Reply to: Living in a van

[NickFitz]

Robert Llewellyn also lived in a furniture lorry. I wonder how they managed the insurance issue?

I don't know, but there are certain farms he's been returning to for years, and when his lorry was very ill the other year and he had to wait months for a part to be found and shipped over one of those farmers let him stay in a spare barn over winter. I daresay such a person would be willing to let him use the place as a postal address for such matters.

There's lots of good people out there, particularly when you get away from bureaucracy

[TimberWolf]

A friend of mine has been living in an old Albion furniture lorry for twenty years now - he tends to spend the summers in Spain, then head back to France for seasonal agricultural work to build up funds for the next year.

I do remember that, being a sensible sort of chap, he took a welding course (free because he was then on the dole) before making the move to a mobile lifestyle.

He's even got a web site related to his New Age Traveller lifestyle and the joys of aged vehicles

Robert Llewellyn also lived in a furniture lorry. I wonder how they managed the insurance issue?

[NickFitz]

A friend of mine has been living in an old Albion furniture lorry for twenty years now - he tends to spend the summers in Spain, then head back to France for seasonal agricultural work to build up funds for the next year.

I do remember that, being a sensible sort of chap, he took a welding course (free because he was then on the dole) before making the move to a mobile lifestyle.

He's even got a web site related to his New Age Traveller lifestyle and the joys of aged vehicles

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I realise insurance companies rely on 'utmost good faith', but can they get out of paying a claim where details not provided (or fibbed about) make no material difference to a claim?

I don't think they could - so it would depend on the circumstances of any claim, but I think they could fairly sucessfully argue that pretending your address was a fixed one and then finding that in fact you didn't have a fixed address would probably be material to almost any claim, and if you told the truth (that your address was your van), I seriously doubt they would insure you.

[TimberWolf]

I noticed quite a lot of people who appeared to be doing this in Bath when I was last there.

On Insurance - no-one will insure you if you tell the truth about what you are doing. If you lie your insurance will become invalid. On the upside, just like travellers, if you come up on ANPR/speed cameras, they will have nowhere to send the fines!

I realise insurance companies rely on 'utmost good faith', but can they get out of paying a claim where details not provided (or fibbed about) make no material difference to a claim?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Seems a cheap possibility at a pinch. Even surviving on minimum wage could become viable :

Major expenses would be food, car tax, car maintenance, petrol & insurance costs, which for most people are outgoings anyway. If you need a bit more room, go outside. Lots of room there. There's also a public library full of books and DVD's/ CDs that can be looked at or borrowed for free if you want them. TV and internet can be had cheap or free too if you don't own a house.

No council tax, water rates, electric bills, house maintenance, insurance & heating bills. All major costs disappear except vehicle related ones, which you likely have anyway.


http://cheaprvliving.com/Howtoliveinaboxvan.html

I noticed quite a lot of people who appeared to be doing this in Bath when I was last there.

On Insurance - no-one will insure you if you tell the truth about what you are doing. If you lie your insurance will become invalid. On the upside, just like travellers, if you come up on ANPR/speed cameras, they will have nowhere to send the fines!

[pzz76077]

Act as normal when you say you're taking her back to your place and when you get into the van and don't move off be prepared for an awkward silence? You can fill this silence by advising against going in pooh corner.

Seriously though, I thought the carp thing was a big issue until I read up about what they do and it doesn't seem so bad now. At worst, when caught short, a double lined bag and kitty litter. Public toilets, supermarkets, pubs. Not so bad if you're 'regular'. Do van dwellers tulip in the woods?

Why not do your toilet business at work like everyone else?? Why carp in your own time??

I have an ex colleague that has lived in a Citeron 2CV for most of his working life. He's currently working at an IB in Paris. Best BA I ever worked with, but completely barking none the less.

I also know someone who lives in one of those big US camper vans, moves around wherever his contract takes him. Last I heard, he was holed up in Stevenage working for a drug company.

Many years ago I rented a house boat on the canal in Regents Park- was 50 quid a week bills included!

I looked at buying a boat recently, and it would have worked out at around 70k to buy a reasonable second hand one and around 900pa to moor it in Regents Park or Canary Wharf. Not bad for a pad in Central London!

You could also move it somewhere else if your contract required it.

PZZ

[TimberWolf]

Where will you:
Park
C raap ?
How would you cope with no bird ever wanting to have sex with you ?

Act as normal when you say you're taking her back to your place and when you get into the van and don't move off be prepared for an awkward silence? You can fill this silence by advising against going in pooh corner.

Seriously though, I thought the carp thing was a big issue until I read up about what they do and it doesn't seem so bad now. At worst, when caught short, a double lined bag and kitty litter. Public toilets, supermarkets, pubs. Not so bad if you're 'regular'. Do van dwellers tulip in the woods?

[shaunbhoy]

How would you cope with no bird ever wanting to have sex with you ?

I dunno. Enlighten us AtW!!

[d000hg]

but no mail address = low credit rating

a)You don't need much credit when life is so cheap
b)be a cash-rich contractor and you don't need credit

Where will you:
Park
C raap ?
How would you cope with no bird ever wanting to have sex with you ?

Park: someplace nice, just not for days on end. Loads of peaceful places you could find if you looked. Or possibly a pub would let you stay on their land if you spend money in their bar

Carp: use public or shop/restaurant toilets. Or see above, use pub toilet.

Shag: "I live in a van" could get you novelty value, as long as you do the van up nice. Plus, see above. "I'm only 10s from the pub, fancy a quickie?"

[newblood]

Seems a cheap possibility at a pinch. Even surviving on minimum wage could become viable :

Major expenses would be food, car tax, car maintenance, petrol & insurance costs, which for most people are outgoings anyway. If you need a bit more room, go outside. Lots of room there. There's also a public library full of books and DVD's/ CDs that can be looked at or borrowed for free if you want them. TV and internet can be had cheap or free too if you don't own a house.

No council tax, water rates, electric bills, house maintenance, insurance & heating bills. All major costs disappear except vehicle related ones, which you likely have anyway.

You can avoid living near chavs and poor people by parking up in nice areas and being stealthy. And you could earn a bit of extra cash by tarmacking their drives and moving on.

Why be owned by a house?

http://cheaprvliving.com/Howtoliveinaboxvan.html

Where will you:
Park
C raap ?
How would you cope with no bird ever wanting to have sex with you ?

[oracleslave]

Living in a van.

Another CUK aspirational thread.

How do you think sg saved up for his shed?

[DimPrawn]

Living in a van.

Another CUK aspirational thread.

[EternalOptimist]

If you really wanted to go to exremes TW, you could become a freegan, and live like a king out of Tesco skips.

[DieScum]

This guy does it - http://tynan.net/living-in-a-small-rv-introduction