Is Van Life a means to an end? A trend? A luxury lifestyle? What is Van Life?
When you #VanLife, you meet people from all walks of life. Just swing by to one of our quarterly #VanLife Block Parties and see for yourself!
The best part about living in a van is that you can tailor it to fit your specific circumstances and dreams. There's pros and cons for everybody, and we'll get to that.
The number of people who choose this lifestyle has skyrocketed in recent years; from an average of 1.9 million Americans in 2020, to around 3 million in 2024!
While the pandemic put Van Life on the map, new innovations and the rise of remote work has made it stay.
It's become even more popular due to the latest technology and resources thanks to:
Advancements in battery storage, climate control, and appliances
People live in camper vans because it offers freedom - freedom to adventure, work, roam wherever, and to even choose your own climate or backyard.
In this article, we'll talk about both the pros and cons of van life as well as some helpful tips and tricks for life on the road.
Pros of Van Life
In 2020 we were so busy building out our own van that we had done absolutely 0 research on what living in a van is like.
Our first night out, we got the knock from the police twice!! We ended up sleeping at a Walmart parking lot and thought, "Wow, Van Life f****ing sucks!"
Where does one sleep? Take a shower? Do laundry? Get access to WiFi? This all may seem overwhelming, but we learned quick. That was the last knock either of us had from the police and we got the hang of everything in 3-5 days.
Learning the essentials for Van Life is easy, but here are the real pros and cons to decide if Van Life is for you! Let's start with the fun stuff.
Living in a Van Offers Financial Freedom
Most full time van lifers will tell you that one of the biggest perks is that you will save money.
These days, rent takes a huge chunk out of most people's salaries. In fact, the average cost of rent in the United States is about $1,500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. Here, in New York the rent for a one-bedroom apartment averages over $4,000 a month! Not to mention the added cost of utilities, amenities, and fees associated with renting.
Instead of having the cost of a home and a vehicle, van life provides the ability to have an all-in-one by using it as both.
On average, van lifers spend around $800-$1,500 total per month (remember this is how much people typically pay in rent alone) including gas, food, overnight parking / campground fees, insurance, and other miscellaneous things that come up.
The money saved going to rent could also be used for monthly payments on the camper van if you decided not to purchase it outright. You can learn more about financing here.
You Can Work Remotely and Have Control Over Your Own Schedule
After building over 45 vans, we've noticed a significant majority of those living in a van also have remote jobs.
There's a whole load of perks for remote work. We did a whole article on what it's like to work remote and van life (coming soon) !
The TL;DR, short version, is that you can have high speed and reliable internet all across North America with Starlink, work from the beach or a national park, and have all your basic amenities are covered.
We dive deep into what a day / year in the life doing remote work can be like, as well as what jobs are popular for remote work with a camper van.
One of the latest trends in remote work is mobile office vans. Plenty of companies utilize these to allow people to park and take meetings in a comfortable space, and to travel in them to clients or project sites. The use cases are endless, so check the article we wrote, or get your business it's own mobile office!
Van Living Provides the Ability to Travel Wherever and Whenever You Want!
Whether you prefer hiking in the mountains, relaxing at the beach, camping in the woods, or to stay moving and explore destinations or cities along the way, van life is for you.
Having your home on wheels allows for spontaneous serendipity - go caravan with the new friends you made, stay another night for mountain biking, visit family members and friends along the drive! Daily life is full of opportunities. There's no overstaying your reservation, for example, only limiting your vacation to the 4 nights you booked at the camp ground or hotel.
Because this lifestyle is so popular, there are top-tier van life apps that will help guide you on your journey and make sure you are "in the know". These apps include information about where to park overnight, cheapest places to fill up your gas tank, best hiking trails, how to find community, and more.
A particularly wonderful app is Harvest Hosts and it's a must-have for full time RV travel. "Members of Harvest Hosts get unlimited overnight stays at farms, wineries, breweries, and more with no camping fees."
Full Time Living in a Van is Environmentally-Friendly
According to The Nature Conservancy, "The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons." You can calculate yours on their website.
By reducing your residential area to 125 sq ft. and using 12v energy efficient appliances, which is also powered by solar, you are already drastically reducing your carbon footprint. Our friend Caleb broke down how many cross-country trips this equates to, and I'll have to put the math in here next time I see him. With a camper van, there is also no need for an additional car to commute from and to work daily.
You'll naturally reduce your carbon footprint further by living a more minimalist lifestyle, making less purchases, and using less resources.
Cons of Van Life
You Must Learn to Adapt to a Smaller Space
If you're used to having an open concept floor plan, a king sized bed, and a walk-in closet, then van life will definitely be a learning curve for you.
The average size of a Camper Van is about 18-22 feet in length and roughly 8 feet in width, while an RV can be much bigger. However, most of this space is taken up by the essentials like your bed, stovetop fridge, sink, storage, shower, and toilet.
On the other hand, we've had people think a camper van is not such a small space comparing it to tent camping or travelling with a checked-bag - now they can store all their clothes and essentials in a camper van.
In this article and video we walkthrough all the layouts for a Sprinter Camper Van and which may be best for you based on your space and storage needs. For example one of the easiest way to save space is to forgo a shower and use the shower facilities at Planet Fitness. We talk about the pros and cons of all the layouts.
For the most part, you'll naturally adapt to the size of your living space and learn to only bring what you need.
