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Van Boom: Why Are Vans Trending & Is Van Life The New American Dream?

405,000 new vans hit the road in the United States every year. Sprinter vans, Ford Transit vans, and Dodge Promasters are literally everywhere with some media outlets speculating that van life is the new American Dream. But is van life really a dream or is it a trend that we will some day look back upon and think: “OMG, I can’t believe we actually thought this was cool?” 

Why are people moving into vans by the droves? Is it because they can no longer afford to live in houses or are people abandoning traditional lifestyles for something alternative that’s more fulfilling and free? If the latter is true, does van living actually make people more happy?

I was curious about all these things and decided to follow my interest and investigate the van trend firsthand. Over the past 10 months I’ve traveled 18,000 miles to speak with people inside the van world. I interviewed 80+ folks about their experience, toured hundreds of different van conversions, and captured many unique perspectives about what it’s like to live, travel, and work in commercial vehicles. 

Now, I’m ready to share my findings with the world. My film “Van Boom” is finally finished and available on YouTube in its entirety for all to see!