Who lives in a van? Or wants to?

[mx wcfc]

If you're musing about buying a VW sojourner, there are a few groups (though quite a few scams; if it looks too good to be true, it definitely is). Some people just put up a vague spec and price and ask what's out there. Gets loads of vans; quite a few decent ones not at insane money.

VW T4/T5/T6, VW Camper Vans, Sales/Swaps And Trades UK | Facebook

A UK forum for UK Users to advertise all your VW T4/T5/T6, VW Campers, Vehicles, Parts and Services.

www.facebook.com

I'd echo that, sojourner . I was going to buy a Bongo, because they are petrol, not diesel, but a couple of months on the Bongo owners FB group put me right off. There's a lot of Transporter groups on FB worth joining, just to get a feel for what it's actually like owning one, and what it will cost in repairs/MOT etc, before you buy. Ignore the silly buggers who "slam" their vans and stick 20" wheels on them. If there's a local owners group, so much the better. And as Sweet FA says, beware scammers. Not that you are daft enough to get caught out.

I'd probably have had to give up (or at least cut back on) festivals by now if I hadn't got my van. It's well worth it.

 

[sojourner]

If you're musing about buying a VW sojourner, there are a few groups (though quite a few scams; if it looks too good to be true, it definitely is). Some people just put up a vague spec and price and ask what's out there. Gets loads of vans; quite a few decent ones not at insane money.

VW T4/T5/T6, VW Camper Vans, Sales/Swaps And Trades UK | Facebook

A UK forum for UK Users to advertise all your VW T4/T5/T6, VW Campers, Vehicles, Parts and Services.

www.facebook.com

Fab, thank you!

 

[T & P]

May I ask for the advice/ experience of campervan owners in here? We recently adopted a couple of small dogs, who are adorable but rescue and a bit anxious around crowds and in particular other dogs. Coupled with the fact that flying dogs overseas is a logistical and very costly nightmare, it certainly ocurred to us that a UK holiday on a campervan would be ideal.

Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively low prices you can hire some of them go for, even if admittedly it would be for November. But anyway, my two questions to season campervaners are as follows:

1. I don't quite get the massive difference in price between the model that would suit us fine (the Nomad), and the Ford Transit below. The latter looks newer, but it's smaller and it doesn't even have a shower. Yet it's so much more expensive. What am I missing here?



2. Our plan is to drive leisurely hugging the South West coast to Bristol, staying with friends (who have a driveway), and then head back to London. Is it legal to stay overnight on a non-descript street in a small town that has no parking restrictions? If not, where is one to go to sleep for the night that is legal and safe?

 

[Sweet FA]

May I ask for the advice/ experience of campervan owners in here? We recently adopted a couple of small dogs, who are adorable but rescue and a bit anxious around crowds and in particular other dogs. Coupled with the fact that flying dogs overseas is a logistical and very costly nightmare, it certainly ocurred to us that a UK holiday on a campervan would be ideal.

Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively low prices you can hire some of them go for, even if admittedly it would be for November. But anyway, my two questions to season campervaners are as follows:

1. I don't quite get the massive difference in price between the model that would suit us fine (the Nomad), and the Ford Transit below. The latter looks newer, but it's smaller and it doesn't even have a shower. Yet it's so much more expensive. What am I missing here?

View attachment 391376

2. Our plan is to drive leisurely hugging the South West coast to Bristol, staying with friends (who have a driveway), and then head back to London. Is it legal to stay overnight on a non-descript street in a small town that has no parking restrictions? If not, where is one to go to sleep for the night that is legal and safe?

The Transit's a hybrid vs the Ducato's diesel therefore higher running costs? Also unlimited mileage on the Ford vs 50 miles on the Fiat (assume you'll then pay per mile?)

 

[Sweet FA]

Our plan is to drive leisurely hugging the South West coast to Bristol, staying with friends (who have a driveway), and then head back to London. Is it legal to stay overnight on a non-descript street in a small town that has no parking restrictions? If not, where is one to go to sleep for the night that is legal and safe?

Have a look a little upthread; o/n parking has been discussed recently; broadly - depending where you are - you can be ok though you're going to be fairly obvious in a bigger van parking in a small town... There's a website/app: park4night - Home which many use.

As others have said though, I prefer to stay on a site tbh - safe, decent facilities etc. I've used searchforsites.co.uk a fair amount.

 

[T & P]

The Transit's a hybrid vs the Ducato's diesel therefore higher running costs? Also unlimited mileage on the Ford vs 50 miles on the Fiat (assume you'll then pay per mile?)

Ah, cheers. That would make sense. As it happens, even if meandering through the coast, seven days would give us 350 miles which would be enough to cover the entire trip.

