SO WHAT DO I KNOW ...................

 

 

As winter sets in we are all faced with longer evenings perhaps exacerbated by various restrictions beyond our control and as a long term vanner I am no exception to the challenges (but also opportunities) this presents.

As regular readers will know I generally head south in winter where the days might be warmer but the nights can often be colder and the hours of daylight not hugely different, although if like me you are not a huge fan of the rain usable hours can be much greater.

However events have over the years occasionally conspired either to prevent me from getting away or necessitated a premature return but as with any challenge in life there are lessons to be learned and opportunities taken - my recent trips to the Outer Hebrides and South East England described in recent blogs are a testament to this.

Now though I am looking at a few months in the UK with unpredictable limitations but fairly predictable wind and rain - plus I hope some of those precious cold clear spells that make winter a very special time.

I earlier described myself as a long term vanner which to date means living largely in a van since selling up a smallholding in the Brecon Beacons in 2005 and since 2011 living what is to all intents and purposes almost full time on the road. In reality I do spend time in other settings - a combination of hotel treats, house sitting, a very precious fortnight in Cumbria each year and occasional nights in bothies, under canvas, bivvying or hostelling. Thus I do not have the status of full time that insurance companies tend to steer clear of and remain UK domiciled for tax, health care and financial proceedings - of which more later.

 Anyway to the Blog Title - WHAT DO I KNOW.........

Well after so many years OTR quite a bit thank you, mostly shaped by my own experiences but also knowledge gained from chatting with and observing others, reading blogs, watching vlogs and even reading books - how quaint.

 So with cosy evenings to fill and having passed a significant birthday in March - roll on 40, I feel I should offer my thoughts, hints, tips, opinions and warnings to the many people intrigued by if not actually contemplating a similar approach to life.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to speak at and listen to many excellent and occasionally well polished presentations at the annual Horizons Unlimited  events in the UK and abroad - sadly unable to take place this year so if you were there some of the following may be familiar.

    GET ON WITH IT........

OK.  There is a lot to cover but for now I will look at vehicle choice - if you are contemplating a vehicle read on but even if you already have one in your possession read on too and feel free to challenge me, add to the discussion and share your experiences...

 

Budget is a good starting place as it may be fixed, limited or uncertain and straight away we find the nub of the problem - everyone's is different and may, indeed should, include an element of costs beyond the initial purchase as there will almost certainly be things you will want to do or add to the vehicle you find to make it just right for you.

And that I believe should be your starting point - it is for you, it may well become your home so every irritation or defect will face you every day, similarly if something does the job well and makes daily life even better then you will have no regrets.

So take your time and really look at what you want your van for : when you will want to use it, where you hope to travel, whether or not you have access to another vehicle, what are your hobbies and interests, what possessions you cannot do without and so on.

Also consider your ability (or just willingness) to deal with any issues that might arise either on the mechanical side or the habitation side.

Unless you really do intend to cross the Ghobi Desert or are a winter sports enthusiast (seriously consider winter tyres, chains or LSD - the diff not the drug- for when you need them) then AWD adds to initial and running costs, mechanical complexity, weight and may limit the size of underslung water and waste tanks. I met a couple in Morocco in a Unimog with a Unimog trailer a few years ago and he estimated tyre wear was 20p/mile and the guys in the expedition trucks struggle (as in fact do most motorhomes) with the narrow lanes of say Cornwall or the Vercors. Use your van to get near to these places but then your legs, wheels or public transport to explore them - you will be fitter, the place nicer and the local economy more sustainable.

Height is an oft overlooked factor re tunnels and bridges, a high vehicle costs more on the ferries and French peage network, can limit access to carparks in city centres or be a physical issue on smaller ferries.

 Similarly length as despite (sometimes because of) Sat Nav everyone will have to do a U turn at some point and even with reversing cameras it can be a stressful experience in something that you are heavily invested in - and want to sleep in that night!.

