Advancements in technology have made the ease of communication and off-grid living an obtainable lifestyle for many families and individuals. As the tiny home and van life movement continues to grow and evolve all over the world, we are seeing unique minimalistic lifestyle differences.

We surveyed 725 van lifers from all over the world ranging from part-time road trip warriors to full-time off-the-grid digital nomads. In doing so, we found some interesting statistics that should help us all better understand the van life community.

We asked numerous questions about van lifer’s costs and spending habits, the conversion process, travel behavior, along with some general lifestyle questions.

General Stats


Do you live in a van full-time or part-time?
51% Part-time
49% Full-time

How many people live in your van?
44% 1 Other
36% Solo
13% 2 Others
6% 3 Others

What van do you own?
43% Cargo van
18% Passenger van
13% Hippie van / VW
12% Other
8% Bus
6% RV

What type of job do you have?
45% Other
14% Remote worker
13% Entrepreneur
10% Seasonal jobs
9% Unemployed
5% Odd jobs
4% Retired

Travel Behavior


What state do you primarily live in?

van life united states living data

Top 10 most populated states for van life:

  1. California
  2. Colorado
  3. Florida
  4. Oregon
  5. Washington
  6. Arizona
  7. Texas
  8. Georgia
  9. North Carolina
  10. Tennessee

Where do you primarily sleep at night?
50% BLM, National Forests/ Grasslands
24% Other
14% City streets and parking lots
7% Residential neighborhoods
5% City/county parks

Do you travel with a pet(s)?
60% No
40% Yes

How do you primarily bathe?
28% Gym
21% Built in van shower
20% Campsite facilities
16% Other
5% Nature (lakes, rivers, ect.)
4% Baby wipes
4% Beach
2% Gas station

How do you primarily use the bathroom?
39% Public bathrooms
35% Built in van toilet
13% Nature
7% Bucket, jar, some sort of DIY toilet
6% Other

The Van Conversion


Did you convert your van yourself or have it professionally outfitted?
79% I converted my van
21% I had it professionally outfitted

How much did it cost to convert your van (U.S. dollars)?
31% $1,000 to $5,000
24% $5,001 to $10,000
17% $10,001 to $20,000
16% Less than $1,000
8% $20,001 to $40,000
3% Over $40,000

How long did it take you to convert your van?
42% 2 to 6 months
32% Less than 2 months
14% 7 to 12 months
11% Over 1 year

Travel Spending


What is your weekly budget (per person in U.S. dollars)?
42% $50 to $100
35% $101 to $300
18% Over $300
5% Less than $50

How much do you spend on gas per month (U.S. dollars)?
56% $101 to $300
22% $301 to $500
15% $50 to $100
5% Over $500
2% Less than $50

How much do you spend on campsites per month (U.S. dollars)?
38% $0
26% $1 to $30
25% $31 to $100
8% $101 to $300
4% Over $300

Additional Stats


Only 13% of Europeans primarily shower at the gym, compared to 28% of all van lifers.

20% of Australians travel with pets, compared to 40% of all van lifers.

39% of Australians primarily shower at the beach, compared to only 4% of all van lifers.

For van lifers who had their van professionally outfitted, it cost over $40,000 for 21% of them.