Really love this take. I did the van life thing for a bit and it was a mess the whole time in the van and rarely glamorous. I loved it and have amazing memories and still am planning on going out again soon but it’s definitely didn’t look like this tik tok reels
Those cinematic, beautiful camping videos are either shot by OCD people - or they have a huge pile of their shit crammed off to the side just out of frame for every shot. 😂 I think that all the time.
Well said. I'm just a weekend warrior and even in 2 or 3 days, it's not always glamping. Also, I'm shocked by how frequently I have really beautiful areas completely to myself. It makes me grateful so many people are home watching TV
This is so true. I try to share both sides, but there's 100% pressure to appear ✨aesthetic ✨ online. I think we're moving more toward a realistic/relatable moment in social media -- and I'm totally here for it!
But people don’t watch messy camper channels. The market dictates what Camper-channels do. So these influencers clean up or hide dirt to get more eyeballs
Totally! It seems like it is always a struggle between being pulled by the algorithm at some moments and realism at other moments. I hope we are moving in that direction aswell :) Thanks for the comment!
Solid video and points. I am not a vanlifer, but I do backpack often enough. The effort I have to put in to hike 5 or 10 miles up a mountain and through valleys is the investment that pays off when I finally get to camp and set up on a ridgeline or next to a stream. It makes those locations so much better than they would be if I had just driven up, without any challenge.
Agreed! I went on an epic journey with my friend to Yosemite. Our mustard bottle exploded due to altitude, we found out we only brought one towel, out food was stolen from a communal fridge, alone with my wallet, my friend’s sandals broke, and our brakes almost caught on fire while driving down a steep grade. Life happens and these things make for super fun stories, but are often HORRID when you’re going through it!
As a person who does bushcraft and camping I'd say, you can still find people who display this hobby without filters like camping with Steve or if you wanna get into bushcraft you got dave canterbury and guys like endurance room, overall all of them and many like them show struggle and beauty of this hobby not just fancy pants gear and vans and thier perfect looking vegan food, it supposed to be affordable fun that's rewarding and teaches you important skills and helps you bond with people
I think Ryan Twomey's original videos spoke to me the most for what a vanlifing experience was like. He has a raw vlogging style. The experience of traveling from city to nature, and so forth captivated me in a realistic way and made my decision to buy a van. I think my real life experience with the van reflects his well. The two things I think are most misleading with content creators are the monthly budget required, and that many of these beautiful public land camp spots are actually 100ft off a main road, if they only turned the camera 180 degrees.
I was able to keep my van tidy because everyday I spent time cleaning, I was paranoid about getting mice in the van ( I'd heard horror stories from other campers) so I made cleaning a priority. However, travelling was way more expensive than people let on, and medical issues are very difficult when travelling and then there's just the unexpected that happens, car problems, campgrounds full, bushfires etc. Definitely ups and downs!
Finally! Somebody said it! Thanks for an entertaining, informative, wake up and smell the coffee kind of video. I camp a lot, in a small 17' travel trailer, and there is no glamor. Just fun. Messy, hot, cold, damp, dusty, windy, I forgot to bring something I needed fun! 😎
I think the other thing is that people see these videos, go out to do a camping trip and because it ISN'T perfect, they think they're doing it wrong or badly.
Very nicely done. After 40+ years of traveling, I can tell you that yes, you will look back and know the compromises were totally worth the effort to travel.
I love this. I get so many hate comments that my truck is messy and I live in a pig pen lol but those are the people who don’t understand or have never done van life, truck life, etc. I try to show everything in my videos, the walmart parking lots, to the beautiful mountains. but I couldn’t agree more with everything you said!! sometimes I wonder if I’m not as successful (views wise) as other van lifers because I show “too much” of the reality. the internet is weird
Yes yes and yes. Life follows you wherever you go! If depression, lack of money, complications are a part of your experience in your non-traveling life, it's going to be a part of your life on the road. But a word to influencing culture...it's been around for decades. It just used to be in magazines like travel & leisure or architecture or vogue which also depicted a mostly unattainable life. Thanks for your content to try and balance the scales of reality .
Dirtbag climbers have done it for decades. It was always an incredibly meager existence, mostly fueled by ramen and cheap beer. With UA-cam these people are now rolling around in 80k Mercedes van instead of a beat up panel van wirh only a Coleman stove.
At last... A little honesty..I have all but unsubscribed from all van lifers for exactly this reason. As someone who has been lucky enough to travel extensively (not in a van) I've became so tired of the lies people are pushing for likes and views... Not only that but by being surround by people constantly acting like a fool in front of a camera everywhere I go. If there's a quick way to ruin everyone else's experience who are trying to live in the moment... It's the disingenuous, usually selfish person making their reel for Instagram right next to you But what I find most sad, is that those people push this idea of "live in the moment" and then spend "the moment" trying to craft a video and not living in it. You see it all the time, people living so far out of the moment for a reel or a post you wonder why they bother... From people who spend their time selling a connection to the experience, they couldn't be more disconnected from it... Living and seeing everything through a ohone screen, or playing up for it... Okay. Now I sound like a grumpy old man... :D great video...
