Van Life in Montana: Is the Craze Hitting the Brakes?

VAN LIFE! It's a craze that swept the country over the past few years—and yes, it definitely rolled through Montana, too. I’ve thought about it myself. It’s got that irresistible mix of freedom and adventure: park in a scenic spot, explore a bit, then hit the road to the next jaw-dropping view.

From Glacier’s wild backroads to fishing accesses along the Yellowstone, you can’t go far without spotting a decked-out van, especially in the warmer months. Who could blame them? Montana’s beauty practically screams, “Build your dream van and come explore here!”

But it turns out, the van life wave might be slowing down. After peaking during the pandemic, the trend is starting to idle. A study by Motointegrator and DataPulse Research shows that many who jumped on the van wagon are now shifting gears.

In 2021, RV shipments hit 600,000, up from 400,000 in 2019, but that momentum didn’t last. Last year, about 10 million U.S. households camped in an RV, down from 15 million in 2022. That DOES NOT include retrofitted vans, but the slowdown is clear.

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RV and camper van sales, which soared during lockdowns, have dipped below pre-2020 levels. And RV camping itself? That’s also dropped to numbers not seen since 2018. It makes sense. Remote work was booming, cities were shut down, and van life offered an escape hatch. But as the world reopened and reality crept back in, gas prices, repairs, finding Wi-Fi in the woods... it’s not shocking some people bailed.

Still, in Montana, van life isn’t totally parked. Our landscapes, ski hills, and hidden forest roads still call to the nomadic spirit. Just maybe with a few less hashtags.