Vanlife - anyone here do it?
Discussion
"Flammable diesel fuel" ? 
Either T-ing off a fuel line or having a stand-alone container are both absoiutely fine. I installed a diesel heater on our old Kontiki and fed it from a 20 litre container strapped to the wall of the garage under the bed. No issues at all. They are simple devices after all and so long as you use basic common sense for the siting of the air intake and exhaust they are pretty idiot-proof.
Either T-ing off a fuel line or having a stand-alone container are both absoiutely fine. I installed a diesel heater on our old Kontiki and fed it from a 20 litre container strapped to the wall of the garage under the bed. No issues at all. They are simple devices after all and so long as you use basic common sense for the siting of the air intake and exhaust they are pretty idiot-proof.
I suppose I do, I separated from my Mrs and left her and the step kids the house , pay half still, she is ling haul cabin crew so when she's flying I'm in the house and the rest of the time I'm in ny camper which suits me pretty well and avoids £1000 a month on soemhwrw I'm not at half the time!
I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
nagsheadwarrior said:
I suppose I do, I separated from my Mrs and left her and the step kids the house , pay half still, she is ling haul cabin crew so when she's flying I'm in the house and the rest of the time I'm in ny camper which suits me pretty well and avoids £1000 a month on soemhwrw I'm not at half the time!
I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
Do you have really fat fingers Jody? I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
r3g said:
nagsheadwarrior said:
I suppose I do, I separated from my Mrs and left her and the step kids the house , pay half still, she is ling haul cabin crew so when she's flying I'm in the house and the rest of the time I'm in ny camper which suits me pretty well and avoids £1000 a month on soemhwrw I'm not at half the time!
I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
Do you have really fat fingers Jody? I'm also a kotoehome dealer which fits pretty well eith it to.
Happy to help with any questions drop me a pm, I'm Devon based but from hampshire
I did full time in a self built camper around Europe with my wife. Similar to you we had several necessities that off the shelf motorhomes just couldn't accommodate such as plenty of room or climbing equipment and bikes, very good insulation and the ability to be away from mains power for extended periods. We sold a small business and decided to take a kind of gap year, early retirement at 38 with the full intention to return and work again. It was covid that brought us home in the end but we've since been out again for an extended period. We're lucky that she's Canadian and I have an Italian passport via my Mother so it wasn't such hard work for us to stay.
We build our van from a Relay on the basis that it's easier to find someone to fix it in most back streets of Europe, Sprinters are lovely but also need some more specialist equipment for diagnostics etc. We've not had any issues with the van but the amount of tiny garages in the arse end of nowhere with a PSA emblem of some sort makes me feel comfortable with my decision.
Generally we spent time at altitude and as a result needed the best insulation and heating we could fit. We fitted 400ah of lithium, a diesel heater with high altitude nozzle and 100 litres of water. We have a full size double bed with the ability to extend it to a super king as we didn't want to compromise on sleep when we're coming off the mountain tired. That was another reason we chose the Relay as it will fit a double bed at 1980mm transversely with 50mm PIR insulation, the Sprinter wont fit. The bed is reasonably high up with leaves plenty of space for four bikes underneath in the garage area which also fit an inflatable SUP, inflatable kayak and various climbing equipment.
My main advice is to plan the van well for what you need. You will have several compromises and that's inevitable with any van but choose your compromises wisely. If you're likely to be tired after a day of activity then building a bed in the area you've just eaten dinner and relaxed for the evening may become annoying quite quickly. But then if you entertain a fixed bed that's up all the time may become annoying when there's no room to have friends over for dinner.
Day to day it's nothing like the van life folk on youtube. Don't get me wrong it's amazing to be free and waking up to some amazing views and spending time in beautiful isolated places but it's hard work to be organized enough to live in a tiny space. Laundry becomes a pretty serious job, especially if it's raining. If you choose a laverda then you can write off half a day in a city or town you may not want to be in trying to avoid parking fines just to wash clothes. You need to be able to fix problems in the van, that's especially hard when you didn't build it. For mechanical issues you may find European recovery services but on the whole they just pay you a cost they believe the van to be worth and then ship you back to blighty. You're then stuck without a van and inevitably without the money to buy another as they undervalued it. Problems really can mount up quickly, you need to be comfortable with that.
