#vanlife is one of the most popular hashtags on TikTok with nearly 12 billion views.
More and more people are choosing #vanlife in the face of rising rents.
But the reality of #vanlife is not quite as glamorous as many videos would have you believe.
#vanlife videos espousing the freedom and glamor of life on the road have garnered 9.9 billion views on TikTok, but the reality doesn't always match up.
Videos about #vanlife can receive millions of views.
TikTok
The #vanlife movement chronicles the lives of people living in vans and traveling across the US, posting photos and videos of their glamorous experiences on Instagram and TikTok.
Many of the photos and videos see these travelers and digital nomads waking up to beautiful views by a beach or a lake, redecorating their vans to make them the perfect living spaces, or spending relaxed quality time with their partners or pets in a variety of gorgeous locations.
But, the reality of living the #vanlife doesn't always match up with the expectations set by social media.
A new wave of #vanlifers is showing the difficult reality behind the lifestyle.
Though many videos appear to show people living #vanlife while parked on a beach or on a nature reserve with stunning views, sometimes it is not actually possible to park in these pristine locations for a long period of time.
TikTok user @georgiacbroderick posted a video in 2021 to highlight things she wished she knew before starting van life, such as not realizing that they would be "waking up in parking lots so often" instead of enjoying the beautiful views usually posted by #vanlife influencers.
It's usually easier for van lifers to park in a parking lot than to risk getting a ticket by parking in a prohibited spot. But even if you are parked in a relatively benign location, you may be asked to move in the middle of the night anyway.
"It's a daily task to scan the apps and figure out where to safely sleep each night, and the reality is, sometimes your best bet is going to be a Walmart parking lot or a rest stop," TikToker @sunnylunaliving noted.
Many people living in a van have to get creative with their plumbing and bathroom situations. Some van lifers have jugs or a bucket in which they go to the toilet, while others have waterless toilets that must be constantly maintained.
People tend to be so fascinated with the vanlife lifestyle that they'll often snoop around your living space, or ask invasive questions (in what other context is it normal to ask a stranger where they pee?) without thinking.
Traveling in a van across the country and in remote locations is not always safe, especially for solo travelers. Living in a van means sleeping in public spaces, which makes you more "exposed," TikTok user Tori Torres, who goes by the username @toritravels, said in a video posted in 2021.
"It's hard for me to find a place where I can get a good night's sleep when I'm alone, because I just don't feel as safe," she said, adding that she often worries about someone breaking into her van.
Everything sounds dangerous in the back of a van at night, said @litaofthepack.
"If there's something barking outside of our van at night, it's a coyote. If there's someone's talking outside of our van at night, it's a murderer coming to kill me," she said. "Maybe the moral of the story is that I'm just too paranoid of a person to be living in a van."
Vans require constant maintenance and often break down in the most inconvenient places.
TikTok user @fastfamvan posted a video in January to showcase the "unglamorous sides of van life," including how "parts of your home are bound to break."
"Knobs come loose, covers will blow off, and shower doors will completely break in half," said @faracrossthefoam.
TikTokers @geneandshay talked about having to wedge their cupboards shut to make sure their stuff doesn't fall out and break, as well as the "bumps" on the road causing things to fall out of containers and break inside their storage spaces, too.
TikTok user @heymartimarti posted a video in late June where she expressed excitement at finding gas for $5 a gallon, claiming that she had previously seen it as high as $6 or $7, and almost $10 in one place she visited in California. She added that it cost $100 to fill her gas tank halfway.
It's hard to get reliable service or contact someone for help in a remote location.
Since van lifers often drive around to remote places, they may find themselves without wifi or cell phone service. As TikTok user @sunnylunaliving said in a video posted in 2020, even though they had hotspots and service plans by various providers to help them get connected, they still found themselves without service or wifi very often, which can make working remotely impossible.
This can also become dangerous if you need to contact someone for help while in a remote place.
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