COMPLETE 2022 Vanlife Gatherings, Events and Meetups

[keknittle]

2022 Van Life Events, Gatherings, and Festivals​

This list is certainly not a list of every gathering planned for 2022. But it’s an excellent start to get you excited, and hopefully, find a gathering or event near you! Builders may be available to help with your projects, mechanics sometimes offer up services, and at some point, there’s always a group planning a potluck of sorts.

IF YOU DO NOT SEE AN EVENT ON OUR LIST PLEASE COMMENT BELOW TO BE ADDED! INCLUDE NAME, DATES, LOCATION & WEBSITE.

January 2022​

1. January 29th - Sēkr San Diego Van Life Meetup - San Diego, CA

Connect with other van lifers in an all-day, free event on San Diego’s famous Fiesta Island!

February 2022​

1. February 14th - 21st - Escapers Winter Blast Convergence - Lake Havasu, AZ1

The week will be filled with live music, social gatherings, and epic fireworks displays.

2. February 19th - 28th - Fifth Annual Skoolie Swarm, Melrose, FL

March 2022​

1. March 5th - 13th - Xscapers Tucson Convergiance - Tucson, AZ

Activities will range from live music and group meals to movie nights, trivia, and even an excursion into Tucson!

2. March 12th & 13th - TinyFest California - San Diego, CA

Tour tiny houses, van conversions, skoolies, backyard cottages (ADUs), shipping container homes, adventure rigs, and more!

3. March 25th - 27th - BuenaVantura - Ventura, CA

A van life and overlanding gathering in Ventura, California.

April 2022​

1. April 8th -10th - Midwest Overlanding and Off-Road Expo - Springfield, MO

The Midwest’s #1 Adventure Travel Consumer Show.

2. April 21st - 24th - Back to Baja - Baja, Mexico

An epic adventure in Mexico for everyone who loves overlanding, camping, trail rides, music, and adventure.

3. April 22nd - 24th - Weird Wild West - Bisbee, AZ

The first annual Weird Wild West van life and overlanding gathering.

4. April 30th - May 1st - Adventure Van Expo - San Juan Capistrano, CA

The show will feature built-out Mercedes Sprinters (mostly) 4x4 rigs, accessories, and more.

May 2022​

1. May 12th - 16th - Grand Design Kanab Utah Rally - Kanab, Utah

Dust off your cowboy boots and hat for a western kickin' good time.

2. May 20th - 23rd - Descend on Lost Sierra - Lost Sierra, CA

Three days and four nights of camping glory in California’s Lost Sierra.

3. May 20th - 22nd - Overland Expo - Flagstaff, AZ

Overland Expo® is the premier overlanding event series in the world.

June 2022​

1. June 4th & 5th - Adventure Van Expo - Placerville, CA

Go check out the incredible van builds, open house vans, vans, and more vans!

2. June 11th - Overland Rendezvous by Fort Desolation - Ogden, UT

For the overland community.

3. June 18th & 19th - Tennessee Tiny House Festival - Nashville, TN

The weekend’s activities will include entertainment, workshops, and presentations by some of the biggest names in the tiny house movement.

4. June 25th & 26th - Adventure Van Expo - Hood River, OR

Meet the builders, plan a build, line up your van, and network with DIYers.

5. June 25th & 26th - Colorado Tiny House Festival - Brighton, CO

The Festival will feature a uniquely diverse assortment of small living structures from tiny houses on wheels to container homes, a semi-trailer conversion, skoolies, van conversions, teardrops, yurts and more.

 

[keknittle]

2022 Van Life Events, Gatherings, and Festivals... CONTINUTED​

July 2022​

1. July 8th - 10th - Overland Expo NW - Redmond, OR

See the world’s leading experts alongside a professional-level trade show that brings together all the equipment and services you need to get outfitted.

2. July 15th - 18th - Open Roads Fest - McCall, ID

Van festival packed with outdoor activities, workshops, and social events for the road-trippin' community.

3. July 16th & 17th - Adventure Van Expo - Eagle, CO

Open house vans, DIY contest, live music, food trucks and camping!

4. July 16th & 17th - People's Tiny House Festival - Loveland, CO

This event combines tiny living with tiny homes on the road. Take tours of DIY or custom-built tiny homes, campervans, skoolies and overlanding vehicles.

5. July 17th - 21st - Winnebago Grand National Rally - Forest City, IA

For over 50 years, Winnebago has been welcoming owners home to Forest City, Iowa for our annual gathering and celebration of Winnebago brand RVs and their owners.

6. July 20th - 24th - 49th Annual National Truck-In - Old Washington, OH

Self-described as a “five-day van boogie” – you can’t go wrong. All vans welcome!

7. July 30th - Adventure Van Expo - Belmont, NH

In addition to all of the great van builds the event will feature live music, food and local brews all weekend long.

August 2022​

1. August 12th - 14th - FORT DESOLATION FEST - Torrey, UT

Calling all overlanders, vanlifers and adventure bikers: You’re invited to the second annual Fort Desolation Fest.

2. August 26th - 28th - Overland Expo Mountain West - Loveland, CO

Overland Expo MTN West offers more than 300 session hours of incredible programs.

3. August 26th - 29th - Descend on Bend - Bend, OR

Humans, being.

September 2022​

1. September 2nd - 4th - Adventure Van Expo - Bend (Redmond), OR

Meet builders, network with van lifers, and check out all kinds of cool workmanship and things maybe you’ve never seen!

2. September 10th & 11th - TinyFest CA - Pleasanton - Pleasanton, CA

An Inspiring, educational gathering that provides opportunities for meaningful connections within the nomadic community.