One other thing is that the pictures you see in the reels are always perfect weather. At one point, you hit the nail perfectly when you talked about how things happen on the road, just like they do at home. It may be a flat tire you have to change, vs a power outage at you that you can't even fix, so you just wait.
One of my favorite channels Grizzlynbear strikes a nice balance between "this is clearly edited to show the fun side of traveling the world" while also not shying away from talking about the not as glamours aspects & even showing the low points where the vehicle breaks down or something happens. Obviously they want to show themselves having fun & inspire others while being reasonable in terms of "well this happened on the road so we gotta take care of it, just another thing we gotta deal with on the fly"
You need to realize as well, not everybody can travel to those kind of places so seeing them is good inspiration or like you said It can help motivate to get to the mountain. It’s one of the reasons I started going outdoors because of that I’m healthier.
I liked the last part, "caravaning" (road-tripping) is a dream for me right now. Just to have the ability to drop everything and go see something different or beautiful, meet new people/experiences is so fun
This is probably why I enjoy the ones who show their real mishaps during their trips more. Real reactions, emotions AND you still experience the reasons why they still go. I can't stand the amount of people that 'act' and go overboard
This was good! While I enjoy looking at the cute little Pinterest van interiors, the realistic videos of van life/campers/car camping etc are so much better. I like when they show the frustrations of such a life.
Just found you, but I'm genuinely surprised you don't have more followers. As someone from the "campfluencing" space, this video tickled me pink! Great video! 💚
Well done mate 👍 I'm glad someone finally said it. I'm tired of so many content creators pretending their life on the road is absolutely perfect. Even going as far to change clothes that they'd never normally wear just for the perfect shot of them walking down the middle of the road with a low camera angle or something else they'd never actually do in real life "It's all for the gram" I try and be open & honest in all my camping & travel videos. Looking good in photos is one thing but having the trust from your subscribers or followers with them knowing you are genuine is more important. That's what people remember
recently travelled in a van for three months and completely agree with the message in this video. it was a certainly an incredible journey, but it was just that - a journey. not a consistently perfect time period with nothing going wrong, but a crazy time with issues all over. looking back, i love it for that. not every day was fun, either. it rained constantly. stuck in the van reading a book. and damn, now that it's over... where are my savings!?!? great video man. loved the editing, enjoy your camper :)
I understand the over simplification of some camping vids. You are right, life is not often wrapped in pretty packaging. We must remember that going to a museum and appreciating art hung on the wall doesnt make me think I can paint similar images. For now, I appreciate the creative approach to living on the road provided by influencers and the new art form it has become. Thanks for a video with real input.
Solid points here. I work a full time job and use my vacation time to take a trip in my truck camper. Being I have an income I can splurge on expensive food and campsites. I can’t imagine full time camper living with no job
Wow. This video was so well done and on point i expected to look up and see 100k subscribers. Nicely done sir, I can appreciate anyone who can show "real camping". My biggest issue with campfluencers has always been number #1, they are seldom actual explorers... it's more of a system of nagging people for secrets and having zero connection to the places they are going... almost always a copycat syndrome, seldom original, and almost never an adventurous spirt. #2, the unrealistic expectation that you have to be in the most expensive vehicle on earth to enjoy traveling, and while i have been in those vehicles, it's like trading in your cast iron skillet for a glass beaker... fragile and impractical vs the old iron thing that will always do the job when asked. and #3, this ridiculous theory that they have figured out life... anyone who is living life knows that life on the road can get lonely and would leave you wishing for some normalcy. Otherwise people in the armed forces would never want to come home... long haul truck drivers, container vessel crews, even people who work on remote mine sites or windmill locations during construction... or even Fire lookout rangers... there are many paid jobs that live the "dream" that campfluencers" spout.. but i think you'd be hard pressed to find one who doesn't crave a nice bed and the comforts of home. Heck, a lot of those jobs have youtube channels too when the "higher ups" approve
Overcoming hardship is what makes an adventure an adventure… I agree that it is often not portrayed although coming from the canoe tripping side of things generally speaking they do often show the bad days as they can sometimes be more often then the good lol.
Such a fantastic argument, and 10000% accurate. Please continue to share a more accurate version of “life on the road”… The roadtripping adventure entails BOTH beauty and hardships. Those that find the balance, yet recognize both the positive and negative through these experiences are the ones I respect, not the glamorized falsities 👏❤ As an avid backapcker/ trail runner, the “grind” is a huge part of the reward and journey. Keep it up!
