Something that continues to bother me about the term “vanlife” is how broad and undefuned that umbrella is. There are those who believe vanlife only applies to those who live in vans full time while others thing it’s anyone who participates in the lifestyle, even if it’s part time. Some say the term only applies to people who stay in vans, some expand their definition to include things like school busses and truck campers, some include people living in cars, some limit their definition to self-built rigs while others include brand new RVs right off the lot. In the end I think there are two things everyone can agree one: one, that nobody can agree on a definition of “vanlife”, and two, everyone’s definition includes however they enjoy vanlife. Checks out.
Last weekend my wife and I attended Camping World’s Ultimate RV Show in Oklahoma City. At the show, more than a hundred RVs, campers, vans, and even a tiny house were on display. I’m not in the market for a new van, but it’s always fun to look. And dream.
One of the things I love the most about vanlife is the creativity and ingenuity that goes into people’s vans. It doesn’t take watching too many YouTube videos to realize every single vanlife van is unique. I’ve seen people build lots of stuff and people adapt lots of stuff. We’re literally talking about people turning vehicles — everything from cargo vans to box trucks and school busses — into their primary residence. The solutions It’s impressive and inspiring how creative and resourceful people van be.
In this world there are people who make art and people who buy art. They both love art, but those are two very different groups. And when it comes to camper vans, there are vans that will never be finished because there are people who love the building process. There are people who by choice or circumstance have ended up living in vehicles. It’s art. And there are people who want to buy a brand new van and fill it up with gas and water and food and hit the road. Both of those groups of people are a part of vanlife, but they are very, very different groups.
At the Camping World show, we stepped inside dozens of vehicles and every one of them were gorgeous. The workbench in my van was made by screwing together a bunch of 2x4s, adding a sheet of plywood to the top and slapping a coat of cheap paint over the whole thing. Who wouldn’t be envious of fine wood and neon lights. There is no denying the difference in build quality between a professional build and plastic storage bins held in place by bungie cords.
Of everything on display at the RV show, the vans were the most expensive things we saw. I think this is because, of every type of camper available, those large vans have the least amount of hurdles to entry. RVs are big, tough to drive and park, and need to be stored somewhere. Trailers need to be towed. But a van? A van is just a big car. Hop in, start it up, and hit the road. I think prices reflect that ease of transition. One of the RVs we looked at was gigantic, with a separate bedroom (complete with a queen-sized bed), two movie theater-style seats, and even a fireplace. Sticker price, $99,999. Bumper-pull trailers that were just as nice were half that price.
The least expensive van we saw for sale at the show, with the most minimal build you can imagine, was $75,000. One middle-of-the-road van we saw was $136,000. The two most expensive ones were Mercedes vans converted into Airstreams. One was an off-road model on sale for $189,000; the other was a luxurious van for $259,000. That price reflects a $65,000 show discount.
They were the nicest vans I have ever been inside. All of them. There isn’t a single one of them that I wouldn’t trade my van for in a heartbeat. I suppose there’s a bit of hypocrisy in my words. Can you be both an artist and a person who buys art? Maybe. It’s a different solution for a different group of people… but they sure are fun to dream about.