Overcoming the Fear of Full Time Van Living
The idea of full time van living can feel both exciting and intimidating at the same time. So whilst you might be looking forward to the adventure, you may also have things on your mind like safety, lack of routine, loneliness or financial security. These are all common fears.
Anyone who’s made the transition into living full time in a van, has experienced one or more of these worries at one stage or another. But the good news is, they get better. And they get better quickly if you are able to identify them. And put a plan in place to deal with them.
Which is where we can help! So that you can get on with enjoying more of the sweeter side of full time vanlife.
Full Time Van Living Fears
Experiencing the emotion of fear is a very natural response to big lifestyle changes. And they don’t get much bigger than downsizing all your worldly possessions into a small metal box on wheels so you can wake up with a new view whenever you feel like it.
When we first moved into our van we worried about so many things. Where to park overnight, what if someone broke in, what if we didn’t like it, missing our family and friends, repair issues, judgement from others - you name it we, we experienced it.
Yet we took the leap into living in a campervan full time anyway. Because that’s the interesting thing about fear, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do something. In fact it’s often a very good indicator that you should do something.
It just means you care and gives you the opportunity to prepare yourself as you best you can.
Identify the Root of Your Fears
Let’s breakdown in detail some of the most common fears about jumping into full time van living.
Financial Insecurity
Even if you have a job that you’re taking with you, but more so if you’re taking a career break or starting something new, money worries around full time vanlife can feel overwhelming.
There’s just something about unknown and unexpected costs of any lifestyle that feels daunting. But particularly so when your home will now be moving. And therefore vulnerable to breakdowns and break-ins than bricks and mortar.
Safety Concerns
There isn’t anyone living full time in a van that hasn’t experienced concerns about theft, breakdowns, or unsafe overnight spots. And personally for us, it’s a worry that’s never completely gone away. But what has happened is that we got better at managing it.
It’s also not even a fear sometimes, more just like an apprehension of unfamiliar places. Especially if you’re a solo vanlifer. Or planning on travelling to countries which might have completely different norms to what you are used to such as Morocco.
Loneliness & Social Isolation
Worrying about missing family, friends, or your social network can be a huge barrier to full time vanlife. Because whether you’re introverted or extroverted, humans are naturally social beings.
So regardless of whether you genuinely love your own company or taking the full time vanlife plunge with a whole brood, feeling suddenly disconnected and without a regular community can really knock people for six.
Lack of Stability or Routine
Whilst some people might thrive off spontaneity and the thrill of not knowing where they’ll end up at the end of each day, the anxiety over not having a fixed ‘home base’ or structured daily routine can be a lot to deal with.
Of course you always have your new home with you. But living full time in a van also means having to adjust to a constantly changing environment. And this can be difficult for some.
Mechanical Breakdowns or Repairs
Even if you’re up to date with your servicing and take real good care of your home on wheels, it’s a sad reality that mechanical breakdowns and repairs issues can crop up out of nowhere.
It’s a moving vehicle so things also just break or come loose overtime. And especially if you didn’t build the van out yourself, it can be really tricky to know where to even start.
Hygiene & Comfort
This may sound like an odd one. But depending on your van set up, worrying about things like shower access, toilets, and staying clean are very valid concerns. Because even if you’re fully self contained like we are, you need to have access to fresh water and waste disposal facilities.
There’s also the inevitable bad weather days and reduction in living space to contend with. Which really do make you question ‘can you live in a van full time?’.
Losing Career Momentum
If you are stepping away from a traditional career path to pursue full time vanlife, even for a limited period of time. That’s a big deal. And totally normal to feel concerned or even scared about how time on the road might harm future job prospects.
Criticism or Judgment
This used to be a big full time vanlife fear of ours. And for a long time we hated the feeling of being judged by others for choosing to live ‘differently’. You may also have loved ones that don’t understand and are unsupportive of your decision to live full time in a van. It’s pretty common.
Legal & Bureaucratic Hurdles
When it comes to moving into a van full time and essentially not having a fixed address, there are all kinds of logistical nightmares that can arise. Things from van insurance technicalities to having post delivered and even being able to vote. It can be a challenge.
Not to mention keeping on top of changing road laws, finding places to legally park and then finding your way around crossing borders with a vehicle.
What If I Don’t Like It?
How does the saying go? It’s better to regret doing something than to regret not doing it. Or you’ll never know if you don’t try it! They definitely apply when you have full time vanlife dreams.
But it’s also not as simplistic as that - it’s a big step. And feeling anxious about giving up a traditional lifestyle and not being able to easily slot back into it if things go tits up is logical.
Full Time Vanlife Planning
It might sound pretty boring, but honestly, the best way to overcome the fear of full time van living is through thorough research and practical planning.
But the good news is - you’re reading this so you’re already halfway there.
