What Sort Of Van Lifer Are You?

I’m Basically a caravanner, which is quite appropriate as I have a caravan and am a member of the caravan club..

Yay, free as a bird (well, I will be when I retire in about 4 wks).

Can’t afford the bloody van though…

Full time since September 2022…..

No intention of going back to a “normal” life.

Find the term “van life” a bit cringe, especially when used by someone who is basically on holiday for two weeks.

A wannabe van-lifer, that’s the sort I am.

You’ve got to have bf Goodrich all terrains fitted to your sprinter/ crafter/ ducato/ t6 and a YouTube channel to be a real #vanlifer it seems.

There’s no option for LeCeuset kettle & mugs, smidge, Laphroaig Oak Finish and full size double bed with deep memory foam topper and van special bedding….
This image brought to you live from the oab’s RAB van

full size double bed with deep memory foam topper and van special bedding….

Unless I’m misreading that picture, there’s a wardrobe unit at the end of that van, which means it’s nowhere near full size double bed.

You need custom low side furniture to get a full size bed in a T5.  Obviously even then it isn’t proper full size, but better than the pokey effort that fits in next to a wardrobe :-).

Thankfully not.
And certainly not in the Alpin style, the campsite is rather busy tonight…

I’m writing this lying on an air mattress in the back of my van with the dog, in the Peak District.

My van isn’t a camper, it’s just a panel van.

There are hundreds of camper vans everywhere here but I’m on a campsite.

So I guess I’m a #panelvanliferer

Previously basic.
Foam from work, duvet, dog, chemical bog.

Nowadays a bit more upmarket

Rat Race Escape – which is exactly why we have it and it’ll be getting a lots use for that. Plans a foot for escape through Yorkshire in coming weeks.

We sold our van life van when prices went silly in Covid times. For a similar cost we now do floating van life.

Fewer restrictions on stopping for the night and the ability to get to some remote places.

Closer to home last night though  

If youre retired and with a pension income then I guess that’s doable but doesn’t van life significantly reduce your earning ability?

but if you either have no house costs, or are renting a house out then you have substantial saving / passive income.  It may not be the most financially astute decision, but then pursuing the “traditional” lifestyle is not necessarily great financially either!  My brother earns very nicely but lives in a crampt house that most people would say is too small for them.  He paid his mortgage off years ago and now lives a pretty stress free life doing what he wants with his excess surplus cash.   In reality I suspect most “van lifers” don’t live in their van all year round.

doesn’t van life significantly reduce your earning ability?

In my case, yes….. However, I’m fortunate that I’ve a decent amount of cash invested, although I’ve not had to dip into it.  I have taken on a few cash in hand jobs. Most recently spent three months in Finale installing doors, a kitchen and a few other odd jobs for a friend who is building his house. I’ve got two months work lined up in Munich for the end of summer which we’re combining with visiting the GF’s folks (and the Oktoberfest 😉).

The GF is a self employed branding consultant and clicks about on her computer. Earns more than enough to cover our costs. She’s just finished one job and that will pretty much covers our outgoings for this year.

Essentially she looks after the financial side of things and I’m the house(van) man.

We’ve worked out we need 20-22,000€ a year to cover ourselves. That includes food, diesel, insurances, servicing, meals out, bike bits and

Our fixed costs in Munich were much higher. And we had had enough of Munich, high taxes, expensive and bad coffees and the general stresses of city life (a big building site starting 2m away from our bedroom window was the final push). We knew we didn’t want to be there long term so didn’t see the point spending another ten years there, running faster each year just to standstill.

Financially we’re better off now than two years ago.

We’ve now got more freedom, more money and, most importantly, time to do the things we want.

We’re in no rush to be anywhere specific. We’re not dashing from one spot to another every other day, which massively helps reduce the money spent on diesel. Will often stay parked up for a week or more at a time, perhaps longer if there’s a source of water nearby. Been at this current park up for four days and will stay till our water runs out.

I built the van so that we’re pretty self-sufficient. No chemical toilet that needs emptying (dry toilet with a fan/vent that removes the shitty air). Enough solar/battery capacity that we can go for days without any solar/charging (only once have I had to plug the van into the mains and that was when parked on my sister’s driveway in the depths of UK winter). No gas tanks on board, the stove and heater both run off diesel (drawing off the vehicle tank) so we’ve only one fuel source to worry about. Raised floor in the living area that is stuffed with non-perishable food. 160ltr water on board.

I’m going to walk 3km to the nearest village because our bin is full.

I’m getting van envy now….

Mines just a big car that we can sleep in, it’ll take 8 people but we usually leave a row of seats out as we only need it for 2 adults 2 kids and a dog.

It does appear so doesn’t it!  I couldn’t find the side, it was so far away….😄

Should have opened the wardrobe door and stepped out…rather than find a side! 🤣🤣😉

…ads what’s that bed thing?