I live in a van – I can only take a 3 minute shower and my heating almost killed me
A VANLIFER has revealed the unexpected challenges she experienced in her converted Ford Transit.
Amélise confessed that it hasn’t been easy to stay warm, safe and clean in the three years she’s been on the road.
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Amelise (@ameinavan) has more than 514,000 subscribers on YouTube, where she gives a glimpse into her travels through Europe with her dog.
She received thousands of views on a now-viral video where she answered questions about the hardest part of living in a van she converted herself.
She described the fact that her van, which she calls Gloria, remained intact as a “miracle.”
The vehicle sometimes leaks due to its age, but the shower situation is the main feature that she would change.
“I would buy a gas water heater that you can run cold water through continuously and heat it up instantly,” she said.
“I’m not a fan of the water tank on board, because I have one, but I got very lazy with it and it was quite complicated.
“Now I only have a hot water stream straight to my shower, so I can shower for about three minutes.
“I need to hold it here so it can cool enough before it hits my skin.”
“That’s still not the case, it feels like I’m in flames.
“It’s not a pleasant experience and I think it has damaged my hair a lot.”
Amélise has installed four cameras around her van for security.
However, she had to remove the mounted screen from inside because she started to ‘hallucinate’ when seeing people and the paranoia affected her sleep.
She confessed that living alone in a van can be ‘scary’, but that there are also dangers lurking.
“My diesel heater melted and it almost killed me,” she said.
“The diesel heater was my least favorite thing in terms of installation.
“I tried to install it probably in November, England, and it was so cold.
“I had to go under the van and it was so cold and all the sparks were flying in your face, I was just praying that you did it in the right place.”
The rise of van life
The rise of van living started during the pandemic in 2020. With no one able to leave the country, staycations became popular, says camping blog enterprising campers.
Furthermore, the rising cost of renting a home has discouraged many from doing so, especially when wages cannot keep up with the cost of living crisis.
Although it has regained popularity, many people chose the van life in the 60s and 70s.
The heater worked for a year before breaking down when she accidentally left it on.
Amélise said her new method of staying warm is turning on the gas hob to cook, despite it being risky.
Viewers were impressed with the work she put into her van and grateful that she was open to answering their questions.
One commenter said they could relate to her ‘traumatic flashbacks’ of installing a diesel heater, while others revealed they were inspired to build their own van.
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