YES. I’m not a vanlifer, but I do hike/backpack and people don’t really understand what goes into it. The views are 1000% worth the trek, however, you’re dirty, stink like hell, look disheveled, probably are sore, tired because no one actually sleeps well on a sleeping pad unless you’re really used to it, and cold soaked (or even some backpacking meals/ cook stove meals) are unappetizing. I definitely love the nomadic lifestyle and have been evaluating options for a few years, but like you said, it’s really not free. In fact, it’s kind of more expensive depending on the build and where you’re traveling.
maybe this is a hot take, but I feel like SO many (actually all) of the camper influencers that I follow are extremely authentic and share both the good and the bad! Just like in life. I know there are "perfect" van life creators but that is a dying trend! There are so many authentic people online sharing this lifestyle
From a mountainguide and "vanlifer". Every word here is true. Can you please sum everything upp to a fel words and just tell the world that its worth it even tho its not like in the movies and short clips! Cheers from north of sweden!
The best part to this video is the term “campfluencer” we call our selves “oldfluencers” but we are also old full time campers, so i guess we are “oldcampfluencers”. Larry
i dont live in a vehicle. when i go on vacations, i like to take road trips and camp. one reason i camp is that it is wildly cheaper than staying in a motel. but i dont live like that, and i dont pretend it's free and easy. its a vacation once every year or 2. it's akin to a hobby. i enjoy my time out, then i come back home and go back to work.
I really liked what you said in this video. I really think everything on the internet seems better than it is because they're trying to sell something or get followers.
lol, subscribed. Been there, done that for decades. Lots of mishaps, rain, snow, heat, bugs, getting lost, failed gear, etc. I still go, all of the time, also lots of beautiful places I would never have experienced if I didn’t venture out, but yep the intagramers skew reality. I live near Yosemite. If I see one more perfectly made up person doing a yoga pose on clouds rest, I’ll, well…..
In regards to your power concern, purchase a wind turbine set (not as much as solar panels) then attach them closest to the housing of your battery while also not exceeding 1 ft of height above the roof of your truck. When you drive, you'll charge a battery. You'll still need gas but it will supplement some of your power requirements.
I live out of my car and Im sick, lying down to rest in my hot car at a hot truck stop, as we speak. It isn’t always glamorous lol 😂 right now its super gross
Im from Germany and me and My Girlfriend are going to spend 3 Nights in the Car in Czech Republic this weekend. Never slept in a Car so we will see :D. Did a Kayak Tour for 7 Days just with a Friend in Sweden, Slept in the Hammock. This Video is great especally the style but also the Message just hit it perfectly so thank you. Social Media really is Poisen in some Points. Keep Going. Great stuff. Edit: To your last point: In Germany we say "Der Weg ist das Ziel" which means something like "The Way to the Finish is the Finish or the Good part" So Instead of always looking to the Finish line, embrace the process Because when you are at the finish there is nothing left. And this is the case for many things. Enjoy the Hike and then the View. Dont watch the View on Instagram
Very good video. Let me share another view on this, however. I OWN a camper and I know what a week of rain with 2ppl +1 kid is like in a tiny space. I also studied journalism, so fake photos +propaganda are things I'm absolutely aware if. Okay, NOW: I cannot go camping every day, of course. School, job and all. So on rainy days, i watch lewie and the rover, travel beans etc and I AM HAPPY FOR THEM. This of course is easier when they do show fun places and gadgets and stuff. Please don't tell me about a fake cancer diagnosis for clickbait, i'll just hate you and never look at your stuff again. I CHOOSE to have fun through walking in somebody else's shoes if I'm stuck at home. That said, yes, be more honest everyone. Travel beans do a tremendous job for example. Stuff is real with them. And above all: GO SLOW. GO SMALL. BUT GO NOW!!!!!!!! Nobody needs a 120.000 $ vehicle to have fun or be happy. Rent a rooftop tent and TRY IT!! Happy camping everyone ❤❤❤
I have lived in a DIY conversion for six years. I have to be constantly picking up behind myself cleaning up this mess, getting this up and out of the way, putting this back where it was or getting something else out that I need even temporarily and having to put it back away because there is very little room in here for leaving a mess. It is not beyond any stretch of the imagination clean all the time. There are small fires to put out and sometimes real fires. Ants get in the van and I have to take them out. There’s always something to be taken care of. It’s never clean 24 seven and it’s never ever exactly the temperature that I want.
LOL, spot on. Travel in a one ton big block and tell me all about how affordable it is. Super cool places? More like driving late in the day finding a place just to sleep. My van stays somewhat tidy just because of the massive garage under the bed, I just keep shoveling shit back under there until it's pay the piper day. But it's still usually half wrecked. I spend the most time traveling Alaska and Canada because. Gravel pits. All over the place. Super not glamorous. Anyway, great video, cheers.
Started out watching bushcraft vids, then car & van camping. Got the bug & decked my SUV with solar panels, 12v fridge, nice bed, & GasOne stove...I can go anywhere. The issue is gas money. To drive to Austin TX, let's say, I estimate gas there and back will run nearly 600 bucks! That's a bit under HALF my SS payment! My hub & I drove from AZ to Whitefish MT last year & we literally ran out of money. My husband lost his wallet. Sh*t happens!!
I think the issue is with audiences. Videos typically don’t perform as well if you’re honest about what van life is like. We’re kinda forced by the algorithm to make this life look as beautiful and perfect as possible.