We absolutely loved our time doing it and it enabled us to camp in some of the most spectacular places I've ever been and experience things normal travel wouldn't ever allow but you earn it! We had all manner of problems one day when we were supposed to stay over at a client's chalet in Peisey-Nancroix. Excited to be staying somewhere for a week or two and filling up on groceries we'd not had in a long time such as all the ice cream in France we'd taken a wrong turn and drove far too far up the mountain before realising the mistake as google tried to route us across a dirt road with red slope signage on it just around dusk. We had to travel an hour back into the valley and back up the other side to finally arrive at the chalet around 11pm in thunder and driving rain to not be able to get in. We couldn't contact the owner to sort the issue and we were both broken from the drive so continued up to the nearest car park to sleep. It turned out to be an aire so had toilets and a free shower and water. We woke the next morning in glorious sunshine, alone at the head of the valley to the noise of 15 waterfalls echoing around the valley and an eagle overhead. https://maps.app.goo.gl/MCKrpwYsj4soq7nn8 we stayed there for two weeks and barely saw another sole. It was early spring so we were able to ski and downhill mountain bike on the lower slopes from the same place.
Little things like that make it all worth it. We'd never find ourselves in these places had we not also had some challenges. You have to roll with them but also have the ability to relish the stress. I thoroughly recommend it!
We build our van from a Relay on the basis that it's easier to find someone to fix it in most back streets of Europe, Sprinters are lovely but also need some more specialist equipment for diagnostics etc. We've not had any issues with the van but the amount of tiny garages in the arse end of nowhere with a PSA emblem of some sort makes me feel comfortable with my decision.
Generally we spent time at altitude and as a result needed the best insulation and heating we could fit. We fitted 400ah of lithium, a diesel heater with high altitude nozzle and 100 litres of water. We have a full size double bed with the ability to extend it to a super king as we didn't want to compromise on sleep when we're coming off the mountain tired. That was another reason we chose the Relay as it will fit a double bed at 1980mm transversely with 50mm PIR insulation, the Sprinter wont fit. The bed is reasonably high up with leaves plenty of space for four bikes underneath in the garage area which also fit an inflatable SUP, inflatable kayak and various climbing equipment.
My main advice is to plan the van well for what you need. You will have several compromises and that's inevitable with any van but choose your compromises wisely. If you're likely to be tired after a day of activity then building a bed in the area you've just eaten dinner and relaxed for the evening may become annoying quite quickly. But then if you entertain a fixed bed that's up all the time may become annoying when there's no room to have friends over for dinner.
Day to day it's nothing like the van life folk on youtube. Don't get me wrong it's amazing to be free and waking up to some amazing views and spending time in beautiful isolated places but it's hard work to be organized enough to live in a tiny space. Laundry becomes a pretty serious job, especially if it's raining. If you choose a laverda then you can write off half a day in a city or town you may not want to be in trying to avoid parking fines just to wash clothes. You need to be able to fix problems in the van, that's especially hard when you didn't build it. For mechanical issues you may find European recovery services but on the whole they just pay you a cost they believe the van to be worth and then ship you back to blighty. You're then stuck without a van and inevitably without the money to buy another as they undervalued it. Problems really can mount up quickly, you need to be comfortable with that.
We absolutely loved our time doing it and it enabled us to camp in some of the most spectacular places I've ever been and experience things normal travel wouldn't ever allow but you earn it! We had all manner of problems one day when we were supposed to stay over at a client's chalet in Peisey-Nancroix. Excited to be staying somewhere for a week or two and filling up on groceries we'd not had in a long time such as all the ice cream in France we'd taken a wrong turn and drove far too far up the mountain before realising the mistake as google tried to route us across a dirt road with red slope signage on it just around dusk. We had to travel an hour back into the valley and back up the other side to finally arrive at the chalet around 11pm in thunder and driving rain to not be able to get in. We couldn't contact the owner to sort the issue and we were both broken from the drive so continued up to the nearest car park to sleep. It turned out to be an aire so had toilets and a free shower and water. We woke the next morning in glorious sunshine, alone at the head of the valley to the noise of 15 waterfalls echoing around the valley and an eagle overhead. https://maps.app.goo.gl/MCKrpwYsj4soq7nn8 we stayed there for two weeks and barely saw another sole. It was early spring so we were able to ski and downhill mountain bike on the lower slopes from the same place.
