Life in a Campervan: 10 Surprising Truths You’ll Learn on the Road

No matter how much you plan your route, meals, or even your outfits, life on the road will keep sending you things you didn’t see coming. It’s not for everyone, but for those who love the campervan life, that’s the appeal. 

If you’ve only had prepackaged tours, campervan travel will flip many of your usual habits and assumptions on their head. Here are a few truths you’ll only get once you’ve tried the campervan life for yourself:

1) Your Morning Routines Get a Serious Upgrade

One of the most appealing parts of going on an Auckland campervan rental is waking up to views that most hotels would charge double for. There’s a lot to be said about having your morning coffee at the edge of a lake or as you watch the sun rise over a mountain range. And the views keep changing so long as you keep moving.

2) You Need Less Stuff Than You Think

Campervans may give you a fair bit of room, but you’ll still need to prioritise. A solid pair of shoes, a weatherproof jacket, and a decent stash of snacks will get you surprisingly far. Of course, being able to take more toiletries and comfort items with you is part of the appeal of campervan life, but they’re not as necessary as you might think.

3) You Can’t Describe Freedom Until You’ve Had It

When you rent a campervan, you’ll rent real freedom. So long as your booking’s in order, you have complete freedom to change your plans, stay at a place you like another night, or head somewhere with better weather. Once you get a taste of that flexibility, you might not want to explore any other way.

4) You’ll Form a Unique Bond with Your Campsite Neighbours
On the road, strangers bound by a love of freedom and the outdoors will share tips, lend gear, offer leftovers, and swap stories like old mates. Whether it’s a borrowed can opener or a tip on a glowworm cave nearby, your fellow vanlifers will often have your back.

5) Cooking in the Wild Beats Dining Out

Everything seems to taste better outside. It doesn’t matter if you’re just frying up eggs or heating up tinned meats. Doing it outside, surrounded by native bush or rolling hills, somehow turns it into something special. A meal that would be disappointing at home will somehow become a cherished memory when you’re out on the road.

6) The Best Spots Are Usually Off the Main Road

Again, you have complete freedom… so why not use it? You could certainly hit the big-name stops like everyone else, but a lot of the fun is in following your curiosity down that side road and discovering a spot you’ll have all to yourself. And since you’re living out of a camper, you won’t have to worry about spending the night.

7) You’ll Get Really Good at Problem Solving

The van life is full of surprises, not all of them pleasant. Annoyances like snapped shoelaces, missing frying pans, and flat tyres may all seem to happen a couple of days out. They’re pretty distressing when they happen, but you’ll get better at handling them—so much so that solving these little issues becomes part of the appeal. You might even find your newfound resourcefulness and confidence sticking with you long after your first trip ends.

8) You’ll Have to Be Creative with Your Hygiene

You won’t always have access to a shower but you’ll adapt, one way or another. You’ll figure out how to manage with less and how to laugh it off when your hair’s seen better days. That said, it’s good we live in a time when baby wipes are easy to come by.

9) The Best Campervans Aren’t Designed for the ‘Gram

There’s a big difference between a van made for Instagram and one that’s actually been designed to live out of. When a layout works, everything just flows, with places to stash your gear, fold-down tables that don’t get in the way, and easy access to all your storage. Once you’ve tried different campervans, it becomes very clear when a camper’s been set up by travellers and not just a rental company.

10) You Won’t Want it to End

After a week, you may find yourself excited to get home and sleep in your own bed again. But as soon as it’s time to hand the keys back, you may feel a slight twinge of reluctance. That’s just your body and mind telling you how much better life feels when you’re on the road.

The Van Life is Easy to Start and Hard to Let Go
The real surprise of campervan life is how natural it starts to feel after a couple of days. You’ll be considering whether living like this might just be for you. Thankfully, if you can’t do the van life full-time, you can always just rent from folks who understand campervan living. When you’re ready to swap rigid itineraries for wide-open skies, a van will be waiting for you.