33-year-old woman who tried the nomadic lifestyle and ended up broke

[bagabum]

I already knew this was coming. People like Bob W showing this unbelievable lifestyle you're missing out on in your Bricks N Stix pitiful lifestyle. I would bet 90% of the people that are sitting in the woods somewhere are asking themself "WTF have I done". Living in a car is an option, not something you seek out to do. The people that make it work keep selling it. If Bob W. went and tried to do an interview on all of his youtube/affiliation bound videos, he would be performing an exit interview inside an apartment somewhere on the majority of them. Those that are broke, do it, better than sleeping on the street, but to talk people into "living the life" and selling out and "quitting your pitiful income", QUIT selling it, you're hurting people.

 

[Morgana]

I don't think you can entirely blame the "sellers" for this. The "buyers" have some (a lot, IMO) of responsibility too.

Bob Wells helped people to understand that eviction/houselessness doesn't have to be the end of the road. I've only watched/read some of his stuff, and I gather from comments here that he's pushed his ideas harder than he did in the stuff I've seen, but still --

He's pushing one good idea, that works for some people, if they put in the effort and the planning. Far too many people are interpreting that as "wow, if it could solve that big problem, it must be a magic wand that will solve my problems too ... excuse me while I skip over all the hard parts." I've been on this forum less than two years and I've seen plenty of that. You can almost set your watch by it.

Some people will always gravitate to the quick fix, either because they're lazy or because they're desperate. That's kinda on them (with all due compassion for the desperate). It's not like this stuff is being marketed to 12-year-olds. Yes, it's important to be realistic. (Including maybe, sometimes, not problem-solving for someone with a really lunatic idea, even if you could fix one little corner of their Rube Goldberg project?) But the people on the receiving end have some -- I'd say more -- responsibility too.

 

[RvNaut]

another person trying out something as 'they were seduced by the glamour of it all' like LargeMarge said above....

Gooberonomy!!!

Boy Howdy... more to say.. but first... coffee!

YARC indeed

 

[Happy Camper]

I was seduced by the idea of it, but never did do it myself. There was a time where I seriously considered van life, but it didn't work for my situation.

Could I have made it work? Absolutely.
Was it my best option? Absolutely not.

I have been on this board for years because I do believe it's a viable option for some, but not all. I enjoy the ingenuity and the knowledge that has been passed along over the years, and I find it helpful in my own sticks and bricks life.

I have been able to help friends that were forced into the lifestyle transition easier because of all the knowledge I have gained here. And it's made things much better for them. Some things are just harder for some than others. But having some strong basics to work with is so important.

It's one of the reasons I'm still on this forum. I see some that come on and just don't know what they don't know. And I see a lot of answers from people that are living it their way successfully giving good answers.

But as my experience in the tech field taught me, sometimes you're so far along that your "beginner level" advice starts more in the middle of and not at the very basic beginning. It's hard not to when it's a simple assumed thing after a while.

Since I've been here for over half a decade (was a lurker long before I joined), I have seen many people come and go, but the basics are still very much the same. It's why I give advice here. Having never actually done it myself, I can give the advice I have seen work in the past without bias.

You don't need to know everything before you start living the life. But expect that things will be different from your initial expectations. That goes for everything in life.

You might move to another part of the country so you can experience the seasons. Then you find out that you don't like having the streets frozen, or having to rake leaves, etc.

The grass is as green as your make it. Sometimes your side of the fence is just as decent as the alternative.

Expectation is the root of most frustration and anger. Making major or even minor changes are usually with the expectation that it'll be better than the alternative. Ask anybody that expected their partner to change because they should, only to become disenchanted.

It's not a van life problem. It's an expectations vs reality problem. If you can't adapt to changes on the fly. If you aren't mentally and emotionally flexible enough to work through the challenges that occur on the road, then it might not be for you.

If you're forced into the situation, make the best of it and plan on the next steps that'll take you to your green patch of grass. Every situation in life has ups and downs. It's up to you to determine what your reality will be.

 

[user 22017]

You don't need to know everything before you start living the life. But expect that things will be different from your initial expectations. That goes for everything in life.

Glad you said that about not needing to know everything before starting van life. When I first started coming here (2018), numerous regulars on the board at the time were candid about their mistakes starting out and shared how green they were initially. Sometimes laughing at their mistakes.

Now many regulars are suggesting they had/have something special that allowed them to be successful van lifers. Special training, knowledge and or dispositions. To the point that I felt like they were discouraging others from even trying.

 

[user 423]

^So it's better to encourage everyone who wants to hit the road, no matter what?

Even if the information they post seems to indicate that they are setting themselves up for a fall?

 

[gringojhon]

Hope it is okay to post article about a negative experience with van life and money matters.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/van-life-just-glorified-homelessness-180516593.html

I think if you buy a $5,000.00 vehicles you're buying repairs. It depreciates every second. If pushed into it I could live in the SUV rig I have tricked out for camping but have found it boring. It seems this is not a sustainable life with no happy ending. I live in Mexico on $500.00 month. Completely happy and safe.

 

[user 423]

^Not as easy to pimp in an SUV,right?

 

[Ballenxj]

The experience this woman had is one of the reasons we encourage everyone to do test trips before making any drastic changes. She was totally unprepared for living in a van and had unrealistic expectations plus she made some mistakes that caused more difficulties.

All of the above, plus dare I say it, she didn't seem to truly have an adventurous spirit.
I wonder if she had ever been camping?

