New film “Nomadland” by Chloé Zhao starring Frances McDormand as “Fern,” an out-of-work and out-of-luck middle-aged woman shows real-life nomad Bob Wells, founder of CheapRVLiving, as a mentor to her as she travels solo in a van, migrating from one seasonal job to another across the western states.
The Guardian picked up on the story and ran a rare glimpse into the van of the wealthy desert recluse, a fact that surfaced between Wells and a reporter for a PBS NewsHour video about making money on the road. But he doesn’t hold onto all the money. “What do I need money for? I live in a van!” he said.
“If the Great Recession was a crack in the system, Covid and climate change will be the chasm,” Bob Wells, 65, told Guardian reporter Stevie Trujillo. He has channeled the grief in his own personal life — and financial fortune from innumerable YouTube videos — into service through his non-profit organization, Homes on Wheels Alliance (HOWA). He recounts his painful start into the van life in a dialogue with “Fern” in the film and shares additional details about his life today in a piece on living the #vanlife for CBS Sunday Morning.
Today, Both Wells and HOWA run YouTube channels that are skyrocketing in popularity. In addition, HOWA runs social media groups on Facebook and Meetup, while Wells runs his own forums on his website, CheapRVLiving.com.
“Today, he lives exclusively on public lands in his GMC Savana fitted with 400 watts of solar power and a 12-volt refrigerator. His life mission is to promote nomadic tribalism in a car, van or RV as a way to prevent homelessness and live more sustainably,” the Guardian article said.
Film trailer: https://www.searchlightpictures.com/post/4372/nomadland-official-trailer/
PBS NewsHour video: https://youtu.be/FU2yuHjOgtg?t=372
CBS Sunday Morning video: https://youtu.be/ndHJn_kMJXE?t=170
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