Hanna and I are many things. Young-ish, super hip, a tiny bit grungy, and well on our way to Instagram stardom. Okay, so maybe only one of those things is true (we’ll let you guess which), but we still seem like ideal candidates for #vanlife.
Truthfully, Class B RVs–including vans–are appealing. They are nimble, self-contained, easy to drive, get decent fuel economy, and the list goes on. So, why did we decide against becoming full-blown van lifers? I’ll tell you one thing: it wasn’t because of those “One Less Sprinter” bumper stickers (even though they are hilarious).
Things to know:
While vans are great for full-time travel, we decided against one for our full-time lifestyle. Here, we’ll discuss the pros and cons as we breakdown exactly why we didn’t buy a van.
Note: By the time you read this, we might already have a camper. Our intent is not to mislead you, we simply wrote these blogs well in advance!
The pros and cons of van life
Before we do a deep dive into our not-at-all-scientific approach to removing Class B RVs from the running, we have to come clean–Hanna actually owned and partially converted a van a few years ago. She did all the work herself, and it had loads of potential. When the pandemic hit and prices skyrocketed, she made the difficult decision to sell it and turn a tidy profit.
Hanna posing proudly with her empty Transit Van.
So, we have a tiny bit of van life experience, but not enough to be considered experts (or anything close to it). The majority of this list was based on the here and now–the evolution of our needs and our newfound direction.
Why vans are great
There’s a lot to love about Class B RVs and van conversions. Over the last several months, we’ve flirted with buying one to facilitate our adventurous life–we like them that much! From the easy driving experience to the I’m-on-an-adventure aesthetic, we have to admit that van life is pretty compelling.
As we listed out our top van life pros and cons, there were a handful of benefits that really stood out. Your list may look a little different, but we think these adVANtages really make vans special!
They’re a single unit, meaning that you can go from sleeping to driving without ever leaving the RV. This is great for a number of reasons, including situations where safety or weather is a concern. It also gives the entire unit a roomier feeling (in our experience, anyway), thanks to the large windshield and open cockpit.
They get better gas mileage than most (if not all) alternatives. They tend to be compact, aerodynamic, and more efficient. Some people report getting upwards of 20 mpg in certain vans, which goes a long way toward your range on a tank and definitely helps the budget!
They can be customized. Whether you’re a DIY magician, an RV lot shopper, or someone who wants to order a custom van through a builder, the possibilities are practically endless. This helps you get what you want within your budget. That’s a lot of flexibility!
Vans are compact, nimble, and have decent aftermarket support for things like suspension and bumpers. All of this means that they are better equipped than most of their RV counterparts to explore off the beaten path, push farther into the backcountry, and facilitate an off-grid camping experience.
Why van life isn’t for us
If that list of van life advantages (yes, I made the same pun. I’ll do it again, too) seems compelling, we’re right there with you. There’s a lot to love about vans, and we would definitely consider going the Class B RV route in the future. Right now, though, there are a few factors that pushed us in another direction.
Hanna in her partially-converted camper van. Photo Credit: Tori of Come to Bliss.
Vans are expensive
To be fair, nearly every RV route has the potential to get expensive. Due to the rising popularity of vans and the proliferation of high-end builders, vans tend to be excessively expensive–at least in our eyes. The bang for your buck just isn’t there, unless you heavily weight quality (which is fair).
When we went through our budgeting process, we compared the vans we liked against other options we could have for the same amount of money. That comparison really raised some eyebrows. For what many of the leading van builders are charging, we could have a pretty incredible truck-based camper, a gorgeous Class C RV, or a host of other really nice rigs. Alternatively, we could save a bit of money by choosing a less expensive camper and put the rest of the budget toward travel!
Let’s talk about bathrooms (‘cause why not?)
Campers and bathrooms are always a bit of a touchy subject. From black tanks to plastic bags, everyone has a different opinion of which is best, but I think we all agree on one thing–there is no perfect solution.
When it comes to Hanna and me, we value a private and semi-comfortable bathroom. I have some digestive issues (messed up pipes, we like to call them), so we have been on a multi-year quest to find the bathroom setup that works best for us when we’re on the road. What we’ve learned is we need to prioritize comfort and normalcy even if it means sacrificing a tiny bit of that wild, let’s-take-the-gnarly-trail spirit we tend to have.
All that is to say, vans often struggle to provide a legitimate bathroom for full-timers. Due to size constraints, they might have a little closet of a wet bath, but most rely on curtains or a turlet (if you’ve seen Impractical Jokers, you get this reference) in the open. We’re no longer about that life.
Hanna cruises past an outdoor store in her van.
A van is a van
My curse (one of many) is that I tend to overanalyze things to death. I think of contingency after contingency, nuance after nuance, and so on. Sometimes, I suffer from analysis paralysis, which drives Hanna banana-nut crazy. So, when choosing a camper, I couldn’t get the nagging questions of “what if” out of my head.
What if we want to leave the camper somewhere and drive into town? What if we stop traveling for a while and only have one car? What if we need to sell the camper, but the camper IS our vehicle?
These thoughts led to a semi-decisive conclusion–we needed something that could either separate from the camper, or we needed a camper that could tow a car.
Why we’re not doing van life
Despite a lengthy list of reasons to choose van life, it just isn’t for us (right now). I think we’ll always flirt with that lifestyle–maybe we’ll even embrace it one day–but we’re going in a different direction this time. With our emphasis on off-road capability, the ability to leave the camper behind, and outfitting our rig with a bathroom that works for us, the deck was stacked against van life. Most of them are just a touch too compact for what we want.
The big reveal (and I mean BIG) is coming soon. With full-time travel on the horizon, we have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure our camper will be ready to be our home by 2025. We hope you’ll stick around, continue checking out the blog, and follow along as we explore this beautiful country.
We also would love to learn from you! If you have camper, truck, or travel experience, please connect with us. From life-changing tips to something as simple as what plates won’t break as we rattle about on forest roads, every little insight helps!
- Riley + Hanna