Is Vanlife Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- I sat down and crunched some numbers to see if vanlife makes sense financially. That means comparing my spending before (apartment life) and after (van life) and determining how long it took to recover the costs of buying and building out the van.
I am a hiker, photographer, and van dweller based in New England. I love vanlife and showing off spectacular New England.
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undertheradarvan@gmail.com
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Music: Epidemic Sound
Photos & Video: All taken by me unless noted
I bought a van for $1,000, I spent $300 to make it livable. I pay $200/mo to rent a driveway. I can always sell my van for $1K so financially I can’t complain much about van life!
Well done.
Yeh right)) I already spend 10k on a built and not even finished yet
Do you get a power cord? Water/sewer?
@@IamandthatiamI see van builds and see $400 sleeper $200 pop-up campers with title
That's pretty expensive.Just park your van in a driveway.
I don't have a job, and my rent is $15K/yr, so yesterday I gave my 60-day notice.
You’re gonna live on savings for now?
Thanks for the link to that inflation calculator, Matt!
There are mail rental services that work as a home address where you can still be registered to vote, get insurance, and other things that are normally forbidden with a regular US post office box.
You can start your #vanlife / vehicle dwelling adventure with what you have and not spend anything. Literally. Take whatever vehicle you have and move something to sleep on, a way to use the toilet (5 gallon bucket & bags), a way to cook (buy a camping stove, if you don't have one, and take a pot, pan, plates, etc. from your kitchen), and a way to wash up (wash cloth, Dr. Bronner's soap, small basin to catch water, USB shower head if you want to get fancy), and a car charger for your phone into it. Are fancy builds nice? Absolutely. Are they necessary? Not at all. Don't let lack of resources prevent you from living your #bestlife in a vehicle. In fact, if you can't make ends meet (especially in major metropolitan areas such as Boston), moving into a vehicle can change your life (and your ability to save money!) significantly. Don't wait; do it now.
I like that you explain how everyone's vans and budgets are different. You are truly the most open-minded VanLifer! 👍
I try
Thank you for pointing out the true cost to outfit a van. 99% of the vanlife UA-camrs either lie their head off regarding this cost or they are really, really bad with accounting.
From my experience, 40% of van build costs is wasted money following dumb stuff you read online. One has to learn the hard way I guess, at least I did.
All depends on how much stuff you want in your van.
There are ways to do it super duper cheap.
It all depends on what you want as the prices can vary a lot
I bought a five window short bud for $3600 and converted it for another $6000 that’s new tires starter radiator glow plugs along with the conversion
@@Justmekpc and I bought an 800$ minivan, sold the rear seats, threw in a mattress, bedding, a cooler, a camp stove and a wok and lived that way for about 2 years 🤣
*EDIT:* _Disclaimer_ this was a few years back. Van could cost up to double now.
I bought a basic mid roof van (so I can stand), put in just the basics (electric, toilet, sink, bed) and made it a super simple build. Cost of conversion 3k. So you could say 1 year cost $2333/mo in “rent”. However, if I were renting, I would also have the cost of a car to factor in. Also, I buy less stuff because I don’t have space to store it. I consider the break even point at one year. And this assumes I never sell the van and make any money back.
Also I think Chrome’s break even was more about debt he accumulated prior to the van, not breaking even on the van itself. When he moved in he had no build at all. He kept the van super cheap so that he was able to pay down other debt (not related to the van).
Fwiw I am not a UA-camr.
I did the same thing. My van was only $5k with a blown motor. Rented a storage unit and swap out the entire engine/trans myself. Updated some suspension components as well. The promaster vans are so easy to wrench on and there are junkyards with engines/trans everywherre. The engine cost me only $1200 from LKQ.
If I were going to do this full-time (I'm retired) I would still own a piece of land somewhere where I could "take a break" with my van periodically. Young people always gravitate toward "new stuff" so I'm not surprised that you went down the road you did initially in buying a brand new vehicle. Not your fault; we all have to pass through the "learning curve". Thanks for sharing.
I think it will cost you even more if you buy a used van because the cost of repairs will cost you around 15,000 a year if the van is not new. It’s cost him 5,000 in repairs a year he said it that a new van. 🚐
@@orlandovelastegui1391 Not if you wrench on it yourself. I purchased a 300k mile van, swapped out the motor, did a basic transmission overhual, updated the suspension in the front, and did all the 100k maintenance. Haven't had to do a single repair since. Total cost was 5k for the van, and 6-7k for the new engine/trans + suspension parts. The build out inside was about 6k but I kept it very minimal. I add stuff as I need it.
One big part of van life rarely factored in is the sheer joy of travel. Being a nomad is fun; it doesn’t have to be grim or a statistical anomaly.
