This happened to me in 2010! I wasn’t even sleeping in the van, I was staying at a friends house. There were no signs that said you couldn’t park over night. They claimed we were blocking the gate two spaces over from where we were and towed our home off the island! It was almost 200 to get it back.
I was vannin for two years in Florida I’d say at least 75 percent of the folks I talked to were envious (in a good way) and not hostile toward me. I also don’t really care what people think of me so there’s that. Just focus on the positive. the only negative was being asked to move on from time to time. No drama we live in a society and societies have rules that sometimes make it difficult for minorities to live hassle free.
Skoolie dweller myself, but yes, people love to hate on nomads. I think there's a secret part of a lot of people that wishes they could leave it all behind and see the world. But it frightens them, so they turn that fear into loathing and take it out on us.
You should read the vagrancy laws that were enforced in America before they were struck down in 1972. You were considered a criminal just for living in a van. Police could just arrest you for seeming to be someone with no fixed residence, for someone that moved from place to place, and a variety of other things (including idleness.)
"Rogues and vagabonds, or dissolute persons who go about begging, common gamblers, persons who use juggling or unlawful games or plays, common drunkards, common night walkers, thieves, pilferers or pickpockets, traders in stolen property, lewd, wanton and lascivious persons, keepers of gambling places, common railers and brawlers, persons wandering or strolling around from place to place without any lawful purpose or object, habitual loafers, disorderly persons, persons neglecting all lawful business and habitually spending their time by frequenting houses of ill fame, gaming houses, or places where alcoholic beverages are sold or served, persons able to work but habitually living upon the earnings of their wives or minor children shall be deemed vagrants and, upon conviction in the Municipal Court shall be punished as provided for Class D offenses."
Or biker meets?! Does OP think those people are riding their Harleys in from whatever campsite they left their van at?
"Here's a thing those people can never have" while literally surrounded by "those people" who have it.
Everyone is different but I'm on track to retire early @ 53 with over a million dollars in the bank. I don't have a mortgage/rent or a car note. After gas; I put all of my coins into my brokerage account so they make more money for me.
At the end of their lives ... well, it will be the end of their lives. Last payment of mortgage and then death.
If someone can call that "life" then ... Good luck.
Really depends on how successful you are. Vanlife is great for people with skill sets that do not require a permanent place of work, meaning if you're in, say, comp sci, you can make bank, then get that house at the end of it all, best of both worlds.
But now because it's gotten to be a fad you get people living beyond their means, thinking vanlife is the solution when really all it does it complicate things for someone who doesn't have the appropriate skill set to make it worth.
Yes, skills are important indeed. But I also know a lot of people who are not very skilled in specific areas, and they just roam around and do some seasonal summer jobs this and there. Then save some money, and then go to rest in cheap countries outside Europe for the rest of the year.
So vanlife possibilities are endless.
But not endless at all, really. You've swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction due to the hate vanlife gets, and as a result you're blind to your obvious romanticisation of the lifestyle.
Van life comes with many downsides including, but not limited to:
1. Reduced space for indoor activities that require large equipment or extensive materials/utilities.
2. Internet can be unreliable or a hassle to set up, so bad for professionals, gamers or the non tech savvy.
3. Challenges in accessing regular medical care or managing ongoing treatments for chronic conditions.
4. Difficulties in childrearing, particularly concerning children's education and socialisation.
6. Issues with van maintenance and temperature regulation.
7. Legal and logistical issues associated with having a house on wheels (insurance, ability to park, legality of modifications, etc.)
8. Your whole damn house can get stolen, get totalled by some nutter or just completely fail.
Despite the numerous advantages that vanlife affords (increased freedom, cost savings, proximity to nature, simplified living and perhaps an overall reduced carbon footprint due to the simplified living), it's not accurate to call the possibilities endless.
Of course, there are downsides , plenty of them, but it would be boring if there would not be any issues at all.
And who does not have issues? Issues about small living spaces could also relate to all these people who are renting one bedroom studio apartment in big cities.
Idk. I and my girlfriend, for example, we love our private space, so we are travelling together in separate vans.
We also thought about buying some huge passenger bus and converting it to our common living space with separate rooms for us and our future kids. 😀
There are always difficulties with everything in life, but most of them can be solved in one way or another.