 

[sim667]

I’m really pissed off about my van at the moment.

I had a solar panel fitted in august 2021 which failed in about a year and two weeks, the installer said he’d fit another under warranty but would charge me the standard call out charge to do so, he does diesel heaters too, and I was saving up for one at the time so we agreed if I paid him to come and fit the diesel heater he’d do the solar panel at the same time. Now the second solar panel has failed in just over a year and he’s saying that it’s not in warranty (2 year warranty) as the original one was fitted over two years ago, so I’d have to pay the full cost for replacement. He uses a different brand now which has a three year warranty, but considering I had to redo the crimping on the replacement solar panel because he’s done it so badly I don’t feel inclined to get a replacement from him. So I’m faced with the dilemma, replace the panel with another company, or not bother and just come to the conclusion it was a waste of money.

My solution to this after lots of testing is to decide the panel is unsaleable, but I’m going to leave it on the roof, because it will be shit to get off as it’s bonded and it will leave a hole in my roof which I’ll never manage to re waterproof.

I’ve instead bought two briefcase 100w panels which I can wire in parallel, to give us 200 w solar in a field where I can spread out, and 100 w which I can put on the bike rack if we want to be compact. I can run the cabling from the mppt through the pop top if it’s cold out or through a stay away for the boot door when it’s warm. Im hoping this will keep our small leisure battery juiced up enough to run the diesel heater on non EHU campsites over winter as our thing for getting solar was to also get a diesel heater and use the van throughout winter more.

Ideally I want to find somewhere I can run the cabling through the body into the engine bay or out the rear light array where the EHU cabling goes. But I’ll work that out later.

Oh and I need to get a bike lock to lock the panels to the van ideally

 

[Sweet FA]

The latest fad on the fb transporter groups...





Nearly...

 

[Sweet FA]

Ben Fogle checks out van/truck life:

My5

www.channel5.com

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Ben Fogle checks out van/truck life:

View attachment 411021

My5

www.channel5.com

Watched that last week. They were making out that living in a truck was some kind of new thing.

 

[Sweet FA]

Watched that last week. They were making out that living in a truck was some kind of new thing.

Yeh, it's being slagged all over the vanlife groups

 

[kalidarkone]

I'm stunned at how big it is.

Here is the spec:


It's only done 29K, despite it being 9 years old. It was originally the back up vehicle for a sports car company. The couple I bought it off, got it converted.

Ideally I wanted a 2.5 L - because awesome to drive (that's what my T4 was) but I'm adjusting to the fact that a van of this size is not going to be nippy. Its a good opportunity to hopefully become more mindful and patient. I'm definitely prone to cussing other drivers.

I wanted a shower, but apparently it's easy to get an external one, that heats the water.

It runs off the solar panel, charged by the engine? (Is that correct? I'm such a newb) and there is 12v hook up.

I will take photos of the inside over the next few days.

 

[hash tag]

In a similar but smaller vein, spotted at brooklands earlier leaving for Brighton

 

[ddraig]

Looks good kalidarkone !

 

[Sweet FA]

I'm stunned at how big it is. View attachment 424177

Here is the spec:
View attachment 424178
View attachment 424179
It's only done 29K, despite it being 9 years old. It was originally the back up vehicle for a sports car company. The couple I bought it off, got it converted.

Ideally I wanted a 2.5 L - because awesome to drive (that's what my T4 was) but I'm adjusting to the fact that a van of this size is not going to be nippy. Its a good opportunity to hopefully become more mindful and patient. I'm definitely prone to cussing other drivers.

I wanted a shower, but apparently it's easy to get an external one, that heats the water.

It runs off the solar panel, charged by the engine? (Is that correct? I'm such a newb) and there is 12v hook up.

I will take photos of the inside over the next few days.

Lovely vehicle

Fixed bed is a dream; plus microwave + fridge; nice.

Usually solar powers leisure & starter batteries via a split charger. When you're not on hook up, everything runs off the leisure battery which is kept topped up via solar. If you've got this set up, there's a panel somewhere that shows how much charge there is in the battery and how fast it's charging off solar (or mains if you're plugged in).

Leisure battery might be under the seats?

Split Charging Guide - caravans, campervans, motorhomes, boats, vehicles

Our guide to split charging for caravans, campervans, motorhomes, boats & commercial vehicles. A look at how it works & the various technologies available.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

 

[Sweet FA]

Also - do you know who the converters were kalidarkone or was it diy?

 

[kalidarkone]

Also - do you know who the converters were kalidarkone or was it diy?

I think it should say in the various manuals and instructions. I'm a bit overwhelmed tbh.

