Top Tips for Living Out of Your Van

Are you tired of spending all your time working the 9-5 life just to afford a place to call home – one you’re left feeling too tired to leave after the working week is over? If so, then you may consider living in a van.

More people are choosing to live life on the road in converted vans for the mental and physical freedom it offers. If this sounds like the lifestyle for you, then read our top tips below to get started.

Vanlife Tips

Prioritise & Plan

Deciding to leave your house to live in a van isn’t as simple as packing a suitcase and driving off into the sunset. If you are going to successfully live the ‘#vanlife’, then there are certain items you must prioritise having.

Our recommendations for the essentials you need include:

• A camping stove & propane

• A cooler/mini fridge

• A map

• A portable toilet

• Power banks

These items are the bare necessities and you’ll find them coming in very useful, especially when making longer journeys. For example, items such as camping stoves and power banks allow you to cook food or charge your electricals without draining your van’s battery.

As for the map, this will be useful in letting you plan where you travel to. Of course, sometimes you’ll want to just drive where the road takes you, but bear in mind that you will still need to find places to legally and safely park overnight, in which case the map may be useful to find local campsites.

Although you may have to pay to park overnight at a campsite, they offer a secure place to sleep whilst offering access to beneficial amenities, such as showers, toilets and free WiFi, making them well worth it.

Stay Clean & Organised

As the saying goes, a tidy space equals a tidy mind, so it’s a good idea to set up a cleaning routine, from shaking out mats each day to wiping over surfaces and replacing the air freshener. Regularly doing these little things instantly freshens up the space and makes it easier to maintain.

Being in such a confined space, it can be easy for your surroundings to get messy and for items to get lost. As such, it is extremely useful to implement storage where possible and have designated spaces for all your items, keeping them in these areas so they’re always where they should be when you go to use them.

What’s the Best Van for Camper Conversion?

If you’re planning to make shorter trips each day and want a van that’s easier to manoeuver, then we recommend the Volkswagen Transporter. Available in a variety of lengths, the VW Transporter is a reliable mid-size van with off-road capabilities, ideal for those looking for a slightly cheaper conversion.

For those who are after more space, a larger van, such as the Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter, will be a good option. The Ford Transit is one of the most reliable vans on the market, with a great fuel economy and a number of camper conversion options available, including swivel seats, privacy glass and a rear bench bed.

If you’re looking for the ideal van to convert into your own motorhome, then get in touch with Van Sales UK. We stock a number of new vans available on finance options to suit your needs; enquire now to see what we can offer you.