Hey guys... sooooo im seriously thinking about leaving my mundane boring life as far in the distance of my rear view mirror as possible..
Im just needing some inspiration to make the transition from my secure , safe, guaranteed income reliant life to WTF AM I DOING.. I dont know where my next penny is coming from but I feel so alive and free life..
Van life is something ive been considering for a long while. However. There has always been obstacles or excuses . For example " i dont have enough savings, how will i make a living? Where do i get a cheap reliable van from, what if it breaks down,? Will i be safe? How long do i stsy on the road for?
I would love to hear your stories. I would love some advice on how to set up and get started??
my Canadian passport will be stamped upon arrival. I am stuck with the 90 days twice a year. I will live around that.. that will do for the dog renewal anyway.
A dog needs AHC in UK is £99 or so every 4 months and you gotta drive back to UK to renew - bummer I know. So I got my dog Spanish one and it was 80euros including rabies jab and echinococcus tab - take that Brexit. You might be able to work 2 passports for longer than 90 days I think. Ur UK gets stamped on arrival in EU, so might be problem for you, I got Irish and am EU so no travel
I will start with the dog, for security and because he cannot live without me 😊. Do you spend most of your time in UK?
7 years now. On my own for first 5, now got a big dog for company and security - and if it helps I am 63 this year - I wish I had done it sooner tbh.
@Shay McShay how long have been travelling with your van? are you travelling alone or with someone else?
I have a 1999 peugeot boxer autosleeper, love it, it has everything you need and fits in a regular parking space.
what type of van do you have? I am getting solar panels and hope to be off grid most of the time.
I've never heard of Scandinavian conversions. It will be nice to get it professionally done though if you can. I must admit I quite fancy building my own at some point but I also have no skills at all. Good vans the Ducato/Boxer, a good size.
Nothing wrong with dreaming about it, that's how it all starts and you won't be alone, personally I prefer dogs to humans so you'll be in great company and it's a good excuse to get up and go explore. Have you decided on a van etc
I am also considering doing this. I might be dreaming but I want to do it before I get too old. I do not have savings but I am lucky enough to rely on maintenance money from my ex. I will be alone with my dog and I am hoping to travel in Europe during the coldest months. Anybody out there who has done it? Foxes Hound how is your project progressing?
Having enough savings is advisable. A cheap van is a false economy, reliability matters(maybe size). You have thought about it - and that's all you will ever do if you don't do it!! Yep, it's like chucking yourself off of a cliff - but you won't know until you do it - back yourself cos no other sod will - forget the doom-and-gloom peeps. Winters can be harsh in UK, so forget most YouTube deluded romantics. It's a good life, different every day without the BS and so many friendly people on the road. Come join us!
Having enough savings is advisable. A cheap van is a false economy, reliability matters(maybe size). You have thought about it - and that's all you will do if you don't do it!! Yep, it's like chucking yourself off of a cliff - but you won't know until you do it - back yourself cos no other sod will - forget the doom-and-gloom peeps. Winters can be harsh in UK, so forget YouTube deluded romantics. It's a good life, different every day without the BS and so many friendly people on the road. Come join us!
Hi Foxes, welcome to the forum!!
Congrats on considering van life as a new way of life and its good to see you are thinking about all the what ifs because there are a few of them.
The main one unfortunately is money, we all need it to survive but its very surprising just how little we can survive on if we are careful/clever.
As for a cheap reliable van this can be a bit of a minefield as there are so many out there and there will always be people saying don't buy this one or don't buy that one.
If you can, always take a mechanic or someone who knows what they are looking at with you, it could save you a lot of money and heartache in the future.
All vehicles breakdown at some point in their life so I would definitely recommend joining the AA/RAC etc.
Are you considering a self build or buying a ready made camper?
You should be safe enough as long as you have good security on your van a good mobile phone reception and don't park up in any "dodgy" places.
Stay on the road for as long as you are comfortable and as long as you can afford it.
You will have problems, you will have stress and probably regrets at times but we all have those in everyday "normal" life its just a different set of problems and stress whilst living the van life.
So I would say if you have no commitments, you have some money stashed away and you are able to go back to "normal" life if you don't like the van life then go for it!
Life is very short and I cant think of anything much worse than being an old biddy and thinking "I wish I had done it"