Because of social media and the #Vanlife hashtag, this reimagining of a nomadic existence before the invention of the car has taken place. The reality of van life, which means living in a van all the time, is very different from the pictures and videos that young models post on social media sites like Instagram.
Social media gives a false image of van life. They portray it as a never-ending adventure on a mountain peak or on a beach in another country. A way of living that doesn’t bother you. Another message that is often spread through social media is that the van life is out of reach for most people. That you must be young, rich, and free of responsibilities, have a $100,000 sprinter van, be a multifunctional engineer, carpenter, electrician, mechanic, digital nomad, and Instagram model, among other things. Neither of these is true, and they don’t fit with living in a simple way in a small van.
Is van life for me?
Social media has spread a lot of myths about living in a van. You might be surprised by how many of these myths are constantly being circulated on social media! If you’re thinking about packing up your things and going on a long road trip, you need to be prepared for the uncertainties and adventure that comes with it. After you do some more research, you might decide that van life isn’t for you after all.
To help you figure out if van living is right for you, here are some of the most common myths about van living and the truths about van life that many people don’t know.
Misconception #1: Traveling full-time costs a lot of money.
Is living in a van expensive? This is a question we get a lot during our trips. So, based on what people see on social media about what it is like to live in a van, this makes sense. There is no need for this question in reality!
The fact that we can travel full time without having to spend a lot of money is the proof for it. If you have a well-balanced budget in place, you can cut back on your spending a lot. You will need to get used to budgeting but once you get the knack of it you can do it easily.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
There are going to be a lot of things on the list. From rent to food to electricity to gas to vehicle maintenance to memberships and subscriptions to going out to eat, all of these costs can add up quickly, so be careful. You can use an app to make it a bit easier for you.
We find it easier now to live simply and cheaply than we did when we lived in cities full-time or even when we didn’t have a car.
Because you travel full time, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to spend a lot of money. If you work from a van, careful budgeting might even help you meet your savings or investing goals.
Misconception #2: Building or buying a van will cost you $100,000 or will require mechanic, carpenter, and electrician skills.
Many people think living in a van isn’t as bad as they thought it was because of social media. The van life way of life is all about being simple. To make more room in our lives for what is important, we should get rid of the things we don’t need. On Instagram, people who live in vans are often shown with huge Mercedes sprinters that have fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms as well as showers and everything else you could want. It’s hard for most people to believe that people can afford to drive these cars.
The truth about van life is that you don’t need a big, high-tech car to get around. Even when we see one of these cars, we usually think to ourselves, “Wow! How hard it would be to park that thing” (ok sometimes we are thinking how good an onboard shower would be).
If you have a cheap second-hand van and a few thousand dollars to spend on a basic fit-out and finish, you can go on the road in your own converted van. I did it in about five weeks, even though I didn’t knew what I was doing.
Because van living is a way of life, you don’t need to be a carpenter to build your own car. I have now turned two cars into mobile homes, even though neither of my family members had any experience or knowledge in the field.
I was very happy with what I have done, even though my work won’t win any awards. Besides that, I have learned a lot about the many parts of a converted van. When my van conversion goes wrong, I was much more likely to be able to fix it because I built it myself.
Van conversion is an interesting project that you can do on your own. If you decide to do it, you will have a lot of information at your fingertips. You can get a lot of good advice from blogs and van-life-specific communities like those on Reddit and Facebook. You can also get advice from people you know like your family and your neighbors. Even the people who work at your local hardware store are usually happy to give you some good advice if you just ask them about it.
When you make the decision to go through with something, the hardest part is to do it. What you don’t know now will become clear as you proceed.
Misconception #3: Every campsite is directly from National Geographic.
If you follow all the #vanlifers on Instagram, you might think that every campground has a stunning view of craggy snow-covered mountains or is perched high on a cliff overlooking a beautiful beach. This is not the case. As well as the fact that every morning you will not wake up to a beautiful sunrise, and every evening you spend around a campfire under a beautiful sky.
