10 things I wish I knew about van life before spending a weekend in a camper van

Frank OlitoJan 27, 2021, 20:22 IST

Van life has a few surprises.Frank Olito/ Insider

I rented a camper van for the weekend and was surprised by a few things about van life.
It's difficult to find overnight parking, and I couldn't bring the van wherever I wanted, especially into the city.
There were many complicated systems that I needed to understand so that the van could operate like a liveable home.

When I rented a camper van for a weekend, I expected a carefree road trip like the ones I see filling the VanLife hashtag on Instagram. Instead, I was met with a few surprises.

In January, I turned to RV renting company Outdoorsy to book a three-day road trip in a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van. Despite knowing a lot about van life, I was surprised to learn just how difficult it can be firsthand. While many happily live in camper vans with no issues, some aspects of the lifestyle stood out the most for a newbie like me.

Keep reading to find the most shocking things I learned about van life after my weekend on the road.

Living and sleeping in a van takes a lot of planning and forethought.

The van at the campground. Frank Olito/ Insider

Sleeping in strange parking lots are commonplace in this tiny house lifestyle.

The van in the Cracker Barrel parking lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

Camper vans aren't that easy to drive because they are so large.

My friend driving the van. Frank Olito/ Insider

Because of its size, you can't take the van everywhere, especially into cities.

The van couldn't go everywhere. Frank Olito/ Insider

Sitting in traffic in a camper van is surprisingly worse than in a regular vehicle.

Sitting in traffic in the van is not the best. Frank Olito/ Insider

There are a lot of systems in camper vans that are overly complicated for a novice.

The compartment that housed all the machinery. Frank Olito/ Insider

Many camper vans use multifunctional furniture to save space, but they're not always convenient.

The bed stayed setup all weekend long. Frank Olito/ Insider

Since vans aren't soundproof, it's difficult to get a good night's sleep.

I could always hear the neighbors. Frank Olito/ Insider

Bathrooms on a camper van are less of a luxury and more of a hassle.

The composting toilet needs upkeep. Frank Olito/ Insider

Staying at a campground regularly can get expensive quickly.

The campground could get expensive. Frank Olito/ Insider

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