Vanlife trend accelerates during pandemic
Britt Ruggiero and Justin Giuffrida bought a 2002 Bluebird school bus in February 2021, with plans to convert it into a 30-foot home on wheels. At the time, diesel fuel prices in their home state of Colorado were averaging around $3 per gallon, the same as the national average.
The engaged couple, new to the nomadic living trend of #vanlife, gutted their bus, which they've dubbed the G Wagon; created a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom; and installed plumbing and solar power. They also mapped out an ambitious yearlong, cross-country trip: First they'd travel to Florida; then north to Long Island, New York; then see California top to bottom before heading back to the Southeast for the winter holidays. They got on the road this March, only to realize quickly that gas prices were not what they had expected.
“We drove to Florida basically all in one weekend, and that was kind of a slap in the face,” said Giuffrida, 29, of filling up the bus. “We were estimating it to cost about $200, and lately it's been about $300.” With a 60-gallon tank and fuel consumption of about 8-10 mpg, the G Wagon needed gas every four hours. The couple's first trip cost them nearly $2,000 on gas alone.
In mid-March, the national average for a gallon of diesel was up to $5.25 and has since continued an unwelcome rise: The price recently reached an average of $5.72, while the national average price of unleaded gas reached $5. These are the highest average prices ever recorded, according to AAA, the automobile group, just as the busy driving season of summer commences.
Ruggiero, 30, and Giuffrida are still on the road, currently in Santa Cruz after a recent stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. But in reaction to the gas prices, they've altered their trip, spending more time in each destination and cutting some stops at national parks from their itinerary.
“That year of work on the build, we're definitely not going to let that go to waste,” Ruggiero said.
Like countless other vanlife travelers, they are adapting to cut costs. Remaining in destinations longer, using gas apps and signing up for fuel cards allows vanlifers to stay on the road without giving up the freedom afforded by their lifestyle.
Jupiter Estrada, a 28-year-old content creator and RV owner from Texas who uses the pronouns they/ them, has been on the road since 2020 and has no plans to settle down.
“Gas is very expensive; that is not up for debate,” they said. “However, I'm in a really good position where gas is, essentially, my rent. My backyard is anywhere I want.”
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