The REAL Reason Everyone Is Quitting VANLIFE 

Bingo.

lol SERIOUSLY you hit the nail on the head. The problem is a massive bubble of "vanlife" channels want a following first and van life second. The only true van lifers are those that don't rely on a following to drive them forward with it. If anything, I'd say the amount of those that actually want to give van life a genuine shot has gone up, particularly with the increase in ability for remote work, allowing people with the passion to make the leap without sacrificing their careers.

No money, no problem - quit

@@milesb4231my motto and I’m not a vanlifer lol

What is "van life" going to give anyone? "Freedom"? The "van" shown is NOT a "van". It's a 37' SCHOOL BUS. How much money did it cost? It's just a big "shaggin-wagon". And WHAT do you actually DO? nothin. Just another narcissist thinking the rest of the world is going to be really interested in another boring RU-vidr, looking to make their living in front of their own personal camera..... but it didn't work out. What next? .....working behind a burger counter .....full time .....for the rest of your life? .

My bf and I want to do this to see where we want to live

“They’re abusive” aka “they used to make me go to church on Sunday’s and they don’t approve of my weed addiction”

@@cococock2418 someone SA me from the age of 4-9. They made my mom pay rent at 13 and my grandma tried to kill my grandfather multiple times with knives. They often abused drugs and when they got old abused their medication. My uncle is the most sexist racist man you’ll ever meet. He can’t read and is obsessed about guns. He showed me a porn mag at 11. Had to move out bc 2 bedrooms for 8 ppl is too much. Later my stepdad started abusing meth in our new house. But yeah church is definitely the reason (I’ve never been to church)

@@cococock2418​ …Are you ok? Your first response to someone saying their family is abusive is to immediately assume that they’re lying and blame them?😐 some families are just abusive, it’s not an uncommon issue?

Best of luck to you!!

I know you know

they need to drive to create content...they need content so they can afford gas

your spot on. i think this girl would be feel these feels regardless of her situation. what shes described in this vid is literally just life.

Sounds like you have a lot of good stories for the campfires haha. What an awesome life!

Get a high top

Quit screwing around and get those knees replaced.

I was a teen during the same era you were that fell in love with a 3 speed on the column Ford van I drove during a summer job. The vehicle was a junker but I jumped at the opportunity to purchase a Chevy Astrovan when they first came out. Owned 3 of them and don't have a bad thing to say about any of them. You're correct about people evolving. I don't anticipate ever living out of a van, but my bad knees won't keep me from enjoying my limited travels in what now is a small Teardrop style camper. Hopefully you can find a way to enjoy the lifestyle again too.

@@SmittyAZ I did on one and the surgery failed.

I agree. I’d just want to do it as several vacations a year. Retired and no money worries, and will spend most of my time at home.

Pazman BC I come under pchoward and write something similar but keen to know how you get on as this is something I'm looking towards too

So very important really regarding personal circumstances vs personal ideals. Reality is the life to be embraced in such a way that requires a specific kind of person (but isn't exclusive to) that can live in such a way as this. I say for those who tried but it didn't last though at least Well Done ✨️. Better to have a life you tried ☮️ instead of a life you fried 🔥 Turn on, tune in and drop out ❤️🤙

I'm glad they're at least giving it a shot

@@milwaukeetweed4843 There's certainly a lot of van lifers out there. I get constant new ones on my RU-vid feed. The one I recently discovered who makes awesome videos is Ame In A Van. She's almost tripled her subscribers in the last 7 months. Not many growing at this rate. And I don't mean she had 3 & now she has 9. No she's gone from 71K to cover 200K in that time.

I feel this. Travelled around the world from 17-34yrs old. Took a break, and now that I'm 37, I'm craving community, safety and stability.... YET.... I still have the travel bug, and the idea of staying put in one place still makes me feel "stuck".

​@@kymber.rhow did you guys afford to travel so much?

As person grow up in Alps, who do it almost daily I won't do it even if I'm so close to do it... I still prefer come back hom, having my comfy life and cut in two my too big house. Yeah, my dream is buying a van and a ground but that's all... yeah I want whole my beautiful nation Italia but that's all. As person who spend 6 hours per day in a car in the Alps, it is a fashion... spending so much time alone it is a fashion. I don't need it. My culture is based on people who climb the rock alone, the Alps living in one of the coolest type of Alps... this is a fashion, if you want you don't start a Q&A and go on. I don't, I turn on the car and I do. I don't ask to go to Lake Garda and go on, I do.

