28-year-old filmmaker pays $700 per month to work and live in a renovated cargo van

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a nomad, just ask 28-year-old Trent Arant.

About four years ago, after a breakup, the filmmaker moved out of his house in Atlanta, Georgia, to hit the road with his dog, Millie. Since 2018, he has lived over 20 cities and visited over 20 U.S. states, all while living and working as a full-time independent contractor from his van.

“Van life has really put life into perspective for me,” Arant tells CNBC Make It. “Being able to travel around the country and experience all these unique people and unique places … I’m forced to go out of my element and experience things I wouldn’t normally experience.”

The freedom that comes with being on the road is equal parts thrilling and lonesome, he says.

“Living in a van is not as glamorous as it seems on social media,” Arant says. “It’s fun and adventurous, and I feel like I’m living life right now, but I do feel homeless sometimes. I don’t necessarily feel like I belong anywhere.”

It isn’t exactly a freewheeling, zero commitment lifestyle, either. Arant only pays about $700 in monthly payments for his tricked out a 2020 RAM ProMaster Van, but he spent almost $10,000 on renovations to make the recreational vehicle a home.

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The Case Against Travel Trailers

RVing is a trend that’s sweeping across the nation. New and used rigs are selling like hotcakes, and many purchases are by first-time owners.

Based on sales stats, most consider travel trailers when shopping for the perfect rig.

A travel trailer may be an appealing option at first, but they’re not all that great in the long run. Let’s look at why you might want to think twice when shopping for travel trailers.

What Are Travel Trailers?
Travel trailers are easily the most common RV you’ll see in campgrounds. They come in many lengths and weights, and you would often use a ball and receiver to hitch the trailer to the tow vehicle.

Travel trailers are a popular option because they don’t always require a large tow vehicle and come with various layouts and floorplans.

You can find a travel trailer for practically any adventure.

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Disgusted: Cracker Barrel Campers Ruining it for Everyone

Are you thinking of heading to Cracker Barrel for a stopover during your next RV travel day?

It can be a nice place to stop overnight and get a few hours of sleep. However, there are some unspoken rules to know before going. You don’t want to end up getting blasted like these people on Reddit.

Why Was the Redditor Disgusted?
Reddit user Anonforresearch recently stayed at Cracker Barrel while traveling through the area. The Redditor arrived 30 minutes before the store closing, and they were disgusted to see that the parking lot resembled an RV park.

When they pulled in, they saw “several huge pull behinds with [all] their slides out taking up multiple [RV] spaces, and the trash cans were overflowing with full trash bags…”. When user Anonforresearch woke up to leave before the Cracker Barrel opened, every RV was still there, and it seemed like they had no plans of going.

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A MIT guy drove an RV all over the US to build affordable housing

Although Joseph “Pepe” Fields ’67 has an MIT degree in chemistry, he’s spent his career not in the laboratory or the classroom but working all over the world in international management—and, most recently, driving a recreational vehicle all over the US to build affordable housing with a Habitat for Humanity program called RV Care-A-Vanners.

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