Channels that showcase the beauty of the world are lifesavers for people who are homebound because of age, chronic illness, disability, and financial constraints.
I think the housing/rent crisis in the US is leading to an increase in the Campfluencer as well. People are just saying, eh, fuck it - if I’m having to shovel over 50% of my monthly take-home pay to housing, then I’m just gonna quit my job and fuck off for the summer living in my vehicle, but maybe that’s a topic for another video. Anyways, Great video!
A couple of years ago I built out a 97 Astro van that I would still be in had it not died. I really expected a nice tidy life in the van but I very quickly realized just how absolutely filthy and dirty a very small van to get. After just a day of living life and maybe eating out the van is a mess and smells like fast. I was happy to have one real solid experience of completely washing my hair with a gallon jug in a Walmart parking lot at 6:00 AM
After that van died I had to get a vehicle quickly out of necessity and was forced to get a small car. Luckily I totaled that vehicle and was able to get a 2018 grand caravan. I move into it at the end of August. god i'm excited. i miss the filth, the parking lots, the shitty little aesthetic fairy lights that don't actually produce any amount of useable light so you resort to using a camping lantern you bought from the camp section of walmart.
Recently UA-cam pushing small channels, and i’ll be honest the title looked like clickbait at first. But as i watched it, all your points are valid! Dropped a like and sub. Wishing you a good day!
Steve Wallis the camping GOAT I remember when MFers (influencers)made fun of him along came the Covid and Whatta know every man woman and their dog were remaking Steve vids.
I don’t necessarily have an issue with the UA-cam videos. I have an issue with influencers that makes everything look so simple that people do live vicariously through them. Life is really about doing hard things and so many people are now watching instead of doing. It’s making people weak minded and not resilient. Watch to get ideas, and then GO OUT AND DO! Level 2 fun is truly the best fun!
My first year traveling in my bus looked exactly like everything i see on social media. Then I spent all my money and it’s not as fun but bus life’s still great while being broke 😂.
Well it takes call kinds on UA-cam, all are trying to make a job out of it, including you, but I'm glad you're here, I'm living vicariously through you, I'm stuck with my mom with dementia, and I am fine with that, as long as she's alive, I got a home, when she's dead, I'll share the proceeds of her home with my 3 brothers, and then I'll take my truck, my slide in camper, my Bluetti AC180 with panels, my BougeRV 12 volt 43L fridge, my home made composting toilet, my Honda Generator and my shovel, and maybe I'll meet you out there and boondock with you. While she lives, I'm preparing. Putting back $20 last week, $100 the month before, my inheritance when I get it.
Great vlog , we have a small you tube channel in Scotland 🏴 and you named a lot of things that ...well really piss me aff ... a lot of influencers just turn up and take a photo without actually doing anything else other than that, then they move in tae the next location 🤔
Really love this take. I did the van life thing for a bit and it was a mess the whole time in the van and rarely glamorous. I loved it and have amazing memories and still am planning on going out again soon but it’s definitely didn’t look like this tik tok reels
Thank you so much! So glad that you could relate :))
Refreshing to see intelligence and wisdom from a younger dude on this topic. 😊
Those cinematic, beautiful camping videos are either shot by OCD people - or they have a huge pile of their shit crammed off to the side just out of frame for every shot. 😂 I think that all the time.
Well said. I'm just a weekend warrior and even in 2 or 3 days, it's not always glamping. Also, I'm shocked by how frequently I have really beautiful areas completely to myself. It makes me grateful so many people are home watching TV
😂😂👍
This is so true. I try to share both sides, but there's 100% pressure to appear ✨aesthetic ✨ online. I think we're moving more toward a realistic/relatable moment in social media -- and I'm totally here for it!
But people don’t watch messy camper channels. The market dictates what Camper-channels do. So these influencers clean up or hide dirt to get more eyeballs
I hate the aesthetic pressure, even though I love watching those videos!
Totally! It seems like it is always a struggle between being pulled by the algorithm at some moments and realism at other moments. I hope we are moving in that direction aswell :) Thanks for the comment!
Solid video and points. I am not a vanlifer, but I do backpack often enough. The effort I have to put in to hike 5 or 10 miles up a mountain and through valleys is the investment that pays off when I finally get to camp and set up on a ridgeline or next to a stream. It makes those locations so much better than they would be if I had just driven up, without any challenge.
A true hero, we needed somebody to finally battle them and their over inflated egos. gods work, light speed brotheren
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this. The obsession with perfection and curated, styled 'challenging moments' is disturbing, Truman Show Vibes. 💜🌱
Agreed! I went on an epic journey with my friend to Yosemite. Our mustard bottle exploded due to altitude, we found out we only brought one towel, out food was stolen from a communal fridge, alone with my wallet, my friend’s sandals broke, and our brakes almost caught on fire while driving down a steep grade. Life happens and these things make for super fun stories, but are often HORRID when you’re going through it!
Oh no that sounds horrible!! Yeah totally, lots of stories to tell once some time has passed haha!
