A new kind of van life: $180 to camp for seven months – and a real taste of freedom
Summary
Every year, many people in North America travel from colder places to warmer areas for the winter, living in vans, buses, or RVs. They often work, volunteer, or stay with family along the way, with a popular destination being Quartzsite, Arizona, a desert town where many gather during winter.Key Facts
- People who travel in vans or buses for part of the year are called nomads, snowbirds, or van dwellers.
- Derek Hansler, a chef known as D Rock, spends summers visiting family in New Hampshire and winters traveling southwest in his shuttle bus.
- Stephanie Scruggs and Gustavo Costo have been living on the road for years and now share a bus they named Magpie.
- Stephanie survived brain cancer and has lived on the road through treatments and recovery.
- Theresa Webster volunteers at a campground in Oregon in summer and then travels south in her old van for winter.
- Quartzsite, Arizona, is a small desert town that becomes crowded in winter as many travelers arrive to escape cold weather farther north.
- Quartzsite's summer temperatures are very hot, but in winter it has milder weather that draws many visitors.
- The migration of people living in vehicles is both about seeking warmth and community, often involving economic reasons.
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