If you love to travel, you’ve probably dreamt of seeing the world by road at least once. What if I told you right now is the perfect time to put that dream into action?
Hotels, hostels, and homestays aren’t very safe right now.
Sure, if you stay at one you’ll more than likely be fine. However, every person at a hotel has been exposed to potentially hundreds of other people and could be sick without knowing it, and you’re no exception. Staying in hotels during the pandemic risks your life and the life of others.
If you don’t want to take the chance, traveling on your own in a converted camper van is a safer option. If you’ve ever wondered about living in a small camper, it’s time to answer your questions. Here are six things you can do when living in a camper van.
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Convert a Cozy Kitchen
Running a kitchen out of a van might seem daunting, but there’s no shortage of camper kitchen ideas out there. Gadgets like induction burners and Instant Pots make cooking in a camper van easier than you ever imagined.
If you prefer roughing it, cooking food over an open flame or outdoor grill has great appeal and is a piece of cake when living in a camper.
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Build Yourself a Porch
If a van with a porch seems impossible to you, think again. It’s simpler than you might think to create a DIY camper van porch using wooden boards and steel cables.
Easier still is the option of purchasing a camper van awning or porch kit. All you have to do is install and you have an outdoor breakfast spot that rivals the porches of most permanent cottages.
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Decorate a Dazzling Ceiling
There’s no way to avoid living in tight quarters in a camper van. One way to make your van seem larger is by painting the ceiling. Endless camper ceiling ideas include night sky paintings, sunsets, clouds, geometric designs, splatter paintings, and more.
Decorating your van ceiling with stickers, clings, or paints is a quick and easy project that will make your van feel homey in an instant.
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Light up Your Life
A common hesitation about living in a camper van is that you’re living in a metal box—the inside of an unconverted van isn’t incredibly comfortable.
One easy way to make yourself at home in a van is by adding string lights, paper lanterns, and other light features to give your camper a warm glow.
Make sure that the lights you choose don’t cause a fire risk, though. Living in tight quarters makes fire safety all the more important.
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Converted Camper Van Lifestyle Ideas
There are a wide variety of things you can do to a camper van: renovations and upgrades abound for maximum comfort on the road. What you can do with a camper van, though, includes not just mechanical and cosmetic improvements, but refers to a whole camper van lifestyle.
Taking a vacation or living in a camper van long-term requires a lot of lifestyle compromises. If you’re traveling with companions, you won’t have all the privacy and space you’re used to. You won’t always be able to compartmentalize and will have to do all your day’s activities in one small space.
Some of these compromises are downsides of living in campers for some would-be travelers. However, some of these lifestyle changes can lead to a better life for you and your traveling group.
For example, cramped eating conditions can easily be solved by eating outside, whether in chairs next to your van or on an installed awning. Work and leisure activities can also be taken outside. You may be able to maximize your space by taking to the top of your vehicle, too.
These are just a few ways that changing your lifestyle to suit living in a camper van creates exciting new opportunities. The frustration of changing your ways soon leads into great calm stemming from a simpler life.
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Making the Most of Your Vehicle’s Abilities
Finally, if you’re asking what you can do with a camper van, perhaps you should take a moment to ask what you can’t do. Camper vans are sturdy vehicles that make all kinds of daring travel easy. If you drive carefully with proper campervan insurance, you can live a life more exciting than you ever imagined for years and years.
Whether you take a safari through wild grasslands, travel along stormy coasts, or set up camp deep in the woods, there’s no denying that living in a camper is key to opening such doors.
You can live in a camper van without going offroad and immersing yourself in nature. However, it’s worth taking advantage of your camper’s intended purpose a couple of times to get a feel for what the machine can do. Combining the comfort of your homey camper with the untamed beauty of the outdoors might open your eyes to an outdoor lifestyle that’s more accommodating than you thought possible.
Travel the World With Peace of Mind
After reading this article, you know six exciting ideas for living in and remodeling a converted camper van. While you’re planning your next trip, take a look at our site for all the advice you need on your globetrotting adventures.
We know it can be hard to find advice suited for British travelers, so we publish articles with you in mind. Click around and look at our other articles and you’ll have a safety net of quality advice to fall back on during your next trip.