Why millennials are ditching mortgages for luxury motor homes
Why millennials are ditching mortgages for luxury motor homes
Life in the not-so-fast lane
A growing number of experience-seeking millennials in the US are taking road trips to the extreme and actually living out of mobile vehicles. Whether it’s on a moored boat in LA or out the back of a renovated VW van, many young profesionals who are either unable or unwilling to step on to the housing ladder are opting for a more mobile-friendly lifestyle.
As was the case with glamping a few years back, it has not taken long for companies to see the potential in this latest trend and add a little class to the equation.
Canada-based company Leisure Travel Vans is just one of the manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon, recently introducing a series of sleek mobile homes hollowed out of the chassis of Mercedes-Benz 3500 Sprinters and Ford Transits.
More: This post-disaster shelter could help house millions of displaced people
While the cars have that distinct mid-century style, millennials and young professionals are driving up demand for the autos. “In recent years, we have started to see a few Leisure Travel Vans being sold to younger professionals that are able to work remotely,” Mike Elias, the company’s director of marketing, told Forbes.
One of the drawcards of these travel vans is that their bathrooms are fully realised, which means no need for occupants to shower on top of the toilet. All Leisure Travel Van models also boast high fuel efficiency, with gas mileage hovering at an average of 15-19 mpg, Forbes noted.
“Personally, I think that we are going to see more and more of this in the future since our products make ideal mobile offices,” Elias noted.
Although the company is currently only making a few hundred units a year, demand and the desire for freedom, especially from freelance workers across the US, is expected to drive the movement in the future. About 34 percent of workers in the US are categorised as freelancers, according to a joint study by online job marketplaces Elance and ODesk.
Read next: Dog houses join the smart home revolution
Source: Property Report