As a person who does bushcraft and camping I'd say, you can still find people who display this hobby without filters like camping with Steve or if you wanna get into bushcraft you got dave canterbury and guys like endurance room, overall all of them and many like them show struggle and beauty of this hobby not just fancy pants gear and vans and thier perfect looking vegan food, it supposed to be affordable fun that's rewarding and teaches you important skills and helps you bond with people
I prefer the truth over lies always. Thanks for being truthful.
I actually enjoy a balance of both.
I think Ryan Twomey's original videos spoke to me the most for what a vanlifing experience was like. He has a raw vlogging style. The experience of traveling from city to nature, and so forth captivated me in a realistic way and made my decision to buy a van. I think my real life experience with the van reflects his well.
The two things I think are most misleading with content creators are the monthly budget required, and that many of these beautiful public land camp spots are actually 100ft off a main road, if they only turned the camera 180 degrees.
Haha exactly!!
I was able to keep my van tidy because everyday I spent time cleaning, I was paranoid about getting mice in the van ( I'd heard horror stories from other campers) so I made cleaning a priority. However, travelling was way more expensive than people let on, and medical issues are very difficult when travelling and then there's just the unexpected that happens, car problems, campgrounds full, bushfires etc. Definitely ups and downs!
Finally! Somebody said it! Thanks for an entertaining, informative, wake up and smell the coffee kind of video. I camp a lot, in a small 17' travel trailer, and there is no glamor. Just fun. Messy, hot, cold, damp, dusty, windy, I forgot to bring something I needed fun! 😎
Thank you so much, messy fun is real fun!
I think the other thing is that people see these videos, go out to do a camping trip and because it ISN'T perfect, they think they're doing it wrong or badly.
This channel will take off for sure!! Enjoy the ride 🎉❤
Thank you!!
Very nicely done. After 40+ years of traveling, I can tell you that yes, you will look back and know the compromises were totally worth the effort to travel.
Thank you! :))
This lifestyle is not for the faint of heart that’s for sure haha loved this video. We need more of this
Thank you so much :)) 👍
True. You can't control the many things that will happen but you can control how you react. All part of the journey. Thanks for sharing 😊
I love this. I get so many hate comments that my truck is messy and I live in a pig pen lol but those are the people who don’t understand or have never done van life, truck life, etc. I try to show everything in my videos, the walmart parking lots, to the beautiful mountains. but I couldn’t agree more with everything you said!! sometimes I wonder if I’m not as successful (views wise) as other van lifers because I show “too much” of the reality. the internet is weird
Totally! Yeah it is too bad that the general audience and algorithm's seem more receptive to fakeness and glamorization sometimes...
Yes yes and yes. Life follows you wherever you go! If depression, lack of money, complications are a part of your experience in your non-traveling life, it's going to be a part of your life on the road. But a word to influencing culture...it's been around for decades. It just used to be in magazines like travel & leisure or architecture or vogue which also depicted a mostly unattainable life. Thanks for your content to try and balance the scales of reality .
Thank you so much!
Dirtbag climbers have done it for decades. It was always an incredibly meager existence, mostly fueled by ramen and cheap beer. With UA-cam these people are now rolling around in 80k Mercedes van instead of a beat up panel van wirh only a Coleman stove.
True!! There's a ridiculous amount of these Mercedes vans out here (given I would love to have one myself)
Great video!
Thank you!!
At last... A little honesty..I have all but unsubscribed from all van lifers for exactly this reason. As someone who has been lucky enough to travel extensively (not in a van) I've became so tired of the lies people are pushing for likes and views...
Not only that but by being surround by people constantly acting like a fool in front of a camera everywhere I go. If there's a quick way to ruin everyone else's experience who are trying to live in the moment... It's the disingenuous, usually selfish person making their reel for Instagram right next to you
But what I find most sad, is that those people push this idea of "live in the moment" and then spend "the moment" trying to craft a video and not living in it. You see it all the time, people living so far out of the moment for a reel or a post you wonder why they bother...
From people who spend their time selling a connection to the experience, they couldn't be more disconnected from it... Living and seeing everything through a ohone screen, or playing up for it...
Okay. Now I sound like a grumpy old man... :D great video...
This was great video, vanlife is brutal a lot of the time haha
shot so well, keep it up. love this take from an actual camper / van person.
Thank you so much! Will do!
Living a simple life isnt always easy , but as you said can be very rewarding
Nothing but facts here. Awesome video!
One other thing is that the pictures you see in the reels are always perfect weather. At one point, you hit the nail perfectly when you talked about how things happen on the road, just like they do at home. It may be a flat tire you have to change, vs a power outage at you that you can't even fix, so you just wait.
One of my favorite channels Grizzlynbear strikes a nice balance between "this is clearly edited to show the fun side of traveling the world" while also not shying away from talking about the not as glamours aspects & even showing the low points where the vehicle breaks down or something happens. Obviously they want to show themselves having fun & inspire others while being reasonable in terms of "well this happened on the road so we gotta take care of it, just another thing we gotta deal with on the fly"
Absolutely LOVED this video, wow!!! Great take, super authentic, and love your style! You've got yourself a follower, keep up the good work 😃.
