My brain says I should leave Germany to live in a van in the UK

[grober]

To sound a note of caution. The life of travel you propose and apparently can't resist can be extremely addictive. In general societal attitudes to this type of lifestyle are pretty tolerant indeed encouraging, but there comes a certain age --- early thirties perhaps possibly a little later nowadays--- where attitudes appear to change abruptly. Whether this stems from envy, resentment or simply fear of the unpredictable but suddenly opportunities and doors that once opened for you begin to get slammed in your face. I've seen it happen to friends often enough. The end result can leave you socially isolated. In the end society likes people to conform. Its as if you are being granted freedom "on credit" at present but there comes an age, quicker than you might think, when society expects "payback". Just something to be aware of.

 

[Druk]

Marvin, great post.

Clearly from the replies already you've struck a chord with many. No one here knows you, but you've generated excellent advice and very genuine well wishes.

I reread your post again and it doesn't say you've been to the UK before,

Ahem.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/145648-marvins-uk-tour-2013-a.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...arvins-england-scotland-road-trip-2013-a.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/165095-mercs-new-zealand.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/ot-off-topic-forums/195190-marvins-uk-trip-2-a.html

I think you'll find Marvin is a long standing friend. (see what I did there?)


.

 

[Wheelsnuts]

Hi Marvin. I say go for it! You are still young and clearly have the skills and ability to pull it off. You have a good first hand knowledge of the UK and know what to expect. If you don't seize the opportunity now you will probably regret it. After all, if you find the life is not for you after a few months, you can always start again where you left off. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Good luck.

 

[gr1nch]

Ahem.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/145648-marvins-uk-tour-2013-a.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...arvins-england-scotland-road-trip-2013-a.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/165095-mercs-new-zealand.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/ot-off-topic-forums/195190-marvins-uk-trip-2-a.html

I think you'll find Marvin is a long standing friend. (see what I did there?)


.

Whoops. Thought his was a newbie post. I stand corrected.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I'd say Marvin possibly has the greatest first hand acquaintance of forum members relative to his post count by a very long way indeed!

 

[Marvin16x]

Good evening guys,

wow, I'm quite overwhelmed by the amount of replies and the support that's been given to me. Means a lot
Let me try to answer to some of the posts ...

I would refer you to a book I recently supported on Kickstart entitled The Rolling Home.

I've been following this couple and other vanlifers on Instagram (an app like Facebook but about pictures and videos only) for a while now. Really inspiring stuff indeed! I actually wanted to buy that book and the journal quite some time ago but for some reason I haven't. Edit: I see. It's 15 quid for shipping and can only be paid via credit card. Edit 2: Order confirmed.

Good luck to you, Marvin. Go for it whilst you can.
Your written English is excellent, that's certainly no impediment to finding work.
I know a few people who live in vans, part time. You may find some good advice and inspiration on this forum; Vegetable Oil Diesel Forum

Thanks for your kind words! Unfortunately there seems to be some issue with the link you added. It opens a site that says "403 Forbidden". Ouch.

I suggest spending some time constructing your Curriculum Vitae ...

David, thank you for that. I too think that a proper CV could really be my one saving grace. I certainly have a lot of life experience and useful skills, as you mentioned, even if I do not possess a uni degree or long-term work experience.

I'm confused why towing a caravan "won't work". Can you enlighten me?

Well, it could work, of course. And it might even be the cheapest option I have. But it will make things a lot more conspicuous, not to mention the difficulty in driving on narrow roads (I love taking back roads ...) or in confined spaces. Even if I go for a small caravan, it would still not be suitable for me. A perfect van would be one that's not much bigger than your average Merc, like the Vito or a T5, but with a little more wheel base and a high top. I want to keep it as small as possible.

Marvin, good luck with whatever you do, an observation though about earning in tourist work in Cornwall. It's a short summer, the hours are dreadful and the pay is rotten.

As to agricultural work ...

Thanks for clearing that up Charles. Hearing this doesn't surprise me though. I need to keep this in mind still.

I also think a cheap caravan would be a better bet than a van conversion ... for not much money you will have a comfortable bed, heating, good insulation & proper ventilation, toilet, fridge, hot water, cooker (maybe even an oven), etc.
Then you still have a normal car if you need to drive around (e.g. to a place of work).
But whichever route you choose I wish you the very best of luck!

Hey Bill. Thanks for your wishes! As I mentioned above I do agree that simply adding a caravan to my car would be the cheapest option for me and I'd love to keep my 190, not only because I know what condition it is in (and how good it is despite the 312k on the clock!) and what's been done to it, but also because I like it a lot and couldn't just give it away. But there's still a few downsides to that and I honestly believe that I'd be happier and a lot more flexible with a van + a bicycle attached to it.

Marvin, great post.
Clearly from the replies already you've struck a chord with many. No one here knows you, but you've generated excellent advice and very genuine well wishes.
I reread your post again and it doesn't say you've been to the UK before...

Hey Kiat, many thanks for your detailed reply. It feels great being supported by you guys for it hasn't happened often in my life yet.
As Derek mentioned above, I have been to the UK before. The first time was in 08/2013, a month after finishing school. My friend Felix and me went all the way up to the Isle of Skye. In 2014 I was in New Zealand. In 08/2015, Felix and me did "UK 2.0" and went to Wales instead of Scotland. Last year, I was all by myself and spent almost four weeks discovering the beautiful south of England in August. So overall I've spent a little over two months in Britain and put some 15,000 miles on my car driving on the left (mainly on B roads). I've enjoyed every single day, but need to mention that we had always been lucky with the weather. So I'm already kind of dreaming about spending the winter in southern Spain ... think it's now time to win that lottery Anyway, I always felt so safe in Britain, there's something about it I can't really explain. It's some sort of familiar foreign to me, I want to properly get to know it, not just 3 weeks a year while on vacation.

