Van life is a lifestyle for people who reject the norms of everyday living in a simple home, choosing adventure instead. While photos on social media can look really cool, this lifestyle has its own set of challenges, different from what you’d expect.So before starting with van life there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. And a few tips to get you started. On this website, we will be keeping track of some of the things you need to think about before taking this step.
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Choose a vehicle for this lifestyle
Depending on the lifestyle you choose, different vehicles have different perks so you have to pick one that fits your needs the best, ranging from the travel plans across the country to casual transportation around the city.
Do you plan to travel with your family and go on a long adventure across the country, continent or even the world? A van can be what you look for as these have plenty of space, they are pretty safe because they don’t have many windows and they’re usually on the cheaper side compared to other vehicles. For a big family or if you need loads of space a full blown RV is the way to go.
On the other hand, a 4WD is less recommended for a family exactly because of the lack of space, although it has other advantages, such as good mileage and great mobility. You might want to go really cheap and just sleep in your car. Think about the needs you may have on your trips, what is your budget and then pick the car/van/RV that is most likely to fulfill them without causing you any problems.
Full-time adventurer or weekend warrior?
When thinking about this lifestyle, there’s one big thing you have to decide on: will you be doing this full time, as much as possible or only on weekends and holidays?
If you only plan on living the van life on the weekends, you’ll probably not going to need one of the most advanced solar and power systems, nor will you need as much space as someone who plans on living in a van full time. When you actually live in a van a complete water system and powerful solar systems for the power is really a good thing to have.
How will you sustain yourself on the road?
If you plan on doing this full-time, you must think of how you’ll be able to maintain a basic lifestyle. Therefore, you must think of how you can make money while being on the road, but worry not, as there are actually some decent ways you can make a living while also traveling the world.
Of course, you’ll not spend as much money as when you are living in a home, but van life is not free either. You can find temporary jobs in the areas you arrive in, you may work online or entertain people on the side on the road with a guitar. If you plan to work online, you’ll definitely need a good power supply and enough space for your work.
Where are you going to sleep tonight?
If space allows it, you’re probably thinking you are going to be sleeping in the vehicle. This is the whole point of van life. Not paying rent and other related costs. But your vehicle must be ready for this. For an in depth look into different camper van layouts check this guide. Sleeping in your car is otherwise highly uncomfortable. Not to mention that especially in some urban areas and sometimes in whole countries sleeping in your car outside of camping grounds is not allowed.
Basic hygiene
Van life doesn’t always allow for a warm shower daily so you have to be prepared for that. Install a shower in the rig, create your very own shower in the van or you’ll have to look daily for gyms and recreation centers so you can use their showers – this option is more difficult to do if you move around often.
Letting nature help by swimming in a river or lake is also a great option, but remember the cold season and freezing temperatures. Doesn’t sound that inviting anymore, right. Also, don’t forget that by using soap in a lake or river you’ll be polluting the water which is the opposite of what van life is all about. Get a natural and bio degradable soap in this case.
Test run
With all the exposure van life is getting these days through social media it might seem this is some kind of dream life. It can be. But for starters you have to be the right person for it. It is still way less comfortable than living in an apartment obviously. So you must be a person that values other things that van life offers (freedom, exploration, nature, experience…) over the normal comfortable life. This is why you should not jump straight into it. Rent a van similar to one you want to own and do a trip, live in it for a week or so and see how you like it.
Keeping in mind all of these aspects (plus others that can be more specific to every individual) is a great way of realizing if you are indeed ready for the van life or if you still need to prepare yourself a little bit before taking this big step. If you are sure camper van is something you want to try, then check out this ultimate camper van guide.