I've spent 5 years living in a tiny home and 2 years in a camper van. Here's how they compare - and which is my favorite.

"At first, van life was everything social media promised it to be: sunsets from mountain overlooks, coffee brewed with the back doors flung open, and a different backyard every few days. It was pretty cheap, too. My partner and I bought a behemoth of a high-roof van new for about $40,000 in 2018. We spent three months and nearly $10,000 - nearly half of which went toward our fully off-grid solar setup - converting it to something we could live in."

"We recouped our investment quickly, especially since we spent the following summer juggling several jobs while saving up to hit the road for an indefinite period. We only had three relatively large recurring monthly expenses: the $400 loan payment on the van itself, $150 in insurance, and an average of about $200 a month in fuel, depending on how much we drove."

The couple lived two years full-time in a self-converted camper van before moving into a tiny house where they've lived five years. Van life provided sunsets, mobility, climbing access, and low monthly costs often under $1,000 thanks to a $40,000 van purchase, a roughly $10,000 conversion with off-grid solar, and minimal recurring expenses (a $400 loan, $150 insurance, and ~$200 monthly fuel). They boondocked on public land and avoided campground fees. Non-financial trade-offs included constant stress from storing all possessions in one compact vehicle and other lifestyle compromises that reduced the long-term appeal.

Read at Business Insider