What are the advantages of Van Life?

There are a thousand and one ways to travel and we make you discover a new one today with this series of articles dedicated to motorized travel at the Van Life. Who knows, maybe this modality will resonate with you!

Let’s talk about the advantages of going on a motorized adventure now!

Our travellers in Van: the vanlifers

They are eight members of the milesopedia community to have answered our call. Eight who have known and most of them still indulge in their passion for motorized travel.

Westfalia, Winnebago, Adventurer, Chevrolet Express, Dodge Caravan, Jayco. Recent models and others who, let’s face it, have asked for a little love. Well done, mechanics!

Most of them are or have been owners of the car, other tenants. They rented their van from:

First observation: they love or loved it. Those who sold the mount are bored. They’re thinking of renting.

One of them, who has swapped his Westfalia for a motorbike, is thinking of reconnecting with the beast through motorbike relocations in the United States or Canada. Do you know it? It also exists in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe.

It’s about doing each other a favour: the company asks you to take possession of the RV at location X and bring it to Y. If the destinations are convenient for you, why not!

For example, seen on a site recently: you take a 4-seater RV in Montreal and the company gives you 20 days and 4,500 kms to get it to Vancouver. It charges you $10 a night and $0.41 per kilometer not needed. So do your calculations but it’s an option that can be interesting.

I would say, apart from the nostalgic, the offer seems very appropriate for people with small budgets or who want to give it a try for the first time.

Finally, we still have to think about coming back (hence the interest of the reward programs with travel points for our followers)!

Here are two sites to inform you more:

Van Life and the call of the open sea

We must try at all costs! If you’re “titillated” by the idea: listen to your little voice and GO! Go for it! We have proof with the current situation that things can change so quickly tells us our vanlifers milesopedians.

All members agree to recommend this way of travelling to those who are tempted by the adventure. They chose her for a variety of reasons. Will they convince you of that?

Van Life: synonymous with freedom and independence

The Van Life stands for freedom and independence.

Carolane tells us about a misadventure that happened just as they were getting away from their RV:

Whew! Nice escape!

Our members have all found small golden sites to park for free:

This is called Boondocking, a term defined by the Fédération québecoise de camping et de caravaning (FQCC) as being:

You can find these places yourself or through applications that direct you to secret corners.

Well, we agree that if you are several to use these applications, the secret is no longer a secret but all are unanimous: it is possible to avoid paying campsites with motorhomes strung up next to each other.

And that leaves room for nice little surprises.

Here is a funny example reported by Charles while the couple was looking for a place to spend the night..:

Ah well! A Quebec Ranger!

Favorite places? Our members have provided dozens of examples:

And then..:

And in all these places: the BBQ, the sunset, the little fire, the stars and the moon’s arrival with the sound of the waves in the background. You don’t need an apple turnover with that.

Van Life: Feeling at home

The second reason to indulge in Van Life is to feel at home.

The Milesopedian vanlifers surveyed report appreciating feeling in their business. They move with what they choose to bring while trying to aim for the minimum. To travel light, as they say.

We bring the dog for some, the children’s school equipment when required and the computer equipment, whether it is intended for work or not, for others.

And then there’s the day-to-day management. For parents, the motorized would be safe for children who keep a certain routine just like at home.

For others, it’s the fact of having everything at hand!

Since many people avoid restaurants, integrated kitchens allow them to save time and money:

A house that moves, therefore, from Eldorado to Eldorado.

Van Life: developing autonomy and appreciating what you have

In third position to plead in favour of this way of travelling in Van Life: living in a motorised vehicle would help us to develop our resourcefulness.

Talk to Emmanuelle, who adapted her vehicle for her trip to the Great North:

Don’t forget to remember the daily use of water and electricity and to refuel if you are away from the big cities. Would you like to take a shower? Um, maybe I’ll make it to tomorrow.

Melody’s family had to improvise a small bath in a storage bin, following the freezing of the pipes in the trailer. The kids had a great time, but their 6’2″ dad was a little less.

Some members are of the opinion that this life brings us closer to the essential, even to minimalism. Appreciate what is available and often free rather than what you don’t have and what you want.

Nature and human relations first.

Van Life: free accommodation and sightseeing in the city

And finally, one of the reasons for travelling by motorised vehicle is the large free car parks near the cities.

Suppose you have no more points Marriott Bonvoy, BMO Rewards, AIR MILES or Best Western Rewards. And that you have four children.

However, be sure to choose your parking lot carefully and not to repeat Anik’s mistake:

Van Life: the budget

If you notice, I did not bring the argument of economy as a reason to opt for the life of nomads on wheels because the subject is not unanimous among the members questioned.

For some who lived full time in the motor home, there were certainly savings in rent and car costs. Accommodation and cooking 100% of the time during holidays also tilted the balance in favour of an economical mode of travel. What’s more, there are six of us!

But others question the astronomical cost of petrol vs. the number of kilometres covered in a short period of time. The eloquent example of the 14 litres/100 km with 90 horsepower and $3,000 spent on repairs/maintenance per year does indeed startle us.

Westfalia 1986: paid $16,000 with a blown-up engine. It was the very good condition of the vehicle and its resale in the United States because of high demand that made the owner get his money back. But that’s not always the case.

Finally, let’s say that a good credit card with no conversion fees that can be used anywhere in America for gasoline or diesel is necessary, to say the least.

Conclusion

To learn more, please feel free to ask your questions in the milesopedia community to our members who participated in the development of this article.

We thank the following vanlifers milesopediens : Joelle, Emmanuelle, Carolane, Kelly, Melanie, Maude, Anik and Charles.