Van life is a hot topic. Is it as glamorous as the photos you see on Instagram? It can look like a dream come true from afar. However, some van lifers have spilled the beans on the realities of the lifestyle.
Let’s look into what five van life YouTubers have said about their biggest regrets. If you’re considering van life, these videos are excellent snapshots of how to temper your expectations. Let’s get started!
What Is Van Life?
Van life is living full-time in a tiny home on wheels. It may be in a converted full-size van, minivan, bus, or class B camper van. Van lifers typically do remote work to pay for the lifestyle. They travel, boondock, and explore from the comfort of their RV.
The Biggest Regrets Of 5 Van Life YouTubers
We found five van lifers who share their biggest regrets. Please keep reading to learn what they would change about their van conversion to make life easier. You may discover more about the realities of living on the road full-time in a tiny space.
#1. Mariah Alice: 10 things I REGRET about my van conversion & 10 things I LOVE
About Mariah Alice: Mariah Alice is a solo van lifer who has lived and traveled in her van for over a year. She offers honest and informative videos on her channel. In addition, Mariah travels with her dog and provides helpful tips to female van lifers.
Biggest Regrets: Mariah offers a thorough look at her van build regrets. She notes that watching other YouTube videos and doing what’s trendy when making her van got her into trouble. She regrets not trying things out on her own before customizing her tiny home. Her main regret is not listening to the people who told her she would be happier in a larger van.
Other regrets she has include not putting in proper RV locks for security. She also wishes she had attached her grey tank to the bottom of the van and put it in a regular-size freshwater tank.
#2. The Wander Family: Van Life Regrets! Reality of Living on the Road
About The Wander Family: The Wander Family is Corbin, Kelsey, and their daughter. They have traveled in a Class C RV for the last few years and recently purchased their first sticks and bricks house. Their YouTube channel documents their adventures.
Biggest Regrets: Traveling with a baby can be challenging. The Wander Family discusses some of the ups and downs of RV life in this video. Weather and wildfires are unpredictable circumstances that can creep up on you without a moment’s notice. It’s in these moments that the reality of living on the road can be daunting.
#3. The Wandering Wagners: 9 REGRETS of our Van Build // What would we CHANGE??
About The Wandering Wagners: The Wandering Wagners are a Canadian couple who toured around Australia in their Sprinter van. Joe and Kristyn are vegetarians who are passionate about conserving our planet. Their channel promotes healthy living and environmental consciousness.
Biggest Regrets: In their regrets video, The Wandering Wagners talk about what they would change in their van build. From wishing they found a high roof that met their needs to more time to build, they reflect on some of their regrets. Weight balance is one of their regrets that not many YouTube van lifers identify. Ensuring all of your cargo weight is not all on one side but distributed well is essential.
#4. The Matneys: VAN CONVERSION: 5 Regrets We Already Have About Our Home
About The Matneys: The Matneys are Nick and Aubry. They’ve been driving across the Americas in their Sprinter van, from the U.S. to Argentina. Their YouTube channel brings you on their journey to incredible destinations.
Biggest Regrets: The Matneys talk about their van conversion regrets after only a short time in their tiny home. They list five things they would change, including the location of their water and an inefficient pantry. In addition, they’ve decided their couch is too high, they didn’t set the driver’s seat up to swivel, and because of where the sink is concerning the bed, their sheets sometimes fall in the sink. While these may seem like easy changes to make, they can quickly become frustrating when living in a small space.
#5. Snow & Curt: VAN LIFE MISTAKE – Do We Have Regrets?
About Snow & Curt: Snow and Curt decided to make a significant life change at 50 years old. They sold everything they owned and converted a van into their home. After retiring early, they’ve hit the road and plan to travel the world in their tiny house on wheels.
Biggest Regrets: While Snow and Curt don’t regret transitioning to van life, there are some creature comforts they miss from owning a traditional house. In this video, they discuss what they miss. Snow misses hot baths in their whirlpool tub, and Curt misses his Japanese toilet! Most of all, thinking about how much water they’re using is a dilemma for all van lifers.
Is Van Life Worth It?
As you can see, many van lifers have some regrets, but after all of the ups and downs, most will tell you it’s still worth it. Living a minimalist life on the road can be exciting and challenging simultaneously, but the good usually outweighs the bad.
If you’re considering van life, go into it with realistic expectations. Then, you can learn from these experienced van lifers. What are some van lifers you follow on YouTube?
