15 Jun 2021

I have two best friends with vans which means that I'm the biggest leech of the century. I've done my fair share of van trips (thanks to said friends), some for just a few nights, others for a few months. Trust me, I froth van life. It's surreal, magical and convenient... until it isn't.

Whilst there is an abundance of pros to van life, there are still a fair few cons. Here is why the van life might not be for you:

1. If your home breaks down, you're screwed

Sure, if you're car breaks down on a normal day, it's a real hassle. You have to get it to the repair shop for a day or two and rely on public transport or your mum. 

But if your van breaks down whilst you're road trippin', aka, your home, you're left carless and homeless... Things could get pretty tricky, especially if this happens in the ass-end of space.

Luckily for me, the worst I ever copped was one time in Byron when the van refused to start. NRMA was helping us within half an hour and then we were on our way! Thank you, van gods.

2. Petrol is spenno

You're not exactly zooming around in a Mazzy 2 or Honda Civic are ya? Vans tend to chug through petrol like there's no tomorrow, especially since you've got a tonne of things in the back. 

3. Chores take forever

Vans are convenient in the sense that you can pop anywhere (that you're legally allowed to lmao) and sleep. No setting up a tent and struggling to fit your tent in the bag (I swear those bags are always way too small).

Buuuut, I'd be lying if I didn't say that the most basic tasks can steal a solid chunk of the day. Doing the dishes is a little tricky without a sink or water. Cooking a meal can take forever (especially if it's sorta windy and you're using a portable gas stove). Working out where to hang wet clothes without blocking any mirrors/windows is a nightmare. Figuring out where to sleep the next night can take forever (especially when you're my friends and me who leave everything to the last minute and are left spending an hour calling every campsite if they have availability).

4. Bad weather is a real kick in the nuts

Bad weather is already a neg when you're in a house. When you're in a van, weather can make or break the day. There will be days when the sky just won't stop pissing down and you're stuck inside the van, hurrying to find cheap activities that are indoors.

Sometimes, we'd even check the weather for other places nearby. If there were blue skies within three hours, we'd bee-line to them. 

5. You have limited resources

When you have to pee whilst living in the van, it can sometimes be a bit more of a situation. Same goes for drinking water. Some campsites and national parks don't have water, so you're always having to think ahead to stay hydrated.

A charged phone becomes a luxury, but you get used to a dead phone. In fact, it's so so good to switch off and really take van life in. Because, sure, some things can suck along the way but the pros outweigh the cons by a mile.

(Shout out to Kendal who is in the photo with her van named Sully. I've had the best times with Sully).