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Living in a van down by the river used to be a punchline, now it's probably your best option.
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return2ozma lemmy.world return2ozma@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-01
Quote

236   Original
BeardedBlaze lemmy.world BeardedBlaze@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-06
#2 · Quote Reply

It's a shame conversion vans stopped being a thing long ago...

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Zahille7 lemmy.world Zahille7@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-19
#3 · Quote Reply

Not only the best option, but looking better and better each day.

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grue lemmy.world grue@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-13
#4 · Quote Reply

It's a shame conversion vans stopped being a thing long ago...

No they didn't. Now they're just called "#vanlife" and cost a lot more.

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TheCriticalMember aussie.zone TheCriticalMember@aussie.zone
Joined: 2025-02-04
#5 · Quote Reply

Pffft, the boomers have all the river spots. Try a Walmart carpark.

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Lodespawn aussie.zone Lodespawn@aussie.zone
Joined: 2023-10-18
#6 · Quote Reply

I've never heard that phrase in my life, what was the joke if that's the punchline?

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AmidFuror fedia.io AmidFuror@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-03-11
#7 · Quote Reply

If you do that, I’m gonna bunk with you, buddy!

We’re gonna be buddies! We’re gonna be pals! We’re gonna wrassle around!

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Maeve kbin.earth Maeve@kbin.earth
Joined: 2024-06-16
#8 · Quote Reply

Crazily, I know someone who walked away from a profitable business to do just that.

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AtomicHotSauce piefed.social AtomicHotSauce@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-09-23
#9 · Quote Reply

I've never heard that phrase in my life, what was the joke if that's the punchline?

It’s a Saturday Night Live skit with Chris Farley. His lines became very meme-tastic.

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AtomicHotSauce piefed.social AtomicHotSauce@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-09-23
#10 · Quote Reply

I wish we could do that. Fuck having a house payment that goes up $200 a month every new year.

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Clent lemmy.dbzer0.com Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Joined: 2024-12-13
#11 · Quote Reply

Prime van camping spot.

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MightBeAlpharius lemmy.world MightBeAlpharius@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#12 · Quote Reply

I've never heard that phrase in my life, what was the joke if that's the punchline?

It's from an SNL skit from ages ago - I only know it because my high school band teacher referenced it enough that he had to show it to us so we'd get it.

Chris Farley plays a motivational speaker whose whole schtick is basically "[don't fuck up your life] or you'll end up LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER!" Over the course of the skit, it becomes apparent that his angle is less "don't fuck up your life and have to deal with a tough recovery," and more "don't fuck up your life and end up living in a van like I currently do."

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paranoid lemmy.world paranoid@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-05
#13 · Quote Reply

I've never heard that phrase in my life, what was the joke if that's the punchline?

Here's a link to the actual clip

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BauerBender lemmy.world BauerBender@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-10-05
#14 · Quote Reply

My best friend lives in Pacifica, CA. Lots of people living in vans, and honestly it seems like a simple way to live.

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Ricky Rigatoni piefed.zip RickyRigatoni@piefed.zip
Joined: 2026-02-14
#15 · Quote Reply

Last I heard vanlife is actually really gentrified especially after the used car pricing hike during covid.

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tacosanonymous lemmy.blahaj.zone tacosanonymous@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2026-07-31
#16 · Quote Reply

My best friend lives in Pacifica, CA. Lots of people living in vans, and honestly it seems like a simple way to live.

Came here to say that it became a popular lifestyle.

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Lodespawn aussie.zone Lodespawn@aussie.zone
Joined: 2023-10-18
#17 · Quote Reply

Here's a link to the actual clip

Thanks, I dunno if that was particularly iconic but that's definitely where this post comes from

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PattyMcB lemmy.world PattyMcB@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-02-12
#18 · Quote Reply

I'm thinking a little shanty out in the woods

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Gerudo lemmy.zip Gerudo@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-06-28
#19 · Quote Reply

Waterfront property? In this economy?

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Fredselfish sh.itjust.works Fredselfish@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-08-07
#20 · Quote Reply

I follow a few vanlifers and damn it looks tempting and I am thinking of doing so next year for a few months. Might even film it too.

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Malica lemmy.zip Malica@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2026-08-27
#21 · Quote Reply

I always thought Cobain was onto something

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d-RLY? lemmy.ml dRLY@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2021-05-08
#22 · Quote Reply

I was excited to quote the sketch when my friend decided to live van life a long time ago. But he was too young to know about it (I made sure to show it to him before he left). Then he ended up taking a job for a rafting/tubing company for the summer. He actually did end-up "living in a van down by the river."

