# Hi all ...two women about to do the fulltimers thing ...is it safe?



## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi all campers.....me and a friend are totally sick of our boring lives and the day in day out normality of working a dead end job for a living...we are both still single and have decided that next april we will do the full time wild camping thing. I have allready jacked in my job for somthing i can travel doing so thats one big leap.....we are finding it difficult finding info on what would be the best van to start a convo on.....need a bit of storage at the back for my buisness ...like a motorcross van has and two beds ...obvioulsly cooking facilities and the norm. Our budget is low about 5k...the big plan is to travel the uk wild camping and then maybe europe next year....any thoughts or advice would be great......never know we may find some husbands lol


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## n brown (Aug 2, 2012)

don't see it as any more dangerous than other human activities myself.whenyou walk home at night,you're on alert,you recognise it could be dodgy,same with this lark,except you become a bit more attuned the more you do it,and learn quickly how to minimise risk.budget sounds quite feasible if you don't go too posh,make a list of appliances and fittings you need and start gathering them from e bay and free papers as soon as poss.if you get the van and all this stuff together for jan or feb you're laughing.transit hi top lwb are good budget motors,plenty of s/hand spares too.thought i better add,lots of husbands to be had in the readymeal aisles.some don't even know they're being hunted!


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## chubadub (Aug 2, 2012)

:welcome:and :have fun:with your -:sleep-027::drive:look out for thec:


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## Sparks (Aug 2, 2012)

Post deleted


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## jamesmarshall (Aug 2, 2012)

:welcome:


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## vwalan (Aug 2, 2012)

hi you could think about a small truck .like a daf 45 .or even a iveco daily with a box .ex prison trucks make good base vehicles . 
you may find something in the mcross on ebay ,but i find they dont always have nice living areas as they are really for weekend bike events . but you may find one thats already a m,home on the log book that saves dvla hassle and keeps the insurance happy. 
trucks are cheaper than vans usually . and built stronger by along way. 
have fun and keep asking .


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## oldish hippy (Aug 2, 2012)

hello and welcome to the site cant stop got to go and do what mr brown says go   up and down the ready meal isle in tescos


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## chass (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi & welcome, you only find X husbands in the ready meal section:cheers:


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## Ste (Aug 2, 2012)

thevintageroma said:


> Hi all campers.....me and a friend are totally sick of our boring lives and the day in day out normality of working a dead end job for a living...we are both still single and have decided that next april we will do the full time wild camping thing. I have allready jacked in my job for somthing i can travel doing so thats one big leap.....we are finding it difficult finding info on what would be the best van to start a convo on.....need a bit of storage at the back for my buisness ...like a motorcross van has and two beds ...obvioulsly cooking facilities and the norm. Our budget is low about 5k...the big plan is to travel the uk wild camping and then maybe europe next year....any thoughts or advice would be great......never know we may find some husbands lol



Welcome to the club! My tranny's split with habitation up front & the business at the rear (antique dealer). I'm on the road almost fulltime. My only regret is that I didn't get a larger van. So my advice would be to get the largest least rusty vehicle you can. Although you can get business use insurance on a motorhome (through Adrian Flux I think), by the time I'd added my points & ages into the equation the difference between MH & van was minute.


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## canalwheeler (Aug 2, 2012)

thevintageroma said:


> never know we may find some husbands lol



I'm looking for two wives.

Tone


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## moonshadow (Aug 2, 2012)

oldish hippy said:


> hello and welcome to the site cant stop got to go and do what mr brown says go   up and down the ready meal isle in tescos



I thought it was the wine section? You can loiter for longer there reading all the labels!


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## Deleted member 21686 (Aug 2, 2012)

Welcome and good luck to you.

Hope we see you on the meets sometime.


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## Dollydaydream (Aug 2, 2012)

Brilliant! yes its safe..  like anything else in life you've just got to be a bit more aware of whats around you.  Put your valuable stuff away and lock up, just like you would at home. I travelled on my own to Greece two years ago, just me and the dog, went through France and Italy, ferry to Greece, met my daughter, wildcamped all summer then we came back together and only used camping sites a handful of times. One tip I would give you is to start thinking about camping up when its still light even if you don't feel tired. you have a better understanding of whats around you and you can see far and wide for a suitable spot. I made the mistake of thinking I could go on for another hour, then it got dark, I got tired, hungry and irritable.  I must say though I find it easier and more relaxing to wildcamp abroad than I do in the UK. not that I want to slag off the UK because there are some absolutely lovely places but I find the height and time restrictions, no camping, no picnics etc put me off a bit.  Remember too, its an adventure not a holiday haha!!  I've had ups and downs, laughed, cried, but a had great time... met loads of people, made new friends, de-stressed and still touring! 
no regrets! 
good luck and enjoy the ride. 
Ps.. no husband though...  had  a few young stalkers!!!
 I'm now off to a surf beach to have a look.. haha!


