Introduction
As the “Vanlife” movement really takes off, more and more people are looking to join the community on the road. But not all is sunshine and roses. The idea of lower costs and spectacular views is enough to entice people. This is the “warts and all” section where you can see if the pros outweigh the cons. Some of the pros and cons can be a little subjective, and some of them are specific to how you set up your space. When I go through the cons I will make suggestions of solutions but they may have a con associated with them too.
Pros
Freedom to Travel
This is definitely one of the biggest perks of being on the road. When people ask, “Well where is your garden?” You get the satisfaction of saying, “Wherever I want it to be”
Lower Cost of Living
This is not a given. As with anything, if you go too lavish, then it can cost more than living in a house. This is going to be dependent on where you are staying overnight. Would you need an electric hook-up? This is why a lot of people opt for the off-grid setup. What are the average miles that you are travelling? Are you eating out again? But it is definitely easier to live cheaper in a van than in a house.
Connection to Nature
There is a lot to be said about the health benefits of being out in nature. There was a story that I heard from someone that had travelled out to Scandinavia in their van. She was in the middle of a forest, campfire burning and a hot drink. Then she heard wolves howling. She said that she had never felt more alive, or so close to nature. This is definitely one of the things that I also want to experience.
Minimalism
In one 2020 study, "all participants indicated that adopting a minimalistic lifestyle afforded a myriad of well-being benefits," from enhanced autonomy and competence to mindfulness and overall positive emotions. Materialism, on the other hand, has been linked to loneliness.
Learning Experiences
This could be a big section really as this is another massive perk to van life. I will try not to ramble too much. For many van lifers, this is a fundamental part of being on the road. Where people have come to the realisation that they will not ever be able to get on the property ladder or have certain luxuries, they are opting to have experiences over material things. There is the not-so-obvious where you will learn a host of helpful life skills, that otherwise may not be learnt in a traditional house setting: carpentry, mechanical, navigational, first aid, space-saving, and more. Beyond that, there are various places that you can go and see first-hand. We love to explore history and look at historic buildings, especially castles. It is well worth getting an English Heritage membership if you go to these sites quite often, they also provide membership for Europe as well. It doesn't stop there as being very much a part of the future is at the forefront.
This life is not just for the lone rangers or young couples. There are a number of people taking to the road with offspring in tow. Due to the COVID pandemic, more and more people are opting not to send their children back to school and home-school instead. This is a movement in itself, and for some people, this is proven to be done very effectively on the road. There are just endless opportunities to provide experiences for the ever-curious minds of children. In the UK education for children is compulsory. Sending them to school is not.
Cons
Where to pull up for the night?
Depending on where you are, this could be the difference between sleeping on a beautiful coast, with the ocean just at the door looking at spectacular views, or you are in a car park hoping that nobody gets annoyed with you being there. Many van lifers have spoken of the “Knock”. This is when someone knocks to tell you that you can't be there. The solution? Find a layby or a campsite to sleep in overnight. You will have to consider the cost of a campsite, but you may benefit from a Caravan and Motorhome Club membership that covers the UK and Europe.
Funding
Although living in a van can cost less, it is not free. You will have to consider how you are going to bring in money each month. A very small percentage of people would consider themselves retired, and live off the savings and pensions that they have accumulated. For other people, it may be finding work as they go. This can be harder to do in some countries than others. This will be practically impossible in the UK for example. For most people, this will undoubtedly lead to being a “digital nomad”. This brings us to the next issue…
Signal and Getting online
The trouble with being somewhere beautiful and unspoiled by man is getting a mobile signal is difficult at best. The only solution to this that I have seen is Starlink. Although this is not full coverage globally, it still has massive coverage across the world. Not only that, it offers speeds that not only mean you are able to work remotely, but do much more. If you fancy yourself as a gamer, this will meet your needs too. It will cost you more than your average house broadband though.
Cleaning and Hygiene
This is going to be very dependent on what your personal setup is. If you are not able to build a shower in your chosen vehicle then your choices are going to be more limited to public places. I have spoken to other people on the road that will unashamedly use public toilets/restrooms to have a wash in. There are actually a number of choices though, with some more obvious than others: campsites, hotels/B&Bs/motels, service stations (some will actually have shower facilities), gymnasiums (some will let you use the shower facilities for a nominal charge), beaches (depending on the beaches size and popularity), swimming pools, and truck stops.
There are also a number of products and designs to take your own shower with you: Portable camping shower. There are a couple of drawbacks to this such as no privacy and you will have to heat the water first, but it is very small and portable if space is an issue. Just attach it to a tree or even the side of your vehicle and you are good to go.
If you have a bigger vehicle (this is why we got a big van), then build a shower. The decision you will have to make is how much space it's going to occupy. Do you have a full built-in shower or do you go for something hidden away? I have seen designs for smaller hatchback vans, like a VW T4, where the shower head is built into the door, so that when you open it you can hang a curtain and shower. Something similar can be done with bigger vans that have twin doors at the back. There are also designs where the shower tray is hidden away and when you pull it out, there is a shower curtain that can be attached to the van ceiling. Then all you need is a shower head, which can have its own pump and water heater or have it attached to the sink tap.
Lack of Privacy
Living in a van means spending most of your time in public places. Whether you're showering at the gym, brushing your teeth at a service station, making coffee in a car park, or sleeping under a streetlamp, privacy may seem lost at times. Anyone can peek into your home, and if people think you are in, they may very well knock.
Blackout window covers are definitely a good idea, not just for privacy but also with providing insulation during the winter.
There is such a thing as “stealth camping.” Some people will set their van up so that it has no additional windows for this reason. Then it looks like just another van parked up. Other people will opt for side windows with limousine-grade tinting for the same reason. If you have a van set up with no bulkhead, then it is possible to get a cover that would go where the bulkhead goes, fixed in place by Velcro. The idea is that if you can’t see any light from the outside, then why would anyone suspect that there is someone in?
Lack of Stability
Continuous change is undoubtedly one of the main premises behind van life. That is what you are looking for too, right? While waking up to new scenery and new experiences has been statistically proven to make people happier, too much can be overwhelming. It’s all about routine. There was a psychology study in 2020 deducing that there are in fact two types of routine. 12 Primary routines that are "behaviours necessary for maintaining livelihood and biological needs.” This is your basic needs like washing, eating, and sleeping. Secondary routines "reflect individual circumstances, motivations, and preferences." This is your working, socialising, going to the gym, that sort of thing.
I have heard stories where this very thing has caused people to feel very overwhelmed and long for home. To combat this I am in the process of finding a small patch of land so that it is not as expensive as getting a house. The intention is that this will become a place to return to. It will be a place to store the things that we can’t take with us. It will be a place that we can eventually build on and a place to call home when we are having a break from travelling.
