Living full time in a campervan

[AliceAbsolum]

DH and I moved in the bloody day lockdown 3 started.
We've been trying (operative word) to vlog our experience....

I'm not sure about it to be honest! 1/2 the time I just feel like a twat! If you're bored feel free to critique/give your opinions.

Thanks all

@theFailingsofDaphneTrigg

You seem lovely, OP, but van life looks grim! Your bed makes me feel claustrophobic. And emptying your loo once a week - eurgh!

What's the appeal? What do you do when it rains all day?

Didn't watch the second video as 25 mins is too long - Schitts Creek was only 20 mins!

Good luck

If you've had a really shitty life, have had to live with nightmare neighbours in dumps because it's all you could afford subjected to their shitty behaviour and music, it's actually lovely. I'd love to do it again. You're guaranteed not to be subjected to someone's music at night.

But I get the feeling OP hasn't had a shitty life living in dumps.

I'm afraid it is a bit boring OP. I stopped after a couple of minutes of the first episode. It all seems a bit aimless and purposeless. No back story, no goals or purpose, and not very interesting locations. A lot of dull car parks.

I do think you should take seriously the issues raised by other posters about the life of the traveller communities and endemic racism they face. Why is your story more interesting and compelling? And the technical issues re how you speak to camera and edit.

I only watch one or two YouTube channels. I was interested in the story of Esther Dingley and Dan Colegate travelling in amazing locations across Europe until she went missing in the Pyrenees. Their back storey set the scene and of course being in amazing locations was very filmic.

My favourite at the moment 'How to renovate a chateau without killing your partner' starts with their (glamorous) back story and then each week they tackle major tasks. This includes their own skills - plumbing, re-wiring and designing wallpapers and lovely reveals where you see the completed rooms etc. They balance out long term projects with short term tasks and are interesting and funny inter-acting with French handymen and tradesmen. They make mistakes and learn lessons and are very funny and informative. They have passion for what they are doing and you go on a journey with them and their family.

I'd really study some good vlogs and work out what their ingredients are re purpose, backstory, narrative arc.

I've travelled a lot in the British isles and the world but I don't have a huge amount of curiosity about a Basingstoke running track and car parks. If the arc is what are car parking restrictions like across the home counties and where can I get water to fill up my van it wont be that thrilling.

Sorry to be very honest. You did ask!

The video was way too long. It was interesting in some places but did a lot of skipping through it.

There are about 5 different vans with people living with them on my street. Sometimes they move to different streets but never very far. It annoys me a bit as there is no off street parking so it really makes it hard to park and I also think it's a bit...I don't know, cheeky? Maybe I'm just a knob though.

@theFailingsofDaphneTrigg

But I get the feeling OP hasn't had a shitty life living in dumps.

Yes, it's very rarely that sort who does this kind of thing in the UK. It's common in the US because people lose their jobs, get evicted, their pension is only a few hundred dollars a month and they can't afford rent, they work full-time and can't afford rent.

Here is't like the New Lives in the Wild people. 9 out of 10 of them are over-privileged twits who fancy a bit of airy fairy slumming it.

Your thread is heart breaking.

Why?

@Bluesheep8

Your thread is heart breaking.

Why?

Yeah, I agree.

I have very wealthy friends who did this for a year or so, but in a really nice motorhome and staying in some amazing sites.

They didn't make a vlog about it and it was far from heart-breaking.

Heart-breaking is someone having to live like this because they've lost everything and can't afford rent for FA. But even then, maybe they're sick of it all and being a rubber tramp isn't the worst thing in the world.

Hmm, seems like this is a thread just to a way to promote your instagram or whatever.

Isn't that against the MN rules?

@Mulletsaremisunderstood

Hmm, seems like this is a thread just to a way to promote your instagram or whatever.

Isn't that against the MN rules?

Well, it attracted the porn spammers .

The best advice I have seen about how to run a successful youtube channel is to think about your audience and bring them value in some way. The focus should be on how you enrich the life of your subscribers, help them, make their lives better. Or it becomes directionless and self indulgent. I think ut was from Gary Vaynerchuck but I have heard it in multiple places to be honest because it really does hold true.

So think carefully about how you film and edit, think about your ideal viewer and what they are wanting, and how you are going to bring that to them. If you can anticipate questions they may have, needs they may have and try and meet those, then you're on to a winner.
Obviously you don't have to do constant 'how-to' videos but if you are just depicting your life generally without bringing any other value, then the value needs to come from being extremely charismatic and entertaining in some way.

Remember that bringing value to people can look like meeting your subscribers needs for: escapism, content which is soothing or which combats loneliness, advice on how to fit out a van, confidence to tackle a big project if they don't feel they can do it, a window into English life and culture, knowledge about what it's like to travel internationally in a van (in time) etc etc.

The ideal video length is at least 10 mins but yours might be a bit overlong, I did get bored and switch off because nothing much was happening. Ideally you need to grab viewers and then keep their attention or the algorithm will not favour you much. I hope that is useful, and good luck with your channel.

I liked it but I did wonder, would you be living in a van if you weren't filming it? Will you continue to live in a van if you don't find an audience and a way to monetise what you are doing?

I’ve not watched your vids but service stations have showers so you could use them, not sure if they’re open in the current climate but imagine they are or would be shortly.

I feel sorry for your inlaws having your toilet waste emptied in their loo once a week

@MikeWozniaksGloriousTache

I’ve not watched your vids but service stations have showers so you could use them, not sure if they’re open in the current climate but imagine they are or would be shortly.

It's much easier in the US. I lived in a van in the 90s for a year being a rock climber. The laws are usually more lenient and there's far greater access to cheap services, IME. And of course, the weather's better on the whole.

Those solar showers are great, too, but again, you really need to weather.

Interesting point about how the expected law will probably lead to two classes of travelling people. It would not be my choice of living and the lack of a daily shower, not for me.

@newnortherner111

Interesting point about how the expected law will probably lead to two classes of travelling people. It would not be my choice of living and the lack of a daily shower, not for me.

Yeah, by the sounds of it, it will mean needing to pay for a site every night. Not sure how this will work in Scotland where wild camping is legal, but trespassing is not.

I lived in a converted camper for 4 years, throughout Europe and N.Africa with trips to the States for work at intervals. Its a great lifestyle, we saved money, explored and worked remotely for the most part. Whilst I did some travel writing during the period it wasn't specifically about our van life experience and I would have felt under pressure to have certain type if experience and showcase it. I watched some of your first episode and I think you need to ask yourselves and/or convey to your audience what your are doing and why, why you are documenting it and the value or benefit you will add for your audience. It may be an unusual lifestyle compared to the norm but its not massively unusual or unique so people who document it now tend to have an 'angle or focus. Hope you enjoy and get to travel further afield.

Looks amazing! Not something qe would want to do but looks like a great adventure.

Do you have to have private health insurance?

A relative of ours wanted to live off grid in a camper van but his mother was worried that if they needed medical attention they might have problems if they didn’t have private insurance and were not registered at a GP whilst they were travelling around the UK?