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## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

*love it...thanks all keep the advice coming*

Hi all....this is all fantastic advice ...yes i never thought about the insurance side ...i have 9 points at the mo ( previous job as a rep ) some coming off soon though. Saying that my friend can be main driver ( shes clean ) i will be a named driver. Can anyone give me a basic list of what we would need to start a convo ...obviously we know we need a van sink oven seats bed ect ....what about heating / electricity / whats best to use ...what shall i keep my eye out for ( we are both total blonde ditzes ) . We were also toying with the idea of a solar panal... Really dont know where to start just know we are defo doing it.

ps love the husband tips ...im off to the wine / ready meal aisle tomoz


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## oldish hippy (Aug 2, 2012)

which supermarket please lol


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## n brown (Aug 2, 2012)

what part of the country are you?
hob and sink
led lights
shurflo water pump
windows[poss seitz]
rooflight[mini heki]
propex blown air heater
toilet[cassette,porta potti etc]
split charge relay system
solar panel 80 watt plus
oven?
shower tray?
foam cushions for bed
water heater[malaga,truma etc]
this will start you off,there may be someone near to you who may be willing to give you a bit of advice


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## Bushtrekker (Aug 2, 2012)

*I've fitted a solar panel recently.*

It definitely makes you more independent from sites, as you can stay around for a few days without worrying about the battery going flat because you haven't run the engine.  To give you some idea of consumption, a 6kg propane cylinder lasted 14 days in France and 100 litre water tank usually lasts 4 or 5 days.  It's amazing how much you pee in a day though and the Porta Potti usually need emptying about every 5 days.  Propane is a better option than butane if you plan to full time, as it works at lower temperatures.
                             Cheers, John

PS, You real names aren't Thelma and Louise by any chance?:lol-053:


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## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

*lmao*

Thelma and louise...lol

We are in west yorkshire at the mo....my friend works for a builders merchants and all the handymen have vowed to help. I just need to get my head round what i will need to buy. Us girlies just dont get the technicalities ...i can make it look nice and thats about it ...so thanks for the list it will come in really handy.


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## Bushtrekker (Aug 2, 2012)

*I've just had a thought.*

If one of you finds a husband, who gets custody of the van?


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## Ste (Aug 2, 2012)

Its really going to depend on what your DIY skills can stretch too. If your buying a van, you'll want to fit window's/skylights etc.. Or buy a large minibus & you'll prob want to block a window or two off. 
I can do most woodwork, so I've done that myself, but I know I'm crap with electronics, so I've paid to have them done.
Decide what layout you want early on, because it'll affect where you put your lights/switches, and you'll wanna put the wiring in early so its outta sight behind the insulation. 
Can't help on the insulation as my van was mostly already done. 

Van wise, it'll depend how big you want to go. But upto 3.5t, Sprinters/VW's have good engines, but tend to rust a lot, Iveco's are the opposite. A Tranny Jumbo would be a good all rounder, and parts are plaentiful & cheap, although they still rust! 

Look through the 'show us your van' threads on here. Loads of ideas there.


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## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

Bushtrekker said:


> If one of you finds a husband, who gets custody of the van?



The one whos still single


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## Bushtrekker (Aug 2, 2012)

*Good luck whatever you end up doing.*

There are a few single women with vans on here and I know at least one who is full timing, but she went the other route and bought a camper, rather than converting.


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## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

Ste said:


> Its really going to depend on what your DIY skills can stretch too. If your buying a van, you'll want to fit window's/skylights etc.. Or buy a large minibus & you'll prob want to block a window or two off.
> I can do most woodwork, so I've done that myself, but I know I'm crap with electronics, so I've paid to have them done.
> Decide what layout you want early on, because it'll affect where you put your lights/switches, and you'll wanna put the wiring in early so its outta sight behind the insulation.
> Can't help on the insulation as my van was mostly already done.
> ...



