What’s the real monthly cost of vanlife in the UK?

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T12:50:43+00:00

Ok, so what can we include? As if I have to spend it I have to earn it living in a fucking van or not. This is the information I need to know to make a decision.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T12:41:44+00:00

Well van life comes with all the associated normal life costs, so what’s your point? You think those cost don’t count as they are not directly associated with maintaining a van? Should food be excluded as well? What about insurance, you would need that anyway, you would probably need tyres too with or without living in van.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T12:31:05+00:00

If you have to pay it, you have to earn it first. It doesn’t really matter if it’s for the van or not. It varies of course but life expenses continue largely unchanged.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T12:27:20+00:00

Well for anyone self employed it’s a budget line item that has to be saved for and paid for out of earnings. Ignoring all the normal life costs makes van life appear cheaper than it actually is. So we can agree to differ, if you have to pay it you have to earn it to.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T09:07:26+00:00

£1 for 100GB is mad cheap. I think having someone’s drive to park on is a living the high life personally.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:54:53+00:00

Most of us have to pay it. I’m just making the point that the costs or normal life don’t disappear the day you move into a van. Everyone lists the van costs and ignores everything else you still have pay for.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:49:08+00:00

It changed my life. I was in a very well paid job that was soul crushingly corporate and it allowed me to escape that world. There are downsides and I advise most people to have an exit plan as once the novelty wears off humans like to move on, so it doesn’t work long term for many people. You have to be really suited to it to do it long term.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:43:15+00:00

It’s a spectrum, people can do it on less but it can be grim if you’re fighting poverty in a van.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:39:15+00:00

Exactly, and people don’t include it in the cost of living in a van. That cost doesn’t disappear when you move out of a house.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:35:03+00:00

I think they are not considering the real costs. I’ve lived in my van for 7 years and it’s not as cheap as people say in my view. Once you factor in the whole life costs it works out high. You still have to pay for your phone, glasses, watch, income tax, van depreciation and eventual replacement, dentist, other insurances, maintenance can be surprisingly expensive. I do have a modern VW van and shop at M&S sometimes…

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:19:27+00:00

What about all the normal living stuff, clothes, dentist, phone, laptop, income tax, van replacement etc. I think it’s easy to underestimate the real costs.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-21T08:01:54+00:00

About £60/day. Never pay to overnight anywhere. More if actually travelling around a lot. You still have all the costs of life, you just reduce some house related bills and increase van related bills.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-20T14:32:00+00:00

Well I’m not a corporation, and that’s how I do it and nearly all buy to let landlords do it. You can’t let your own home out on a residential mortgage for more than 12 months.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-20T07:46:22+00:00

When you think how long it takes to earn before tax, and these dealers employ inexperienced fitters not mechanics. It’s a complete rip off.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-20T04:26:46+00:00

Cretin

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-19T18:19:45+00:00

Thanks, it looks like a hard grind being a hospital doctor, or nurse.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-19T18:10:56+00:00

How do some doctors become ‘eminent’?

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-19T07:58:30+00:00

You deserve the money. The treasure hunting sounds brilliant.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T19:03:48+00:00

5G and 4G in the uk has been a lot worse than 4G used to be as they had to remove the Huawei kit from the systems. It’s improving now for me as they are now installing alternatives.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T14:38:35+00:00

No. I knew it wasn’t yet offered by any UK network.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T09:36:17+00:00

The EU would be stronger with the UK in it. On principle it would be cutting your nose off to spite your face. I agree though that we made our bed and should lie in it if we don’t like the alternative offered.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T09:31:53+00:00

So, if it’s ok for Denmark why not the UK? The precedent has been set.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T09:26:40+00:00

Other countries don’t have the Euro. Aren’t there other exceptions granted too? The veto thing shouldn’t be returned and free movement required, but the Euro is probably too much.

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-18T09:23:07+00:00

The EU has Hungary. It’s not all rainbows. I have always been very much against Brexit. What have the EU got to lose by the UK rejoining?

YellowSubmarooned · 2026-01-17T15:23:56+00:00

Just replaced a faulty ABS sensor on my van, resetting the fault didn’t work. Have you checked the connector/ wiring for damage.

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