Van Life - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Whilst been mostly homebound doing the current covid 19 pandemic, I have taken some time to reflect on what was the polar opposite of my life at the moment. I spent a year in Australia living in a van. It was converted mitsubshi starwagon, with the back being a bed, and the back (when the boot was open) having my cooking facilities.

This was simultaneously the best and worst years of my life, and I would like to take sometime to look back on it, and give my thoughts on my personal experiences, as well as the broader van life and whether I would recommend it to others.

To start with I would like to give the context for my time. I had recently graduated from university, and what was defining my life as this time was the death of my parents. A few months before I left my mother had died from a brain tumour. The year before my father had died from heart surgery complications.

I was looking at the time for what I thought was a post university adventure, but what has come to seem like an escape. Leaving England and engaging with a completely different existence was a way for me to initially distance myself from the pain of my parents passing, but served in the long run for me to deal with the pain by myself and learn to live without them.

Now, the van life, at least for me came with a lot of ups and downs, and I don’t want to paint an over idealised picture of what it was like. I’m going to split the article into the good, the bad and the ugly. Although I will do it in reverse order, as I’d like to end on the good, as my experience was overwhelmingly positive.

The Ugly

Just on the practical front there was some downsides to the vanlife. Firstly, the weather can be a problem. In Australia it was swelteringly hot during the day time, so sometimes it would be like sitting in a sauna, which was especially awful when I was hungover and wanted to stay in bed, or at times when trying to sleep and the van hadn’t cooled off yet. On the flipside, it could be freezing cold at night with no heating, especially when I was in the mountains. These aren’t terrible problems, as you can be outside in the day, and have a fire at night, or get hot waterbottles/heaters as needed. Second problem, not bathroom, need I say more? Thirdly there were the technical issues. This is largely due to me having an old van with hundred of thousands of miles on it (it was cheap, and I got what I paid for), but it wasn’t uncommon for other vanlifers to have regular problems. This wasn’t all bad as it was fun to learn how to maintain the vehicle and lead to great friendships and moments with people helping out, but is something to consider as at times I would find myself stuck somewhere trying to figure out what to do. Lastly bugs can be a problem. Australia had plenty of spiders and mosquitos constantly invading my little home, and it was uncommon to wake up with bites, or be kept awake by bugs buzzing near your head. All in all, these things are just part and parcel of this way of living, and none are dealbreakers. They can, for the most part be dealt with and leads to the fun of customising your home to your needs.

The Bad

The bad, so to speak, will really depend on the individual, and how you thrive socially. There were only two real bad aspects for me. Originally I lived in a van with a close friend of mine, but we found the constant close quarters and lack of any personal space started to grind away at friendship, leading to arguments and agitation with each other, to the point where it took a while for us to really become close again. Whilst this was partially due to clashing personalities it is something to consider if you want to live in a van with someone. It can be tough, and you need to have effective ways of dealing with conflict, and be certain that you are going to be able to get along long term. Problems you have will amplify over time, perhaps you disagree on where you want to go, or have different standards of cleanliness. That’s to not to say its impossible, but don’t neglect this aspect. I ended up leaving the old van and getting my own and going my own way. This was fantastic, and we will get to that, but can also lead to another problem. Loneliness.

For the most part and like being alone. I am fairly introverted and like being out camping by myself. However there were times where id be alone for extended period, waiting for a job to start, or after not enjoying a place so moving on. This can be hard at times, especially when you can be bored and alone with not much to do. To counter this I’d advise having a hobby to do on the road. For me it was surfing, hiking and reading. This will help stimulate the mind. Again how much of problem this is depends on the individual. For me it lead to some low points.

The Good

So onto the good. For me the positives of the live style and experience make it all worth it and I couldn’t recommend it enough. So the number one positive for me is the freedom. Removing the string and trappings of a sedentary life opens you up to so many great experiences. You will find yourself in amazing places and meeting wonderful people as the world is your oyster. You can be in a big city taking in the vibrant culture one week, then find yourself in a rural town with its own unique culture the next, then be in a quiet secluded place to camp the next. If you end up somewhere that doesn’t float your boat you can move on the same day. Theres no rent or leases holding you back, and in countries like Australia its easy to find temporary work. The best times of my life have been from taking a chance to go somewhere new and not having to worry about where im gonna stay or how im going to get there. Yamba is my favourite example; it’s a small town near Byron Bay with amazing beaches, great nature and a fantastic community and hostel which I wouldn’t have found if I wasn’t living the van life. The freedom of the van life enables you to find out about unique places and head there as soon as you want to.

Another part of the van life I fell in love with was the community. It is a vibrant collection of free spirited individuals. You can make great travel companions to share your journeys with. I ended up in a few different convoys with fellow travellers and they remain some of the best friends I have made. You wont have a hard timing making these friends. Often you’ll be staying in similar spots and they congregate on beaches and camping areas, and it’s easy to relate to each other as you have similar experiences and can exchange tricks and tips. I can’t say much more on this, but you’ll make friends for life. People and connections are the best part of travelling.

I smaller point I want to mention is that economics. It is surprisingly cheap to live this way. It will require an initial investment but it isn’t terrible. Especially in Australia you will find people selling their vans for cheap when they leave the country (I got mine for a hair under $2000). Once you have your van you can save a lot of money if you live frugally. You don’t need to pay for hostels or hotels, food can be cheap if you aren’t excessive, and fuel depends on how much you drive. As said before you can easily cover your experiences by working, at least in Australia. There is a plethora of farm work, gardening and construction if you want short term work, and plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes will also hire. Other than the initial investment it can be a cheap way to live as long as you are willing to put the effort in, such as cooking for yourself and finding free camp spots.

Conclusion

Whilst the vanlife isn’t for everyone, if you are the kind of person looking for an adventure and a minimalist lifestyle you have to give it a try. For me it was the most exciting time of my life and I hope you give it a try.