Van Conversion Day 31 - Lets Talk Sinks!

So, our sink arrived! Or at least, what will become our sink once its base is built. As you may have noticed from the image, its not really a sink. Its a basin. A deep enamelled metal basin.

As many prospective vanlifers do, we've spent months following other van conversions happening on social media, watched the videos, seen the inspirational Pinterest posts and again, come to the conclusion we wanted to keep it basic! 

We actually viewed a couple of 'finished' vans before deciding to build our own. One of the ones we viewed had a super cute ceramic sink installed, the type you might find in a modern WC where space is limited. They look neat and clean, but noooo. Just no. We happen to live in a cottage which currently has one of those sleek micro sinks, and I'll say now - it's not fit for purpose. Filled to the brim, it holds about three inches of water - at the deepest point. Most of the sink is sides in fact. If you want to wash in it, or clean anything bigger than a teaspoon get ready for it to over spill or be satisfied with filling it up two about two inches max. The only way they really work is if you don't actually want to fill them. Washing hands under running water is what they're only really useful for. In a tiny WC that's probably all they're needed for. (Ours is actually installed in the homes only shower-room, and had it been our house we would have chosen something better! but the joys of renting!)

So, something deeper was needed. We also decided that we wouldn't have a fixed sink, as we don't intend on having it plumbed in. I wanted the flexibility of using the space many ways and a basin that we can use inside or out, that can be put on the counter when I wash my hair, or on the floor when I fancy a foot spa was more important than the convenience of running water in a fixed spot. It is also deep enough to hand-wash wash clothes if necessary. We will also have a basic portable shower that we will set up when we want to use it and pack it away when not, so its not our only means of staying clean and hygienic. 

The basin is seven inches deep and 15 inches across, and very light compared to a ceramic sink, so keeping our weight down was also a consideration. It also fits with the vintage aesthetic of our interior. It will be stored in a hidden, multi-use cupbored, which I'll talk about in a future post. That particular unit will not only hold the sink, it will also provide an extra 2ft of sleeping leg-room for Mike, who is 6' 4, a tiled counter-top, and some additional storage! It is also worth pointing out that our conversion is in a MWB Sprinter. We don't have that extra few feet of length to indulge in a 'proper' kitchen area. Especially when you also consider that our counter-top is also home to our woodburner and gas hob! 

I will post updated photos to our socials as we get its cupboard built to house it, but that was a little intro to our £30 ebay sink, and why we chose it over a conventional one! 

Day 29 - Woodburner Delivery!

In this update I'm going to talk about why we chose to install a woodburner in a van! 

When it comes to van conversions everyone does it differently. Whether based on experience, an idea, a recommendation, or just because you've seen something you want to emulate.

For us, our conversion is a combination of experience and a need to fit into an established lifestyle. At 41 years of age, I've only ever lived in a house without a real fire (woodburner or open hearth) once, and that was in Uni accommodation when I first started living with Mike. I didn't like it. I felt vulnerable to outside influence. Powercuts, gas or other fuel shortage, things breaking down at inconvenient times. Those times when the boiler breaks on Christmas Eve and you know its going to be expensive to fix. Those are the things that really trigger my anxiety. I think I'm a bit of a prepper at heart 😂 I don't like being dependent on anyone. There's very little that goes wrong with fire. Its basic and efficient. I know how to deal with it, and it's reliable. It heats you, you can cook on it, and it will boil water... So, when it came to living in a van I was VERY happy to see having a woodstove wasn't out of the question! 

There will be drawbacks though. They are a permanent, heavy features and it will require space left around it which could have otherwise been used for storage. They also are too efficient at some times of year. When you maybe just need to take the chill off, so we will undoubtedly have another form of heating for those in-between times. You also have to consider your park-ups. Stealthily parking up in town won't really mix well with puffs of woodsmoke emanating from our chimney 🤣 so it's certainly worth having options. 