I think you'll find Marvin is a long standing friend. (see what I did there?)

Unmissable mate

The only thing that keeps me from being dead keen on this idea is my family. As someone whose parents are divorced and who enjoys seeing both parts of the family regularly it's quite hard to imagine leaving it all behind. No more spontaneous winter BBQs with dad, no more popping in at mom's when I feel like it. And what if something happens to my dear grannies while I'm gone? I might be a loner who needs company only from time to time, but when it comes to family, it's quite a bit different. But somehow it's good to know that this is the only thing I would truly miss about Germany, and with today's technoloy (Skype etc.), it shouldn't be that big a deal. That's just life, I guess ...

Good night

 

[Dave.tam]

I love this thread!

And yeah, I'm envious

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Marvin, you're a quality guy. Whatever you decide will be the right decision, and whether you decide to visit on a road trip or stay a while, I'm sure your many friends here on MBClub will be happy to see you.

With a caravan you will be restricted to 'proper' caravan sites. Some can be excellent value but even £10 per night will mount up if you're staying a while. With a concerted van you may be able to get away sleeping in lay-bys and car parks.

Avoid parking and sleeping in residential areas as locals will call the local council or Police to move you on. Unfortunately they'll associate you with being trouble rather than being a top guy from MBClub, so pick you overnight stops carefully and move around.

Staying on a caravan site might still be a good idea once or twice a week, to use their showers, laundry, etc. Some might not like converted vans, especially in peak season but as long as it's clean and smart you shouldn't have too much of a problem.

I'll watch this thread with interest.

 

[roadhog]

Am I the only one who thinks it might be a wiser move to stick and finish what you've started for a change?

I'm all for pursuing dreams, living the alternative lifestyle etc but without a fallback option (such as a completed apprenticeship might provide) this can be a risky move. If your writing/photography dream works out, great. Not so much if it doesn't.
I appreciate that you have been around a bit and probably crammed more into your 23 years than others but how far is that 'life experience' going to get you in terms of putting food on your (fold up) table? At more than double your age I find there's always room for more life experience.

Finally, as a fellow countryman who's lived here for longer than you have been around, being German has never held me back. A lack of suitable qualifications might well have...

 

[BTB 500]

With a concerted van you may be able to get away sleeping in lay-bys and car parks.

A large percentage of car parks (especially remote ones) have height barriers. A standard height Vito will get in but would be very cramped to live in. Anything taller will be a problem. We didn't spec. roof rails on ours, for this reason!

 

[gr1nch]

If only it were possible to have a sticky folder of great posts like this.

 

[WDB124066]

Early twenties is a time for experimenting without feeling guilty.
Sure you're going to have to sort something more stable out later in life but with any luck you'll have a clearer idea what that might be after some experimentation. Make as many friends as you can along the way Marvin, you'll need them as the years pass.

 

[Mike Walker]

Marvin Hi again

The Rolling Home have now started a magazine as well as the book. Much cheaper and more up to date too. check out their website and good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Mike

 

[219]

Am I the only one who thinks it might be a wiser move to stick and finish what you've started for a change?

I'm all for pursuing dreams, living the alternative lifestyle etc but without a fallback option (such as a completed apprenticeship might provide) this can be a risky move. If your writing/photography dream works out, great. Not so much if it doesn't.
I appreciate that you have been around a bit and probably crammed more into your 23 years than others but how far is that 'life experience' going to get you in terms of putting food on your (fold up) table? At more than double your age I find there's always room for more life experience.

Finally, as a fellow countryman who's lived here for longer than you have been around, being German has never held me back. A lack of suitable qualifications might well have...

Hi Marvin , while I'm all in favour of following dreams and ambitions , I think Roadhog does have a point .

I wonder if there's a way of having it both ways ? Is there any chance your current employer might let you take some time ( a year ) out , with the option of going back if things don't work out there is much less of a risk .

I too wonder about the option of using a caravan rather than a camper van ... maybe something compact like an Eriba wouldn't be a problem to tow with the 190 , those vans are no wider than the 190 and would go down narrow roads that wider caravans might present a problem with ; they are also very light and easily towed behind a 190 with its 1100Kg kerb weight . Although Eriba caravans are expensive here in the UK , I guess they will be cheaper to buy in Germany ?

Another option , depending on how light you want to travel , might be an estate car like a S123 or S124 ... I know it wouldn't have so much room , or cooking/washing facilities , but put tints on the windows so people can't see in and you can probably park less conspicuously just about anywhere , compared to a van or caravan . Other than staying in hotels , you can visit swimming pools to use the showers just about anywhere .

If you do end up doing work on farms etc , there is a chance some farmers would let you park on their land .

Another area of work , often available to foreign workers is the hotel/catering trade - many hotels have staff accommodation , particularly some of the big prestige ones - if you were able to line up employment in a hotel where you could also stay , then you might not need a van or caravan , and could just come over with your car , use the hotel as a base and travel in your car on days off ...

Good luck whatever you choose to do .