# new member with new white van



## whitevanwoman (Nov 27, 2011)

First post here....

I've just blown my life savings on a 10 year old Ford Transit hi-roof, genuine 80k on the clock, to use as a camper for trips away, mainly just me and a big black dog. 

I've been a white van woman for about 10 years with a Peugeot Partner which I have used on occasion for camping in, for camping out of with a one man tent, and for towing a caravan. 

But the caravan proved to be too much hassle on my own and I ended up not really using it and so I sold it and now that I've recently passed a significant birthday when life was supposed to begin, I have realised that tent camping is no longer the fun it has been over the past 20 odd years. 

I realised that I was missing out on opportunities for weekends away because having to haul camping kit out of the loft, and getting packed etc and having the dog made it more difficult and I was dipping out, and so a few months ago I decided to risk my savings on a little camper van. But after a few weeks of looking, I realised that I wouldn't get much for my budget of 2.5k and so having often wished that my Partner was a bit bigger I decided to replace it with a bigger van, maybe a Boxer, which I could fix a bed in and maybe a little stove.

But I saw this LWB Hi-roof Tranny and it seemed a real bargain for the price, spot on my budget, and so am now the proud owner of 2 white vans. 

I like the idea of a stealth camper but am not bothered about a full complete conversion and intend to adapt it to fit my own needs, bearing in mind that I go to various dog competitions, and music festivals, and other outdoor camping events, and so have to accept muddy boots, pawprints and dog hairs as the norm. 

I tested it out last weekend on a proper site with some friends in their caravans and had a pretty comfy trip even without a leisure battery or other mod cons such as fitted stove. I've been given a leisure battery so that will be the first project, perhaps also elec hook up fitting. other than that, I'm not in any rush to make major adaptations straight away, until I've used it more. 

So I'm looking for good places to stay - both out in the wilds and semi-rural and urban - and also partners in crime to hook up with and swop stories over a camp stove with. 

I'm also looking for opinions and advice on the technical side of adapting a van so that it is comfortable and practical for camping. I know nothing about electrics and engines but am quite handy on the DIY front, and have a decent tool kit and know how to use it.

I've read a couple of threads here about stealth campers and also about a December meet at Ribblehead for New Year, and as Ribblehead is just down the road (ish) from me, I'd quite like to join in and thought I'd better register and introduce myself. So that's me. 

Good website / forum, btw, I've already learned quite alot and only discovered it last week. Cheers.


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## David & Ann (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome Whitevanwoman. nice to have you join us on here. Yes, you can learn a lot from the folks on here. So, have fun and enjoy yourself.


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## trappers (Nov 27, 2011)

*hi*

:welcome:


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## whitevanwoman (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome, is there a  like or thanks button anywhere?


Oooops, just seen it. Doh!


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## Firefox (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi and welcome. I'll be at Ribblehead for new year hopefully and have a self converted white van. There will be others there with self builds too. Feel free to drop by for a cuppa or something stronger and you can have a look at electrics etc.


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## mustardseed (Nov 28, 2011)

Welcome Whitevanwoman 
Look forward to meeting you when I've worked out how to keep myself warm in my van.... ;-)


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## scampa (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi and Welcome to the site!  :wave:

If you're not too far from Ribblehead, then there are plenty of great wildcamping spots within an hour or two of you.

Have a look through the "wild camping sites" section of this site, or if you choose to become a full member some time in the future, you can download several thousand wildcamping locations around the UK, either to your computer or direct to your satnav as "points of interest" (POI's).

If you can't find an answer to your questions by looking around the site, then just ask.....there are plenty of members here who think they know what they're talking about!!  ( just kidding of course, there is a wealth of knowledge on here and everyone is happy to help each other!).

Have fun!!


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## oldish hippy (Nov 28, 2011)

hi and welcome


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## ellisboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Hello Whitevanwoman! :welcome: I have just started converting my White van,the link to my build blog
Is at the bottom.One of the most important jobs is to insulate the van properly.There are many different
Materials that can be used for this.I am using celotex and spray foam.Have fun with your build,
Regards Stephen.


