Van Living Tips for life on the road. Credit: Benjamin Earwicker

Van living is a great way to see a country, and it is a lot more cost effective then paying for accommodation. Below we will outline a series of van living tips that will make your trip a lot easier and more comfortable. These tips are coming from a veteran van traveller who has made all the mistakes so you don’t have to.

Van living tips for bathroom use:

Rest stops on highways and tourist attractions almost always have free public toilets.

If you must go to the toilet in nature itself, dig a hole and do it inside there, don’t forget toilet paper otherwise you will have to use leaves.

If you park inside a camping ground (please note that this may cost money) you will have access to public toilets, which are generally the best maintained out of all the options.

Van living tips for showers:

Public beaches will generally have showers available for free; the water comes out at a cold to warm temperature, which is a relief in the hot weather you encounter at a beach.

Public swimming pools will usually have a low cost entry for basic swimming, however they also have many hot showers which swimmers are able to use. You also have the added bonus of using a pool or even spa.

Van living tips for cooking:

Many public parks/national parks will have gas barbecues which can be used for free. This allows you to cook meat and other canned items in a saucepan (which you should always carry in your van).

Having a portable gas cooker is a great way of cooking while you live in your van. You can purchase the refills for the cooker almost anywhere which means you don’t need a large stock of flammables in your van.  Because it has an element you can use various cooking utensils such as pots and frying pans to cook almost any type of meal.

General van living tips:

Make sure to cover the windows in the back of the van for privacy, you wouldn’t want someone looking in on you.

Always leave your van locked when unattended, you would hate for your house/belongings to be stolen.

Build a wooden base for a mattress in the back of your van and you can add extra storage space in for linen and other belongings.

Overall van living is an exciting way to live, which although has many challenges, the rewards you get are well worth it. Anyone who has lived in a van for some length of time will always have great stories to tell. It’s such an exciting lifestyle and once you have done it will always look back upon it fondly.