Thinking about downsizing to a camper van?

If you currently travel in a larger RV or towable, maybe you’ve started to wonder why it seems everyone these days has decided to live in a van down by the river. 

Van life isn’t anything new… From the flower power VW buses of the 60s to the Westfalias of the 80s, and now the Class B RV, van life has been around for quite some time. And there are many reasons why people make the choice to downsize to a van.

At the same time there are also a few reasons why you wouldn’t want to make the switch! In this blog post, we take an objective look at the pros and cons of van life compared to a variety of options. We are a camper van conversion company. But we also have experience camping and traveling in a variety of vehicles with our family of four. 

Our family of four has experienced road trips and camping using the following scenarios:

• Car camping with a large tent
• Pop-up tent trailer
• Class C RV
• And now van life in a converted Ford Transit Cargo van

Each of these options has offered pros and cons, depending on our life stage and the needs of our family as our kids get older. (See our Travel with Kids blog series for more details!) 

In our blog post about the Value that Van Life Creates, we go into some of the downsides for our family of traveling in our Class C RV. While we loved the comforts of a larger RV, we found that we used it less and less over time. Hop on over to that post to read more of why we made the switch.

So let’s run through some pros/cons of each scenario we’ve outlined…

Car Camping with a Tent 

Pros: 

• Affordable and accessible - not a significant investment in gear and doesn’t require purchasing an additional vehicle
• Flexible - you can easily have multiple tents for various family members if people need their space (kids tent, grown-up tent)
• Customizable - very easy to customize your setup to your unique needs as those needs change over time
• Simple - doesn’t require any experience in driving larger vehicles or dealing with components such as solar or having to dump the black water tank…

Cons: 

• Time-consuming - unless you are really organized, packing up all the gear can be a hassle and your gear will often require a lot of cleaning upon return home if you camp in the rain.
• Seasonal limitations - if the weather is bad, you have limited options to get out of the snow, rain or extreme heat. Tent camping usually has a limited “season” in most parts of the country. 
• Camp setup - setting up your area for cooking and cleaning can be tedious unless you opt for very simple meals with little prep and clean up.
• Fewer comforts of home - you likely won’t have access to hot water for a shower or any other sort of indoor plumbing unless you plan to stay in a campground with those types of facilities available.
• Storage needs - you will need somewhere to store all of your camping gear when not in use, which can be a challenge if you live in a small apartment or condo with limited storage options

Pop-up Tent Trailer

Pros:

• Budget friendly - doesn’t require a super duty truck for towing capacity (although we are skeptical of what vehicles some people use to tow their pop up campers)
• Fairly easy setup
• Greater protection from the elements but not as good as an RV or van
• Less of a learning curve than an RV with complex systems

Cons:

• Still fairly limited in terms of amenities… likely no hot shower for example
• Challenging to use in rain/snow due to lack of insulation
• Small space for a family of four, it worked well for us when the kids were little and could share a bed but as soon as they got into the pre-teen years, it was a no-go!

Class C RV

Pros:

• Lots of amenities, lots of comfort, a full size RV is truly the Five Star experience
• Protection from the elements, both heat and cold. Often comes equipped with an AC unit for example
• Easy to set up, our Class C RV took less than 15 minutes when we pulled into our location as long as we found a fairly level spot 
• You can usually keep most of your gear in the vehicle year round

Cons:

• Cost can be prohibitive 
• All those amenities = more complex systems to learn and maintain (more things to break!)
• Requires winterizing in most climates
• You may need to pay for storage if you live in a neighborhood with an HOA
• Limited off road capabilities if you like to boondock 
• Gas guzzler!

Camper Van

Pros: 

• Less complicated to maintain than a full size RV (likely not dealing with gray/black water tanks and minimal winterization)
• If you are doing a DIY build or a working with a van builder, you have endless customization options 
• Easier to maneuver than an RV, often includes AWD/4WD capabilities. Easier for most people to drive
• Better protection from heat/cold than a tent or pop-up
• Strikes the middle ground between comfort and roughly it!

Cons:

• Can be a significant investment of time and money
• Space can be challenging with a family

Still not sure what option is right for you?

Here’s some questions to consider if you are having a hard time deciding between the various options… 

If you plan to travel with kids or teens, these are great questions to discuss as a family depending on the age of your children. When we picked out our Class C RV, our kids had great insights on the layout that would work best for our family and we ended up with something that worked for all of us.

• How do you plan to use your vehicle? Long road trips where gas mileage might be of greater significance than just local trips? Weekend warrior adventures that might require AWD/4WD? Glamping at nearby state parks with easy access to showers? 
• What kind of amenities do you want when camping or taking a road trip in your van? Hot shower? Running water? Toilet? Cooking equipment?
• Do you like to go off road or do you find yourself more often staying in an established campground?
• Do you plan to live in your vehicle for extended periods of time? (More than a few weeks) If so, who will be sharing the space with you and what are their needs?
• Do you plan to travel in extreme temperatures (hot or cold)? 
• What can your budget afford?
• Do you have a place to store gear or to store a large vehicle when not in use?
• What is your comfort level using the various systems? What is your comfort level dealing with maintenance issues that might come up on the road?
• What is your comfort level driving a large RV or towing a vehicle? 

As our family’s story illustrates, there is likely not one option that will work for you for your entire camping “career”. Keep in mind that what you buy today is intended to serve your needs now, but may not work five years down the road. We have benefited from remaining flexible with what works for our family. Not thinking of our decision as a life-long investment. What fits the current situation? That has helped us not agonize over every last detail of the decision.

Whatever your choice, having the means to get outside and explore is such a gift. We hope you make the most of wherever your journey takes you! If you want to learn more about van life and the investment of purchasing a van, please reach out. We’re here for you and would love to share our experience and learnings.