That Time We Dipped Our Toes in #VanLife

Toward the end of our travels in New Zealand we decided to trade in our efficient, little blue car that served us well for six weeks, for a gas-guzzling self-contained campervan. Our #vanlife was always going to be limited to just over two weeks, since we were heading to Indonesia after that.

We were on the south island of New Zealand, and if you haven’t been to NZ, then let us tell you that campervanning is plentiful, especially on the south island. Every other vehicle you see on the road is a campervan in some shape or form. We opted to rent a campervan from Euro Campervans, but there are many different companies offering a variety of campervans and sizes depending on your requirements. Other budget travelers look at purchasing a van from another traveler who is exiting the country - taking this route offers its own benefits and complications.

Now, on to the body of what we wanted to share with our readers. We spent a short 15 days living in our 4 foot by 12 foot by 9 foot van, and we learnt things along our journey that we were not prepared or expecting. Here are our must knows for living your best #vanlife:

Freedom Camping Debunked. Even though you have a self-contained campervan does not mean you can park up anywhere for the night. Freedom camping is only permitted in certain zones that are marked by road signs. There are helpful apps like CamperMate that tell you where the free campgrounds are. However, there will be towns/areas you go that don’t offer a free campground to stay the night. What this means is you end up coughing over more money to stay in holiday parks/campgrounds. These campgrounds over facilities like a communal kitchen, shower, toilets, laundry, but it means the free life of campervanning and not paying the night to sleep are kinda debunked.

Endless Driving. Okay it might not be endless but at times it will feel like it. If you are only living the #vanlife for a short period like us, then there’s no getting around it, you will be doing A LOT of driving. Driving to get to the next town, the next attraction, the next campground. Driving in a heavier, taller, less nimble campervan will take much more time than in a regular car. You will stop for planned and unplanned breaks, to fill up the petrol tank, to get a coffee and food or because a town or shop looks cute. All of these factors eat up time and mean that three hour trip on Google might take you four or even five hours in the end. Driving on the roads also comes with unexpected road conditions. On our trip we were twice diverted in consecutive days from reaching our destination (Nelson, NZ) because of road closures. Lastly, don’t forget the weather, Rain and wind will slow you down on the road. Take it careful in those conditions. Your final destination will still be there waiting for you.

Size Is Everything. You spend a lot of time in the campervan, whether its driving, preparing meals, eating, working, or sleeping, so make sure you have a campervan that meets your basic level of comfort. At first we talked about getting a smaller van, but in the end we are so glad we got the larger one where we can actually stand up and the “kitchen” is inside and not hanging out the back of the van under the trunk door (the weather in NZ is wild and cooking in the rain/wind is not pleasant, especially if the sandflies are out to get you!). The extra money we paid for our van rental was worth it because we didn’t feel cramped in like sardines and had space to put our luggage, groceries, and knick-knacks picked up on the journey.

One Tool Many Purposes. You need to be resourceful and efficient and reuse everything. Planning our meals. Cooking meals = cleaning and cleaning is harder in a campervan, so be efficient with using cutlery, cookware, crockery to avoid excess cleanp-up and wasting space. Turning food containers into tupperware is very helpful when it comes to saving leftovers and minimising waste.

Finite Space. Space management - thinking about what you use regularly and what not so regularly to help you plan where to store things for the easiest access.

Bargain Hunting. If you plan on paying for holiday parks along your way and you are here for a while, then sticking to on holiday park brand like TOP 10, where you can sign up for their membership and start earning discounts might be the best way to go about it. The TOP 10 membership offers discounts on stays, but also at select tourist attractions, cafes, restaurants, and more.. This could help save you big in the long run and pay for the membership cost ($49 for two years) very quick.

Everything Else. Using a large tote to carry your dirty dishes to a nearby sink (mostly paid campgrounds) will make your life easier. The same goes when using communal showers - it avoids the possibility of dropping your clean clothes onto the wet dirty floor of the communal shower room. The waste water tank sits in/underneath the van - smells seep out, it is unavoidable. We found this out the hard way. What did we do - we plugged up our sink when we weren’t using it so those garbage-like smells didn;t contaminate our entire living space. Don’t forget the extra cost for gas! These larger vehicles suck up fuel at an astronomical rate and you’ll be filling up every other day. The petrol tanks are big, so don’t be surprised to see hand over an arm and a leg every time you’re finished at the pump. Factor this into your cost analysis if you are still weighing up the pros and cons about #vanlife.

Disclaimer: Kelly and I have realised that maybe we just aren’t #vanlife people. So please don’t let this put you off giving it a go. We just want you to be the most informed before you set off on your incredible adventures. Good luck :)