Living in a Van. Am I mad?

Suckit

The biggest problem would be the actual time that the conversion may take to do it properly.
Any type of electrical work or gas appliances would mean it would have to be done 100% correctly. fire would be something i would worry about.
Although the amount of Sprinter van conversions already for sale in the UK may be a good sign, it may mean that you could get a better price, but would almost definitely have to have it thoroughly checked.
I do not think that i would do it with something smaller than a sprinter if i was planning anything like that.
On a side note, you do not have to park in supermarkets etc. you could drive a little further out and park in any decent suburbs.

Ubbquittious

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Don't want to share.<br />
Don't want to pay rent and let someone else own.<br />
Don't want to own in case you decide to run away. (But owning a fitted out van would be ok).<br />
<br />
Think you can just magically park in places overnight and no one will notice. (Yeah right: sure they won't. It's not like shopping centres and industrial estates have security guards who monitor vehicles).<br />
<br />
Don't want to consider where exactly you'll toilet yourself.<br />
<br />
Think you can safely cook inside a van.<br />
<br />
In short, yes you are crazy. Bat-**** crazy, in fact. Possibly selfish too - in that you don't want to cover the your own living costs.

<br />
<br />
I really cant blame anyone for not wanting to participate in the moneyracket that is modern way living. If someone finds a way around it more power to them

Used to know a lad living in a stealth Renault master for a few months in Cork, never had bother finding somewhere to park

rustynutz

I think its doable, I have a coach built motorhome that I wouldn't hesitate to live in if I was on the OPs situation. There may be a couple of challenges along the way but with a bit of planning I don't see any showstoppers. I would advise buying something already converted though, there is a serious amount of labour involved in doind a proper job. 15k should get you something nice though. Good luck and keep us posted

Chester Copperpot

jcon1913 wrote: »

For marina moored boat
Cheap to get into. Prob buy a liveable boat for <€10k
Secure if moored at Poolbeg / Dun Laoghaire
Easy get your money back by reselling the boat
Costs approx €2-3k per year to tie up the boat at a marina
Toilet/shower/kitchen facilities right there
No moving around/being moved on by security etc

Against
You dont have transport to get home at the weekend
You may not get a mooring close to college
Space-wise a boat is very small /claustrophobic

Is a great idea if you are an alcoholic, gruff and dishevelled homicide detective that lives alone with his trusty dog

James 007

myshirt wrote: »

You could get a hearse, plenty of room in the back. Wouldn't attract attention the way a van would.

So long as I live, I wouldn't be caught dead seen in a hearse:D

oppenheimer1

cocaliquid wrote: »

lol you can but a chemical toilet in a van and a gas cooker . She's not crazy plenty of youtube videos of people doing it around the world.

Up until last year at least (I haven't seen him in a while) there was a guy living in a camper in the D6 area of Dublin. He seemed to have his spots that he would move about to, appearing in the evening when pay and display expired.

Don't know if he's still doing it.

J Mysterio

This just seems massively naive and a bit childish. I would wonder about someone in their late 20's - with 15k or more in the bank (not insignificant) - who thinks this is a good idea. But you are 'over house sharing'.

... and to 'make money' from a blog on it? Come on. I'd say you need a bit of time to come back to reality atter your travels. Listen to you friends and family.

Suckit

J Mysterio wrote: »

This just seems massively naive and a bit childish. I would wonder about someone in their late 20's - with 15k or more in the bank (not insignificant) - who thinks this is a good idea. But you are 'over house sharing'.

... and to 'make money' from a blog on it? Come on. I'd say you need a bit of time to come back to reality atter your travels. Listen to you friends and family.

I would agree with the OP saying that she is 'over' house sharing.
Some get lucky, some find it worse than living with their parents. House sharing is best for the landlord/lady and those with little or no options (excluding students).

But as you mentioned - 15k or more in the bank is not insignificant. I would think that pumping that much into a van conversion, is just as wasteful as renting.
It would surely be better to purchase a real campervan and park it up in safer areas (move around). Most people do not bat an eyelid at a campervan near their area.

The blog idea is tough. There is money to be made from detailing the process start to finish and marketing to the right people, but i would agree it is unrealistic (not a massive audience).
But then again, the money for absolute garbage on social media is definitely there, so why not for something that may become more popular?

marielovesstea

marielovesstea wrote: »

Hi.

Yes well to be honest I thought my post was going to get lost in cyberspace , i really wasn't expecting such a response and I'm just trying to convey (maybe not very clearly!!) that I appreciate all the advice and the time people are taking to share and write such detailed responses. Obviously I'm going to like more encouraging, open minded response to the ones that plain out think its an idiotic, ill informed bad idea.

