I recently did a quick interview for These Rolling Hills (Click here to read it). The final question in the interview was “what advice would you give to anyone thinking of getting a van of their own?” I was slightly worried that my answer could be viewed as being a little pessimistic; I basically said that I would tell them to give it a long hard think to see if it was really for them. I could have gone down the rose-tinted avenue of “just follow your heart” etc but my honest feeling is that it’s just not a lifestyle that’s suited to everyone. At the beginning of last year I did some posts on my Facebook and Instagram pages to give a “no-filter” side to the vanlife movement (inspired by this video). So I thought I’d keep the pessimism going and elaborate on my answer to These Rolling Hills’ question in this post and explain why I thought getting a van would suit me, and why it may (or may not) be a good option for you.
The first thing to be aware of is that my van was basically an upgrade from a tent. I’ve always been very keen for the outdoors and had spent countless nights either in my tent, or just bivvied out under the stars before I bought a van. I knew what it was to be tired, wet, cold, hungry, and could still enjoy myself. I think if you’re very used to your creature comforts, get withdrawal when your mobile data runs out, or can have your day ruined by missing the latest episode of the kardashians, then Vanlife might not be the way forward for you.
It’s often commented on by people who know me well that I seem to enjoy suffering. It’s not as weird as it might at first sound. I like roughing it. When the wind is howling around my tent at night and threatening to take me with it, or my eyes are stinging with sweat and my lungs are burning as I slog my way up a mountain, I get a weird buzz from it. I think most people do, but maybe don’t put themselves in uncomfortable situations often enough to realise it. Adversity is fun, and it makes you realise who you really are. The fact is, vanlife is hard work and things do go very wrong sometimes! Like the time my van was stuck in a ditch in Scotland. So if you cant find fun or satisfaction in a little bit of suffering, then again, it might not be your true calling after all. Read about my Best and Worst van moments here.
I think the promise of freedom attracts a lot of people to the idea of a van. Just pootling along country roads, pulling over where you feel like it and making it home for a night. It’s a great image isn’t it. It’s not how it always goes though. Most vanlifers will be able to tell you tales of seemingly endless drives on rainy nights in a fruitless search for somewhere to pull over for the night, or being moved on from their wild camp, or running low on fuel in the middle of nowhere, there’s unlimited opportunity for stress and misery; Like the time I ran out of cooking gas on the Isle of Mull when I was already at the end of my tether and really just wanted something hot to eat! There are lots of flipsides to the idyllic image a well filtered Instagram photo can conjure up. If any of the above scenarios raised your blood pressure to alarming levels, then you too may need to reconsider if all this van-lark is really what you thought it was cracked up to be.
I’m assuming (which is dangerous, I know) that if you’re considering a van as an option for weekends, holidays or even full-time residence, that you enjoy being out in nature? I think it’s fair to say that this is the case for most who dream of the open road and vans. However, being out in nature, and being at its mercy are two slightly different things. Being mobbed by the unstoppable Scottish Midge, or kept indoors for days on end by foul weather, kept awake by wind and rain, getting bogged in by soft ground, sweating in the summer and freezing in the darker months, are all realities which don’t get that much airtime, but which, once again, most van owners will have experienced. It’s not too late for you to change your mind you know!
There’s the joy of being able to travel, but then there’s the potential for social stigma from those you leave behind (and then come home to). There’s the excitement of being “off grid” but then the reality of going to the toilet in the undergrowth. There’s casting off the shackles of modern civilisation and then missing your daily showers.
I’m not saying don’t do it, that’s certainly not what this is, but what I am saying is think about it, and then really think about it some more. It’s so easy to get caught up in stunning pictures on social media and forget about the reality behind them. Do some research, do some soul searching, even rent a campervan for a week just to give it a trial run, and come up with pros and cons. I’m well aware that it’s not the coolest advice I could give you, but it’s honest and it’s the best I’ve got!
Oh, and get a pee-bottle, the pee-bottle is the best van accessory you will ever invest in!