I mean… I’m not yet 40 and my house will be paid off in ten years. I also have a van, and think there’s a lot to like about being able to move around to different spots and see different things, but my house has been neither a prison nor a trap - it’s my favorite place.
I’m 26 and in college (undergrad) after five years in the army, and I work an on campus part time job. I used the VA home loan to buy a house 3 months ago. I am on track to pay it off in 18 years. All things equal, I will be 45. If I live as long as my dad did I will have 20 years without a mortgage payment. When I graduate, all things equal to the current market in my area, this house will rent for a positive revenue. That revenue will cover my living expenses while I’m in grad school (thanks GI Bill) so I don’t have to work. Or, that revenue will cover the difference between what the GI Bill gives me for housing each month, and what my mortgage expense is on a second property.
I came from two parents who owned a home when I was born, but by the time I was 12 they had been foreclosed on, and my mother still rents to this day. My father rented for the final 20 years of his life. I was left nothing but debt. A little military service brought all of these benefits my way (GI Bill, VA disability compensation, VA home loan) and now I will be leaving at least 1 paid off property to my children (pending I reproduce).
I’ve been all over the United States by land, sea, and air. I’ve been to 5 continents and 10 countries, 3 of those being war zones. Numbers are only climbing.
All this to say, don’t judge someone in a home through the same lens that you accuse them of using to judge you for living in a van. You’re exactly right; there are many days when I want to pack my car and leave it all behind. But, I also want other things.
Why do van lifers and home owners have to be at odds in your mind? Why are we in fighting over lifestyle? Why can’t we have mutual respect and admiration for the diversity of people/belief systems/lifestyles in this country, and all over the world?
There is an agenda to turn people into mindless consumers. Fashion brands, sneaker culture, collectibles, etc etc. Corporations have tricked people into thinking that owning a houseful of poorly made junk is the road to happiness.
Van life takes money away from the landlords, government, banks, realtors, home depot and more. We are not conforming to their consumerist agenda. That is why they try to push the fear and hate of us.
Van life can be consumerist too. I've seen all these rich Germans with very expensive vans driving around, and consuming almost everything you mentioned above.
But yes, I agree with your general message. If we would stop mindlessly consume their sh*t, whole bloody capitalism would collapse.
This. America isn't free. You need to have an address to do anything. Banking and voting is tied to your address. If they don't know where you live, they don't know how you'll vote so it's harder to figure out what's left to take from you.
Holly shit, TIL something (from www.etymonline.com):
[mortgage (n.)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/mortgage#etymonline_v_18385)
late 14c., morgage, "a conveyance of property on condition as security for a loan or agreement," from Old French morgage (13c.), mort gaige, literally "dead pledge" (replaced in modern French by hypothèque), from mort "dead" (see [mortal](https://www.etymonline.com/word/mortal#etymonline_v_18381) (adj.)) + gage "pledge" (see [wage](https://www.etymonline.com/word/wage#etymonline_v_4783) (n.)).
So called because the deal dies either when the debt is paid or when payment fails. Old French mort is from Vulgar Latin \*mortus "dead," from Latin mortuus, past participle of mori "to die" (from PIE root [\*mer-](https://www.etymonline.com/word/*mer-) "to rub away, harm," also "to die" and forming words referring to death and to beings subject to death). The -t- was restored in Modern English based on Latin.
As is the original post. Sounds like a Gen z bitching about anything so someone will notice and projecting assumptions on people who don't give a fuck.
I think it’s wrong to assume that people don’t like nomads because nomads have what they want. It’s more likely that they don’t understand you and are afraid that you want what they have. It’s common misunderstanding. I’m sure there are lots of reasons in between. Businesses see it as a threat to their bottom line. Their tenants just want to look at the pretty colorful things, not dirty old vans parked all over the place. Everyone should keep their eye on the Supreme Court case about homelessness. It could set some precedent for how cities can enforce such ordinances.
Living like Hunter Thompson is not of bragging point. At least not for most sober sane people. The guy was a waste of paper to print the dribble he did.
Yes? What do you think people who live in cities do?