Hump back bridges, ferry ramps, tight bends and ever shrinking supermarket spaces should lead you to as short a vehicle as possible - bearing in mind that you may also want a bike or scooter on the back adding to the length of your rig and often capable of misleading your camera or sensors.

 

Personally I am a convert to diesel for many reasons - the generally improved MPG, lower price especially abroad and better availability in rural areas - although I appreciate modern petrol engines are squeezing quarts out of pint pots - and the relative simplicity and longevity of the diesel design - 500,000 HGVs in the UK alone must be right.....

Yes there are emission considerations but modern diesels are much improved and whilst we may be denied these choices within a decade I am sticking with it - for another very important reason to be discussed later. Cities that are banning diesels in their centres usually have excellent P&R facilities (3 cheers Canterbury), or as I often do, park or camp cheaply in a nearby regional town or village, hop on the bus or train, or cycle in as often the most environmentally conscious cities have the better provision for two wheeled travel and it gives you a handy way to flit between the various attractions.

I also feel diesel is a far safer fuel to be sitting on top of in the event of a shunt, when carrying spare cans and the engines are less prone to failure in wet conditions. As regards longevity my old Volkswagen T4 Short Wheel Base van had covered 345,000 miles on the original engine with no attention to the mechanics other than a new fuel pump operating spindle and was maintained mostly on the road by myself - a self taught grease monkey. 40 oil and filter changes from Norway to Christchurch (NZ not Dorset) over 12 years were I think a major factor in this - every 6000 miles plus air and diesel filters every 12,000. I am not a fan of these long life oils and whilst the current bus is every 10k miles and annoyingly due to the location of the filter impractical without a ramp I stick to it religiously and do the air and diesel filters myself every 10k miles as this combined with a premium diesel such as BP Ultimate or Shell V Power seems to have avoided injector issues. This fuel is also a consideration in another area - see later.

OK one downside - my small portable generator runs on unleaded so my spare can has petrol in it but over the years I have learnt never to go less than a quarter tank of full and there is now another consideration on this matter - see later. Generally I keep the tank full as there is less chance of condensation putting moisture in the filter and whilst there is a penalty in lugging 80kg of fuel around I feel the range of 600-650 miles is well worth having in reserve - something I know the adventure motorcyclists I have met envy and something that was a game changer in the Oz Outback.

 I do hope the Tesla Camper will match that.

Anyway back to the vehicle basics.

Again depending on your plans global availability of parts, brands familiar to mechanics in far flung places, tyres of an easily sourced size and the availability of dealers should you have a warranty to protect must be a consideration - the latter also applies to your conversion as many warranties require annual damp ingress surveys and habitation checks (an important safety issue anyway and ironically probably more important in a less used van).

An imported European conversion may use parts hard and/or expensive to source in the UK and also bear in mind that even some top notch conversions such as the VW California leave the main entry door on the dodgy side. Also the Europeans don't seem to like bacon or toast - surprisingly few have a grill - outrageous.

Good friends based in the UK elected to buy a LHD van as they travel mostly in Europe - a sound decision and worthy of consideration.

For me its RHD as that was the only option and very much a minor consideration despite extensive European mileage : I'm never in a hurry so rarely need to overtake and if the proverbial did hit the fan the suicide seat is usually empty.

So still focussing on the vehicle and mindful of the huge range of options here are some basics IMHO

 1) If you are going to do anything more than odd weekends and a couple of summer weeks out and about then get a high top van FULL STOP. This a far more important concern than the length for the following reasons - practicality when cooking, moving about, washing etc, storage, warmth and weather proofing. My good old T4 had a pop top for the first 6 years including two years full time in Oz and NZ, great for keeping cool but not so good in Tasmania's high country or en route through a wintry Europe to get to Southern Europe.

The fabrics do eventually deteriorate (even without the unwarranted assistance of a possum), need drying out if wet, can be noisy in high winds and need to be folded away carefully. Also whilst you can get roof racks to fit the actual elevating section I doubt it would be practical for say two heavy kayaks and having to offload the rack every time would be irksome and possibly an opportunity for theft.

