This 2018 Toyota Sienna minivan was turned into a camper van with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom for $8,500 — see how

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I spent two weeks  traveling around America's West in a van on a trip that cost  $3,200.</li><li>It's the same  I could've spent on  far-flung trips, but I'm thrilled it went toward this adventure.</li></ul><p>For three grand, I could have wandered the cobblestone streets of Dublin, Ireland.</p><p>Or spent my time sinking cash in slot machines in Sin City.</p><p>At the very least, I could've saved myself <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solo-road-trip-tips-us-how-to-plan-2024-1">long hours on the road</a>.</p><p>I didn't. Instead, I shelled out $3,200 for a two-week van trip.</p><p>And it was worth every penny.</p><div type="image" title="A highway at sunset." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968433" hostid="261" sizebytes="134104"></div><p>The idea for a van trip has been on my mind for years. Since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-living-in-denver-moving-from-nyc-2021-8">moving to Denver, Colorado</a> in 2021, I've spent most of my weekends outdoors.</p><p>In the winter, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-differences-skiing-vs-snowboarding-photos-2023-2">I'm snowboarding</a>. In the summer, I rotate between camping and hiking. To do those things, I have to drive.</p><p>Renting a van felt like a luxurious way to try out van life, a lifestyle that seemingly lets you connect to nature, and one<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/van-life-trip-lifestyle-hidden-costs-travel-2023-12"> I've long romanticized</a>.</p><h2>Spending $3,000 might seem like a lot, but it costs about the same as hotels. Plus, it elevated the experience of camping</h2><div type="image" title="The van at sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park in California." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968434" hostid="261" sizebytes="214476"></div><p>While some people envision jet-setting to a tropical island and sleeping in luxurious resorts, others dream of leisurely shopping across cities like Paris.</p><p>I, on the other hand, visualize hiking in mountains, pitching tents near glacier lakes, and enjoying breathtaking scenery.</p><p>But even two weeks in a tent is a little much for me. I wanted a trip that would allow me to explore nature, but I also wanted comfort.</p><p>I was set on exploring America's West, and one option was to rent a car and stay in Airbnbs, hotels, and vacation rentals along the way.</p><p>Or, I could bring my accommodation with me and rent a campervan.</p><div type="image" title="The author's rental van outside of the Native Campervan Denver location." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968435" hostid="261" sizebytes="429196"></div><p>I eyed renting everything from Mercedes Sprinter vans to rooftop tents. Then, I found<a target="_blank" href="https://nativecampervans.com/"> Native Campervans</a>, an RV rental company based in Denver.</p><p>The rental, unsurprisingly, was the largest cost of my trip. Business Insider received a media rate for the two-week trip. In total, the rental cost a little over $1,000. I rented a Ram ProMaster, the company's largest and most ritzy rental, which would typically cost closer to $2,500.</p><p>I rationalized the price by considering how much I would've spent on hotels and Airbnbs for two weeks. If I wanted accommodations that were conveniently near nature, I figured that would average about $200 a night — the same price as the face-value campervan rental. Plus, I'd need to rent a car to travel between Airbnbs.</p><p>The campervan was exactly what I was looking for. It was large enough to stand in, and had a comfy bed, heater, and full kitchenette with a sink, stove, and mini-fridge. It was easily enough <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-tour-75-square-foot-ram-promaster-van-2023-11">space for one person for two weeks</a>.