When you live in a van, it may be difficult, unpleasant, and even tiring to find a campground. Van living is a fact of life. In our trips, I had a lot of disagreements about where to stay for the night.
To be honest, you might spend more nights in a car park than you thought you would when you first started living in a van. Other than that, you might end up sneaking around all night or living in a caravan park so close that you can hear your neighbor sneeze from across the street.
In order to be a good person, you have to accept both the good and the bad. For us, it’s worth it if you spend more time camping outside than you do in Walmart’s parking lot.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
Misconception #3: Traveling is easy life.
“How difficult can life in a van be?” a lot of people ask themselves. People, who live in a van all the time don’t always have it as easy as the images on Instagram show.
If you live on the road, you have to live in a small space. It doesn’t matter how big your van is, though. When you add one or more people or animals to the mix, living in a tiny home on wheels may become even more claustrophobic.
Having to live in a small space, with other people or pets, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week can be hard. After getting stuck on the side of the road because of a flat tire, getting caught up in police corruption in another country, having trouble finding somewhere to camp, and even the seemingly insignificant things like how long it takes to get a shower, you may face other problems and obstacles.
The truth about living in a van isn’t always as beautiful as people think. Leaving behind some of the problems that come with “normal” living, like paying rent or energy bills and dealing with your job, is a good thing. However, every day on the road brings new problems and barriers to deal with.
Misconception #4: You can’t bring pets with you.
if you have a pet and are worried about whether it will be able to fit in the little car. Please don’t worry! People who live in their vans often have dogs, cats, and other pets as friends. As a matter of fact, I have met people who have taken in animals as part of their trip plans.
So don’t use the fact that you have a pet as an excuse not to join in the vanlife movement. Taking your pet the right documents and getting them vaccinated when you cross borders may take a little longer, but it’s worth it in the long run because your pet will be safe. As long as you and your pet are relaxing on a private beach in Mexico, basking in the sun, all of this will be worth it at the end of the day.
Misconception #5: Every day is perfect.
Again, the way van life is shown on Instagram is very glamorous. You will find perfect shots such as that of the blue sky, people reading in their well-kept cars, models standing outside of old cars with surfboards in their hands and looking out into a calm sea, couples enjoying the sunrise while sitting on the sand with a cup of coffee in hand. Nonetheless, I’m here that most of the images are heavily staged and you will really not like it if those images were shot at random.
Some days are boring and not very interesting. Public parks or run-down cafes are where I had to work sometimes. I had to try hard to find a source of water that is safe. I have even done dishes in the middle of a park.
Just like the normal life, there are days when things don’t go as planned. There are also days when it rains a lot, when your battery can never get enough sunlight to charge your devices, and when you’re just plain depressed and down.
Even worse, these problems don’t always get better right away. You will never forget being stranded in the Peruvian bush for three days. On the other hand, having to stay in the back of the van on weekends when the rain won’t stop can be a pain.
These are the stories that will last, and even if we weren’t laughing at the time, you will look back on them and laugh.
Misconception #5: We never bathe.
Instagram may make you think that you will wake up every day of your future life looking like you just walked out of Vogue. I can tell you that this is not true.
For example, a lot of people go on vacation in a van that has a full bathroom and shower. However, even if you don’t have the money, you can still keep basic hygiene while on the road.
When I lived in one place, I took showers every day. I have been on the road for about two years now, and with a few small changes, I can wash my clothes every week.
Van life doesn’t matter where in the world you live. There are many ways to stay clean on the road. If you’re willing to put in the work, it’s never too hard to find a real shower. The United States is not one country where you can join a gym that has locations all over the country. You can also go to truck stops along highways in Chile, or there may be free campsites with showers in Australia where you can exercise. Swimming holes, rivers, and the sea, of course, are great places to cool off and wash off, no matter where you are.
Solar shower bags and portable showers that run on 12-volts or solar power can be bought for cheap. These cheap and simple outdoor showers can work for the time being until the next roadhouse or swimming hole is reached. Ecologically friendly wet wipes and enough deodorant can fill in the gaps if you’re traveling in a very remote place as a last-ditch measure.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