Absolutely!
It would be interesting to hear how much less you would spend on up-fitting your next van. The expensive things you rattled off added up quick. The hydronic floor heat was nuts. The Chinese diesel heaters are under $150 and work great. Then, you blew $4000-5000 on tires!? What was wrong with the original tires?
You could have broken even a lot quicker if you'd crunched the numbers before spending for those things. I'm not giving you a hard time over it, just agreeing with your advice about how you'd do things cheaper next time. "Live & learn."
Great video. 👍👍
Fr, you could build a hydronic system that runs on a propane on demand water heater for less than 300$
I make over 100k yearly and I have no bills. Only insurance and phone bill. With my gas and food, I'm paying around 400 monthly. Rest of the money 💰 goes in my savings.
If this is true, this might be the biggest, smartest flex I have ever encountered 👏😮🎉
I hope you're investing, not saving
You're a nuanced thinker, and this is why I subbed to your channel today. Thank you for sharing your experience & data!
Thanks and welcome
For a practical guy you sure had expensive van taste. So happy to hear your honest journey. Thank you.
Meal prep is a necessity in van life, it could save you a ton of money as well
This is van life at a high level. Still cheaper than living in the Boston area paying rent. You should be able to save alot of money over the next few years, I believe you can get a street address from any UPS Store for around $350 a year
I followed Chrome until he bought that building. Then it became not about van life anymore so I seldom watch. I like the small channels and the real stories. Your costs and charts are so well put together and thought out!! Having two separate charts is actually pretty great. The inflation calculator makes it more realistic for anyone wanting to do it now. I am looking at 10 more months in my house, due to a local work contract. It's too hot to live in a van here in SWFL at this point in time. My house is paid for, but it's 3k to just 'live' here. Maintaining a house, insurance, taxes, taking care of a pool, yard, etc.. it all ads up.
He’s a victim of his own success!
Great video! I'm most impressed that you're able to boondock in New England. I live in New England and there's just not a lot of options. Would love a video on that!
I did an entire video on that.
New subscriber also from the Boston area. Planning on starting van life in ~ 4 years. Researching, planning, and saving for it presently.
Welcome aboard!
i definitely appreciate the time you took to put this video out. i enjoyed the nuance detail and logical real world application of the data (time to break even, etc) all while keeping it concise and not making it a 45 minute video. cheers!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you, this was very helpful.
It provided a clear and sober look at van life.
Glad it was helpful!
I was in the navy for 4 years I HATED THAT CRAMPED LIFE but more power to you if you like it!
I love my FORT on wheels!
Thank you for producing very helpful and informative content. It’s greatly appreciated! Thoroughly enjoying your humor, analytical thinking/reasoning, and clear straight-up communication approach. Bravo, well done! New subscriber here. I will also make a small donation. Thanks again.
Much appreciated! That’s a ton!
You WENT ALL OUT! Dang. Nice you can afford that. I can tell u make good money and are very well educated. Eventually u will be able to buy a small house cash or buy the land and build one if u want!
Its getting harder to do. There are a lot more people out there living out of cars. Finding places to park is getting difficult. 12 states do not allow parking overnight at rest areas. Be sure to read the signs and obey the boundaries for parking. Camping in campground are often full and pricey.
Interesting to see that breakdown👍👍
Thanks again!
Thank you!!
The accepted way to live is the most expensive, coincidence? 😢
1:24 Travel Costs
8:40 Housing Costs
14:22 Break Even Point
I renovated a two bedroom row house....pfffft where did all the money go ? My break even if everything stays the course is 2.5 years. Totally coincidental it is close to you and Chrome's number (that Canadian guy with the bulldog).
Great info thanks for sharing! Building out my van is a process but living in it for about a year now.
Building it out is fun as heck k though right? I lived every minute of it.
LOL @ "Grocery Store Food" (aka food).
I paid 4000$ for a excellent shape 1999 Chevy 2500 4x4 suburban and paid 5000$ for a 25ft 1993 holiday rambler travel trailer in brand new condition put solar in it 2200$ lifted the trailer good off road shocks 600$ traveled 2 years on it all the way up in Alaska from Louisiana and back still own it will return back to US in a few months been traveling Philippines past 3 years I have less then 12,000 in a excellent rolling home people no need to spend tens of thousands building a van you boxed up in my opinion
I may have missed it, but your calculation should include the residual value of the van plus conversion. I bought mine already converted for $31k (not a pro conversion), but it had 135k miles and does not have a heater (I use for travel not full time) but solar and big heavy lead acid. I think buying a converted rig is likely the cheapest path, but changing the layout is almost as hard as starting so you better like it. My cross country trips have been expensive and really piles up the miles. If I were living in a van I would try the southwest-Rocky mtn and chase 60-80 F by changing elevation.
