Either way you wish to spell it; it’s a fairly new term in the RV’ing or camping lingo. It has a different meaning to different people. Some use it to describe one who lives in a van, others may use their van for an everyday vehicle and take off camping in it on the weekend or extended vacations. Those who choose the lifestyle of actually living in a van may use the term more. The term also seems to have more of a “nomadic” spirit to it as opposed to one who lives in a traditional RV.
A nomad is generally defined by most dictionaries as one who moves from place to place to work or make a living, or, a person with no fixed residence and who roams about; a wanderer. Some may refer to nomads as adventurer. Adventurer could be left to your own definition and is what you decide it is for you.
Personally, I truly enjoy living part-time in my van and leaving on a whim and heading out with no map, no schedule and no time frame for anything. I do however, enjoy visiting Famous and Historic sites, National Parks and journaling my travels with pen and camera and sharing same on my blog and YouTube Channel. I am not the typical RV Traveler staying in RV Parks and the like. I search out free camping sites and have found some truly wonderful places and have no fees to pay. I’ve camped on some beautiful rivers, lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and both oceans on either side of this great continent all for free.
Adventuring to you might conjure up images of going fishing in various waters across this great land and may cause a rush and put a giant smile on your face. If this is the case, I invite you to join me as a van dweller and head out.
The term vandwelling has become more popular over the past few years. For those of us who do it and those who dream of doing it at some point in their lives, vandwelling also means a lifestyle to enjoy freedoms that others can’t comprehend. Vandwelling could be referred to as what full-time RV’er call full-timing it in their RV’s. Vandwelling is far less conspicuous than RV’ing. For the most part, we are totally stealth. We can drive and park basically anywhere in a city with no one being the wiser that we are living in our van parked on your street.
Things that might become part of your thinking process when considering van living depends on your needs and wants and … yes, your budget. Vandwellers put the most thought and value on the amount of space available and they use it efficiently. Most vandwellers I know are true minimalists. We carry the basics of clothing and other essentials. We don’t buy things for the sake of buying just because we like it. Space is the major consideration when the thought of buying something comes up. We don’t want to fill our valuable space with things that don’t matter. In addition to basic necessities, most of us carry a porta-potty and portable shower. Some, including me, have a membership to a national gym franchise with locations across the USA. I will stop in the towns where my gym is located and grab a shower at every opportunity. If I feel the need for a shower and I don’t have my gym nearby, I have my portable shower at the ready. One can also stop at a truck stop and take a shower for a nominal fee and use the truck stop laundry mat for laundry needs. As mentioned earlier, I only stop at an RV Park when necessary (if no truck stops are near me) and pay for a space for a night in order to do laundry and grab a hot shower.
Until next time…
