I’m Ollie and live full-time in my affectionally named ‘Tage’ high-roof VW Crafter. Van life has completely changed my life, giving me freedom to explore new careers, travel for months at a time, learn new skills whilst saving money. It’s not a dream, I’ve done it. I no longer work the grind of 9-5 work days, paying cripplingly monthly rents and limited to 25 days holiday per year by my employer. I get to call beautiful Scotland my home for most of the year and then travel wherever I please for the rest of the year… and oh yes, whilst saving money!
“If you want to live full time, go big! Make sure you choose a van with standing head-room as you’ll soon get tired of living life cramped up inside a small van which makes EVERYTHING more difficult.”
A 2007, high-roof VW Crafter with a medium wheel base. Affectionately named “Tage” (Tar-geh, a typical Swedish name that seems to suit my van’s dependable and at times, sluggish behaviour on the roads…
How did you find your van and where did you buy it?
I purchased the van on eBay in 2019.
Approximately how much did you van cost to purchase?
£4000
Approximately how much did you spend building it out?
£3500
Did you complete all the Van Build yourself?
Yes, all the work has been done by myself with numerous modifications made over my 4 years of living full-time in Tage; but not without the help from amazing self-builders online who share their knowledge freely on YouTube, Instagram and dedicated websites like Van Bandits!
What was the most difficult part of the campervan conversion?
This was right at the beginning of the build. Working out how to build a good foundational frame to anchor the interior to which requires you to work around the complex curves and inconveniently placed pieces of structural metal work and existing electrical cable looms inside the van – always in the way or not where you need them! There was no way around this but hours and hours of staring at walls, thinking, trying things out and inevitably… staring again.
If you could change one thing about your van build what would it be?
Without a doubt, it’s the size of my sink. I prioritised worktop space but I wish had gone for something a bit wider to make the tedious task of washing up that little bit easier. This may not be so important for weekend warriors using their campervans for brief excursions but for full time van-lifers, dirty dishes build up quickly, and domestic size pans or dishes do not fit inside sinks designed for campervans. For full time van lifers, plan your kitchen around domestic sized sinks.
Is there anything you forgot to bring and didn’t have in your Van once you started Vanlife?
Oh yes, heaps! Fortunately, though, many things can be bought on the road and anything not available in brick-and-mortar stores can be ordered online and delivered to a drop-box or pickup location anywhere in the world… unless you’re planning a van trip to the Arctic Circle then you might want to check your packing!
What do you work at when on the road during Vanlife?
I work as a professional tree planter across Scotland and rely on my van for my accommodation when living on site in the woods, on the moors or in farmers’ yards so my job and van life are entwined.
What is one place you want to take you van that is still on the bucket list?
Canada! I have been working towards shipping a new van build of mine across the Atlantic to Halifax on the east coast. From there I will drive west to British Columbia where I intend on working, travelling and ultimately setting up a new life in the long term. From here I intend on exploring the rest of the Americas, heading down to Mexico and beyond for a break from Canadian winters.
Has Vanlife changed your life and if so how?
Completely. Van life has given me the freedom to explore new careers, travel for months at a time, learn new skills and save money for exciting projects (more vans!). I have been able to invest in myself academically and have escaped from the daily grind of 9-5 work patterns, crippling monthly rents and 25 days holiday a year. Now I work for 6 -8 months of the year, calling the beautiful hills of Scotland my home and then travel wherever I please for the rest of the year – all whilst saving money!
What is the hardest or most frustrating thing about living on the road?
Finding public bins to throw away your rubbish!
What is something you expected to be difficult in Vanlife that actually turned out to be quite easy or not an issue?
Having never driven a large van before, I was worried about the difficulty of using such a big vehicle as a daily driver – especially around the tiny, twisting lanes of Cornwall, or finding parking spaces large enough to fit in. However, I soon found that I quickly got used to the size of my van and you soon realise that you’re not much wider than most common SUV’s on UK roads. In a medium wheelbase, I never find parallel parking to be an issue as with a bit of patience (and skill), you’ll always find one big enough to tuck in.
What is the best place you have visited in your van & why?
Galicia in northern Spain has been my favourite place for travelling in my van. Not as busy as further east along the north coast, it has an abundance of wild and unregulated park-ups next to some of the best beaches to surf in northern Europe. Highly recommended!
On average, what is your weekly expense when 'van-lifing'?
This of course depends on the amount of driving I am doing and whether it’s winter or not – where filling your diesel heater becomes a weekly must. I’d say around £110-£120 a week for food, fuel, insurance, tax and unlimited mobile data coverage.
Has your diet changed since you've started Vanlife and describe a typical day of eating for yourself?
I don’t have an oven in this van so the main difference from residing in a house is no baking or roasting. I rely on a two burner hob so typically I rely on a big bowl of porridge for breakfast, leftovers for lunch and large 1 pot meals for dinner such as stews, pasta and curry. One benefit of living in a van is that you can treat yourself to eating a bit more than usual, especially when you’re travelling which is always a treat!
Describe a typical day for you in Vanlife?
As I am writing this, I am in the work phase of my year so it’s an early wake-up, big pot of coffee on the stove and then enjoy that with breakfast whilst enjoying a stunning view from the window or open door. Heading back to the van in the late afternoon, it’s straight to cooking or socialising with colleagues in other vans, cooking meals for each other or sharing a drink. In the summer this is all done with the doors wide open to enjoy the surroundings or cosied up in the winter with the diesel heater running hot. When I’m on days off or travelling from the van, I tend to park up somewhere with good access to hikes, mountain bike trails or surf so that takes care of the daytime! It’s not always so dreamy though, weekly van chores include driving to the supermarket, refuelling heaters, disposing of waste, doing laundry, grabbing a shower, filling water tanks and perhaps some essential maintenance to the van.
Is there any one bit of advice you could offer to someone considering Vanlife?
If you want to live full time, go big! Make sure you choose a van with standing head-room as you’ll soon get tired of living life cramped up inside a small van which makes EVERYTHING more difficult. In my experience, you will always want a bigger van…
What is your go to van meal & why?
Tofu stir fries or quick curries! I’m a lazy cook and finish work ravenously hungry so for me – it’s all about speed and minimising washing up. One pot, ingredients that keep well and ample leftovers for lunch the next day that can be bulked out with rice, potatoes or added to wraps.
Can you think of a difficult van situation and how did you get out of it?
I drive off-road a lot due to my job and have often found myself stuck in ditches, mud or snow. If this might be you, always carry a tow strap, shovel, switch to AT tyres and ask nicely for a helping hand… or push.
Have you ever felt a bit lonely on the road? what did you do or how did you handle this?
Living off the beaten track or on your own in the van can often lead to loneliness. I combat this by speaking to my friends and partner regularly on the phone or via video chat. When they’re not available I find having a podcast or radio show on in the background keeps me sane. I do find that living life on the road gets you talking to strangers more which is an aspect of van life that I love.
Any last comments about van conversions, van tech & hacks or van life?
Take it slow. Don’t rush your conversion, do the best job you can within your budget and research, research, research. If you don’t have time to do something properly, make sure it can be easily improved in the future but my key piece of advice would be to build the foundation of your van well because once it’s done, it’s done.
Ollie
Lastly
Adventure Level: 9/10
Van Building Level: 1 standard conversion, 1 self-build house truck
Self-Build Level: 100% DIY
Countries Visited: 4
Bandit Level Unlocked: (out of the blocks/Almost/Chief bandit) ? Chief Bandito
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