</p><div type="image" title="The Ram ProMaster the author rented from Native Campervans." height="1365" width="2048" msid="106968436" hostid="261" sizebytes="248850"></div><h2><strong>Once on the trip, I encountered plenty of hidden costs</strong></h2><p>For two weeks, I rotated between parking at campsites, on free public land, in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sleeping-in-cracker-barrel-parking-lot-van-life-trip-2024-1">Cracker Barrel parking lots</a>, and at expensive RV parks.</p><p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/van-life-trip-lifestyle-hidden-costs-travel-2023-12">cost of paying to park my van,</a> along with tasks like showering and filling my van's water tank, quickly added up.</p><p>Plus, gas was a major expense. I drove about 3,000 miles through six states and spent $670 on gas.</p><div type="image" title="A sunset through the van's front window." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968437" hostid="261" sizebytes="569962"></div><p>While I was surprised by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/van-life-trip-lifestyle-hidden-costs-travel-2023-12">some of the hidden costs</a> ($10 for a shower seems like a lot to pay every few days), the trip ultimately felt more affordable than other types of vacations.</p><p>That's because I had a full kitchen, which meant I could boil pasta and fry eggs every day — something I can't do in most hotels.</p><p>The trip's itinerary was also centered on nature, so a lot of it was affordable. Hiking, for instance, was free since I already had the gear and a National Parks Pass, which grants me year-round access for $80.</p><p>I'll admit I did make a few splurges, too. For example, I took a break from driving and rode a train into the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-the-grand-canyon-2019-2">Grand Canyon National Park</a>. I also couldn't pass up <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-food-places-to-eat-road-trip-america-west-2024-1">trying regional foods</a>, like an indulgent date shake in Palm Springs, California.</p><div type="image" title="An empty road in Arches National Park in Utah." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968438" hostid="261" sizebytes="527710"></div><h2><strong>Ultimately, the van trip led to new experiences and ways to travel for a trip I won't forget</strong></h2><p>I dropped off my van feeling energized.</p><p>The trip let me explore new parts of my home country. I wandered through fields of cacti in Joshua Tree, California; I met friendly faces in Jerome, Arizona; and I was immersed in history in Taos, New Mexico.</p><p>Most of the highlights happened spontaneously. I went climbing with strangers in Joshua Tree and stumbled upon an oasis in Arizona's desert.</p><div type="image" title="Business Insider's author watches a sunrise in Joshua Tree, California." height="1536" width="2048" msid="106968439" hostid="261" sizebytes="297642"></div><p>Moments like these would not have been possible anywhere but from the backseat of a van, which allowed me to be more flexible with my schedule and where I went.</p><p>I also left the trip with newfound confidence. I did the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/van-life-loneliness-lessons-from-people-living-on-the-road-2023-11">entire journey solo</a>, which offered far too many opportunities for reflection and self-growth, and served as a reminder that I can rely on myself.</p><p>I likely would've spent about the same on any other trip, but this one taught me more about myself than any other <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solo-travel-tip-always-have-packed-itinerary-2023-10">solo vacation I've taken</a>.</p><p>And that alone is easily worth $3,000.</p>