It Can Be Tough On Relationships
Not only are you already living in a small space, but it can feel a lot smaller when sharing it with another person (or even a pet). You may have to forfeit personal time since you can't just go to another room when you need to be alone.
On the flip side, solo van life can be lonely just like solo travel. It really varies between people. Personally, I enjoyed many years of solo travel, making friends with so many other travelers, but also loved living in a camper van with my girlfriend.
Van Life is like travel, most of the times it builds beautiful memories, but sometimes the
stresses of it can break down healthy communication.
It Can Be Challenging to Work Remotely When Traveling
It's likely you have a remote job that allows you to work on the road from any location.
If you're trying to do it on the cheap, you'll need to find a local coffee shop, library, or public place with reliable wi-fi. However, depending on where you are, public places may be closed, have a bad internet connection (especially in rural areas), or any number of unexpected things could happen.
A way to combat this is utilizing Starlink - a satellite internet service that provides comprehensive coverage and high-speed internet wherever you are. We write about the new Starlink Mini also allows you to bring it with you away from the mobile home. It is over $100 / month (their price always changes), which may be expensive, but hey - you are saving money by not paying rent!
You Have to Consider Your Safety and Security
Of course your loved ones will be worried for your safety and they'll likely tell you all the horror stories they've heard about travel van life. But don't let this scare you. Some of the most wonderful people I met are on the road - the Van Life community truly has each other's backs and looks out for each other.
Crime happens everywhere. It's not statistically proven that you're in more danger living in a van than you would be living in an apartment or house, especially in a big city.
However, Van Life comes with new ways be aware of your safety.
A few helpful tips to prioritize your safety:
Use black-out shades so people can't see into your van.
Put alarms, extra locks on your doors, and use an unbreakable film for your windows.
Carry protection if you're comfortable using it.
Travel with friends or let people know your live location.
Be aware of where you set up for the night or leave the campervan.
For example, if you're camping on the streets, do all the entering / exiting and prepping somewhere else, so that when you're at your place of rest, all you have to do is crawl back and go to sleep.
Most importantly, drive responsibly!
Install security cameras (use ones you can check from your phone too).
Limited Access to Amenities
One of the most common challenges when living in a van is you don't always have access to everything you need.
Camper vans rarely come with washer / dryer units. There's no in-unit mailbox for Amazon prime deliveries. The gym may no longer be in the basement or the apartment unit. Things just take a little longer.
You may have to drive to the laundromat, but you'll have your living room AKA camper van parked right next to it. You'll have to schedule pickup for packages at post-offices or Amazon lockers. You'll have to drive to the gym and so on.
Things take a little longer, and life moves a little slower. For some that's a pro, and for some that's a con. I feel that it forces me to live life more intentionally.
Particularly Difficult in Certain Seasons and Types of Weather
While you can drive and live anywhere, unfortunately sometimes you are bound to one location. Whether it's icy road conditions, getting too hot or cold at night, or more extreme weather like snowstorms; you need to be prepared for anything.
Here are some tips:
Download weather apps like Clime NOOA Live Radar to get real time forecasts
Buy tires and wheels that are made for the weather conditions, and snow chains if needed.
Install a heater/air conditioner.
Buy extra batteries for climate control or if you're not getting enough solar.
There Can Be a Stigma Surrounding Van Life
Until you've experienced van life, it can be easy to misunderstand why someone would want to spend their time doing it.
Some common misconceptions you may experience from a family member, friends, or even strangers:
"You're wasting your time and money."
"You need to settle down in one place."
"Life on the road is unsafe and unpredictable."
While these things aren't true, it can be easy to believe them sometimes and feel the need to convince others they aren't as well.
Just remember, this is your life and you get to choose to live it how you want.
Brooklyn Campervans Van Life Pros and Cons
The custom vans are built around your needs, style, and budget, so it's what you make out of it - just like Van Life!
Overall, these are self-sustainable mobile homes, where you can live / work / adventure off-grid all seasons. Your only limitation would be refilling on food and water every 1-2 weeks.
We cater to every type of client:
The retirees who want to travel with their family, pets, and still maximize storage
The solo traveler who prefers to be stealthy on the outside and have multi-layer security
The adventurous couple that wants their apocalypse van to take on all terrain
You can configure everything, see all the options we offer, pricing, and build out your dream van here.
Should I rent a camper van?
Renting a camper van is generally pretty expensive to do for extended periods of time. However, they may be a good way to see if living in a van full time is a good option for you.
One thing to consider, as mentioned in the beginning of this article, is that the first 3-5 days are going to be a steep learning curve! The first day of Van Life sucked for us because we just had no idea what to do. If only we had somebody to guide us!
If you're looking to get one from Brooklyn Campervans, we typically offer a try-before-you-buy option. We will give you complete guidance as well as some fun destinations. Take one of our camper vans for a spin and the total cost will go towards your build!
See our Sprinter camper vans for sale page to see what's available.
Is Van Life Worth It?
In our opinion: Yes!
With any big life decision there are countless things to consider. We don't know your financial situation so it's hard to say what constitutes as "worth it", however we can confidently say "trust the process, Van Life is a lot easier than what most people think".
They're tangibles such as cost and moving that are easy to imagine, but have some faith in the intangibles of adventure, freedom, and the friends you'll make sitting with a bonfire under the Milky Way.
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