As a man I can guarantee you that if you were to actually find such a statistic As I Am to suggest that You would see this entire video is 90% aimed at and received well by and agreed with by those in a relationship Traveling with a Female partner or Female Solo bus or van dwellers.. And that is not a insult or meant to be disrespectful at all it's just the reality of the situation As I and many others have seen it which for the most part are in fact female solo vandwellers as well as couples living on the West Coast of Canada who travel up and down the coast throughout the United States and across Canada. I have maybe 6 friends in total maybe 7 if you count one who did it temporarily while she was in college so she didn't have to pay for rent.. But there is a big big difference between a couple who has an Instagram channel and or has not financially planned nor have they understood enough about automobiles and the inevitable and or potential costs of parts and capabilities of their vehicle as well as roots that they plan to take... Every single one of those aspects can change your experienced from a absolute stressful nightmare to a blissful experience. And while I fully understand that you are not trying to give a overall image of every or even the majority of people who do this which is evident based off of the claims and statements that you have shared which are totally valid it's a little device of whether or not that is intentional or not because I have friends who have been doing this for over a decade and they are not only happy with it they Couldn't be happier and 2 of those 6 people who still live out of their vehicles are doing so out of a minivan and only 4 of those 6 peopleOne of which is 1 of them in a minivan are constantly traveling but they do so in a planned and organized manner and still have some amazing stories to tell but the biggest difference is none of these people that I'm friends with have RU-vid channels or Instagram channels none of them spend even 10% or 30% of their day thinking of what to film or trying to bring an animal along in their vehicle like a cat or a dog Which is what seems to be the case with the majority of these internet couples who go on van or bust life excrusions as I like to call... Only to then make a video such as this talking about how it's not so great.. Which is fair that's totally your subjective opinion. However I would hope that the majority of people understand that your situation is and will always be nothing like the situation for anyone else unless they are living a identical lifestyle and have identical goals and understandings and purpose says for doing so that you do. Once again I will say this just in case you are skimming through I am not trying to throw shade in any manner and I actually followed you for quite a while there during your initial travels and really did enjoy your content. Which is the reason that pushed me to go out and buy myself and a very old third generation Ford economyline van and over the course of a year got the thing and rebuild it entirely by myself all the while working full-time. Afterwards I spentRoughly 6 months saving money so that I had all of my basis covered and I could assure there would always be a buffer of at least 5 or $6000 so that if something were to occur it would not get me stuck anywhere waiting for parts or having to come up with money without a full-time job or a job at all. I think it's unfortunate that this became a RU-vid and Instagram Thad mostly popularized by attractive women trying to convince other young women that they need to get out there and explore and all of this phony stuff that admittedly which no one can deny a lot of the time was entirely falsified. And of course there were females and still are females out there who have been and are continuing to solo van life it and enjoying it thoroughly because they plan ahead and understand their goals. In summary I have no disrespect towards you in any way but I do find it disingenuous to make the statements that you're making without also clearly showing that and making apparent that your statements are entirely due to your life situation and the choices you made as well as the things you did not think about prior to your trip. It's unfortunate that so many people young enough to take on this type of lifestyle will be dissuaded from doing so after watching this but clearly you guys are not trying to dissuade others as you are now making money by building rigs for other people even though you just yourself admitted that it becomes tiresome after a while. And as a result simply leads me to believe that Your statements and opinion are more algorithm driven then genuine and down to Earth. And you can in fact of course take that as me being a hater or whatever you'd like to see it as but that's just my honest opinion. I do not think it is wise to take a pet of any size onto a vehicle where you are semi permanently living as well as traveling nor do I think it is remotely intelligent to try to sustain this lifestyle while at the same time not having enough mechanical understanding or education to keep your vehicle in running condition as well as do the repairs yourself within reason of course. Under even semi ideal circumstances and having those bases alone covered along with Some money in the bank for situations that are out of your hands or foresight, I believe someone in your situation although I know nothing about your relationship or true personality nor do I know the same about your boyfriend or husband I believe you would have had a drastically different experience. Once again probably for the fourth or third time I just want to make it clear that I really have enjoyed your videos and just wanted to voice my opinion as someone who has now been living on the road with a skill set that allows me to work wherever I stop, Which happens to simply be a handy man. I'm now 3 and a half years into this lifestyle and could not be happier with it. I spent years planning towards this lifestyle which included fully understanding how to repair virtually every aspect of the vehicle I was looking to purchase 1 day down the road. So even though that is not particularly what your video is about I think people need to fully understand that any kind of lifestyle is sustainable attainable and could be possible for them if they are to fully embrace it and understand and accept all of the responsibilities that come along with doing so in a manner that will allow them to actually sustain it to whatever length or degree they wish. I'm also very happy that you guys are able to help others create van and bus builds as that is always good to help others get into lifestyle. Though it does seem a little contradictory after your statements made in this videoThough it does seem a little contradictory after your statements made in this video. And it seems like Van life has become a fad and a temporary elongated vacation for younger people of the very late end of the millennial ages group and gen Z. Usually embarked on by people hoping to profit or succeed in some sort of social media endeavor accompanying the trip so that it could be sustained without having to actually do any of the things that I suggested one should so to speak have their bases covered on in order to successfully continue the and you the lifestyle to any degree or length they wish. Best of luck with your business and I hope this isn't taken the wrong way though I imagine it most certainly will be as I am not fully an agreement with everything you've said however ever I can never truly know your actual honest-to-God opinion as this is a RU-vid channel and a following you carry and ever since I believe 2017 where they got rid of the ability to send private messages over RU-vid there's no way for you to voice your honest opinion And have to censor yourself knowing that it will be read by thousands of other people. So I'll end this by saying no disrespect whatsoever just wanted to share my experience and opinion with those else in the comment section as well as Congratulate you on your clearly successful business building set ups for others looking to experience this life style.

