Challenges of Van Life

Living Van Life isn’t always unicorns and rainbows. The reality of living this lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges. Being aware of the challenges and preparing for them makes these bumps in the road a little more manageable.

It’s all about embracing the journey and learning from our experiences.

Adjusting to Having No Familiarity

Pre-van life, you likely had neighbors or friends and family you saw occasionally. You probably had some sort of daily routine. If you needed to make a grocery store run, you knew which side of the store the milk was on.  When you went to get coffee, the barista might have known your name, or at least the route you took to the coffee shop was familiar. 

When you go on vacation, you expect to see all the new places and faces, but living van life is not vacation and the lack of familiarity and routine hits differently. 

It takes a bit to adjust to this and the sooner you can find a routine that works for you, the better.  On the bright side, the lack of familiarity does give you the opportunity to spread your wings and fly and you will become more resilient through it all!  

Embracing the Less is More Mentality

Conveniences generally available when living traditionally are not always available when living in a van. 

Adapting to Weather Conditions

No matter where you live, weather can vary from one extreme to the other, but living in a van and moving across different states makes you experience weather at even greater extremes! Planning and being prepared will help you the most.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

When you are traveling, you find so many new restaurants. Even fast-food restaurants can be new. But let’s face it,isn’t all fast-food the same?

Eating out can quickly become a huge expense. Remind yourself regularly that you are not on vacation – van life is your lifestyle. 

You can find local farmers’ markets for fresh produce. Keep fruits and veggies on hand for when you get those driving munchies and say no to the typical road trip snacks.

The good thing is grocery stores are plentiful and you might find yourself visiting them more frequently due to limited refrigerator space.

Managing Finances

You don’t escape the dreaded budget, just because you are living van life; it might make having a budget even more important. 

And don’t forget about having money put away for the unexpected. You never know when you might have a breakdown or unexpected event. When your van is your home, repairs can’t generally be put off and major van repairs might mean extra expenses for a hotel. Be prepared for the unexpected.

Building a Supportive Community and Social Connections

Connecting with like-minded individuals and building a supportive community can be challenging while constantly on the move, but it’s important to find a tribe. There are so many Facebook groups. It’s easy to want to join all the groups and at first, it’s a great way to see which ones provide the most value to you. Start narrowing it down and find one or two groups that you regularly interact with. This will help you see regular names and is a new way to build connections.

Sometimes our friends or family just don’t have the same understanding when it comes to our lifestyle and having a community of like-minded people is so important. 

You will meet people along the way, but how you think of “community” may change a bit. You have more virtual connections than in-person community connections.

Staying Connected

The online world can be tricky while living on the road. Even if you have a reliable jetpack or Starlink, there are going to be times and places that just don’t get a signal. If you like to listen to podcasts and books, you will have to think ahead and make sure to download those when you have a good connection. When it gets dark early and you’re trying to be stealth, it’s nice to be able to listen to a good book or even watch a downloaded movie, my favorite is Tango and Cash! For an authentic journey of self-discovery, be sure to check out my book, Discovering My Gypsy Soul, available here.

We are so used to being connected nowadays that it can be frustrating when you can’t get the internet or you’ve used up all your data. 

Be prepared to disconnect from the digital world sometimes.

Maintaining a Comfortable Living Space

When you live in a small space keeping it clean and organized is critical. Your van is your sanctuary and just like a larger home, you want it to be comfortable, Clutter and disarray are magnified in small spaces. You can’t be lazy about putting things back where they go. 

Make your van cozy by adding pillows or fairy lights. Your van must be somewhere you like being, especially on rainy days!!

Van life and all its challenges are ultimately about embracing the journey and learning from our experiences. 

Decision fatigue

This is a big one! Having to decide where you are going to camp each night, what you have on hand and what or where you will stop to get what you need. Sometimes you just need to hold still for a bit. Getting a site at a campground for a night to two to regroup and organize is just what you need to get over this hump.  To help you on your journey, here’s a free resource for maps and locations. And if you’re looking for unique and safe places to stay, click here to explore your options!