 

[Erykka]

I think yuns that said it's about your expectations are mostly right. I know I am not in my van life yet, but I'm going to be as soon as I can, God willing. I do think Bob W actually convinced me when he said people who think it will fix everything will fail. You still take all that with you. I've been in my car not by choice, and seeing how there's ways to make it better changed my perspective. My near eviction and rising rent and house prices made me realize that with planning and research and common sense...and lots of analyzing myself, the real me, yes I can say I am fairly certain I will thrive. But in case Im not infallible... Doing the test run next year in ltva/blm sites for 7-8 months and only on sabbatical from work, just in case. We're grown, if you let someone else tell you what path you should be on, and didn't think about it too much, you can only blame yourself, in my own not important opinion.

 

[BelgianPup]

If people judge the van life by the videos they see with the $70,000 rigs that many YTers display, they're going to be terribly disappointed. Most of those fancy rigs are weekend and vacation vehicles. Most of the experienced vanners should be able to quickly differentiate between the two, but the newbies may miss the differences. Here's a tip: the people selling their videos (but don't live in their rigs) have rigs that are perfect, clean, and devoid of "stuff". Like a hotel room.

Vanlifers who are making it work have a rig with rumpled beds, everyday stuff by the sink, stuff hanging from shelves and hooks, stuff in magnetic jars stuck to the side of a cupboard, and all kinds of stuff partly tucked away, but often still visable.

People who have never done any real camping, have poor judgement, can't control their spending, and buy a cheap, rat-trap rig are almost always going to be disappointed.

 

[Camper]

Here's the best video I've seen on Van Life Reality.

 

[towboater]

I already knew this was coming. People like Bob W showing this unbelievable lifestyle you're missing out on in your Bricks N Stix pitiful lifestyle. I would bet 90% of the people that are sitting in the woods somewhere are asking themself "WTF have I done". Living in a car is an option, not something you seek out to do. The people that make it work keep selling it. If Bob W. went and tried to do an interview on all of his youtube/affiliation bound videos, he would be performing an exit interview inside an apartment somewhere on the majority of them. Those that are broke, do it, better than sleeping on the street, but to talk people into "living the life" and selling out and "quitting your pitiful income", QUIT selling it, you're hurting people.

Reminds me of the back to the land movement. Reading the Mother Earth News and then moving to the country, buying a 5 acre rock pile on monthly installments, no electricity available and you need to drill 800' to get to water and not possessing a skill set that was compatible with rural self sufficiency. Oh, I forgot the article that showed u could cook a chicken in a compost pile. All these people have to "Publish or Perish".
But what the hell do I know.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^I actually got roped into helping a communal group of 20 somethings back in the early1970’s that bought land in Arkansas to “go back to natural ways” of being self sufficient. They were totally unprepared and inexperienced at anything involving farming or physical work, more art than function. I convinced them they were going to starve to death over the winter if they didn’t get some food supplies put up. Took them to the farmer’s market and bought a booth so they could sell their hanging planters but more importantly took a cooler of cold drinks that a couple of the girls took around to the produce booths and handed out for free mid afternoon. When someone wanted to pay I just told them to tell them we would take any leftover produce that would spoil before the next farmer’s market day. Had bushels of tomatoes, beans and had to make two trips with the truck to get everything home. Used the money from the sale of the hanging planters to buy canning jars, lids and a yard sale pressure cooker. Got them through their first winter but only a few stayed on the next year.

 

[user 22017]

Reminds me of the back to the land movement. Reading the Mother Earth News and then moving to the country, buying a 5 acre rock pile on monthly installments, no electricity available and you need to drill 800' to get to water and not possessing a skill set that was compatible with rural self sufficiency. Oh, I forgot the article that showed u could cook a chicken in a compost pile. All these people have to "Publish or Perish".
But what the hell do I know.

So what if they give up van life. At least they had the guts to give it a shot. They will have the memories for life.

Many live off the land quite well, btw.

 

[user 22017]

^So it's better to encourage everyone who wants to hit the road, no matter what?

Even if the information they post seems to indicate that they are setting themselves up for a fall?

Encourage, as well as point out why things they post about won't work. Especially if it is a safety issue.

 

[GotSmart]

Many of the old timers are hanging out at Vandweller forum.com Some are still here under different names. Many of the old moderators were new members when I first showed up. One difference from today is that a mod will step in and gently burst the dream bubble with a dose of reality when needed.

I have great respect for the senior moderators on the van dwelling forums. The ones I know were involved in the original van builds back in Craigy Wash. the first Burning Van. Members and organizers of HOWA.

If all the information you know about vandwelling is seen on YouTube, you will fail.

 

[Morgana]

Seems like there's been complaints that people are too encouraging and that they're too discouraging. It's almost like no good deed goes unpunished ...

 

[NctryBen]

One could argue renting is homelessness with that criteria in my opinion. Maybe one should start out in a sort of beginners caravan. Doesn’t sound like she watched enough video’s or avoided the ones she didn’t seem to think existed. And if she felt she had to buy gas station food... I’d say resourcefulness was very much lacking. My only problem with the article is judging the lifestyle the way she did because she failed. If you lose a job and “freelancing” isn’t working, you need to get another job. The last couple years I’ve met a bunch of “vanlifers”, I don’t consider any of them homeless. On the contrary... the ones that are thriving are pretty darn smart. They might not be rocket scientists... well, maybe a couple of them. Haha! But I’ve never been so impressed by any one group of people then the ones I’ve met. Sure there are those that just feed off others. But the people I’ve met are the most giving, kind, helpful, friendly people I’ve ever met. I have a few different circles of friends... nomads are right at the top of my list for their genuineness and sincerity... I do admit though... they also fit very well in the YARC club...
The lifestyle didn’t fail this gal. She failed because she didn’t Pee enough... referring to Jason’s p’s... haha.

 

[NctryBen]

If all the information you know about vandwelling is seen on YouTube, you will fail.

This is one of the best statements I’ve read... if this was Facebook some weirdo would be replying, you win. Click on my link to claim your prize! Hahaha!