Van Life - Anyone Living It? (1 Viewer)

[yak651]

Wife and I really would like to get a camper van.  We love road trips, exploring state and national parks, hiking, etc.  Unfortunately these things are $$$, we could afford some of the newer Class B Rv's, but not sure I want to drop $85-100k on something that I'm not sure we will love or not.  Like the Winnebago Era 70a floor plan, actually looked at a used one local to us a year ago.  Was just starting to look at these when we did and looking back we probably should've pulled the trigger as was selling for $65k and had 35k miles on it.  Since then haven't seen anything close to this mileage/price.  Also thought of buying a sprinter van and converting it, tons of videos on youtube of people doing it.  We are handy, but not sure I want to buy a $45k van and then chop holes in it...Anyhow, just thought I would see if anyone here as any experience living the van life...

 

[El Floppo]

Really thought this was going to be about living in a van under a bridge by the river. Kinda disappointed, tbh. But good luck! Pandemic is the time to do the camper thing for sure.

 

[Don Hutson]

Definitely try to simulate the experience before buying an expensive vehicle.  Maybe rent a van and camp out of it for a week.  It is easy to romanticize living on the road but the reality is different.  For instance, if you go camping for a weekend, do you feel relief after you are packed up and going home?  Or are you thinking that you regret having to leave?  Most people enjoy the comforts of home and roughing it is best in small doses.  Very small doses.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Skoolie or nothing!

 

[Terminalxylem]

My good friends bought a MB sprinter, high mileage but only a few years old for less than $20K IIRC. They reconfigured it with the help of his electrician father and took it on the road for a year-long climbing trip. It broke down a couple times, and I think repairs were pricey and a PITA. They sold it immediately after their trip.

All that being said, I think they had a blast. If you have the financial means, seems like a great time to drop out of society for a bit. 

Note, these were two late 20's/early 30's outdoor enthusiasts, who are extremely low maintenance by most people's standards. Having taken a couple multi-week road trips myself, being couped up with anyone for an extended period of time can be extremely challenging.

 

[Zegras11]

Down by the river?

 

[northern exposure]

Really. No, @Matt Foley yet?

 

[Courtjester]

RV sales have been off the hook since the virus took hold--something like 1000% increase. If (and I say If) a vaccine is found in some of the time frames being thrown around --say by Spring. all these people that bought these RV's are going to say, "Hey I want to fly somewhere--why would I want to drive. I don't want to pay to store this thing anymore!!" The market for used RVs is going to be flush with deals as people unload these things like crazy. There are going to be killer deals out there late next year I bet. I would just bide your time and wait a year. 

 

[ChainsawU]

tons of videos on youtube of people doing it

van life: how a hippie-inspired lifestyle gets monetized for social media

It is easy to romanticize living on the road but the reality is different.

 

[ChainsawU]

Was just starting to look at these when we did and looking back we probably should've pulled the trigger as was selling for $65k and had 35k miles on it.

This is the dream you're chasing. Not "van life." Hone your negotiating skills. Start small. Become a master negotiator. Focus on the big picture, embrace your  f̶r̶e̶e̶d̶o̶m̶ sixty five thousand dollars, and delete your facebook account with both middle fingers.

 

[Punxsutawney Phil]

As soon as the self driving Tesla one comes out I am in.

 

[stbugs]

RV sales have been off the hook since the virus took hold--something like 1000% increase. If (and I say If) a vaccine is found in some of the time frames being thrown around --say by Spring. all these people that bought these RV's are going to say, "Hey I want to fly somewhere--why would I want to drive. I don't want to pay to store this thing anymore!!" The market for used RVs is going to be flush with deals as people unload these things like crazy. There are going to be killer deals out there late next year I bet. I would just bide your time and wait a year. 

Agreed. Wife and want to retire at the lake (were thinking beach earlier) and almost every house I save on Zillow has sold. Boats are the same, really hot sales wise. You’ve got to think that so many people bought vacation homes and boats to get out of the rat race like RVs and many will get tired of it as soon as we are out of the woods. So many people make really rash decisions.

 

[yak651]

RV sales have been off the hook since the virus took hold--something like 1000% increase. If (and I say If) a vaccine is found in some of the time frames being thrown around --say by Spring. all these people that bought these RV's are going to say, "Hey I want to fly somewhere--why would I want to drive. I don't want to pay to store this thing anymore!!" The market for used RVs is going to be flush with deals as people unload these things like crazy. There are going to be killer deals out there late next year I bet. I would just bide your time and wait a year. 