​@@Tamagumo There are many reasons but I'm sure you can imagine.. 🧓👴->$. or They have or had jobs that were able to be completed away from the office.. Though for that length of time I would also be quite curious how such a thing would be accomplished without saving up or having a physical skill set that you could stop for a few months anywhere on Earth and used to save up some more money and continually keep yourself going as a result. Which could easily be accomplished by becoming a painter or handyman of any variety.

It's a ride not a journey

Doesn't help that people who one homes, and some city's politicians think that van lifers are going to be dirty and are homeless losers! They are not getting the land taxes and the utilities money! Doesn't help that there are people who are a mess and make it hard on those that are not!

I don't think you will ever find someone that is passionately operating from their own expression and space, aim to quit something as such. It's one thing to try or believe that you will like something based on what you saw/think you saw. But when spmeone is operating from their own expression and interest, the need to quit, is foreign.

@@vanessahenry7238 great point Vanessa! Agreed Taxation is theft of course it all boils down to greed!🤢😡

That is wisdom. Get the land you want before the van. It will only grow in value over time and supply you with one special place to hall back on. Live in your van or...till you can start your new home.

@@vanessahenry7238 the real problem is that there are people that are living the nomad lifestyle, and they are nasty, at least some of them. Where I live, we have public lands that they used to allow anybody to roll up on and camp, and a lot of people did. It was free and perfect for that lifestyle. But then you had people that wanted to live there 24 seven and will try to actually build a little shanty towns that would have to be taken apart and the people runoff. And then you just have to people that would leave their bags of trash everywhere. Some containing human feces. So you can’t camp there now. And I’ve been in a place for people with camp for free for as long as I can remember. My husband used to go there with his family as a child. Now it’s completely blocked off and nobody gets to go. As is always the case. Some people ruin it for everybody.

And vanlifers TOTALLY included!

That's awesome! I had just been playing with the dream of owning strategically placed pieces of land to park on for a few months each year. I was just thinking of space for me. Your idea takes that to a different level!

Great idea! And so needed!

Good idea

I'd do it and have thought about this also. Need a lot of money & insurance for property you let others dwell on. Some places that can be as high as $1M. I've checked into it

a typical truck driver thoughts

I lived without a vehicle and home for years and once I got a truck I could sleep in I just wanted to constantly be on the move. I tried lots of activities to hold back the wanderlust but I really just want to see new places. Feeling this way and knowing I need some kind of career has me pretty screwed up. Figured out OTR trucking is probably the best thing for me to do for the next 20+ years. Got my permit and I'm selling everything. Plan on staying in hotels a few times a month.

