[Travel] Has anyone ever lived in a camper van?

[m@goo]

Slightly related, this came up on my faceache feed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59174870

 

[severnside gull]

That's the problem with wanting to spend winter in Europe. If you go on 1st January you will have to return by 31st March, and then can't return until September. It's 90 days in any 180 days rolling.

Not quite true although you’re right that it’s not as straightforward as it was and should still be.
Just go to a non-Shengen country
Plenty of options. I toured the Balkans and had some time in North Africa

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Not quite true although you’re right there hat it’s not as straightforward as it was and should still be.
Just go to a non-shengen country
Plenty of options. I toured the Balkans and had some time in North Africa

You'd have to go to one of these:

Albania,
Armenia,
Azerbaijan,
Belarus,
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Macedonia,
Moldova,
Montenegro,
Serbia,
Ukraine.

But each will have VISA requirements to enter.




Or Africa, as you say for the period outside of Europe.

 

[Surf's Up]

Thank you. I have seen those clapped out vans that seem to be permanently at the top of Wilsons avenue I don't intend to be like that.

Do people actually live in those or are they just parked/dumped there?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Do people actually live in those or are they just parked/dumped there?

If it looks clapped out, that's the perfect stealth camper. I'd bet they're all occupied.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

You'd have to go to one of these:

Albania,
Armenia,
Azerbaijan,
Belarus,
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Macedonia,
Moldova,
Montenegro,
Serbia,
Ukraine.

But each will have VISA requirements to enter.


View attachment 142011

Or Africa, as you say for the period outside of Europe.

Or get a six month Schengen visa for €150.

 

[Happy Exile]

I assume he has a European passport then, I'd imagine popping back to the UK after 90 days would mess things up.

I don't actually know, though he was already in Europe, especially France, more than the UK pre-Brexit so perhaps there's a settled status kind of thing he was able to get if he hasn't got a passport.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I don't actually know, though he was already in Europe, especially France, more than the UK pre-Brexit so perhaps there's a settled status kind of thing he was able to get if he hasn't got a passport.

Lucky chap.

 

[CPFC G]

This lady explains the EU/Schengen 90 day rule thing pretty well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHv1ZWzcibM

 

[LamieRobertson]

Do people actually live in those or are they just parked/dumped there?

I’ve seen people exit and enter them over the past year

 

[PTC Gull]

If you fancy narrow boat life check this out. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6SNxiLzSlh8e0yjndE9o_A
Dave used to be a reporter on the TV in the past. knowledgeable and sometimes amusing.

 

[B-right-on]

If I was single without kids I would definitely do it. Mid life, married, and two teenage sons....not so easy.

Still dream of it though. That and living on a houseboat somewhere.

Yes a houseboat is another fantasy, slightly more restrictive on where you can travel though I suppose.

There is one for sale near me, is a bargain:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/propert...&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

 

[BN9 BHA]

I spend enough time in a plumbing van

 

[m@goo]

Do people actually live in those or are they just parked/dumped there?

I've never seen anyone but they must be lived in? Usually lots of rubbish filling up the front windows on the dash.

 

[knocky1]

Yes. Had a Mazda Bongo V6 for 12 years and had annual trips up to 3 months long. Morocco, Turkey were good trips but getting the ferry from Denmark for 2 months in Iceland was probably the best.
Now have a self converted 3.4L V6 Japanese ambulance. Due to Covid just had one long trip through Poland, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and home through Italy. Other trips are Uk and Ireland due to restrictions. Don’t use campsites or hotels. Find rivers/lakes to swim/wash or a sponge and bowl of hot water in the van.
Recent problem is countries prohibiting campervanners from dossing on their streets, beaches and countryside. Iceland and Portugal have both brought in heavy fines.

 

[SK1NT]

Arundel is also a popular site for people to live in a van, with the road before Swanbourne Lake free to camp on.

Swanbourne Lake, Arundel would be the address i want if i turned to Van life.

Unfortunately with a 1 year old and 5 year old it's unlikely to happen soon.
[MENTION=41057]m@goo[/MENTION] sounds great in Summer and harder in winter. Maybe 6 month on and 6 months rent?

 

[um bongo molongo]

Only recently heard about people living on canal boats in London. You can moor somewhere for 2 weeks max (I think) if you don't have a permanent mooring and then have to move on. So they just keep moving and have a cheap(-ish) central London accommodation.

My sister in law does this. Boat costs around £50k to buy and then a few hundred a year for a ‘moving mooring’. She’s been doing it for years, but it’s started to get very popular now, which makes finding the moorings in decent locations a bit harder. If you can cope with the lack of space it’s surprisingly cosy in winter with a log fire, and of course great in summer. But I couldn’t be doing with all the water/toilet stuff.

 

[sparkie]

You'd have to go to one of these:

Albania,
Armenia,
Azerbaijan,
Belarus,
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Macedonia,
Moldova,
Montenegro,
Serbia,
Ukraine.

But each will have VISA requirements to enter.


View attachment 142011

Or Africa, as you say for the period outside of Europe.

No Visa needed for Ukraine. It's 90 days allowed in every 180 with a UK passport.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yes. Had a Mazda Bongo V6 for 12 years and had annual trips up to 3 months long. Morocco, Turkey we’re good trips but getting the ferry from Denmark for 2 months in Iceland was probably the best.
Now have a self converted 3.4L V6 Japanese ambulance. Due to Covid just had one long trip through Poland, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and home through Italy. Other trips are Uk and Ireland due to restrictions. Don’t use campsites or hotels. Find rivers/lakes to swim/wash or a sponge and bowl of hot water in the van.
Recent problem is countries prohibiting campervanners from dossing on their streets, beaches and countryside. Iceland and Portugal have both brought in heavy fines.

View attachment 142028

Some of the conversions I've seen based upon American Ambulances are amazing, given they come with loads of storage compartments already in place, and a lot of internal wiring etc

Plus they tend to have the overcab area that converts easily into a double bed, like a Luton box van.

The only downside seems to the the awful fuel economy.

I must admit to being jealous that you have been able to travel so widely, I was lucky enough that my parents had a series of campers and motorhomes when I was a kid, and we holidayed in Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain and all the way to Denmark.

One thing I have always wanted to do was make the necessary ferry trips to get to Iceland, as that must be magical to tour round in a campervan.

I would also like to try Morocco or even the Canary Islands which are accessible by Ferry from Spain.

 

[boik]

We used to go for a 5week trip to Scotland every year in our Toyota Alphard (think vw size but much nicer) and loved it. Seems that last year lots of new people have gone up there and trashed the beauty spots. The poor locals were not happy and there are lots more "no overnight" signs everywhere.

I'll be glad when these people get back to their foreign beach holidays, even though I want people to cut down on flying. I'm such a hypocrite!