The Truth About Winter Vanlife in The UK | CONS of VANLIFE

[@AlwaysAway]

Time to crack out the batteries for my makeshift lights! Thanks for watching 💖

[@jennamahaffy9553]

@@AlwaysAway yeeeesss please take pictures for. The community section!! I am very intrigued to see your fake plant fairy lights I need to get some too.

[@firemage1990]

Our water tank's pilot light that is supposed to start easily to make hot water for our whole house does not start hardly at all. And it takes many minutes until my brother can get it re-lit for like an hour or 2. Soooo having to wait on taking a shower until the water is warm again is a struggle for me and my family right now. I hope you both can get things figured out and keep warm and also hoping you get better soon Emma!!! Any infection sucks but chest infections really suck!!!!

[@AlwaysAway]

@@jennamahaffy9553 going to film them today! They’ve made it so much cosier 😄💖

[@AlwaysAway]

@@firemage1990 oh no!! Sorry to hear that, that must be so annoying - I hope it starts working better soon, that can’t be easy! And thank you! 🥰

[@Sybl68]

This was a really interesting video, I'm glad you filmed. Hope you feel better soon!

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks! I'm glad it was interesting, and thank you 💖

[@doctordeefer]

We fitted a diesel heater as a back up to the motorhomes own gas heating, It's worked out so well that we actually removed and blanked off the gas fire and use the diesel heater all the time.

[@AlwaysAway]

Ah that’s great! I would never have even thought to get another heater, definitely a good idea now that it’s getting colder. I’ll have a look into that 😊

[@karindv9477]

Oh, I hope you feel better soon! And thanks for the demonstration Dom. @ 0:42 😂 Thart's what I've fot to look forward to. 🥶 I am moving from hot, sunny New Zealand to Holland next week. Better enjoy the sunshine while I still can! 😎

[@AlwaysAway]

Thank you! Haha he's the star of the show 😂 Oh wow! The weather might by grey but The Netherlands is great!! Especially when it's Christmassy 😄 Hope the move goes smoothly 💖

[@cybermaus]

Gas connectors are usually left-handed threads.

[@AlwaysAway]

@@cybermaus yeah I know - even when I’ve taken it to the dealership they struggled to undo it before, we need an adjustable wrench rather than the flimsy spanner we have

[@nigelcharles511]

Consider having an LPG socket plumbed into your van. I have two refillable cylinders with autochangeover valve. Easy to use.

[@AlwaysAway]

@ we installed one on a previous van and it made life a lot easier, definitely something I’d love to do when I can afford it!

[@sharonsmith9250]

Congratulations on getting back to 10k

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks 😄💖

[@alexandergiesser]

I LOVE the transparency around van life thank you so much for sharing that!

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks Alex!! 💖

[@Cruzbeast69gaming]

KZbin algorithm sucks .. I'm just now seeing the new vlogs...grrrr. Great vlog as usual! ❤

[@AlwaysAway]

@@Cruzbeast69gaming Thanks! 🙏 Try and turn the notifications bell on 👍

[@Cruzbeast69gaming]

Unfortunately it was.... It's a KZbin thing.

[@AlwaysAway]

@@Cruzbeast69gaming 😓 KZbin algorithm does suck!!

[@KevSmith-v4u]

It's a steep learning curve, I personally have an 800w alternator charger from Ecoflow to fast charge my Ecoflow Delta 2 Max, which doesn't rely on solar which is pretty useless this time of year. I'd also recommend getting a Gaslow system so that you can top up in most parts of the UK. An altermative is a diesel heater to compliment your gas heating, £400-£500 will get a decent diesel heater fitted by a professional. NEVER get yourself in a position in the winter where you run out of gas, your motorhome will get very damp very quickly without heating.

[@esmeesme7666]

Greetings from Bermuda! Love your updates. I hope you feel better very soon 💗 .... the fairy lights will be beautiful !