Little things like that make it all worth it. We'd never find ourselves in these places had we not also had some challenges. You have to roll with them but also have the ability to relish the stress. I thoroughly recommend it!
@thisnameistaken
Really good to read your experience, much appreciated!
This thread has already given me plenty to consider and research, so thanks for all the contributions and support to date, as well as highlighting some of the very real challenges that would invariably exist with this idea/lifestyle.
Really good to read your experience, much appreciated!
This thread has already given me plenty to consider and research, so thanks for all the contributions and support to date, as well as highlighting some of the very real challenges that would invariably exist with this idea/lifestyle.
We have a motorhome for the 3 of us, we spent all 6 weeks of the summer holidays last year traveling France, Spain, Italy and Andorra. We realised, what we thought was our perfect van we'd bought in 2022 wasn't so perfect. Might be worth trying to rent some you're interested in via Goboony for a night or two at a time.
I live full time in a ex army fwd Bedford MJ. It is a coms body, actually one of the original Ptarmigan truck nodes deployed in Germany so a large body and well insulated.
Priorities for me were the ability to stand up with a bit of room, a fixed double bed with a proper mattress, roomy shower and decent loo.
My heating is a small log burner. I looked at diesel heaters but they are a bit noisy and I do love a proper fire.
Someone suggested that the toilet can be a headache but I have never found it a problem. My underslung black tank lasts a little over two weeks and is very easy to empty over a ground level waste point, simply a case of hold your nose and open the tap. Ground level waste points are all over the place, particularly in Europe.
With regard to Europe there are lots of free online Schengen stay calculators and the one I use is ninety180.com
I possibly went a bit ott with power but I had a bit of power anxiety during the planning stages and just didn't want to run out. I have a fairly power hungry espresso machine and various other creature comforts that I wasn't prepared to give up so there is 1050 watts of solar on the roof and 460 ah of lithium batteries. Those are 24 volt so double that for a comparison with a 12 volt system. This morning was sunny and the batteries were back to 100% before 7am but in the winter or overcast days that can take longer, sometimes noon. I am off grid and when I book into a campsite I usually don't bother to hook up to shore power.
I faffed around with a Netgear router for a while before shelling out for Starlink. Starlink is excellent and gives me greater speeds anywhere in Europe than ever got via a landline when I lived in a house.
The only thing I don't have on board is a washing machine so I usually book into a proper campsite and use their facilities once a fortnight, which neatly ties up with the need to empty the loo and take on fresh water.
There are lots of apps to find places to stay and their facilities which I would be happy to share if you need them both in the UK and Europe.
Safe travels everyone
Regards
Mark
Priorities for me were the ability to stand up with a bit of room, a fixed double bed with a proper mattress, roomy shower and decent loo.
My heating is a small log burner. I looked at diesel heaters but they are a bit noisy and I do love a proper fire.
Someone suggested that the toilet can be a headache but I have never found it a problem. My underslung black tank lasts a little over two weeks and is very easy to empty over a ground level waste point, simply a case of hold your nose and open the tap. Ground level waste points are all over the place, particularly in Europe.
With regard to Europe there are lots of free online Schengen stay calculators and the one I use is ninety180.com
I possibly went a bit ott with power but I had a bit of power anxiety during the planning stages and just didn't want to run out. I have a fairly power hungry espresso machine and various other creature comforts that I wasn't prepared to give up so there is 1050 watts of solar on the roof and 460 ah of lithium batteries. Those are 24 volt so double that for a comparison with a 12 volt system. This morning was sunny and the batteries were back to 100% before 7am but in the winter or overcast days that can take longer, sometimes noon. I am off grid and when I book into a campsite I usually don't bother to hook up to shore power.