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IronBird lemmy.world IronBird@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-09-06
#23 · (edited) Quote Reply

I follow a few vanlifers and damn it looks tempting and I am thinking of doing so next year for a few months. Might even film it too.

the secret of all these "nomad" lifestyles is to have enough passive income via investments and shit that you dom't actually have to work that much (if at all) anyway, so you can just spend all your time traveling instead

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Bitch Pudding lemmy.zip B1tch_Pudding@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2026-08-21
#24 · Quote Reply

I always thought Cobain was onto something

Cobain't plz and ty

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Fallibilist feddit.uk Fallibilist@feddit.uk
Joined: 2026-09-15
#25 · Quote Reply

It's a shame conversion vans stopped being a thing long ago...

What the hell are you talking about? Converting a van to a camper has never been more popular than it's now.

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Agent641 lemmy.world Agent641@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-12
#26 · Quote Reply

My best friend lives in Pacifica, CA. Lots of people living in vans, and honestly it seems like a simple way to live.

I did it involuntary for 3 years.

It can be extraordinarily stressful and unpleasant, what with high temperatures, the toilet situation, and parking stealthily in an elephant sized vehicle that is the opposite of stealth. Getting messed with by gronks, and moved along by authorities.

Having said that, your outgoing costs can be very, very low, the cost of travelling locally is low, and you have all the comforts of home wherever you go. It was a good way for me to save a shitload of money in a short amount of time

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Manjushri piefed.social Manjushri@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-09-29
#27 · Quote Reply

Waterfront property in this climate? Once a century floods are happening weekly. On any given day you could wake up living, however briefly, in a van in the river.

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BeardedBlaze lemmy.world BeardedBlaze@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-06
#28 · Quote Reply

What the hell are you talking about? Converting a van to a camper has never been more popular than it's now.

You're confusing today's influencers taking you on a trip of them converting a van VS being able to walk into a chevy dealership and walk out with one, and it actually being affordable.

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Zahille7 lemmy.world Zahille7@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-19
#29 · Quote Reply

the secret of all these "nomad" lifestyles is to have enough passive income via investments and shit that you dom't actually have to work that much (if at all) anyway, so you can just spend all your time traveling instead

I visited my family who live in Encinitas, CA earlier this year. It's honestly kinda gross how many "vanlifers" either live there or were visiting semi-longterm.

Like I would walk to the beach almost every day, and I'd see so many vans that had been converted or in the process of being converted parked out front of multi-million dollar homes. And they were all brand new vehicles too.

0
Zahille7 lemmy.world Zahille7@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-19
#30 · Quote Reply

Pffft, the boomers have all the river spots. Try a Walmart carpark.

Not with those flock assholes hanging around the lots.

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Fredselfish sh.itjust.works Fredselfish@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-08-07
#31 · Quote Reply

the secret of all these "nomad" lifestyles is to have enough passive income via investments and shit that you dom't actually have to work that much (if at all) anyway, so you can just spend all your time traveling instead

Most ones I follow make all their money from YouTube and Sponsors. It's pretty popular and doesn't take much to get monetized and to get sponsors.

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SaveTheTuaHawk lemmy.ca SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-03-07
#32 · Quote Reply

Pffft, the boomers have all the river spots. Try a Walmart carpark.

They flipped those vans for $1M.

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SaveTheTuaHawk lemmy.ca SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-03-07
#33 · Quote Reply

You're confusing today's influencers taking you on a trip of them converting a van VS being able to walk into a chevy dealership and walk out with one, and it actually being affordable.

All they needed was shag carpet and a bed.

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SaveTheTuaHawk lemmy.ca SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-03-07
#34 · Quote Reply

It's from an SNL skit from ages ago - I only know it because my high school band teacher referenced it enough that he had to show it to us so we'd get it. Chris Farley plays a motivational speaker whose whole schtick is basically "[don't fuck up your life] or you'll end up LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER!" Over the course of the skit, it becomes apparent that his angle is less "don't fuck up...

It was a play on inspirational speakers and life coaches. Experts, who ended up as inspirational speakers and life coaches.

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Texas_Hangover lemmy.radio Texas_Hangover@lemmy.radio
Joined: 2024-11-09
#35 · Quote Reply

I've lived in vans by rivers. It wasn't that bad.

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