Southwest is without a doubt the best place to vandwell and Northeast probably the worst! Didn’t consider the residual value aspect probably because selling it is not a possibility for me, since I’d be homeless.
@@undertheradarvan When you rent you are essentially homeless, so it seems like an even comparison.
Love the videos Matt. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate it!
i think you could have cut your travel expenses in half pretty easy for both van life and non van life so really the savings for someone else could be about 16k-6k so 10k.. then many people would move apartments and could probably pay half that amount so it's more like say 20k - 6k so 14k saving... so total 24k savings.. but you didn't need the 5k lift kit and 9k heating system... and you could probably get home depot down to 5k.. so maybe 20k total build costs.. so that's 95k total.. with 24k savings per year that's about 4 years.. but also many people might get a van used for about half the price even after the extra repair costs.. so it could be more like 40k + 20k total costs... and saving 24k a year could recover that in 2.5 years.. maybe even 2 years if you get a super cheap van and do a super cheap build.. like a 30k+10k.. then it's 2 years with savings cut to 20k a year.. it may have some rust and may cost you some days waiting on repairs.. but it's still giving you a place to sleep and getting you from point a to point b.. but another issue is how long it lasts after the costs are recovered.. used may not last as long but it didn't cost as much either.. anyways just my thoughts
Great video. I think some people break even in a few months. Depends
Hotels are usually more expensive on weekends
You bought a new transit since you wanted a reliable platform, nothing wrong with that. I have a 85 vanagon, and an electrician I met, he had one too, but ...he upgraded to a transit, twin turbo, all wheel drive to be his base unit !! He will not have rust, maintenance, space, etc issues like I have and he has ac. The older you get, the more you appreciate it. I am runing a subaru engine, and I think, think I have 10K into it, and still have issues I am working through.
I also have the twin turbo AWD transit which I bought new and it has had numerous mechanical problems as I documented in another video. Not having to worry about rust for a while is nice though but new does not mean reliable.
What’s your budget, how do you make money living remotely. I would love to give it a go but I’d have to go back to school in my mid 30s or get into a remote pay gig on my own, that is the frustrating part and seemingly unrealistic part.
I took a trip trucking not grocery stocked and I lost money.Im not vanlife but paid $12 K for my own personal slum working on 6.5 years owning and still going each month my cost goes down~$100 a month for house bills.Something I rarely hear of is amount of fuel used. My fuel is usually 6 gallons a month min less when I used my scooter I was attacked by a car and refuse to expose myself to such risks.
My property tax is exempt
Good video. But in your rental car days, wouldn’t it have easier to walk the mile to/from the rental car place without your luggage and just pick up/drop off your stuff at your home when you had the rental car?
I lived on the fourth floor of a walk up, so doing that twice as opposed to once was not worth it to me.
Great information
Thanks
Hotels and rental cars not in my Budget coming out the gate....
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Very informative thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Click the video and PAUSE IT just let you know that VAN LIFE WORTH IT AND YOU SAVE MONEY 💴 👍
Dude you could have picked up rental car drove back to your apartment and picked up your cooler and luggage and camera bag 🤔
He. Said he lives on the 5th floor and he didn't say there is an elevator so he will be lifting all that stuff and climbing the stairs. He will be needing 2 or 3 stops going up.😢
Great video.
Thanks!
I purchased my van for $5000 and put in a new engine, transmission from a junkyard. The build out is focused on functionality only. I'm not a UA-camr so I don't care what the inside looks like, although it's not too bad imo. My van has only what I need, not all the expensive solar stuff pushed by most UA-cam channels. I also don't live in my van at this point because it's miserable after awhile
You don’t have to be a UA-camr to “care what the inside looks like” but it sounds like your build was really uncomfortable.
@@undertheradarvan Yes it was uncomfortable, but I saved a ton of money which was my first goal. I can always improve it over time.
I see so many people quit after only 2 years!
Way more don’t, you only hear about the ones that complain.
Rent a car drive to the stuff ?
Some questions. My first videoof yours that i see. That much maintenance on a van with warranty is ridiculous. Oil changes and brakes arent that much. You pucked from i see a yransit trail. Love the van but way overpriced for what it is. You could have picked an AWD for much cheaper. And the gas...the gas. A bit high. Still love the van thou.
The 2021 Transit has had a host of problems, including faulty wiper motor and bad brakes. My experience with warranty is that ford simply kicks the problem down the road while doing the bare minimum or simply not fixing it at all, until you are OUT of warrenty then doing real fix. Also warranty doesn’t cover everything, like diagnostics. I did a whole video on my experience.
