After 6-7 years of primarily living in a van, I think that I have enough experience to write knowledgeably about the lifestyle. There are good and bad things about living this way. Vandwellers are a varied lot, and what’s true for me may not be accurate for someone else. We all have different points of view and ascribe primary importance to various aspects of living the van-life. Perhaps one will need solar panels or a generator, because of large consumption of energy. Another might want a minivan for ultimate stealth camping and ease of driving. Maybe someone else wants a really cool looking vehicle for showing off on their YouTube channel.
There are trade-offs with each choice made. A more spacious van allows one to have headroom, more luxuries, space to stretch out, more room to store supplies, etc. But that bigger vehicle usually costs more, in both initial outlay and in gas mileage. It is harder to be stealthy in cities where living in a vehicle is illegal. Parking and driving is definitely more difficult. But the negatives outweigh the positives for some people. I would love to be able to stand upright in my van and have additional space. At this point, I can’t afford to trade up and prefer my van to fit in a normal parking space.
There are a lot of differences between staying in urban areas vs. rural. Personally, I like both, and split my time between them. When I’m traveling, I probably stay in cities a bit more, but in many areas you are almost forced to by the lack of public lands nearby.
There are some things I really like about being in cities. Variety of food is a big one. I can find inexpensive, fresh food in grocery stores. Fast food restaurants are another cheap option and I don’t have to eat my own cooking. There are food stands and trailers in some places. Junk food is actually too easy to get, of course, with DollarTree, Grocery Outlet, and other discount stores around. I enjoy food a little too much and tend to indulge myself more, when in urban areas. There are even soup kitchens and food pantries to get food at, if I’m hard up or curious about homeless services in a certain city.
It’s fun to explore parks and old downtowns. Not all cities have a true downtown, so I mostly avoid those. Suburbs are the worst at being decentralized, which gives residents a sense of dislocation. I don’t like to drive everywhere, walking is good for the body and is a slow enough pace to see everything. Besides, most cities and towns have old buildings, and I love to check out their architecture and building materials.
Most city parks are old enough to have substantial sized trees and shrubs. Many of the plants might be rare or not native to that area. I studied horticulture in college and can identify many plants. It’s always a pleasure to see a healthy, mature specimen. Parks are also where you can stay cool on hot days. Generally, there is no fee to park for the day. They can be crowded on weekends, but have plenty of parking available during the weeks. You can cook meals at a picnic area and restrooms are usually open. Homeless folk and juvenile delinquents can be a nuisance; trashing bathrooms, leaving messes, and being menacing to the public. They don’t normally harass me, but may cause families and single women to stay away. At parks with problems, I try not to get out of sight from my van. Getting it vandalized or broken into would be a horrible experience and costly to me.
Libraries are a great place to stay for awhile on hot or chilly days. I never tire of books (magazines, newspapers, too), and libraries are a safe haven from the busyness of the city. Yuma and Eugene have a couple of the best libraries I’ve ever seen. If I’m in a city for more than a day, I usually check out the local library.
At times, I crave the movie experience, especially if I’ve been really anticipating a new release or am in the mood for a foreign or artsy film. The bigger the city, the more the choices. It can be rather expensive for admission, and outrageous if you add food and drinks to that. Sometimes I’ll sneak some munchies in to save costs. But occasionally, I’ll do the full experience, popcorn and pop. Or nachos. Or pizza. It hurts the wallet but tends to be a rare pleasure to be savored.
Overnight parking can be tricky, especially if I haven’t been to that city before or haven’t stealth camped there in the past. I usually look for Planet Fitness, Walmart, 24 hour restaurants or grocery stores, industrial areas, streetside to upscale apartments or condos, hospital parking lots, etc. for a spot to sleep for the night. It’s illegal to sleep overnight in your vehicle in almost all cities in the West. So I’m committing a crime continually!
I’ve actually had few problems, other than stress from trying to find the right spots. No police have ever given me the knock. I’ve moved several times at night, when locations turned out to be less than ideal (noise, sketchy locals, other vans crowding me). I’ve driven too many miles at times, finding a good spot, from unfamiliarity with the city. But at least I have discovered a place to return to, for the next time that I pass through. If I like the local flavor, I might return many times in the future.
I tend to check out homeless services wherever I go. Certain areas are very welcoming to the poor, providing meals, showers, laundry services, shelter, clothing, free medical or dental, job assistance, and much more. I don’t really need any of those, but I like to know where they are available. Once in awhile, I do go for a free meal, to get a feel for a homeless shelter and when I’m tired of my own cooking. Plus, the people-watching and social interactions can be amusing or instructive. It’s possible that gathering this data now, will save my life later, if I end up completely down-and-out.
There can be a feeling of safety, being in a city. If I get into a dangerous situation, police are only a few minutes away. If I get sick, doctors and hospitals are near. Bathrooms availability are numerous. No worries about running out of food or water. No problems with cell service or wifi connections. I can be social, or not. I can even look for work gigs, if short on money.
One danger, while being in urban areas, is spending too much money. The temptation to buy stuff is everywhere. Food, entertainment, books, clothing. Gas mileage is worse around town than on highways, and bigger cities may be spread way out. A vandweller pays rent by the distance he drives to his overnight spot. If one is spending $25 in gas, looking all over for that perfect place, that is money that could go for a motel or a drive to a remote camping site. When one lives on a tight budget, that may blow the urban expenses up too high and be unsustainable for long.
I do tend to be online much more in cities. In the West, a lot of rural areas don’t have good cell service. So I make up for lost internet time by bingeing when I can. I can learn a lot, be entertained, reconnect with friends and family, and post blog posts. And it’s virtually free. It can be addictive and hard on my eyes, so I need to pace myself more.
I appreciate a lot about cities and enjoy my time there. Each one has its own feel and attractions. I’ve been to ones that appeared to have no redeeming factors and others could easily keep my interest for days or weeks at a time. I develop a sense of ownership and belonging, when returning to a location over and over. It’s enjoyable to observe the changes when I come back and how some things remain the same. I’m a creature of routine and it’s easy to slip into going to the same place again, when I’ve always had a good time while there. So, urban vandwelling will continue to be a primary focus, in my traveling adventures.
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