Things You Might Learn from 6 Months and Counting of Living in Your Van

Whether you find yourself there by accident or on purpose, here are some things you might discover as I did.

To paint an accurate picture, here’s a brief backstory: For many years I had a comfortable living space, but comfort is seldom permanent (thankfully, or we’d never grow). That spot became uncomfortable. Lucky for me I’d bought a ’95 Econoline Campervan in September of 2019 (perfect timing, right?). I did so because as an artist, I’m ballin’ on a budget when I travel but I like having what I need and hate putting people out for putting me up. I scored this old thing for below what the average income for a month is in the US. I was extremely lucky.

When my living situation went south I had a choice between continuing to work for myself while living in the van or to work full time for someone else so I could afford the rising rent in Richmond. This wasn’t a hashtag van life whimsical adventure all over the country. As you’re well aware gas prices are on the rise too. And I needed to be close to my studio. It was driveways for me. I don’t have all the amenities that an RV has, but I can fit in a regular parking space! It’s a few steps up from living in your car. I’m extremely grateful.

I‘ve learned a few things in my time as a van dweller. This is for all of those fellow dreamers from lower income backgrounds that might wonder what it’s like without a dreamy Sprinter and a fat bank account.

Maybe you can’t afford it, but maybe you can pull it off anyway.

Like a siren leading you to sea, you sit at your desk scrolling through endless images and posts of beautifully built homes on wheels. “This could be you..” they softy sing. Maybe you try a huge school bus project first, losing a couple grand and your pride as you realize your attention span nor your pocket book were cut out for this shit. You’ll feel like giving up once you start looking at numbers. Maybe this is a good time to remind you: you’re choosing this or a house. Having nothing is a real concern. It’ll motivate you to reevaluate.

“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!”

Congrats, you’re now a pseudo-homeowner. You’re not above leaky roofs and plumbing issues. What you are physically above is four pieces of rubber that slowly deteriorate every time you decide to move somewhere. And they continue to do so even if you’re not moving. There is a plethora of mechanical parts that have to be in decent enough shape to not leave your entire home on the side of the road. You’ll need a manual and a mechanic you trust because when something goes awry, you’re handing your entire home over to another human. You could be thinking everything’s all good then next thing you know you have to fork over a grand. You have to be in a privileged enough situation where you either have that cash or the space on a credit card. That’s the brakes.

It’s vulnerable to have your entire life in a vehicle.

I’ve locked my keys in the van a couple times. Give me the right sized piece of metal and I’m back in within 60 seconds. I’m no expert so basically I’m saying it’s pretty easy for people to break into some vehicles. If they can get it started too, everything you have is gone. There’s also the vulnerability of sleeping in such a place. You will inevitably have someone fucking around near you in the night at some point. Hopefully it’s nothing. In those moments you’ll realize how quickly your brain will admonish you for all of your life choices that got you to a point where you may meet an unfortunate fate. You always have to have a plan. It may or may not involve a hatchet, a set or throwing knives, a few pocket knives, your dead grandma’s best kitchen knife, a tiny yet mighty dog, and/or a pistol. Choose your own adventure.

Everything is a thing.

Your planning skills will get cranked up to their max. Your fridge is small so meal planning is essential. Does your fridge even work when you’re not plugged into a power source? Anything involving water has to be carefully thought out — drinking it, washing dishes/hands, showering, going to the bathroom, washing clothes, and wondering if that leak really is fixed when it rains. If you’re not fortunate enough to be able to escape to warmer climates in the winter, know that you’re not going to be much warmer inside a vehicle than outside. Once you’ve figured it out, though, you will feel like the Queen of Strategizing.

A large man can fit in there too if you really like each other.

Don’t be discouraged if you think living in a van will hurt your game. I’m here to tell you that if a man likes you, regardless if he’s a foot taller than you with big muscles and limited flexibility, he will still enjoy long weekends at your “house”. You may need to carve out a space for him to store all of his belongings during his stay or they’ll end up scattered all over the kitchen. Forgive his messiness for he knows not your game of Tetris. If you’re pee-shy, I’m sure he’ll step outside to give you a minute. Reward and impress him with your best homemade quesadilla and a trip to the beach.

Your little dog can be smuggled into more places than you’d think.

He’s a tough little guy, he tells you about everything that goes on in the perimeter. You need him. Dogs were domesticated to have jobs and he’s doing his. At this point, you seldom spend much time more than 10 feet from him. Even if the weather was ok enough for you to leave him in the van in a parking lot, you’re not going to want to do that. The old adage about how sorry is easier to say than asking for permission isn’t the most ill-placed here. Before you know it, the tiny guy will be able to keep his cool in a doggy bag everywhere from Whole Foods to the tattoo parlor.

True friends are absolutely amazing.

As much as you’ll be tempted to pretend that you’re a feral lone wolf who exists in a vacuum of your independence, you are not. Nor should you want to be, I’ve figured out. So many of my friends have offered up driveways so I could safely park during this phase of my life. A few who didn’t have driveways offered rooms. Even the ones whose driveways I was in also offered rooms. The kindness of my crew lessened the string of the emotional turmoil that went on as things began shifting for me. You’ll learn that your community is so very important.

Simplifying your life in this way will not always be simple. You will be guaranteed to learn something about yourself and the world around you. It might be gratitude and compassion or the patterns of the moon and stars from being outside more. If you’re built like this, it will always be a longing within you. Perhaps you just have to see for yourself. Or maybe things will shake out in a such a way that you’ll find yourself here regardless.