and researching your routes, options and more. Just like any way of living, van life has its fair share of intricacies and pros and cons. You need to be aware of all of them before you take the plunge and swap four walls for four—or more—wheels.
Here are some realities that you need to be aware of before you hit the road with your (hopefully) trusty van by your side.
You’ll Need to Budget Carefully
Van life poses expenses that many people don’t expect. Campsites can cost anywhere from $10 to $120 a night, and these costs can add up quickly. That’s not to mention your gas or diesel costs, which will vary according to how much fuel your specific van uses and how far and regularly you travel.
Older vans also require more maintenance and repairs, along with regular services, oil changes and other tune-ups. If you can perform these repairs yourself, you might save yourself some money along the way, but realistically, not many people can keep their vans running single-handedly.
If you want to move into a van to live more cheaply, it’s important to know that this way of life is potentially cost-effective, but it will never be free. You will also need to hone your cooking skills to ensure that you can take care of yourself if you don’t have access to restaurants and gas stations for supplies, and buy inexpensive local produce and non-perishable foods wherever possible.
Not All Campsites are Created Equal
Sure, you can stay in shopping mall parking lots and rest stops for free. But who wants to sleep underneath bright fluorescent lights at a mall lot in the long term? Campsites are almost always a better option, but as we mentioned above, they can vary widely in cost, and some are certainly nicer to stay at than others.
You could also park your van in upmarket neighbourhoods, but be aware that by definition, doing so would make you homeless in the eyes of the law. This means that residents are legally within their rights to tell you to leave or to phone the police. You can circumnavigate this risk to a degree by doing some research. Plan your moves as much as possible, and ensure that you always know where you’ll sleep each night.
Creature Comforts May be Limited
Think about the comforts and luxuries that you currently enjoy at home. Regular warm showers. Consistent Wi-Fi connection. Dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and constant access to clean clothes when you need them. How many of these luxuries would you willingly give up for a life on the road?
When you move your whole life into an RV, the way you live on a daily basis will change. Everything from the size of your bed to the way you do your laundry is different. You will need to adapt your routine, learn to sleep in a small space, do dishes and laundry with minimal water and re-wear clothes when necessary. You’ll also need to limit your personal possessions to what fits into your van.
If you use Wi-Fi often, you may have to spend plenty of time in cafes and restaurants with free public Wi-Fi. Bear in mind that public Wi-Fi poses risks of its own, and isn’t always secure or safe to use.
Think about how van life would be for you when it’s raining for days on end. Could you still make it work? Could you live without your luxuries and access to the outdoors, exercise, Wi-Fi and more? The way you access these amenities will change when you move into a van, so you need to carefully consider how many of them you are willing to limit your access to.
Plans Can Change at Short Notice
Anything can happen while you’re on the road. You could experience a blowout on the way to your next campsite, slip into a ditch, suffer a theft or accidentally run out of fuel.
If one of these unfortunate circumstances comes to pass, your plans will need to change in a hurry, especially if you need to get to a mechanic. You will eventually get to wherever you need to go, but you may need to adjust your plans and set your expectations aside on a fairly regular basis.
Van Life Isn’t Always Glamorous
Browse Pinterest or Instagram and you’ll see plenty of brightly hued, polished pictures of people enjoying their van lives to the max. However, just like real life, van life isn’t always a picnic. You can experience break-ins and gear theft, financial issues, fights and arguments with your partner, disappointments, emergency hospital and vet trips, and virtually everything in between.
Those perfect Instagram shots are alluring, but they don’t always tell the full story. Sometimes, van life is about lounging in the sun and embracing life to its fullest. Other times, it’s about lying in the mud changing tires, getting stuck inside during weeks of rainy weather, having the police hassle you, and struggling to dry your laundry.
If you truly want to embark on a traveller’s life, you need to understand that the best parts come alongside certain degrees of struggle. You’ll need to prepare yourself to persevere even when highly stressful events take place. It’s all part of the adventure, after all.
Live The #Vanlife
No matter which situations you encounter on the road, living your van life dream means handling the good and the bad with a positive attitude. The secret to making a success of your travels is to follow what you love.
Take your time, enjoy every minute, and don’t be disheartened by the frustrations and challenges you encounter along the way. This too shall pass!