Also, I am actively researching and gathering as much information about this as possible. If i thought it was a bad idea I would have stopped looking into this at this stage. This isn't an idea i pluck out of thin air yesterday. I've spent hours and hours researching every aspect of the van conversion what I need and what I can do without. I've spoken to van conversion specialists, i know the layout, I know what type of van I need (fiat ducato/ Renault Master LWB high roof incase anyone wants to know) I know all the types of insulation use- their pros and their cons, the different types of fridges, have looked into solar panels for electricity, following blogs, read books etc etc... basically I'm covering all angles and make an informed decision, well as much as I can before I get the van to make sure this isn't a bad idea for me. To the people concerned about the weather- Ireland is relativately mild in comparsion to other countries, its just the rain.. as long as the van is well insulated and ventilated and waterproof, no leaks I think I'm good. Even other aspects, like space for my stuff like my clothes - I've given away and donated 90% of my clothes. Stuff I thought I need, but turns out I didnt. Im thinking of the practicalities , i know I would be very limited in the amount of stuff I could fit into the van. My decision to go ahead with this will be my own and as much as i can an educated decision. I've enough people around me here in the real world trying to put me off as it is.

I could spent 12k in renting/living expenses for 1 year living in Dublin, money I'll never see again. Or I could put that money to use with the van. By putting the money into the van i think there is potential to earn money from also it by documenting the conversion with a blog. Even if I wasn't to live in the van, say a year from now, if i got sick of it whatever, it could still be used for trips away down the country/out of the country. The van is not going to leave me stuck- rather it opens up more possibilities and opportunities.

Look at the end of the day, i know this wouldn't be for everyone. Its a lifestyle choice and I think you have to be a certain type of person to do it.

Firstly, good luck with whatever you decide. I don't think it's a terrible idea but I wonder would it actually be much fun?

The last people I rented with before I moved in with my partner became really great friends, the house was a laugh for the entire year. Renting needn't be an ordeal, if you live with good people it can be great. We still meet up all the time and honestly, I wouldn't trade those friendships for any amount of saving money.

The van thing is definitely do-able but that alone doesn't mean it's worth doing. I can see a lot of positives to it, including intangible things like you'll probably do loads more things simply because going "home" to the van will be a less attractive option than going to a gallery or an event. You'll inevitably try to occupy your evenings more productively than most, simply because you'll have less creature comforts to enjoy when you get home.

The downsides, apart from being lonely etc, are the slight risk of a catastrophic event occurring (i.e., a break in, a break in that gets violent, the van catches fire) but I would imagine they are very slight.

I wonder do the Gardai keep figures for the numbers of vans and mobile homes broken into in any given year? It happens, but does it happen frequently?

Good luck, fwiw, I think you should give it a go, no harm to push ourselves outside our comfort zone every now and again. Have a read of John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, where he drove across America in a converted van, worked out fine for him anyhow!

previous user

Suckit wrote: »

I would agree with the OP saying that she is 'over' house sharing.
Some get lucky, some find it worse than living with their parents. House sharing is best for the landlord/lady and those with little or no options (excluding students).

But as you mentioned - 15k or more in the bank is not insignificant. I would think that pumping that much into a van conversion, is just as wasteful as renting.
It would surely be better to purchase a real campervan and park it up in safer areas (move around). Most people do not bat an eyelid at a campervan near their area.

The blog idea is tough. There is money to be made from detailing the process start to finish and marketing to the right people, but i would agree it is unrealistic (not a massive audience).
But then again, the money for absolute garbage on social media is definitely there, so why not for something that may become more popular?

She could set up a crowd fund page, or go through forums like this and ask someone with a very large driveway if she could park in it, I'm sure there are some decent people on this forum who would oblige.

Anongeneric

If you do write a blog about the conversion, please post it here so we can follow

marielovesstea wrote: »

Hi.

Yes well to be honest I thought my post was going to get lost in cyberspace , i really wasn't expecting such a response and I'm just trying to convey (maybe not very clearly!!) that I appreciate all the advice and the time people are taking to share and write such detailed responses. Obviously I'm going to like more encouraging, open minded response to the ones that plain out think its an idiotic, ill informed bad idea.

