Vanlife trend accelerates during pandemic
Although the specific number of vanlifers in the United States is not clear, the trend took off in 2020, thanks to low gas prices and a pandemic that prompted travelers to rethink airplanes and other public transit options while allowing for remote work. But even before the coronavirus made its way to the United States, the #vanlife hashtag on Instagram was crowded with stunning travel photos from influencers choosing to live and work remotely in converted vans, buses and RVs. (Although Instagram makes the life look glamorous, these travelers deal with their fair share of challenges: finding free or cheap places to park at night; sharing cramped living quarters with partners and pets; and for many, searching for the next shower or toilet.)
Chris Kochan, 31, and his girlfriend, Sarah Shaeffer, 26, started the skoolielivin.com website after purchasing a school bus in 2018 to explore their home state of Wisconsin.
Even with higher gas prices and more people heading back to the office, they say skoolielivin.com, where travelers can buy and sell used buses as well as share tips on bus renovation and travel, continues to grow in popularity, seeing a 200% increase in site traffic in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2021. There has been one notable change.
“We have seen an increase in people asking about fuel mileage of different buses and the costs of living the bus lifestyle,” Kochan said. “However, it doesn't seem to have slowed down interest in living a nomadic lifestyle in a school bus conversion.”
In addition to school buses, camper vans and RVs are popular options for living on the road. Although the type of fuel can differ based on vehicle make and model, the majority of school buses run on diesel fuel, which is often more expensive than unleaded gasoline. Camper vans, which range in cost from $100,000 to $200,000 before customization, have the best gas mileage, getting between 20 and 30 mpg, while school buses and RVs usually get 8-15 mpg.
On top of fuel costs, amenities that nonvanlife people take for granted — plumbing, heating — can add thousands of dollars in conversion costs. Kochan and Shaeffer spent more than $4,500 adding a wood stove, propane furnace, water tanks and a toilet to their vehicle.
Startup costs are not minimal. Take the case of Ruggiero and Giuffrida: The classic RVs and pull-behinds they considered cost $100,000 for the vehicle and necessary live-in work. Instead, they paid $4,500 for the bus and $25,000 for the conversion.
Gas prices, Ruggiero said, were considered, but they didn't think it would be an issue. In Colorado, they were paying an estimated $2,000 a month in living expenses.
“Even if we're traveling around every
Slowing down for summer
Although some travelers are content to avoid states with the most expensive fuel, such as California, Nevada and Illinois, others have made the choice to save money by parking in one spot for months at a time, working freelance gigs and waiting for fuel prices to drop.
Berkeley Martinez and Monica Ourada have been parked in Bellingham, Washington, on Bureau of Land Management property, and living in their 1991 Dodge B250 camper van, since December.
“We weren't planning on staying for very long, and then all of a sudden, gas prices skyrocketed to about $5 a gallon,” said Martinez, 29. “We just realized that it'd be better if we stuck around for a bit. Now it's been half a year.”
The pair plans to remain parked through the summer, avoiding the most popular and expensive travel season of the year and hoping September brings cheaper gas prices across the country
“Our goal is to leave after Labor Day,” said Ourada, 26. The couple will assess the gas prices, she said: If they “are $4, or hopefully under $4, then we will probably travel quite a bit faster, staying four to five days in one place at a time before leaving. If prices stay where they're at, then we probably will find one place to explore for a month or two.”
Navod Ahmir, 28, is driving more slowly. The finance associate has been chronicling his travels in his 2018 Ford Transit online as navodthenomad since 2020. Last year, he landed a job that allowed him to work completely remotely while driving from his home state of North Carolina to California. Now the challenge he faces is budgeting for another cross-country trip.
“I just got back from California, and the gas prices on the East Coast are just what California typically felt like,” he said. “But once I go back across, I'm thinking about going slower to save money. Typically, I drive across a state in two or three days, then spend a day there before moving on. Now I'm considering staying in each state for two or three weeks.”
Ahmir, for one, remains hooked on the freedom and opportunities that the nomadic lifestyle provides, regardless of the pricey fuel.
“Before the pandemic, I hadn't traveled far outside my surrounding states,” he said. “This has opened up so many doors to do a lot of different things and do it whenever I want to.”