Will the RV, Van Life and Tiny House Movement Become a Fad?

RV living and the tiny house movement have been gaining momentum over the past couple of years. I know that I simply cannot believe the number of bloggers and YouTubers alike that have made the decision to live small. And in the case of an RV or van, live on the move. When I first discovered this lifestyle I really thought that we would be pretty isolated, I mean who does this? I was so wrong. Times are changing.

Why are so many people choosing to live in a Van, RV or Tiny house?

The biggest reason is probably money. Cost of living rises every year but our family and most people we know are not seeing their income rise to meet it. Putting food on the table, paying for healthcare, rent or mortgage, and utilities is overwhelming and there is just never enough to cover it all. We are often finding ourselves picking and choosing what bill we can pay and what we can put off. What my parents used to say is “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. But the transition into an RV can put some of that money back into your pocket.

Not to mention Tiny homes, which can end up being stationary but would still lower your monthly bills immensely. Tiny homes can also be flipped, if you are good with your hands. You can purchase a shell very cheap and finished it out just to sell. You can also do this with an RV but I don’t think you would get as much of the profits.

But, is this just a phase? Will people eventually come to their senses and buy a house like society says we should?

I’m sure that there will be those who rush into the lifestyle for one reason or another thinking that it will be all sunshine and roses. Of course, it’s not. There are difficulties and hardships associated with any lifestyle but if you don’t do the research and properly prepare, then this may not work out for you.

But, for the most part I believe that this will not only not burn out like a fad, but will gain even more momentum and grow steadily. People are waking up to the fact that stuff cannot make you happy. That big house that society told you that you need, comes with a big mortgage that you then have to work more to pay, and then you cannot even enjoy said house. Most people can’t even afford to take a small vacation, much less one that allows them to experience anything new or any new place. 

Depression is a huge issue in this country and I believe that this pattern of 9-5, 5 or 6 days a week working to pay for something that will never fulfill any need or make you happy, has so much to do with that. And this movement, whether it is an RV, a van or a tiny house, or even just minimalism as a lifestyle, is helping people to better handle depression and anxiety, if not get rid of it altogether. Personally, when myself and my family began to live minimally and prepare for our new life in an RV, my depression and anxiety got so much better that I was able to stop taking medication for it. (I am not saying that everyone should taking any meds. That was just my personal experience. Always consult your physician.)

A fad is something that is adopted by society as  fun or fashionable for a moment and then forgotten as they move on to something else. This movement and lifestyle is something else altogether. It is a solution to the misery of working your life away to pay for stuff that will never make you happy and worse, might be the source of the misery itself. We want something else, something different out of life. We want to collect experiences, and make amazing memories, instead of collecting stuff. I am happy to jump on this bandwagon and even more thrilled that I can teach my kids a different way of life.