Budgeting & Saving
Before jumping into full time van life, it’s a good idea to make a budget. So write down all of your essential recurring costs such as fuel, food, parking/campsite fees, vehicle insurance and road tax, routine maintenance (MOT), mobile data/internet, laundry, entertainment and subscriptions.
Ideally if you should also be putting savings into an emergency fund too. For things like unexpected van repairs - especially if you have an older vehicle.
And if you are planning to travel to other countries you’ll need to factor in additional costs like health insurance, tolls/road passes, ferries, additional vehicle insurance and breakdown cover.
As dull as that all sounds, having a budget set out from the start for day to day living expenses and one off emergencies will help significantly reduce money worries when you’re on the road.
Finding Overnight Parking
If you don’t already have the park4night app downloaded, do that right away. It’s the number one way in which anyone travelling in a van finds safe places to park. The ease and cost of finding said places does however depend on which country you are in.
Campervan Parking England
Full time vanlife in England is becoming notoriously difficult. There seems to be an epidemic of ‘no overnight parking’ signs and height barriers. That’s not to say it’s impossible. But it does require a bit of research and it’s always best to have a backup.
When choosing somewhere, read reviews on Park4Night thoroughly to check for any problems with antisocial behaviour. And always try to arrange in the daylight so you can scope it out properly.
As a general rule we never stay more than a couple of nights in one place. And avoid busy areas over holidays. We also always try to leave places better than we find them by litter picking.
There are of course lots of paid places. Such as the handful of councils who allow it in some car parks, private land or Certified Locations (CL’s). But they are usually £10-15 per night with no services. Which is not financially sustainable for most living full time in a campervan to pay every night. When we are in the UK, we tend to do a mix of both free and paid places.
But don’t get me started on campsite prices! Yes there are services included, but £30 per night is pretty standard and some are £40 in peak season. You could rent a blumin’ house for that?!
Campervan Parking in Rest of UK
Wales and Ireland are in general much more accepting of ‘wild’ camping in campervans. And Scotland more so due to their ‘right to roam’ law.
Even in the most popular places in Scotland like Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park you can get 4 week permits for that work out at £4.20 per night. There is also the Stay The Night scheme that Forestry and Land Scotland run for £10 per night.
Campervan Parking Outside of UK
Outside of the UK, you’ll have few problems finding free places to park overnight using Park4Night. Especially in countries such as France and Spain that have free aire systems. Even further afield in Turkey or Morocco, there are plenty of free/inexpensive places you will feel welcome in.
Find Your Vanlife Community
For all the downsides of social media - and there are plenty - one thing it is good really for is connecting you with your online village. So don’t be afraid to reach out to other full time vanlifers. Especially if you have things in common like the same hobbies or similar aged kids.
There’s also a number of vanlife meetups that happen every year in the UK. These are a great way of meeting people living in a van full time. There’s Campervan Campout, VanLife Fests, Vanlife Eats, Van Love Fest and Vanlife Festival to name just a few.
It’s almost impossible that if you are open to chatting to people you won’t also just organically meet people in the places you are parked. We’ve met some of our very best friends in the vanlife community just through bumping into them.
Create Flexible Daily Rhythms
To lessen the feeling of unpredictability that can often take its toll when living in a van full time our advice is to create some flexible daily habits. These will then become your anchor, reduce decision fatigue and keep you somewhat grounded when things feel (quite literally) in motion.
For example, everyday after dinner, we always wash up and tidy the van before putting our daughter to bed and settling down for the evening. We learnt pretty early on that walking up to a messy van did not make us feel good. So wherever we are this habit is non-negotiable.
First thing in the morning, we’re usually up around sunrise. We first always have a coffee, make the bed, have breakfast. And then do our kids homeschool lesson before we start the rest of the day.
They can literally be anything but morning rituals and evening wind down routines are good places to start. Just make sure they can travel with you so you have full control over them.
Learn Basic Van Maintenance
Knowledge is power as they say. So learning some basic van maintenance and carrying some tools and spares is always worthwhile preparation for full time vanlife. Particularly for solo female vanlifers, this can make you feel much more empowered.
It's a good idea to have a general working knowledge of the electrical and plumbing systems. This way even if you can’t fix the issue, you can at least isolate it and prevent it getting worse.
Which trust me, if you’re in the middle of nowhere with a spontaneous leak will come in handy.
Embrace the Unknown
Listen, fear often comes from the unknown, but in this case it’s also where adventure begins. Full time van living is about leaning into spontaneity, letting go of rigid plans, and discovering the freedom that comes with it. It isn’t about being fearless, it’s just about being brave enough to take the first step.
When we first started full time sprinter living we had no idea what we were doing and had so many doubts. Yet nearly five in I can honestly say it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.
If you have any further tips about ‘how to live in a van full time’ drop them below. And don’t forget to share this post with someone you know who might find it helpful!
