I have been living in a camper full time for five years – I don’t pay rent
A MAN who has been living permanently in a camper for five years says he pays no rent at all.
Darran, 36, swapped his home for life in a camper van in 2017 and has never looked back.
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He parks his camper in urban areas, which means he doesn’t have to pay to stay at a campsite.
Yet his lifestyle still comes with many hidden costs.
He goes to YouTube, where he is known as The urban camper Darran indicated that he spends around £250-£300 on diesel each month.
In addition to fueling with diesel, he also uses a diesel heater to heat the bus. For cooking, he uses electricity from the solar panels on the roof of his bus.
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Darren added that when he fills up his van with diesel, he also fills up his water tank for free, meaning he doesn’t have to pay a water bill.
“They never have a problem because you spend £100-£200 on diesel anyway.”
He also uses petrol, which costs him £30 a month, and spends around £160 a month on food.
Darran has to have a full MOT and service on his camper every year, which costs him £200.
Roadside assistance costs him just £11 a month, while insurance costs him £373.
Darran also pays £25 a month in road tax and keeps around £2,000 in reserve as an ’emergency fund’ in case his van needs servicing.
To get internet in his van, Darran has a SIM card for his WiFi router, which costs him £26 a month.
Darran doesn’t have a washing machine in his van so he has to go to the launderette, which costs him £30 a month.
And if he needs to empty the toilet cassette in his van, he pays a fee of five pounds for this at a campsite, or he empties the cassette at one of his friends’.
In total, Darran spends around £752 a month living in his van.
The Rise of the Van Life
The rise of camper life began during the pandemic in 2020. With no one able to leave the country, staycations became popular for many, says camping blog adventurous campers.
In addition, rising rents are discouraging many people from renting a home, especially as wages are not keeping pace with the cost of living crisis.
Although the van has become popular again, in the 1960s and 1970s many people chose life in a van.
He said, “If you’re living in a van saving hardcore, that can be a lot.
“I don’t do it to save money, I do it because I like it, because I have found happiness and freedom.
“And I still save money, because I work full time.”
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