Thanks ...between us our diy skills arnt too bad ...we both gutted my house and put it back together again ( except electrics and gas ) Just need to get my head around how things work and what they run off on a van....i take it you need two batteries one that charges up whilst driving to run electrics off ? Its stuff like that we arnt up on...so far we havnt even set foot in a convo...maybe we should


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## Bushtrekker (Aug 2, 2012)

*You need a starter battery and a habitation battery.*

The simplest way is to fit a split charging system, but it's safer to run them separately, because whilst you can do without lights and TV, you still need to start up, so you don't want your domestic electricity drawn from the same battery.  Fit the largest battery you can physically fit and a solar panel and you should be OK


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## ellisboy (Aug 2, 2012)

:welcome: Your plan sounds good,Kingspan is good for insulating and your friend can get it cheaper from the builders merchants before she leaves! Theirs a few of us selfbuilders on here , so don't be afraid to ask questions.My build is quite advanced now and you can check it out in the link below,give you some ideas.As Mr Brown said,start collecting bits now,mst of mine came from eBay and I started buying bits about a year before I bought my current van.Good luck and don't forget to take plenty of pictures,we like pictures on here! :banana:


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## lotty (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi and welcome to the site :welcome:
Good luck with your van and plans for full timing


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## Ste (Aug 2, 2012)

thevintageroma said:


> Thanks ...between us our diy skills arnt too bad ...we both gutted my house and put it back together again ( except electrics and gas ) Just need to get my head around how things work and what they run off on a van....i take it you need two batteries one that charges up whilst driving to run electrics off ? Its stuff like that we arnt up on...so far we havnt even set foot in a convo...maybe we should



My Tranny has a standard 12v car battery for the van/engine, and I've 2 110amp leisure batteries in tandem (trickle charged when from the engine) to run the habitation area, which includes 3 lights, 12v Microwave, and my water heater, plus a large spotlight at the business end for when I'm working. I've also just had and external 240v hook up point fitted, & I just need to fit a double plug socket on the end (This won't charge the batteries, its just for when I'm at a fair I can use extra lighting in my marquee). You'll need a splitter of some sort if you want to charge the batteries from the engine.


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## ellisboy (Aug 2, 2012)

Smartcom relay, about £12 eBay .


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## thevintageroma (Aug 2, 2012)

Bushtrekker said:


> There are a few single women with vans on here and I know at least one who is full timing, but she went the other route and bought a camper, rather than converting.



yes the more i think about it the more sense it makes ...maybe we should by a cheap camper and just re arrange it inside ...at least then all the electrics and stuff are already in place ...hmmm


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## Ste (Aug 2, 2012)

Oh Yeah, don't underestimate the cost of seat cushions like I did, even 2nd hand ones. I finally found some cheapish ones, but they're all none matching and still need recovering.


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## ellisboy (Aug 2, 2012)

But on the other hand, if you do your own van then you can have the layout of your own choosing :banana:


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## canalwheeler (Aug 2, 2012)

thevintageroma said:


> yes the more i think about it the more sense it makes ...maybe we should by a cheap camper and just re arrange it inside ...at least then all the electrics and stuff are already in place ...hmmm



Actually my lovelies, that would be a lot easier than trying to build something from scratch. (Scratch is not a good substance to build anything from. It's marginally worse than MDF.)

You're in Yorkshire, God's Country, then. I'm in Yorkshire two. In that case I can make you'se a very special offer. As you are both looking for 'usbands of an age about 35, I guess, I will marry you both and you can 'ave 35 years each, cos I'm 70. 'Ow does that sound me hearties?

Uncle Tone


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## n brown (Aug 2, 2012)

thevintageroma said:


> yes the more i think about it the more sense it makes ...maybe we should by a cheap camper and just re arrange it inside ...at least then all the electrics and stuff are already in place ...hmmm



i have converted a number of vans and have to say its an extremely complicated job involving a large number of tools and various skills.i'm not trying to put you off but if you're relying on other people to do different parts of the job you're asking for trouble.self build conversions go a lot cheaper than factory builds and there are some serious bargains to be had


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## Bushtrekker (Aug 2, 2012)

*If you go down that route, make sure you get it checked.*

You need to check things you probably wouldn't think about, such as does the heater work efficiently, is there a gas water heater, does the shower work, does the fridge work on gas, mains and 12 volt, do the roof vents leak etc. Then there are the obvious checks on the vehicle side, get it MOT'd if you can and have a mechanic check the engine and gearbox, as these aren't checked on MOT. The main thing to check for is damp, as it's difficult to get rid of once it's in. You can get a damp meter which has two probes and gives a reading on contact with wood, carpets, upholstery etc. Look out for things like a strong air freshener, which may hide a damp smell.

