6 Vanlifers Share the Truth About Life on the Road

November 29, 2022 in Tips for Travellers and Experiences

It feels like everyone's talking about vanlife nowadays! Instagram is filled with #vanlife posts, with a 312% growth in them over recent years. With so many people lusting over life on 4 wheels, we decided to discover the truth about vanlife. We spoke to 6 vanlifers to find out the good, the bad, and the ugly about living on the road. So that anyone looking to make the leap into vanlife can do so with the full picture.

Ready to find out the truth?

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Mollie

After living in London for 3 years, Mollie took the plunge to vanlife as a way to connect with nature once more. From the comfort of her VW High Top LWB, Mollie has been exploring the UK and Europe. She works from her van 

“I’m always looking for a way to live a little less insulated from nature. After living in London for 3 years, I was ready to trade the high-speed energetics of the city for the natural rhythms of nature, and my van allowed me to do this with total flexibility and freedom. The reality was, I knew I wanted to leave the city, but I had no idea what pocket of nature to call home next. Moving into my van allowed me to explore options, stay as long as felt beautiful, and to move on when I was ready. I got to test places out.

Of course, I could have explored the UK and Europe without my van, but my van allowed me to have a space that I’d personally designed to provide me with the comfort, inspiration and energy to run my business and stay centred whilst on the go, no packing cases and unpacking all the time! The best of both worlds! Also, you can’t get more immersed in nature than when living in a van. Vanlife has made for some of the most connected days of my life, whether that’s because I’m waking up to the ocean or the mountains, having my cup of tea on my doorstep as I greet van life neighbours or because you’re pretty much always outside and just go inside to cook and sleep! In a world that continually encourages us to disconnect from the earth, vanlife encourages us to reestablish that connection every single day.”

Charlie and Lauren

As free-spirited minimalists, Charlie and Lauren wanted to simplify their lives so they could find freedom. Travelling in a Ford Transit campervan, they have opted for a life on the road since 2020. They came to this decision after living on a narrowboat and seeing how well they worked in a small space.

“For us, it’s mainly for the freedom. To up and move where we want, when we want, and to have our little home with us. We’re big fans of tiny living and live a super minimalist lifestyle 👌🏼”

Amy Nicholson

On a mission to live life freely, Amy has been experiencing life in her Mercedes MWB since 2021. Inspiring others to have a business that can be worked on from anywhere in the world, she’s the go-to for all things free-living freelancing. Her reason for living life this way? That’s easy!  

“Life on the road is simple and stripped back – it’s just you, your home on wheels, and the open road. Yet every day is a new adventure! Exploring new places, meeting people from all walks of life, and experiencing life a little more freely.”

Indie & Joel

Wanting to settle, but keep moving is a dilemma that most backpackers/nomads face at some point on their journey. For Indie & Joel, van life was the perfect solution offering the best of both worlds: a home that supports adventure. Exploring in their Sprinter Van, they have a home wherever they go, which means…

“For us, it was the best way of living. Joel and I had been travelling together and apart for the last 6 years. We wanted to finally settle down and get ourselves a home but still be able to keep on moving. Living on the road has made our lives complete. Having the comfort of your home with you everywhere you go, but you're still able to explore and see new places, meet new people, travel to new countries. There is nothing that can beat that!”

Nic

Nic opted for a life on the road back in 2018 and has never looked back. He found a kind of joy that life on the road gave him something that money could never buy. Here’s why: 

“Life is for living. Back in 2018, the open road was calling. I discovered richness did not come from working 9-5 but from adventure and unforgettable experiences. Van life helped me find my compass, my happiness, my freedom”

Sophie

In her own words, Sophie “quit the rat race” to follow her dreams and has been inspiring girls to “blaze trails” ever since. Always prepared for the next adventure, Sophie uses her van to explore freely. Travelling in a VW MWB, it’s a spacious ride to store all of her outdoor gear, so she’s always ready for any adventure that awaits. 

“As an adventure athlete, having a van felt like a natural progression! A little home on wheels that feels like ‘my space’ filled with my adventure gear, so I’m ready for anything! My favourite place to vanlife is Scotland and the word that sums up van life to me is FREEDOM. It’s not plain sailing, but life is for living and giving things a go. It might not work out, but it will be a great adventure on the way”

Maja

A full-time solo vanlifer, Maja opted for life off-grid back in 2018 and has never looked back since. Like many other vanlifers, Maja was drawn into the freedom that life on the road could offer. Her goal was to work less and to live more, which is exactly what life in her Citroen jumper van allowed her to do…

“I used to live the norm; I owned my own little tiny house just outside Stockholm and worked way more than necessary. After a while, I just realized I wasn’t happy at all, I got sick, and I was thinking about when I actually was happy – the answer was when I’m travelling. I then proceeded to think about how I could do more travelling – the answer was vanlife. With vanlife as my lifestyle, I wouldn’t have to work as much as I did, and I would get to have the comfort of my home while travelling full-time and always have the ability to choose when and where I wanted to live, which humans to surround myself with, what view I wanted to wake up to and what view I wanted to fall asleep to.”

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Ready to embark on your own adventure? Hire a campervan and get going!