Classy Or Classless

When you think of someone living in a van what comes to mind? Homeless? Rich? Or somewhere in between. There's been some controversy lately and it may be that some are trying to create a divide.

Let's dig into it and I will tell you what is going on and then I want YOUR opinion.

There are many different kinds of ways to live on the road. Here are a few.

An RV (usually a bigger one) that stays in a campground for longer periods. It is manufacturer built with a bathroom and full amenities.

A big ole' Class A that stays in campgrounds and tows a car. It's manufacturer built and has all the bells and whistles as sticks and bricks.

A Skoolie (converted school bus) that rarely stays in campgrounds. The facilities could be a full bath or a bucket. The owners converted it and painted the outside.

Travel trailers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are just a place to sleep and some have full facilities. Manufacturer built.

5th Wheels are big. They are also manufacturer built and most have all the facilities.

Car camping. Many people set their cars up and live on the road out of their cars.

Pick-up campers. I think these are mostly manufactured built and I don't know what they have for facilities.

Vans, vans, and more vans. There are sooooo many different types of vans. Most are converted by the owner but many are manufacturer built as well. There are nice ones and ones that are 20 years old and just have the basics.

I could go on and on because there are so many ways to live on the road. We're finding, however, that some people are putting us in boxes based on what we drive!

Before the pandemic and before living on the road became a way of life, there were two (generalizing here) types of RVers. The first was the retired seniors who had nice rigs and stayed in campgrounds for six months and then went back to their sticks and bricks.

The second was the poor and homeless. They lived in their cars because they had nowhere else to go.

Of course, I am generalizing.

During the pandemic, many things changed. Many people lost their jobs and started other kinds of businesses. Others began working out of their homes. People moved out of big cities because they couldn't afford housing. And then a light bulb went on! We can work from anywhere so let's sell our house/quit paying rent and live on the road!

This happened pretty quickly, too. I think another major reason is that no one wanted to be quarantined.

There was a rush to the road for people from every walk of life. And with it came as many ways to live on the road as people doing it!

Fast forward to today when more and more people are drawn to this way of life and have been doing it for a few years now. Now that the pandemic is over and we don't have that in common anymore, people are beginning to set up "classes" within our community.

Rich people have big rigs and stay in expensive campgrounds. Poor people live in the woods in vans or their cars. Sound familiar? Just like before the pandemic. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Recently I boondocked with a car camper, old and new vans, and a converted bus. Our ages ranged from 25 to 69 (I am always the oldest!). None of those things mattered because we had other things in common.

In one way or another, we all worked. We love to see new things and not to be tied to one place waiting for the 2-week vacation to roll around. We were all interested in meeting new people and being curious about them. What drew them to this lifestyle? We talked about ideas.

There are a significant amount of younger people who out of necessity, because they couldn't afford the high price of rent and could never see a way to buy a house, moved onto the road. And most have learned to love this lifestyle.

Everyone should be able to choose to live this way no matter which side of the tracks they came from. And without being judged.

Imagine a city in which the very wealthy, middle-class, and very poor sit around a campfire learning about each other.

That is what nomad living is all about.

Are we judged and put in boxes by each other? I hope not.

Tell me what you think. When you see an RV in a Walmart parking lot, what is the first thing that comes to mind? What do you think of this way of life?

Knowing minds want to know!

Pam and Coco

Boondock and Beyond

boondockandbeyond@gmail.com