Again, every decision we've made comes down to how we will be using our van, and the area we will spend most of our time. Our business is based in Norfolk, East Anglia. It's usually mild and doesn't really get extremes in weather. Summers can get to 30⁰C, Winters can get to-5⁰C, but most of the time it's not below freezing and most of the time is teens to twenties in Celsius. That said, we will also take the van to Scotland. Its where we used to live and tends to be our 'go to' for time away. These are our considerations for what heating, insulation and build we will end up with. It's worth remembering all this when watching DIY conversion videos. It's easy to watch other people using certain products or techniques and just thinking 'well they did it and it worked ok'. Look at where they are based. Are they fitting a van out to travel around California, or the Cairngorms? Have they done any updates on how things worked after they tried living in it? Was it a viable option long term, or did they end up ripping it all out to start again?! 

This is why we've appreciated, but not acted on all the advice we've  been given (and there's been a lot). Everyone likes to think the way they 'vanlife' is best, but it's really only best for their situation - so if you're also first time van builder don't be afraid to come to your own conclusions! We've done SO MUCH independent research. Not just watching YouTube conversion videos (many of which seem to have been confidently made by people who did no research whatsoever), but talking to experienced builders and reading books like the extremely reader friendly Van Conversion Bible. 

We are also lucky to have my Dad working on the project. He's been a mechanic for 50 years, has renovated houses he's lived in, and is a woodworker in his time off. A very useful skill set for any type of self build! 

So after what already feels like a bit of a ramble on my part (sorry!) I'm going to tell you about our woodstove. There are a handful of popular makes of mini stove out there. They are certainly not a budget option. The cheapest I think I found was around £200 for one constructed with sheet metal, up to over £1000 for a super modern style one. Aesthetics are important to me. My day-job is creative and I'm an artist 🎨 with a studio at the back of my shop, so my living space was always going to be reflective of that. The interior of the van when it's done will include a mix of dark timbers and vintage fixtures. (Vintage as in victorian cabin, not white shabby chic!) I chose our little stove to fit this Aesthetic and also because its cast iron and not sheet metal. Bizarrely I find sheet metal 'cold' looking. I think it's the brutally smooth surfaces. We bought out little Pipsqueak stove from Savvy Surf online and chose the angled flue on the back with a door so we can clean it out easier. 

I was very aware that I wanted an insulated flue though, as we will be in close proximity to it coming and going, and it will have to be in close proximity to various bit of our van! The flue that fits this stove is an unusual 80mm single wall flue, which isn't what I wanted for our circumstances. I also wanted to have a flue with a wind cowl, rather than a standard rain cap. So, in the end we bought a 3" insulated flue kit from Anevay Stoves which was close enough in diameter for us to adapt. If I didn't have my Dad on hand to help with this I probably would have gone with something straightforward, but if you have skills available you may as well use them! 

So, that's where we are almost a month to the day we picked up Norma in a very drizzly Essex. It feels MUCH longer, but I'm excited to see where we will be in another month! 

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @VanlifeNorfolk for updates between blogs! 

A Very Basic Home on Wheels - Day 13

 So here we are on Day 13...

While Norma is sat in the workshop waiting patiently for her mechanic to return to work after his Christmas break, we have been drawing out our layout designs and discussing deeply boring things such as insulation, ventilation, and electrics. I'm sure there are many who find those bits interesting, but the artist within me just wants to start creating! Needless to say, I'm leaving much of that grown up stuff to Mike who has the patience for it...

-

We have read the books, watched the YouTubes, and followed (what feels like) every van-lifer account across social media. The one thing that has become very apparent is that out wants and needs are significantly less than most other self-build conversions. Our set up is going to be comfortable, but basic. Perhaps it was growing up with my Dad, a mechanic. Spending much of my childhood watching him take things to bits and put things back together, the phrase 'the more you put in the more there is to go wrong' is now forever tattooed to the inside of my mind. 

I suspect also that our lack of requirements also stems from our history or living in very old, cold, and un-modern cottages. From the studio-flat we rented while Mike was at Uni, which only had half a kitchen (no cooker, hob, or washing machine) to the Scottish cottage with single glazing and no central heating, I think we are just used to making do. I was quite happy doing a weekly trip to the laundrette, and I actually get a bit uncomfortable in overly hot dry houses when I visit family now. 

