In 2019, statistics show that roughly 9 million Americans worked from home but in 2024, that number has nearly quadrupled to 35 million people working remotely.
Camper vans also saw a huge boom the past few years during the pandemic, and now it looks like Van Life is here to stay. Not only due to the rise of remote work, but also thanks to new technology making van life easier.
We won't cover Mobile Offices here, but there's a whole new niche of exponential growth there.
In 2024 alone, we've seen two new iterations of Starlink, redefining connectivity on the road. This article will provide
an updated look on the evolution of remote work and what's coming 2025
the remote jobs available
what a day / year remote working in van life looks like
helpful tips and tricks for remote work
Van Life and Working Remotely: What Does It Really Look Like?
The lifestyle of living in a van and doing a remote job is for the digital nomad who enjoys a flexible, and less monotonous lifestyle than the typical 40 hour work week confined to a cubicle.
We've shared an in-depth article on the Van Life Pros and Cons, so we'll cut to the chase: this article is specifically about Remote Work for Van Lifers.
When I worked a typical 9-5 office job, I was exhausted and felt trapped by the endless cycle; barely finding time to eat, the same food over and over, the same commute, the repetition of slowly seeing the seasons change outside my window. When I worked remotely, I've seen the drastic change in my own life of improved mental and physical wellbeing, more freedom and time to do the things I love.
However, the joy derived from remote work also heavily depends on what your van is equipped with.
Does it have:
Climate control
Satellite internet
A comfortable bed
Space to stand
Space to work, host or dine
A shower
A kitchen
A toilet
Enough battery to run your lights, Starlink, induction stove, microwave, projector, or charge your laptop, phone, cameras etc.
Solar panels to recharge
Security systems
Finally does the van drive stress-free?
These items or the absence of them may each dictate the "productivity" or "joy" you get from remote work.
How Has Remote Work Changed In The Last 5 Years?
Technology has made remote work and van life easier year by year. This has led to lifestyle changes and day-to-day improvements.
You always have internet
The biggest change is connectivity. We've done a deep dive in the Van Life Internet Guide of all the options out there for your van or RV. To put it simply, you can now always be connected wherever you go. That means you can take conference calls all day, get work done, trade stocks, make short films, whatever your heart or boss desires.
One of the most impressive advancements is Starlink - a satellite internet service that provides comprehensive coverage and reliable high-speed internet wherever you are. You can view Starlink coverage here to check for reliable connection while you travel.
One of my favorite things to do is cozy up in the camper van on a rainy night and stream my favorite TV show, preferably without glitches or delays and thankfully, Starlink makes that happen.
You're not living out of an RV park
The evolution of battery systems like EcoFlow now allow you're camper van to be completely self-sustainable. That means wherever you park, whether you're in the city or in the mountains you can live comfortably without being plugged in.
Self-contained toilets, whether they be a Laveo Dry Flush toilet or a composting toilet are much easier and don't require trips to RV dump stations.
You no longer have to be confined to an RV park or a campground. The beauty of this is that you also don't need to worry about reservations. I was able to work out of Yosemite the day I decided, without needing to book weeks in advance. There were so many boondocking spots on the iOverlander app right outside of the park.
That goes the same with ski season. There were so many boondocking spots next to each resort that I can just show up for free and often times hang out with other like-minded van-lifers. Each day I can choose my own adventure, and not be confined by reservations at an RV park. I can also snowboard right to my camper van and go straight into taking a hot shower.
Remote work resources
Some of our favorites are the following:
Harvest Host: If you don't have this app, you're seriously missing out. This app lets you find private residences (vineyards, breweries, etc.) to stay for free, once you pay an annual fee (which is worth it for the added safety). Typically you're encouraged to purchase something from them too, but you're going to want to do that anyway. I love relaxing and watching the sunset with a nice glass of wine after a long work day.
iOverlander:Â A free app that helps van lifers find cheap / free places to stay - whether you like campgrounds or staying in public places. This is my most used app because it has everything you could ever need, and you can trust the reviews because they're left by other van lifers.
