“Vanlife” is a relatively new, trendy word for living in a vehicle – but there is nothing new about it. It is a re-branding. People have been living in their vehicles for decades, as much out of financial necessity as for adventure or wanderlust.
But I use the word “vanlife” because it is catchy, easy, and precise for the vehicle I have. For me, it’s shorthand to describe living in a vehicle that has been comfortably converted to a home.
#VanLife
Did you know that the now-famous hashtag, “#vanlife” was created by a former young fashion designer named Foster Huntington, back in 2011? He had no idea at the time how transformative the hashtag and its representations would be. The vanlife movement would add fuel to the imagery of kooky, hippie, free-wheeling millennials. Indeed, “#vanlife” would ignite a social movement that continues to grow today.
But the hashtag is driven by unrealistic images of picture-perfect couples with immaculate yet adorable vans and epic backdrops that are somehow void of a single wandering tourist to spoil the picture.
Vanlife, or living in a van, does not look like that 90% of the time.
Vanlife is a Lifestyle
So, forget about the #vanlife photos on Instagram. These images, though delightful and dreamy, don’t convey everything you need to know about living in a van. If you make your decision based on these photos, you will be quite disappointed!
Instead, to the folks who live it, embrace it, and represent the lifestyle, vanlife means much more than a perfectly composed image.
For us, vanlife is a choice to live minimally in exchange for rewards that material ‘stuff’ and a larger living space can’t provide: a lifestyle that allows flexibility, travel, and total customization.