Is Living In A Van Safe?
Safety is my middle name. I’ve always taken my personal, and the safety of others, incredibly seriously. I’ve spent time in what some would consider dangerous environments and situations. While dangers exist all around us, is living in a van safe?
Living in a van can be incredibly safe if you take the proper precautions to ensure you avoid and mitigate danger. You have the added ability of mobility and the option to plan for most situations you will find yourself in. Not all dangers and risks can be avoided or mitigated, however, that’s no different from any other way of existing.
Table Of Contents
Urban Dangers Of Van Life
Natural Dangers Of Van Life
Dangers Of Existing
Mitigating The Dangers Of Van Life
Conclusion
Urban Dangers Of Van Life
When you place yourself in an urban surrounding, despite being in public and in civilization, dangers do exist. You risk being exposed to crime (theft, vandalism, arson, etc.), and also are at the whim of the political environment and regulatory laws which might forbid your current style of living.
It is often known that van dwellers often keep all their belongings in one central location. You are rarely a direct target for every criminal, but you certainly can become a target. For example, van lifers have been targeted and had their filming equipment stolen as the thief knew where they were located and the equipment they had stored within their vehicle. Also, the broad, white, blank canvas that comes with most cargo-style vans can be seen as a perfect canvas for a would-be vandal. I’m pretty sure I’ve been stalked at night while in a Walmart parking lot. Either by security, or someone looking to see what was inside the van.
Living within the bounds of a city might provide a sort of comfort knowing you have city amenities and infrastructure around if you need them. Simply where you chose to park has its own dangers. If your city is in the midst of riots, you risk having your home on wheels involved. You also risk being towed if you’re in a spot you’re not supposed to be in. Not to mention the all-dreaded “knock” when you’re parked somewhere you might not be allowed to. Further, you also risk having your vehicle set aflame by some extreme rioters.
Being in an urban environment puts you at risk of the environment itself. Despite your best effort, you could become a victim of theft or even arson. So, if urban environments are so dangerous, it’s probably best to avoid them, right?
Natural Dangers Of Van Life
Right now you’re probably thinking about leaving the city and going off grid for the rest of your life. Don’t be so hasty. Danger can find you even when you try to leave the source of a lot of problems (Kind of like the Final Destination movies). Leaving for the outdoors comes with its own set of problems. Lions, tigers, bears, injuries, getting stuck, no services, OH MY!
When you put yourself in the natural environment you place yourself in an environment where many others creatures exist. Animals can prove to be a nuisance and even a large threat. Just because there are no people around doesn’t mean a raccoon won’t enter your vehicle and steal your food if you leave the doors open. Wandering far from your van at night only to spook a bear, wild dog, or wild cat because you really wanted to get that time-lapse of the milky way can prove to be a fatal mistake. Having spent a significant amount of time in the wilderness, I’ve learned how close coyotes can get before it’s best to scare them off with a whistle or a light rock tossed in their direction.
Without the facilities and infrastructure that are in an urban environment, you put yourself at the whims of your environment. I remember taking my van out with some heavily worn summer tires. I didn’t factor in that sleeping at the bottom of a small hill might be an issue when I tried to leave the next day. In short, I was temporarily stuck in an area with no service and thought that I might need to wait until the mud dried out so I could return to civilization. You can read more about that experience here. When you are out in the elements, you also risk the dangers of exposure. What if your heater breaks in the middle of a cold snap? What about your roof springing a leak in the middle of an atmospheric river and it shorts out your electronics? Even your wilderness escape can turn to wilderness survival if you’re far enough into the wild that you can’t seek help in time.
When you place yourself in the woods, or in the desert, you place yourself in an inherently dangerous environment where there is a plethora of ways to get injured. What if you roll your ankle 3 km from your van on a trail run? Or you cut yourself with your jigsaw while doing some modifications with some downtime in an otherwise perfect place to park for a weekend? Accidents happen, and being so far away from help can mean an injury gets worse.
For an in-depth view of winter van life driving, check out this post with 11 tips for driving your van in the winter.
The author
Dangers Of Existing
So, everywhere you go seems to be dangerous. Let’s add a bit more to think about. Apart from the environment you place yourself in you can be a danger to yourself without proper planning.
Simply existing poses its own set of dangers. You can run out of gas if you didn’t see that sign a few miles back saying “Next Service In 150 Miles". Not knowing where to sleep can make you pick a spot last minute that you didn’t get to see in the daylight, or have no reviews on. Your vehicle could break down at the trailhead and cause you to have to skip a hike you had planned for weeks.
Perhaps you need to dig into that box of KD you’ve been passing over every time you reach into your dried goods because it’s all you have left now that you’ve eaten more than you thought you would on a week-long trip to the backcountry. Or the flat tire when you have no idea how to lower the spare from under your van (that is probably flat too).
Some dangers exist simply by living. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what environment you’re in to make a mess of your day. Mistakes happen, and when there’s so much out that can cause harm or disrupt our days, it’s hard to imagine a way to live that seems safe.
Mitigating The Dangers Of Van Life
Ok. So I admit that that was a lot of negative. If all you did was think about the dangers that exist in the world, you might never go outside or experience how rewarding living in a van can be. Despite these dangers existing while residing in a van, the same issues exist when you live in a home. Sometimes to a lesser or even a more severe degree.
Of course, humanity has been existing for a long (or short) while despite how dangerous living can be. There exists a way to live with the knowledge that life is dangerous. It involves planning. Even being aware of the dangerous situations you might put yourself in gets you thinking about what you’d do in any situation. Planning around potential issues is the best way to ensure you don’t run into unforeseen issues.
For instance, you can avoid a lot of issues with people if you chose to park in a friend's driveway or a paid campground. Even parking under streetlights can be a good way to deter any unwanted art being placed on your vehicle. Not sharing your exact location or what equipment you have in your van can take you off a would-be thief's target list. Also, being able to get up and leave a city going through riots is a surefire way to remove yourself from a dangerous situation. You also have the ability to live in an alarmed metal box (glass breaking can be alarmed too).
Why would someone avoid the beauty of the outdoors when you have the ability to make it your backyard? Why not wake up with a view while sipping coffee with the back doors open? Sure, animals and weather can ruin your day, but animals can be deterred (Keep your bear spray close when you’re in their environment), and you can pack a super warm sleeping bag for the cold nights, or nights when you run out of fuel for your heater. And who doesn’t love good off-road modifications for their van? Some good tires can go a long way with not getting stuck somewhere without service or enough food! Don’t forget to take an emergency SOS beacon/ Satellite communicator for when you really need to be evacuated, or even just to text someone to get a tow truck to your location!
Planning can go a long way in preventing yourself from becoming your own worst enemy! Ensuring your vehicle's maintenance is up to date can keep it on the road longer. Maybe keeping your tank above 1/8th will ensure you don’t get stranded on the side of the road somewhere. And with some proper meal planning, you can last weeks with one grocery shopping trip!
Conclusion
It’s not all doom and gloom out there. There’s a whole world of possibilities. With limitless sights to see, and places to camp/ climb/ ski, or park to save some money. Research where you’re going. Know what you’re getting yourself into. Ask others. PLAN and you can ensure you enjoy your time living in your van!
P.S. And pray you don’t get “the knock” because, remember, not all dangers can be avoided.
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