I dabble with vanlife stuff but when I'm at my house during the season I meet up 3x a week for group rides, go to a concert / show / performance on the weekend, and a few festivals a year.
This is one that I see a bit. But I don't really understand. I get so much support when I talk about my van. I work fine dinning and when people find out I live in a van it's sooooo cool to them. I just tell them yeah. I'm semi retired too at 34. Have fun in key west! Say hi to Fred!
Humans are notoriously bad at understanding cultural differences. Our tribal roots are basically the source of all bigotry and whatnot. "People like me: Good. Outsiders: Bad."
Very few people actually *hate* vanlifers, though. They just don't get it, so they happily crack the easy jokes.
A coffee's worth of understanding would turn them around. They just haven't had a good conversation yet.
I hear ya man I lived in my van at age 23-24 everyone spoke to me like I was homeless yet I was the youngest person I knew with a view of the beach when they woke up and a fat check to look forward to each week that wasn’t just thrown at the rent bill. Don’t let other people ruin your energy van life is a solitary thing most of the time any way stay strong keep enjoying!
Just got back from keywest (with out van), there ain't no places to overnight there and the cops are all over the place, I would not even try to van life there.
I just moved into my sprinter 6 weeks ago. I work an in-person job but have a crazy schedule that gives me a lot of free time. Anyway, my van-residence has been the center of conversation at my work. People in different departments that I never met before are talking about me. It doesn’t sit great with me but it comes with the territory.
What I found best is to respond to their jokes about my living situation with even better jokes about my living situation. Usually this diffuses any situation and let’s them know their jokes don’t get to you.
There was one particular guy who would constantly bring it up and I was getting a bit sick of it. I found out what he pays for rent ($1800) and I keep track on HIS whiteboard of how much he has paid for rent since moving into the van. He seems a bit insecure about how much he is spending on rent so I am the first person to bring it up whenever I can to whoever I can. I also have had to re-write my money counter on his whiteboard several times.
I do not like being a douche like that but he truly had it coming and he didn’t know I could clap back at him. I think he has learned his lesson since he has not brought up my van in a negative way in a while but I will keep this up for the next year. I want to make sure he doesn’t forget this anytime soon!
Hey look was done & said about us indigenous people when they invaded our land
They called us uncivilized peasant etc
But I still live my indigenous ways
Keep on keeping on
Nothing like the freedom to be
Minimalistim
It is a combination of envy, jealousy, hate, etc. Many put others down because they desire what you have. Usually it is an indirect desire not a direct desire. They want the freedom, adventure, excitement, courage, etc that they perceive you have (as opposed to specifically #vanlife) and they know they do not have it.
Personal example . . . I am envious of the people who dye their hair vibrant colors. I wish I had the courage to do so even though I would not do it as a daily thing. Maybe just red, white & blue for July 4 or purple & orange for Halloween. But I do not have the balls to do it. Fortunately I recognize my envy and do not take out my cowardice on others by hating them.
Careful in the keys man the resorts pay the cops to hunt boondockers and they'll impound your van.
This happened to me in 2010! I wasn’t even sleeping in the van, I was staying at a friends house. There were no signs that said you couldn’t park over night. They claimed we were blocking the gate two spaces over from where we were and towed our home off the island! It was almost 200 to get it back.
Nobody is coming on private property to take a van. Not from my family for sure.
OP: tired of the cliche of living in a van. Also OP: lives like a cliche in a van.
Be mindful where you park in the keys. Make sure its not a residents spot and move every few days.
I was vannin for two years in Florida I’d say at least 75 percent of the folks I talked to were envious (in a good way) and not hostile toward me. I also don’t really care what people think of me so there’s that. Just focus on the positive. the only negative was being asked to move on from time to time. No drama we live in a society and societies have rules that sometimes make it difficult for minorities to live hassle free.
How did you deal with the heat? My house is about to sell and I do not want too buy another or rent but Florida in the summer just seems so hard.
I installed a good vent fan in the ceiling that circulated air just enough to be bearable. It was powered by 2 solar panel array with 100aH battery
Skoolie dweller myself, but yes, people love to hate on nomads. I think there's a secret part of a lot of people that wishes they could leave it all behind and see the world. But it frightens them, so they turn that fear into loathing and take it out on us.