Love your video!! Thank you for being real
You need to realize as well, not everybody can travel to those kind of places so seeing them is good inspiration or like you said It can help motivate to get to the mountain. It’s one of the reasons I started going outdoors because of that I’m healthier.
I liked the last part, "caravaning" (road-tripping) is a dream for me right now. Just to have the ability to drop everything and go see something different or beautiful, meet new people/experiences is so fun
So true!!
Loved every word. Can't wipe the smile off my face. You nailed this video.
Wow thank you so much!
Rise and shine, Trampfluencers
This is probably why I enjoy the ones who show their real mishaps during their trips more.
Real reactions, emotions AND you still experience the reasons why they still go.
I can't stand the amount of people that 'act' and go overboard
Totally!!
This was good! While I enjoy looking at the cute little Pinterest van interiors, the realistic videos of van life/campers/car camping etc are so much better. I like when they show the frustrations of such a life.
Just found you, but I'm genuinely surprised you don't have more followers. As someone from the "campfluencing" space, this video tickled me pink! Great video! 💚
Wow, thank you SO MUCH!
Well done mate 👍 I'm glad someone finally said it. I'm tired of so many content creators pretending their life on the road is absolutely perfect. Even going as far to change clothes that they'd never normally wear just for the perfect shot of them walking down the middle of the road with a low camera angle or something else they'd never actually do in real life
"It's all for the gram"
I try and be open & honest in all my camping & travel videos. Looking good in photos is one thing but having the trust from your subscribers or followers with them knowing you are genuine is more important. That's what people remember
Thank you so much! That's so true, realness is the best!
All the things that go wrong are often the most memorable part of the trip
Awesome video! I don't appreciate those fake campfluencers))
Thanks! 😃
recently travelled in a van for three months and completely agree with the message in this video. it was a certainly an incredible journey, but it was just that - a journey. not a consistently perfect time period with nothing going wrong, but a crazy time with issues all over. looking back, i love it for that. not every day was fun, either. it rained constantly. stuck in the van reading a book. and damn, now that it's over... where are my savings!?!?
great video man. loved the editing, enjoy your camper :)
Thank you so much! I couldn't agree more with what you're saying!
Amazing job dude. It's amazing how many people believe the hyped up version of reality presented on-line everyday.
Totally! Although it's hard not to if that's all you see!
I understand the over simplification of some camping vids. You are right, life is not often wrapped in pretty packaging. We must remember that going to a museum and appreciating art hung on the wall doesnt make me think I can paint similar images. For now, I appreciate the creative approach to living on the road provided by influencers and the new art form it has become. Thanks for a video with real input.
Thank you :))
No we are living in an age where UA-camrs are faking content for profit.
I love your honesty. It's all a fake facade. Subscribed!
Solid points here. I work a full time job and use my vacation time to take a trip in my truck camper. Being I have an income I can splurge on expensive food and campsites. I can’t imagine full time camper living with no job
Wow. This video was so well done and on point i expected to look up and see 100k subscribers. Nicely done sir, I can appreciate anyone who can show "real camping". My biggest issue with campfluencers has always been number #1, they are seldom actual explorers... it's more of a system of nagging people for secrets and having zero connection to the places they are going... almost always a copycat syndrome, seldom original, and almost never an adventurous spirt. #2, the unrealistic expectation that you have to be in the most expensive vehicle on earth to enjoy traveling, and while i have been in those vehicles, it's like trading in your cast iron skillet for a glass beaker... fragile and impractical vs the old iron thing that will always do the job when asked. and #3, this ridiculous theory that they have figured out life... anyone who is living life knows that life on the road can get lonely and would leave you wishing for some normalcy. Otherwise people in the armed forces would never want to come home... long haul truck drivers, container vessel crews, even people who work on remote mine sites or windmill locations during construction... or even Fire lookout rangers... there are many paid jobs that live the "dream" that campfluencers" spout.. but i think you'd be hard pressed to find one who doesn't crave a nice bed and the comforts of home. Heck, a lot of those jobs have youtube channels too when the "higher ups" approve
Overcoming hardship is what makes an adventure an adventure… I agree that it is often not portrayed although coming from the canoe tripping side of things generally speaking they do often show the bad days as they can sometimes be more often then the good lol.
Such a fantastic argument, and 10000% accurate. Please continue to share a more accurate version of “life on the road”… The roadtripping adventure entails BOTH beauty and hardships. Those that find the balance, yet recognize both the positive and negative through these experiences are the ones I respect, not the glamorized falsities 👏❤ As an avid backapcker/ trail runner, the “grind” is a huge part of the reward and journey. Keep it up!
YES. I’m not a vanlifer, but I do hike/backpack and people don’t really understand what goes into it. The views are 1000% worth the trek, however, you’re dirty, stink like hell, look disheveled, probably are sore, tired because no one actually sleeps well on a sleeping pad unless you’re really used to it, and cold soaked (or even some backpacking meals/ cook stove meals) are unappetizing.
