Essential Tips for First-Time Campervan Living

Imagine exploring a new place with open road ahead and your home at your back. If the thought of traveling in a campervan brings a surge of wanderlust and makes your hands itch to be at the steering wheel, living in a campervan may be your next perfect adventure!

My husband and I have spent the past 3 months living in a 6-by-13-foot camper van. It has been one of the greatest adventures of our marriage.

All About Living in a Camper Van

We are huge advocates of campervan life but can tell you firsthand that it isn’t always s’mores around a campfire and skinny-dipping in hot springs.

We’ve traveled around the world to more than 40 countries; however, exploring in a campervan is distinct from any other travel we’ve experienced. There are challenges and joys unique to this type of tiny living in a camper.

Before you go ahead and trade in your jet-setting ways for a home on wheels, know that you may need to make some drastic changes to your travel style.

Packing Gets More Complicated in a Camper Van

When you’re packing for a trip and have just one suitcase or backpack to fit everything, it can be a challenging puzzle without a clear solution.

It might seem that all your problems would be solved when you upgrade from a 50-liter backpack to an 80-square-foot campervan. However, that’s hardly the case. Sure, you have more space, but it becomes a bit more complicated.

You’ll need to pack enough to make your campervan a fully-functioning home – kitchen, sleeping area, and living space – with just a fraction of the room of your actual home. Thus, you can pack more, but it also opens up a whole new set of decisions.

The tradeoff for a more complex packing list is that you’re able to travel with some of your favorite comforts, such as a French press and a fluffy pillow.

Personal Space is No Longer Personal

If you’re traveling with a companion – whether it’s a partner, children, pets, or all of the above – you’ll need to get accustomed to the newfound lack of space. Your personal bubble will be popped numerous times a day. (In fact, several times each minute.)

When you reside in a tiny space, you sacrifice privacy. You forfeit the ability to, say, pass gas without anyone noticing. You might have to get creative about finding time alone.

However, the beautiful part of sacrificing personal space is that you will be rewarded with quality moments with your favorite people or furry companions. Hopefully, your travel buddy is someone you genuinely enjoy spending time with!

Before moving into a campervan with your partner, be sure to ask each other these 20 questions.

You’ll appreciate how many arguments you’ve avoided by discussing these important queries with your travel buddy.

Your Consumption Will Be Visible

When you stay in hotels, it’s easy to take a 20-minute shower and overlook how much water goes down the drain. And when someone else is disposing of the trash you’ve thrown away, the amount of waste seems minimal.

However, transitioning to traveling in a small space highlights your consumption.

You will suddenly see how much water it takes to do dishes because you must physically empty your wastewater instead of allowing it to disappear into a drain underground.

When living in a compact area, your awareness of consumption will increase, as it’s not something you can simply overlook.

Normal Things Become Luxuries

Living in a campervan makes simple, everyday things feel like luxuries. When you aren’t showering daily, it feels incredible when you do (especially with high pressure and hot water).

And don’t get me started on ice! Lukewarm water doesn’t provide the same satisfaction as an icy glass of H2O on a hot day!

This awareness is humbling as you begin noticing the little things often taken for granted. Many people worldwide live without these luxuries, making it a valuable experience to acknowledge our privileges from time to time.

You’ll Have More Control Over Your Budget

Traveling in an RV or campervan allows you to genuinely manage your budget. That’s not to say it’s inexpensive, but you now have the option to cook your own meals instead of dining out for every meal.

You can skip Starbucks and brew your own cup of Joe instead. Moreover, you won’t need to pay exorbitant hotel rates. You’re in a traveling home, after all!

All that said, fuel isn’t cheap when towing a small home behind you, and sometimes you’ll want to indulge after roughing it for a while. Overall, however, RV travel empowers you to control your expenses.

You’ll Grow as a Person

Traveling in a campervan or RV means encountering some bumps in the road, both literally and metaphorically.

Sometimes, when traveling, others manage those bumps for you, such as a guesthouse owner moving you to another room due to air-conditioning issues.

However, when traveling in an RV, you need to take ownership of any hiccups, like fixing the AC yourself. Consequently, you’ll feel empowered when you solve problems independently.

Even if you don’t plan to live in an RV long-term, you’ll experience personal growth and gain a deeper understanding of the world. This development is a powerful transformation.

You’ll Travel Slow and Deep

Traveling with your home will make you realize that you can’t hop around as quickly as with just a suitcase. It’s exhausting!

When you’re the one driving instead of a bus driver, you’ll reconsider an itinerary that includes moving through eight cities in eight days.

When in the driver’s seat, you have the chance to appreciate not just your destination cities but also the “in-between.” These are the charming small towns and hidden cafes you’d never discover while traveling by plane, train, or taxi.

You’ll navigate small roads and witness the everyday lives of locals as you pass by, giving you a more authentic experience than if you skip the “in-between.” You’ll come to appreciate slow travel’s beauty and value in savoring a day that doesn’t rush by too quickly.

You Have to Seek Out Interactions with Locals

Staying in hotels and taking public transport usually leads to casual interactions with locals and fellow travelers.

However, one of the more challenging aspects of campervan travel is that you have to put in extra effort to seek out interactions and gather local recommendations.

You’ll definitely have people curious about your mobile home along the way, so utilize this as an opportunity to inquire about their favorite local experiences and attractions.

You’ll Need to Make Sacrifices

If you’re accustomed to business-class flights, luxurious hotel rooms, and fine dining, transitioning to RV travel will require some adjustments in your travel habits.

Even if you’re a seasoned backpacker familiar with the concept of “roughing it,” you’ll notice significant differences between sleeping in hostels and parking roadside for the night.

You won’t always have Internet access during RV travel, and you might not shower as frequently as desired. Furthermore, you’ll need to innovate meal preparation, and the air-conditioning may not be the most robust you’ve experienced. Nonetheless, these sacrifices yield beautiful rewards.

You’ll feel the wind blowing through your hair on the open road with endless possibilities ahead. Too cheesy? Let’s just say you’ll experience an adventure that many can only dream of.

You’ll learn that the best parts of travel don’t always come with a hefty price tag or frills. You will come to appreciate the little things and value simplicity over extravagance.

Freedom is a Tangible Thing

Life in an RV provides nearly limitless freedom. Want to sleep in the mountains tonight and beside the ocean tomorrow? No problem.

You’ll start to seek detours that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. The world becomes more accessible when your home is on wheels. Moreover, there’s a peculiar satisfaction in having all your essential belongings within 80 square feet of space.

While it may sound clichéd, campervan life redefines freedom in an entirely profound way.