Van life can be romantic. Especially if you’re sitting in a crisp stateroom, the interior of a crisp white camper van, a woman sipping coffee in bed and dreamily gazing at the red cliffs of the Grand Canyon, or a tanned young man in a tricked-out van. Especially if you’re browsing Instagram photos of them posing next to you. surfboard.
Things like that can happen when you’re living the van life, but there are many things that aren’t talked about much. No one wants to post on Instagram how dirty their van is or how they feel after going days without a shower. Social media is all about the positives, so no one wants to discuss the negatives, right?
There are many good things about van life, but there are also many things that no one will tell you about. Having lived in a Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Astro van, and Mercedes Sprinter van, here is my summary:
#1 Van life is dirty
I’m sure there are some people who understand deep down, live in a van Must be a dirty effort. But you may not realize how dirty it is. Since we are not “campground people,” we usually park for free on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the National Forest Service. This means we are camping in the dirt. We are driving down a dusty dirt road trying to find a place to sleep. We walk in the dirt, hike, bike, shower, and wash dishes.
The 1994 Chevy Astro van we lived in for three years was an old van with dirt stuck all over it. As I cleaned the dirt, I found a thin layer of dust had accumulated on the windowsill, refrigerator, shelves, and even the pillows. road. My hair was rough. Dirt got under my fingernails, covered my paws, and stuck in my nose. This is one of the biggest challenges in vanlife because I hate feeling dirty.
Now that you have a new 2021 Sprinter van conversion, dirt is less likely to find its way into the interior of your vehicle. Our sheets, pillows and walls remain very clean. Our large van also has a 27-gallon water storage container under the chassis, which we use to wash away dust with our solar shower. There’s nothing better than falling asleep in a camper with clean hair and a clean body. It makes a big difference in the world.
#2 Van toilets are disgusting.
people told me Camper bathroom. Do you really want to store human waste several feet away from where you sleep and cook? When you live in a van, your bathroom options are limited. You can also have a portable cassette toilet, where you have to carry the cassette toilet and dump it in a public toilet.
Another option is a composting toilet that separates human waste. The liquid is placed in a container and must be emptied every few days, while the solids are “composted” in the bin along with bulking agents such as coconut coir or wood chips. The problem is that it doesn’t compost right away, so you end up dumping semi-composted, stinky chunks of waste either in a big hole dug in the middle of nowhere or in a garbage bag that has to be thrown away.
Another option many van dwellers use is to line a plastic bag with cat litter in a 5-gallon bucket and throw the bag away.
Which of these options seems most suitable for you? None of them are great, so we decided against installing a toilet in the camper. It’s easier for us to find a public toilet or dig a cat hole in the middle of nowhere than to live in a garbage dump or a small space full of trash.
Everyone is different, but keep all of these things in mind when asking someone living the van life, “Are there toilets there?” (Yes, people ask us this all the time).
#3 Vanlifers have “liquid bottles”
Again, people living in housing often ask about bathroom habits. They don’t know that if vanlifers choose not to carry a toilet with them, they instead use a “liquid” bottle. It’s very troublesome to find a public restroom every time you go. Instead, there are all kinds of plastic containers out there that are good for #1.
I’ve used everything from Costco’s large vertical containers for dried mushrooms to opaque white cat litter containers. Some vanlifers use everything from plastic jugs of almond milk to containers of mixed nuts. The ability to ride in your own van is an absolute must.
Tip #1: For women, choose a bottle with a wide enough mouth.
Tip #2: Hold the container firmly when using. Do not drop the container. I speak here based on personal experience.
#4 Showering outside sucks (but can be great)
I’ve spent a lot of time docking On public desert land outside of Yuma, Arizona (free camping). This occurs in autumn and winter, when daytime temperatures are comfortable, but nighttime temperatures are colder and windier. I showered outdoors in many of these cold conditions, hiding in the back of the van to avoid the wind while standing under the solar shower.
I don’t often look forward to these trembling showers, but splashing yourself with hot water while the Milky Way shines against a pitch-black sky is a wonderful experience, and I always feel better afterwards.