There are good vans out there which are well past their sell by date, mine is 24 years old, but if you get a good one, it might not have all the bells and whistles of the modern vans, but  will be perfectly adequate. You need to rember that this will be your home in the depths of Winter, so you need a good heater and good insulation to keep that expensive heat in.


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## canalwheeler (Aug 2, 2012)

n brown said:


> i have converted a number of vans and have to say its an extremely complicated job involving a large number of tools and various skills.i'm not trying to put you off but if you're relying on other people to do different parts of the job you're asking for trouble.self build conversions go a lot cheaper than factory builds and there are some serious bargains to be had



That is sound advice.

Uncle Tone


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## thevintageroma (Aug 5, 2012)

Bushtrekker said:


> You need to check things you probably wouldn't think about, such as does the heater work efficiently, is there a gas water heater, does the shower work, does the fridge work on gas, mains and 12 volt, do the roof vents leak etc. Then there are the obvious checks on the vehicle side, get it MOT'd if you can and have a mechanic check the engine and gearbox, as these aren't checked on MOT. The main thing to check for is damp, as it's difficult to get rid of once it's in. You can get a damp meter which has two probes and gives a reading on contact with wood, carpets, upholstery etc. Look out for things like a strong air freshener, which may hide a damp smell.
> 
> There are good vans out there which are well past their sell by date, mine is 24 years old, but if you get a good one, it might not have all the bells and whistles of the modern vans, but  will be perfectly adequate. You need to rember that this will be your home in the depths of Winter, so you need a good heater and good insulation to keep that expensive heat in.



thankyou ...great advice ...we have started looking already..thanks


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## chrisatisis (Aug 8, 2012)

*safety*

On Isle of Arron at mo. beautiful place, very gentle frndly atmosphere. Appers to be an absence of crime (apart from the midges). Doors are left open, lots of honesty boxes etc. Bought my 'office with me, so need to do somework (V easy to be distracted by the stunning beauty)


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## pink (Aug 8, 2012)

Hi both..good luck with everything! You,ve found the right site for info etc...i,m just about to go fulltime,just waiting for the house to be sorted..i got a purpose built camper, very old(1981) but is solid, roomy and useable..if you go looking at one, try to record when you,re being shown how things work (tip from off here)...a lot are lefthand drive but its not nearly as scary as i thought it,d be to drive...oh,and maybe take a small tent with you for when you try before you buy (husbands):lol-053:


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## n brown (Aug 8, 2012)

pink said:


> Hi both..good luck with everything! You,ve found the right site for info etc...i,m just about to go fulltime,just waiting for the house to be sorted..i got a purpose built camper, very old(1981) but is solid, roomy and useable..if you go looking at one, try to record when you,re being shown how things work (tip from off here)...a lot are lefthand drive but its not nearly as scary as i thought it,d be to drive...oh,and maybe take a small tent with you for when you try before you buy (husbands):lol-053:



and a shovel i suppose,if not happy with the goods?


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## runnach (Aug 8, 2012)

I am currently in west yorks, near Bradford, I used to maintain 287 statics and I am a qualified lpg gas man.

Any help, I full time happy to assist.

Btw that is an open invitation to everyone

Didn't see or stalked in the ready meal section of cleckheatons Tesco this morning, 
Errm single and still have a few of my own teeth.

Channa

Ps hoping to post a few pub stop overs soon


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## pink (Aug 8, 2012)

n brown said:


> and a shovel i suppose,if not happy with the goods?



Excellent idea!! Beats trying to haggle for a refund!


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## Bridget (Aug 8, 2012)

jamesmarshall said:


> :welcome:


 hello mr Marshall a fellow paramotorer? saw your picture and thought id say hello ,Manchester Paragliders by any chance ?
If your looking to wild camp come to The Bridge Inn Napton Warwickshire and paramotor with my hubby


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## Guernsey Donkey (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi and welcome, I wish you well for the future.


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