As more people fall in love with the idea of freedom, minimalism and moving away from traditional 9-5 living, van life is becoming more popular than ever in the UK!
You can barely move for all the #vanlife Instagram accounts out there and we certainly met a huge number of van lifers during our time on the road.
And while all the incredible sunset photos and van tours make it seem truly beautiful (and it is) the reality is that it’s not for everyone - and that’s OK!
Our reason for choosing van life was to downsize, cut costs, ditch the 9-5 and travel around; no two days the same.
But again, that’s not the life for everyone.
And over the years, we found that we often got one of two reactions when we told people about our lifestyle, one being ‘I could never live in a van’, but more commonly we get people saying that they’d love to do it full time, but they're not sure if they could.
So if you're considering van life full time or you're just looking for a change, below are nine questions you need to ask yourself before committing to life in a van.
1. Are you a home bird?
They say home is where the heart is but for us, home is where you park it. However, if you need the comfort of a house, then van life isn't for you. It’s perfectly natural to miss home when you're away, but some people have much stronger ties to their home than others. If you know for a fact that a two-week holiday is too much for you to handle, then it’s best to look for another way to find simplicity and freedom.
That is unless you want to live in a van and stay around your local area, though this tends to be favoured in more coastal or rural locations. It might not be quite the same if you're living around central London, for example.
2. Do you have any dependents?
This one is super important. If you’ve got children, pets or any other dependents then this can really affect how you do (or don’t do) van life. It’s not impossible to travel with children or animals - there are enough people out there doing it already. But it does come with extra responsibilities.
Our little Lunar has really taken to the van life but obviously, animals can’t be left alone for too long in the van and this can limit the places you can go and how long you go for.
Similarly, if you choose to travel with kids you’ll have to consider their wellbeing and schooling. So before you commit to anything you’ll have to think logistically about those who are dependent on you.
3. Do you feel the need to plan everything?
If you are one of those people (and it’s fine if you are) who needs to plan every aspect of their day, then this lifestyle could be difficult for you.
Van life requires a lot of spontaneity and you never know what could happen. Things don’t always go to plan on the road and sometimes your day can be completely changed around (like the time I got boxed into a corner by several caravans full of travellers and had to phone Danny to come get the van out before we were stuck in there for weeks).
So yeah, you have to be able to go with the flow a bit more.
And I’ll be the first to admit, this one was hard for me in the first few months as I love to be organised, but you have to find ways to do that within the realm of your new nomadic lifestyle.
I soon found there were still plenty of reasons to write lists! So ultimately I was OK.
4. Can you downsize your life?
Even the biggest and most carefully converted vans only have so much room and storage space, so you have to be prepared to downsize your life.
If you're not prepared to limit your belongings you might struggle a bit, and if you feel particularly claustrophobic or restless in a small space then van life probably isn't ideal for you. Because even a large motorhome is a far cry from a flat or a house.
5. Can you unplug?
Of course, you can add leisure batteries and plugs to your van, but there will always be times when you have to unplug and switch off. Like if you’ve stopped for a few days you don't want your battery to drain or if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere (like we did in a national park in the Scottish Highlands), then you might not have a phone signal either.
So if you need your TV or you're glued to your phone then you might find it tough to cope.
6. Do you have a means of making money on the move?
If you’ve got a decent amount of money in the bank or you're planning on selling your home in order to make the change, then you might be OK for money. But if you’re starting with nothing (or like us with just a small amount in your savings) then you need to be able to make money on the move.
There are a number of ways you can do this, but you have to be prepared to pick up work when you can and you might not always have the most glamorous roles. Decide if you have the means of making money or consider how you're going to get a good sum of money behind you before you leave.
7. Are you OK with wearing the same clothes a lot?
Your wardrobe will already be fairly small anyway as you need to be able to fit all your clothes in your van, but you also need to be prepared to re-wear each item several times (within reason of course).
You won't always have access to a washing machine and if you're on your own it can take some time to build an entire wash-load worth of clothes.
The reality is you’ll probably find the same clothes make their way to the top of the pile and become firm favourites anyway, so if you need a big and varied wardrobe it’s best to stay at home.
8. Do you like the outdoors?
If you don’t like the great outdoors and spending lots of time with nature, then van life is not going to be your idea of great living.
Of course, you have the van, but you essentially live outdoors.
You’ll spend most of your time outside, especially if your van is small and basic. You also need to be OK with everything that nature brings like bad weather, dirt, sand and sometimes wildlife. If you can’t handle mother nature then van life probably isn't for you.
9. Are you OK coming up against a bit of opposition?
Finally, it’s an unfortunate truth that not everyone likes people living in vans around their local area. This is especially true down in Cornwall.
Don’t get me wrong, this is usually the occasional individual who is paying through-the-roof rent or mortgage prices and they see you set up, blissfully unaware by the coast and pretty much living for free. It rubs some people up the wrong way.
Although, it is very rare. But on the odd occasion when it does happen you have to be prepared for some dirty looks or opposition and you have to grow a stiff upper lip.
We even used to get people driving past our van on the way to work at 6:00 AM beeping their horns at us to try and wake us up because they assumed we were just some chancing holiday-makers.
But hey, we were already awake so more fool them, I suppose.
Just know that for the most part, everyone is lovely and kind and you’ll meet so many great people living this way. So don’t let the odd few put you off.
Is van life for you?
If you're ready to take the next exciting step in your life, before you give up your day job and swap your house for a van, ask yourself these nine questions to help you decide if it’s the right decision for you.
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