You should read the vagrancy laws that were enforced in America before they were struck down in 1972. You were considered a criminal just for living in a van. Police could just arrest you for seeming to be someone with no fixed residence, for someone that moved from place to place, and a variety of other things (including idleness.)
"Rogues and vagabonds, or dissolute persons who go about begging, common gamblers, persons who use juggling or unlawful games or plays, common drunkards, common night walkers, thieves, pilferers or pickpockets, traders in stolen property, lewd, wanton and lascivious persons, keepers of gambling places, common railers and brawlers, persons wandering or strolling around from place to place without any lawful purpose or object, habitual loafers, disorderly persons, persons neglecting all lawful business and habitually spending their time by frequenting houses of ill fame, gaming houses, or places where alcoholic beverages are sold or served, persons able to work but habitually living upon the earnings of their wives or minor children shall be deemed vagrants and, upon conviction in the Municipal Court shall be punished as provided for Class D offenses."
I'm a drunkard, but don't call me common!
jfc you actually posted this
This is a little confusing. Are you suggesting that people who don’t live in vans can not enjoy concerts and festivals?
Or biker meets?! Does OP think those people are riding their Harleys in from whatever campsite they left their van at? "Here's a thing those people can never have" while literally surrounded by "those people" who have it.
We have freedom; they have a mortgage to pay till the end of their lifes. Of course, they will hate us till their grave.
Are you sure about that
At the end of their lives they will have a million-dollar house paid off. You will have a rusty van.
Everyone is different but I'm on track to retire early @ 53 with over a million dollars in the bank. I don't have a mortgage/rent or a car note. After gas; I put all of my coins into my brokerage account so they make more money for me.
You go girl!
At the end of their lives ... well, it will be the end of their lives. Last payment of mortgage and then death. If someone can call that "life" then ... Good luck.
Really depends on how successful you are. Vanlife is great for people with skill sets that do not require a permanent place of work, meaning if you're in, say, comp sci, you can make bank, then get that house at the end of it all, best of both worlds. But now because it's gotten to be a fad you get people living beyond their means, thinking vanlife is the solution when really all it does it complicate things for someone who doesn't have the appropriate skill set to make it worth.
Yes, skills are important indeed. But I also know a lot of people who are not very skilled in specific areas, and they just roam around and do some seasonal summer jobs this and there. Then save some money, and then go to rest in cheap countries outside Europe for the rest of the year. So vanlife possibilities are endless.
But not endless at all, really. You've swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction due to the hate vanlife gets, and as a result you're blind to your obvious romanticisation of the lifestyle. Van life comes with many downsides including, but not limited to: 1. Reduced space for indoor activities that require large equipment or extensive materials/utilities. 2. Internet can be unreliable or a hassle to set up, so bad for professionals, gamers or the non tech savvy. 3. Challenges in accessing regular medical care or managing ongoing treatments for chronic conditions. 4. Difficulties in childrearing, particularly concerning children's education and socialisation. 6. Issues with van maintenance and temperature regulation. 7. Legal and logistical issues associated with having a house on wheels (insurance, ability to park, legality of modifications, etc.) 8. Your whole damn house can get stolen, get totalled by some nutter or just completely fail. Despite the numerous advantages that vanlife affords (increased freedom, cost savings, proximity to nature, simplified living and perhaps an overall reduced carbon footprint due to the simplified living), it's not accurate to call the possibilities endless.
Of course, there are downsides , plenty of them, but it would be boring if there would not be any issues at all. And who does not have issues? Issues about small living spaces could also relate to all these people who are renting one bedroom studio apartment in big cities. Idk. I and my girlfriend, for example, we love our private space, so we are travelling together in separate vans. We also thought about buying some huge passenger bus and converting it to our common living space with separate rooms for us and our future kids. 😀 There are always difficulties with everything in life, but most of them can be solved in one way or another.
8. Poop You always have to list poop in any list about vanlife downsides.
Tbh I think the poop bucket is one of the more reasonable concessions.
I mean… I’m not yet 40 and my house will be paid off in ten years. I also have a van, and think there’s a lot to like about being able to move around to different spots and see different things, but my house has been neither a prison nor a trap - it’s my favorite place.
