Van Life is Dying (and this trend is replacing it)

Van Life is Dying (and this trend is replacing it)

Van life is losing interest – it’s impossible to refute this fact (so please don’t try). As the world of insta boho van builds and solar off grid micro minimalism comes to an end, the vacuum of alternative lifestyle is demanding a new hashtag. This is a video about one strong, handsome man’s journey to unearth the next big thing in the world of the outdoor industry. The conclusion may take you by surprise, so buckle up for an emotional ride like none you’ve ever experienced before.

Van Life is Dying (and this trend is replacing it)

Directed and edited by @Shaffer Nickel https://www.instagram.com/shaffernickel/

*Stuff I use*

AUDIO
My voice-over microphone: https://amzn.to/3jjA01S
Favorite on-camera microphone: https://amzn.to/3v33NRQ
Second favorite on-camera microphone: https://amzn.to/3v2Dz1B

CAMERAS
My main camera: https://amzn.to/3KrU1io
My second camera: https://amzn.to/3jjlKWJ
Best ‘all around’ lens: https://amzn.to/3umZuBK
Most buttery lens: https://amzn.to/3LHbQdI
Favorite ND filters: https://amzn.to/3Kp2ovj

LIGHTING
Best lights ever: https://amzn.to/3jlTB16
Second best light ever: https://amzn.to/35TRFKn
Best diffusion: https://amzn.to/3jjPRxb

SMALL THINGS I CAN’T LIVE W/O
Memory card: https://amzn.to/3M7XzHl
Travel tripod: https://amzn.to/3DXIgy2
Skate tool carabiner: https://amzn.to/3uYV4Qu
Travel coffee brewer: https://amzn.to/35StJXB
Travel water heater: https://amzn.to/3jhjRK6
Camera bag: https://amzn.to/3Jo3Axx

VAN ACCESSORIES
Car play screen: https://amzn.to/37ueGDS
Backup battery and jump-starter: https://amzn.to/3DQQVlL
Epic blanket: https://amzn.to/3rdu7HA

#vanlife #toyotahiace #shaffernickel #camping

50 Comments

  1. Therese Shine on November 4, 2022 at 7:57 am

    Lmao

  2. Dave Smith on November 4, 2022 at 7:58 am

    we are all watching the murder stories from the people trying to live together in vans. don’t stop please

  3. Holly Hodges on November 4, 2022 at 7:58 am

    Love this

  4. Timothy Dodson on November 4, 2022 at 7:59 am

    Glad I watched till the end. Super good video. Thanks for the upload.

  5. mark pope on November 4, 2022 at 8:03 am

    If your van roof covers your view you’re not very imaginative and need to hire someone who is

  6. christian francisco on November 4, 2022 at 8:04 am

    This is gold, I can’t wait to become a pioneer in this new trend called camping

  7. NOISlights on November 4, 2022 at 8:05 am

    If it’s your life your not doing it as a trend.

  8. Camping Fiend on November 4, 2022 at 8:06 am

    🤔…..camping, what a novel idea!

  9. Toyasubar on November 4, 2022 at 8:09 am

    so you invented standard original hiking and camping? right

  10. Karlcountry ! on November 4, 2022 at 8:12 am

    It’s called camping. I’ve been doing this since I was five. Lol nice try

  11. George David on November 4, 2022 at 8:13 am

    That was awesome. I’m going to head to Moab this weekend because your video inspired me! I need to find my own "Danico".

  12. Trol on November 4, 2022 at 8:13 am

    in my opinion i prefer it this way

  13. mattgotsskill on November 4, 2022 at 8:15 am

    the reason van life is dying is because Biden skyrocketed gas prices.

  14. TerraFirma-X on November 4, 2022 at 8:20 am

    It’s the same way in the Over-landing community. I was over-landing before it was called over-landing, we called it camping or going to the desert. I slept on the ground or in the bed of my pickup, almost never in tents. Now-a-days you gotta have a 50 60k trailer to be cool. Not me, not yet anyway, lol. 57 years of this and I still love it

  15. Eduardo Knoch on November 4, 2022 at 8:21 am

    haha funny as! Legend

  16. Camping Fiend on November 4, 2022 at 8:25 am

    Trends, well, they’re just trends. They come and go, so, do what you like. Wear what you like, fuck "trends" and trying to be "trendy"
    Authenticity is where the magic is.