@@undertheradarvan you are right about ford I think it took 3 years for them to replace my airbags, even though possibe lethal injury if they popped out they recommended not driving the car, they wanted me to buy another car and that way they wouldnt have to fix the problem
Seems like the math wouldn’t work as well for stationary/homeowner types, vs renters.
If you have a home to sell before moving into a van then the math would be hugely favorable, no? As a renter, I had no equity to cash in before moving into a van.
You do have have to pay rent or you did have a very high rent, its $117,000! It came out to about $3,362 for the first 3 years. If you did a 6 year plan, then it would cost you $1,681/month for rent.
hehe when you were talking about walking to and from the car rental place myself i would have grabbed the car drove home loaded it up then went out saving me walking with all the stuff same goes for returning the car drop everything off the drop the car off walk home , I think that you were like most people just lazy easier to buy food already made the nto do all that extra stuff lol
the issue with living in a vehicle is pkeep and wear and tear if you are not doing simple thng like oil changes and brakes and tune up it will bite you in the butt so lets day unless you do them on your own average 100 a year not much . plus everything yu own is in teh vehicle if it gets stolen ther goes your life and hopfully nothing like credit cards on cell phone ( whic h ithink is pretty silly thing to have) isnt also an issue anbd possibly being harrassed when out . dont get me wrong iwould do tha tlife style in a heartbeat if i could find a cheap enough vehicle tha tI could actually have my tall self fit comfortably , at my suit sleep on teh floor with a fouton matress so I am used to that but I have a lot of leg room for my toss and turn sleep style in a van I am not sure I could do that every day lol things like laundry internet if you need it having room to have something you may like . the actualy cost of the van in the first plac ethe price of the van the cost of mats plus which is installed a geny or extra battery wiring bed closet all of that .
I lived on the fifth floor of a walk up so making two stops there every time I pick up and again when I return means walking up and down those stairs 8 times per trip.
Water, stove fuel, electric/gasLP/Other
Dude...since when do tires cost a thousand dollars each?
At3ws are $500 each. Add tax, shipping, and labor times 5.
NYC had tons of free parking and no laws against sleeping in your vehicles. Y get a hotel?
I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my van unattended on a Brooklyn street all day for 16 hours at a time. Still don’t.
@@lennyhankins698 are you referring to NYC? Or New York State?
well if you do it your self you save lot of money but if someone else does all the work on your van yes you will have to fork it out thats normal that life lol
I did everything myself except the lift kit
you down wit foresty forest?
I know him but I honestly never watch vanlife videos… I need an escape from reality in my downtime!
The cost of your van is not $75,000 but instead the amount of depreciation your van suffered over that period.
The cost of my van was the total amount I paid for it and absolutely was 75,000. Net present value is irrelevant since I would be homeless as a result and have to buy a new living situation be that another car or property.
@@undertheradarvan Nah, if you want to do a fair comparison between the cost of renting and living in a van, the real "cost" of that aspect of van life is the depreciation. The residual value is akin to having money in a term deposit in the bank. You might not be able to access it at the moment, but it's still there.
Why didn't you pick up the car, drive to your house and pick up your stuff.
I lived up a fourth floor walk up. That would be going up and down twice with every trip, as opposed to once.
1. Your gas figures made no sense, unless you're comparing driving every day rather than the couple of days for the rental every weekend? 300+ buck for rental gas for 60 plus days per year seems low...
2. Break even is only three years because you bought a new van and installed stuff that that was probably top dollar (and unnecessary) rather than shopping around... 42 thousand to build it out to live in is excessive.
I always bought the Enterprise R-A-C deal where you could return the car empty, so I almost never had to buy gas on the round trip weekends to NH. Also I didn't drive all day on those 62 days, more like drive to a trailhead and hike all day. $500 range is totally reasonable.
chrome sucks ass. lol, jk. what's up with the eye of ra? Love your vids dude. keep up the good work.
Are you the Pleasant Street Garage in Hadley, MA?
He could've built that van for a lot less. And never buy a brand new van for van life.
Who puts a disco ball in the shower?
With a 100.000 dll van???😂😂😂,,,
What’s a dll van?
@@undertheradarvan you got money,,why you worry??😂
75 grand for a van lol get real
I just rebuilt my exact van in the ford website… $73,945
Lol I live in my Prius v I think I spent that much for the whole year.
Its getting harder to do. There are a lot more people out there living out of cars. Finding places to park is getting difficult. 12 states do not allow parking overnight at rest areas. Be sure to read the signs and obey the boundaries for parking. Camping in campground are often full and pricey.
What part of the US are you?
@@undertheradarvan South East.