Changing lanes across the Central Coast, from the winding roads of Big Sur to the blooming fields of the Carrizo plains, the sun beams against Nikolas Tanski’s aged, white Mercedes van, taking a less traveled road when it comes to housing.
Coming to San Luis Obispo, mechanical engineering senior Tanski sought ways to fulfill his social needs and a craving for being outside.
“I realized that I wanted to focus my college experience in a van with campus community and organization,” he said, sharing how the Cal Poly Van Life Club came to be.
Started by him and alumnus Jake Grove, the club became centered around a love for being outside shared among groups of like-minded people.
“I think the way the club has gone is it’s more like where it’s at now becoming more symbolic for people just remotely interested and really just getting outside,” Tanski said.
The club has grown to have around 200 members, with few members actually living in their vehicles. The club really encourages student involvement even if you’re not living in a vehicle or own one.
“We just want to provide a space for students to come together, talk, share stories, learn, do fun things and especially share SLO and how great this place has been,” Tanski said. “I remember being so psyched to see every nook and cranny of this place. Now getting to share that is pretty cool. It’s just been pretty special.”
During his freshman year, Tanski was parked in the Morro Bay beach parking lot post surfing, when he met a student living out of an old Volkswagen Bus. After asking his new acquaintance a series of questions about ‘van life,’ and how one goes about it, Tanski embarked on his own journey.
Some argue ‘van life’ can offer students another option when it comes to sustainable living amid rising housing insecurity and rising rents. According to a 2018 Cal Poly basic needs study, 12% of students experience homelessness.
“There’s a lot of people with their backs against the wall, and limited resources and limited opportunity,” Tanski said, acknowledging his privilege to decide on van living. “Living in a vehicle is a necessity, not some joyride.”
Yet there has been pushback when it comes to this alternative way of living across college campuses, specifically at Cal Poly Humboldt. With changes in Safe Parking policies and resolutions on college housing, engagement in van life is increasing.
Additionally, in 2020 a petition circulated through campus advocating for Resolution #21-03, creating a safe parking program on campus. Although nothing concrete happened, it demonstrates the student body has with the vanlife community.
After two years of being parked at Cuesta Ridge and other locations, Tanski has retired living out of his van full-time, and is currently enjoying the luxuries of a more settled lifestyle in a house for his last six months at Cal Poly. However, many continue to live the van life and be influenced by Tanski.
“I had no car but I was totally blown away by Nick’s build,” computer science senior Ethan Jerram said.
In the traditional sense, ‘van life’ can be seen as living out of your vehicle full time. However, like many other students, Jerram lives out of the pop-up tent on his Toyota 4-Runner partially, blanketed with the security of an apartment in the city to call home. Yet, inspired by fellow club members, Jerram had spent three months during the fall driving through a handful of states such as Oregon, Washington, British Columnia, Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
During his freshman year, Jerram found the club to be inviting and enjoyed participating in the fun events. As his interest in the nomadic lifestyle develops, Jerram considers it as an option for navigating housing after college.
“I’ve gotten more into living life in your vehicle. I think I’d enjoy not being in one place too long,” he said, reminiscing on the freedom his previous trip provided him.
Although Jerram found Tanski’s previous living situation admirable, he said that van living “full time” would be difficult right now accounting for how it would be too stressful to balance school and an unsettled lifestyle.
Everyone has their own approach to van life, some choosing to live full time out of their vans, whereas others decide to live only partially. Describing himself as a “casual van lifer,” Cal Poly junior Liam Toner can be seen frolicking around San Luis Obispo highways in what he calls “the best car ever.”
“For me, I still like the sense of home,” Toner said, experiencing “the best of both worlds” while living in an apartment and having the van. “It’s the freedom associated with it and the ability to just do what you want when you want to do it and being able to just wake up one day and say I’m gonna go camping for a while.”
The club has allowed him to find community and travel during his freshman year. Toner knew he wanted to get more involved, purchasing a 1985 Westfalia, embarking on his own ‘van life journey.’
“For people who do it more as their primary source of living, I think it is really affordable, especially in a town like SLO where rent is ridiculous and really hard to find,” Toner said.
With rent constantly rising in college towns and housing being scarce, ‘van life’ continues to appeal to students across college campuses.
“I think it’s becoming more and more embraced or understood. And I think that’s cool to see,” Tanski said. “I think the Central Coast is like a really special place to be — at least on the road.”