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## Tbear (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi Whitevanwoman,

Well done you!

We have a few single women campers and they have been known to arrange a single women meet, so look out for them.

If you want to camp in a tin box in mid winter then ellis boy was spot on about insulation. Please be careful if you are going to use gas inside the van for cook and heating. You need a flu/ventilation and a carbon dioxide monitor. Most of the rest you will have in your camping kit.

Enjoy

Richard


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## Guernsey Donkey (Nov 28, 2011)

Welcome to the site - hope you enjoy all that it offers - any questions you may have and you cant find the answer on site just ask and somebody will soon be along with the answer. :have fun: that's what it is all about.


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## whitevanwoman (Nov 28, 2011)

Wow, so many welcomes, much appreciated. 

I know the North East Lancashire, Yorks Dales and East Cumbria (from M6 to Durham / Yorks borders) areas pretty well (my stomping ground and I used to work in local Tourist Info Centre) and know some cracking wild camping spots although best to avoid in May and June as they are all in use by travellers going to Appleby Fair and the police cone off huge sections of roadside and common land. At some point, I will sit down with a map and mark all the areas I've used or know of and will publish details. However, in the meantime I'm more than happy to answer questions / give info etc. And we do also have some cracking folk festivals round here where entry and several days camping can be had at well under £100.

I'll try to reply personally to the various comments / suggestions etc but having PC probs today - keeps starting in safe mode & can't suss out why, have done full scan using Kaspersky and AV & firewall all running..... gggrrr, computers are like vehicle engines, I don't need to know how they work, I just need them to work. And when they don't work, it's always at a really inconvenient moment.


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## Bernard Jones (Nov 28, 2011)

Welcome whitevanwoman from a whitevanman :wave:

I've never got around to insulating my white van, I just put on extra layers of clothing, thats just a project of mine that has been on the shelves for years.

I don't have any extra windows, and find it no more claustraphobic inside than a typical room in a house which has about the same proportion of window to room.


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## kimbowbill (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi Whitevanwoman

I am one of the members of the women only meets, theres also Lotty and Tracey who are both coming to the RH meet, we have become great friends, hopefully you can join us at xmas, even tho you are on your own, you most definatley wont feel lonely, everyone is lovely, and very very funny, meant in the nicest possible way.

Jen xx


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## Deleted member 13859 (Nov 28, 2011)

hi whitevanwoman

welocme to the site and have fun exploring all it has to offer, plenty of nice friendly folk on here with lots of advice and helpfull tips.:have fun:

tranivanman


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## scotsy (Nov 28, 2011)

hello wvw

I too am a whitevanman but its now been covered in battleship grey so technically i'm now a greyvanman !!!

Welcome to the site, i haven't met any forumites yet but they seem friendly enough :danger:

ps. any dogs? pets? 

Ian


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## lotty (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi Whitevanwoman, welcome to the site :welcome:

As Jen has already said we have had a couple of ladies only meets this year and you would be welcome to join us on the next one. I will be going to the Ribbleshead meet with my hubby in December too. 
Good bunch on here and any questions there is usually someone who can help so just ask. 
Maybe see you in Dec?
:wave:

Lotty


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## Viktor (Nov 29, 2011)

Viktor (Black Van Man) :welcome:


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## kangooroo (Nov 29, 2011)

Greetings from another whitevanwoman!

I think we have a few things in common: I've solo wildcamped throughout the UK from Lands End to John o'Groats in a Renault Kangoo (very similar to your Partner), no dog - but an occasional large bunny in tow.  Like you, I'm now in the position of upgrading to a slightly larger vehicle (tho' not quite your Transit-size) and currently hunting for a Citroen Dispatch or equivalent.  I won't be doing a full conversion - just a few internal, insurance-friendly('ish!), adaptations to allow more solo stealth-wildcamping with a little more space.   

I'm also an ex-northerner with a tourism and TIC background.  Hope to meet up sometime...


