ReVANping What It Looks Like To Travel

BY ALEXIS BAKKEN

The term “van life” has recently been dominating social platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. People have been using these outlets to share their adventures from purchasing a van and converting it into their new home to living rent-free on the road. They typically reveal tips and tricks, prepping advice and cute must-haves from Amazon.

There are many different versions of van life. Some people sell the majority of their possessions and commit to living solely in their tiny home on wheels. Others simply use theirs as an alternate means to travel. As this lifestyle grows in popularity, you may be wondering: is it worth it? Sarah Francisco, a lifelong traveler who committed to the “van life” in 2017, provides first-hand insight on this lifestyle. She said it all started in 2011 when her husband, Steve, brought their two kids to a playground in California. There, Steve met a family of five who had a converted sprinter van. This family rented out their house in the summer and traveled cross-country in their van. This lifestyle enabled the kids to sign up for whatever summer camp they wanted. They weren’t limited to a state and were encouraged to be adventurous. Steve said that what sold him was that there was only a short period of time that their kids would “still want to hang out with their parents.” He yearned to have as many adventures with his kids as possible before this dreaded time of parental uncoolness would settle in.

The eye-opening conversation in the park did not lead Sarah and Steve straight to a dealership. In fact, they had never camped before and really had no interest in it. Because of this, the idea of living the van life was thrown onto the back burner. However, their curiosity lingered for years.

To satisfy Steve and Sarah’s desire for adventure (in a way that did not require sleeping on the ground in a tent), they purchased a SeaRay Sundancer 350. While they had many fun ‘glamping’ journeys on their boat, they longed to explore the West.

The Francisco family traveled out to Oregon often for their son, George, who is a talented downhill skier. He frequently attended ski camps in Oregon which entailed buying four plane tickets, renting a condo and not having a convenient means for travel upon arriving. After doing the math, Sarah and Steve realized that converting a van would be substantially cheaper. This revelation led the family to purchase a Mercedes 170” with an extra tall roof. They hired Outside Van, a conversion and customization company in Oregon, to rip everything out and personalize the van the way they wanted. Sometimes, people like to convert their own vans, however Sarah and Steve decided to use a professional business to eliminate the hassle of figuring everything out.

SARAH FRANCISCO, USA

The Francisco family already had a good idea of what they wanted in their van because of their boat. The boat had a kitchen that they never used so they decided to exclude that from their van floor plan. Instead, they have a campsite set up for cooking. They also added a removable, plug-in fridge that they can take out when they go on winter travels. Other amenities include a queen-sized bed and two cots on the floor underneath, a bench to seat extra people, racks for bikes and skis, solar panels on the roof, heating, an extra water holding tank, swiveling captain chairs and a super high ceiling because Steve is 6’2. They also have a Wifi Booster, which Sarah said is one of the best things in the van because Steve works remotely and the kids have to do school work.

Sarah listed an abundance of pros to the van life. The first one being, you don’t need to pay for electricity, cable, internet or rent because everything runs off of large batteries installed in the van. This allowed them to work remotely which meant they didn’t have to adapt their lifestyles too much during the Covid-19 pandemic. Another cool aspect of traveling in a converted van is that you can get up and drive to a new destination without waking any passengers up or packing. Typically, tent camping requires everyone to wake up, pack and get on the road, which often results in unrested and annoyed travelers. With the van, you can just drive away in your little home on wheels. This is very beneficial for trips to National Parks where camping spots are claimed on a first-come-first-serve basis. “You also don’t have to worry as much about bears!” Sarah exclaimed.

The van enabled Sarah and her family to travel crosscountry three times. Olivia, their daughter, was able to audition for ballet camps in Oregon as George attended his ski camps.

“It really opened up the entire country,” Sarah said. They were able to stay in National Parks like Yellowstone and visit monuments like Mt. Rushmore. Some of their favorite spots to camp in are Jacksonhole, Wyoming; Montana right outside of Yellowstone; and Snake River in Idaho. In 2019, Steve and George (6th grade) embarked on a five-week “independent study of the Western US.” They would ski at various ski resorts during the day and then return to the van at night so George could do online tutoring and Steve could work remotely with business partners.

All of these concepts seem positive, but Sarah did note a few cons to traveling in a van. While on the road, the Francisco family take baths in rivers and lakes with eco friendly soap. However, they often find themselves missing the comfort of a nice, warm shower. At one point while she was in Jacksonhole, Wyoming, Sarah remembers saying, “if I don’t get a hot shower, I’m going to die!” To satisfy her needs, she found a laundromat with coin showers. There was also a time she really wanted a bed and a TV, so she ended up going to a nearby, scarylooking, rundown town and renting a dingy hotel room just so she wouldn’t go crazy.

The lack of space and amenities can sometimes be a nuisance, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons for Sarah and her family. They didn’t sell their house and completely commit to the “van life” like some people, but they are still able to have many VANcations filled with unforgettable memories and VANtastic adVANtures.