I faffed around with a Netgear router for a while before shelling out for Starlink. Starlink is excellent and gives me greater speeds anywhere in Europe than ever got via a landline when I lived in a house.
The only thing I don't have on board is a washing machine so I usually book into a proper campsite and use their facilities once a fortnight, which neatly ties up with the need to empty the loo and take on fresh water.
There are lots of apps to find places to stay and their facilities which I would be happy to share if you need them both in the UK and Europe.
Safe travels everyone
Regards
Mark
I've been full timing in a 1994 Hymer for two years. I have obligations in the UK that tie me mostly to a relatively small geographical area, but every now and again i get the chance to head for Europe. That's all changing in the next few week, so I'll be away a lot more in the near future.
It's just me and the dog 90% of the time, but my girlfriend joins me for a few days or a week at a time.
Last summer, I had almost all the three months in Eastern Europe, and had a wonderful time. Highlights were Augustow in Poland, Kolka in Latvia and everything in Estonia. I very rarely struggled to find somewhere to stay, mostly using Park4night. I had some work done on the van in Jaslo for about 50% of what it would cost in the UK. I'm sure it was a pain in the arse for the garage, but they made sure I could sleep in the van every night while they had it.
This winter, I headed for Spain and Portugal for a couple of months. Again, no problems.
It can be a lonely way of life. I'm quite insular and self sufficient, but there was the odd time when it all got a bit overwhelming. I loathe Christmas, and loved spending the day on the beach in Tarifa with the dog. NYE in Evora was a strangely lonely experience, by contrast.
One thing I struggle with is being anxious about leaving the van while I explore on foot or by public transport. Everything I own is in there, and it's a bit of a worry. Touch wood, I've had no problems.
I'm heading for a festival in France in August, then to Northern Spain and Portugal until the 90 days runs out. That said, it's relatively cheap to get a French visa for up to six months. Once you're in France, you're in Schengen. I need to explore this further, but I think it could be a fairly simple way of staying longer.
For consistency of dog food and basics, I tend to shop at Aldi or Lidl. They're everywhere across Europe, and reassuringly familiar on the days when you need that!
I've got medical issues that almost preclude travel insurance. It's a calculated risk I take, and I'm aware I could find myself in a world of financial pain if the worst came to the worst.
If I've got easy access to water (not difficult in most of continental Europe), I'll shower as often as I like. If it's a bit trickier, I can become a bit feral. There's always leisure centres etc to get a shower if the worst comes to the worst.
Casette toilets can be an issue. I carry a spare casette in a roofbox, but try to make sure I only use it in an emergency. As a man, the whole world is my urinal, so it tends to be jobbies and flush water in the casette. I can make one last a week at a push.
Here's the van at a free stopover in Saulkrasti in Latvia.
It's just me and the dog 90% of the time, but my girlfriend joins me for a few days or a week at a time.
Last summer, I had almost all the three months in Eastern Europe, and had a wonderful time. Highlights were Augustow in Poland, Kolka in Latvia and everything in Estonia. I very rarely struggled to find somewhere to stay, mostly using Park4night. I had some work done on the van in Jaslo for about 50% of what it would cost in the UK. I'm sure it was a pain in the arse for the garage, but they made sure I could sleep in the van every night while they had it.
This winter, I headed for Spain and Portugal for a couple of months. Again, no problems.
It can be a lonely way of life. I'm quite insular and self sufficient, but there was the odd time when it all got a bit overwhelming. I loathe Christmas, and loved spending the day on the beach in Tarifa with the dog. NYE in Evora was a strangely lonely experience, by contrast.
One thing I struggle with is being anxious about leaving the van while I explore on foot or by public transport. Everything I own is in there, and it's a bit of a worry. Touch wood, I've had no problems.
I'm heading for a festival in France in August, then to Northern Spain and Portugal until the 90 days runs out. That said, it's relatively cheap to get a French visa for up to six months. Once you're in France, you're in Schengen. I need to explore this further, but I think it could be a fairly simple way of staying longer.
For consistency of dog food and basics, I tend to shop at Aldi or Lidl. They're everywhere across Europe, and reassuringly familiar on the days when you need that!
