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> It seems like they chose that lifestyle By that definition me not living in a mansion overlooking the ocean is also a lifestyle choice. I doubt that many peo
by wwtrv 3y ago
> It seems like they chose that lifestyle
By that definition me not living in a mansion overlooking the ocean is also a lifestyle choice. I doubt that many people in cities would live in vans if housing wasn't so unaffordable.
- seanmcdirmid 3y agoAgain, check out the social media. If you decide to live in a van while working a $100k/year remote job, it’s a lifestyle choice.
- haswell 3y agoThe social media van life trend is one thing. People choosing to live in their cars for financial reasons is another thing. Occasionally the two groups intersect, but there are plenty of cases where someone is living in their van/car so they can afford to stay in or near a location they can’t otherwise afford. Some people have major debt, medical expenses, family situations etc that drove the original decision. Some people decide to start posting about their car life because why not? But don’t confuse the glitzy social media version of van life for the average experience.
- seanmcdirmid 3y agoYes, but you can’t really tell who is one category or the other. We also have no idea what the average experience is. For non-stealth campers, it’s much easier to tell.
- haswell 3y agoHaving spent quite a bit of time on the road, it’s usually pretty easy to spot the difference. That is if you even notice the stealth campers (to your point). But that’s really the original point - most people don’t notice the car dwelling locals, who spend a lot of their time making sure they aren’t noticed.
- seanmcdirmid 3y agoWe have an RV problem so we’ve also gotten good at picking out stealth campers, not that it matter much since I really don’t mind someone who is just sleeping in our neighborhood if they aren’t doing anything crazy. People sleeping in cars are also common, and pretty easy to spot since unlike a van, it isn’t common to block out all windows in a car. I’m guessing those are all economic cases.
- oldpersonintx 3y agoalmost all of the social media put out by the "van life" folks is total BS and at least some of them have been willing to admit it the reality of "van life" is Walmart parking lots, not Moab or Yosemite again, if you follow the van life youtubers, many of them have come clean about the reality of it all many of them also will admit they actually do have a permanent address somewhere out there
- mint2 3y agoby this logic everyone in Hollywood is a rich movie star because that’s who visible in the media, not the various set designers food workers and all the many others. Looking at social media influencers and assuming they’re a good representation of the average van liver is like looking at a celebrity and assuming everyone in Hollywood is like them.
- huytersd 3y agoNo. Some people like the idea of a semi nomadic lifestyle enough that they would prefer it to living in a mansion overlooking the ocean.
- mgraczyk 3y agoI know at least 3 people who spent the last few years living in a van while making over $200k a year. Mostly to travel, but some just enjoy the lifestyle.