#5 Sometimes all I want is a house
There are times when I get completely bored with van life. This is when you feel dirty, cold, disorganized, or tired of planning your life on the fly. Living in a van makes everything a little more difficult. There is no running water, so washing dishes is difficult. Showering means boiling water on the stove and dumping it into the solar shower bag. Going to the bathroom means getting out of your cozy van on a cold morning and digging a cat hole 6 to 8 inches deep (or walking to the campground bathroom).
I would begin to feel the appeal of sticks and bricks: endless hot water, washer and dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, oven. All the amenities that most people are used to become luxuries to me. I crave those things and dream of “home life,” but then as I take a shower, wash the dishes, and marvel at being able to live in nature, the feeling of wanting a home disappears.
#6 Vanlife is like hunting and gathering.
If your image of vanlife is a carefree world where people are constantly relaxing and engaging in outdoor activities and hobbies, you’re wrong. In contrast, van life involves a lot of moving, research, and decision-making. Where shall I get water? What is the nearest grocery store? Is there a good laundromat in the city? Where are you going camping tonight? We often refer to our lives as “hunting and gathering” because we spend so much time searching for our basic needs. This can be a hassle, but it’s also what keeps life interesting. It feels great to be parked in the same spot for weeks on end.
#7 Living in a van can be lonely.
Van life allows you to move anywhere you want, whenever you want. This is great when traveling to your hometown to spend time with friends and family. I love this aspect of van life and am spending much more time in my home state of Oregon than I used to. But when we leave that comfortable nest, we explore unpopulated corners of nature. We just spend time with each other. This is great because my partner Tom and I are very close, but I also miss social activities like ballroom dancing, happy hours with friends, family barbecues and holidays. To combat loneliness, some vanlifers travel as caravans and join social groups, but we haven’t tried that yet.
#8 Immersing yourself in nature will change your perspective
Now that I’m spending more time in nature, I feel more connected to nature than to civilization or humanity. I love blending in with the hoots of owls, the little mackerel foxes sniffing around the campsite, the birds, and even the tarantulas. You become one with the world around you and feel at peace. Returning to a big city can feel like a culture shock. There’s too much cement, glass, sound, and vehicles. It’s sensory overload!
They also have a greater appreciation for nature and the earth and are changing their behavior to have less of an impact on the environment, such as eating more vegan food.
#9 Weather affects your entire life
When you live at home, it’s hard to imagine the weather controlling your actions. But for vanlifers, weather is everything. If it gets too hot, van life, like most campers, becomes very uncomfortable. There is no air conditioning. We have to drive to places with cooler climates, such as the coast or the mountains. If the weather is forecast to rain, we go somewhere warm and dry. It’s getting colder in the northern states, so we’re driving south to Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico.
Van life is like migratory birds, the weather is our life.
#10 Water becomes a precious commodity
If you’re used to taking long, hot showers, that’s a no-no in van life. The maximum amount of water you can carry in your camper is about 30 gallons. If you plan on camping without power for many days, you need to make your water last longer. We have developed interesting habits such as washing our hands in sequence and at the same time to save water. Each of us takes just 1 to 1.5 gallons in the shower. And we only take showers every other day. Since I don’t use much soap to wash dishes, I don’t need much water.
#11 Van life will change you forever
Living in a van is an experience like no other. The basics of food, water, and shelter have been removed. Material possessions are minimal. Simple pleasures like hot showers, hot springs, delicious food, and the Milky Way become exciting. The rat race becomes a distant memory and you focus on living in the moment. Vanlife also allows you to self-reflect: “Who are you?” What do you want in life? What is your connection to the outside world? What does freedom mean to you?
Vanlife teaches resilience and adaptability. This lifestyle involves many changes that some people find uncomfortable. You need to quickly adapt to new situations and solve problems on the go.
If you ever live at home again, your “van life” training will be of great benefit. We value the environment and live a minimalist life while interacting with nature. No one knows if that will happen anytime soon. Despite the challenges and struggles, I still love living in a van. Because most of the time, freedom and adventure are truly wonderful and something I’m not ready to give up.