I had the privilege of meeting Bob Wells at Tiny House Fest Northwest. He is a huge van life promoter and loves the freedom it brings to his life. He has a popular YouTube channel called CheapRVliving and you can learn more by following him there.
Bob says:
“One of the frequent criticisms I get is that I oversell the nomadic life, that it is much harder than I let it on to be. Unfortunately, I think there is some truth to that claim! I have so much love and passion for this life that I do tend to get carried away when I talk about it. There is no question that just like every life, there are good times and bad times, there are things you will love about this life, but there are probably going to be things you hate about this life.”
“In today’s video, I want to bring a little more balance and acknowledge the hard parts, but I equally want to say that to me, the great dwarfs the bad and most people that I know have only one regret about being a nomad: they wish they had done it earlier! I think there is at least a chance that will be true for you as well!!”
I know that when many of us dream of van life we envision the modern Class B Motorhome or the maxed out van build that can often range well over the $100,000 price tag. Most of us can’t afford this. However, there are other options.
If we look around at our local Craigslist or Facebook Market Place you can find used vans at very affordable prices. If you do the conversion yourself it can be an affordable option to make your own van the way you want it.
If you want to test it out before spending any big money, rent a van for a vacation using Outdoorsy or other rental options in your area.
$4,300
$6,800
$3,900
Often you can find vans already converted and for sale. Check out Chris Strathy’s Unicorn van he currently has on the market https://www.instagram.com/thecapablecarpenter/
There is a way to make that dream come true. However, be real about it and listen to Bob’s video above as he has some great wisdom to share.
Do you have a van life story? Contact me and I’ll share it with our readers here on the Tiny House Blog.
Very inspirational! When my daughter was a baby and a toddler I choose to live in an RV for two years, to be able to travel more. Best years of my life! I can see myself living in a van easily. A long as it is a 4×4 🙂
I really do not believe all the vanlife hype and think wide angle lenses add to the beautiful interiors that look so spacious. I say this living in a Casita travel trailer full time for the past 4 years–it is crowded for one person and a 50 lb hound. Two people inside? No way.
Wow Bob, listening to your youtube. Fiberglass Rv’s do not rot away. Laminated rv’s are the issue and possibly even Airstreams with leaks. THe fiberglass shells really do not leak. If they do, please let me know what I should be looking for.
I would communicate with Bob via his YouTube channel. He most likely won’t comment here.