Vanlifers reveal the toughest challenges of a mobile lifestyle

trip

by tracy swartz

So much for Vantasea.

My dream of ditching my expensive apartment for the adventures and endless excitement of an Instagram-worthy nomadic RV began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the #VanLife movement is showing signs of slowing amid return-to-office mandates and rising gas prices, leaving pioneers struggling with unexpected repair costs, isolation, safety concerns and cumbersome logistics. He talks about the shortcomings and the bumps in speed during the journey.

“Everything is 10 times harder,” Siena Yulin, 23, admitted to the Wall Street Journal last week. “But it’s also all incredibly beautiful and rewarding.”

Mr. Julin, from Missouri, admitted he was working three part-time jobs to recoup the $5,000 he spent repairing the transmission of the white Ford Transit he bought in August.

Emily Hofferber, a 28-year-old freelance photographer, also complained to the Journal about the exhausting complexity of daily decision-making, such as assessing the safety of sleeping conditions during truck stops.

“You always have to make big choices and think about all the little things you need to do to survive,” Hofferber said.

A recent post on the Reddit Van Dwellers channel shared even more frustrations.

“I had a nervous breakdown after just a few months of living the van life,” one Redditor wrote. “My mental health hasn’t been the best to begin with, so take that with a grain of salt. I still feel like van life is a great way to live. I imagined that I would make a lot of friends in the process.”

Another Redditor replied, “Making friends takes time. You can't just meet someone and befriend them over the weekend,” adding, “Additionally, a lot of the expenses of van life are from moving. Of course, you will have to pay for gas, but it will be less,” he added. Obviously, moving around a lot means you don't have the opportunity to know where you can get essentials like groceries cheaply, and end up paying more for anything. It will be. ”

In November, Men's Journal asked, “Is van life nearing its end?” The rise of van rental programs is allowing people with wanderlust to try life on the road without having to work full time. He pointed out that it is now possible to Some aspiring believers decide that it is not for them.

For example, Katie Weaver described her short-lived 2013 Ford Econoline E-150 adventure in the New York Times Magazine as “cramped, sloppy, and awful.”

Still, there are some people who are enthusiastic about the movement.

Abby Jocelyn, who has 133,000 followers on Instagram, told Marketplace last month that she was “quitting” her lifestyle, even though she was unable to drive in a van for five months after an accident last summer. No,” he said.

“I feel like I’m not doing everything I want to do,” she said.