Van Life Is a Lie! 9 Problems With Living in a Van That No One Tells You

Van Life is a LIE!!! Ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic, and truth be told we actually love van life, but hashtag van life isn’t necessarily everything it is cracked up to be on Instagram posts, Youtube videos, and blogs like this one.

Often, it’s a lonely, dirty, stressful existence. One that makes you want to crawl into a ball and cry. But that’s the side of van life we rarely get to see, because that sad, stinky, depressing side of van life doesn’t sell as many Maxxair fans (buy yours here now).

Let us pull back the curtain on some of the lies we often take for granted when daydreaming of the van life. These are nine problems with living in a van that expose the van life lies, we’re so often fed!

Van Life Is a Lie: 9 Problems With Living in a Van

Van Life Gets Old Quick

There’s nothing more exhilarating than pulling out of the driveway for the first time, wires still hanging out of the ceiling, and that weird scraping noise that never got looked at, louder than ever.

Soon you’re parked out under the stars in a Walmart parking lot, falling asleep to the soothing sounds of eighteen-wheelers screeching by in the distance. The adventure has begun, just you and the open road.

Unfortunately, the novelty of living in a van fades pretty quickly, and the realities of van life set in. And the reality is that there’s nothing very romantic about the everyday challenges of living out of a car. If you are not properly prepared for the realities of life on the road then you might be chucking a U-turn a lot sooner than you anticipated.

Van Life Comes With a New Set of Daily Challenges

Ok, so you are leaving the drudgery of your humdrum, and life begins. But, van life comes with its own set of daily challenges.

So many of the ordinary activities that we take for granted living in a stationary home take on a new element of complexity. Be it washing up, cooking lunch, or just going to the bathroom, van dwellers must be prepared for unexpected hurdles that arise regularly. Each day will test your resourcefulness and adaptability.

Finding suitable camping spots can be a stressful nightly challenge, as can tracking down water and electricity. Dealing with maintenance and repair issues as they arise is another regular obstacle. When living in a van almost every day you will face a new challenge, whether you feel up to it or not.

People Don’t … Love Van Lifers

If you are reading this, then van life likely resonates with you. You yearn for the freedom of the open road and can understand the plight and motivations of anyone else that does too.

Well, guess what, you and your unwashed brethren and sistren form the minority.

Most people like houses, they like nice big houses on tidy streets with well-manicured lawns, and they like those streets without stinky van-dwelling hippies parked on them (their words not mine).

And it doesn’t stop with neighborhood busybodies. Many councils around the world have taken up the fight against the loathsome van lifer. More and more, we see councils plastering signs around the most beautifully located car parks and conveniently placed overnight road stops. NO LOITERING, NO STANDING, and absolutely NO OVERNIGHT PARKING OR CAMPING OF ANY KIND.

Nasty conversations, fines, or vehicle impoundment can put a dampener on the van life experience. And constantly trying to dodge the long arm of johnny law and the ever-watchful gaze of Gladys from the neighborhood watch can create a stressful saga each night as you try to find a place to rest your weary head.

Van Life Can Really Strain Relationships

If you are traveling with your partner, family, or friend then be prepared for the strain that van life can put on a relationship.

For starters, you don’t get a break from one another. There is no couch to storm off to at night. Although, in a pinch, sleeping top and tail can send your partner a powerful message that they are in the dog house (trust me). You don’t get to escape into your office each day. There is no weekly respite hanging with friends. You don’t even have the opportunity to go for a drive to clear your head because, hey, guess who’s sitting in the passenger seat?

Moreover, you’ll face stressful challenges together that can put pressure on the relationship. The daily challenges we outlined above can easily turn into daily stoushes with your loved ones if frayed tempers flare.

Finally, without a social network around you, there is no readily available outlet to release some steam and so you don’t have anyone to gossip about what a cow they’ve become (for instance).

For more insight into traveling with loved ones check out our candid confessions as a van life couple.

Van Life Can Be Socially Isolating

Van life often takes us far away from friends and family. And without contact with our support systems, we can start to feel isolated. Ironically, the challenging adjustment to van life is just the time when some social support would be helpful.

