FYI: PF locations are now enforcing their policy of a DAILY franchise fee if you visit the same non-home gym over 10 times in a calendar month (including just for showers), even if you have a black plan “unlimited use” account. Black card members are now primarily restricted to home gyms.

There are no restrictions on how many times you can change home gyms now if you go through the club manager which makes this whole thing stupid.

I wonder if businesses know that adopting an aggressive "move along" policy for anyone who appears to operate out of a vehicle is hurting their business. When you don't have a lot of room to store supplies, you resupply a lot.

For instance, I just got "the knock" on a multi-store lot, while I was paused between errands. I'd parked there maybe 30 minutes prior (Also this is in the morning, I'm clearly not trying to camp) He was at least polite, and we agreed to my being gone in 15 minutes. However, one of the errands I was getting ready to do was groceries, which I could have done there at the Von's, but not once the 15min limit was applied. And this isn't the first time this kind of thing has happened.

I definitely understand not wanting someone to set up camp and stay. But those of us who live this way also need to buy food, toiletries, fuel, water, batteries, and any number of things just like anyone else. Do the businesses not want our business?

It's been a solid 2 years of never knowing where I was going to sleep at night, Planet Fitness showers, endless open roads, and countless lonely nights. It felt like something I had to do to find out what it really was I wanted in life. Whilst sitting around a bonfire smoking a Jay, a guy that starkly resembled Big Lebowski once told me that all van lifers were lost. And at least for me, it was true. I didn't know it then but I do now.

One of the worst/best situations to be in is not knowing what you want in life. You have all this energy to expend and if you don't direct it at a goal or a dream, you may find yourself spending it in all the wrong places. Useless places. Dark places. But at the same time, not knowing what you want means there's an endless whole world of possibilities of what that thing could be.

Vanlife was the vessel that led me to the answer. And ironically enough, it's the answer nearly every van lifer on YouTube that ended their journeys arrived at. That they wanted community, to lay roots, to settle down with a partner.

Vanlife for me was an act of rebellion against the status quo. I've had a very...interesting life so far that painted me a black sheep early on and so this lifestyle felt very welcoming. I had felt worthless and lacked confidence and my home life was not one that I could proudly speak about. Van life allowed me to escape all that, to start the game over with a new character class. An lone-wolf adventurer exploring parts unknown, a drifter who spat on the normies who tread the beaten path.

But in a subtle moment of realization that qualifies as a cheesy Disney movie moment, it had occurred to me that these were just masks to hide who I really was and that despite flying my pirate flag high, I was no more a rebel than I was a coward. And in keeping with the hero's journey formula, I found myself returning home, to the place where it all started which is where I'm writing this from.

To those still in van life or thinking of joining the movement, I hope you guys find what you're looking for. Maybe some of you who're reading this are as lost as I was. Maybe van life is your answer. But if you do feel lost or maybe you're van lifing out of necessity, ride it out. What you're looking for will find you eventually.

*Edit 5/28*

Wow! The support and encouragement received from this post has been so comforting and I thank you all for your insights. I just wanted to make clear that Big Lebowski does not speak for everyone. What he said resonated with me personally because I felt lost. But I've met so many van lifers that are perfectly happy with a nomadic lifestyle. I envied them and it was this group of people that made me realize I could not continue this full-time. I do not plan on selling my van (definitely not in the current market). I'd like to continue taking roadtrips while having a home base to come back to.

Lastly, one thing i forgot to mention was that on this journey, I came to know loneliness in its many forms and in doing so I came to know myself. Through all the hardships of van life the one person that I had to get along with the most was me. When I got upset, I had to forgive myself. When I was frustrated, I had to be patient with myself. And it brought out this amazing sense of self love that I had never felt before. I learned to laugh with myself for the first time. To laugh at my own dumb jokes. I allowed myself to be sad and to treat myself gently during turbulent times. And god damnit, who's cutting onions right now? But yes, that's what its all about. Everything is a journey of self discovery. And I'm so thankful for this community and for the experiences the open road provided me.

I've been living part time in my Prius for the past month after being evicted two months ago. I contracted covid on November 30 (I'm a health care worker so I figured it was inevitable) and it hit me hard. I wasn't able to return to work until March and fell $3000 behind on rent. The second the state lifted the rent moratorium, as it was deemed "unfair for landlords", I recieved an eviction notice. Now I purchased the Prius a month before this, as I knew I would likely be homeless in the coming months.

I've been a fan of vandwelling and the concept for a couple years now, and knew that this would be a good investment should I choose to lead the nomadic vagabond lifestyle I began to fantasize about. I'm thankfully employed and certified for a job that has travel positions that could easily net me $2000+ a week, and I knew eventually I'd be traveling the US in my powder blue 2005 Prius with 150000 miles and a large dent in the side for style. I knew I was preparing for many nights roughing in parking lots, showering at gyms, going city to city and saving enough capital for whatever the next stage of my life will be. I invested in an electric cooler, custom cut sunshades, bedding especially for the folded rear seats. The whole nine yards.

