If you’re thinking about going full-time in your van there are some things that definitely change. For instance, staying in a campground with shower facilities won’t be possible every day and those “wet wipe showers” soon get old, especially if you’re trying to live normal life out of your van. No-one wants to go to work having not had a proper shower in days (and they don’t want you to either!).
So, if your van isn’t big enough to fit a shower then you’ll need to find a solution. A lot of full-time van lifers opt to get a gym membership and use the showers they have there. Usually they have gyms all over the country so even if you’re on the move you can find the closest branch to you and go and enjoy a hot shower! But which gym membership is best?
Here we are going to look at some of the best options for living in your van full-time, taking into consideration:
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Price
How many gyms they have nationwide
What hours they’re open
What the showers are like
Whether they offer towels
How clean they are
If they have lockers to keep your stuff safe
These are a few of the things you need to consider when choosing the best gym membership for you, so here we go.
Planet Fitness – $22.99 per Month (2 People)
Planet Fitness is a very popular option for van dwellers, especially because of how cheap it is! If you opt for the Black Card membership you pay $22.99 a month for unlimited use of your “home gym” (the one you signed up at) and you can also use any of the 2000+ other gyms nationwide. The rule is that you can visit any of the other gyms up to 10 times a month and then there’s a $5 fee for each time after that.
This membership works well for a couple living on the road together because you also get to bring a guest every time you go! So you’re only paying for one membership. The only downside is you always have to be there if your guest is going in but if you’re living in a van together we figured that wouldn’t be an issue.
Currently there’s a promotion on so if you sign up now these are the prices:
Startup Fee: $0.00
Monthly Fee: $22.99
Annual Fee: $39.00
Commitment: None
Even if you miss this promotion, there will be more! Keep an eye out and jump on the best promotion you see for an even better deal, but even without the promotion this is a cheap gym membership for van lifers!
This price gives you access to all 4,700 of the Anytime Fitness gyms nationwide AND worldwide. They do allow you to bring a guest (hence the 2 people) but only during staffed hours so there would be no midnight showering for your partner!
Planet Fitness at a glance:
|
Price |
$22.99 a month (2 people) |
|
How many gyms? |
2000+ nationwide |
|
Hours |
24 hours/7 days |
|
Showers |
Yes, at all locations |
|
Towel Service? |
No |
|
Cleanliness |
Average |
|
Lockers? |
Yes, bring your own lock |
Anytime Fitness – Average $36.50 per Month (2 People)
Anytime Fitness is here because of their amazing showers! It’s not as cheap as Planet Fitness but having a really nice shower when you’re living on the road can really be worth the extra cost to a lot of people! $36.50 is the average price but we’re sure if you look around you can choose a cheaper branch to sign up at and you still get to use all the other gyms in the US!
Anytime Fitness is also offering a 7-day free trial so maybe you could try it out for yourselves and see just how awesome these showers are for yourself. They do offer a towel service which would be a great way to cut down on laundry, especially if you’re in a little van then hanging up wet towels can be super irritating.
As we’re all travelers, it’s good to know we’re covered if we go away and you can freeze your Anytime Fitness memberships for up to 3 months in a 12 month period.
|
Price |
$36.50 a month (2 People) |
|
How many gyms? |
4,700 worldwide |
|
Hours |
24 hours/7 days |
|
Showers |
Yes, at all locations |
|
Towel Service? |
Yes |
|
Cleanliness |
Above average! |
|
Lockers? |
Yes, not at all locations |
Lifetime Fitness – $121 per Month (2 People)
Yes, this is quite a bit more expensive than the other two gyms we’ve looked at but that is for a reason. Lifetime Fitness boasts the very best in workout equipment, dozens of free classes as well as swimming pools and saunas. It really does have everything.
There are private locker rooms and they look super fancy, as well as towel service AND nice toiletries and hair dryers at no additional cost. If you use the gym regularly anyway and take a lot of classes, the extra cost of this luxury gym pays for itself. If you’re signing up as an individual it’s $77 a month.
Currently there’s a $79.00 joining fee, but there’s usually some promotion if you keep an eye out on groupon and the likes.
|
Price |
$121 a month (2 People) |
|
How many gyms? |
150+ nationwide |
|
Hours |
24 hours/7 days |
|
Showers |
Yes, at all locations |
|
Towel Service? |
Yes |
|
Cleanliness |
AMAZING |
|
Lockers? |
Yes, Private locker rooms too |
24 Hour Fitness – $35-$45 (1 Person)
A lot of the 24 Hour Fitness clubs are located in the West so if you’re thinking about sticking around there this would be a good option. It’s a bit pricier than some but they’ve got great gyms in plenty of locations and of course, they’re open 24 hours.
Your membership here includes a free custom fitness plan when you join and a bunch of studio classes too. Most gyms have a pool and sauna too which is a great added bonus. One thing that sets this gym apart from the rest is the free kids club! If you’re on the road with your little one you know how welcome this break will be as you might not be near family or anyone who can babysit.
|
Price |
$35-45 a month (1 Person) |
|
How many gyms? |
420+ nationwide |
|
Hours |
24 hours/7 days |
|
Showers |
Yes, at all locations |
|
Towel Service? |
No |
|
Cleanliness |
Very clean |
|
Lockers? |
Yes |
YMCA – $50 per Month (1 Person)
At YMCA gyms, or the Y, you can enjoy way more than “just a gym”. Many locations also have saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, pools and more! This is great news if you don’t really work out and just wanted the shower; this way you get a mini spa experience too!
The major downside to the Y membership is that even if you get a nationwide membership you have to use your home gym at least 50% of the time, every month. This would be fine if you’re based somewhere and just doing short trips around but if you’re travelling full-time it’s unlikely you’ll be at your home gym half of the time.
|
Price |
$50 a month (1 Person) |
|
How many gyms? |
2700+ nationwide |
|
Hours |
Varies – Check branch |
|
Showers |
Yes, at all locations |
|
Towel Service? |
Yes – $1/day or $11/month |
|
Cleanliness |
Clean |
|
Lockers? |
Yes |
How do I know which gym is the best for me?
There you have it; five awesome gym membership options to solve your full-time van dwelling dilemma of no shower! Firstly, figure out how much you’re willing to spend. If you are on a really tight budget then you should go for the Planet Fitness membership. It’s cheap and cheerful.
If you have a few more bucks spare then see which gyms have a lot of locations where you’re planning on traveling. Also figure out what extras you want from your gym. Do you prefer to do weights? Do you want free classes? Or do you just want a gym with a pool, sauna and shower?
We’ve given you all you need to know to find your ideal gym membership on the road. The balls in your court now! Good luck.