Van Life: The new dream of young people

The origin of #VanLife The «posturing» in Van Life Where to start with #VanLife? What is not told about #VanLife Van Life: A Profitable Business? There is a term that is becoming more and more fashionable, especially among «millennials»: Van Life. It means «life in a van», and it is related to everything that has to do with living or travelling in a camper van (or motorhome).

We are Rocío and Edu, authors of Sin Código Postal, and since 2018 we live and travel in our camper van all over the world (you can follow us on Youtube or Instagram). In this article we will talk about what Van Life means, its origin and the posturing that exists in this world. If it is a new term for you, we will guide you and talk to you about everything you need to start in the world of Van Life.

Here we go!

Van Life: The new dream of young people Us with all our van stuff Us with all our van stuff Ten or twenty years ago, the dream of most young people was to buy a car at 18, and to mortgage themselves to have a house as soon as possible. Nowadays things have changed a lot.

More and more the dream of young people (and not so young) is to be able to buy a camper van with which to travel, or even live in it. That free spirit that the hippies popularized in the 60s has returned, and stronger than ever.

The origin of #VanLife The term Van Life (hashtag #VanLife on social networks) is not as old as one might think. In 2011, New York designer Foster Huntington left his job to travel with his Volkswagen throughout America. Realizing that traveling in a camper van was more than a way to travel: a lifestyle, he decided to label his photographs on social networks with the term #VanLife.

It caused such a stir that a year later there were more than a million photographs tagged with the hashtag #VanLife.

The «posturing» in Van Life We’re not going to hide it. For us, living while traveling in a camper van is a dream. In this article we tell you all the reasons why we travel in a camper van. But we’re not going to lie: there’s a lot, but a lot of posing in this world.

While it is true that on social networks (and especially on Instagram), a large number of the photos that are uploaded are posing. For example, that typical photo on the beach in a bikini with a pose anything but natural, or in the Tower of Pisa taking an «original» photo, when what you really want is to take the photo and escape from that crowded place.

Sure you wanted to make that coffee? @whoknowswherenext Sure you wanted to make that coffee? @whoknowswherenext But in Van Life the posturing is at maximum levels. It seems that (almost) everyone who travels in a camper van strives to take super idyllic photos of how much fun one has traveling in a camper van. And, like everything, it has its negative side. A Instagram account to follow is Perdiendo el Norte, which ingeniously exposes the great posturing that exists in this world.

Maximum posing. By Perdiendo el Norte Maximum posing. By Perdiendo el Norte Is this posing bad? Well, not necessarily. But it must be taken into account to manage expectations. Like everything in this world, not everything is «as beautiful» as it is painted.

Where to start with #VanLife? Yes, we also sometimes upload posing photos 🙂 Yes, we also sometimes upload posing photos 🙂 Whether you are new to this world, or if you are an experienced van lifer and have ended up here, on this blog we have a lot, but a lot of information about traveling in a camper van.

First of all, you need to buy a camper van or camperize it. In this blog, we have a whole guide on how to camperize a van. From planning to homologation, passing through the electrical installation. If all this sounds a bit Chinese to you, don’t worry, in our book «From Van to camper» we explain in a very simple way the process of camperizing a van.

Once you get the van .. To live the #VanLife!

Photos of our books Photos of our books Do not worry, at first it is a bit overwhelming for everyone. Where to sleep? How to cook? And the bathroom or the shower? All these questions and many more, we have summarized in our guide for the rookie van lifer.

And of course, in our book «Guide to #VanLife» we tell you everything we would have liked to know ourselves when we started traveling in a camper van. We encourage you to take a look!

What is not told about #VanLife To finish the article, we are going to talk about those negative or less beautiful parts of Van Life. Everything that is not usually shown in the idealized images of Instagram. In this article we already talked about the negative things about VanLife, but we are going to summarize here some of the things that only those who really travel or live in a camper know:

Sometimes you sleep with stunning views, it is true … but you do not know the number of times that we have ended up spending the night in an industrial estate or in the parking lot of a shopping center 🐒. Traveling with a partner or friends? We have all seen photos of «super cute» couples sharing time inside the camper … But be careful, what nobody thinks is that you share 24 hours a day in a space of 6 square meters. Lucky if you don’t end up throwing the rags with your travel companions 🤭. Traveling with friends: Yes, but until they stop being friends 😂😂 @travelmanyroads Traveling with friends: Yes, but until they stop being friends 😂😂 @travelmanyroads There is nothing like a sunrise among the mountains in a paradisiacal place. But … aaaaah! If there is no mobile phone coverage! Well, today I can’t upload my posing photo! 😂 When everything is going well, it’s going well … But it’s very easy for something to go wrong. For example, the breakdowns or mechanical problems of the van are commonplace. We can vouch for that. Van Life: A Profitable Business? Can you live off #Vanlife? @fulks Can you live off #Vanlife? @fulks Finally, we also want to talk about an interesting topic: Has Van Life become a business?

Around this «emerging market» a lot of businesses have formed. And it is that where there is a fashionable theme, there are people trying to monetize it. Camperizers, workshops, campgrounds, motorhome areas, online stores, insurance .. And of course influencers, youtubers and bloggers like ourselves.

As #Vanlife is a trend, more and more brands are looking at it, which allows content creators like us to make living in a camper van a way of life in which we can travel while showing our adventures.

And of course, this is very good for the sector, since the more we are, the stronger we will be. We invite you to take a look, because surely you will fall in love @:).

And here ends this little article about VanLife. Remember that on this blog you have a lot more information about the camper world, and that you can follow our adventures on our Youtube channel or on our Instagram.

See you!

Van Life Categories, Camper Vans and Motorhomes Entry navigation Switzerland in motorhome or camper or car More than 10 routes through SPAIN very TOP in Camper Van or Motorhome No Postal Code Forum Any questions?

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If you have any questions about this article or any other camper topic, come to the forum and leave your question so that we can answer it and anyone can read the message. We are waiting for you!

Go to forum 2 comments on «Van Life Movement: Living traveling in a camper van»

Rafa January 31, 2021 at 5:38 pm The reality of Van Life vs. fake on social media.

zumacaya February 4, 2021 at 3:35 am Real van Life should always include the fake hahaha A hug

No Postal Code Forum Any questions?

We have just opened a question-and-answer forum about camperizations and trips in camper vans.

If you have any questions about this article or any other camper topic, come to the forum and leave your question so that we can answer it and anyone can read the message. We are waiting for you!