Mona McCoy had always dreamed of traveling, but could never afford it. Then, in December 2020, she watched a YouTube video of a guy who lived in his van, and it changed her perspective. After watching it, “I thought, ‘I can do that for vacations and save on motels and be able to cook in the van,’” she says.
Her job at a car dealership allowed her to purchase a van at a wholesale price in March 2021. She outfitted it with essentials like a bed, shower and cabinets to create a livable space for travel. That November, her plans shifted. “I decided I’m going to sell everything I own and move completely into the van and save money,” she says.
At first, she continued working, but when her boss sold the dealership the following year, she decided it was time to travel. “I hit the road full time,” she says.
Now, at 66, she’s spent the past two years traveling across the U.S., living in her van. She finances her travels through Social Security checks, an emergency fund, and a modest income from her YouTube channel, This Van Life of Mine.
McCoy’s story reflects a growing trend among older adults seeking freedom, simplicity, and adventure in retirement. Of the 3.1 million vanlifers in the U.S. in 2022, 4% were retired, reported RV Pro, though that figure could be on the low side based on how many older people are on the road.
Lure of the open road
After traveling to Africa in October 2024, 72-year-old Natalie Hill was inspired to embark on her own van life journey. “This trip was life-changing for me,” she says.
When she returned, she realized meeting interesting people and experiencing nature were missing from her life. While exploring her options, she came across the #VanLife trend on YouTube, particularly among mature women. “I’m going to live in a van in the U.S.,” she decided after watching the videos.
Before purchasing a van in December 2024, she launched a YouTube channel, My Life In a Van, to document her journey. She decided to test out van life before fully committing by taking several shorter trips.
On her first trip, she ran into a few problems, but they didn’t deter her. “My shelving structure collapsed. I didn’t have enough power. The food I brought was terrible. I was freezing all the time. It was a disaster. And it was like, ‘I’m sold. I’m doing this,’” she says.
So, what kept her interested? Meetups, scheduled events where others living the van life come together to connect. “Meetups build a sense of community,” she says.
She’s currently in the process of purchasing a larger van. Once that happens, she says, “I’m going to sell my house [and] hit the road full time.”
Van life tips
Feeling inspired to have an adventure? Here are some expert tips for embracing van life in retirement.
1. Test drive with small trips
Before you sell everything you own and hop into a van to travel the country, try it out first, since you might not like it. Hill says she met one part-time van lifer who rented a van and then went to a local store to purchase “a mini fridge, a bed frame, a mattress, a little plastic dresser, some food and water, and she was ready to go,” says Hill. It’s an easy, low-cost way to test the lifestyle before making a full commitment.
2. Have an emergency fund
Even though living in a van is less expensive than renting or owning a home, there are still costs involved in maintaining your vehicle, and sometimes they’re unexpected. McCoy says it’s important to have an emergency fund before you begin your van life journey.
“You’re living in a mechanical vehicle, and mechanical things break down all the time,” she explains. When she first started out, she says her tires were not rated for a heavy-duty van, causing them to come apart. “With only 20,000 miles, I had to come up with $1,000 to buy an extra set of tires,” she says. Fortunately, she was able to cover the costs using her emergency fund.
3. Use apps to find free parking and water
Across the U.S., there are 245 million acres of public land—mostly in the western states—managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Van lifers often use this land for free parking, typically for a limited stay of 14 days, though this can vary by location. McCoy explains that you can use apps to find BLM land or other free parking options, such as Cracker Barrel parking lots. She also uses apps like Dyrt to find free water, which she uses for both showering and drinking.
Chris Lowe, 57, and Bobby Brown, 67, are a couple who are part-time van lifers. They received so many compliments on their self-built van that they now own a company called Boujee Builds, where they build vans for others. They also recommend using apps like Campendium or Harvest Hosts to find parking. They explain that some 24/7-hour gyms offer free parking, which apps can help locate. 24/7 gyms can also come in handy for shower facilities.
Besides traveling in the U.S., Lowe and Brown rented a van and traveled around New Zealand. There, they used the app Mad Campers to find parking. “It’s just a really cool way to travel,” says Lowe.
4. Keep safe while traveling
McCoy stresses the importance of always being aware of your surroundings when traveling. “I have, on a couple of occasions, pulled into a place and got a weird feeling that I didn’t like it there, so I moved on,” she says. She notes that she never stays somewhere overnight that doesn’t have cell service. “I have a tribe of ladies that we follow each other on Google Maps. I can see where they are at any given time and they can see me,” she adds.
McCoy finds staying at Cracker Barrels to be very safe. “I feel they are 99.9 percent of the time in good neighborhoods. I have never had any problems staying a night at a Cracker Barrel or a Walmart,” she says. “I also like mom-and-pop truck stops. I know ladies that prefer Love’s and Pilot’s, but I do not.”
5. Attend meetups
The van lifers interviewed emphasized the strong sense of community formed at scheduled meetups. Hill says she has stayed in touch with several women she met through these events. “Even though there might be 60 or 70 women there, you gradually get to know [them], and then you might meet them again at another meetup.”
McCoy shares a similar experience. After one meetup, she became friends with a woman and stayed in her driveway for a couple of nights to explore the town.
“It’s like an instant bond with someone who is in a van,” Lowe says.
Brown adds, “We spent three and a half hours doing van tours,” where they check out each other’s vans. He recalls being surprised by everyone’s friendliness and willingness to show their van to him.
Hill says she’s “made more new friends in the last three months than I have in the last three decades.” Van life is not only a great way to travel but also a way to find a sense of community.
Photo from Inside Creative House/Shutterstock.com