I agree with this, think going to try and hold out for another year 

 

[zamboni]

Get one of these bad boys

 

[El Floppo]

tons of videos on youtube of people doing it

van life: how a hippie-inspired lifestyle gets monetized for social media

It is easy to romanticize living on the road but the reality is different.

Don't say "nest", don't say "egg".

 

[SFBayDuck]

Not quite the same thing, but I took a 10 day trip a few summers ago. I rented an SUV and set up a bed in the back, a few bins of stuff, and went from the Bay Area to Flagstaff, on to the San Juan mountains in CO, to Moab, and then home. Camped for free the whole time, much of the time on BLM land. Hiked, ran trails, fished, hit breweries in each town, and met some cool people. One of my favorite vacations ever. Really grew to enjoy the “routine” each evening of getting some ice for the cooler, some firewood, filling a growler, and heading out to a beautiful campsite for the night. 

So the van life thing is super appealing to me.  But at this point in my life I’m more thinking about doing the rv thing in retirement and seeing the country that way. 

 

[Zasada]

Camped for free the whole time, much of the time on BLM land. Hiked, ran trails, fished, hit breweries in each town, and met some cool people. One of my favorite vacations ever.

I daydream about doing this.  Just parking at a trailhead and running trails every morning when I get up.

Then I start thinking about reality.  No warm shower, stinking up the van with my running stank, etc.  

 

[Jackstraw]

Definitely try to simulate the experience before buying an expensive vehicle.  Maybe rent a van and camp out of it for a week.  It is easy to romanticize living on the road but the reality is different.  For instance, if you go camping for a weekend, do you feel relief after you are packed up and going home?  Or are you thinking that you regret having to leave?  Most people enjoy the comforts of home and roughing it is best in small doses.  Very small doses.

Good advice. I'm a semi-retired deadhead and I lived the life for sure. Some people need a "home base" more than they need the creature comforts in my opinion. Some people are simply oriented more to a physical place while others have their sense of home more internal if you will. 

My parents are also air conditioned gypsies so we were always home where we laid our head. Some people simply need to be more grounded. Neither good nor bad character trait. Just is what it is. These people were our Oasis's while we were the road and we were their guides when they came out on the road. Symbiotic relationship.  

But as for me I'd prefer miles to go before I sleep. 

 

[NutterButter]

As soon as the self driving Tesla one comes out I am in.

It would be something if they came up with a self driving RV at some point.   Just cruising around the country chasing the beautiful weather.  

 

[SFBayDuck]

I daydream about doing this.  Just parking at a trailhead and running trails every morning when I get up.

Then I start thinking about reality.  No warm shower, stinking up the van with my running stank, etc.  

I definitely took a few cold dips in alpine lakes with some Dr. Bronner's soap to clean up after runs.  The days I was in Silverton for Hardrock, the high school gym (and locker room) was open as they were race HQ, so I had access to showers for those days.  I found a laundromat that had pay showers in Durango (some truck stops do as well, which I've used on trips when I've gone for a run in the mountains and then had to head to the airport to fly home). And I have one of these camp showers, which at least gets lukewarm if left in the sun for awhile, and it served double duty as my wash station for dishes.  So I took some form of shower/bath every single day, and rinsed out my running gear daily.

 

[Punxsutawney Phil]

It would be something if they came up with a self driving RV at some point.   Just cruising around the country chasing the beautiful weather.  

Imagine yesterday afternoon you got home from work, and the wife already had the self driving RV loaded.  You pop inside the house only to take one last in a brick and mortar bathroom, then off you go.  Your sitting back browsing the FFA and enjoying a beverage.  The wife is browsing FB and about to put some appetizers in the oven.  You proceed to enjoy the evening, then fall asleep and wake up at your destination. 

 

[Tick]

The podcast The Distraction (Drew Magary and David Roth) interviewed an author this week who converted a minivan into a home.  It's weird - the thing that drives people to consider this (pandemic forces work from home, which could be anywhere) also makes it difficult.  Places you used to be able to use a restroom or shower are either closed or full of Covid gravy, moving around increases your exposure to more people, etc.

We did a 10-day camper van trip in New Zealand a few years back and it was perfect for a trip around to see lots of places and do fun stuff with a flexible schedule, but we were staying in RV campsites that were relatively expensive... we probably could have just rented a car and stayed in hotels for the same price, but would have lost the flexibility.  I couldn't do it long-term, but I could see renting one for vacations - a trip to Europe, or Alaska, or some other place where there's great stuff to do, but you have to drive around to reach them all.

My boys are now old enough to go on mountain biking trips, and I think next summer we'll likely rent a camper van and hit Copper Harbor, MI and Duluth, MN on a big trip to ride the closest silver- and gold-level ride centers.