Living in a campervan is an incredible, formative, life-changing experience. Whether you’re planning on shacking up for a couple of weeks, a few months or basically full time, there are a few little things to know before you ditch your current lifestyle. Living in a van gives you ultimate, unquestionable freedom. You’re open to roam wherever you please, explore where you want to see and live how you want to live, there’s no other experience quite like it. Here’s a couple of things to know, or at least to think about, before you head out onto the road for your new life:
Ventilation is key
Vans only have a finite amount of space, and they also only have a limited offering of cleanliness. That isn’t to say you can’t keep clean, it just means that you’re going to be showering and cleaning up less often than you would at home. Make sure your van is well ventilated with plenty of light and windows to avoid your space becoming unsanitary.
Have hiding spots
You don’t want to go into your experience paranoid or overly cautious, but you also shouldn’t forget the possibility of someone breaking in. If you’re bringing along valuables such as jewellery, laptops and other unavoidable essentials such as wallets or bank cards, you need to stash them somewhere sneaky. Just in case someone does invite themselves in for a rummage through your belongings, you should hide your more valuable items in places you’d never think to find them.
Take your shoes off
Campervans get pretty dirty, very easily. Frustratingly, this is an unavoidable truth and there really isn’t any way around it. The next vacuum cleaner and scrub down could be months away, so you need to be extra careful about what you’re bringing into your living space. Your shoes will carry dust, dirt, sand and really who knows what else, so be mindful and slip them off before you hop into your mobile home! Just like you wouldn’t put your dirty shoes up on the couch or on your dining room table, you shouldn’t rock them in your campervan either. This simple tip will keep your living space so much cleaner and nicer for longer.
Make it minimalist
All experienced travellers know that less is absolutely more, and this is especially true when you’re living in a van. By bringing along less generic stuff and being incredibly streamlined with your packing, you’ll find that your living space is a lot more comfortable. Cramming way too much into your campervan will make your space stressful, less organised and generally less clean, which no one wants.
Stay organised
Once you’ve set up your minimal amount of belongings, it’s very important to always keep it organised. Van living is already tremendously cramped, even more so if you’re going with another person, so don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be! If you’re constantly losing something, you’re probably going to tear through everything in that van until you find it, right? So do yourself a favour and just be an organisation guru from day one, even if it’s not your usual domestic style, it’s going to make your entire experience so much better.
Plan your trip a little
Although living in a van is all about the freedom to roam and the spirit of adventure, when you’re starting out, you should make some loose arrangements. Search around and look for the best camping spots in NSW, great places to visit nationally and good areas to actually park up and hang out for a couple of days to save any last-minute stress.
By following these pointers, you’re sure to have the experience of a lifetime!