Besides not being able to see our nearest and dearest regularly, van lifers also run the risk of also miss out on major milestones and celebrations and can start to feel like we are being left behind.

This isolation during an already challenging period of adjustment can be another straw on the camel’s back.

Conditions Are Cramped

It doesn’t matter how many ingenious van life hacks you have managed to stuff into your build or how many safe-saving products you scooped off Amazon, there really isn’t any way around the fact that van life is cramped.

Without the room to spread out, or different zones to help differentiate between feeding time, work time, free time, and sleep time our van lives can lose structure. Moreover, the small space can amplify the sense of clutter and reorganization in the van which can add to the stress of life in the van.

What’s more, less space means fewer things. While most van lifers tell you that embracing a minimalist attitude is one of the biggest upsides of this lifestyle, it can certainly be an adjustment to living without many of the conveniences of modern life.

The downsize in available space and the number of possessions one can have in the van is probably one of the most jarring factors when transitioning to van life.

There’s No Privacy in Van Life

No privacy from the world, and no privacy from your van mates if you are not traveling solo.

Although at times, van life means getting off-grid, many times it means brushing your teeth in a Walmart bathroom, popping a squat on the side of the road behind the rear wheel of the car, or taking a shower next to your new neighbors when wild camping or boondocking.

While this is all well and good for the most part, there are times when privacy can be very desirable. When we feel sick, lonely, sad, or overwhelmed, a bit of time and space to ourselves can be all we want. Sadly, often in van life, this isn’t possible and it can certainly add to the pressure at times when that is the last thing we need.

Weather Impacts Van Life a Lot More than Regular Life

A long spell of poor weather is pretty glum, right? Well, multiply that by ten in the van. The negatives of van life are amplified in poor weather which magnifies the challenges and seems to shrink the already cramped conditions. It also negates a lot of the positive aspects of van life.

While it is tough enough living in the back of a van in the best of times when torrential rain awaits you outside, the feeling of claustrophobia mounts.

Without the great outdoors as your backyard, van life suddenly becomes limiting, completely opposite to your expectations. We have spent days cooped up in the van in torrential flooding, and it didn’t take long for the cabin fever to set in.

Van Life Can Be Expensive

Van life is supposed to be an antidote to the ever-rising costs of a capitalist world but the unfortunate reality is that you need spare money, time, and energy to even get on the road. Buying a van, converting it, and registering it all cost money. Once you have your converted van ready to go, then the ongoing expenses just keep coming. Costs such as fuel for a large thirsty van, maintenance, insurance, and parking fees can quickly add up.

The other side of this problem is that while costs keep mounting. Earning money becomes more difficult on the road. Earning a steady income while living a nomadic lifestyle can be challenging, requiring careful financial planning and most of all adaptability.

Want to know if van life is cheaper than living in an apartment?

So is Van Life a Total Lie?

Ok, so maybe it’s not all bullshit. Van life undoubtedly offers some incredible benefits. Adventure, simplicity, minimalism, and a sense of freedom and adventure are rarely offered by a more stationary lifestyle.

But it is not without its obstacles. Obstacles such as daily challenges, relationship pressure, and social isolation.

However, by understanding and preparing for these challenges, aspiring van dwellers can approach this lifestyle with a realistic perspective, making informed decisions to ensure a fulfilling and meaningful experience on the open road.

*

If we haven’t yet talked you out of van life, you might be interested in more van life content.

• How to Start Van Life in 12 Simple Steps
• The Van Life Essentials List: 61+ Ideas for Your Complete Van Life Packing List
• Van Life Apps: 25+ Easy Ways To Simplify Life On The RoadcIs Van Life Dangerous? 6
• Major Pitfalls, Risks and Dangers Of Van Life (and How to Avoid Them)
• Full-Time Travel: 12 Essential Things You Need To Know
• Van Life or Boat Life? Which Is the Best
• Van Life Office: 21+ Proven Hacks for Happy Mobile Workspaces
• 25 Van Life Kitchen Essentials for the Ultimate Van Chef
• Building Your Vansion Van Conversion: 51+ Ideas For Creating Massive Space For Van Life
• Is Van Life Cheaper Than Renting an Apartment?
• Is Van Life Worth It?

*

Want to save this van life lies blog article for later? Pin it!