In 2015 a video appeared on YouTube that changed the way millions of people thought about work, freedom and what a life could look like. Two people, a converted van, and no fixed address. It inspired one of the most significant lifestyle movements of the decade.
Van life is about something much bigger than accommodation choices. It is about rejecting the conventional life script: school, career, mortgage, retirement. The most viewed van life videos tap into a fantasy that resonates across demographics.
Van life content has accumulated billions of views across YouTube. Channels dedicated entirely to life on the road have subscriber counts that rival major media companies. YouTube did not just document the van life movement. It created it.