13 disappointing photos of van life from my weekend road trip in a camper van

Frank OlitoFeb 4, 2021, 20:53 IST

There are some disappointing sides to van life.Frank Olito/ Insider

I took a short road trip in a camper van during the winter and was disappointed with my experience.
I had to park in a Cracker Barrel parking lot and at an expensive campground.
There are a lot of systems to learn in a camper van and they can easily break.

When it comes to the growing van life movement, reality rarely meets expectations.

Before renting a camper van for a weekend road trip from New York to Philadelphia in January, I was expecting a scenic journey with some carefree adventure - that's what I've seen on the van life hashtag on social media for years. But after a weekend filled with mishaps and frustrations, I quickly learned there are some disappointing sides to the van life movement.

Here are photos of 13 disappointing moments from my short stint with van life.

Finding parking can be difficult with a camper van or RV, so many vanlifers turn to random parking lots.

The camper van parked in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

Sleeping overnight at a parking lot is less than ideal, especially when it's near the dumpsters.

Camper van parked next to garbage dumpsters. Frank Olito/ Insider

During the winter, empty campgrounds are another popular option for vanlifers, but they can get expensive.

The camper van parked at a campground. Frank Olito/ Insider

Parking a camper van in a city is also a challenge.

You can't park a camper van in the city. Frank Olito/ Insider

Although most photos show vanlifers opening their back doors onto beaches, the reality is far from that.

Looking out on a campground. Frank Olito/ Insider

Sometimes the view is just a parking lot.

The view of the parking lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

It may seem easy to operate a camper van, but there are a ton of systems to learn and troubleshoot.

All the systems that make the camper van run. Frank Olito/ Insider

Systems in camper vans often break, leading vanlifers to improvise.

The stove provided some heat. Frank Olito/ Insider

The windows of camper vans are constantly filled with condensation in the winter.

Condensation in the window. Frank Olito/ Insider

The bathrooms on some camper vans are so unbelievably small.

A peek into the bathroom. Frank Olito/ Insider

The composting toilet is a major and unsanitary hassle.

The composting toilet. Frank Olito/ Insider

Making the bed in a camper van is an extremely difficult task.

Making the bed. Frank Olito/ Insider

Although vanlifers get very creative about storage, space is still very limited.

Storage space is limited. Frank Olito/ Insider

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