[@AlwaysAway]

Oh wow, I bet it's nice there in Bermuda! Thank you and I hope so! 🥰🥰🥰

[@esmeesme7666]

@AlwaysAway we are here on holiday..... We live in Canada end love coming to Bermuda....❤️

[@AlwaysAway]

@ have a wonderful holiday! 💖💖

[@BrichaJulbry]

Put some white vinegar (the normal 5% will do) in the pots and pans and let it sit for a little while, maybe 15 to 30 minutes, before washing with water. It can help loosening up the dried food residue more easily evenwhen the water is not hot. (If the pots and pans are big, stack the smaller ones inside while soaking, so you won't need so much vinegar, btw.)

[@AlwaysAway]

I've actually been meaning to get white vinegar for ages now to clean with but I never thought of that! Such a good idea, thank you! 💖

[@Cateaclysmic]

Feel better soon ❤ it's already snowing in the UK so I hope you stay warm 🥺 also love fairy lights they're so cosy, I kept getting power cuts here so decided to decorate with fairy lights and now they're all I use at night so I'm definitely saving on my electricity bills lol 😅

[@AlwaysAway]

Thank you! All warm here again 😅 oh no, power cuts must be annoying! But perfect solution 😂 we decorated with loads of different fairy light last night and it’s so cosy! Cosy and cost effective 😂

[@Kristen-kp6dh]

Get better soon! It is 9 degrees here in Minnesota. And soon it will be below zero temperatures and snow for the winter. I like that you showed a negative upload about camper life. It's good for people who are thinking of doing it to also know isn't always perfect and comfortable. Have a good weekend.

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks! It’s 9C here at the moment which isn’t that bad, it’ll probably be a lot colder there than here 😅 and yeah, I think it’s important to show the reality! Lots of good things about it, but it’s not as great in England 😂💖 Thanks, you too!!

[@beckyairey6219]

Get well soon Emma 💐 The fairy lights are a fab idea, they will make it look so cosy 😊

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks Becky! Finally got some antibiotics and they’ve kicked in today 😅 I hope they will! 💖

[@Kristin_B_]

I bet you could DIY a blocker inside of the door where you put your clothes above the bed with netting or a piece of plastic anything thin that will allow you to either attach it on the front/opening of the frame between the door and it or attach it on the inside walls at the very front. Then when you open the storage doors, nothing will fall out. You could also put in free standing shelves in there as well to give you more vertical storage. I hope you feel better as well @AlwaysAway

[@AlwaysAway]

Yes! That's such a good idea! I could definitely get a net to hold it all in, i tried baskets but it didn't work very well. Thanks for that, so helpful 💖

[@susanmcclain1965]

Take care Emma...wishing you & Dom well. Sorry to hear the van attitude you've received. I hope things will get better as winter sets in. Dom you look handsome in your suit. May you both have nice holidays. Take care. Hang in there.😊

[@AlwaysAway]

Thank you! Feeling a bit better today. Haha he has a suit for every day of the week now, he looks like a different person in them 😅 thanks, you too 💖💖

[@DebyColes]

Lovely and warm and sunny here in Chiang Mai, but there is no one solution that is ideal under all circumstances. We REALLY miss being full time van lifers, but that was pre-Brexit so winters in southern Spain were much better than the UK. Stay warm and feel better soon.

[@AlwaysAway]

Haha God I miss Chiang Mai! I've ben craving a Khao Soi from Ann and Mom for ages now, if you get a chance I really recommend it. We miss vanlife when we're in Thailand and miss Thailand when we're doing vanlife - we'll never win 😂 I'm glad it's treating you well over there! Thank you 💖

[@chrisyravenconlin]

Sorry you’re not feeling well Emma! That’s the worst when you feel sick but can’t get warm or comfortable. I’m back on bed rest after a couple big days of celebrating my birthday! Now it’s back to pain, sickness and fatigue. And I popped another hole in my nose so I’m hoping no colds for me till the piercing heals! 🤞 Hope you and Dom are well beyond the illness and little annoyances! When will we find out about Paris or if you’ve decided to go somewhere else?

[@AlwaysAway]

@@chrisyravenconlin Thanks! It’s finally nearly gone now that I managed to get some antibiotics 😄 Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that 😓 I hope you had an awesome birthday!! Ooh love a nose piercing, fingers crossed you don’t get a cold! 3 more weeks at work and then we’ve got a fun road trip down to Cornwall for two weeks! We didn’t get given the Paris sit, she wanted more reviews on our account but we’ve managed to get quite a few now! 💖

[@HandyC]

For hot water with no gas... boil a kettle. As for heat in winter where's your diesel heater, you have about 70 gallons of the stuff underneath the van, use it!

