Conceptually these vans have a lot in common with tiny homes, but at their core they are opposite approaches to living small. Tiny homes, despite what you might think, are not particularly mobile. The typical twists and turns of being on the road can wreak havoc on traditional construction found in tiny homes, causing nails to pop out and supports beams to twist and bind after only a few moves. Vans, on the other hand, are vehicles. They're designed to be driven, and many members of #vanlife sleep in a different place every night.
So what's the difference between an RV and a van? Price, for one. Depending on the size, I've seen Class C RVs ranging between $10,000 and $100,000. Vans can be obtained for far, far less. Another difference is that an RV doesn't work well as a daily driver, which is why you see so many of them towing another vehicle. A converted van can also be used as an in-town vehicle once you arrive on site. Another big difference is "stealth camping."
Stealth camping is about what it sounds like. With a van that looks like a traditional passenger van or utility vehicle from the outside, you can park and camp just about anywhere. Many of these vans have never seen the inside of an RV park, opting to sleep in parking lots and quiet neighborhoods instead. For those wanting access to utilities, there's a network you can join for $50/year that gives you access to nearly 3,000 people's driveways and private property to park at.
When you buy an RV, you get a product that someone else designed. Camping vans are the opposite. None of these people are buying pre-conversion vans. They're doing all the work themselves. On the low end you've got people adding a cot, a propane stove, and some water tanks. On the high end I've seen heated wood floors, beds on motors that lower from the ceiling, and all sorts of Transformer-esque technology. Some of them have composting toilets and built-in showers and some have a bucket full of sawdust and a hose connected to cold water for rinsing off. Like anything, the only limit is your imagination, skillset, and pocketbook.
And maybe it's their age, but all these #vanlife people love the social media. They document their builds and travels, what they got right on their van and what they would change. And unlike some old ugly retired couple hanging out in their RV in Florida, most of these vanlife people know their angles and look like this:
I'm never going to live in a van, but I am enjoying watching videos of other people doing so. Who would have thought that living in a van down by the river would become an enviable lifestyle?