That's a really smart way to do it. We know people who do it this way and absolutely love it!

Depending where you are in the world you might want to be static November to March

I think there's a big difference between people who live and travel in vans and RU-vid vanlifers. So many youtube folks have followed all the trends of living in a cabin during COVID or starting a tiny house build or swapping their van with a camper or whatever. The priority of a youtube vanlife person (who is inherently incentivized by money they make from youtube) is to constantly dish up fresh material, not live peacefully and happily in their comfortable van. That would just make for bad TV lol

You nailed it!

What a sensible post. I didn't 'aspire' to van life or a life on the road. I fell into it. I spent 12 years living and working in a semi before switching. I have been living in a converted enclosed cargo trailer for another 3 and a half years. I am quite comfortable this way because I have tried to create a house on wheels. Largely I have succeeded. There is a LOT of poverty out here. Also misfits, alcoholics and generally broken people. A great deal of people who live this way are here because of finances. Nobody can afford $2,000 a month rent in some town. Then there are all the other bills. I am retired and also follow the weather. The only way to survive on $1000 a month is by breaking out of the box. Nowadays if you try to survive normally you drown.

It’s effort, and a bigger event than if u lived in a house, but it’s still only a small part of the day.

Wait till you find out what economic crash life is like

@@tmusa2002 true but like what happens when all the rivers dry up like what happened in Europe and China and the Mississippi last year. In the next ten years we may look back at all of this like a fairytale when we used to have things like accessable food and water for most.

@@drewopal9283 If the sky is falling we all better live it up now!

@@tmusa2002 certainly

I love vanlife ❤❤

What's in your blood?

@@ericlarousse1149 the diesel and the love for the open highway. Most people quit because they can't handle it, much like with van life, but those that tough it out can no longer leave because they get addicted to it

Have a guess why there are rarely 90yo people proclaiming the joys of a van life and living the dream? 1) most wouldn't make it to 90yo in a van life. 2) most who do make it to 90yo would have quit the van life because its just not practical when you're older. 3) those old enough still living the van life don't have the finances to leave that life.

Shiny side up, driver. 👍

Why don't you share where the money came from throughout? .

@@taxicamel Photography

Fuck doing dishes lol I used disposeable everything. I warm up food from cans on my catalytic heater, chopped ham, canned corn in a pan with hot water an put some eggs in to cook in the shell. After about 5 min pull the eggs add idahoan instant mash potatoes and crack your slightly poached eggs onto it. Add tapatio and sour cream. Nom nom nom. I w a plastic for right rrom the pan. Wipe; t clean for tomorrow. No muss no fuss.

Cope. Van life is a scam

I 100% agree. I know many nomad lifers. It wasn’t for me i was out for 3 years but i would do it again. I like traveling for seasons not years

Big youtubers like this are mainly doing it for the youtube money.

Most are doing it for money, once they get a decent amount of views and RU-vid pays them, they boo hoo and complain and go back to bricks and sticks. But once they vlog loses the subs who subbed because of van life and don't like their new content, they dip and dip in it and come up with a story why

This is refreshing. I'd like to see people with platforms like this making positive change for accepting those who choose or fall into van-dwelling. The people with positive responses to this video are missing the point. It's a bit of a missed opportunity if you ask me.

If you've done it once, you feel confident that you can do it again, I guess. Vanlife is extremely intimidating for those who have never done it.

Horrendous way to live , sounds like you’re just making excuses for being forced to like out your car

@@cococock2418 are you homeless? Is this why you have multiple negative comments about vans? Just because your poor and homeless doesn’t mean everyone living on wheels is. You live out of a car not a van with a bathroom lmaoo

100%! There's nothing else like it! Thank you

Dorit is a great story teller. Check her out on Instagram and RU-vid!

In my ideal world, we'd do the same (sadly, I started thinking about this 20 years ao and I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that maybe this might not be possible unless we start to act... like now!). However, migrating nomads is a great term. I was thinking (still as a 30-year-old, which I'm not) that we'd take the van to Europe for the 90 days we're allowed to be there, then come back to Canada, then go back, and so on. I think it's more doable (although I did post earlier that I was thinking of a cross-Canada trip, then taking the (not yet owned, let-alone converted) van to Europe for 2 years.)