[@AlwaysAway]

We use a gas kettle unfortunately 😂 Also no diesel heater, only a gas boiler - but it was sorted within an hour, need to just keep checking our gas regularly from now on to prevent us running out again 😄

[@butterflyFlair7839]

Hi there, thank you for sharing your experience as a vanlifer. I wanted to be one myself a few years ago, but my perspective changed after two difficult experiences. Once, a large group of vans parked on the lawns by my seaside home. At first, I was excited, but issues arose-some drove recklessly on the grass, speeding and sliding, endangering people walking with their dogs and kids. We tried to call the police that night, but they didn’t come. The next day, one of those same cars hit a dog while driving recklessly again. I helped the owner get the dog to a vet, but sadly, I never found out if it survived. The police only arrived later that afternoon, after the incident. It was heartbreaking to see such dangerous and careless behavior. In that same group, a van owner left their dogs locked in a car on a hot day. For those who don’t know, dogs only sweat through their paws, so in a hot car, they can suffer heat stroke or even die. Even with the windows open, the heat can still be fatal. It’s strongly advised never to leave dogs in a car during hot weather. A few days later, another group of vanlifers took over an entire supermarket parking lot, leaving no space for others. On top of that, they were incredibly rude to anyone who tried to speak with them. These kinds of behaviors made it hard for me to view vanlife in the same way, even though I know many vanlifers are responsible and kind. I believe this is why some people feel uneasy or annoyed when vanlifers appear in certain areas. That said, I also think some reactions go overboard, not giving vanlifers a fair chance to show they can be respectful and responsible. It seems like there’s a disconnect on both sides, and the tension can sometimes spiral into something unnecessary and unfair.

[@AlwaysAway]

That's definitely an example of horrendous behaviour - there's a lot of unspoken rules for vanlife that need to be followed, and it sounds like the people you encountered broke every rule under the sun. And leaving a dog inside on a hot day is a huge no! It's tougher in the UK because there aren't any designated places to go that aren't extortionate campsites. In Europe there are so many free Aires and that's probably why people are a million times more accepting, because people can do vanlife without being seen as in the way. If we had them here I think it would stop most unnecessary hate

[@halcyonandon]

Sorry to hear you’ve been ill! Hope you feel better soon. It is a shame people have such a bad attitude to campervans when people aren’t even doing anything but being parked somewhere! I guess a small group of people who leave rubbish and act poorly give everyone a bad reputation :(. We drove down to Portugal in our van for a trip for about a month this autumn. We had a great time but realised we couldn’t live in it full time. Just so much admin with water and toilets and once the weather turned bad it was so hard to dry things. I think it works best in places where it is mild all year round where there is lots of space and people are chill. The UK isn’t like that unfortunately!

[@AlwaysAway]

Thank you! Yeah it sucks, the few ruin it for the majority 😖 and unfortunately England has 0 free facilities towards vanlife, unlike most of Europe which doesn’t help! Ah nice, and I totally understand that haha - I wouldn’t have been able to do it full time in other vans we’ve had, we’re lucky this one makes it doable, but it’s still a struggle sometimes. Because we’re in one town now it’s easier because we’ve joined a gym to shower at and we don’t use the water very quickly, otherwise it would be really tough! 😅

[@NoelG-IRE]

Gas heaters are like using AGM batteries. Yes they work, but they are a pain and don’t perform nearly as well as their replacement models. Diesel heater is not only way more economical, you can literally run them 24/7 knowing you can get diesel anywhere. Even better if you can get green/ marked diesel. About a quid a litre. Costs me about €20 a week if I’m using it all day and night. Gas would be gone in about 3 days under similar usage costing €25 to €30 per refill. Keep both installed just encase your battery is running low, but the gas should be a backup heater only.

[@AlwaysAway]

We used to have a cheap diesel heater a few years back but it smelt really strong and always had an error code, it put us off of them 😅 which one would you recommend? That does sound like a much better idea, we’re burning through gas quickly now! And diesel is much easier to source 😂

[@NoelG-IRE]

@ likely yours wasn’t installed properly as they shouldn’t smell inside at all. I have both Hcalory and Maxspeedingrods 8kw versions and they both work flawlessly.

