Why is Vanlife so discouraged...Are we really a disgrace?

[StealthVanlife]

I’m a working class man and single. I’ve only expressed my interest into switching to Vanlife to a few people and they all ask. “What are you running from?” “Why would you live in a van?” Do I really need to explain myself? Life as a single person costs over $1K monthly for sticks and bricks. Then, another added cost of $1K monthly for a vehicle. Duh!

Personally, I feel much more comfortable living a minimalist lifestyle. So what if I live in a van?

 

[INTJohn]

There is a “General Van Living Discussion” forum for thread topix just like this……..
go figger
Some of ya'll wake up and just wanna be weird.

bch bum jonny

 

[Morgana]

Pretty much anything you do somebody's gonna tell you it's a bad idea.
I wouldn't worry about it. If they don't wanna do it, more cake for you!

 

[WanderingRose]

I don't think van life is generally looked down upon, but there are behaviors on occasion that become an issue...like littering, emptying waste inappropriately, etc.

Just don't let yourself become one of those, and then get out and enjoy it.

Some people are uncomfortable with and threatened by anyone and anything that is not like them, and you can do nothing about these folks.

 

[Sky King]

I learned long ago not to care what other people think. Do what's right, do what you enjoy that makes you happy & don't waste your time trying to please others.

 

[eDJ_]

People interested in Van Life have to realize that "Time" is the most precious commodity one has. Life is a grant of time and none of us know how much time we're endowed with.

Each individual will have his or her values as to what to do with the time of their life. Some will choose the security and comfort of living in a familiar realm while others will dare to speculate with their time to have a richer experience thru traveling far and wide. In this they may meet new people and exchange ideas to add to their own enlightenment and personal diversity.

There will always be those who conform to the "American Industrial Dream" where by working a number of decades will provide for a pension, the "golden watch", the cottage with white picket fence close to main street, and perhaps a family to raise. They will likely question the reasoning of those who choose another path. (any other path...that isn't the standard 9 to 5 40 hour week with with straight day shift and week ends off) They wonder how younger people can live in a Van/RV working remotely on the internet can even make a respctable living doing so.....or why they choose to be single and abstain from rearing children as they pursue their nomadic lifestyle. Even to pursue the nomadic lifestyle after the kids are on their own and or becoming single again. A lifestyle which may allow them to find a better matched area to settle and work in while being happier there.

But there in lies the truth that industrialized or institutionally employed people have such a hard time understanding.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I think that in general, people see van dwellers as homeless because its so different to what they know and do. That is why they look at us through rose colored glasses.

 

[INTJohn]

It shouldn’t be hard to understand at all as to why Van living in general is half ass frowned upon by the established US Culture & Citizenry.

Wanderers have always; thruout Human History been looked on as outsiders and mistrusted because they are not a known commodity of the community. This is common sense really: the idea of “stranger danger” is at least partially innate.

In the US; the country was established; its culture was based primarily on the idea of property ownership; voting rights at the time where predicate on this one fact alone. Much of US Society & Culture is still based on the idea of Home & Property ownership - ie: “The American Dream”; etc.

Many peeps who do embrace vehicle living do so not by choice; but because of unfortunate Life events that have befallen them and because they view themselves in an apologetic way they lend reinforcements to Societal views of negativity.

Those of us who embrace the lifestyle with wide open eyes of personal joy and edification; I don’t think such persons really give a fluk what Society thinks about it one way or the other cause we’re too busy doing our own thing living our own lives.

Society is my servant; not my bane and sometimes I wake up and just want to be weird.

bch bum jonny livin the dream.

 

[Gfmucci]

I’m a working class man and single. I’ve only expressed my interest into switching to Vanlife to a few people and they all ask. “What are you running from?” “Why would you live in a van?” Do I really need to explain myself? Life as a single person costs over $1K monthly for sticks and bricks. Then, another added cost of $1K monthly for a vehicle. Duh!

Personally, I feel much more comfortable living a minimalist lifestyle. So what if I live in a van?

Such critical attitudes are based on ignorance and a narrow, constricted view of life based at least in part on what they focus on reading from those who report the worst examples.

 

[rruff]

So what if I live in a van?

Why do you care what other people think? The things that run around in the brains of most people are nothing but

Based on your forum name, you wish to stealth camp, which usually means illegally park. You want all the benefits of living in a town, but you don't want to pay for them. That's fine with me if you can get away with it, but it's obviously problematic if too many people do it.