- Three couples who converted vans into homes urged people to do research before choosing van life.
- The couples told Insider the lifestyle can be glamorized online but reality can fall short for some.
- Lisa Althoff, 23, said: "It can be hard and not always as good as it looks on social media."
Pictures of pastel Volkswagen campervans and cozy reading nooks populate the #vanlife Instagram tag. It has over 12 million posts at the time of writing, but couples who made the nomadic dream a reality told Insider it's not always glamorous.
Three van life couples across Europe offered their advice to those looking to undergo a van conversion and take to the open road.
Make a list of what you'll actually need on your travels before investing in a van
Janek Radermacher, 24, and Lisa Althoff, 23, travel across Europe in an orange Mercedes van that they bought online and converted into a home in 2017. Based in Germany, the couple document their van life travels on the @orangeroadtrip Instagram account, which has over 11,00 followers at the time of writing.
Althoff said those starting out should properly assess their needs before choosing a van: "It's really important to test it out if van life really is for you because it can be hard and not always as good as it looks on social media."
She added that people should consider the countries or areas they'll be traveling to so that they can choose or adapt the right vehicle for those conditions.
"If you want to go to Scandinavia you need a heater or if you want to go to Morocco, you probably need an AC," she said, noting that many forget to take this into account.
Radermacher recalled meeting people who had never engaged with van life before but purchased a van for thousands of euros. "They just made a very simple conversion with just a bed and then thought, 'Okay, how can I charge my phone now because I don't have electricity?" he said.
Connect with other van lifers to get practical advice on starting out
In 2016, Jess Branton, 30, and Dave Smith, 39, who post on Instagram as @firetruck.family, purchased an old fire truck in England that they call a "big red beast." They use it for part-time travel with their children Poppy, 10, and Luna, 5.
Branton said social media can be a useful tool to connect with the van life community and get tips from those further along in their journey.
"There's a page called Self Build Campervans, and anything you need to know is on it," she advised for anyone feeling intimidated by the research process.
Branton also said that they used a lot of YouTube videos to fill the gaps in their knowledge. "If we can do it, then anybody can do it — we had never done anything like it before," she added.
Take some short trips in a rental van before committing full-time
France-based couple Yasmine El Kotni, 33, and René Brink, 34, bought their van in August 2019, began their conversion in September, and completed it by the end of that year.
During a 2020 trip to New Zealand, they experienced a year of living in their van full-time and since then, they've started their business, Recycle Inn, which converts vans into homes for clients. They also run the Recycle Inn Instagram account which has over 12,000 followers.
Speaking about expectations versus the reality of living in a van, El Kotni said: "There's a lot of glorified videos out there of how amazing it is and how it's the ultimate freedom, but we have to acknowledge it's not for everyone."
She advised finding a friend with a van and asking them to borrow it or renting one for a week to two to ease into it and see if it's a good fit.
The couple said: "Even the nicest vans out there are not as comfortable as a house," but urged those curious about pursuing van life to remember that "there's always a way out if you don't enjoy it."