Social media influencers give van life a somewhat misleading image. Their profiles make it look dreamy, full of attractive-looking people hanging out worry-free in picture-perfect locations nonstop.

What was once a niche lifestyle has become more mainstream, with more than 3.1 million Americans living full-time in vans or RVs, according to Harvest Hosts. Even more are renting vans for vacations ...

Van life has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years. It's been glorified with influencers giving us tours of their vans, walkarounds of their minibusses, and how-tos on building the best ...