Van Life

[Trig.Point]

Any thoughts on the concept of living from a vehicle? At the moment I'm earning good money in a job but instead of looking for a permanent address I've decided to spend £30 pm on a mailing address, living from my van, and making arrangements for laundry and washing facilities.

I'm a big believer in crypto and silver and I'm able to increase my savings in both while not tied to a lease or mortgage.

Anyway, this whole lifestyle kind of crept up on me. So any thoughts/ideas/criticisims would be appreciated.

[jansman]

My brother lives in a Romany caravan within our sister’s own woodland. Not a moving van on the road that is looking for somewhere everyday to park,but it’s a ‘van’ nevertheless. He has been a vodaphone customer since they started,and so has access to internet quite easily. Indeed out in the countryside,he watches tv ,banks and all that quite easily. Ironically,he doesn’t deal in a lot of cash either.

Power is solar,generator,battery obviously,along with solid fuel and diesel heating. Water flows through in the brook,but he keeps barrels there which he brings in from his work.

Security is the big one though. As remote as he is,the woods have frequent visitors from trespassing dog walkers and ‘bush crafters’. Yes ,wanna live in the woods brigade! They make a mistake there though,as he has his Alsatian dog there and he normally gets rid of scumbag trespassers. My bro holding a machete at the back of doggy backs that up too. His electronic access means he can keep the place observed whilst not there .

[Frnc]

Watched a video recently on YT of a bloke who is a nomad. He has 3 sheep and a metal cart. The cart holds his bed, kichen, shower, posessions, everything. He showed a solar oven that works well. His shower is a pesticide spayer. His bed folds back. The base below that bit is mesh, so crumbs fall through, and he can wash himself over it. He grazes his sheep on bits of land with permission from residents and owners. He forages for wild edible plants. His sheep provide milk which is half his calories, an he makes cheese. I believe he comes from a family with money, but he chooses to live like this. He makes a bit of money doing odd jobs including scything weeds, but he's not interested in money or consumerism. He even makes winter clothes from his sheeps wool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U54HRmglYEA

There may be a few useful ideas in there.

You can get a shower by joining a gym or yoga class.

[Frnc]

Another option is what my lodgers do. Pay to live in a shared house. If the owner lives there it should be well looked after, and not too many people (you can only have one or two lodgers). You pay a lot less than renting your own place, and normally all bills are included. My lodgers are paying below market rate as they've been here ages and I've not really increased it. I think market rate is about £120 a week or so, it varies. Mine only pay £380 a month. Remember there are 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4.
This also gives flexibility as you're not tied to a contract. There might be a contract, but I'm not sure it counts for anything. A lodger is a paying guest, not a tennant. A tennant has a lock on his door and lives in a HMO.

[jansman]

Another option is what my lodgers do. Pay to live in a shared house. If the owner lives there it should be well looked after, and not too many people (you can only have one or two lodgers). You pay a lot less than renting your own place, and normally all bills are included. My lodgers are paying below market rate as they've been here ages and I've not really increased it. I think market rate is about £120 a week or so, it varies. Mine only pay £380 a month. Remember there are 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4.
This also gives flexibility as you're not tied to a contract. There might be a contract, but I'm not sure it counts for anything. A lodger is a paying guest, not a tennant. A tennant has a lock on his door and lives in a HMO.

What’s that got to do with vans?

[itsybitsy]

Any thoughts on the concept of living from a vehicle? At the moment I'm earning good money in a job but instead of looking for a permanent address I've decided to spend £30 pm on a mailing address, living from my van, and making arrangements for laundry and washing facilities.

I'm a big believer in crypto and silver and I'm able to increase my savings in both while not tied to a lease or mortgage.

Anyway, this whole lifestyle kind of crept up on me. So any thoughts/ideas/criticisims would be appreciated.

Great idea if you can do it! I know someone who's renovated an old school bus, sold his house and lives in the bus full time. He did most of the reno himself and it looks MINT.

You'll need to be handy as obviously stuff needs fixing etc., but I think it's a great idea personally. The only downside is that the UK isn't particularly RV friendly and, unlike a lot of Europe, you can't just pitch up at the side of the road or a layby and get your deck chair out - we're really behind the curve on that. But I say go for it and enjoy every minute!

I'm a bit jealous...

[Frnc]

Another option is what my lodgers do. Pay to live in a shared house. If the owner lives there it should be well looked after, and not too many people (you can only have one or two lodgers). You pay a lot less than renting your own place, and normally all bills are included. My lodgers are paying below market rate as they've been here ages and I've not really increased it. I think market rate is about £120 a week or so, it varies. Mine only pay £380 a month. Remember there are 4.3 weeks in a month, not 4.
This also gives flexibility as you're not tied to a contract. There might be a contract, but I'm not sure it counts for anything. A lodger is a paying guest, not a tennant. A tennant has a lock on his door and lives in a HMO.

What’s that got to do with vans?

As I said, it was an alternative suggestion. He said he wanted to cut his monthly living expenses. "So any thoughts/ideas/criticisims would be appreciated."

[Vitamin c]

You might want to be careful with the postal address for insurance the companies are aware of people who live in their van full time but only insure for general use ,not all the extra things done in a van like heating, cooking.

[Vitamin c]

Join a gym £20 a month 24/7access , shower ,shave ,plugs all over the place ...and you can look like Arnold.

[pseudonym]

Go for it.

Plenty of full timers on Youtube, from car campers up to Luton Box vans.