The coronavirus has completely turned the world as we know it upside down. I first heard about it when I flew back from Laos in January, and since then, I’ve moved into my new rig (my 1997 Dodge Ram conversion van) full time. Traveling full time since June has been a blessing, but as the COVID crisis continues to escalate in the US, it’s left me wondering: what about us?
Vanlifers and full time road-dwellers are growing in population, and while many people aren’t hitting the road right now due to the virus, there are quite a few of us still on the road, living full time in our vehicles. These stay at home orders are necessary, but they fail to include people who don’t have a solid home base, and who, instead, travel in their homes.
Working from home
For vanlifers, public land is a necessity. We do not just use it for recreation, outdoor sports, or even “camping.” We rely on public lands to be able to live in our homes when we have no other options (and of course, sometimes, for fun). It was expected that the National Parks would shut down, and it was expected that developed campgrounds would slowly close their gates to stop weekend warriors, snowbirds, and other people trying to vacation away from the virus. But lately, BLM and Forest land has been threatening closures too, and for those of us who live on the road, I have to ask the question: where are we supposed to go?
My van, in Alabama Hills, CA
Jared (@jaredinthevan) and I are lucky, in that we are still in the same state that my family lives in, so if worst came to absolute worst, it wouldn’t be impossible for us to turn around, and head back south, and be safe. But the fact is, our vans are our homes, and we want to be able to stay in our homes just like everyone else. So, in the event that all public land closes, many people will be facing a huge dilemma.
While stealth camping in cities is usually an option, in the attempt to avoid human contact, cities are out of the question, and we’d like to avoid small towns so that we don’t risk spreading the virus to gateway communities. Ideally, we’d like to continue self-isolation on BLM land where we can have little to no human interaction whatsoever.
Mine and Jared’s vans, isolated on public land
I’ve noticed quite a bit of insensitivity to this matter recently. People who do not follow me are commenting on my posts telling me to stop using public land for “recreation.” People are making snap judgements of full time vanlifers, telling them to go home when they might not have a place to rely on. I personally would prefer to not reach the worst case scenario of going to my parents’ house because I don’t want to risk exposing my family (especially as I have a brother who falls into the vulnerable category), and I don’t want to take their resources either, especially since toilet paper in the cities is a completely extinct species.
It’s important to practice compassion in this time, and that includes for people who live alternative lifestyles. Everybody’s lives just got turned upside down—let’s support each other, and help people living on the road quarantine safely, instead of making life harder for a unique group of people.
-HWS
Resources For Full Time Vanlifers
If you are on the road and need a place to stay, there are still open public lands, but check on the BLM website first before heading out.
iOverlander users have mentioned COVID in a couple of their reviews, so keep an eye out for that!
There is also an amazing list of people with extra land in the US who are willing to host vanlifers who need a place to stay. You can find that list HERE!