[@AlwaysAway]

Ah I see, thanks I’ll look into those - sounds like the perfect solution

[@NoelG-IRE]

@ oh and I bet you can change that gas bottle no problem, but it’s likely a reverse thread. My one is anyway. In this case it’s righty loosey, lefty tighty 😂😂

[@AlwaysAway]

@ yeah ours is backwards too 😂😂 gets us everytime! But we have a baby spanner that makes it impossible for me to undo alone, need to get one with more grip 😅

[@CB-sx8xh]

We have quite a few van Karens in Aus too. The more afflent the neighbourhood the more Karen-y they tend to get.

[@AlwaysAway]

Really! Oh dear, that seems to be the way here too 🫠

[@bartekkubicaku-bitsa9802]

Agitaded, clean shaved, suit up Dom tanking is worth every problem I guess :D

[@AlwaysAway]

Hahaha very true 😂

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Hope you get better soon and that making this video proved cathartic! Ahh, the romance of the road! I think my biggest problem would be living with someone in such a confined space for any length of time. Murder would definitely be a possibility after a week or two! Whether I would be the perpetrator or the victim is an interesting question!😂 If you get any more nosey neighbours moaning, just send Dom round in that suit and tell them his surname is “Kray” - I guarantee you won’t have any more problems! ❤👍

[@AlwaysAway]

It was nice to film actually, and vent 😂 being in such a small space does test you! Luckily it’s big enough that one can sit in the front and one in the back to get some alone time but when it’s messy it’s very claustrophobic 😂 Hahaha perfect solution!!

[@mickeyiael9013]

❣️💌❣️❤️‍🩹🫶 I think those lights are going to look awesome! Wishing you better health and warm snuggles!!!

[@AlwaysAway]

I hope so! Thank you!! 🥰🥰💖

[@StarCaledonia]

What a terrible week you've had. Aside from extra solar panels which might be difficult to install, have you considered a petrol generator? Your can get them for under £300 that aren't too noisy, and then during the day just drive to somewhere isolated or an industrial area and use it to recharge your battery bank.

[@AlwaysAway]

@@StarCaledonia Ah we haven’t thought of that! That sounds like something to consider, I’d love to get more solar but like you say it’s difficult to install. We’ll have a look into that, thank you!

[@StarCaledonia]

@ a friend who has a bit of forestry that doesn't get good sunshine in winter did it and swears by it.

[@AlwaysAway]

@ oh perfect! We have seen people using them about, thanks for the advice 😊

[@turkeyphant]

Where do you empty your toilet in the UK?

[@AlwaysAway]

@@turkeyphant In Canterbury there’s an aire we usually use, in Brighton we’ve been using the campsite for facilities or at our friends - that’s one of the trickier things in the Uk

[@turkeyphant]

@AlwaysAway oooh where's the aire ?

[@AlwaysAway]

@ Canterbury Park and Ride on Dover Road! Apparently it’s the only aire in the country, it’s £4 a day but that includes the bus into town and water/bin facilities - really handy if you’re ever in Kent!

[@jennamahaffy9553]

Such a great "real" video🎉👏🏻 people romanticize things and never talk about the real stuff, people swear all you pay for is gas but I'm always like no man, heating, food that you can't buy in bulk, batteries, emergency kit, parking/camping cost😂 is it actually cheaper? Lol I bet being sick with no heat is awful, I was gonna say cuddle and body heat but kinda hare to do that alone, lol dom looks so weirdly professional like that😂😂😂 also what is going on with those gas nozzles ...😮 They look so weird are they all like that or is it a special one to fill your tank? I'm gonna need a full demonstration of how they actually work, of courses ours look a bit like guns lol they have like a trigger you squeeze but dom was doing a whole lot with that hose looking thing😂

[@AlwaysAway]