  17. Makala O’Siggins on November 4, 2022 at 8:26 am

    I just found your channel and I’m so glad I did! You’re hilarious and your creativity really shows in your videography style. Happy to have found you before you hit 100k! Can’t wait to follow your journey.

  18. Myss Shannon on November 4, 2022 at 8:26 am

    LMBOOOOOO

  19. Julian Waizenegger on November 4, 2022 at 8:26 am

    both you and valspire family have a little friend (smoll plant) with yall goin your adventures. just a nice touch lol.

  20. Diggy on November 4, 2022 at 8:27 am

    Completely WRONG, van life is what you make it, you have been commercialized and are projecting. Sad dude

  21. Traveling Infantry Veteran on November 4, 2022 at 8:30 am

    Been living in my converted Uhaul for 2 years since I retired from the military and I LOVE IT!!! Most of yall cant handle being a nomad it’s not for everyone, stay your As* at home and enjoy your fancy apartment lol

  22. Scotch on the Rocks on November 4, 2022 at 8:30 am

    HOW THE FUCK IS IT DYING? IT’S INCREASING.

  23. Andrew Keeton on November 4, 2022 at 8:33 am

    So you fkrs do it cuz it’s trendy and not cuz you like it??

  24. Julek Sz. on November 4, 2022 at 8:33 am

    I love how he guy from video, and people in he comments are "yeah, trends and rich people ruined van life" , and ignore the fact that making litlle apartment inside a van became easier and cheaper over time. Add skyrocketing housing prices and you got all the reasons van life is a thing nowdays.

    Van life was never about "living small". Hippies did it so they wouldn’t pay rent to the goverment and could travel at he same time, other people did it because it was cheap.

  25. B Miller on November 4, 2022 at 8:33 am

    Lost me at "van life is done" stupid clickbait title and claim. People still do minimal van setups, they just rarely video them. Spending 3 months home and then traveling alternating, not anywhere "done"

  26. Scotch on the Rocks on November 4, 2022 at 8:36 am

    YOUR VOICE ANNOYS ME.

  27. Luke Swain on November 4, 2022 at 8:37 am

    Here are some things those "van life!!!" Videos don’t want you to know (mostly because "van life" people are fake as can be!!!) At least, this is what I’ve experienced

    1 the biggest problem I had with "van life" was the loneliness. If you go by yourself, yeah you can forget all those crazy adventures and wild things you see in videos. Unless you have an extremely high drive and endurance rate, most of your time is going to be spent sitting around in a Walmart parking lot missing home and regretting your decisions. Sure, you’ll see amazing things and do amazing hikes. But you can forget any fantasy you have about trekking thru the grand canyon for 3 days and sleeping under the stars and hiking the highest mountains. As someone with an extremely high endurance rate, all the long hikes I’ve done have nearly killed me. Its dangerous to be adventurous and it takes years of practice, skill, and dedication to be able to walk WAY out into the national forests or BLM and not die.

    2 most people don’t have a van!! I have a pickup truck with a bedcap. It’s not even a van. No insulation. No amenities. Just a Coleman gasoline grill with 2 years of food, grime, and rust. And some grungy old pots and pans. And a sleeping bag. Crates full of stuff you might need but never use.

    3 cleanliness is nonexistent. Unless you sit in the ac all day and never break a sweat, you will pretty much be smelly and nasty 95% of the time. No good way to wash pots and pans. Clean utensils. Things get and stay dirty.

    4 the elements. You can forget those pictures and videos you see of people sitting in their vans, sipping tea, reading a book, in a snowstorm in Colorado. Yeah you guessed it. That’s total BS. Realistically, you’ll be shivering or sweating in the back, bed, or cab of your vehicle. Cramped, horribly smelly, surrounded by mess, and very miserable. Even when it’s warm and sunny and perfect weather, it’ll still get hot. Open a window? Now you’ve got flies and mosquitoes because when it’s nice outside, there are bugs!

    5 similar to 3. Organization. Unless you are able to have a place for everything and room for more, you will be surrounded by clutter. Think about it. Yeah you get everything nice and organized when you leave. But you didn’t take into account all the stuff you would aquire along the way. And those days (which are most days) you’re so tired and ready to sleep you just throw stuff around. Not to mention you are in a vehicle. Notice how you never see any of those van life people go on real off road roads? They spent 100,000 on a avan and have their grnadmas China set in the cabinets! Good luck with that, van life frauds!!

