Why #VanLife is Here to Stay: Bre Acio & Lacey Mayer

Van life: what started as a trend has only grown, evolving into a full-fledged movement in the US and beyond. And despite the multitude of vacation-style photos online showcasing this mobile living arrangement, there are many practical reasons people choose to live on the road for more than a couple weeks-- and no, it typically has nothing to do with Instagram.

While the roots of living in your vehicle are several decades old-- it’s not a novel concept whatsoever-- there are more tools now than ever to make it accessible, and because of the economic outlook many Millennials are facing, the hashtag-turned-movement is also becoming a viable option to address affordable housing and creating a promising financial outlook. That said, as you’ll hear on this episode, it’s not so easy to go against the social grain and there are true challenges associated with not having a stable mailing address, crossing state lines regularly, and dealing with local community policies around vehicle habitation.

To join this in-depth conversation, two incredible female travelers are giving their insights-- Bre Acio and Lacey Mayer, a couple who go by @theladiesvan on Instagram. Bre and Lacey are not only incredibly passionate about finding ways to make vanlife and long term vehicle habitation more socially acceptable, but own two businesses that do their part to make it more accessible to those who want to get on the road.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

What got Lacey and Bre’s business, SD Campervans, started
How they have made campervan conversions as accessible as possible
What The Vanlife App is, and how it’s different from others out there
How to protect the public resources that makes road life sustainable
The ways van life can be the answer to affordable housing
The ways Bre and Lacey try to find balance between their businesses and their relationship
Basics on city ordinances against vehicle habitation
Lesser-discussed challenges of living on the road
What the road travel community can do to create more protections for people living in vehicles

Other Resources:

Follow Bre and Lacey on Instagram - @theladiesvan
Learn about SD Campervans
Check out The Vanlife App
Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on our WOTR Camp Out happening this October near Moab, Utah!
Women On The Road on Instagram - @womenontheroad
Join the Women On The Road Podcast Facebook group

Sponsor Websites & Codes

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Episodes air weekly on Fridays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Follow along with Laura Hughes on Instagram (@howsheviewsit) and see more of her work through her website, How She Views It.

Music is by Josh Woodward.

WOTR podcast cover artwork designed by Dani Opal.