Thanks! Yeah I definitely don't want to pretend its all great, all the time, because it just isn't 😂 I've had the heating on full blast since we've topped up and I'm happy again haha - the gas nozzles are terrifying, they're all like that but also have different ways of attaching and you have to read the instructions at the pump carefully every time. We always get a bit nervous because it takes several attempts to get it properly attached on most occasions! The pump that we parked next to wasn't working and the guy at the station said we had to use the one on the opposite side, so Dom was manoeuvring to get it to reach 😅 We'll have to film a tutorial next time 😂

[@jennamahaffy9553]

@AlwaysAway Yes please I am so interested by the littlest things lol I like to see how other countries do things though even simple everyday things, is would definitely be afraid of they where all different all the time lol yay!! I'm happy your warm again 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 hope your feeling better❤️

[@Stephen-up3sd]

@@jennamahaffy9553 Regarding Jenna’s original comment I would be interested in getting a breakdown of just how much van-life costs, the way you are living now. Parking fees, gas costs etc etc, similar perhaps to the one you did when you were living in Chaing Mai.

[@mrleobrincat]

I have 600 watts of solar panels never had problems in the winter I got 3 power banks and I got led lights you need more solar panels

[@AlwaysAway]

Our power banks are great but the solar that was pre built into the van isn’t enough for the boiler and lights when we haven’t been driving regularly. Do you have split charge? More solar would definitely be a good option!

[@mrleobrincat]

@AlwaysAway no I don't have

[@HandyC]

Lights use hardly any electric, or are you still burning halogen bulbs!! Get them changed for LED's STAT

[@AlwaysAway]

We have LED’s, it’s got to be all the other stuff running the power down. Our water heater uses electric, so it might be that? We’ll have to investigate!

[@simon-k7m]

Just sayin , gas bottles are left hand thread 😉

[@AlwaysAway]

@@simon-k7m yeah I know 😅

[@simon-k7m]

@ Sorry but I still have to think about it when I change mine 😉

[@AlwaysAway]

@ yeah it can be confusing haha

[@AmbientToday]

Hey, found this on Brighton Reddit, but then you deleted the post :(

[@AlwaysAway]

Hey, it got deleted by the moderator because people complained 😅💖

[@AmbientToday]

Well, welcome to Brighton x

[@AlwaysAway]

@ Thank you! 🥰🥰

[@writewatson]

Nasty business… but at least you’re not in Calgary! Your sniffles wouldn’t stop you from getting the heck out of there when it’s -20 in November.

[@AlwaysAway]

I'm grateful it never gets that cold here 😂 give me England's miserable weather any day over that!

[@benironside1264]

This just feels like a couple having a domestic 😂 like a van life dis track

[@AlwaysAway]

@@benironside1264 😂 you’re right, I’m back on good terms with vanlife again since I filmed 😂

[@benironside1264]

@ 🤣😂🤣

[@archvaldor]

I couldn't tell. Normal people look like zombies when they get sick.

[@AlwaysAway]

I cut out A LOT of coughing

[@lloroshastar6347]

I knew you'd bring up people taking issue with it even if you're not doing anything wrong. I live in a city now but in my hometown if anyone is parked in a caravan or living vehicle anywhere in the town people post about it on the town's Facebook page and start talking about calling the police on them. I won't use the terms that they use but you can be safe in the knowledge that they assume whoever is living in the mobile home is a thief of some kind, whether they have any evidence of this or not, the comments are rife with hatred.

[@AlwaysAway]

This happens so much on Facebook! I see it all the time, people love to hate on the local groups in my hometown too. So much hatred! 💖

[@conanthelib1]

Depends on your budget but we only stop on cl sites in uk. Never get any problems from anyone. Get well soon.

[@hollyexley]

Van life ENGLAND is bad, van life UK - not necessarily because the UK contains Scotland :D Which is very accommodating. I'm so shocked at how horrible people have been to you down south. I'm sorry :(

[@AlwaysAway]

@@hollyexley Yeah this is very much aimed at South England, I feel like even in the North they’re probably more accommodating because people are just so much nicer 😂 and definitely, Scotland is like heaven compared to down here! 😅💖

[@karl_ambler]

Men’s work

[@AlwaysAway]

I've done it all on my own before - no man needed - but Dom has a habit of doing it up too tight, if I was alone I just wouldn't.

[@karl_ambler]

@ so men’s work then

[@imnottellingyoumyname3050]

Alright Karl mate you're a knobhead