Van life was a dream, but there were also some downsides. Jayme Serbell My partner and I lived in a van full-time before leaving for an off-grid property. Both experiences came with benefits and downsides, and we eventually moved to a walkable city. Van life was affordable but sometimes stressful; our off-grid home was gorgeous but very remote. Exhausted from the 9-to-5 hustle, my partner and I sold most of our belongings and built an old 1996 Chevy Express conversion van into a tiny home. We'