Van Life Isn't Cheap Anymore: Here's What It Can Cost Today

While living in a van down by the river was a joke back in the '90s, Chris Farley's "SNL" character Matt Foley might have been on to something, as it's a generation's aspiration these days. For those driven by a desire to escape the rat race, see the world, and spend their days traveling, van life has appeal. Social media is full of folk who have transformed old vans into homes on wheels and headed for the open road, often picking up remote work to fund their adventures. Because while Foley's lifestyle used to be a consequence for the fundless, now it's a dream that can require a significant investment.

If you put your mind to it, van life can still be achieved in a cheap, simple manner. Unfortunately, Americans don't have access to relatively inexpensive new kei campers. But you can buy yourself an old, yet reliable van, maybe an early GM product; build out the back yourself; and learn to do basic vehicle maintenance. 

The problem is, however — and we probably have the influence of social media to blame here — many don't actually want to do it on the cheap. Instead, they aspire to take the path less traveled in a brand-new lifted four-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, or some wild all-terrain F-Series build. If that's the route you're looking to take, then forget getting by on a fistful of dollars with a case of old tools in the back. You could easily be looking at a quarter-million-dollar investment.

Just taking a peek at sites like Bring A Trailer reveals how much people are willing to invest in the van lifestyle these days, even for a used camper. Checking out higher-quality Sprinter builds reveals a $201,000 2017 Sprinter, converted to include everything you need to travel and explore. Kitchenette, hideaway beds, lavatory, shower, even "engineered porcelain flooring" — this thing's nicer than my house. It's four-wheel-drive, too, and powered by a torquey turbodiesel V6, plus the suspension is lifted (from the factory), and it's equipped with all-terrain tires.

Sure, it's expensive at $201,000, but the original build cost $715,000. What's more shocking is that the original buyer only covered 2,000 miles in the thing, which equates to nearly $360 per mile covered. So before you judge the guy or gal who lives down the river in their near-decade-old van, just consider that they could have invested three-quarters of a million to be there. Yikes.