Alone, not lonely. Most days.
Safety, the long evenings, and the women's groups that make the road feel smaller.
Plenty of people do this alone.
Some lost a partner. Some never wanted one in the passenger seat. Some just got tired of waiting for company.
They aren't fearless. They're prepared.
And they found each other.
After a personal loss that changed everything, I realized we can't wait for 'someday.'Wanda on Wheels
Who's out there
Butterfly Tracks
Full-time on the road for over four years, solo, in a minivan, at 76. She describes it as "choosing curiosity and independence later in life."
Tracey, AD-VAN-TURES OVER 50
Started full-time van life in her 50s. Turned 60 in October 2025.
Dee, Out Of The Box Van Dee
A "Senior Solo Female Nomad recovering from a stroke." She is honest about the hard parts of aging on the road.
Mary, Maximalist Minibus
"A senior nomad who doesn't act her age." Nine years of solo van life, a skoolie named Max, and a little dog named Rider.
Zia, Chasing the Moon RV
A "Canadian, solo, senior female" who drove across Canada and the US in a 1994 camper van.
Safety
The basics are simple. Doing them every time is the hard part.
- Pick your campsite carefully. Arrive in daylight when you can.
- Trust your gut. If a spot feels wrong, leave. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
- Have a "knock" plan. Decide now what you'll do if someone knocks after dark.
- Tell someone where you are. Every time you move.
Robin of Creativity RV filmed what she called the "SCARIEST DAY of RV Life yet as a SOLO FEMALE NOMAD." It's worth watching before you go.
The long evenings
Loneliness is real.
Tracey asked the question out loud in one of her videos: "57 YEARS OLD - VAN LIFE - DATING - LONELY?"
Family can feel far away. Solo nomads lean on events and caravans.
What helps
- Join a group before you leave home.
- Put one gathering on the calendar every season.
- Caravan with someone for a stretch.
- Schedule calls with family. Then keep them.
The women's groups
Butterfly Tribe Women Who Camp
"A women-only community of over 15,000 members," started from the Butterfly Tracks channel.
Women's Rubber Tramp Rendezvous
January 6 to 8, 2027, in Quartzsite, Arizona. Free, with no registration.
What began as documenting my journey grew into a community of women—many in their 60s, 70s, and beyond—who realized they weren't done yet.Butterfly Tracks
When things change
Bodies change. Plans change.
Dee went from car, to cargo trailer, to box van, and now lives in a 22-foot Jayco at an Arizona RV-park home base.
Zia spent three years full-time, and is now back at a home base.
Adjusting isn't quitting. It's how you keep going.
And when the road itself gets to be too much, there are options built for nomads. Escapees CARE, in Livingston, Texas, lets retired RVers "age in place" in their own RV, with professional help.
Things change as you get older so I have learned to adapt.Dee, Out Of The Box Van Dee