Okay, it seems like this is quite an aged discussion. How would you define the term “vanlife”? Also, I’m aware that many individuals dislike it.

Is the label exclusively reserved for full-time van dwellers?

Personally, I align more with being a weekender, despite having traveled extensively for several months. Where would you set the boundary in this regard?

Or is it primarily about the conduct of individuals while they are traveling?

  • Frater Mus
    7•1 year ago

    This is IMO and I don’t intend to gatekeep. Since you asked…

    What does the term “Vanlife” mean to you?

    It used to mean living in a van; the term was used that way back in the 90s on yahoo email groups, IIRC.

    /cynic mode ON
    Then it blew up and was co-opted by carbetbaggers and the van-curious. Now it means influencing, watching influencers, posting bikini and/or foot pics, spending way too much money on a conversion then saying “hashtag-vanlife is overrated” and bailing. Most people on popular YT vanlife channels, forums, etc, do not own a van and will never spend a night in a van.
    /cynic mode OFF

    Speaking generally, and not about present company.

    Personally, I align more with being a weekender, despite having traveled extensively for several months

    Still working on coffee, but I’ll suggest a spectrum of approaches/attitudes

    • dreaming <-- most people are here
    • weekending
    • weekending in a rig that is capable of longer outings. An underrated option, since it gives us the ability to deal with life challenges, natural disasters, etc.
    • traveling for months - practically indistinguisable from fulltiming since it presents many of the same challenges: power, water, food, etc. The only things missing are exposure to both summer and winter, and the sobering realization that this is home and there is no other home to return to.
    • fulltiming

    TLDR

    Vacations and campouts are fun. Living off-grid fulltime is serious business. I am reminded of the joke about different animals’ contributions to breakfast: the chicken is involved but the pig is committed.

    • @Phlogiston
      3•1 year ago

      This is a good list. I’d suggest,

      “extended trips” rather than a “for months” timeline. Once you’re past about 3weeks you’ve had to deal with power, water, food and etc. And you’re absolutely correct that this is a significant milestone.

      “4 season extended trips” for the next level up? Its absolutely harder in winter; and especially an extended trip in the winter. These are the trips where I invariably fuck up and end up redoing the sink because I let it freeze. Or did a 20F exterior shower because eventually my wife really needs to wash her hair. (Someday I’ll have an interior shower option).

      Fulltiming - I think the defining factor here is your “this is home” point. This isn’t something I’ve done since I was a kid. I can’t say I’m in a rush to do it again, although I know I’d be fine. Interestingly I did an extended summer recently when between homes and yet I didn’t think of that as “fulltiming” because I had a deadline. It was just a long vacation.

      Working remote is a huge difference that this list doesn’t capture for me. I’m at my computer 8hrs a day when I’m working and combining that with living in the van is rough – its just too much time in the same little space. Especially when I need to keep normal hours.