newbie just looking around

[DuchessOSnark]

Hi there! I'm just exploring the forums, looking to see if vanlife is for me.

I have a full time fully remote job, so I can technically work anywhere as long as I am not in a public place like a coffee shop due to customer personal info requirements.
As long as I have internet, I am good. I have not been a minimalist in the past, but as I get older, the thought of discarding a lot of belongings is appealing and freeing.
However, I do like my creature comforts so I would need a desk, space for monitors, and most importantly AC and a good size fridge/freezer. I'm not an outdoorsy adventure person, so no need for room for bikes, surfboards, etc like I see the younger people do in their vans!

So here I am, just gathering info and trying to figure out if this if for me or if this is just a crazy daydream. Looking forward to getting to know people and figuring this out!

 

[frater secessus]

Hi there! I'm just exploring the forums, looking to see if vanlife is for me.

Welcome!

I do like my creature comforts so I would need a desk, space for monitors, and most importantly AC and a good size fridge/freezer.

Full-size office setups are more common in Class A and Class C RVs. Vanfolk like me tend to work in more minimal setups like somewhere to put my laptop.

Apartment-style amenities are tough off-grid, and for most people AC requires shore power or a generator.

I can technically work anywhere

Those of us who can follow good weather often go where AC is not needed. I am sitting at about 7500ft right now, low 70s F.

 

[roadsideresident]

I am also not outdoorsy. I prefer to vanlife in suburbs where I can access gym to shower and library for wifi

 

[afblangley]

I do not subscribe to a definition of "vanlife" that requires selling all your belongings and giving up your stick/brick home. Financial freedom and control of your time are not predicated on owning a van.

I live in a van part time. I live in a house part time. I wouldn't want to do either full time. My ability to wake up in the morning and extemporaneously walk out the front door for an indeterminate period of time has nothing to do with the van parked in my driveway. Being able to do what I want, when I want, where I want, is the result of blessings received and decisions made, over the course of my lifetime.

"Vanlife" doesn't require making big decisions. When my daily driver became too old for the role, I replaced it with a van. It didn't cost (purchase, gas, insurance) more than the SUVs I've bought in the past. What I've discovered is that the amenities of a campervan aren't just for roadtrips, its nice to have on an everyday basis.

Check out this guy's approach:

 

[maki2]

I created a desk surface as part of my build plans. It is not all that unusual to do so. As to having multiple monitors there are some hinged mounts out there for mounting them overhead and folding them down when needed and back up for storage. In other words with wall space often not available consider the ceiling as a functional office space surface.

 

[DuchessOSnark]

I created a desk surface as part of my build plans. It is not all that unusual to do so. As to having multiple monitors there are some hinged mounts out there for mounting them overhead and folding them down when needed and back up for storage. In other words with wall space often not available consider the ceiling as a functional office space surface.

This is exactly what I have sketched out - a double monitor mount, angled so it can be used at a desk and also used as an entertainment screen from my bed.

thanks for the reply - its good to see others also have workspaces in their vans. Due to the nature of my work, I cannot work via a laptop screen, two monitors are necessary for review of documents.

 

[DuchessOSnark]

I do not subscribe to a definition of "vanlife" that requires selling all your belongings and giving up your stick/brick home. Financial freedom and control of your time are not predicated on owning a van.

I live in a van part time. I live in a house part time. I wouldn't want to do either full time. My ability to wake up in the morning and extemporaneously walk out the front door for an indeterminate period of time has nothing to do with the van parked in my driveway. Being able to do what I want, when I want, where I want, is the result of blessings received and decisions made, over the course of my lifetime.

"Vanlife" doesn't require making big decisions. When my daily driver became too old for the role, I replaced it with a van. It didn't cost (purchase, gas, insurance) more than the SUVs I've bought in the past. What I've discovered is that the amenities of a campervan aren't just for roadtrips, its nice to have on an everyday basis.

Check out this guy's approach:

With rent prices lately, I cannot afford to maintain a perm home base AND travel in an outfitted van. That is the end goal, to save enough to afford something perm to retire to.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the Van Living Forums You can live as a minimalist and still have your creature comforts. Once you learn to select things which offer many uses (a way of thinking) you can pare down a lot of equipment. When living in the sticks & bricks it is easy to fall into the habit of collecting single use items....at which point things begin to collect and "own you" instead of you owning them. A simple AM FM clock radio can provide you with two things as an example.

 

[afblangley]

With rent prices lately, I cannot afford to maintain a perm home base AND travel in an outfitted van. That is the end goal, to save enough to afford something perm to retire to.

The opinions expressed herein are based on my real life experience with vehicles, travel, real estate investing, and multiple relocations.

In an apples to apples comparison, living in a stationary abode is cheaper than nomadic life. Google "house hacking" and you'll see many ways to lessen the cost of housing (ie. roommate situations, landlording a multifamily property, getting a job that comes with accommodations). There are inexpensive housing options like mobile home parks and intentional communities. And of course relocation- money goes a lot further in some areas of the country than others.

Living in a basic apartment furnished with $2000 in of Ikea and Amazon furniture, is more comfortable than living in a 40' diesel pusher equipped with 100 gal tanks and an 8000 Kw generator. Beyond the increased livability afforded by space, most housing has water, electricity, plumbing, and climate control that doesn't require much thought. That is simply not the case with an RV. Almost everything takes more time and more planning when on the road. It may be more exciting, it may be more fulfilling, it may be more fun. It will definitely be more challenging and less comfortable.

If you have the heart of a wanderer, by all means go for it. Follow your spirit. But if your primary goal is financially related (saving for retirement), please don't drink the vanlife Kool Aid. It is not a substitute for good financial planning. As someone who retired two decades ago in my 20s, I suggest making lifestyle and location modifications to start living significantly below your means and directing your energy and focus toward creating sources of income that don't require your input.