The Bright Side of Van Life

Always look on the bright side of life.

When I published my frustrations with van life earlier this year, I never expected it to resonate with so many people!

The responses we received were insightful and deeply appreciated, but we also we feel like we connected with a group of adventure travelers we’d love to meet in person someday as we continue our journey. There is so much we can learn from each other and having a community of kindred spirits is priceless. So thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts so far.

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As a writer, I used to struggle with the idea of being real because so often in society, we are taught to only share the good life with our readers. Afterall, the feel good stuff is what sells whether it’s about business, health, wealth, or travel. The idea is to make people believe in the fantasy and get them to buy into it. That just isn’t me.

While I never want to come across as pessimistic or negative, there is a reality of life where things don’t always go as planned, contrary to what those beautiful, glossy magazines or Instagram photos lead us to believe, and having traveled full-time for almost six years now, I can say the good life isn’t always so good.

Therefore, when we get the opportunity to share our experiences with you, we certainly want it to be honest and real because you deserve the truth, which is why I think this article did as well as it did.

But I don’t want the conversation to end there either.

In thinking about our overall experience so far, as well as some of the comments from readers, I don’t want it to come across as in I hate traveling because that’s not the truth either. I absolutely love being a digital nomad couple and having the freedom to explore no matter what the mode of transportation might be, even in times it feels uncomfortable or stressful, or when I’d really prefer a hybrid approach¹ instead.

However, there are great benefits of van life, too.

In February for example, we visited Navarre Beach, Florida, while boondocking in a guy’s backyard only five minutes from the beach. We’d get up in the morning and drive over to the mostly empty parking lot to spend the day overlooking the ocean, while working from the comfort from the van. Aside from the gas and food we paid for anyway, this was all free. A hotel there would’ve easily cost $150 per night or more.

Thanks to Harvest Host, (affiliate link) we’ve crashed at breweries, farms, a military museum, and a church parking lot, mostly for free or from purchasing beer or food that we’d buy anyway. They haven’t all been epic experiences with great views or perks, most of those moments have been memorable and fun.

Along our routes, we’ve also camped at several state and national parks, all for less than $30 per night for full hookups and facilities, while being very close to beautiful places to explore. The most memorable ones this year so far were Quartz Mountain State Park in Oklahoma, E.G. Simmons Conservation Park in Florida, and Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. And that’s only a few.

So there is a huge benefit to van life in this way because you can easily find free or cheap places to stay that are close to epic destinations.

Aside from the angry and impatient drivers on the road, or the high winds blowing us around like paper and making my butthole pucker, traveling in the camper van has been mostly easy.

Unlike the bigger rigs or trailers, we can park in a standard parking spot, and when we figure out where we want to stop, the most difficult thing we do is getting the van level and plugging into shore power if we need it. It’s just that simple.

I certainly don’t miss having to shimmy myself under a hardshell tonneau cover and rooftop tent on the truck for what we need or lugging in a full rolling cart of supplies like we did while staying in hotels.

Living in the camper van has made my life a hell of a lot better in that respect, especially now that we’ve figured out what we need and where to store it.

I’m also very thankful for our van despite those challenges I wrote about before because without it, we probably would’ve had to settle down and live a conventional life, and I can’t even begin to think about how much that would suck!

When we started our journey, we lived in hotels and resorts, which were a lot cheaper then. Now, the standard rate in a fairly decent hotel is $100 per night, but if you want a better experience, those rates are a lot higher without any added benefits. Even our Hilton Vacation Club points don’t bring us the crazy value we used to get, which saved us thousands of dollars and earned us weeks of free stays between 2021-2024.

With the cost of everything rising and income fluctuating, the van provides a solid living option. Even if we couldn’t continue to drive around the United States full-time, we could park it at an RV resort like Southern Aire, and manage to survive in a nice community. Additionally, we could also rent out the van for income to offset the costs.

One other benefit: getting great beer in places where you can only get it.

All that being said, there are bright sides to van life, and I don’t want everyone to think it’s horrible, because it’s not. It’s nowhere near perfect (nothing ever is) and there are those things I wish could be different, but I’m mostly glad that we took this leap of faith. We would’ve never known what van life was like if we didn’t do it, plus it gives us more content to write about and share. LOL!

In conclusion, I’d like to give you this advice if you’re thinking about going this route as a solo traveler or as a couple.

Spend the money and rent a camper van for at least a week or a month if you’re able. Take it somewhere where there are hills and wind, and do it without much planning in advance. Drive it on the highways and backroads. Cook in it and poop in it, preferably not at the same time. Park in a secluded place and close to railroad tracks. Pack only what you need and don’t take a shower for days. Then, you will have a small taste of what van life is like. Maybe this will be better in helping you decide.

As for us, we will continue on. We’ll get more comfortable with it and learn how to adapt as we go. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Thanks for reading! 🚐

1. If you asked me what I would prefer right now, if money were not part of the equation, my preference would be keeping our Silverado 1500 Trail Boss or similar truck outfitted with a popup bed camper with heat and AC options for offroad adventures, while living in hotels and resorts like we did when we first started. This would be the best of both worlds.