How long could I love on $40K living in a van and chasing nice weather across the US?

I just discovered /r/Vandwelling and something about that lifestyle is calling to me.

What if I dropped out of the ratrace and tooled around the country talking to interesting people, reading books and diving into my 30+ year passion of photography? I could happily live on beans & rice most days and the occasional salad and steak once in a while.

I could scare up $40K cash pretty quick if I cashed in all my chips.

I'm 53 and in good health. No extended family or kids to worry about. How far could I stretch $40K?

Well dammit. Why can't we edit headlines? LIVE (and maybe love) on $40K