Gas Buddy:Â These days gas prices are through the roof. I'm constantly looking for the cheapest prices, even if it's $0.10 less. This app saves so much time.
Alltrails:Â Are you an avid hiker or backpacker? Then this app is perfect for you. It details hiking trails in the area including difficulty level, mileage, create custom lists, track your route, and more.
What is the Remote Work Van Life Community Like? How Do I Join?
The van life community is always growing. In fact, statistics show that there were around 1.9 million Americans living in a van in 2020, but that number has jumped to over 3 million now!
 It can be lonely working on the road by yourself, but you can think of fellow travelers as your 'coworkers'. This community has been very welcoming, adventurous, and supportive of each other. You'll meet groups of remote workers that travel together, or some that just stay at places long period of time together.
When you get bored, you can simply just hit the road. There are lots of Van Life hot spots to get your socialite fix. It's almost like travelling abroad - when you want to focus an AirBnB is the way to go, but when you want to meet people, a popular hostel is easy to make friends.
Refer to the Van Life apps article to see where other Remote Workers are going. Beyond that, they're social media communities like Facebook groups that can make it easy to connect with others. For a solo female traveler there is the Solo Women Van Dwellers FB Group, which has 23000 members to connect with.
A Day in the Life of Working on the Road
So, what does a typical day really look like?
Sometimes I work 10 hour days to take an extra day off, sometimes I work on weekends, to me it all blends together.
For simplicity purposes here's a typical day I would do:
6:00-7:30am:Â Yes I wake up earlier in a van. My circadian rhythm follows the sun. I make my bed and organize my van and then take a 5 minute shower. My shower thoughts consist mainly of whether I want to eat breakfast here or drive somewhere nearby with a better view. I then prep breakfast where I eat it. I much prefer eating in nature with the doors open than in the city with the blinds all up. However, the accent lighting I set up in the van helps with the coziness.
7:30-9:00am: I get out to do the activity that led me to park here the night before - could be a morning trail run, seeing a National Park or getting groceries at the Harvest Host farm and saying hello to the animals.
9:00 - 11:00am:Â Time to work. I turn on my Starlink, which takes about 10 seconds, and start working. This is my focus time. Occasionally, I'd completely switch up my home cooked breakfast routine and just work out of a cafe.
11:00am - 1pm: Usually I like to stay at a place for 1-2 weeks at a time, but today I decided I wanted a change of scenery and work near the beach with some friends. I have my friends, family, and some connections I made online mapped out across the U.S. I spend this time driving and stopping at a scenic outlook to eat lunch, which were some leftovers from dinner.
1:00 - 3:00pm: Here's another hyper focused working block. I turn on my "work lighting", play my Film Scores Spotify Playlist, brew some tea, and get cranking. I usually schedule my calls around this time for Time Zone purposes, but also because I'd like to save any leftover work for later in the evening when it gets dark. I want to maximize my daylight time for fun.
3:00pm - 8:00pm: Fun time. Today it's all about beach bumming and hanging out with friends. We parked our vans together later in the day and had communal dinner. Tomorrow's schedule gets pushed up, because we're going out for morning surf!
8:00pm - 9:30: I tie up loose ends for work. I find that with my work hard play hard mentality, I'm actually working a little less, because I'm that much more productive. It also helps that I get to space out my day with pockets of fun between work. I'm not confined to the same city blocks outside of my old office or home like before.
9:30-10:30: Relax, watch Wicked, and get ready to sleep!
What Does a Year of Van Life and Remote Work Look Like?
The beauty of Van Life is that you can follow the weather. You can also follow wherever your heart desires, the world is your backyard. Here's an ideal Van Life year.