😂😂

Maybe it was the man bun.

​@@BowmanMoran beat me to it.

if you like to be around people, I'd suggest not camping in the middle of nowhere and living alone in a van

Oops. Time for plan B.

Hi, Just read your comment and thought you might like to look at my channel and set up. Like, share and subscribe Cheers Out There Touring

It’s a cycle

You white folks are crazy for choosing to live in a van😂😂

You white folks are crazy for choosing to live in a van😂😂

@@haiz768 That’s why I choose to travel in roof top tent and then return to my home. Cheers Out There Touring

Yea from what i can tell Van life is much much easier here. Would not even attempt it in the US or UK.

Thank you!! Haha truckers are definitely the original van lifers 😊

You definitely are living the good life the way you're doing it! Sounds like a blast and we are jealous 😂

Such a great point! Thanks for the kind words Darci!

If you can give it a try. I'm 2 1/2 years and I'm not through yet. I love the freedom

Do it!! Even with all the ups and downs we wouldnt change it for anything. We learned a lot about ourselves and grew as individuals and a couple so much

Easily the biggest reason I want to give it a crack, I hare feeling tied down or trapped in to normal society

That’s a silly take

How does you living in a manner that suits you, detract from other’s lives? Being free is our birthright, but the parasites have convinced us we are slaves, incarnating to serve them. Nope. Not true.

Wow. That’s a very wise way to look at it, and unselfish.

@@jackpumkinhead9583no it’s not it’s realizing the privilege you have over others and the reliance

But a lot of other people don't _want_ to live that way. The way our society is structured, you do things to earn money to pay for other people's time and energy. I don't see anything wrong with using that exchange of effort to live in a way that you genuinely like, unless you're doing it with your parents money or something. I mean, if you're working to earn a wage, you're not doing anything wrong by spending it to live a slightly different way than others.

That hurts!!!

Ouch...parked longer times?

Thank you💛💛

yeah, best of both worlds

Haha yess, you go dorit!! Such a good point! We had so much trouble getting financing for our first van for that exact reason. I can't even imagine how tough buying a house will be. We'll probably have to find someone society deems as responsible to co-sign with us. Best of luck as you navigate, but know you aren't alone, and are definitely not crazy!!💛

That would be my fear with full time van life. Keep at it. I'm sure you can establish roots. Maybe the rent a warehouse or shop space idea if you could park in it?

Because their parents can't keep paying for their "van life"

You white folks are crazy for choosing to live in a van😂😂

Thanks Debra, we hope so too! Thanks for being here from early one, we appreciate you and always adore your comments ❤️

@@KelsAndJay Awww geez. Now I'm blushing. 😊

Oh, you are quick to summarize the "profit" part. I think quite the opposite. There isn't the audience or interest to support RU-vid publishers. HOWEVER, every year, there is a new batch of "explorers" .....the people who aren't interested in education .....and this is an easy out with a very cheap worn out, hand-me-down van ready to go on the road for their "first adventure". And when it's over .....typically when the money's run out ......then what? .

@@taxicamel Many RU-vidrs do very well.

Haha we feel honored. Thank you!

Agree

Someone should make a video about social media vanlifers vs normal vanlifers who never put themselves online. Which last longer? I think if you're making your living with vanlife videos, it would be pretty intimidating to stop. I often wonder how many of these vanlifers are pushing themselves even though they don't want the lifestyle anymore, simply because they are making money. That's why they have to transition their channel to doing something else. They have to farm some land and/or build a home, and make the channel all about that. But do they really want to do that, either, or are they just desperate to have something to film? Are their lives just entirely artificial, dictated by what they think will sell to a youtube audience?

Apparently not

I hope you get what u want

This is what's funny to me, these people are in the prime of their working life. WTF are they doing in a van down by the river? I can understand doing it for a summer or right after college, but what I see is a generation that wants the benefits of retiring (living on the road) without paying their dues. I live overseas and run into the digital nomad types, some are are actually making things happen, most are not and being taken care of by Mom and Dad well into their 30's. Another way to look at this is, when you're older and want to retire to what? You lived life in reverse.