I've got medical issues that almost preclude travel insurance. It's a calculated risk I take, and I'm aware I could find myself in a world of financial pain if the worst came to the worst.
If I've got easy access to water (not difficult in most of continental Europe), I'll shower as often as I like. If it's a bit trickier, I can become a bit feral. There's always leisure centres etc to get a shower if the worst comes to the worst.
Casette toilets can be an issue. I carry a spare casette in a roofbox, but try to make sure I only use it in an emergency. As a man, the whole world is my urinal, so it tends to be jobbies and flush water in the casette. I can make one last a week at a push.
Here's the van at a free stopover in Saulkrasti in Latvia.
Threeracers said:
I live full time in a ex army fwd Bedford MJ. It is a coms body, actually one of the original Ptarmigan truck nodes deployed in Germany so a large body and well insulated.
Priorities for me were the ability to stand up with a bit of room, a fixed double bed with a proper mattress, roomy shower and decent loo.
My heating is a small log burner. I looked at diesel heaters but they are a bit noisy and I do love a proper fire.
Someone suggested that the toilet can be a headache but I have never found it a problem. My underslung black tank lasts a little over two weeks and is very easy to empty over a ground level waste point, simply a case of hold your nose and open the tap. Ground level waste points are all over the place, particularly in Europe.
With regard to Europe there are lots of free online Schengen stay calculators and the one I use is ninety180.com
I possibly went a bit ott with power but I had a bit of power anxiety during the planning stages and just didn't want to run out. I have a fairly power hungry espresso machine and various other creature comforts that I wasn't prepared to give up so there is 1050 watts of solar on the roof and 460 ah of lithium batteries. Those are 24 volt so double that for a comparison with a 12 volt system. This morning was sunny and the batteries were back to 100% before 7am but in the winter or overcast days that can take longer, sometimes noon. I am off grid and when I book into a campsite I usually don't bother to hook up to shore power.
I faffed around with a Netgear router for a while before shelling out for Starlink. Starlink is excellent and gives me greater speeds anywhere in Europe than ever got via a landline when I lived in a house.
The only thing I don't have on board is a washing machine so I usually book into a proper campsite and use their facilities once a fortnight, which neatly ties up with the need to empty the loo and take on fresh water.
There are lots of apps to find places to stay and their facilities which I would be happy to share if you need them both in the UK and Europe.
Safe travels everyone
Regards
Mark
That’s a cracking story, thanks for sharing it, sounds great as does your vehicle, would also like to see pics.Priorities for me were the ability to stand up with a bit of room, a fixed double bed with a proper mattress, roomy shower and decent loo.
My heating is a small log burner. I looked at diesel heaters but they are a bit noisy and I do love a proper fire.
Someone suggested that the toilet can be a headache but I have never found it a problem. My underslung black tank lasts a little over two weeks and is very easy to empty over a ground level waste point, simply a case of hold your nose and open the tap. Ground level waste points are all over the place, particularly in Europe.
With regard to Europe there are lots of free online Schengen stay calculators and the one I use is ninety180.com
I possibly went a bit ott with power but I had a bit of power anxiety during the planning stages and just didn't want to run out. I have a fairly power hungry espresso machine and various other creature comforts that I wasn't prepared to give up so there is 1050 watts of solar on the roof and 460 ah of lithium batteries. Those are 24 volt so double that for a comparison with a 12 volt system. This morning was sunny and the batteries were back to 100% before 7am but in the winter or overcast days that can take longer, sometimes noon. I am off grid and when I book into a campsite I usually don't bother to hook up to shore power.
I faffed around with a Netgear router for a while before shelling out for Starlink. Starlink is excellent and gives me greater speeds anywhere in Europe than ever got via a landline when I lived in a house.
The only thing I don't have on board is a washing machine so I usually book into a proper campsite and use their facilities once a fortnight, which neatly ties up with the need to empty the loo and take on fresh water.
There are lots of apps to find places to stay and their facilities which I would be happy to share if you need them both in the UK and Europe.
