Friday June 9, 2023

Can You Live In A VW Camper?

6 minutes well spent

Posted by John Broderick

The restorative value of spending leisure time exploring what the UK has to offer has always been well known. It’s a beautiful country, after all, and there are some fantastic places to unwind and relax. But in recent years, more and more people have been taking ‘staycations’ rather than travelling abroad for their holidays (probably due to the lingering general effects of the pandemic on behaviour). As a result, the UK has been experiencing increased numbers of historic and cultural tourists, countryside and shoreline explorers and thrill-seeking adventurers – with many of them taking things in from the comfortable hub of a campervan. More specifically, Volkswagen campervans are more popular than ever!

What is it about van life that so appeals? We nailed a part of it at the end of the previous paragraph – van life is to do with having a comfortable hub. There are, though, plenty of other factors, too. In this blog we’ll be looking into the things which make van life one of the most fulfilling ways to enjoy leisure time…

The Benefits Of Owning A Campervan

1. Comfort

Moving about from place to place and staying in hotels or BnB’s can be expensive (and time consuming to plan and sort out) but owning a campervan and travelling around in that means that your accommodation requirements are already taken care of. You can literally stay where you like (within the legalities of any parking restrictions etc), and you know that you’ll always be comfortable. You will have set the campervan up how you like, with your own belongings, providing you with a comfortable home-from-home.

2. Freedom

Being able to ‘take off’ at a moment’s notice, or with very little prep, is the dream. Spontaneity is often missing from domestic life, and it can be a routine of work, chores and a couple of hours to relax in an evening, repeated over and over. Who hasn’t dreamed of getting away immediately. With a campervan that dream can become a reality.

Imagine getting home from work on a Friday and longing to be at the seaside. You could just get in your van and go – no need to go through the hassle of finding and booking a hotel, and no need to worry about just taking off and not having somewhere to sleep. Almost as much as it is possible to be so, owning a campervan means you are free. Or, at least, you are pretty much in control of your own destiny.

3. Excitement

The size and shape of a campervan dictates its ease of use, and one particularly major advantage over larger motorhomes, or caravans that you have to tow, is that it can handle smaller and tighter roads. This means you can go ‘off the beaten track’ somewhat, and explore, quite literally, the road less travelled. Campervans are great for adventure seekers as they don’t have the restrictions associated with larger leisure vehicles, opening up more locations to owners.

4. WFTR

Since the pandemic, there’s been an increasing number of businesses which use the hybrid method of working or, indeed, allowing employees to permanently WFH (work from home). While most people do indeed complete their professional tasks in their homes (i.e. in their bricks and mortar houses), there’s no reason not to extend this idea even further without any impact on the work itself.

If you are a remote worker, why do you have to stay in your house to do the work? It’s the work itself, which is important, not necessarily the location it is done from. As long as you have a decent internet connection (perhaps in an internet café or by tethering your laptop to your mobile phone), then in theory you could work from anywhere. That means on the road. You could be 200 miles away from your house, having travelled in your camper to some beautiful other part of the country, and still do your job. Staring out at the sea, doing some surfing and then doing all your spreadsheets. WFTR – working from the road!

5. Daily Use

A campervan is not just for your leisure time. It can provide you with a great daily runner too. Use it to drop the kids off at school, travel to work, all of the day-to-day things that you need a vehicle for. In this sense, it also cancels out the nagging doubt you may have about whether you can afford a leisure vehicle (traditionally a ‘second vehicle’ for you or your family). Your camper can actually become the family’s main or only vehicle.

Can I Live In A Campervan Full Time?

This is where our blog opens up to embrace a different kind of use for your campervan. No longer is it just your leisure vehicle for weekend breaks and holidays (or your daily runner). If you decide to live in it full-time then it’s also actually your home. For some people this is the dream. Not exactly living an off-grid existence, but certainly living a life which often feels outside of the rat-race, providing an enervating sense of freedom.

It is, of course, possible to live in your campervan full-time, if the physical constraints and the consequent psychological effects of a reduced space home are something you can easily deal with. But there are practical and logistical aspects which you also need to consider. We’ll address some of them briefly, here.

1. Insurance

This is very important. Even though the idea of not living in a bricks and mortar home probably means you’ll feel outside of the conventional life, you still have responsibilities as a member of society – and those include insurance. Your campervan will still be subject to the requirement for insurance coverage. However, not having a fixed address means you could encounter negotiations, difficulties or even premium penalties with your insurance company. This is something you will need to discuss with them. Incidentally, you may also find you have to talk to your bank about having NFA too.

2. Voting

Living the van life can make you feel counter-cultural, too. Not exactly ‘tune out, drop out,’ but certainly somewhat outside of the grip of ‘straight’ society. However, once again as a responsible member of society, it makes sense to take up your right to vote when necessary. If you do not have a permanent address you cannot vote in elections – and therefore making sure you have a permanent address is crucial. You could go live the van life for several months a year, leaving your bricks and mortar behind and heading out on the road before returning to it. The house would still be classed as your permanent address and, therefore, your right to vote would be intact.

3. Washing facilities

If you are going to be up and away in your campervan, living life on the road, then making sure there is facility for a hook-on shower is essential. You’ll want to keep yourself clean, tidy and smelling great! Another way you could do to make sure you keep on top of your personal hygiene is to visit the leisure centre or swimming baths in places you stay. Camp sites along your travels are also good places to stop and use amenities.

4. Food

At some point you’ll almost certainly find yourself parking up and dropping in to that homely harbour pub for a pint and a meal and listening to some salty old sea-dog’s tales. That’s the dream version of life on the road – but it will get expensive night after night, and therefore only work, financially, if you mix it in with some campervan catering. Plan your food, if you can, and do your shopping along your route to save both time and money!

Full-time van life might not be for everyone, but for those it appeals to as a genuine lifestyle option it’s going to be rewarding. Remember, you can buy Camper King campervans and VW camper gear from us to help facilitate that life. If you have any further queries simply give us a shout. At Don Amott we’re always happy to help!

John Broderick

Managing Director

John, the Managing Director at Don Amott Leisure Kingdom.

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