2021, what a year!
While interest for vanlife exploded in 2020, we could really see the movement consolidate in 2021 and become stronger than ever. Vans are flying off the shelves like hotcakes, rentals are filling up in seconds, and the roads are filled with vanlifers all excited to go on their first or 762nd road trip! So here are our vanlife highlights for 2021.
January / February: crossing Canada in our van
We started the year in January by offering ourselves a nice gift and explore a little more the island of Vancouver! The weather was nice and the surf was great. There is so much to discover on this vast island, not to mention the many small islands that surround it! In February, we packed up our things and hit the road to get back to Quebec. Have you ever crossed Canada in the middle of winter? I swear that in the Prairies you don’t want your Webasto to let you down one morning when you wake up to -44 degrees Celsius! One of the most beautiful parts of the Trans-Canada Highway is when you drive along the Great Lakes, in summer and winter, the horizon is breathtaking.
March / April: La Belle Vie season 2 on air
We were so looking forward to the arrival of spring this year for the broadcast of season 2 of our TV series La Belle Vie! Each episode represents memorable moments for us and many of you have been following it week after week and sending us beautiful testimonials. From a traditional artisanal farmhouse to snow-capped mountains, an off-grid tiny house and a floating island, we have once again discovered so many alternative and inspiring ways of living. If the vanlife gods are willing, maybe we’ll do another season?
May: a definite craze for vanlife
With the new season slowly coming to a start, we have never felt such a strong enthusiasm for vanlife as we did this spring. Our community has grown and the #govanmoment has never been so popular, we received 1001 questions on how to buy or convert a van, rental companies and campsites were almost completely booked until the end of the summer and our parts and accessories were flying off the shelves at a crazy pace! Thanks to your participation, we got to get to know better the desires and needs of this new wave of vanlifers, helping us develop our next projects and the future of vanlife.
June: opening of our first Go-Van Space
We’ve been thinking about opening places designed by vanlifers for vanlifers for a long time. Well, this year we finally had the chance to launch our network of Go-Van spaces! A bit of a crazy idea, but so necessary to keep vanlife alive. The idea is to create a network of safe places to sleep that offers a unique experience and where there is a good chance of making memorable connections. There were approximately 900 nights booked at Baie de Beauport this summer and we are already looking forward to the opening of the 2022 season to see you there!
July: the return of the great road trips in Quebec
Once again this year, we took to the roads of Quebec to discover our territory more than ever! One of the best moments of our summer was our annual road trip with Les Chèvres de Montagne. Thanks to them, we were able to explore the Chics-Chocs in an absolutely unique way. Did you see the video? These mountains give the impression of being on another planet! Oh and Karo was 36 weeks pregnant. We had an absolutely incredible view at the top, a successful first hike for our little baby Zaku Koivu!
August: El Campo’s fifth edition
In August, we put the finishing touches on the 5th edition of El Campo. The least we can say is that it was full of thrills! After an inevitable break in 2020, and in the middle of a year of uncertainty, the whole team worked hard to bring the event back strong. With more than 400 vans, the next editions promise to be great. This fifth-anniversary event is certainly one of the highlights of our vanlife year in 2021 and it’s all thanks to you. Watch for the 2022 pre-sale in spring, thanks again to everyone who makes this event memorable.
September: vanlife with a baby
On a more personal note, it’s in September that our little Zak arrived on this strange planet! A meeting that changed our lives forever, and the most intense experience of my existence up to date. It’s hard to imagine that it’s possible to love so much this mini human being with whom you can hardly communicate. Since then, every day we witness the awakening of a little boy filled with energy. After only 3 months of existence, he already has a few road trips experiences and loves to go on the road. All those hours spent in the van during Karo’s pregnancy have paid off! The days go by so fast, but we are filled with happiness.
October / November: a colorful end of the season
This year of vanlife in 2021 has offered us an exceptional season of colors and following the success of El Campo, we felt the need to gather one last time before putting the vans away for winter. Year after year, we realize how vital these gatherings are to our community, so why limit ourselves to one per year? We are still exploring dozens and dozens of options, but we certainly want to expand our event line-up to create even more meetings, exchanges, new connections and memories. Thank you to everyone who answered the call, this fall event will certainly return in 2022, will you be with us on Thanksgiving?
December: regaining strength for the new year to come
What a year for vanlife in 2021! December is always the occasion for the Go-Van team to slow down a bit and make some plans for the year to come. With the return of events, a new website and the opening of our network of Go-Van spaces, we can say that it’s been a busy year! We had a baby and conducted the construction of a base camp, while adding 25,000 km to our van’s odometer thanks to several beautiful road trips across the country. Like many other vanlifers, warmer destinations are calling us and we’re slowly preparing to hit the road towards Western Canada and the United States. What made us the happiest during this incredible year was your many inspiring messages and for that we thank you, see you in 2022!