Home is where the van is.
That’s what it means to live the vanlife — or disconnect (mostly) from the grid and hit the open road — traveling all over the country and living within the tight quarters of a van.
It’s not an entirely new concept, however, it’s one that is becoming increasingly popular.
So popular, in fact, that hundreds were attracted to the inaugural Florida Vanlife Gathering at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6.
The event gave vanlifers a place to hang and those curious about the lifestyle a chance to see it up close.
“We wanted a way to celebrate the nomadic and adventurous lifestyle (of vanlife) and also welcome the central Florida community who are van curious,” said Josh Theberge, the event organizer who also is co-owner of Vanlife Outfitters, a Sarasota-based, online store dedicated to vanlife that was the title sponsor. “Everyone has been very appreciative of the event, as we wanted this to be an educational event for people, too.
“We didn’t just want to have an event where people are trying to sell stuff.”
More than 300 vans arrived at the park, carrying more than 500 vanlifers. On top of that, others came with day passes to see the vans and take advantage of workshops on topics related to vanlife.
Vendors were on hand, as well. There were demonstrations to show off new designs or products, and there were “Talking Tree” sessions focusing on specific topics of vanlife. Small crowds would listen to those talks at the park’s large tree that dates back to the Civil War era.
“They’re curious people,” said Scott Watson, a popular vanlifer who has a YouTube channel featuring his three-years-and-counting journey around the country in his Winnebago Travato 59GL.
“It’s a very curious lifestyle where you can go anywhere, park anywhere, maybe hook up anywhere, and just see and wander — that’s what a vanlifer does: wanders, looking for the beauty out there on the road,” Watson said.
When adopting the vanlife, a van — or school bus, or even an old ambulance —is converted to become a traveling home.
A vehicle that’s been decked out with all the bells and whistles, but for many vanlifers, this is a DIY project. They customize their van to their liking by installing a bed, a bathroom, a fridge, a kitchen and entertainment center — with their own personal flair.
“It’s not for everyone, for sure, but for those who can do minimalism, this is for you. I mean, everything I own is in my van,” Watson said.
“There’s not actually a blueprint when it comes to vanlife.”
In an even more minimal approach, some vanlifers will routinely go boondocking, or camping completely off the grid without hookup amenities of water and electricity.
“The third van that I am almost done building is the Boondocker 3.0, and I can live out of it without hookups for about a week at a time,” Theberge said.
The gathering had rows and rows of vans and other larger vehicles, all of varying designs. Theberge and his partner, Zach Daudert, held a Best in Show contest and judged which van was the best DIY model. Categories that were considered were overall quality, style/aesthetic, use of space/layout, uniqueness/creativity, and the systems from power to cooling to plumbing.
The rest of the time, vanlifers from all over the country just hung out around their or fellow participant vans, enjoying the nomadic, campy lifestyle.
“It’s all about what you can fit in about 19 feet of space, but this is a great event,” Orlando resident Ray Woo said. “It’s the first I’ve ever been to, and hopefully it can keep growing — not that there aren’t a lot of people here for the first one — and they’ll continue with the event so we can come out every year now.”
Theberge said vanlife is becoming more prominent on the East Coast, despite the lifestyle having a very distinct West Coast feel. That’s evident in the theme of the gathering, which paid homage to the 1960s and ’70s by including a lot of nods to the Grateful Dead.
“Oh, we’re big time Deadheads,” Theberge said with a laugh.
But this is why they gathered the vanlife here in Florida.
“This is us putting our flag in the ground and saying, come enjoy a weekend in Florida in February with (people) like you (vanlifers),” Theberge said. “And we’re looking forward to having it even bigger and better next year.
“And the vanlife is a true lifestyle change. It’s a lot of freedom and it’s about being out there and living life — and vanlife is a beautiful lifestyle.”
Vanlife Outfitters
Details: An online store that provides all the equipment, training, tips and more to DIY a recreational van.
Info: VanlifeOutfitters.com
To see Scott Watson’s VanLife YouTube, Go Small, Live Large, visit YouTube.com/@gosmall.livelarge.
Published February 15, 2023