JANUARY | SKI SEASON |
FEBRUARY | BAJA MEXICO |
MARCH | HANGING WITH FRIENDS IN CALI |
APRIL | NATIONAL PARKS |
MAYÂ | HARVEST HOSTS AND OTHER LEARNING EXPERIENCES |
JUNEÂ | NATIONAL PARKS IN THE NORTH |
JULYÂ | ON MY WAY TO ALASKA |
AUGUSTÂ | ALASKA |
SEPTEMBERÂ | VAN FESTIVAL AND CAMPER VAN CARAVAN |
OCTOBERÂ | HUNKERING DOWN IN BLM LAND WITH OTHER REMOTE WORK VAN LIFERS |
NOVEMBER | VANLIFE BREAK AND THANKSGIVING WITH THE FAMILY |
DECEMBERÂ | SOME SKIING AND MORE FAMILY FOR THE HOLIDAYS. |
What You Need To Work Remotely
Working remote is not as simple as hopping in your van and figuring it out as you go. It takes preparation. First and foremost, you need a reliable vehicle, because this could be the bane of your existence.
Everything written until now sounds like rainbows and butterflies, but if the vehicle breaks down and you're stuck in a motel waiting for it to be repaired, you are NOT having fun.
The second part is that the buildout needs to be reliable. If you built it our yourself, congrats, you're equipped with the DIY knowledge to then fix it. If a DIY builder built it for you, then you are assuming very high risk, but I'm sure you saved money.
If a large manufacturer built it for you, then that generally means you can stick to the game plan you made for the year without much time troubleshooting your camper van. We did a whole article on large manufacturers vs. Brooklyn Campervans.
We, of course, recommend going with a custom Sprinter camper van build based on your needs from a reputable company.
Besides a good van, a good build out, check out these 135 Van Life Essential Items we gathered.
Benefits of Van Life and Working Remotely: Is It Worth the Hype?
Social media is funny. Remote work and Van Life was trendy for a few years, and then hating on this overly-Instagrammed lifestyle was trending. So what's the fuss all about?
Remote Work Can Improve Both Your Mental and Physical Health
According to the U.S. Career Institute, "Nearly all working professionals surveyed agreed that working from home was good for their health; 93% agree that working remotely has had a positive impact on their mental health and 90% say that it has had a positive impact on their physical health."
Of course, this is determined by the type of job, your physical activity level, how you spend your free time, and your general health overall. However, I'm sure you'll get more fresh air out in the wilderness with your van.
You Save Money and Time
Not only do you save money by not having to pay rent and utilities, but you'll earn money too.
Think of the accumulative hours you spend getting ready for work, getting coffee on your way, being stuck in traffic there and back, and any over time hours.
The U.S. Career Institute states, "Remote workers in the U.S. save an average of 55 minutes every day by not having to commute to work."
Your breaks are more rewarding
Before Van Life, sometimes when I need a break from work, I go for a walk. It's always the same walk. My lunch breaks are also the same, and just about every part of my day is more or less the same.
With Van Life, my breaks are more rewarding, more healing, and that has also spiked my productivity.
You Can Work From Literally Anywhere
Perhaps the biggest perk is that you can do your job on the road and work it into your schedule instead of having it run your life.
Both having a remote job and living the nomadic life provide freedom, independence, and the ability to have control of your schedule and explore new places.
You can set up at a local coffee shop with your laptop, park by the ocean and work with a view, go snowboarding and do a meeting from the lodge, or create your own office space somewhere. It's all up to you!
Van Life Jobs and Where to Find Them?
You can find almost any job under the sun nowadays that will hire you to work remotely. You can find them all over on Indeed and LinkedIn, where you can also filter by "Remote". A lot of companies also only post on their own careers page, so this new app created a few months ago scrapes company pages for remote work. There's over 350,000 jobs here alone at hiring.cafe
I also sometimes happen upon the r/overworked subreddit, seeing people remotely working 3 full time jobs making $400k / yr hacking life while working out of a van.
Anyways, the resources online are endless, and so are the opportunities.
The best way to start would be asking your boss at your current job if you have the option to work from home. Maybe it's 1-2 extra days a week, or maybe it's a month on and a month off. Every bit helps!
How to Make Money Living in a Van? Find the Best Van Life Jobs:
Software Engineer / Tech Jobs: This is a wide umbrella, but due to the digital nature of the work, it's all in front of a laptop. I've met Van Lifers who took an accelerator evening course, switched careers, then got hired for a 6-figure entry level remote job to start their Van Life journey.