Also, I am actively researching and gathering as much information about this as possible. If i thought it was a bad idea I would have stopped looking into this at this stage. This isn't an idea i pluck out of thin air yesterday. I've spent hours and hours researching every aspect of the van conversion what I need and what I can do without. I've spoken to van conversion specialists, i know the layout, I know what type of van I need (fiat ducato/ Renault Master LWB high roof incase anyone wants to know) I know all the types of insulation use- their pros and their cons, the different types of fridges, have looked into solar panels for electricity, following blogs, read books etc etc... basically I'm covering all angles and make an informed decision, well as much as I can before I get the van to make sure this isn't a bad idea for me. To the people concerned about the weather- Ireland is relativately mild in comparsion to other countries, its just the rain.. as long as the van is well insulated and ventilated and waterproof, no leaks I think I'm good. Even other aspects, like space for my stuff like my clothes - I've given away and donated 90% of my clothes. Stuff I thought I need, but turns out I didnt. Im thinking of the practicalities , i know I would be very limited in the amount of stuff I could fit into the van. My decision to go ahead with this will be my own and as much as i can an educated decision. I've enough people around me here in the real world trying to put me off as it is.

I could spent 12k in renting/living expenses for 1 year living in Dublin, money I'll never see again. Or I could put that money to use with the van. By putting the money into the van i think there is potential to earn money from also it by documenting the conversion with a blog. Even if I wasn't to live in the van, say a year from now, if i got sick of it whatever, it could still be used for trips away down the country/out of the country. The van is not going to leave me stuck- rather it opens up more possibilities and opportunities.

Look at the end of the day, i know this wouldn't be for everyone. Its a lifestyle choice and I think you have to be a certain type of person to do it.

Rubberchikken

Initial read op I thought you were mad to consider the idea but I gave it a bit of thought and realise it could work as long as you think everything through.

I agree with rental being money lost. Nothing tangible to show for a fortune spent.
At least with a van maybe if and when you got tired of it you could sell it to the next adventurous soul.
Wishing you all the best in your decidion/future.

the_syco

Deleted User wrote: »

The downsides, apart from being lonely etc, are the slight risk of a catastrophic event occurring (i.e., a break in, a break in that gets violent, the van catches fire) but I would imagine they are very slight.

On this; I think the OP should have something in the van that they could use for basic self-defense (for use in small spaces).

jcon1913

Chester Copperpot wrote: »

Is a great idea if you are an alcoholic, gruff and dishevelled homicide detective that lives alone with his trusty dog

No limp?

You read too much. Try to get out more often.

dbagman

You do realise the cost of buying the van and converting it would probs pay a year or 2 rent. Also have you factored in the cost of parking in the city? Could be anything between 15/20 quid a day. 100 quid a week. Maybe more. You can't just rock up and leave it on the street. Even if you park outside the city you still have public transport costs. And if the van is seen sat somewhere long-term you will have security issues. As a bloke who lived in a van while travelling in Australia it's not nice being woken by someone breaking into it let me tell you!!

dbagman

Rubberchikken wrote:

I agree with rental being money lost. Nothing tangible to show for a fortune spent. At least with a van maybe if and when you got tired of it you could sell it to the next adventurous soul. Wishing you all the best in your decidion/future.

As a person that has recently bought id agree to some extent, but in the grand scheme of things spending money on a warm comfortable place to wash and lay your head down after a hard day's work/study is worth the spend if you ask me. You can't put a value on a good nights sleep. Being well rested going into a day of college will reap it's own rewards when exam time rolls around.

Viscount Aggro

Its called stealth camping for a reason. You can rock up to a neighbourhood and park for the night.
These are desperate times in the housing market, and requires extreme measures to survive.
UK websites have guides to where to park and not be bothered.
I have seen a converted sprinter parked near Milltown, Dublin over the last few weeks. Theres people sleeping in it overnight.
The safety issue? Does anyone f*ck with travellers when they are parked up? I think not.
I think a better option is to buy a cheap house in the west of Ireland and do it up. I am talking real cheap.

bucketybuck

marielovesstea wrote: »

I could spent 12k in renting/living expenses for 1 year living in Dublin, money I'll never see again.

12k?

Why exaggerate the costs so much, you could easily houseshare for half that amount in a perfectly nice house in a perfectly nice area and enjoy all the comforts of a modern home for the year.

I do find it funny that its considered begrudgery to point how how ****ty and inconvenient it would be to live out of the back of a van. I guess everything is begrudgery these days.

Personally I suspect the OP has an overly romantic view of this idea and wants it to happen, so there is an "accentuate the positives" thing going on. Good luck to them then. I know family who lived in a big caravan for a year while their house was rebuilt/renovated and it was a year of misery that they don't even like talking about. Living in cramped, damp, cold conditions with crap facilities becomes old very quickly.

There is a reason travellers are a minority, and it isn't because people are all sheep.

Day Lewin

Lots and lots of people have done this, do it regularly, by choice.
I'm sure you have looked on YouTube, OP.
Try "Vandwelling" and "Vanlife" on Google, YouTube, Reddit, Blogger...really it is a common thing: not all that weird, at all.
Caution: you need to make sure that insulation and ventilation are of good standard. And that interior layout is comfortable and live-able...cooking, washing oneself, laundry, etc.

