- The concept of van life has intrigued me for years.
- I've interviewed dozens of nomads who have encouraged others to try van life on short trips.
- I did just that. After two weeks in the van, I still dream of living on the road.
Last summer, after a night of tossing and turning, I stepped outside my dew-covered tent in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Before watching the vivid sunset, the first thing that crossed my mind was how the hump in my back wasn't there if I had slept on the mattress.
The previous spring, I woke up sweaty at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and wanted a Glacier Freeze Gatorade that had been chilling in the fridge all night.
Sandwiched between tent nights were countless early morning hikes and late night stargazing that made me wish the comfort of home was just a few feet away instead of miles away.
These desires can be fulfilled with van life. Especially since the versions of van life I saw while scrolling through Instagram and his TikTok seemed like the perfect fit for my outdoor lifestyle.
Although not everyone who lives in their vehicle does so by choice, vehicle homelessness is on the rise across the United States. A growing population of people are choosing to live in cars, vans, and RVs. The pandemic and rising cost of living have led more people to trade their homes and apartments for cars. In fact, Allied Market Research reports that the global RV market was valued at $57.3 billion in 2021 and could reach $117 billion by 2031.
Last October, it was my turn to try that lifestyle.
Rather than diving headfirst into the lifestyle, I took it for a test drive
Since becoming a reporter for Business Insider, I've profiled dozens of nomads living in RVs, vans, travel trailers, and tiny houses on wheels.
Interview after interview, post-conversion conversations, and advice kept popping up.
“I recommend renting a van for at least a week or two.” maddie garrett, a 25-year-old man who moved into a Subaru Outback and recently upgraded to a Ram Promaster, previously told BI. “After that, it's like, 'Okay, I can do this.'”
This lifestyle also has its downsides. Restrooms and campsites can be difficult to find, people can struggle to find community, and not everyone is built to live in a state of flux.
For some people, the positives outweigh the negatives. For others, the benefits are not top of mind.
As someone who has a habit of romanticizing mundane tasks like walking around the neighborhood or shopping for groceries, I felt I needed to give it a try before uprooting my life and emptying my bank account.
Last summer, I started planning a two-week trip in a camper. Two weeks was plenty of time to try camping at RV resorts, public lands, and parking lots outside Cracker Barrel and Walmart.
I was able to shop for groceries and cook meals while balancing long days of driving and isolated days of hiking.
I knew two weeks wasn't enough time to experience every aspect of vanlife. For example, my biggest hesitation is the fear of being alone while traveling. I knew I wouldn't be facing that in two weeks.
But I was hopeful that two weeks would give me some insight into whether it would be a lifestyle I could explore more in the future.
We rented a Ram ProMaster for two weeks and covered six states.
While researching various campervan rental companies, Native Campervans caught my eye. This rental company has four locations, with a hub in Denver. This eliminates the need to board a plane while traveling.
Plus, their vans are exactly what I dreamed of when I envisioned van life. I rented a Ram ProMaster and it was about 75 square feet, small enough to fit in an everyday parking lot but plenty of space for one person.
A set of keys was handed over by the rental company in October. I visited a variety of destinations, including deserts, mountains, forests, and cities, and packed my bags for each location. Also, I went to Costco a few days ago to buy some outdoor gear and groceries. Simply put, I packed too much into it.
After seeing more than a dozen bags comfortably fit in the van, my initial fears about van life, that I wouldn't have enough space to live, disappeared. I decided that 75 square feet would be enough for me to do it full time.
After unpacking my luggage, I climbed into the front seat and set off for New Mexico.
For the next two weeks, I explored the American Southwest. We drove through small mountain towns, got stuck in traffic in big cities like Las Vegas, and discovered campsites on public land in the middle of nowhere.
I fell in love with the freedom the van gave me. When I got hungry, I parked the car and made breakfast. When I got tired, I found a quiet place to take a nap. When I was itching to go hiking, all I had to do was pull up a map and find a place to explore.
I saw some impressive scenery that I would never have been able to see on my weekend trip from Denver. I met fascinating people who were eager to share their life stories. And I discovered more about myself.
I dropped off the van and left more interested in the lifestyle
I've been romanticizing the lifestyle for a long time, but my biggest fear on this trip was that my yearning for van life would disappear.
If anything, it was the opposite.
I went home exhausted but learned some lessons. There's no need to travel so quickly anymore. In my opinion, I think 6 states for him in 2 weeks is about 5 states too many.
Cooking fancy meals and baking bread would be hobbies I would leave behind if I were to live a nomadic life. I haven't seen many vans with ovens.
And I still worry that I'll end up alone after spending months moving from place to place.
But beyond that, I experienced the charm that so many people describe and would love to try it again. This time, however, I might be leaving my apartment for a month or two.