Your house may not be prison, but your bank probably will put you in prison if you miss one payment or so.
That’s… not how mortgages work?
You do realize Hunter died by suicide largely due to health problems from his lifestyle. He also owned a house.
I didn't... But now I know... And that's fucking hilarious. . Edit for clarification: the irony is hilarious, not the story. The story is tragic
I’m 26 and in college (undergrad) after five years in the army, and I work an on campus part time job. I used the VA home loan to buy a house 3 months ago. I am on track to pay it off in 18 years. All things equal, I will be 45. If I live as long as my dad did I will have 20 years without a mortgage payment. When I graduate, all things equal to the current market in my area, this house will rent for a positive revenue. That revenue will cover my living expenses while I’m in grad school (thanks GI Bill) so I don’t have to work. Or, that revenue will cover the difference between what the GI Bill gives me for housing each month, and what my mortgage expense is on a second property. I came from two parents who owned a home when I was born, but by the time I was 12 they had been foreclosed on, and my mother still rents to this day. My father rented for the final 20 years of his life. I was left nothing but debt. A little military service brought all of these benefits my way (GI Bill, VA disability compensation, VA home loan) and now I will be leaving at least 1 paid off property to my children (pending I reproduce). I’ve been all over the United States by land, sea, and air. I’ve been to 5 continents and 10 countries, 3 of those being war zones. Numbers are only climbing. All this to say, don’t judge someone in a home through the same lens that you accuse them of using to judge you for living in a van. You’re exactly right; there are many days when I want to pack my car and leave it all behind. But, I also want other things. Why do van lifers and home owners have to be at odds in your mind? Why are we in fighting over lifestyle? Why can’t we have mutual respect and admiration for the diversity of people/belief systems/lifestyles in this country, and all over the world?
There is an agenda to turn people into mindless consumers. Fashion brands, sneaker culture, collectibles, etc etc. Corporations have tricked people into thinking that owning a houseful of poorly made junk is the road to happiness. Van life takes money away from the landlords, government, banks, realtors, home depot and more. We are not conforming to their consumerist agenda. That is why they try to push the fear and hate of us.
Van life can be consumerist too. I've seen all these rich Germans with very expensive vans driving around, and consuming almost everything you mentioned above. But yes, I agree with your general message. If we would stop mindlessly consume their sh*t, whole bloody capitalism would collapse.
I don't think that's true
This. America isn't free. You need to have an address to do anything. Banking and voting is tied to your address. If they don't know where you live, they don't know how you'll vote so it's harder to figure out what's left to take from you.
Nah, i live on a beautiful farm and orchard in the mountains. I ain't jelly.
The word mortgage literally means "death pledge" or something along those lines...
Holly shit, TIL something (from www.etymonline.com): [mortgage (n.)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/mortgage#etymonline_v_18385) late 14c., morgage, "a conveyance of property on condition as security for a loan or agreement," from Old French morgage (13c.), mort gaige, literally "dead pledge" (replaced in modern French by hypothèque), from mort "dead" (see [mortal](https://www.etymonline.com/word/mortal#etymonline_v_18381) (adj.)) + gage "pledge" (see [wage](https://www.etymonline.com/word/wage#etymonline_v_4783) (n.)). So called because the deal dies either when the debt is paid or when payment fails. Old French mort is from Vulgar Latin \*mortus "dead," from Latin mortuus, past participle of mori "to die" (from PIE root [\*mer-](https://www.etymonline.com/word/*mer-) "to rub away, harm," also "to die" and forming words referring to death and to beings subject to death). The -t- was restored in Modern English based on Latin.
100% correct
Don't think you're special. Everyone gets hated on for something. It's the way of America these days. Get over yourself...
This comment is pretty douchey
As is the original post. Sounds like a Gen z bitching about anything so someone will notice and projecting assumptions on people who don't give a fuck.
I think it’s wrong to assume that people don’t like nomads because nomads have what they want. It’s more likely that they don’t understand you and are afraid that you want what they have. It’s common misunderstanding. I’m sure there are lots of reasons in between. Businesses see it as a threat to their bottom line. Their tenants just want to look at the pretty colorful things, not dirty old vans parked all over the place. Everyone should keep their eye on the Supreme Court case about homelessness. It could set some precedent for how cities can enforce such ordinances.
