Van Life, also known as Urban Nomad, is a lifestyle in which you live in an RV or camper instead of buying a house. It has become popular because it gives you independence, flexibility, and freedom. You don’t have to pay for utilities and home maintenance; nor do you have to rent an apartment. On the other hand, Suburbs gives you a community feeling, safety, and security.
What Is Van Life?
Van life is when you live in an RV or camper instead of buying a house. You can travel between states to find work, and you don’t have to pay rent or a mortgage. The golden age of van life started in the early 2000s. Back then, it was a popular way to travel the country, but now it’s also become a lifestyle where people live full-time. There are many advantages to van life, including reduced stress, less responsibility, more freedom, and flexibility.
Suburbs Van Life
Suburbs van life, or suburban van life, mimics the lifestyle of an urban nomad but in a suburban setting. You live in an RV or camper in a less urban or remote area, but still close enough to the city to visit often. This setting allows you to blend in with the suburban lifestyle while still being able to take advantage of the benefits of RV life.
You can find a quiet, safe place to park your vehicle without too many rules, and you can still visit the city for work and other activities. The suburbs are generally less expensive than living in the city, and there’s less competition for work. Because your home isn’t in the middle of a city, you have more privacy.
Advantages of Van Living
- Reduced Stress – RV life is a very peaceful way to travel. Cities are loud, stressful places, and living in an RV removes many of those stresses. You can travel the country and still have a quiet home and garden, and you don’t have to pay for utilities or home maintenance.
- Less Responsibility – RV life can be very freeing to those who have a lot of responsibilities. You don’t have to worry about owning a house, paying rent, paying taxes, or keeping up with home maintenance. You can travel and keep your money secure with a travel trailer or RV. You can also have a job that’s based on location and not office hours.
- Flexibility – With RV life, you don’t have to be in one place to earn a living. You can work remotely from the road, set your own schedule, and make sure you’re spending time with your loved ones while also making money.
- Less Risk – There are some risks with living in an RV, especially if you don’t have a permanent address or property to secure your RV. If someone wants to steal your RV, they can easily find it and take anything inside. You can minimize this risk by keeping a low profile, parking your rig far from buildings, and always keeping your rig locked.
- Less Commute Time – With suburban van life, you can save time by not having to commute to work. You can work from wherever you are and avoid traffic, parking hassles, and other city inconveniences.
- Less Expense – With suburban van life, you don’t have to pay for utilities, insurance, or property taxes. You can park in public spaces or RVs for long periods of time and save on expensive parking costs.
- Less Urbanization – With suburban van life, you don’t have to worry about urbanization and protect the environment. You don’t need to buy a house or rent an apartment and build up a massive mortgage. You can keep your travel trailer or RV and travel while still protecting the land with minimal impact.
- Less Competition – With suburban van life, you can find a quiet place to park your RV without too many other RV owners around. You don’t have to deal with the noise or competition of living near a big city.
Disadvantages of Van Living
- Privacy Risk – There is always a risk with living in an RV in a public space like a campground. You could be targeted because you live in an RV, and you could be targeted because you are a perceived or actual nomad.
- Lack of Space – Living in an RV or trailer isn’t roomy and can make keeping your things disorganized and challenging. You’re limited to the space inside your RV or trailer, and living in close quarters can be annoying.
- Expense – You’ll pay for gas, insurance, and maintenance costs with RV life. You’ll also pay for the RV itself if you don’t have a lease agreement.
- Lack of Amenities – You’re living in a smaller space without all the amenities of a town or city. You won’t have access to grocery stores, restaurants, or other amenities you’d normally have in a city.
- Risk of Storms – Living in an RV or trailer exposes you to storms and dangerous weather that can damage your vehicle. You need to be extra careful to protect yourself and your belongings in case of any storms.
Conclusion
In this article, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of urban vans and suburban vans. We discovered that both lifestyles have benefits and limitations. However, the main difference between urban van life and suburban van life is that urban van life is more nomadic while suburban van life is more settled.
We also learned that urban van life can be very relaxing, freeing, flexible, and resourceful. However, it can also be unsafe, expensive, and difficult to maintain. Finally, we learned that suburban vans can be less risky and less environmentally damaging than urban van life.