I definitely love the nomadic lifestyle and have been evaluating options for a few years, but like you said, it’s really not free. In fact, it’s kind of more expensive depending on the build and where you’re traveling.
maybe this is a hot take, but I feel like SO many (actually all) of the camper influencers that I follow are extremely authentic and share both the good and the bad! Just like in life. I know there are "perfect" van life creators but that is a dying trend! There are so many authentic people online sharing this lifestyle
That's good to hear! I hope things move in this direction
Truth, finally! Thanks!
Love this, so true! 😂
Currently watching this while waiting on a new transmission for my van in Moab
Oh no!! Hopefully you'll be back to it soon!
Great advice. Great Wisdom!
I look forward to seeing more of you work and adventures.
Best regards,
BP
Thank you!
@7:22 You won me on that one homie!
Love to see real people on this platform
such a good video!! love the honesty and creativity
I loved all the creative touches in this video! Very fun to watch!
Yay, thank you!
From a mountainguide and "vanlifer". Every word here is true. Can you please sum everything upp to a fel words and just tell the world that its worth it even tho its not like in the movies and short clips! Cheers from north of sweden!
You are on point bro!Keeping it real
This video was refreshing 💆♂️
Haha!! The messes! Spot on dude. Love your style and just subscribed. Have fun on your journey!
Thanks so much!!
The best part to this video is the term “campfluencer” we call our selves “oldfluencers” but we are also old full time campers, so i guess we are “oldcampfluencers”. Larry
Haha that's great!
i dont live in a vehicle. when i go on vacations, i like to take road trips and camp. one reason i camp is that it is wildly cheaper than staying in a motel. but i dont live like that, and i dont pretend it's free and easy. its a vacation once every year or 2. it's akin to a hobby. i enjoy my time out, then i come back home and go back to work.
Living a job that always hears screaming and get hurt all the time. Freedom seems nice.
I really liked what you said in this video. I really think everything on the internet seems better than it is because they're trying to sell something or get followers.
Very true!
Great take!!!
Love this video thank you!
lol, subscribed. Been there, done that for decades. Lots of mishaps, rain, snow, heat, bugs, getting lost, failed gear, etc. I still go, all of the time, also lots of beautiful places I would never have experienced if I didn’t venture out, but yep the intagramers skew reality. I live near Yosemite. If I see one more perfectly made up person doing a yoga pose on clouds rest, I’ll, well…..
Thank you for the sub! Totally agree with you, Yosemite and popular parks have a lot of those types I find haha!
Amazing video quality
Just started my camper build! First video is up, just a follow along of me mounting the panels
In regards to your power concern, purchase a wind turbine set (not as much as solar panels) then attach them closest to the housing of your battery while also not exceeding 1 ft of height above the roof of your truck. When you drive, you'll charge a battery. You'll still need gas but it will supplement some of your power requirements.
Thanks for the tips! That's smart!
dude, this is so fuckin REAL!!! well done!!
Nicely done!
beautifully edited video!!
My Rv is a mess, and I live off grid so my yard is also a freaking mess around it. I can't get trash services yet... Thanks for posting this.
I live out of my car and Im sick, lying down to rest in my hot car at a hot truck stop, as we speak. It isn’t always glamorous lol 😂 right now its super gross
Im from Germany and me and My Girlfriend are going to spend 3 Nights in the Car in Czech Republic this weekend. Never slept in a Car so we will see :D. Did a Kayak Tour for 7 Days just with a Friend in Sweden, Slept in the Hammock. This Video is great especally the style but also the Message just hit it perfectly so thank you. Social Media really is Poisen in some Points. Keep Going. Great stuff.
Edit: To your last point: In Germany we say "Der Weg ist das Ziel" which means something like "The Way to the Finish is the Finish or the Good part" So Instead of always looking to the Finish line, embrace the process Because when you are at the finish there is nothing left. And this is the case for many things. Enjoy the Hike and then the View. Dont watch the View on Instagram
Love that saying!! Enjoy your trip, I hope it goes great!
Yea buddy you got that right. I spent many weekends this summer doing deferred maintenance on my trucks. Its mostly done at this point...for now!
Totally! Hopefully it works long enough for you to get a trip in!
Very good video. Let me share another view on this, however. I OWN a camper and I know what a week of rain with 2ppl +1 kid is like in a tiny space. I also studied journalism, so fake photos +propaganda are things I'm absolutely aware if. Okay, NOW: I cannot go camping every day, of course. School, job and all. So on rainy days, i watch lewie and the rover, travel beans etc and I AM HAPPY FOR THEM. This of course is easier when they do show fun places and gadgets and stuff. Please don't tell me about a fake cancer diagnosis for clickbait, i'll just hate you and never look at your stuff again. I CHOOSE to have fun through walking in somebody else's shoes if I'm stuck at home. That said, yes, be more honest everyone. Travel beans do a tremendous job for example. Stuff is real with them. And above all: GO SLOW. GO SMALL. BUT GO NOW!!!!!!!! Nobody needs a 120.000 $ vehicle to have fun or be happy. Rent a rooftop tent and TRY IT!! Happy camping everyone ❤❤❤
Well said!!! I totally agree! :)
Well said man
I have lived in a DIY conversion for six years. I have to be constantly picking up behind myself cleaning up this mess, getting this up and out of the way, putting this back where it was or getting something else out that I need even temporarily and having to put it back away because there is very little room in here for leaving a mess. It is not beyond any stretch of the imagination clean all the time. There are small fires to put out and sometimes real fires. Ants get in the van and I have to take them out. There’s always something to be taken care of. It’s never clean 24 seven and it’s never ever exactly the temperature that I want.
