Select currency
Popular
—
Report a problem
In Brief
Heidi Elliott, 26, spends £600 monthly on her Ford Transit 'girl van', while Briton Tim Knight has saved over £400 a month since 2022 living in a converted minibus.
Two UK residents share contrasting experiences of van life. Heidi Elliott, 26, bought a 2015 Ford Transit for £15,000 and spent up to £20,000 on its conversion. Her monthly outgoings total around £600, including £200 on food, £250 on fuel, and £95 on Starlink satellite internet.
In contrast, Tim Knight has lived in a converted minibus since 2022, which he bought for £1,800 and spent £2,000 converting. He says the lifestyle saves him over £400 a month, helps him avoid unpleasant neighbours, and offers greater freedom of movement.
Aggregated by OpenVan.camp from the public sources listed below, with AI-assisted translation and summary. We always link to the original source. Machine translation may differ from the original -- check the source for important details. Images and content remain the property of their respective owners. Copyright information
26-year-old Heidi Elliott bought a 2015 Ford Transit for £15,000 and spent up to £20,000 on conversion. Her monthly expenses total approximately £600,...
26-year-old Heidi Elliott bought a 2015 Ford Transit for £15,000 and spent up to £20,000 on conversion. Her monthly expenses total approximately £600, including £200 for groceries, £250 for fuel, and £95 for Starlink satellite internet.
Tim Knight has lived in a converted minibus since 2022, saving over £400 per month on rent and bills. He purchased the van for £1800 and spent an addi...
Tim Knight has lived in a converted minibus since 2022, saving over £400 per month on rent and bills. He purchased the van for £1800 and spent an additional £2000 converting it. He cites freedom of movement and avoiding unpleasant neighbours as key benefits of this lifestyle.
Updated: 18.07.2026
Super E10
$2.04 /l
£1.53 · €1.79/l
123 of 141
pricier than 87% of countries
RON 97
$2.26 /l
£1.69 · €1.98/l
79 of 94
pricier than 83% of countries
Diesel
$2.27 /l
£1.69 · €1.99/l
129 of 142
pricier than 90% of countries
Premium Diesel
$2.48 /l
£1.85 · €2.17/l
35 of 40
pricier than 85% of countries
LPG
$1.25 /l
£0.93 · €1.09/l
46 of 52
pricier than 87% of countries
Best regions in the coming days
Country overview
Avg. score
71
Top city
Wales 74
On 27 July Germany checks motorhomes and trailers on the A31 and A30. Also: a diesel tax in Finland has left motorhomes parked up for most of the year.
Two years on the road with a cat named Zhuzu — and not a single day of wanting to go back. We break down life in a camper van: where to find water, how heating works, what to do about electricity, and where to look for overnight spots. 7 countries, hundreds of places, and an honest account — from the mountain roads of Turkey to the coastline of Montenegro.
Comprehensive review of all RV and camper toilet types: cassette, portable, gravity, vacuum, macerating, dry flush, sealing, incinerating, composting and separating. Comparison of models, consumables, installation and annual costs.
Tim Knight, 37, has saved over £20,000 since moving into a converted LDV Maxus minibus in October 2022, cutting monthly housing costs by more than £400. He purchased the van for £1,800 and spent an additional £2,000 converting it. Knight cites freedom from neighbors as a benefit but acknowledges the lifestyle complicates his love life.
26-year-old Heidi Elliott spends about £600 a month living in a converted Ford Transit. Meanwhile, modern Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based campers can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Social media romanticizes van dwelling, but for a growing number of people in the UK, it is a last resort due to high housing costs. VanLife publication estimates 30,000 to 60,000 people live full-time in vehicles across the country. In Bristol, according to a city council report, the number of such residents quadrupled from 2020 to 2024, rising from 100–150 to 600–650 people.
Somerset Council is consulting on new parking and waiting restrictions for seven roads in Glastonbury, several of which are known as regular stopping points for vans and caravans. The proposed order covers stopping, waiting, loading, unloading and on-street parking. The council states the changes aim to avoid danger to people or traffic and preserve or improve local amenities. Objections must be submitted in writing by 16 July 2026.
Firefighters from Cheshire and Shropshire responded to a fire involving a campervan and a horsebox in Malpas. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday on Shay Lane. Crews used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire and informed police.
Bonnie Charles from the UK quit her job and converted a free old caravan found on Facebook into a mobile nail salon. The renovation and furnishing cost less than £300, electricity is supplied from the main house, avoiding rent and extra utility bills. The salon has become popular with locals.
An unauthorised encampment of 14 caravans remains on Furnace Green Playing Fields in Crawley despite a notice to vacate issued on July 17. West Sussex County Council confirmed the encampment was still present as of July 21 and is pursuing court proceedings. Police attended the site on July 17 after reports of criminal damage. A separate encampment of two caravans at Worlds End Recreation Park in Burgess Hill has also received a notice to vacate, with court action to follow.
Shula Witherford, owner of The Swan Inn in Upton Warren, Bromsgrove, has asked for the return of a family caravan stolen from the pub's rear car park around 1am on July 19. The caravan contained a 'very personal sentimental item' and was taken despite locks and partial blocking by a car. West Mercia Police confirmed the theft report and said the investigation is due to be allocated.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight police are appealing for witnesses after a campervan collided with a horse and left the scene. Neither the horse nor the rider was injured.
Install OpenVan.camp
Get quick access and offline reading.
The app is already installed on this device.
Use your browser menu to install or add to home screen.