I spent $3,200 for a 2-week van trip. It was worth every penny. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Quartzsite, Arizona, is a small highway town where snowbirds flock each year.</li><li>For $180, visitors can stay on public land for up to seven months.</li></ul><p>You'll find all types of people living in all kinds of setups in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nomadland-the-true-story-of-quartzsite-arizona-rvers-paradise-vanlife-2021-3">Quartzsite, Arizona</a>.</p><p>Some nomads have massive fifth-wheel RVs, while others call a plastic tarp their home. School buses, vans, horse trailers, ambulances, semi trucks, and every other vehicle in between exist in the small town off Interstate 10.</p><p>Each winter, hundreds of thousands of snowbirds arrive, stake out a spot on public land, and call Arizona's dusty desert their temporary home.</p><p>On a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/van-life-road-trip-items-regret-not-packing-2024-1">road trip</a>, I explored the town. There, I discovered a quirky place filled with movie-worthy characters and some of the country's cheapest living.</p><div type="image" title="A birds-eye view of Quartzsite, Arizona." height="1536" width="2048" msid="107700616" hostid="261" sizebytes="164990"></div><h2>Quartzsite is home to cheap public land and dozens of RV resorts</h2><p>When describing Quartzsite, you'll often hear people use the words "balloons," "explodes," and "swells."</p><p>For half of the year, the small town is just that — a small town with about <a target="_blank" href="https://data.census.gov/all?q=Quartzsite+town">2,400 residents</a>. Come winter, things drastically change when the town welcomes more than 2 million visitors, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://quartzsitetourism.com/explore-quartzsite/"><u>Quartzsite Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism board</u></a>.</p><p>Some visitors pass through, but others are temporary residents searching for a warm place to spend the colder months. And they specifically pick Quartzsite for its cheap, long-term camping.</p><p>Quartzsite is one of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2020-12/LTVALongTermCamping.pdf"><u>seven places</u></a> where people can stay on public land for months at a time during the winter. The Bureau of Land Management typically limits camping on public land to two weeks. It's made the exception for a handful of places in an effort to both house winter visitors and protect desert land from overuse, the Bureau of Land Management's website states.</p><p>One of those places is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.blm.gov/visit/la-posa-long-term-visitor-area"><u>Quartzsite's La Posa long-term visitor area</u></a>.</p><p>People can pick up a seven-month permit for $180 or a two-week permit for $40. It makes Quartzsite home to arguably the cheapest rent in the country.</p><p>However, the cheap parking has its drawbacks. La Posa's visitors don't have access to electricity. Instead, the people live off-grid and rely on a handful of vault toilets, water faucets, and dumping stations the Bureau of Land Management has placed on the land.</p><div type="image" title="Vehicles of all types fill La Posa." height="2048" width="1536" msid="107700618" hostid="261" sizebytes="181364"></div><p>If off-grid living won't fit a visitor's needs, Quartzsite is home to more than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/community/visitor_guide.php"><u>50 RV resorts</u></a>.</p><p>Casey Osborn, one of Quartzsite's many snowbirds, told me he's been traveling to the town from the northeast for decades. Osborn discovered Quartzsite on a trip to Mexico for a teeth cleaning. He's been returning ever since and sells antiques at a flea market called The Hi Al Swap Meet.</p><p>Osborn doesn't stay at La Posa. Instead, he rents a space in a nearby RV resort because he prefers "a little electricity," he said.</p><p>I arrived in Quartzsite at the end of October, and while hundreds of people had already set up in La Posa, residents and veteran snowbirds told me that the town was deserted compared to how it would look and feel in a few months.</p><p>"It's empty now," Bob, a booth owner at The Hi Al Swap Meet who declined to share his last name, told me. "Come back after Thanksgiving."</p><p>Although early in the season, I planned to explore Quartzsite for the next two days. I arrived in a Ram ProMaster I rented from <a target="_blank" href="https://nativecampervans.com/">Native Campervans</a>. As I looked around, I knew the vehicle would fit right in.</p><p>I, on the other hand, stuck out. I was decades younger than the average person I saw in Quartzsite and lacked the thin layer of dust that seemed to coat everyone.</p><div type="image" title="The sign advertising a swap meet in Quartzsite, Arizona." height="1536" width="2048" msid="107700621" hostid="261" sizebytes="441916"></div><p>While some people prefer electricity, I was eager to explore La Posa. At 11,400 acres, it's essentially a free-for-all.