So true! Something is always slightly wrong. Haha!
This is great
Great perspective!
Great honest video!
LOL, spot on. Travel in a one ton big block and tell me all about how affordable it is. Super cool places? More like driving late in the day finding a place just to sleep. My van stays somewhat tidy just because of the massive garage under the bed, I just keep shoveling shit back under there until it's pay the piper day. But it's still usually half wrecked. I spend the most time traveling Alaska and Canada because. Gravel pits.
All over the place. Super not glamorous. Anyway, great video, cheers.
Thank you!! Glad you could relate :))
How many people noticed that he cleaned the camper towards the end of the video?
Started out watching bushcraft vids, then car & van camping. Got the bug & decked my SUV with solar panels, 12v fridge, nice bed, & GasOne stove...I can go anywhere. The issue is gas money. To drive to Austin TX, let's say, I estimate gas there and back will run nearly 600 bucks! That's a bit under HALF my SS payment! My hub & I drove from AZ to Whitefish MT last year & we literally ran out of money. My husband lost his wallet. Sh*t happens!!
So true! Gas money is the silent killer. Whitefish is beautiful, hope you still were able to enjoy the trip!
I think the issue is with audiences. Videos typically don’t perform as well if you’re honest about what van life is like. We’re kinda forced by the algorithm to make this life look as beautiful and perfect as possible.
Very true :/
Channels that showcase the beauty of the world are lifesavers for people who are homebound because of age, chronic illness, disability, and financial constraints.
I think the housing/rent crisis in the US is leading to an increase in the Campfluencer as well. People are just saying, eh, fuck it - if I’m having to shovel over 50% of my monthly take-home pay to housing, then I’m just gonna quit my job and fuck off for the summer living in my vehicle, but maybe that’s a topic for another video. Anyways, Great video!
That would be a good topic for a future video! Thanks for the comment!
A couple of years ago I built out a 97 Astro van that I would still be in had it not died. I really expected a nice tidy life in the van but I very quickly realized just how absolutely filthy and dirty a very small van to get. After just a day of living life and maybe eating out the van is a mess and smells like fast. I was happy to have one real solid experience of completely washing my hair with a gallon jug in a Walmart parking lot at 6:00 AM
After that van died I had to get a vehicle quickly out of necessity and was forced to get a small car. Luckily I totaled that vehicle and was able to get a 2018 grand caravan. I move into it at the end of August. god i'm excited. i miss the filth, the parking lots, the shitty little aesthetic fairy lights that don't actually produce any amount of useable light so you resort to using a camping lantern you bought from the camp section of walmart.
Recently UA-cam pushing small channels, and i’ll be honest the title looked like clickbait at first. But as i watched it, all your points are valid! Dropped a like and sub. Wishing you a good day!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a good day as well!
Steve Wallis the camping GOAT I remember when MFers (influencers)made fun of him along came the Covid and Whatta know every man woman and their dog were remaking Steve vids.
I don’t necessarily have an issue with the UA-cam videos. I have an issue with influencers that makes everything look so simple that people do live vicariously through them. Life is really about doing hard things and so many people are now watching instead of doing. It’s making people weak minded and not resilient. Watch to get ideas, and then GO OUT AND DO! Level 2 fun is truly the best fun!
True! Real experiences are the best!
My first year traveling in my bus looked exactly like everything i see on social media. Then I spent all my money and it’s not as fun but bus life’s still great while being broke 😂.
nice video my camper friend :)
Thank you 👍
Well it takes call kinds on UA-cam, all are trying to make a job out of it, including you, but I'm glad you're here, I'm living vicariously through you, I'm stuck with my mom with dementia, and I am fine with that, as long as she's alive, I got a home, when she's dead, I'll share the proceeds of her home with my 3 brothers, and then I'll take my truck, my slide in camper, my Bluetti AC180 with panels, my BougeRV 12 volt 43L fridge, my home made composting toilet, my Honda Generator and my shovel, and maybe I'll meet you out there and boondock with you. While she lives, I'm preparing. Putting back $20 last week, $100 the month before, my inheritance when I get it.
Great vlog , we have a small you tube channel in Scotland 🏴 and you named a lot of things that ...well really piss me aff ... a lot of influencers just turn up and take a photo without actually doing anything else other than that, then they move in tae the next location 🤔