Safe travels everyone
Regards
Mark
What would you say are your top 5 likes/dislikes about vanlife, being brutally honest - same question to others who have done it too?
s2sol said:
I've been full timing in a 1994 Hymer for two years. I have obligations in the UK that tie me mostly to a relatively small geographical area, but every now and again i get the chance to head for Europe. That's all changing in the next few week, so I'll be away a lot more in the near future.
It's just me and the dog 90% of the time, but my girlfriend joins me for a few days or a week at a time.
Last summer, I had almost all the three months in Eastern Europe, and had a wonderful time. Highlights were Augustow in Poland, Kolka in Latvia and everything in Estonia. I very rarely struggled to find somewhere to stay, mostly using Park4night. I had some work done on the van in Jaslo for about 50% of what it would cost in the UK. I'm sure it was a pain in the arse for the garage, but they made sure I could sleep in the van every night while they had it.
This winter, I headed for Spain and Portugal for a couple of months. Again, no problems.
It can be a lonely way of life. I'm quite insular and self sufficient, but there was the odd time when it all got a bit overwhelming. I loathe Christmas, and loved spending the day on the beach in Tarifa with the dog. NYE in Evora was a strangely lonely experience, by contrast.
One thing I struggle with is being anxious about leaving the van while I explore on foot or by public transport. Everything I own is in there, and it's a bit of a worry. Touch wood, I've had no problems.
I'm heading for a festival in France in August, then to Northern Spain and Portugal until the 90 days runs out. That said, it's relatively cheap to get a French visa for up to six months. Once you're in France, you're in Schengen. I need to explore this further, but I think it could be a fairly simple way of staying longer.
For consistency of dog food and basics, I tend to shop at Aldi or Lidl. They're everywhere across Europe, and reassuringly familiar on the days when you need that!
I've got medical issues that almost preclude travel insurance. It's a calculated risk I take, and I'm aware I could find myself in a world of financial pain if the worst came to the worst.
If I've got easy access to water (not difficult in most of continental Europe), I'll shower as often as I like. If it's a bit trickier, I can become a bit feral. There's always leisure centres etc to get a shower if the worst comes to the worst.
Casette toilets can be an issue. I carry a spare casette in a roofbox, but try to make sure I only use it in an emergency. As a man, the whole world is my urinal, so it tends to be jobbies and flush water in the casette. I can make one last a week at a push.
Here's the van at a free stopover in Saulkrasti in Latvia.
Enjoyed reading your journey, I can understand the mental highs/lows. Also I’d probably be vigilant of my van if I was full timing, as you say it’s your home with everything in it, who wouldn’t have it in mind! Enjoy your travels! It's just me and the dog 90% of the time, but my girlfriend joins me for a few days or a week at a time.
Last summer, I had almost all the three months in Eastern Europe, and had a wonderful time. Highlights were Augustow in Poland, Kolka in Latvia and everything in Estonia. I very rarely struggled to find somewhere to stay, mostly using Park4night. I had some work done on the van in Jaslo for about 50% of what it would cost in the UK. I'm sure it was a pain in the arse for the garage, but they made sure I could sleep in the van every night while they had it.
This winter, I headed for Spain and Portugal for a couple of months. Again, no problems.
It can be a lonely way of life. I'm quite insular and self sufficient, but there was the odd time when it all got a bit overwhelming. I loathe Christmas, and loved spending the day on the beach in Tarifa with the dog. NYE in Evora was a strangely lonely experience, by contrast.
One thing I struggle with is being anxious about leaving the van while I explore on foot or by public transport. Everything I own is in there, and it's a bit of a worry. Touch wood, I've had no problems.
I'm heading for a festival in France in August, then to Northern Spain and Portugal until the 90 days runs out. That said, it's relatively cheap to get a French visa for up to six months. Once you're in France, you're in Schengen. I need to explore this further, but I think it could be a fairly simple way of staying longer.
For consistency of dog food and basics, I tend to shop at Aldi or Lidl. They're everywhere across Europe, and reassuringly familiar on the days when you need that!
I've got medical issues that almost preclude travel insurance. It's a calculated risk I take, and I'm aware I could find myself in a world of financial pain if the worst came to the worst.
