Hi, I’m Cat and I’m very new to all this.
Currently based just outside London and hoping to give up the office job, take a year or 2 out along with my husband and travel around Europe.in a van. We’re keen to explore the idea of converting our own van but are complete novices, so will be reading avidly to find out as much info as possible.
Hope to speak soon.
Sounds wonderful. I hope you have a blast!!
Greetings & Welcome!
While I can’t speak for your area, here in the USA, buying a cheap older factory camper van or motorhome will save you a ton of time, money, and frustration both now and in the future.
People promoting DIY camper builds are doing it for their own benefit, not the benefit of their VICTIMS. Only the worst choices pay these promoters big money to promote their garbage. Better & proper choices have no need to pay scam artists to promote their goods, or a lifestyle than needs no promoting to begin with.
Nobody that’s right for any version of this lifestyle needs any extra persuasion from others. We already know our own desires and goals in life. While honest unpaid support and advice can certainly be helpful, the advice from the promoters can be worse than no advice at all.
I think the most important advice, regardless of the duration of our adventures, is to remember that we are camping. Camping that should be both enjoyable and budget friendly. I like the advice that no one should gamble more than they can afford to lose, and only proper planning can prevent premature failure. I also like the advice of money/income first and vandwelling later. I don’t like all the “do it now” & “just do it” advice, or the advice that you should abandon a good life, sell everything, and invest it all into a home on wheels.
Chasing our dreams doesn’t need to be risky or expensive. It’s the unscrupulous promoters that are creating those dangers, and ruining the lives of many, if not most of their followers.
While my advice for newbies is still to purchase a cheap used camper that is move in ready, the best DIY camper vans, with all the amenities, should cost hundreds, not the thousands that the promoters encourage people to spend. It should take days, not weeks, months, or years to convert your own. I paid $700 for my current camper van that had been gutted, and ~$300 starting from scratch to turn it into a fully self contained home on wheels, with all the amenities of a much more expensive motorhome. It took me 2-3 days to gather everything for my new interior, and an afternoon to move everything in and secure it. Now, 11 years later, I still wouldn’t change a thing, but I also had many years of previous experience before creating my current camper van.
Cheers!
Hey,
Welcome! Look forward to seeing your questions and progress as you go along, over the last year I’ve found tons of good advice to be had here. Glad to have ya, hope you and your husband figure out where ya fit. 