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The main draw -

The obvious advantage to living in a van is the opportunity to wake up in a new place every day, protected by your shell.

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At the wheel -

Of course, the benefits of living in a van stretch beyond freedom of location. People tend to also be in control of their own flexible schedules.

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Appreciating the little things -

People living and traveling in a van do it on a significantly smaller budget than traditional travelers, who pay for their stay. They also escape the financial pressure of bills and rent that home dwellers feel. The price for this is that they will lose some of their comforts, but most van-life advocates feel that this allows them to appreciate the little things that much more.

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On the other hand... -

All this said, with van life other expenses do add up quickly. For instance, when traveling with the weight of your entire life inside a van, fuel expenses will be higher than that of an average car.

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Basic amenities -

Also, finding amenities like water can be difficult, and it’s not like you can just start purchasing bottles of water–the kitchen, toilet, shower, and engine all require a hefty volume of water.

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Budgeting -

If people are wise with their money, they can usually get by with around US$400 a month, not including fixed costs like van tax and insurance.

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A different mindset -

This rationing and minimalist lifestyle make it desirable for people who don’t mind giving up the comforts of “normal life.”

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Social media depictions -

There are plenty of channels that follow some beautiful couple’s lives, which appear to be perfect. They might work for four hours in the morning, then she does yoga while he cooks lunch and cleans a little before they head off to their following stunning location for the evening. However, these channels don't often cover the practicalities.

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Remote work -

Most people will work remotely while living in a van, but this isn’t very simple either. The voltage that most laptops take to charge is much more than a van has to offer, and so they will have to invest in some sort of transformer and a lot of energy to run through it.

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Half traveling -

As working remotely can be inconsistent, many people stay in a particular place to work odd jobs to earn cash to continue their travels. This semi-permanent living may extend to living in an apartment while the van undergoes renovations, for example.

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Pick a spot and stay a while -

When the realities begin to add up, people tend not to travel as they expect, and instead find a decent spot to park for a while.

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Laws and attitudes -

Depending on what country you’re in, there are different laws and attitudes towards living in a van. In a lot of places, you can’t park your van wherever you like.

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Water and toilet -

Water and sewage have to be seen to every few days, which is one of the many things to think about while living in a van.

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Pit stops -

It’s often free at campsites, or at least these services are available for a small fee.

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It's a lot of work too -

Despite the freedom that living in a van grants in terms of location, traveling isn't easy sometimes. There are many things to organize and think about.

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Personal space -

The challenges of living with another person are only magnified by living in the minimal amount of space that the back of a van can offer.

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Getting started -

Before setting off, there is also quite a lot to consider, which doesn’t stop at plumbing, electrics, and mechanics, but also extends to plans in case of emergencies.

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DIY -

Most people won’t have money to dish out to other people to just deliver the van of their dreams (or even a van that will get the job done), so they have to do a lot of renovating and repairing themselves.

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Emergencies -

Breakdowns, flat tires in the pouring rain, and break-ins are pretty common and can be disastrous for van-living people’s livelihoods.

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It's hard to stay clean -

Having fresh clothes to put on every day would become a privilege of the past. For the most part, if you check the social media of anyone living out of their van, you will be able to identify their entire wardrobe in the first 10 photos. 

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Mental well-being -

Having unrealistic expectations regarding life in a van can be detrimental to mental health in causing stress.

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A lack of control -

The comforts that we surround ourselves with essentially control our environment. We are rarely very cold or too hot in our homes. We also have the privacy of a bathroom, and so on. By the way, that odd-looking contraption is a toilet!

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Uncomfortable realities -

When these are taken away, we are subject to the uncomfortable realities of nature. Regularly waking up at 6 am due to the heat or waking up with everything wet are minor inconveniences for the van-life community, relative to an engine failure, for instance.

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The opportunity for bliss -

With this in mind, the lack of insulation from the natural world also gives rise to the opportunity for all of the van-life benefits. Waking up on the beach with the sea calmly caressing your tired eyes just isn’t that common when living in a house.

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Washing -

As spoken about before, water is also something that needs to be managed on an ongoing basis. People who live in vans don’t park near rivers and beaches just for the view, but also so that they can wash.

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No chefs allowed -

Like most ways of living, there are pros and cons. Another possible annoyance is that you won’t be able to cook extravagant meals. Not because of the cost, but because the likelihood is that you won’t have the facilities to do so.

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Hobbies become number one -

People focus their attention elsewhere. The van-life community spends a lot of time rock climbing, surfing, practicing yoga, meditating, and playing music.

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Van-life community -

The community is vast and very welcoming. It’s straightforward to meet people, as there are a limited number of free campsites in most countries, which people living in their renovated van gravitate towards.

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Unique in its offers -

In a nutshell, van life comes with many rewards. There’s no other lifestyle that gives you so much freedom in terms of your location. Someone living in a house can hardly roll out of bed onto the sand, stretch out, and stroll for 90 seconds to the ocean.

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Unique in its sacrifices -

Simultaneously, nothing as rewarding as this kind of living comes without its own set of challenges and sacrifices. Most of them are associated with security and everything we have in our homes that we take for granted, like water, food, and electricity.

Sources: (Vice)(Uproxx)

See also: Travel mistakes you’re probably making (and how to avoid them)

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