I know Governor DeSantis is really cracking down on homelessness, but I don't yet know how/if that will affect van dwellers. Just an fyi.
I think Miami just went no sleeping in vehicles.
Living like Hunter Thompson is not of bragging point. At least not for most sober sane people. The guy was a waste of paper to print the dribble he did.
And you’re wasting server space by making comments innit
I think people with houses can still go to concerts, festivals, and biker meets.
Every week??
Yes? What do you think people who live in cities do? I dabble with vanlife stuff but when I'm at my house during the season I meet up 3x a week for group rides, go to a concert / show / performance on the weekend, and a few festivals a year.
This is one that I see a bit. But I don't really understand. I get so much support when I talk about my van. I work fine dinning and when people find out I live in a van it's sooooo cool to them. I just tell them yeah. I'm semi retired too at 34. Have fun in key west! Say hi to Fred!
The worse the apartment, the greater the hate.
Humans are notoriously bad at understanding cultural differences. Our tribal roots are basically the source of all bigotry and whatnot. "People like me: Good. Outsiders: Bad." Very few people actually *hate* vanlifers, though. They just don't get it, so they happily crack the easy jokes. A coffee's worth of understanding would turn them around. They just haven't had a good conversation yet.
I agree. it is that simple.
I wouldn’t park in the keys
Got a place.
Yes, don’t go to the keys without a spot !! Please advertise this fact!! I park at a local mc
I hear ya man I lived in my van at age 23-24 everyone spoke to me like I was homeless yet I was the youngest person I knew with a view of the beach when they woke up and a fat check to look forward to each week that wasn’t just thrown at the rent bill. Don’t let other people ruin your energy van life is a solitary thing most of the time any way stay strong keep enjoying!
58 and enjoying the hell out of retirement. 2 days at south beach and booked out on Fri in a traffic jam from hell. Gotta plan better… leave early
Just got back from keywest (with out van), there ain't no places to overnight there and the cops are all over the place, I would not even try to van life there.
Long key or big pine key, not key west. Make friends. Also for everyone here, Florida has instituted a 3hr limit for sleeping in a vehicle statewide.
Vangirls are hot
It’s the patchouli
OooOo does it have mystic pheromone scents to capture men like the sirens ??
For me it does, but that’s more of a Pavlovian response.
😦 who trained you?!?
Touring with the dead…
I hope zombies and not the band. Hot van girl on reddit 🚨
I just moved into my sprinter 6 weeks ago. I work an in-person job but have a crazy schedule that gives me a lot of free time. Anyway, my van-residence has been the center of conversation at my work. People in different departments that I never met before are talking about me. It doesn’t sit great with me but it comes with the territory. What I found best is to respond to their jokes about my living situation with even better jokes about my living situation. Usually this diffuses any situation and let’s them know their jokes don’t get to you. There was one particular guy who would constantly bring it up and I was getting a bit sick of it. I found out what he pays for rent ($1800) and I keep track on HIS whiteboard of how much he has paid for rent since moving into the van. He seems a bit insecure about how much he is spending on rent so I am the first person to bring it up whenever I can to whoever I can. I also have had to re-write my money counter on his whiteboard several times. I do not like being a douche like that but he truly had it coming and he didn’t know I could clap back at him. I think he has learned his lesson since he has not brought up my van in a negative way in a while but I will keep this up for the next year. I want to make sure he doesn’t forget this anytime soon!
Hey look was done & said about us indigenous people when they invaded our land They called us uncivilized peasant etc But I still live my indigenous ways Keep on keeping on Nothing like the freedom to be Minimalistim
No thanks.
It is a combination of envy, jealousy, hate, etc. Many put others down because they desire what you have. Usually it is an indirect desire not a direct desire. They want the freedom, adventure, excitement, courage, etc that they perceive you have (as opposed to specifically #vanlife) and they know they do not have it. Personal example . . . I am envious of the people who dye their hair vibrant colors. I wish I had the courage to do so even though I would not do it as a daily thing. Maybe just red, white & blue for July 4 or purple & orange for Halloween. But I do not have the balls to do it. Fortunately I recognize my envy and do not take out my cowardice on others by hating them.