 Even that quick coffee en route is a joy in a high top and the times I have been unable to access places have been very few (0 cheers for Derby P&R that has a 2.2m barrier).

Incidentally on the old van I changed to a high roof and noticed no difference in fuel consumption as the bikes were then beneath the roof line reducing wind resistance and turbulence so that bike covers last far longer (3 cheers www.bagsandcoversdirect.co.uk ).

 

 

As mentioned earlier toll motorways can be more expensive - take the road less travelled and relax - and on ferries length often counts for more than height although there may be less choice at busy times for overheight vehicles - incidentally quick tip : if possible have a fold up bike rack and put the bikes inside for the crossing to reduce your overall length. Be warned that many companies use manufacturer's databases and ANPR ( great for speedy ticketless booking) and will know the true length of your vehicle - be fair or it might cost you quite a surcharge or even lose your sailing.

2) So you've gone diesel, high, 2WD what about length?

I see absolutely no point in a fixed bed on anything other than top end luxury rigs as the wasted space is just being dragged around. You can't store stuff on it if you want to go to bed later on, very few of the so called garages beneath will take bicycles etc. Many are elevated to try and improve this storage leaving limited headroom and over cab beds whilst fun for kids often require gymnastic skills to access.

A well designed conversion will have seating that makes up a bed in minutes with minimal infill cushions, struts, boards or other irritations. Ideally look for flexibility as it should be possible to have one or two singles or a good double which should avoid any misunderstandings if you take your best mate away for the weekend for a few beers. Incidentally a blog later on will deal with space saving ideas but here's one - for the last 15 years I have used two down 4 season bags zipped together inside a duvet cover with a fitted sheet that can all be rolled up in to a very tight bundle in seconds. These quality bags are then available for backpacking trips with silk liners and have never been washed and look (and smell) as good as new. The less than five minutes it takes to make and break the bed each day is a small price to pay for having a van that is only 5.2m or 17' long - hugely practical as my all day every day vehicle.

Beware the  quirks of converters - my van was marketed as a four berth but only had belted seats for three. Also those kids beds in the roof - when they grow out of their shoes it's bad enough but might they soon outgrow that cute little roofspace, then what?

 

 

 

3) I am aware that budget is a major consideration but again consider how and where you are intending to use your van, how you feel about wild camping and the costs of campsites these days.

A 'full timer' could easily run up a bill of over £7000 per annum if using a site every night, even in Europe so a few quid spent at the outset to reduce this might be an investment. Sadly due to thoughtless and selfish behaviour by people new, and even worse, old to vanning I think our already limited opportunities to camp off grid will be futher reduced but it is still possible and can provide some of the best experiences. Combine this with the ongoing closure of many public facilities, an understandable reluctance to use shared facilities even on sites as a result of Covid and the convenience (ha ha) of an onboard facility I would certainly say definitely have at least a portapotti although consider how close you are (or in fact want to be) when your significant other needs to open that door in the wee or worse small hours.

Again having managed for the first 12 years with neither loo nor shower I wouldn't be without either now and the independence is probably saving me £50 - £100 a week on site fees so that investment would soon be repaid.

Downsides are of course more water and gas used and the need to deal with waste roughly weekly but as I tend to take one night a week on site for other reasons - see later - this is not a problem.

4) Width varies - I am under 2.2m (the van that is) so rarely face issues and a sliding side door means you can enter or leave even in a tight spot  but generally bigger and longer will mean wider and those fancy mirrors are a fortune to replace. Again transverse fixed beds will mean a wider vehicle so avoid!

5) Ground clearance is one of the most overlooked considerations and of significance, particularly if you want to get off the beaten track. Again vehicle length will affect grounding, AWD  vehicles may have raised suspension but steps, underslung gas and water tanks, flimsy drainage valves and waste pipes can all add to the issue - check carefully what is there and how it might be damaged.

Anyway that's enough to be going on with - next time more factors to consider with the actual conversion and habitation options.