Hello there!
I’m 56, male, a father to a 15 year old, single, facing eviction, living in Kent and considering Van Life.
I’m a self employed person but I’ve struggled the last couple of years with my mental health (diagnosed with depression and adult ADHD) and business mainly due to the effects of Brexit as a lot of my work was in Europe.
I have lived off grid before in a narrow boat on the London canals, so I know all about self sufficiency skills, resourcefulness and the equipment and tech that makes working online possible.
My problem is with finding a van. I don’t know much about motors and I don’t have much money at all.
I searched the listings on eBay, Gumtree and Auto Trader. In the 90k to 130k mileage range there seems to be a few in the £5K to £7k range - some that are even fitted with reasonable looking conversions, with electronics, cookers, heating etc.
I’m not a fitter or builder so to begin with I’m more inclined to get something that is a ready to pay and go rather than a project to build as every month I stay in my house I’m bleeding money.
Any thoughts, suggestions and ideas would be much appreciated!
When I lived on the canal, loneliness could sometimes be an issue, but it was generally friendly amongst boaters and we often hung out and made friends. There were some awful boaters and awful towpath users from time to time, but positive in the main. Do Van Lifers ever come across each other in the wild and are people generally friendly? I suspect the road equivalent of ‘tow path users’ are not as friendly?
Anyhoo, my big issue and pressing question is the van and insurance, road tax etc.
Cheers!
RR