Van life’s dark side emerges amid tales of abuse, murder, and robbery, revealing the grim realities of this lifestyle.
A Netflix show tells Gabby Petito’s story. She blogged about van life with her fiancé, and they seemed to live the dream. Stress grew, and police stopped them for abuse. He murdered Gabby before killing himself.
Another van life dream ended in murder when Emily Ferlazzo’s body was found in Vermont. Her husband admitted he killed her after a fight and faces at least 35 years in prison. Isolation can worsen domestic abuse.
Women’s Aid made a film called ‘Van Wife.’ It shows a couple’s van trip where they seem happy online, but the man controls her life. He takes her money, phone, and passport. The abuse becomes physical before she escapes with help.
Travelers also face danger from strangers. In 2019, Chynna Deese and Lucas Fowler were murdered while on a road trip in Canada by teens who killed them in a robbery. The teens later died by suicide.
An elderly couple was attacked in Nebraska last year when a man stabbed them at a rest stop. The husband died, and the wife was hurt. The attacker wanted to steal their Jeep.
Traveling alone is also risky. A French woman was murdered in her van in Spain; she was stabbed. One woman quit van life after bad experiences and felt unsafe as a solo woman.
The woman advises caution when sharing your location and to lock doors and invest in safety items. Use established campsites, not dark areas. Keep a spare charger in your car and stay vigilant to stay safe.
Lucy Ruthnum runs a group for solo female van lifers. She loves van life, but women need extra care, so researches parking spots and trusts her gut, moving if she feels uneasy.
She feels people approach her more since she’s alone, which makes her more uneasy at campsites. It’s common for van owners help each other, especially women. They intervene if someone bothers you.
Refuge offers advice to spot coercive control, a form of domestic abuse. Control involves threats and intimidation. It’s a pattern of behavior, not one event, and it is a crime.
Does your partner isolate you or stop you from getting food or water? Do they track your time online or control your sleep or who you see? Do they put you down?
Do they control your money? Have they threatened to hurt you or your family? Do they stop you from working, using transport, or have they assaulted you? These are signs of abuse.
Helen Laing lives in her van. She gives tips to other van lifers and says she has always felt safe. She takes basic safety steps while living in a van.
She says van life changed since it’s now a need for some, not a choice. She waits to share details with new people. People should keep independence when living in close quarters with others.
Tia built her own van and enjoys freedom, but it has challenges. One man blocked her and questioned her work. She gets odd messages online, so she brings people for safety now.