So.... Why Did You Choose to Live In A Van?

[One Awesome Inch]

I find myself seeking out blogs and stories of vandwellers.

I am curious about why people choose to live in vans and their story.

What is your story?

 

[Willy]

Cuz I'm a cheapass and antisocial cur-dog who likes to travel. ..Willy.

 

[corky52]

I hate neighbors, yard work and the same view every day!!!!!


Corky

 

[Duck]

Company I worked for that I'd poured thousands of dollars into to help keep it going, collapsed under all the non-paying, greedy customers who just took everything they could while still complaining as we worked right through the night to pull off their projects in time for their vacations.
Couldn't afford to live on a boat anymore, costs are climbing, and it's a lot more maintenance. I now see the writing on the wall for a bigger crackdown coming on living out at anchor where I would be heading next.

I like owning my own living space, and living simply, and to me a van is the best way I can do that now.

 

[Stargazer]

The last time I paid my property tax bill, I decided that was going to be the last time. Taxes on everything!! I just decided it was time to turn the tables and stop paying all those taxes to a government that cares nothing for the people. I still have to pay income tax, phone taxes, license plate taxes and sales taxes. I'm working on lowering those. I am SICK and TIRED of taxes!! I plan to starve out the government, like they're doing to us. Take that, Uncle Sam!

Now, (deep cleansing breath...) I have itchy feet, always have, I like driving, being on the move. Don't like crowds; more than three is a crowd. I'm a happy introvert and prefer being outdoors in nature, alone. With my dog, who never lets me down.

I live in my 15' TT parked in an RV park near family about half the year, the other half in my E-150 simple van on the road. I have driven all over North America these last few years in this van. I don't need nor want anything that ties me down or complicates my life. The trailer was a pacifier for my family. I guess living in a trailer park...er...RV park... is somehow better than living in a van down by the river. ROFL!!

 

[Cambia]

I had a hightop van with a lift to transport my wheelchair-using husband. He died, I had no money, so I moved into the van. I'm loving it!

Cambia

 

[Lifemagician]

My story is somewhat different. I did not set out to live in a van. I discovered it.

My son married a lovely Yankee lass. I came across for the wedding. Decided that since I had to travel half way around the globe to get there, I sure was going to see something of North America. Stayed for 15 weeks. Travelled some 25K miles, staying in hostels and cheap motels as I relocated cars to save on rental costs. The next trip was 5 month and 23K miles in the same mode.

The third trip - 6 months - son loaned me a Camry in which I again covered well over 20K miles. The fourth trip I got stung!

Friends offered to loan me a surplus vehicle they were going to sell. I drove that Dodge Caravan for over 20K miles - including to AK and back - over 6 months. We had removed the seats, put in a camping matress, sleeping bag, cooler and small camp stove. That was when I got a taste for the feeling of freedom away from stuff.

Finally for my fifth trip - 6 months - I managed to purchase a vehicle of my own (as a non-resident).

The E150 HiTop Conversion van has now seen some 47K miles over two trips (2012 and 2013), and is slowly being made more and more comfortable. Now, when I head across the Pacific to go and see my children and grandchildren, I know my little home on wheels is waiting for me. No longer need I worry about hotel and motel rooms being booked out. No longer stay on friends' couches and in family's spare rooms. No need to eat out. All my possessions and needs for the trip are in the van.

After returning home in Sept 2012, I was missing life on the road so much, that by Christmas I was looking for a van to purchase here as well. Purchased a VW T4 Transporter which is now also being converted into a comfortable little camper. We have made one long, and a short camping trip, so far.

Unfortunately, because of circumstances beyond my control I cannot sell my residence. But my little VW and I plan to spend as much time on the road as we can possibly manage.

Lifey

 

[WheelEstate USA]

I find myself seeking out blogs and stories of vandwellers.

I am curious about why people choose to live in vans and their story.

What is your story?

Which time, LOL.
Tho we now have a moho, I first discovered the joys of van life in 1966. I was just back in the states from Viet Nam and took my discharge in Calif (I was from Texas). I wanted to look around a while before going home, so I bought a '65 chevy van, got a sleeping bag, camp stove, and a few supplies and off I went. That little van got me hooked. I had everything I needed in my own space, and believe me, I didn't have much more than the basics...3 couch cushions for a bed on the floor. It was nearly a year before I returned home.

Since, I've had several vans, including a couple VW campers, and have fond memories of time spent traveling with each of them.

 

[James AKA Lynx]

It is so cheep I can afford to travel in it. and I like to camp in different places.

 

[Terry]

I was gonna do it because of finances. Unable to get a job so sell the house, move into the van, and live off flea markets and savings till social security kicks in, after taking care of Cathy was through. Since then, I got approved for my disability, and I messed up something in the van. I could fix the van but it is a pain in the butt to work on so I bought me a small blazer for the better fuel mileage and ease of access for repairing it myself.
Also, the only people buying places around here are the owner finance buyers, which won't work for me, and the ones that buy something so cheap, they just clear the land to save on taxes and then just set on the property, because they pay next to nothing for the property. My property taxes are less than $100 a year with homestead exemption. In Florida, this is a real exemption, not just a deferral, so I'm not losing the value, such as it is, of my home. So, for now, I'll stay put, and maybe make some short trips to ease the itchy feet syndrome I get every so often.