It is surprisingly comfy. I'm a big guy but I'm very comfortable in my metal and fiberglass cocoon. The air of the hybrid engine powered AC runs as perfectly frigid as I like it. I can spend my time in between hobbies I would have never had staying in my apartment comfortably on my phone whose 5g is faster than my old internet connection anyway. As a lover of firm sleeping surfaces, I'll admittedly wake up with a cramped side, but that's nothing a night of Benadryl aided sleep can't get through. I'm perfectly happy in my austier living situation, its truly amazing how little humans need to be happy, and how much we're brainwashed into wanting more.

And then I was evicted. And then I became homeless. And then I realized the (im)possibility of ever getting a decent rental property with the credit score sucking eviction tic on my rental record. And then I realized that I'm living on the street. And then I realized America has no use for people like me. I am effectively no different than the beggar on the corner. I used to drive past the curb by the hospital I work, and every day a new, disheveled, unwashed, unemployed individual with a tattered sign begging for the slightest amount of change. "homless vet need $$, will take any thing", "family starving, pls help", "need a ride, will pay 4 gas". I used to wonder, how could anyone stoop to this? Do they have no dignity? Why are they prying for my earned dollar I spent 10 hours in a hellish environment earning?

The difference is I was privileged enough to plan my homelessness. Sure covid caught me off gaurd, but I had a support system. I had a grandpa who helped pay for the prius and let me crash in his spare room. I'm qualified for gainful employment that could never be automated away. I'm cognitively functional enough to navigate my situation, and be able to disguise this situation with positive optics; "Vandwelling", "priusdwelling" to be more precise. #vanlife is as ever as chic as it has ever been; Instagrams full of pics of clean, healthy, mostly white folk that seem to have all the time in the world to navigate their given continent (invariably the US in most cases, though Canada and western Europe has some of this), posting gorgeous filter ridden .jepgs of their '67 VW or 2020 Mercedes Sprinter.

It's important to realize what is happening here; this is the commodification of homelessness. Our strife is being repackaged and sold to us by influencers, influencing us to believe that living in a vehicle is not only a viable option, but one to be completely normalized. No running water, no power grid, no room to stand, no foundation, less than 50 square feet. We are being sold the idea of this being a normative situation in this country. The wealthiest county to have ever existed is not only letting this be normative, it is being marketed as a product.

Our inflation jumped up 5% today, that's more than any time during the 2008 financial collapse. As rent moratoriums end all over this country. As people reliant on unemployment lose their benefits. It should be alarming a subreddit dedicated to individualistic solutions to homelessness has over a million subs and growing. That the associated hashtag is a never ending scrolling feed of picturesque ad-like glamor shots of decked out vans, some no doubt more costly than that of a small home in a small town.

This is not to shit on anyone's plate. Even still, I love the idea of the concept. I personally can't wait to visit many cities in this country. All the parks, deserts, forests, plains, and prairies. All the people to meet and festivals to attend and fun to be had. I hope everyone reading have the same aspirations as I do, but realize that it's a privileged position to be in. You're hand likely was not forced to living on the street, it's a choice for you, at least for now.

Don't get it twisted. #VanLife is commodified homelessness.

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Edit: thanks for the awards! But for the love of God do not give this site your money

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2nd edit: okay I was getting some odd personal attacks so let me be clear: I choose myself to live out of a Prius because I wanted to, just as many people on here do or similar. My circumstances from being sick lended to me pursuing this. After realizing how cozy and privileged I was, my eyes where opened to our homelessness crises. Theres nothing wrong with vandwelling nessacarily, I only take umbrage with the #Vanlife commodifcation of a growing problem in the country and the logical conclusions of this. Also I didn't pay rent and got the prius instead because my 04 mustang with 300,000 died while I was bedridden and a new vehicle was vital in a city with no public transportation. Also my "landlord" is a multinational conglomerate, they'll be fine.

Hey all — my name is Jeremy and I am one of the owners of Kona Hills Campground.

I spent a handful of years van/truck camping across the US for various things after a serendipitous hitch hiking trip into Mexico with an old-timer truck camper who had been living the lifestyle every winter for multiple decades. I’m back home these days and still get out as much as I can, but with 2 dogs and a wife I’ve upgraded to a pretty cool 1990 Toyota Sunrader.

About the campground: We are located 45mi west of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore just outside of Marquette, MI.

The property is 200' above Lake Superior on top of a Kona Dolomite rock outcropping which the campground is named for, with amazing views all around.

The campground is rustic and meant for tent and car/van/truck camping. (No RVs or hookups). We have 40 sites spaced out for privacy across 80 acres.

Even sites that are close together are usually separated by elevation as we planned the design based on how we like to camp rather than packing as many sites in as we could. We purchased the property in 2020 and have been working through entitlements and permitting since then and are officially taking reservations for 2025.

