Two Van Life Myths

We’ve come a long way as a society, from Chris Farley’s well known skit touting “living in a van down by the river,” as a sign of failure. The idea of van life today has reached mythic proportions with trendy van builds and mesmerizing stories of the open road to accompany them. Here, we look at two of those myths and the reality of van life. 

1st Myth

Van Life Should Be Glamorous

photo cred: Vanlife Sagas

With the rise in popularity of van life, the phenomenon has self-produced what feels like a set of criteria you must follow. Firstly, Mercedes Sprinters, Dodge Promasters and Ford Transits appear to be the only vans you should live in. This is with good reason, but there are alternatives.

Many of the van builds featured online come equipped with expensive solar kits and state of the art, space-saving furniture. Additionally, you may feel pressure to park next to a cliff with an ocean view, open the back doors, and take photos with your significant other for social media. 

Reality

Van life Is Whatever You Make It

You can live in any van you want, furnish it with a few things from the thrift store, and park wherever it suits you. For example, there are plenty of people who live in New York City in vans, for the simple purpose of saving money on rent. Some people live outside of Walmart and work regular jobs nearby. There is no wrong way to live in a van. 

Maybe buying a decommissioned ambulance or mail truck might be best for you. If you don’t have the skills or money to install a seamless solar and plumbing system, you can survive by more primitive means until you’ve worked out the details or saved more money. Many people live in a van for a short period of time, decide whether or not they like it, and then switch to a larger or newer van. 

2nd Myth 

Van life = Freedom 

Social media implies that van life is a surefire solution to a life bound by the confines of rent, location or financial hardship in general. This is true, but like all things, requires planning preparation. The idea is that you can live for free and explore beautiful beaches and mountains without concern. 

Reality

Freedom Comes With Effort

In truth, van life is incredible, but it’s not always easy. Think of it like any other accomplishment that requires effort and comes with rewards. If you live in a van, you still have to deal with the normal concerns of everyday life. Those concerns just take new form.

A van is a machine which can sometimes break down. You probably need to learn how to change your timing belt, or at least change a flat tire and engine oil. These issues naturally arise more frequently than they would with a house because a van has more moving parts.

Secondly, the costs you offset by avoiding rent or a mortgage, will sometimes need to be reallocated to repair your van. If you’re not using the money to repair the van, you may end up using that money on gasoline, a gym membership, specialized gear (sleeping bags, solar power, composting toilet, etc…), or eating in restaurants. For van life to be cost effective, you’ve got to be careful with your money. However, life is cheaper than a mortgage on average once you’ve got everything you need.

Having said all that; if you’re willing to deal with the realities of van life, it does provide you with more freedom. Imagine the pride you might feel when you can say you changed your tire on the side of the road in Montana, or survived a night of temperatures below freezing in the Swiss Alps. In the end, whether you’re making money as a van life vlogger, or spending the summers in your van to get away from life in the suburbs, van life should take whatever form you choose.