    6 financial issues. If you’re only put for a couple weeks that’s no big deal. But then it’s not van "life" it’s A VACATION! Van life isn’t about having a vacation and only going to Utah. Van life is a life style. It’s something you do out of desperation, necessity, or curiosity. It’d basically being homeless with a purpose. But if you plan to "van life" for anything more than a month. Yeah. Good luck with that. I doubt most people wouldn’t last a week! Let along a year!

    For all those negatives, I’ve had so many positives. There really is an adventure in the life style. But it sure does get lonely when you’re alone.

    Some advice if you genuinely are curious and want to get in to "van life" Stop watching van life videos!! Stop watching any videos!! Just do it. Take whatever vehicle you have and GO. The only things you NEED are a good sleeping bag. Get the 3 piece military modular sleep system. Reliable vehicle. And money! You don’t "need" anything but those three. That way you can get food, water, and you won’t die from the elements. Of course there are plenty of other things you should/could get. But all you really need is just to do it. Talk to other travelers. Avoid taking to people with nice looking setups. Talk to the homeless, the ones living out of cars. The crazy shirtless ones cooking beans talking to themselves in a Walmart parking lot (that one would be me 😉 )

    If you took the time to read this, I’d love to hear from you. Let me know what’s on your mind. I’ve got a lot of knowledge on this topic. Let me know if I csn help you out in any way or answer further questions! Have a swell day, fellow hobos!

  28. ElleEmmeBee on November 4, 2022 at 8:37 am

    Thanks man, kind of needed this right now.

  29. Cooper Cole on November 4, 2022 at 8:37 am

    Hell yeah

  30. daveondartmoor on November 4, 2022 at 8:42 am

    Beat you to it mate! 😂

  31. 4Free on November 4, 2022 at 8:43 am

    i was doing it long before it was cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVjz5VNsH4E

  32. holiday dalgleish on November 4, 2022 at 8:43 am

    amazing, i think it has a chance at taking off!

  33. Funky_Alex68 on November 4, 2022 at 8:43 am

    ADD – do with that what you will.

  34. Show me vids 1984 on November 4, 2022 at 8:43 am

    Who gives a shit why someone lives in a van. ‘ it used to be this ‘ don’t overthink it mate it’s just someone living in a van, reasons will vary but generally it’s just someone who’d rather live on the road than grounded in a home. If it’s something you want to do, do it. But you don’t have to attribute a lot of things that aren’t there

  35. live script on November 4, 2022 at 8:44 am

    I hope more people learn to love and respect the earth while camping <3 so beautiful!

  36. Bradley Miller on November 4, 2022 at 8:44 am

    I would adopt it in a heartbeat… if I wasn’t six feet three inches.

  37. Chris on November 4, 2022 at 8:44 am

    🤣🤣🤣 next trend is camping. This has to be sarcasm surely.

  38. 100 Music Playlists on November 4, 2022 at 8:45 am

    no, its not dying, its never been more lively due to everyone downsizing.

  39. lovepeace on November 4, 2022 at 8:46 am

    Only this generation can think homelessness is cool.

  40. Cadavu2 on November 4, 2022 at 8:46 am

    He is funny. Who is this guy?

  41. Jose S. on November 4, 2022 at 8:47 am

    Is your van for sale then?

  42. mark pope on November 4, 2022 at 8:47 am

    BS, show me one sink installation tutorial. Some people will say/do anything to get click$. Downvote the drama

  43. Angelo Pe Benito on November 4, 2022 at 8:49 am

    Man the fact you had to double back to grab the camera back makes you a fucking spartan

  44. BuzzShawPhoto on November 4, 2022 at 8:50 am

    New trend, drainage pipe life. Great until it rains.

  45. Mr. Kim on November 4, 2022 at 8:52 am

    Living the van life, but keeping the house for something for returning to…
    Talk about van life dying… only for the numerous you tubers making a buck.

  46. World Traveler on November 4, 2022 at 8:52 am

    No matter if your van is a Sprinter that’s decked out or an old POS with plywood on milk crates for a bed…it’s still a van. Explain to me how can life is dead. Explain to me what’s replacing van life like you said.

  47. Bagus Panuntun on November 4, 2022 at 8:52 am

    that’s called homeless

  48. The Hacks-By-Jack Channel on November 4, 2022 at 8:53 am

    I live the castle life.

  49. Time2MakeD0hnUtZ on November 4, 2022 at 8:54 am

    you’ve just answered your paradoxical conundrum buddy by taking a selfie…..

  50. Jonnie on November 4, 2022 at 8:54 am

    funny vid, pretty cool 😅

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