The van life phenomenon does not seem to want to stop, thanks – most probably – to the flourishing of profiles on social networks that describe and promote this lifestyle. As we reported in a previous article, this way of life has more and more followers, especially on Instagram, but some distinctions must be made. Each influencer (or would-be influencer) tends to carve out his or her own niche of followers by focusing on a particular theme, a certain philosophy, a way of approaching life on four wheels. So if on social networks there are those who like, for example, food bloggers in general, there are thousands of users who prefer vegan bloggers, those who specialise in pastry, those who are experts in baking and so on. The same goes for van lifers!
In this new article on Fiamma’s blog, we will therefore see which categories of social van lifers there are and which six Instagram profiles are, in our opinion, worth following. Buckle up and read on!
The most popular van life influencer categories on Instagram
Van lifers’ on Instagram are people who share their life on the road living in vans, camper vans or other ‘alternative’ means of transport such as off-road vehicles, motorhomes or even converted school buses or buses (especially in the USA). Shared by their passion for travelling and nature, the most frequent types of van lifers on Instagram can be divided into the following categories.
Van lifer adventure lovers
These travel influencers are passionate about adventure, travel and exploration. They share videos and photos on their social channels with stories of travelling to remote places, hiking in the mountains, surfing or other outdoor sports. For example, among them we can mention @fosterhunting, known for his van adventures and explorations of breathtaking places, often in the company of his faithful dog.
Camperising and DIY
These influencers are skilled do-it-yourselfers and share their vehicle conversion projects, from building custom furniture to installing solar systems. For example, the guys at @zenithvan document their van and campervan conversion projects by sharing tutorials with followers, as well as documenting their van trips with their families. Read on to find out more.
Families in a van
And speaking of families, there are also those who choose to live in vans, camper vans, caravans and more. These van lifers share the challenges and joys of raising their children as ‘nomads 2.0’. For example, Katie and Ben from @twowanderingsoles: more on that later!
Digital Nomads
These van lifers are oriented towards a sustainable lifestyle and maximum freedom. They share tips on how to live and especially work anywhere, without a fixed location, moving as much as possible. For example, the Italian Francesca Ruvolo (@wildflowermood): we will talk about this in a moment!
Foodies “on the Road”
Finally, members of this van lifer category are cooking enthusiasts and share recipes and ways to cook delicious meals in confined spaces. They often show photos of gourmet dishes cooked in their vehicles. For example, Vanlife Eats (@vanlife.eats) is an account that shares creative recipes and photos of delicious dishes cooked inside a van, camper van or caravan.
1. twowanderingsoles: una “family itinery”.
Katie and Ben call themselves ‘full-time travel bloggers’. Both born in Minnesota, USA, they started their blog “Two wondering Soles” in 2014 and began documenting their travels around the world. They travel a lot in vans and lately have an extra adventurous companion: their little girl Juniper. Theirs is therefore a real ‘family on the road’ and in their social media posts they often talk about how they reconcile life as nomads with the needs of a small child. To follow if you too are thinking of taking to the road with the whole family!
2. Dani, Niki, Fede and Ivan: zenithvan and camaraderie
Behind the name ‘zenithvan’ are four Italian guys who are passionate about travel, adventure sports and, above all, vans. Their followers follow them mainly because of the skill with which they are able to turn any van into a real four-wheeled home. Their camper vans are indeed perfect, but their Instagram page zenithvan shows much more. Trips, useful tips, must-see destinations and all the beauty of life on the road. Pure freedom.
3. The digital nomad par excellence: Francesca Ruvolo of wildflowermood
A digital nomad since 2015, on her website and social profiles Francesca invites her followers to follow in her footsteps, abandon sedentary office work and give space to their passions to find their own balance, in contact with nature and the things that really matter. Van life is an integral part of her life philosophy. With photographs and videos with a strong visual impact and travel guides from which to take inspiration, she is one of the most followed travel influencers.
4. Sydney Ferbrache: divineontheroad
A husband, two dogs and a really cool camper van. Is that enough to have almost 320,000 followers on Instagram? Not really. Sydney decided to take up the van life because she was tired of a stressful and hectic job. After investing all her savings in a van, she decided to take up life on the road, documenting her travels both on her blog and on her social channels. She now also has a podcast, an e-commerce and teaches her followers how to follow in her footsteps.
5. A German couple and their mobile home: Marie & Jan Koza of traveladventure
We fell in love with this lovely couple and their Instagram profile, as well as their YouTube channel. On Traveladventure you can find lots of ideas for making van trips super comfortable and cosy, but that’s not all. The two influencers carefully document their trips around Europe and the world, proposing a sustainable, vegan and nature-friendly lifestyle.
6. Jaw-dropping travel photos for V & Ste by Keep Enchanted
“We have been living in Van for five years. We make professional photos and videos. We create maps for trips on the road. So says the Instagram bio of the Italian pair of Vanlife travellers known as ‘Keepenchanted’. Their wonderful photographs and videos look like something out of a daydream. And we just have to start dreaming along with them, planning the next trip.
