A COUPLE who were fed up with the rat race of their “mundane” lives decided to pack up and jump into vanlife.
Dave and Emily felt disillusioned with the monotonous routine of waking up early, stressing about work, and skyrocketing bills.
After lockdown in 2021 forced them to be together more, the fed-up pair realised just how much time they spent stressed and apart before – despite living under the same roof.
They made the brave decision to stick their house on the market and buy a minivan they named Mavis.
Dave told Liveration: “I was a mardy git.
“I’d get up early for work in the morning, I’d get home and I’d still be working when I got home.
“It was just non-stop. In the winter we were really busy, could be all night, all weekend.”
Emily added: “I used to be a stress head, I was always thinking of saving, what if the boiler breaks.
“I liked the idea of retiring. When we added up what we were paying to live in our house that shocked me.
“I thought that’s a lot of money to just live in a brick building.
“We could live a lot better life by not living in brocks and mortar and a rat race where we’re going to work, passing each other in the night, doing the same thing.
“Stressed about work. Our conversations were only ever about work.”
Dave agreed: “I’d never put money back into bricks and mortar.”
The pair took about a year renovating and converting the van, which they nabbed for £9,000.
Originally the transformation budget was set at £20,000, however they rapidly exceeded this and ended up using credit cards to complete the project.
But, they say they have no regrets and claim “it’s the best thing they could have ever bought”.
Dave said: “We spent an absolute fortune on it and if we sold it we would never get our money back on it.”
Emily said: “But we don’t want to sell it. We never had any intention of making money from it.”
The new perks include not having to wake up at the crack of dawn to work and then “give your money to somebody else”, according to Dave.
Emily agreed and said: “We’re so much happier.”
On the roof the couple installed 610 watts of solar, storage boxes and Dave’s “escape” – an area of decking to catch some rays with “nice beer and a chill out”.
The exterior was painted by the van renovator, who claimed all you need is paint, a roller and a coat of enamel.
They carry two gas tanks on board which powers up their cooker and heats the water – while three jerry cans filled with diesel are kept for emergencies on the road.
There is also an awning, although Dave didn’t recommend buying one as you are not allowed to roll them out unless at a designated campsite.
Additionally there is an outside hot and cold shower should they need it.
As you walk into the converted minibus, there’s overhead storage above the windscreen and two of the front seats have been allocated as comfy dog beds for their pets.
Moving through the light and airy vehicle, you find a cosy kitchen area with white cupboards and wooden counter top.
It boasts two gas hobs, grill, oven, sink, and fridge freezer – as well as large windows to overlook the beautiful countryside.
A skylight keeps the area feeling bright.
Behind the kitchen there’s a bathroom with a shower and compost toilet – which the couple say is brilliant and easy.
In their bedroom they have a seating area which doubles as a dining area as a pull out table comes out and retracts back underneath the double bed.
Perhaps the coolest thing in the van is a projector screen which doubles as a divider to the bedroom and the pair’s own home cinema.
A window from the bed also lets Emily relax while being able to watch the views.
Dave described the benefits to van life and said: “My favourite thing has been being relaxed and chilled out, meeting the people we’ve met.
“But, my least favourite part is using google maps – absolute nightmare. I’ve ordered my sat nav today.”
Emily added that the most special thing for her was the freedom.
She said: “You can go wherever you want, whenever you want.
“The downside is you have to be careful with water, and the washing.
“But there’s nothing really. Maybe we’ve not been doing it long enough to know yet.”
Emily also offered some advice to others who are thinking of making the same lifestyle change.
She warned: “Research your vehicle and make sure you know what you’re doing.
“Be prepared for things to go wrong. Loads of things happened to us.”
The couple urged anyone who was fed-up with the stress of everyday life and the same old routine to give it a go.
They agreed they would love to do it as long as they can.
Many other people are making the same jump into vanlife.
Some Brits are embarking on the same journey to save money on bills as the cost of living sees millions across the nation struggle.
A man who made the bold move said he loves the freedom of going off-grid – and escaping the cost of living crisis.
Paul, aka, The Off Grid Nomad, was fed up being left with just £100 to play with at the end of every month amid soaring bills.
The proud “lorry life” community member now travels across the British countryside in his ex-military converted truck.
Meanwhile, another couple converted an old van into their dream tiny home on wheels.
Tom and Iz, known as the Lost in Transit duo on social media, share what life is like living on the road.
Another woman revealed she lives in a van and absolutely loves it because she can travel and save money.
Vin said she doesn’t care that people call her “homeless”, and enjoys the lifestyle.
And a family of four had the same idea and ditched everything to live in a van.
