Van life is still intriguing for a lot of people, cyclists and runners in particular. On one hand, it’s a great way to get to new trailheads and explore places, and a way to go to races and be fully self-sufficient. There’s something really nice about bringing *everything* with you to the start line, arriving early and being able to make coffee and relax on a couch instead of huddling in a small car. On the other hand, good weather isn’t a guarantee, showers aren’t always easy to find, and if you’re sharing the van with your partner, it’s a tight squeeze sometimes.
Is it worth it? It depends. I’ve written about van travel a bunch on here in the past because people are constantly intrigued by it—and trying to figure out if it’s for them. Even where we’re staying now—an RV park—we have people coming up to us almost daily to ask about the van, because as RVers, they’re interested in if they could or should scale down.
Here are a few new things I’ve learned our most recent vanlife trip:
You have to understand what you’re getting into. The internet has really gone back and forth on the views around #vanlife in recent years. It got big thanks to some influencers making it seem extremely aesthetic and glamorous, then people got back to the office post-COVID and it seemed to die down a bit, likely as most people bought vans, spent way too much converting them, and then realized that no matter how nice your wood paneling looks on Instagram, it’s still a very small space with (almost always) no toilet. Expect to have days that frankly just suck a bit.
It doesn’t matter how warm the weather is supposed to be, be prepared for any conditions. We really found that out this year, where temps were significantly lower / days were significantly snowier/rainier than they typically are in the places we were. We aren’t really set up for the cold—that’s not something we prioritized with our build. (Our van is much more utilitarian, ready to fit 4 bikes and a paddleboard when needed—not optimized for daily living in any weather.) There are some small things you can do to improve warmth in the van, but unless you have a heater/are insulated, it’s just going to kind of suck when it’s cold.
On those rainy/cold days, you will find yourself in a very tight space with your partner and your pet. So, on these days, remember that tensions will rise because no one likes being damp, chilled, and trapped in a small box together. Despite only being a few feet apart, give your partner as much space as possible, meaning don’t assume that they’re open for conversation all day. Yes, you’re basically sharing a cubicle, but that doesn’t mean you’re working together and need to have regular office chitchat.
Learn and accept each others ‘cute little quirks.’ (Ahem.) One thing I’m learning is that we have very different attitudes when it comes to setting up camping stuff, breaking things down, etc.. The tendency, I think, that couples have is that we assume the other person knows what we’re thinking and is actively ignoring us. The reality is that, as Peter is stomping around working on getting dishes washed as I answer a text, I am oblivious to the fact that he wants me to be doing something else. I’m in my own little world. I’m not trying to be a jerk, I just didn’t notice that he was starting to clean up after dinner already, I was still relaxing post-meal. Neither of us is wrong, we just hadn’t established a routine or order of events. This also applies to where stuff lives in the van, since we have a lot in here and as such, it moves throughout the day in order to access different things.
And the tip that I will be learning for the rest of my life: You really don’t need as much stuff as you think you do. Since we’ve been gone, I’ve used the top 15% of the clothes in my duffel bag (not top as in the best, top as in the most readily available.) I am perpetually unrealistic about how dressed up I will ever be at campsites. I’ll give myself credit for the right amount of workout gear—enough for a week of training without doing laundry—but for non-training gear, I overpacked by a lot and frankly, it’s annoying because my duffel bag is so stuffed that it’s hard to dig for anything I do want, so I end up in the same 4 things on repeat. It also takes up way more space in the van than it needs to.
Finally, to that point, it’s a small space in the van… but there are still a lot of chores to keep it clean. It’s helpful to plan in days where you’ll do laundry, grocery shop, etc.