</p><p>Mini neighborhoods will slowly form throughout the season. Some are friend groups that will park together. Others are designated areas where anyone is welcome — as long as you embrace their values. For example, an area of La Posa called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.naturistdirectory.com/USA/2590/Magic-Circle">The Magic Circle</a> welcomes nudism. The nearby Lit Cactus is known for its Friday night drum circles.</p><p>I drove down the dusty road feeling overwhelmed. I had endless places to park. In every direction, open land was dotted with RVs, vans, tents, and buses.</p><p>Colorful kites and flags flew in the air, serving as landmarks so people could find their way home in the sea of similarity. Others marked off their campsites with rock borders.</p><p>As I meandered around La Posa, I debated how close was too close to park next to a stranger. I wondered if there were rules I wasn't aware of and if I needed to know anything before claiming a spot.</p><p>I flagged down a man walking his dog. I needed parking advice. He told me what I already knew — I could park anywhere.</p><div type="image" title="A view of the camping area from the author's van." height="1536" width="2048" msid="107700623" hostid="261" sizebytes="363862"></div><p>Eventually, I settled on a dusty patch of land that looked like all the other dusty patches of land on La Posa. My landmark would be a nearby saguaro cactus with lanky arms.</p><p>As I chatted with La Posa's long-term visitors, some were thrilled to be back for the winter. For some retirees, RV life in Quartzsite is the highlight of their year.</p><p>Others, after calling the area home for just a few weeks, were ready to leave.</p><p>"This is a life I can afford on Social Security," I overheard one man living out of an old maintenance truck say.</p><p>"Hell, I'm bored, though," his new friend responded.</p><p>Dotting the town's main streets are stores and warehouses filled with minerals and gems. During peak season, vendors set up tents outside to sell everything from amethyst to petrified wood.</p><p>Paired with the gem and mineral shows are countless swap meets where vendors sell antiques, oddities, collectibles, and practically anything you can imagine.</p><p>But beyond that, there isn't much else to the town. There are fewer than a dozen restaurants, a handful of fast-food options, churches, and gas stations. The open desert offers trails for hiking and ATVs, and there's a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/community/cemetery.php">cemetery home to a famous camel driver</a> who came to the town in the 1850s.</p><div type="image" title="Quartzsite, Arizona" height="1536" width="2048" msid="107700625" hostid="261" sizebytes="551070"></div><h2>In 2020, Quartzsite became a Hollywood backdrop</h2><p>Most people recognize the name Quartzsite from the Oscar-winning movie "Nomadland," which was released in 2020.</p><p>"Nomadland" follows the main character Fern — played by Frances McDormand, who won best actress for her role — in the aftermath of the Great Recession. After losing her husband, she decides to move into a van.</p><p>Fern ends up in Quartzsite to learn how to live off the land. Then, she falls in love with the town.</p><p>Parts of the movie were filmed in Quartzsite and featured the real-life people who make up the town.</p><p>Paul Winer, the former owner of Reader's Oasis Books, was one of them. Winer was known for wearing nothing but a thong and for his piano skills. In the movie, he's clothed as he performs his song "Next to the Track Blues."</p><div type="image" title="Side-by-side images of Reader's Oasis Books and the Quartzsite Yacht Club." height="900" width="1200" msid="107700628" hostid="261" sizebytes="191754"></div><p>The Quartzsite Yacht Club also makes an appearance in the movie.</p><p>I popped into the bar and grill at 3:30 p.m. on a Monday, expecting the place to be deserted. Instead, about a dozen people lined the bar. TVs aired sports games, and the sounds of pool balls colliding filled the room.</p><p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://quartzsiteyachtclub.net/">Quartzsite Yacht Club</a> has made a name for itself based solely on irony. There's no ocean in the middle of the desert, yet it claims to have the largest yachting membership in the world. Interested members can join for $49.99, which grants them a certificate and membership card.</p><p>It doesn't take long to explore Quartzsite, I learned — especially during offseason. And especially as someone without an interest in minerals. I wandered through aisles of stones and eyed dozens of tables of goods. I didn't need much more than a day in the town.</p><p>But I also understood the destination's appeal. There was a sense of freedom living on La Posa, and almost everyone I met was friendly and eager to chat.</p><p>Beyond that, it was clear two main things allure people to this tiny town: warmth and affordability.</p>

