Are you looking to hit the open road but can't decide what type of rig is right for you? Here are four reasons we chose a travel trailer over a camper van.
Hi, we are Shane and Missy from Part-Time Adventuring. For a few years now, we've wanted to make the leap to traveling full time while keeping up with our jobs remotely.
Before diving into research, we initially wanted to do our own van conversion. Like so many other travel junkies out there, we had dreams of living an ultra-minimalist lifestyle and taking
our home to some of the most incredible locations in the country.
However, after months and months of talking with people who had been there and done that, we decided against a van and bought a travel trailer. Here's why.
1. The Van Market is INSANE
Manufacturing simply cannot keep up with the demand for cargo vans.
While there has
been an industry-wide shortage in car parts since the pandemic, cargo vans have been in particularly high demand. While there has certainly been an increase in demand for vans for camper van conversions, companies like Amazon are also buying up huge numbers of new vans to be used as delivery vehicles.
During our van search in Columbus Ohio, we traveled to three different dealerships looking for vans for a conversion. In total, there were only two vans that would fit our needs. Both were used and extremely beat up from being work vans - yet were almost as expensive as a brand new van!
Another difficulty that van life wannabes run into is that not all vans are good for camper van conversions. No one wants to constantly be hunched over in their mobile home, so van lifers need high-roof models. Short length van models also present some SERIOUS space constraints.
Ford Transit, for example, offers an 18.5 ft., 20 ft., and 22 ft. length. While we initially thought any of those would be fine, after being inside a few, we realized the 22 ft. length is the only one that would really be practical for two people, limiting our options further.
2. Vans Are A Time Consuming Project
If time is on your side - customizing the inside of a van to suit your own needs sounds like a great idea. For us - time is not on our side.
We want to settle down in the next few years so we are seeking out traveling right now.
The stress of DIYing electrical, plumbing, and building is not something that seemed doable at the moment. While there are plently of companies that will build out your van for you - the price is insane for a depreciating asset.
RVs come completely prepared for water, electricity, and sewage. The new ones have a lot of nice modern amenities like speaker, tvs, AC, and solar.
3. Vans Lack Space
While we don't need a ton of space, we just could not imagine being stuck in something as small as a transit van on rainy days. Our travel trailer is not large by any means but we have more than enough space to work in it for the day. Seeing vanlifers on social media, it seems like all of their stuff is so cluttered around them. Living in a van solo is doable, but a couple just does not seem like enough space for full time travel for us.
Having the bed of our pickup truck as space for tools and outdoor gear frees up more storage space in the RV. Our RV is mostly full of our personal gear and the outside storage of it stows hoses, and other RV specific tools. Usually people in vans have their personal items mixed with tools and outdoor items - causing chaos when trying to find something specific.
4. Travel Trailers can Disconnect from Tow Vehicle
Being able to leave your home on wheels at a camp sight or boondocking spot to go do an activity is a huge perk for us. Driving winding roads in National Parks is no big deal in just our truck. In a van your items are bound to fall out in these instances.
We just place a hitch lock on so no one can steal out trailer and stow our items away and feel safe to leave for the day.
While it may be nice to have your kitchen, bed, and all your items with you at all times - we enjoy being able to leave our 'home' in the spot we want to sleep that night, whether that's at a campground with full hookups or on BLM land.
Overall, there are pros and cons to each rig for full time traveling. We prioritized more space and speed of getting out on the road. We so far love our travel trailer and excited to be out on the road.
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