Why you should NOT build a van
By now you’ve seen the #vanlife pics on instagram, with the butt pics and the snow-capped mountaintop or the beautiful beach backdrops. You’ve also watched YouTube videos and see the panning drone shots of the decked out van with solar panels and rooftop deck driving through the countryside. You’ve seen the waterfalls and the different cities you’ve dreamed of visiting but haven’t visited. You don’t know why you haven’t been there, and don’t have a really good reason why you haven’t been there yet, you just haven’t.
You see the freedom of the road, the everyday-is-an-adventure. “That could be me.” You think it’s pretty awesome living that kind of lifestyle, right? Well yeah, it is. Why would so many people choose to live this life in something that has four wheels, 70 sq. ft. and is prone to breaking down, leaving you stranded? Everyone has their own reasons behind it, so I won’t speak for everyone. But I can tell you why YOU SHOULDN’T BUILD YOUR OWN VAN.
Unless…
You are ready to commit. This will be the largest commitment of your life. I say this as someone who’s in his late 20’s and is currently engaged to the person he shares this tiny home with. Proposing was easy. Committing to this lifestyle was not. It’s easy to think you want this, but you really have to mean it if you think you’re ready to build your home. WHY do you want this and WHAT are you willing to do for it? Think about that before you keep reading. Write down your why on a piece of paper. For me, it was the freedom and I gave up A LOT to get where I am today (but we’ll get into that later).
You are ready to make decisions. You think figuring out what to have for dinner is hard? HA. Just wait. You’re likely going to start your van build with four blank metal walls, and each thing you do will affect what you’re going to do as you progress. I know the struggle. Everything seems like it’s the most important step at the time and I am a CHRONIC overthinker. It’s a constant battle and you WILL get burnt out. I sure did. Multiple times. Every day is filled with decision after decision. It’s exhausting. But I had to make a choice each day, and so will you.
My tip: stop overthinking and just go with your first choice, that’s your gut instinct. If there’s a problem, deal with it later (your to-do list will never stop btw). That’s what I did. Just keep that forward progress. By the end of this, you will be damn GOOD at making decisions, and you’ll make them fast. No more back and forth.
You are ready to trust yourself. This goes hand-in-hand with the decisions you’re going to learn make. When I started, I was second guessing everything. Was I using the right type of screw? How does this saw work? At one point I considered ripping apart the entire ceiling to change how I wired our puck lights. But you know what? I didn’t, because I learned to stop overthinking and to trust myself. You will learn to trust your instincts and become more confident. Guess what? People will notice your progress.
You are ready to learn more about yourself than you are ready for. You’ll be faced with all of your flaws. You’ll feel like a fraud. You’ll find your breaking point. You won’t break though. Because you know WHY you want this. The feeling that comes after your build is complete is unmatched and unexplainable. It’s euphoric. Going through the struggle for as long as it took until I finished is the most rewarding feeling I have ever felt in my entire 28 years of living. It can’t be explained, but through all the bullshit I went through, I feel like a new person now. So will you.
You are ready to make mistakes. I made a TON of mistakes building this van. No-one’s perfect. Shit happens, you’ll measure wrong and cut the same piece of wood wrong three different times back to back. You’ll run out of something and have to take another trip to the hardware store for the third time that day. You’ll forget to charge the drill. But you know what you’ll get out of it right? It’s another lesson learned, another notch on your toolbelt. You won’t make those mistakes again, and they’re all lessons transferable to other areas of your life. You aren’t just building your van, you’re building real life experience. That’s WHAT you’re doing.
You are ready to become a stronger, more resilient person. When I was going through the build and all of its ups and downs, I had a lot of downs. I was not in a good place and there were days if not weeks where I wanted to call it quits on the build. I don’t know if it was because of all the pressure I put on myself, but I forced myself to get through it. Building a van is hard, but so are you. You will become stronger both physically and mentally. You’ll be sore, you’ll hurt, you’ll probably cry at least once. You’ll bleed. But you Won’t. Give. Up. Because you know WHY you’re doing this.
You are ready to answer to yourself. (Or maybe your partner if you’re doing this with someone). Long story short is at the end of the day this build is your personal battle to fight, and you’ll learn motivation comes and goes, but when you develop discipline, you’ll be unstoppable.
No one is going to motivate you. Some days you’d rather just watch Netflix. No one cares if you give up or fail. Most people are too preoccupied with their own lives to be that involved in yours. Half the people you told about this probably don’t think you’ll finish. Your family doesn’t understand. EVERYONE will question you. And if they don’t do it directly they’ll do it behind your back. Friends, cousins, your dentist. Doesn’t matter. But maybe that’s a good thing. You’re growing and living life on your own terms.
One question you will have to answer though is “Where are you going to poop?” (Answer: get the Nature’s Head!)
You are ready to be free. Congrats! You just finished your build. It looks awesome. You sold all your crap you don’t use and are about to hit the open road. You’ve learned so much about yourself, and you like the new you more than the person you used to be.
But wait, you don’t want to step out of your comfort zone? You like that job you complain about? You don’t want to become stronger and more resilient? You aren’t ready for the biggest change of your life? That’s fine. Maybe you shouldn’t build your van. But take it from me, you ARE ready and I think YOU SHOULD BUILD YOUR VAN.
Ready to start your build? Read our tips for van builders
