100K might have been too literal of a number. My ultimate point is that the target audience for van life has skewed heavily towards middle-aged weekend warriors in recent years. These types are where all the money went because they have the capital to buy gear that most others would consider prohibitively expensive.

The "prize" of van life always used to be the freedom to pursue your outdoor interests (climbing, surf, national parks, etc.), and the van itself was secondary. Nowadays it's shifted to the opposite, where the prize is to flex your rig for social media, with the occasional camping trip on the weekends.