I refuse to apologise for taking up space

[@CKNZ161]

There are vans and 7.5 tonne lorry camper conversions down the road from me and there have also been a couple of women living in a van outside of my flat. Some of the camper conversions look pretty decent. They cause neither myself nor anyone else anything that could even be deemed as reasonably close to "bother" so carry on as you are, ignoring the NIMBYs.

[@gregnorman645]

love this - agree 100%. sending you much support from Arizona

[@olivetrees342]

Totally agree with this content. I love how you respond to the “where are you gonna park?”. Totally gonna use that response. And you are right, as long as we respect laws and are conscious of our surroundings we have a right to be there too!

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Absolutely, it's just about respect at the end of the day 😊

[@angelinasouren]

So do I. That's always been me but now that I am getting a bit older, or maybe it's because of where i am at the moment, I find myself having to defend myself, the way I live and so on. Ugh. Nuts. 🙃🤔🥱

[@arthurkettle3010]

Excellent video Jodie....you touch on some great topics - some of which seem almost taboo in the vanlife world!. Hats off and more power to you 😎🤟

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Thank you 😊

[@matthewvaughan6327]

I need the title of this video printed on a t-shirt. Part of the parking problem is the minority of vanlifers who are anti social; leaving rubbish behind or tying a washing line to a lamppost etc. I was literally talking to someone today about paying a lot of money for caravan sites, when campervans hardly use any facilities. I think it was the Caravan Club who used to let you service your water needs and use the showers for £5. It was ideal.

[@novagold750]

well spoken jodie! i agree with all your points

[@cliff6797]

Hi Jodie Enjoy your vids. Bit surprised you've made one about your "right" to live (park up) wherever you like. As a fellow campervaner I have a couple of questions for you. In the residential areas where you are living, who is paying for the following? Maintaing the road, verges, streetlights, drains, trees and hedges. Treating and disposing of the water for drinking, washing. Treating toilet waste. Collecting and disposing of rubbish (litter bins, local tip). Dealing with antisocial behaviour issues (not van life related). Answer:- It's the local residents through their council taxes. Are you contributing to these services you are benefiting from? What would happen if lots more people took up van life and did the same thing? Can you understand why local residents might not be happy about that (other than being small minded nimbys)? Good luck and keep making the vids.

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Like I said in the video, if there were designated spaces, I would use (and pay for) them. I have visited some places with motorhome parking areas, but they are a rarity. If everyone was living in vehicles, it would fuel the need for better facilities, but most people take their campers to the continent where it's more accommodating. I do pay for a lot of facilities privately (like gyms), and to charities (the canal and river trust provide toilets, showers, and bins at marinas which I sometimes use), or I visit friends and family and offer them a contribution towards water, electricity, etc. I also litter pick anywhere I see it needs it. And anywhere I go I spend money in the local businesses. I hear where you're coming from, but I can't pay into a system that doesn't exist, and council tax is charged per property, not per person. I do what I can to contribute, given the tax system I have no control over.

[@antonyevans3929]

By paying your Road tax and having a valid tax and mot certificate one can park one’s vehicle on any public road where there are no restrictions in place. Not paying council tax in that area has no bearing on the right to park. Also Jodie is there visiting a relation whom I assume does pay their council tax so your point fails there too.

[@woodsworldnomad4785]

I don’t think there’s a such thing as stealth. People are going to notice when you live in a vehicle. I think it’s just important to not be nuisance to other people and there’s usually not a problem.

[@kaythompson2224]

I've always wondered, where is your vehicle registered to? Like if you get a speeding ticket where are they sending it lol

[@vanventureswithjodie]

My lovely parents house 😊... They'd make me pay it though 😂

[@angelinasouren]

Yes, it's easy if you have parents whose address you can use. I think I will need to start renting parents! 😂

[@NarrowboatLiberty]

I don’t think it’s got anything to do with gender - you’d have received that note regardless of your gender - that’s the way some people are - they mistakenly extend their feelings of entitlement or residence to publicly maintained roads and footpaths. Legally parked is legally parked. We agree that everyone should park considerately - whether a van live-aboarder or a resident living on a street or road. We encounter house owners who don’t like us mooring on the public towpath opposite their home - but they have zero right to have us moved on. These are just petty people who want the world to revolve around them. Life’s not like that.

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Oh yes, I don't think the note was gendered, I mean the internal plague of constantly apologising for our existence that we are taught as girls

[@xtc2v]

Windows? Get natural light and ventilation with a big roof light. No loss of amenity with stealth. You have a windscreen if you need to look outside.

[@vanventureswithjodie]

I have two rooflights, and would still choose to have windows 😊, otherwise what's the point of parking by a nice view?

[@xtc2v]

If I want to see the view, take a picture or use binoculars I'd step outside rather than view the world through a dirty, distorting, scratched , tinted double glazed plastic window. The advantage of a van is to be able to travel to a nice destination and go outside and enjoy the beach or mountains without travel back and forth to an expensive accommodation. It does not need to be designed to mimic a wee house on wheels. My van is my capsule hotel, thickly insulated and quiet and also as hard as possible to break into. There is no perfect van build only choices and compromises. 🙂

[@TheGinnygoose18]

@@xtc2v To each their own. Her just right is different than someone else's just right.

[@angelinasouren]

7:27 What is that thing that England doesn't have? Subtitles gave me "s" which is not helping...

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Aires, they're like car parks especially for travelling campers to park up and sleep, usually with some basic facilities but just a place to park and rest for a night rather than a whole camping situation.

[@angelinasouren]

@@vanventureswithjodie Oh! Thanks. I just learned something new! Love it! Will look into it, too.

[@angelinasouren]

@@vanventureswithjodie Ah, it's French! Well, you can still be pleased because in the Netherlands it's not even allowed to sleep in a vehicle unless on a campsite. I just watched your 9-day trip video... I lived on the south coast for two decades. It has become home, oddly enough, I just realized. (I'm in the Netherlands at the moment.) I'd already realized that I was missing it. I'm Dutch but I have never really felt at home in the Netherlands. (The States, yes.) I'm much more out of place here now than before. I feel like a UFO, so to speak. 😎

[@Rich.Aardvark]

I've got a blue badge.

[@ruebennomura9143]

Just subscribe and respect for your channel

[@vanventureswithjodie]

Thank you 😊

[@jamiesworld6015]

Hey jodie your cute :)