Wanted to give a shout out here to all the van lifers working at living responsibly on the road. It’s great to see people trying to live ethical lives & sharing these ideas for us all to try. I’ve been living full time in this self-converted Mercedes Sprinter van with my partner @andyrgarside & our two rescue van hounds since November 2017. We’ve definitely improved our eco-approach to life on the road as time rolls by. From the beginning we invested in two solar panels which have 360watts in total + two Rolls leisure batteries + 240v inverter combination that means we never need to plug into the mains – our solar panels power laptops, cameras, phones, the fridge, lighting, fan, water tap pump & roof fan. We have a split-charger hooked up to the engine which also charges the batteries as we drive. Nearly two years in, & it’s a solid piece of technology from @remotepoweruk we’re so glad we invested in. Our two-ring cooking hob runs off a bottle of gas that lasts about 3 months at a time, & water usage has dropped dramatically from when we were in a house so that the 100L tank lasts two adults & two hounds a full week. This week we calculated our diesel consumption & miles. We run a diesel engine & went for a basic 2.1L which averages 35 – 45 MPG making it more economical than a beefier beast. Slow travel also means that we average only one (75L) tank of diesel a month, & this also powers the fan heater. We recently worked out that we average 20,000 miles a year in the van. That’s for everything: work, holidays, visits to friends & family. And that’s the total for the two of us. Which is only 10,000 miles each (we share the driving) a year. Anyway! We also sold or gifted to charity 95% of our stuff – minimalism is the key to happy vanlife, that & a vegetarian (mostly vegan) diet, we recycle as much as possible & @vanilla.icedream also showed how to bury our food waste so even that’s sorted. Added to this – we, & most vanlifers I know, beachcomb for litter regularly ✊?. Responsible vanlife isn’t a pipe-dream, it’s totally possible with a bit of thought & focus. It’s also a wonderful way to immerse in this beautiful natural world we all care so much for ???
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