Why we are choosing to live out of a van

The first time I lived in a van was for a couple of months and only because I had to get away from my first wife who had become verbally abusive and on the verge of violence. I actually feared she would poison me or kill me in my sleep, and no I'm not kidding. 

I packed a few bags and if I went living in a Ford Econline van for 60 days til I could get an apartment. I think that sometimes life gives you experiences like that to not only learn from but to prepare you for the future. 

At the moment, me and my second wife find ourselves in the middle of a lot of debt. Our online business went under and in an attempt to save it we ran up all our credit cards. 

As the debt piles up and it looks like we may lose everything due to our financial struggles, van life may be the only way out. Thankfully, I have the previous van life experience to fall back on. 

There are many reasons why people choose van life: Some do it for adventure, chasing the open road and the freedom of waking up in a new place every day. Others do it for minimalism, shedding the burdens of material possessions in favor of a simpler existence. And then there are those, like us, who see it as a necessity—a way to escape financial ruin, reset, and rebuild.

This time around, van life isn’t just a temporary refuge; it’s a potential long-term solution. The cost of rent, utilities, and everyday expenses has become unbearable, and eliminating those overhead costs could be the only way to regain financial control. Instead of feeling like we're being forced into something difficult, I'm trying to see it as an opportunity—an intentional choice to downsize, to live more efficiently, and to focus on what really matters.

Of course, it won’t be easy. The first time I lived in a van, I was alone. This time, I have a partner, which means we’ll need to navigate personal space, routines, and the emotional toll of such a drastic lifestyle change together. There will be logistical challenges, from finding safe places to park to ensuring we have access to basic necessities. But if van life taught me anything the first time, it’s that humans are adaptable. We can survive—and even thrive—in ways we never expected.

So, as we face this uncertain future, I remind myself that this isn’t the end of the road. It’s just a detour. Maybe van life is what we need to hit the reset button, to strip life down to its essentials and figure out where we go from here. Maybe, just maybe, this will turn out to be one of the best decisions we ever make.