Podcaster/editor: Host and edit your own podcast or someone else's.
Web developer: Specializing website and app creation and maintenance.
Business owner: Manage or run a small business online from the comfort of your van.
Online teaching: Make money when you teach English or another subject.
Seasonal Job: Typically these are positions that come available during the holidays. Perfect for people who enjoy short-term contracts, and don't mind staying in one place for a few weeks.
Photographer / Filmmaker: Freelance photography (i.e. weddings, photo shoots, portraits, etc.), working with clients, or contracting with a business. Shoot videos for local businesses or get hired into bigger productions etc.
Travel Nurse: One of the best secure jobs to both make money and explore new places is travel nursing.
Administrative services: All forms of administrative tasks (similar to a virtual assistant).
Data entry: Spreadsheet data entry, running reports, and utilizing software.
Pet sitter/dog walker: There are apps that connect you with a pet parent. An upside to this one is that you sometimes stay in someone's home and can park your van in their driveway.
Freelance Remote Jobs For Van Life
One of the most common work from home jobs is being a freelancer. You have control of your contracts, schedule, and can accept or turn down jobs based on your own criteria.
A lot of businesses post online on a variety of sites looking for freelancers: check out LinkedIn, UpWork, Fiverr, etc.
Some of these jobs include the following:
Freelance writing/editing: This includes technical writing, blog post or article, copywriting, editing and proofreading, SEO content, and more.
Blogging: Run your own website or write for a company.
Graphic design: Work with clients on a wide variety of projects. You can partner with an agency or be a self-employed graphic designer.
Email marketing/affiliate marketing: Explore online opportunities to promote other companies and their products.
Content creator: Finally, yes, you can build your online following and be a social media influencer or vlogger.
Helpful Tips and Tricks for Van Life and Working a Remote Job
Create a schedule.Â
When you get to be your own boss, it can be harder to stay on schedule. Things might not feel as urgent because you're not surrounded by coworkers, management, and the hustle and bustle of office life.
It can also be tough when other Van Lifers or travelers you meet are on vacation, while you still have work to do. As a travel filmmaker, I did this for about 4 years, and all I can say is being disciplined is key! Create a system, track your hours or progress, make sure you are living this lifestyle intentionally.
Make a distinct work environment
The book Atomic Habits shares that it's important to differentiate habits with settings, so you don't want to rest and work from bed. However, in a small van each space is used for multiple purposes. The key here is create the environment through lighting, music, smells, and other stimuli for different senses.
Don't forget about being ergonomic
If you have a van where you can't stand up straight, and you're working from bed with poor posture, it will take a toll on your body after awhile. Back pain is no joke! Don't forget about being ergonomic - make sure you have a laptop stand, adjust your seat and table height if possible. Get a separate keyboard that's wireless, and make sure your elbows are about 90 degrees as you type.
Save money while you earn money.
It can be easy to spend money because you're saving so much by living the van life and making an income, but it's important to save too.
On average, van life costs about $800-$2,000 total per month - which is what most people pay in rent alone.
However, you never know when unexpected expenses will arise such as your van breaking down or needing a repair, purchasing new work equipment, a medical need arises, or any number of things.
Remember that it will take time to get used to your new lifestyle.
The first couple days were tough for me, but it got easier and easier. It's like moving a to a new city, there is a culture shock, then there is the excitement of novelty, followed by the comfort of knowing the ins and outs like a local. Just like moving to a new city, there's a lot to consider that it feels overwhelming.
Trust yourself, and trust the process!
About Brooklyn Campervans
If all the capabilities of a camper van in this article excite you, then you'll be excited about Brooklyn Campervans.
We build innovative camper vans custom to your needs, design, and style. You can see our work and what Sprinters we have for sale.
If you want the most off-road capable adventure van with a designer apartment look and you want it to feel like home, we'll custom build it for you.
We're always happy to chat Van Life, custom vans, and remote work. Shoot us a message and schedule a chat!