Can you find happiness in van life as a senior? According to the video at the end of this post from TinyHomeTours, yes!
Lynne didn’t move into a van for novelty. After retirement, a breast cancer diagnosis, and the cost of staying put, caused her to decide that the rest of her life needed to feel lighter.
Lynne gave up a Massachusetts apartment by the beach and built a home on wheels around her budget, health needs, and dog, Milo. That choice turned one fixed view into the freedom to go almost anywhere.
Why the van made more sense than the apartment
A van life video first planted the idea, but cancer made the decision feel urgent. Lynne wanted to travel more than stay put and rent, and she knew Social Security alone would not cover both. Her apartment ran about $1,200 a month. The van payment is $400 a month, and that ends in about three years.
The numbers that made it possible
- 2015 Ford Transit cargo van, $19,000
- Custom build, about $20,000
- Total all-in, about $40,000
- Monthly van payment, $400
- Car insurance, about $100 per month
Lynne lives on about $1,800 a month from Social Security and keeps roughly $9,000 to $10,000 in emergency savings. For her, the math worked.
A cozy build shaped around daily life
Lynne worked with Jonnie at Midwest Van Builders and stayed involved through the whole build, often sleeping in the van as each stage was finished. She wanted natural wood, an open layout, and no walls cutting up the space.
That process paid off. The van has a twin bed, a 24-by-72-inch couch that doubles as a guest bed, nine upper cabinets, and a rear garage with a 20-gallon water tank, generator, and shoe racks.
Her kitchen and power setup are built for real needs
Lynne likes to cook, so the kitchen had to work. There is a deep sink, a wide counter, an air fryer, a slow cooker, toaster, griddle, a pancake maker, a grill, and a butane stove for backup. She jokes that people call her a power hog, but her setup can handle it.
A Bluetti EB200 Max battery, 600 watts of roof solar, and a generator keep things running. Under the couch, she keeps a separate fridge and chest freezer. The fridge stores insulin because Lynne is an insulin-dependent diabetic. The freezer holds about 40 days of homemade dog food for Milo, and stays cold longer if the power drops.
Small choices made the van easier to live in
Lynne skipped a built-in shower and uses a shower tent with a quick-connect hose and 2.5 gallons of hot water. A Trelino composting toilet fits in a cabinet. She also added fans and a swamp cooler for desert heat.
Lynne’s mornings are simple. She checks her blood sugar, feeds Milo, makes coffee, takes her pills, and sits in a space that feels like home. Even when her family offers a guest room, she prefers her own bed in the van.
Final thoughts
At 72, Lynne calls this stage of life “the final quarter,” and she wants happiness more than anything else. Her van gave her lower costs, a home she loves, and the freedom to stay wherever she wants.
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RVT1263
Good for you Lynne. Love your set up.
Thank you for sharing this example of how to live within ones means and as one chooses, Cheri. Have a great week and safe travels!
Good travels Lynne
Very wise of her. May she have blue skies and green lights wherever she travels.
God bless her for getting thru cancer and being a diabetic. Sometimes controlling sugar is tough and missing out on some good things to eat. I’ve been there and live thru it. Life is a gift. Enjoy your 4th quarter which I’m also in and trying to.
I had just finished “Nomadland” before I started reading today’s RV Travel. Lynne’s story is very similar to many in the book. Safe travels and good luck Lynne!