 

[adi]

I'm still slowly making my way to full-timing in a van, but I had a few reasons for looking into living this kind of lifestyle.

The main reason for me was cost of rent in the different places I've lived. I was working full time from home making very good money, but when I saw the job ending and what was going on in the world, I knew it would be rough.

I wanted to spend some time up in Alaska, and when I was crunching numbers for some reason my mind started to do a comparison of cost of gas to get to Alaska vs the cost of rent. From there I started to wonder how feasible it would be to be able to spend my rent money on gas instead, and how much of the world I'd be able to see.

I'm still building up my van, and I have debt to take care of, but for me I see myself working fulltime until the van is done (if ever) and clearing my debts, then working only as I need as I travel. With a minimal lifestyle without rent and utilities, I hope to slow down and enjoy life a bit more. When describing it to others, I've found that "homeless with means" sums it up best. I've been in the rat race long enough to realize that it's not for me.

So for me its spending more time traveling and enjoying life instead of working for other people.

 

[Canine]

While I'm not vandwelling yet, I am primarily motivated to move into a van to maintain my lifestyle. What?! Yep. I have a dog and my landlord says no more dogs, so the only way I can keep my critter is to have my own place. I despise being told how to live then being forced to comply.

I also was a truck driver and now can't drive commercially, so the financial factor combined with living with a dog limits my choices. The curve balls life throws can be amazing.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Save money, and maybe see america one day. So far no luck on saving after five months lol

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Buy "The Riches Man in Babylon" Has a lot of good advice and a good read. Found in most big book stores in paperback.

 

[Lifemagician]

Buy "The Riches Man in Babylon" Has a lot of good advice and a good read. Found in most big book stores in paperback.

A great book on which to base life. Had it for decades.

Lifey

 

[wagoneer]

The only vehicle I ever owned that was very hard to sleep/live in was a 1958 Porsche, They call me the wagoneer because I always have station wagons. Mixed in with all the vans I have owned it JUST MAKES SENSE.

 

[Gaunt Dusk]

I haven't even got my van yet but I'm getting together the supplies to move in such as the camping stove and the like. I already got a roll up bed that I've decided will suffice to sleep on since I can put it away easily and have my space back.
The reason I'm going to move into a van is because I'm sick of not having enough money for college. I want a PhD and that shit ain't cheap and I'm poor!
Heard about somebody living in a van to pay for college and I was like "GENIUS!" so now I'm trying to get as much work money together to pay for the van and also pay for the camping stove and stuff. I've been planning out everything, how I'll go without refrigeration, how to get my caffeine, bathing, bathroom stuff and the like. This site has been a huge help.
My dad thinks I'm insane though.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

When I was in college I lived in a room for 2 years not much bigger than the space inside a van. I had to go down the hall to the potty and to bathe in a tiny shower. No cooking in the room, but I had a hotplate, no fridge. My mattress was on the floor and leaned against the wall during the day. I've seen closets that were bigger than that room.
Not so different than living in a van, in its own way.

Ask dear old dad what he had to do to get thru school. He might not think you're so crazy after all.

 

[Sameer]

My best friend of 34 years decided to live in France and he gave me his High top conversion van. The minute I saw it I thought, "I could live in it!" I am on Social Security Retirement and love to travel. I was sick to death of the 'con' to rent or lease a place to live. Now I can live anywhere! I am in the desert during the winter and the Northwest and Northern Arizona during the Summer. I have all that I need with the addition of Solar Power. Internet, phone, Television....EVERYTHING! Right now I am at The Slabs. It is a wonderful social environment and living is FREE! It is really all about FREEDOM!

 

[steamjam1]

I had a pretty seriously stressful health scare that really changed the way I look at my life and I began to question what I was doing and where I was going. It's funny how the prospect of death can turn into a supreme motivator instead of a depressing end game for you.

It came down to this:

I had (and still have.. werking on it tho) a TON of college loans, some revolving credit debt from funding that first college education where the big loans weren't enough. I have to get out from under all this....

I never married, and never had kids. Thank god. I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!!

I have a job that cannot be outsourced, or automated. My title assures that unless I do something wrong thats seriously EPIC, I will not ever get laid off or fired.

I have always wanted to go to art college, however my career choice always lead me away from that and into more scientific and mechanical disciplines. I want to do something different before I really do get old, or end up "at the train station in the sky".

So I decided (Halloween night 2013) to sell everything I own, pack up only the bare essentials into a $800 Dodge van, and just go for it. It took me two months of preparation, trial, error and some missteps, but I'm "on the road" I enrolled myself at the art academy, and this time I'm doing it PAY-AS-YOU-GO.... I'm going to be the oldest mofo student at that school, but I don't care. I don't have time to worry about such trivial things anymore.