If I've got easy access to water (not difficult in most of continental Europe), I'll shower as often as I like. If it's a bit trickier, I can become a bit feral. There's always leisure centres etc to get a shower if the worst comes to the worst.
Casette toilets can be an issue. I carry a spare casette in a roofbox, but try to make sure I only use it in an emergency. As a man, the whole world is my urinal, so it tends to be jobbies and flush water in the casette. I can make one last a week at a push.
Here's the van at a free stopover in Saulkrasti in Latvia.
Happy to share a photo or two and yes, I do have an instagram page called; travelswithmytruck
This one was taken last year outside the largest underground airfield in Europe on the border with Bosnia.
This was laundry night at a small campsite just south of Geneva.
And a drone shot of the truck on the Outer Hebrides in April last year.
I can’t think of any real lows. Perhaps storage? You need to cut back a bit and be mindful of your weight limit. Muddy wet dogs in winter possibly? But then an open log fire soon fixes that problem.
It can be lonely but really only if you choose to be alone. I find the camper van community to be very friendly so if you want to engage with someone it’s fairly easy to do so. My partner joins me for bigger trips, sometimes flying out for part of the trip or getting a train. One of the apps I use is FrancePassion which is a great way of finding free stopovers in France and meet some very interesting people. It’s about Euro30 per year and collates a collection of about 2200 sites of people who make, bake, brew, cure or cook things and allow you to park for free for one or two nights. Some offer fresh water or grey disposal but seldom black. I think there is an expectation that you will buy something from them but it’s certainly not an obligation. Just being polite and engaging with them is enough and it’s usually fairly easy to engage with someone who is passionate about the things they produce.
I do understand s2sol’s concerns about security when leaving the van, it’s a bit of a worry and you cannot help feel a bit vulnerable, perhaps less for me being behind a big steel door but if they want to get in I am sure they will. Even if you don’t have a dog a dog bowl with some water outside the door and a sign saying beware of the dog on the door can help. And a top tip for solo female travellers is find a grubby pair of size eleven work boots and leave them outside the door too.
Regards
Mark
This one was taken last year outside the largest underground airfield in Europe on the border with Bosnia.
This was laundry night at a small campsite just south of Geneva.
And a drone shot of the truck on the Outer Hebrides in April last year.
I can’t think of any real lows. Perhaps storage? You need to cut back a bit and be mindful of your weight limit. Muddy wet dogs in winter possibly? But then an open log fire soon fixes that problem.
It can be lonely but really only if you choose to be alone. I find the camper van community to be very friendly so if you want to engage with someone it’s fairly easy to do so. My partner joins me for bigger trips, sometimes flying out for part of the trip or getting a train. One of the apps I use is FrancePassion which is a great way of finding free stopovers in France and meet some very interesting people. It’s about Euro30 per year and collates a collection of about 2200 sites of people who make, bake, brew, cure or cook things and allow you to park for free for one or two nights. Some offer fresh water or grey disposal but seldom black. I think there is an expectation that you will buy something from them but it’s certainly not an obligation. Just being polite and engaging with them is enough and it’s usually fairly easy to engage with someone who is passionate about the things they produce.
I do understand s2sol’s concerns about security when leaving the van, it’s a bit of a worry and you cannot help feel a bit vulnerable, perhaps less for me being behind a big steel door but if they want to get in I am sure they will. Even if you don’t have a dog a dog bowl with some water outside the door and a sign saying beware of the dog on the door can help. And a top tip for solo female travellers is find a grubby pair of size eleven work boots and leave them outside the door too.
Regards
Mark
PurpleTurtle said:
As others have said, if you just do a search on #vanlife on Instagram then there is a plethora of accounts out there of attractive single women who do tasteful bikini shots etc,
you are young, female and easy on the eye
Links please 👍you are young, female and easy on the eye
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Monday 20th May 14:29
Actual said:
We are now very happy with our 3rd van which have all been PVC and more expensive for each change.
I am interested to know what you would change?
Just needs to be a bit wider, ours is 2.3m wide and probably with a sideways lounge/dining area ours is more a booth type, it could do with a bigger shower too and a nice to have would be an island bed.I am interested to know what you would change?
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