I have a campervan for recreational use and I stealth all the time: have often slept on streetside. Never been bothered in any way!
Not too many nights in a row, but I can drive it to somewhere else!

Best of luck with it, OP: and if you do it, will you blog it, please? I'd love to see!

arctictree

IMO, if you already have a car, a much better idea is a caravan. You can pick up a very decent one for 5K with all mod cons in it. Live in it for a year and then sell for a little less. You just need to find somewhere to park it that is close to the city.

shaunr68

bucketybuck wrote: »

I know family who lived in a big caravan for a year while their house was rebuilt/renovated and it was a year of misery that they don't even like talking about. Living in cramped, damp, cold conditions with crap facilities becomes old very quickly.

And I know a family who moved into a large caravan "temporarily" while building their home, who years later are still living in the caravan. They found it warm, comfortable,big enough and has all the facilities for their needs while being cheap to heat and maintain and their house is still in pieces on pallets. They have no intention of ever living in the house now. Each to their own, eh?

bucketybuck

shaunr68 wrote: »

Each to their own, eh?

Of course. I'm not sure what your point is supposed to be?

shaunr68

bucketybuck wrote: »

Of course. I'm not sure what your point is supposed to be?

To point out that your horror story of the family living in squalor was not necessarily typical and a lifestyle in a compact space actually suits some people.

listermint

Day Lewin wrote: »

Lots and lots of people have done this, do it regularly, by choice.
I'm sure you have looked on YouTube, OP.
Try "Vandwelling" and "Vanlife" on Google, YouTube, Reddit, Blogger...really it is a common thing: not all that weird, at all.
Caution: you need to make sure that insulation and ventilation are of good standard. And that interior layout is comfortable and live-able...cooking, washing oneself, laundry, etc.

I have a campervan for recreational use and I stealth all the time: have often slept on streetside. Never been bothered in any way!
Not too many nights in a row, but I can drive it to somewhere else!

Best of luck with it, OP: and if you do it, will you blog it, please? I'd love to see!

Those people are traveling across the states.

This person will be living their normal mundane nine to five.

There will be nothing fun about this at all. The OP seems to have spent too much time on youtube. And they are very late to the game if they believe there is money left to be made

mariaalice

I love how these threads attract the fantasists I have a lot of sympathy for those who want to escape a mortgage or rent but its just not realistic for the vast majority of people, I am sure living in a van is possible however it is not an alternative to living in a conventional house its only works for a small section of the population.

Boats Vans cost money and cost money to repair and maintain.

SteM

shaunr68 wrote: »

To point out that your horror story of the family living in squalor was not necessarily typical and a lifestyle in a compact space actually suits some people.

A large caravan is a different prospect to the back of a van imo. They have a family around them and space for that family. The back of a van would be a much more lonely existence. Also, I assume that the caravan is on land that the family own or rent, they're not going to be asked to move on every few nights.

spaceHopper

I've a small camper van and have often thought of converting my own too. It's a lot of work something you could do over a summer but I wouldn't rush it. For what you want you'll need to either do a proper job and change it over and insure it as a camper or keep it commercial tax and insurance both of these should be checked before you do anything else.

You will need to insulate, floor and line the van, you'll also need to put in a second 12V circuit with wiring and lighting, LED would be best ,then you need cooker, gas is best and a good cooler either a camper fridge or a very good cool box, a sink..... Also heating.... all in I reckon and month of planning and two months to build part time two weeks full time. Look at IKEA for idea!

bucketybuck

shaunr68 wrote: »

To point out that your horror story of the family living in squalor was not necessarily typical and a lifestyle in a compact space actually suits some people.

Ah. Well, I never said the word squalor, but I'm sure when the OP moves into her warm, comfortable, big caravan with all the facilities she will be grand. I'm sure your experience is indeed far more typical and that the OP will be perfectly happy in the back of her van.

Andyballyc

As long as the van is fitted out suitably and is well insulated, then its not a bad plan. I lived in a van myself for a while and it was good whilst I was working every day but then its not good when you are not working and you find yourself spending time in there because you have nothing else to do. Travelling is different, but being parked up and sitting in there on cold or rainy days can feel a bit restrictive.

The idea of a stealth van is great if you need to stealthily park in public areas, but consider just buying a cheap camper van that already has everything fitted out of you have somewhere that you can park that is not a public street etc.

The bigger the van the better, LWB high top sprinters are the obvious choice but there are many other options. If I was doing it again I'd be tempted by a horse box, they have basic living space, shower and toilet in most, as well as water etc, and they can be super stealthy.

colm_mcm

Living out of a van with no windows would be pretty depressing?