Step inside Quartzsite, Arizona, where snowbirds flock for warmer weather and a cheap place to park their RVs

<p>There's no reason to ride a train across the United States.</p><p>When I pitched a trip from New York City to Seattle last year, I didn't completely expect to get it approved — but I'm so glad it did.</p><p>2019 was <keyword id="262185" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amtrak">Amtrak</keyword>'s best financial year on record, helped in part by record bookings and cost-cutting on food. That's where things get tricky. Nearly a full year after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amtrak-new-contemporary-dining-car-review-lake-shore-limited-2019-10">my first taste of the "flexible" dining that replaced full-service meals</a> of the past, the agency finally responded to a FOIA request for the complaints about them.</p><p>In 125 pages, riders opine on the lost service, which included custom cooked steaks, omelettes, pancakes, and even fresh seafood. After all, without the meals to look forward to, sitting on a train for multiple days becomes a bleak affair. And microwaved meals don't help. Now, it's unclear when — or even if — they'll come back. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amtrak-new-dining-cars-airline-style-meals-125-pages-complaints-2020-6">You can read the highlights and full document of thousands of complaints here. </a></p><p><em>Before we jump into this week's news, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/shiftinggears">don't forget you can subscribe to get this briefing straight to your inbox here</a>. </em>Let's go:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-founder-travis-kalanicks-cloudkitchen-hit-by-arson-company-says-2020-6">Someone tried to burn down the former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's new business</a>. Ghost kitchens, virtual restaurants, cloud kitchens: whatever you call them, they're in high demand.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-email-tesla-model-y-dealing-with-production-challenges-2020-6">Leaked email from Elon Musk reveals the Model Y is experiencing production 'challenges' while passing the Model 3 as the top priority at Tesla's US car factory</a> Tesla CEO Elon Musk also referenced "tough conditions" on one assembly line and said they would soon improve.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/grubhub-to-merge-with-just-eat-after-failed-uber-talks-2020-6">Grubhub, following failed talks with Uber, is now planning to merge with European food delivery service Just Eat</a>. Just Eat's proposed stock-swap deal values Grubhub at $7.3 billion and comes after Uber reportedly abandoned talks due to antitrust concerns.</li><li><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-coronavirus-second-wave-pandemic-2020-6">The airline industry is starting to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but a second wave could be a catastrophe</a>. Airlines have seen a modest recovery in travel demand, but a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could be a devastating setback.</p></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-lyft-drivers-declared-employees-by-california-regulators-2020-6">Uber and Lyft drivers are now employees under California law, according to a new ruling from regulators.</a> The ruling is a significant development in the battle between California and companies like Uber and Lyft over the employment status of drivers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-vehicles-small-cars-death-fatalities-fatal-crash-ratings-2020-6">Small cars are still the most dangerous choice on the market, according to a new ranking of vehicles by fatality rate.</a> These 20 models — including cars from Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, and Kia — have the highest rates of driver death, according to a new IIHS study.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alternative-living-spaces-shipping-containers-tiny-homes-2020-6">A company turns shipping containers into tiny one bedroom homes built on trailers for $98,500 — see inside.</a> The standard 40-foot long shipping container home comes with a bedroom, five-foot deck, bathroom, living room, and kitchen space.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oasis-campervans-2018-toyota-sienna-minivan-camper-kitchen-living-bedroom-2020-5">This 2018 Toyota Sienna minivan was turned into a camper van with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom for $8,500 — see how</a>. Oasis Campervans, which specializes in minivan camper conversion, has builds that start at $8,500.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/laguardia-airport-opens-new-terminal-building-nears-construction-end-2020-6">LaGuardia Airport just took the wraps off its newest terminal building designed to help revolutionize New York's worst airport — take a closer look. </a>Former Vice President Joe Biden once likened LaGuardia Airport to being in "some third-world country" due to its aging infrastructure.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/morgan-stanley-picks-48-stocks-benefit-rising-ev-sales-2020-6">MORGAN STANLEY: These 48 stocks could help investors who want to cash in on the electric-vehicle revolution. </a>Companies like Tesla, Panasonic, and Glencore are among those Morgan Stanley believes could benefit from rising electric-vehicle sales.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-employees-test-positive-coronavirus-elon-musk-defied-orders-report-2020-6">Several Tesla employees reportedly contracted the coronavirus after Elon Musk opened its factory despite shelter-in-place orders.</a> Elon Musk called the shelter-in-place orders — which effectively slowed the virus — fascist and then broke local rules to reopen Tesla's factory.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-air-team-has-a-secretive-culture-2020-6">Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery team is so secretive that employees are often forced to use fake employer names in public.</a> Employees were not allowed to say who they worked for, so they often used fake team names, like "Project Venice," when asked about their affiliation.</li></ul>

You Searched For "oasis campervans" and got 4 results

This 2018 Toyota Sienna minivan was turned into a camper van with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom for $8,500 — see how

Brittany Chang

I spent $3,200 for a 2-week van trip. It was worth every penny.

Monica Humphries

Step inside Quartzsite, Arizona, where snowbirds flock for warmer weather and a cheap place to park their RVs

Monica Humphries

Shifting Gears: People really hate Amtrak's new dining options

Graham Rapier