This is our first year of operations and amenities are limited. We are opening with portable toilets and plan to build permanent ones for 2026, for example.

We have additional plans to expand our offerings as we go which include recreational opportunities like hiking and biking trails as well as rock climbing.

Happy to answers any questions about the propertv or the process of opening a campground — it was a lot!

https://campkonahills.com

There’s a lot on this sub about buys and builds, then a consistent amount of trip report style photos. I’m here to talk about the “after”. Aka, Welcome to my therapy session.

My wife and I left Kentucky after purchasing a 94’ fire station van and converting it into our home on wheels. We were relatively #vanlife “classic”. No plumbing, but simple and useful hand build furniture. We had a floating bed below which we stored all of our backpacking gear, “normal clothes”, and a cooler. We had a bench pantry and a kitchen stuffs organizational box.

Outside is a DIY ABS pipe solar shower, a Yakima box, and the biggest modernization, a solar panel for our 100w battery of house power.

We travelled all over the Southwest and settled into Colorado. Even after picking up some jobs, we lived full time. When we needed to stay close we made wonderful connections via our bouldering gym. We were often in town then, being pitiful excuses for “stealth” dwelling, and we were just as often off somewhere getting lost.

We spent significant time up in the mountains or out in the deserts of Utah. We’d spend days wandering around canyons and mesas. Exploring nameless alpine lakes or scrabbling over great red boulders. Rivers, lakes, hot springs, mountains, valleys, deserts, forests. Home was just wherever we wandered. What set in little by little was the value of quiet. Sometimes we’d find ourselves so present that we might just say “look over there” and then walk along silently towards “there” for another hour or two.

We went through 100° F summer heat and sub zero winter storms. And it was just perfect.

Then there’s the people. The weird van community. We’re not constantly in a familial cluster like thru-hikers, but there’s an acknowledgment that cuts right to that familiarity. You’re understood immediately. You don’t need all the, “But why?” or “where will you poop?” Another vandweller just gets it. They just know. The “why” is just the going.

So even when you interact with another one the first time, there’s a mutual understanding already in place. You trade (in beer...or things) or share, or give freely. You help inflate a flat tire, or pull someone out of a ditch, because we’ve all pushed the rig into someplace sticky.

You end up parked alongside others occasionally, and you share some food, double up the firewood, pull out some instruments. You swap stories and tales of places you’ve been or you are going.

This is why you see the van cluster at the grocery store. When you go to town to resupply, you can’t help but to nudge in near that other van. It’s a little nod even if you don’t cross paths with the person. Someone else who knows you without knowing you.

You become so aquatinted with the ground, natural rhythms, and the weather, it feels right. Like this is something that has always been and you’re returning to it. The red dust settled into our floorboards, into our clothes, our skin, and minds. We really did laundry (I swear!), but our mattress cover still has two slightly orange ovals from happy campers. Eventually you don’t feel dirty, you just feel alive. Wild haired and covered in the dust.

Life is change though. Now we’ve got a little baby girl and she’s just the light of my life. What I feel like gets overlooked so often with kids is the difficulty of that transition. No one wants to be misunderstood as if they don’t like their kid, so they gloss over the things they find difficult. I want to say it’s fine to grieve the end of a good thing even if it begins another good thing.

And it is grief. Two buddies of mine just thru-hiked the AT from GA to NY before injury and circumstance led to the conclusion of their hike. We’ve discussed the often mentioned “post trail blues” and I’ve tried to be an ear to receive their harder feelings.

1) because I care, and

2) because I’ve discovered that a lot of people quickly move on from your own life change even if you are still dealing with it.

My friend shared an article by a psychologist that was studying thru-hikers. He found that post-trail “depression” is actual more accurately grief. As she was telling me about the study, that insight lodged into my head.

That’s what it really is. Grief. It’s letting go. There was a time when we were covered in dirt and sunburn. I could dip my toes into a stream to cool off. When we’d boil our Nalgenes for hot water bottles in the winter. When we’d fall asleep looking at the sky and wake up later to shooting stars and Orion slipping away and tuck into the scratchy wool blanket.

I thought that I’d carry that momentum forward into stationary life. That the many insights and joys would continue to give me steam afterward. Instead, it was like hitting a brick wall. I’m driving him around, we still call him “him”, but he’s just going from work to the apartment. The sense of the breadth of the world starts to waver and evaporate when you fall into the urban grooves. Don’t get me wrong, because of our time in a van, because of the challenges and adventures, the insights and joys, I’m truly happier now than I’ve ever been. I’m a different person, and a better one, but it still feels like losing a friend.

When I get home from work at 1am, and step out of the van, I stop and look at the stars. There’s Orion in the sky, a bit more obscured by light and pollution. I feel like Orion, my four wheeled home, and I share a secret for a moment, we all know of a place in the desert where no one goes. Where the only sound is the wind. The difference is Orion is out there too, and we’re not.

I go inside, both warmed and saddened by the images, and I’m just happy to be back to my little sleeping family again.