The Pros and Cons of Vanlife in a VW bus
Making the decision to hit the road full time is a big one. Lots of comforts to give up, an overall reduced level of normalcy in your day, not to mention significant downsizing in possessions. How does one go about deciding what van is the best fit for them? Are they looking for size? Overlanding ability? Reliability? The list of pros and cons are endless for vans of every shape and size.
So what about Luna? Our 1974 VW bus is certainly not the most commonly chosen Vanlife rig, however we have found a way to make it work for our own lives in a way that makes it hard to imagine making the change to something else.
Its important to preface the fact that we bought our van before even considering Vanlife as a lifestyle. She was intended to be a fun collectible, vintage vehicle that we could learn to take care of and occasionally take beach camping. It wasn’t until we began to drive her further and further that we realized how capable this little VW is. After visiting some Vanlife gatherings and meeting others who live life full time on the road, we decided to make some changes in our lives to make constant travel a reality.
After over a year and a half on the road, here is what we have discovered about full time Vanlife in a VW bus:
Pros
-Connecting with people over a nostalgic old vehicle that we never would have had a reason to meet before
-Small van= we can fit into any parking space easily
-Our pop-top roof tent; easy to pop up and we can climb up from inside the van. It allows for a separation of space between the sleeping area and the “living room/kitchen”. We also LOVE starting our day by listening to the birds outside through the canvas and keep us feeling connected to nature
-Luna is photogenic; we have loved getting into photography on the road and having an iconic vehicle with us makes for a perfect subject of our pictures when a road is involved!
Cons
-Not a lot of space for two people! Need I say more?
-Constant maintenance. We travel with quite the spare parts bag!
-Not temperature controlled AT ALL. We have no A/C or heater. While many travelers enjoy spending their winters hitting the slopes in the mountains, we limit our cold weather camping to 15 degrees F and avoid heatwaves that can cause damage to our engine
-Not a lot of space for pets. Also, as stated above, the lack of temperature control makes it undesirable for furry friends
-Speed is low. At a solid 67 horsepower, we avoid major highways when possible and climb mountains VERY slowly. On average, we add 20 minutes to every hour of driving the GPS says it will take
Overall, every type of van is completely unique to the traveler and their needs. Renting a van ahead of making that decision can be a wonderful way to see what works for you!
