I got my first live in Vehicle, when I was in my late twenties, living in Western Australia. A Toyota Hiace van, that had a pop up roof and a double bed in the back.
My first taste of Nomadic Living, happened in this van.
I knew that when I parked up, after a long days driving, that I did not want to have to worry about moving things around to make my bed. That was quite high, on the list for me, that and head room. I also wanted a vehicle that was easy to park, so the Toyota Hiace ticked many boxes for me.
It was my first step, into minimalist living and I have never looked back.
It's important when you are choosing a live in Vehicle, that you know what you want. What your needs are. My van, had a small kitchen unit and a table that pulled out from under the bed. I rarely used that, as I ate outside all the time, as I had a portable table and chairs. I also cooked outdoors quite a lot as well. I wasn't looking for a vehicle with a lot of space inside, as I spend most of my time outdoors.
Water storage is really important also, there was quite a large tank under my van and I had an electric 12 V pump which brought water from the tank, to the tap in my sink. I had a much smaller tank for waste water, which I emptied regularly.
I don't have many photos of my van, but here she is, parked up in the bush, for my thirty birthday.
I only use natural products, so the waste water could be emptied anywhere. I usually parked up near beaches or in the bush, so I used public toilets or used a shovel so that I could dig a hole in the bush and relieve myself.
I had a portable shower bag, which I would hang of the back of the van, whenever I needed to take a shower.
The van had a wonderful awning, that came off one side of the van, having this, made it so much easier to enjoy my outdoor space, as it shielded me from the sun and the rain.
I also used it as a screen, for projecting movies on to. This was achieved, by letting the awning just hang down, the side of the van, instead of using the poles to make it upright. Pretty luxurious I know. (this was not something that was on my list,instead it was a very pleasant discovery.)
I loved my time in that van, I felt very content and free. I also felt more confident in myself. It felt so good to downsize and really look at the things on my life and just hold onto what I needed and some small things that brought me joy.
I knew from this experience, that I wanted to continue to live in smaller spaces. Having less, brought me so much.
Then I felt pregnant and I sold my van and returned to Ireland. I life in shared accommodation with my ex for a while. But what I really wanted, was to be in a Vehicle. So when my first child was born earthside, we began looking for a new home. It came in the shape of a Mercedes 811D school Bus.
All the seats. had to be taken out and then me and my ex, along with our very young daughter, converted it into a home. A conversion that I was very proud of. Now that I had a child and a partner, I needed a bigger space and the bus definitely was that.
Also being in Ireland, meant that I would spend more time indoors, so space was important to us. We made a beautiful wooden worktop and had a foot pump for the tap, which I much prefer over an electric one. The foot pump, was purchased from a boating store, which had some wonderful products you could use in a conversion.
We also went off grid, by investing in our first Solar instillation, That was quite an exciting moment for me, finally being that step closer from being out of the system. We had a hob to cook on and the cutest little pot belly stove.
The moment I saw that stove, I wanted it, but it was so impractical. It had such a tiny door in which you could feed the wood through, so it meant you had to spend ages keeping the fire going. Big logs, which would keep the fire going for ages, just wouldn't fit.
So major lesson there, do not, get fooled by appearances. Always think about practicality.
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The more me we lived in it, the more we made it to fir our requirements. We kept four of the original chairs and placed them either side of our table. I really wanted a table inside, that we could eat from and use to paint and play on.
Then after 3 years and another child later, we out grew that bus. We thought that we would try out yurt living in the South of France, but it wasn't for us. But we had sold our bus, so we could get the yurt.
So we put our yurt up for sale and in the mean time, bought a Renault Master van and moved into that, in the summer months. That was an interesting experience, living in a very small space with two young children and two dogs.
So when we got the Truck, which is what I still live in, it felt like a palace. It was huge. It was completely empty when we bought it. The first thing we bought was the insulation, which was made from hemp and wood. Then we bought a wood burning stove with an oven. This I was very excited about, after not having an oven in nearly 5 years. (But later realized how hot you had to make the fire to use the oven, it was like living in a sauna). So the oven barely got used. Another lesson for me.
We then got pine wood planks for the floor and laid them, then almost immediately regretting not getting tongue and groove. I hated seeing dirt between the cracks. So that came up and we replaced it with Bamboo, tongue and groove, which is water proof. Which is really important factor to consider for flooring when you have kids.
The solar system also got an upgrade, now I have 6 solar panels, an 2500 watt inverter and a kick ass lithium Battery. I only had lead acid batteries prior to this and you really need to keep an eye on them, especially in the heat and make sure the fluid is topped up with distilled water, to make sure they do not go dry.
The lithium battery, is maintenance free and that makes me very happy. As my family grew, so did my space. The truck came from France, we took it to Morroco and Portugal, but for the last few years she has been here in the South of Spain, where I have enjoyed living off grid for over 7 years now. Over 13 altogether, if you include the bus as well.
I wouldn't change the way I live, I am far more conscious now about what I need to survive and to live. I know how much water I use, day to day, having carried it in containers. We drink spring water and I am growing some veg also.
I love growing my own food and even when I was nomadic, I had fruit and vegetables growing in containers, salad, tomatoes, strawberries and Kale. Even carrots too. I just stored them in the bus or truck when we were moving and put them outside whenever we parked up.
It's important that you have your own tools, when you live nomadically. Tools for your vehicle and tools that can help to keep you self sufficient. I have a wonderful Japanese hand saw, that was gifted to me by a friend. I use it for pruning, for cutting fire wood and for wood I use in building.
I have lots of tools, that I use, so that I can live the way that I do.
Tools for building, for gardening, for maintenance of my home and it's solar system. Tools, that make it easier for me to make my own produce as well. I recently got a second hand sewing machine, which I am excited about. Next on my list is a water filter.
I love living this close to the land and living in a way that allows me to really experience the seasons. I stepped out of the system many years ago, because I made the decision to take control of my life, to learn to become dependant on myself and no one else.