 

[Sweet FA]

I think it should say in the various manuals and instructions. I'm a bit overwhelmed tbh.

Not surprised - it's a big chunk of vehicle; lots to figure out.

 

[kalidarkone]

Lovely vehicle

Fixed bed is a dream; plus microwave + fridge; nice.

Usually solar powers leisure & starter batteries via a split charger. When you're not on hook up, everything runs off the leisure battery which is kept topped up via solar. If you've got this set up, there's a panel somewhere that shows how much charge there is in the battery and how fast it's charging off solar (or mains if you're plugged in).

Leisure battery might be under the seats?

Split Charging Guide - caravans, campervans, motorhomes, boats, vehicles

Our guide to split charging for caravans, campervans, motorhomes, boats & commercial vehicles. A look at how it works & the various technologies available.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

Ta, yeah they are under the seats.

 

[TopCat]

Did any poster move into a van in the end?

 

[Monte]

I've been living in vans and trucks since about 1990.
Started off in a VW type 2 and worked my way up to a DAF 7.5 tonne lorry.

It has definitely got harder to live in vans. It's easier if you keep moving but virtually impossible if you want to stay in a certain area to work.
I live on a friend's farm these days with mains electric but I spent 25 years or so on the move.

In the mid '90s I started catering at festivals. I towed a vintage 22' caravan which was converted into a kitchen behind a Dodge 50 ex waterboard 6 ton truck. So for the summer I was travelling from event to event and in the winter I worked as an agency chef around Norwich and had a regular park up on the outskirts of the city.
That park up (in a country park by the river) is now no overnight parking so no longer available.
I'm not sure I would be able to live that lifestyle any more.

This is what I live in now.
Flags out for the World Cup.

All converted by myself with a little help from a cabinet maker friend.
Pics taken during different stages of construction.

 

[kalidarkone]

I've been living in vans and trucks since about 1990.
Started off in a VW type 2 and worked my way up to a DAF 7.5 tonne lorry.

It has definitely got harder to live in vans. It's easier if you keep moving but virtually impossible if you want to stay in a certain area to work.
I live on a friend's farm these days with mains electric but I spent 25 years or so on the move.

In the mid '90s I started catering at festivals. I towed a vintage 22' caravan which was converted into a kitchen behind a Dodge 50 ex waterboard 6 ton truck. So for the summer I was travelling from event to event and in the winter I worked as an agency chef around Norwich and had a regular park up on the outskirts of the city.
That park up (in a country park by the river) is now no overnight parking so no longer available.
I'm not sure I would be able to live that lifestyle any more.

This is what I live in now.
Flags out for the World Cup.

All converted by myself with a little help from a cabinet maker friend.
Pics taken during different stages of construction.

Wow! That's amazing.
Im presuming that you dont move the lorry often? Do you have another vehicle?

I dont need a vehicle in Bristol tbh. I live close to everything, about a mile from the centre and buses and trains are ok.

I'm useless regarding any kind of DIY so it was important that I got something up together but with a kind of blank canvas. So I am very impressed Monte

 

[Monte]

Wow! That's amazing.
Im presuming that you dont move the lorry often? Do you have another vehicle?

I dont need a vehicle in Bristol tbh. I live close to everything, about a mile from the centre and buses and trains are ok.

I'm useless regarding any kind of DIY so it was important that I got something up together but with a kind of blank canvas. So I am very impressed Monte

No, since moving to the farm I haven't moved the truck much and have a car instead.
It's more 'tiny home' living than van life these days.

 

[Brainaddict]

Since moving to Bristol I've realised there are loads of people living in vans around here, quite common to see a line of them parked up along a quiet road. I assume it is difficult to stay in one place for very long but lots of people still seem to be doing it. I wonder if anyone knows the numbers?

 

[kalidarkone]

Bristol van dweller numbers have quadrupled says report

The number of people living in vehicles in a city is thought to be as many as 650, says a report.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Elpenor]

Loads on the downs and by Ikea aren’t there, and I say this as someone who passes Bristol a lot.

There are a few people stealthing near to where I live, often found on industrial estates as you can park overnight for free (and they are also quiet and largely traffic and people free during these times too)

 

[Sweet FA]

Mucking about in Wales for a couple of days

Heading to New Forest for a couple of nights; bathroom still being done at home, at least I'll have showers on site...

 

[ska invita]

In a similar but smaller vein, spotted at brooklands earlier leaving for Brighton

I wonder how far it got before it broke down

but seriously thats a beaut

 

[Sweet FA]

Can report; New Forest remains lovely. Though pricey.

 

[kalidarkone]

Pictures of the inside.