We could tell from the things that people asked us when we told them of our vanlife plans that our life was already different to most. If it wasn't 'OMG what will you do without a telly', it was 'you won't be able to have a bath!'. Well, we haven't watched tv in the last two years. We own a TV for DVD watching, but it only really gets used at Christmas for our annual outing of 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Die Hard'. We could, of course, have a telly in a van, but we're not going to. 

and the bath? Well, we haven't got one where we've lived the last two and a half years, so I'm sure we will cope. We are actually budgeting for a monthly or fortnightly stay in a hotel or b&b as part of my 'work/life balance' improvement, so I'll probably have MORE access to baths than I have done in some time!! 

No, we are actually stripping our routines to the basics and focussing on comfort and warmth, over tech and entertainment. We do also have the privilege of my shop and workshop with facilities, which of course most vanlifers don't. We aren't selling off our worldly goods, but storing them for the future. We haven't closed the door on owning a home again one-day, we are just giving ourselves time to save for one we can afford without going into debt, while having an adventure before we get old and overly cautious of the risk. We are aware our vanlife journey is different, and I think that's the best thing about this community. Everyone is writing their own story, unencumbered by the rules of 'traditional' society.

Not only is our van-build basic, its also going to be a reflection of our personal taste and principles. I am used to antique furniture and upcycled bits and bobs. I've never had to assemble Ikea furniture in my life, and I don't plan on assembling an 'interior' kit for the van. While some of the modern builds look stunning, some of them feel very 'cold' in their sleekness. Our van will definitely feel lived in! We will use a mix of antique and reclaimed materials for everything possible, except maybe some of the wood panelling. I have materials left over from the interior build of my shop too, so they will be utilised where possible. We are hoping to start buying what we need to start in the next few weeks, so watch out for updates incoming on the socials!

Thanks for reading, we hope to see you next time! (Rosie) 

Van Conversion Day 5 - New Years Day

 Happy New Year!

I'm going to resist the urge to dwell on the year past, as I think we can all agree that its been a questionable one at best! Though personally I've learned a lot of lessons and proved to myself that patience is indeed a virtue. Rotten fruit will always drop from the tree before its time to blossom again. I'm going to use this day to look to the year ahead. Its been five days since we picked up Norma and she's sat quietly over at my Dads workshop. He is going to give her a full service and check over before we take her home and start work on her. 

Mike has gone back to work after his Christmas break, and I've been busy setting up our Vanlife Norfolk shop website, so we've not had much chance to confer with regard to our respective ideas. Our main issue with the design at the moment is finding a sleeping solution for Mike as he's 6'4 and could easily take up the whole floorspace given the chance! I'm a clear foot shorter, so if I were alone I'd happily run a bed along the width of the van and lots of space left over. So far the best option is a bunk, as we have the space in a hi-top to accommodate this, but we need to see how we want to fit everything else in too.

So, day 5 of the conversion hasn't been particularly active on the practical side, but I'll blame New Years for that. I've been encouraged seeing the support on social media for the project and over the last few days been left convinced that vanlifers are some of the nicest people you'll meet! I guess when you're living a life of your choosing you have less to be negative about. Both our instagram and twitter accounts have slowly been growing and it totally makes up for the occasional unhelpful/negative/judgmental reactions we've had from 'real life' friends and family.

I'm not new to living a life the society thinks is a bit weird, but comments from people I thought better of before have been disappointing. After talking to other vanlifers, its great to know that we are not alone. Moving from the 9-5/rent paying/living for friday nights lifestyle to one of freedom, where exploration and life experience count for more than a perceived 'stability' in society is a journey I'm greatly looking forward to. Its going to be better for our mental health, our bank account, and our work/life balance, and if our friends aren't onboard with that, they're probably not our friends anymore.

Its been great seeing other how other vanlifers have spent their New Year. Many have made for the coast and I've been day dreaming a little about what we might be doing this time next year. My business is only four miles from the sea as it is, and Mike works at a coastal nature reserve, so I imagine we will spend a lot more time looking at the water this coming year. 

Anyway, we are into a new year and the only thing we can do is make the best of whatever life throws our way. If I've learned anything about people this year, its to trust your instincts and trust their energy. Don't give more chances than are deserved, and don't be afraid to find a new tribe if you need to. Some people are damaged beyond repair and some people are just patiently waiting to be found. Keep evolving! 

.