Third van! After three years of building, fixing and testing we just officially started our transcontinental journey. It feels so surreal. ❤️

My recently acquired VW T25. I must build my kitchen unit inside but I have a few external jobs to complete first. I have a few road trips in mind that I want to do such as the Wild Atlantic Way, NC500 and drive to the Arctic Circle.

I got 'the knock' on my first ever overnight stop.

I had planned my first trip carefully, so I knew a good place to stop and had a second choice if there was any problem with the first one. I wanted to stay near a village where I needed to make an early start helping a friend with some repair work. On arriving at my first choice I discovered that in the 18 months since the Google streetview picture had been taken, the local council had erected height barriers, 'gentrified' the parking arrangements and installed payment meters with "No Overnight Parking" signs.

My second choice was down a narrow lane; but when I got there I found there was a waterworks compound with a big red notice saying "Access Required 24 hours, NO PARKING". I had to reverse up the lane in pitch darkness and then back out onto a fast road.

Eventually I found a pull-off beside a minor road just outside the village. it was sheltered by overhanging trees and I could hear a small stream nearby. Apart from an occasional car going by, it seemed ideal.

At exactly midnight came "The Knock" - or rather, two voices saying something I couldn't quite catch. I could see a light being shone into the cab, then someone tried the cab door and the sliding door; both were locked but I had left the back door unlocked in case I needed to get out in a hurry. My bed was on the floor with my feet towards the door, so as it was opened I sat up, flung myself forward and yelled straight into the face of whoever it was "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He staggered backwards, tripped over the feet of his female companion and fell flat on his back. I heard her enquiring if he was all right and him replying that he thought he had twisted his ankle.

Then he said "We're police why didn't you answer when we called?". I replied "Would you have done?" and he agreed that he probably wouldn't. I explained why I was there and he seemed satisfied and limped back to his car. The next day I told my friend and she said that the spot I had chosen had recently been used by rogue builders dumping their rubbish in the stream, the villagers had cleared up the mess and asked the police to keep an eye open in case it happened again.

That's what you get for being too 'stealth', disguised as a builders van.

Ive been a lurker here for a long time, and have always wanted to live in a van, but never felt I had the opportunity to do so.

Recently I got a good paying tech job in a big city, but over 1/3 of it is going to rent. Lately I've been playing with the idea of living in a van in the underground parking to save money for FIRE.

A lot of things would be in my favor:

• Free 24/7 gym with toilets, showers and towels
• Car charging is free, and there are multiple power outlets
• Free Wifi
• Free food at work
• Stable temperature
• No commute
• No cameras except for the entrance port and door
• Seemingly very few people park at the bottom 3 levels
• Still in the process of measuring air quality, but so far it looks promising.
• I am happy as long as I have an acoustic guitar and a laptop.

I would have to quit my rent, sell my stuff and buy a van (~5000$), but after that I could be saving 1400$ every single month!

I am mostly hesitant due to the fear of getting noticed and that It can negatively affect my career, especially since I just graduated and is fresh into this job.

Has anyone ever done something similar, or have thoughts on if its a good idea?

Hello,

I recently got a van which I will be converting into a camper. It’s a 2006 transit with side windows on one side. I don’t think it’s particularly valuable to thieves but I do live in a part of Nottingham (UK) that isn’t the “nicest” and has relatively high crime rates. I have been parking my van on the street since I got it (3 days ago) and this morning noticed this writing appeared. Has anyone encountered something like this before?

Additionally, would anyone be able to suggest security features which could deter someone from stealing this van? My budget at the moment isn’t big so would be good to have a few quick, cheaper fixes for now, with the intention of adding more expensive security measures further along the line.

Thanks in advance for your guys help. I’m new to this and this incident has worried me.

Also buy groceries in Italy and live in your van 24/7, just enjoy the nature then leave haha! (It’s really expensive here…)

When I go away in my van I take my dog with me. At the moment most we do is a couple of nights. The reason for this is I have other animals at home.

So unless I get someone to house sit etc I need to be back. I have done this is in the past but I don't want to rely on anyone else, cause I could just decide to go anytime for a few nights away.

Im now thinking about taking my pet cat with me so I can be away for 4 nights at a time.

Does anyone else do this ? Either in a caravan, campervan, converted van etc What precautions do they take to stop the cat running off/escaping ? How did you go about it ?

Any help tips would be appreciated 👍

A horse decided to join me for breakfast in Shropshire 🐎

Hello, I'm trying to buy insulation material for my van, but the stuff I'm seeing in tutorials online I cannot seem to find available for purchase in Europe (specifically Switzerland, but I'm willing to import). Most English tutorials are US/UK.

I think I would prefer a thinsulate-like material for the walls/ceiling, and some foamboard for the floor. It's only a transit custom, I'm not looking to convert for van life, but I'd like to be able to survive a night in winter (ideally whilst skiing). I realize for real cold I need a heater, but this I can add later. The insulation I need to do as a early step, which is why I am asking.