Should I Get an RV and Become a #VanLife Influencer? An Investigation

I’m a daydreamer. Some would say it’s because I’m a creative person; others would blame my largely untreated ADHD and the general current of rampant insanity that is my life. In any case, when I’m not working or cooking, I’m usually trapped in some kind of extended lucid reverie that’s just unfolding toward oblivion. 

Anything can set it off. For example, Dave Matthews Band announced their 2023 summer tour last week—yes, I am a big fan, don’t @ me—and it sent me into a deeeeep spiral of fantasy. First it was, What if I finally went to see DMB at the legendary Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin, which real heads know is one of the top DMB venues in the country? Since the band usually plays multiple nights there, people love to go and camp for a couple days. I’m preparing to do my taxes and I’m especially primed to consider the most irresponsible, absolute dumbass ways to spend my free money, so the dark thoughts started creeping in. What if I buy a totally sick camping setup? quickly escalated to Should I just get an RV? 

Then, the rollercoaster really kicked off, and I began considering what else I could do with an RV. Did I want to use the RV to follow DMB all around the country? I started thinking about the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, and visiting my friend’s farm in Minnesota. Can I drive my RV to Canada? I wondered. I mean, I can work remotely—what if I don’t even need an apartment anymore? As I started Googling things like “what is the best cheap RV” and “do you need a special license for an RV,” reality came flooding back in. I learned that you don’t need a CDL (commercial driver’s license) in my state, but you do need insurance for your RV. After all, it is a motor vehicle. This was an obstacle I hadn’t considered. So I started researching RV insurance, and discovered that RV insurance is actually way better than regular car insurance. 

Well, for the RV-curious, there is apparently an RV insurance company called Roamly. Perhaps inspired by the relentless proliferation of #vanlife influencers on social media, Roamly seems specifically designed for Millennials with intense cravings to uproot themselves and make a living off of photos of their hot partner posing in front of various landscapes on an endless road trip. Basically all of my concerns about my (non-existent) RV were assuaged through looking at Roamly’s website, which just deepened the fantasy. (Having just finished all 15 seasons of the original run of Criminal Minds, I feel pretty attuned to all the bad things that can happen when you venture out into America.) If the RV is newer, like within 5 model years (because even time works differently with RVs, I learned), and it’s stolen (whether by a serial killer or not), they’ll replace it with a new model. They’ll also replace the full cost of whatever personal gear you lose; and Roamly will cover lodging, transportation, and even meals if your RV isn’t jamming properly while you’re on the road. 

I remember when I switched to Geco (and I love it, for the record), I had to talk to a human being on the phone, and it totally sucked. Lo and behold, in keeping with the RV lifestyle ethos I crave, you can get a quote for Roamly online without actually having to interact with anybody. So, despite not owning an RV and having no actual plan to buy one, I started signing up for RV insurance… because I could. Through my RV insurance research, I’ve also become hyper-aware of the reality of campfire accidents and campfire-related losses, which, again, made me wonder why Geco is sleeping so hard. Like, it’s totally possible that our 2011 Toyota Corolla could be involved in a campfire-related incident. So why did my agent never warn me about this? Roamly, on the other hand, will give you up to $300,000 for campfire incidents and other tragedies (like “slip-and-falls”), which, honestly, not only makes me want to buy an RV, but also moves me to consider committing insurance fraud. 

Anyway, I’m a VICE staff writer with RV dreams, not an insurance salesman. But I will say… nobody ever tells you how dope RV insurance is. As I sit here listening to DMB’s Alpine Valley Music Theatre Live Trax—and before you ask, I’m spinning Vol. 8, not 15 or 36—fantasizing about a free life on the road, I feel optimistic that it can happen. Just gotta smash “order” on the package and ask my editor if I can work remotely from any time zone. In the meantime, gotta run—gonna call Ge*co and ask why they don’t do campfire accident coverage for my car. I assume because it’s registered in the city of Chicago, LOL, but still…. 

Learn more about Roamly here.

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