3. September 15th - 18th - Keweenaw Overland Adventure Retreat (KOAR) - Copper Harbor, MI

Spend the weekend exploring the beauty of the Upper Peninsula from our basecamp at Trails End Campground in Copper Harbor.

4. September 17th - 18th - Adventure Van Expo - North Lake Tahoe, CA

This is an opportunity to meet the builders, plan a build, line-up your van, network with DIYers, check out all kinds of cool workmanship and things maybe you’ve never seen, and learn something new.

5. September 22nd - 24th - Van Fest USA - Grantsville, UT

Born and bred out of the majestic scenery of Southern Utah, Van Fest USA is a one-of-a-kind festival for the nomadic at heart.

6. September 22nd - 26th - Northwest Nomads - Fort Rock, OR

Northwest Nomads was created to bring the community together in a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all ages.

7. September 29th - October 1st - Revel-Mode Van Rally - Moab, Utah

An annual gathering for van enthusiasts with an off-grid dream.

October 2022​

1. October 1st & 2nd - Adventure Van Expo - Chattanooga, TN

Spend the weekend and use the camping area as your base to play in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area!

2. October 7th - 9th - Overland Expo East - Arlington, VA

Offering more than 150 different classes, slideshows, demonstrations, and activities brought to you by 100+ instructors and presenters from around the world.

3. October 15th & 16th - Adventure Van Expo - Big Bear Lake, CA

The show will feature built-out Mercedes Sprinters (mostly) 4x4 rigs, accessories, and more.

November 2022​

1. November 3rd - 6th - Vanarky in the Ozarks - Ponka, AK

Celebrating the growing van life community of the Ozarks.

December 2022​

1. December 3rd & 4th - TinyFest SW - Phoenix, AZ

An Inspiring, educational gathering that provides opportunities for meaningful connections within the nomadic community.

2023 Van Life Events, Gatherings, and Festivals​

February 2022​

1. February 3rd - 5th - Florida Vanlife Gathering - Dade City, FL

The Florida Vanlife Gathering Presented by Vanlife Outfitters, is an all ages weekend of fun, sun and camper vans in central Florida’s Withlacoochee River Park.

March 2023​

1. March 11th & 12th - TinyFest CA - San Diego - San Diego, CA

An Inspiring, educational gathering that provides opportunities for meaningful connections within the nomadic community.

 

[keknittle]

2022 Events and Caravans​

Still growing....

 

[keknittle]

Tips on Attending Van Life Gatherings​

1. Consider exhibiting your campervan. I like exhibiting my van because it provides free entry to events, extra exposure for my website, and more one-on-one time with other DIY builders. Just about all of the paid van life events are happy to welcome new exhibitors, so don’t hesitate to sign up on their sites! Even if you don’t consider your van a “pretty” build, that doesn’t matter at all. Event hosts want to showcase the diversity in van builds and you can help rep the simple, budget builds!

2. Prep as if you can’t leave the event. Whether you’re exhibiting or just attending, sometimes re-entry to events can be tedious. As an exhibitor, my van usually becomes boxed in around other rigs, so I can’t leave the event. I recommend bringing all of the food, water and supplies you need for the duration of the event.

3. Bring protective sunwear. Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, water, van awning–whatever helps keep you cool! Many of these events are outside in big fields, deserts, or complexes that offer zero shade. Especially if exhibiting your van, you must stay by it all day.

4. Attend with a goal in mind. Are you attending events to get ideas for your own build? Are you already on the road and just looking to make new friends? Do you run a small business and want extra exposure? Whatever your goal, I recommend bringing marketing or note-taking materials. Bring a pen and notebook, business cards, stickers, or even just write your Instagram handle on your van’s window to help achieve your goal.


A good place to start is attending one of the free gatherings that are just focused on making friends and having fun. These events include Skooliepalooza, Escapar a la Baja, Rubber Tramp Rendezvous and Good Vibe Collective events.

 

[keknittle]

Van Life Meetups: Are They Worth It?​

If you’re a van lifer, you’ve likely heard about van life meetups before. You’ve also likely had a few questions about them. What are they? How do you attend one, or even find out about them? Are they even worth it?

Let me introduce you to some details about what a van life meetup is.

What is a Van Life Meetup?​

Essentially, a van life meetup is when van lifers connect with others who live the same lifestyle. There are many different types of van life meetups, both informal and formal. Some people reach out to each other online and camp together. Others bump into van lifers on the road and form a caravan.

There are also formal van life meetup events that you can buy tickets for. These are more officially planned out, letting you buy tickets months in advance. They often include food, entertainment, and activities to partake in. Some people prefer this since it’s more official, making it a more comfortable way to meet new people.

How do you find out about van life meetups?​

There are a few ways to find out about van life meetups. For more informal meetups, you can use social media to connect with others. Van lifers who follow each other might find that they are in the same area and message each other to meet up. There are also many Facebook groups dedicated to letting van lifers find who’s in their area and plan an event. If you meet someone in person, they might invite you to a future meetup that they have planned. All you have to do is show up!

For more formal van life meetups, there are often websites and social media pages that are dedicated to these annual events. All it takes is a quick Google search to discover top-rated meetups. These typically require you to purchase tickets to attend, and links to these tickets will be on their individual websites and social media pages.

Keeping up with top van lifer social media pages can lead you in the right direction, as they’ll often post about meetups they plan on attending. Even reaching out to other van lifers and asking if they know of any meetups can help you discover them!

 

[peteg59]

Thanks for posting the info keknittle.
Looks like there's an event in NH close to me at the end of the month I'll have to check out!
$75.00 camping fee without hookups is a stretch, so I won't do an overnight, but a $10.00 weekend pass is doable...