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## whitevanwoman (Nov 29, 2011)

kangooroo said:


> Greetings from another whitevanwoman!
> 
> I think we have a few things in common: I've solo wildcamped throughout the UK from Lands End to John o'Groats in a Renault Kangoo (very similar to your Partner), no dog - but an occasional large bunny in tow.  Like you, I'm now in the position of upgrading to a slightly larger vehicle (tho' not quite your Transit-size) and currently hunting for a Citroen Dispatch or equivalent.  I won't be doing a full conversion - just a few internal, insurance-friendly('ish!), adaptations to allow more solo stealth-wildcamping with a little more space.
> 
> I'm also an ex-northerner with a tourism and TIC background.  Hope to meet up sometime...



Hi wvw too!

I think I'm going to be at the Ribblehead New Year meet, are you able to make it? We could swop WVW stories 

I wasn't intending to go for something as big as a LWB Hi-roof Tranny but this one seemed a real good buy with loads of potential and I couldn't resist it. I had been intending to get rid of the Partner once I'd got something bigger but have now decided to keep it as it has served me so well, and the Tranny is too big really for everyday use (won't fit in normal parking spaces!) and uses more juice and I'd quite like to keep the mileage low so that there is a good chance of selling it on at a decent price if ever I want to. It's only costing about an extra £60 to add to existing insurance so the only additional costs will be tax and repairs / running costs which shouldn't be too bad - I don't have "proper" holidays so I'm justifying running 2 vans on the grounds that the Tranny is my equivalent of an annual package holiday. 

At some point over the next year, I'm hoping to start my own craft business and so will have to look at insuring the Tranny as a business vehicle but it will be perfect for doing market stalls, festivals etc with a gazebo for the stall. I've been like a kid at Christmas, so excited about my new "toy" and the opportunities it offers.

I haven't done much solo camping over the past few years, I kind of lost my self-confidence after being made redundant from the TIC (was your TIC a victim of the cuts?), and then got distracted by a mistake of a boyfriend for 6 months earlier this year, but after 2 weeks solo camping (1 week in a field at a major sheepdog trial, and 1 week on a 4* camp site for a bit of luxury, last summer which both me and the dog massively enjoyed and from which I returned absolutely buzzing, I reckon I'm ready and nearly brave enough to start going off on my own again. 

I'm really lucky living where I do, close to the Yorks Dales and Lake District and not too far from Northumberland, which means that there's loads of wild camping opportunities within an hours drive. Once I've had the Tranny a while and can trust it not to let me down I'm hoping to get down South for some longer trips, I hardly know the South of England at all. I'm considering going to a music festival in Devon next August without the dog (dogs not allowed) which will really test my bottle!

Likewise hoping to meet up... :cheers:


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## kangooroo (Nov 29, 2011)

whitevanwoman said:


> Hi wvw too!
> 
> I think I'm going to be at the Ribblehead New Year meet, are you able to make it? We could swop WVW stories
> 
> ...



I wish I could make Ribblehead but I'm pretty much tied here over the Bank Holiday period though I'm sure we can swap WVW stories another time!

I'll need to sell my Kangoo on purchasing its replacement, but would prefer a private sale vs trade-in - I was in the position of running two vehicles earlier this year but the costs mounted up.  I'm curious: have you insured both vans on the same policy?  Mine insisted I'd have to start a new policy with one vehicle and choose which one had the NCD allocation.  You shouldn't have any problems insuring the transit for business use - just change the use from SD&P to 'carriage of own goods in connection with the policyholder's business' for which there is often no increase in premium.  Try to avoid stating your occupation as 'market trader' though, as you could be hammered by an increased premium whereas insurers like a 'craftworker'!  I'll also be interested to see how accepting your insurer is of any changes you're proposing in your tranny. I've found that once you start talking about leisure batteries, split chargers etc then they don't want to know.  

I'm sure you'll enjoy solo-wilding again.  It's very easy in a stealth van because it attracts so little attention; you can park in places where motorhomes can't and a WVW can often get away with more than she should!  

Sorry to hear of your redundancy.  I left long before the current round of cutbacks but all local TICs have now been closed which is a little short-sighted in an area where tourism is the main industry but, other than doing a little consultancy and marketing, I have very little involvement now.

Good luck with the excitement and challenges of your new van.  I hope you'll share your progress with it and the changes you make.


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