I agree. I have a large van and for less than $ 300 I bought the camera & had it installed. Just going to the grocery store was a nerve wracking process when backing into a parking space or backing out when leaving. Pedestrians were a constant problem.
I like the fact that you have your own bathroom and toilet. It helps a lot when you're travelling. You are very transparent, honest and very practical.
It is a wonderful van. I wish you much happiness as you move 'round the country is this lovely home on wheels. My favourite, if I have to choose 😵💫, is the seating area/office area. I think it would be a joy to turn around the passenger seat and with a glass of wine and the table to sit it on when not sipping, chatting away with you and hearing about your adventures. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Carly It's a bit of a minefield buying a second hand van as I know from experience having bought a Ford transit which I converted into a campervan.Its turned out to be very reliable.Just found you on here and it's good to see someone enjoying their campervan as much as I enjoy mine.Happy Travels.
I love the fact that this - and you - are so real. Like you said, too many videos out there with unrealistic "perfect van" scenarios - this was such a refreshing change! Thanks for the tip about blind spot mirrors - my bus is 7.5m, so those would be really handy for me!
I had a camera system installed on my vehicle it was $2000 but it has front back side cameras it also has a GPS navigation system that tracks where you go so you can backtrack if you need to I use it absolutely everyday I love it and I highly recommend getting something like that
Totally love your video, we were laughing as we were watching it and saying- look another person with the same ideas that are practical, simple and work best 🥰❤️👍
Great van review, I think for the money you have spent, you have a nice home. One tip, get rid of the blue heavy gas bottle and buy a safefill bottle £200 ish. You can fill it yourself at a gas supplier or filling station, much lighter and after a few fills it will pay for it's self. Howard.
I've found that having rear parking sensors & a rear camera both make a big difference to how confidently I can manoeuvre my big motorhome. Both items are cheap, easy DIY fit & available from Ebay & Amazon. I'm sure there are various UA-cam videos showing ways to fit them
Lots of helpful tips, especially re driving. The little bungee cords are a great idea 👍🏻 I’ve often thought about van life, and it’s still not off the cards. Who knows.
Love the practicality of the fold down sink in the bathroom. Never understood why more people don't install them when they call a "Shower with a removable toilet" a bathroom......it isn't.
Hi just come across your channel and can I say how much I enjoyed watching your van looks lovely you can’t beat a bungee really look forward to seeing your next video keep safe 😊👍🏻
Awesome set up. I just subscribed Sunday, November 17 watching now 6:16 PM. Appreciate you sharing. I’ll watch for the next one until then peace and chicken grease😁👍👍👋👋😎
Thanks for the video we have an Autosleeper Symbol 2003 and love it similar to yours New subscriber too. Love the van generally and down to earth is just lovely too
Great set up. I'm sure the set up is never completed. When I saw your full length mirror, I thought it was a great idea to have it there bc mirrors make areas appear larger. It then occurred to me that the more mirrors a van like yours would have, the larger it might feel, so you might consider putting more mirrors in. Just a thought. (ps: I adore your long red hair! My sister had hair that color and she always wore it short, and I always tried to get her to grow it out. Since she just passed away this last September, seeing your incredible hair has a little extra meaning for me. Thanks for sharing your van AND your HAIR! )💜
Brilliant vid Carly....keep them coming... Bailey is so cute ,loving the camera 🤗❤.. keep them coming, stay safe and drive safe out there.... hopefully be on the road myself next year once life calms here.....such an inspiration🤗. You deserve a good life..Bailey too....👏💙
Well done you. You've really made it homely, thanks for sharing all the tips , I live full time on a boat but it's a mess compared to your well organised van . I'll deffo get them bungey cords to stop things falling over. Thankyou. Bless you on your travels
Beautiful rig. My late husband and I purchased an almost 30 year old class b, van conversion over 3 years ago and had almost a year traveling in it, and working through it before he passed away. It is really great we paid cas5and have plenty of cash for gas and travels. We were both really handy so we have done most of the repairs to the systems ourselves. I was on the fence about keeping it, but for part time travel it has been really nice. I also use it as a bedroom for my Mother's place when siblings come to visit. Being paid off and older I feel free to modify the van to suit me. Being older the van is less expensive to pay taxes, title and insurance too. I have also carted building materials in it. I don't have a TV, but I do have a DVD/CD player with USB port. It is fine for me because I just don't watch much Television. I do want to update my lead acid batteries and put solar on the roof, but that is a future project. I love the European Mercedes vans but here in the USA, they are expensive and maintenance is expensive too. My van is on the Dodge Ram 3500 platform so fuel economy is not great, but it can run 70 to 85 mph all day on our interstate system. I have thought about purchasing a minivan in Europe to do van life travels and then sale it when I return home, but my next trip will be a Camino and walking because it is less expensive and will allow me to learn how to travel across the pond. Thank you again for the tour of your home. ❤😊
Thank you for sharing. Where abouts in the states are you from? I fully intend to do van life over there at some point in the future. I’m so sorry about the loss of your husband. Wherever he is now, I can imagine he’s proud that you are continuing to make travel plans and have new experiences.
@CuriousAboutAdventure my homebase is in the north area of Kansas City, Missouri. I have camping lots in both Kansas and central Missouri as well. When you get over here, you will have to go to a van gathering. The USA is so big it would take years just to visit the lower 48 states.
Just found your channel....love the tour. When you decide to upgrade to lithium (which is a game changer I promise)....have a look at Fogstar ones. Great company and very competitive on prices. My 305Ah one was £499 which was a great price. You'll also need a smartshunt so you can monitor battery levels if you don't go for a Bluetooth battery 👍🏻
Thank you for the tip. I think the batteries are a priority now. it’s fine while in sunny Spain but they’re not going to hold up for more than a day without full sunshine charging via the solar.
@CuriousAboutAdventure I have a stupid 230v fridge in my new van (it was already in) and it ran the lead acid battery down in around 16 hours the first time I went away (they're designed for hook up or engine power). So this weekend I did a test with the new lithium one. I turned off the solar and put the fridge on high. In 48 hours it only used 20% of the battery......that's the difference with lithium 👍🏻👍🏻😎
At last ‼️ The Van Tour is here ... 👌 and it's great to see everything, all very well explained too. Don't worry about the mess, everyone has "stuff" and honestly yours was quite tidy and well organized 👍👍💯 I have just bought some foam to go on my newly made cupboard from a company called GBFoamDirect. They were extremely competitively priced compared to a lot of others charging about £120 more ... got it for £62 which included £10 delivery. They are in High Wycombe (yes, I'm in the UK 🇬🇧). Proper mattresses will obviously cost much more, but do shop around ... as prices vary considerably. Hope you manage to get all the other little upgrades done once you return to the UK. Stay Safe ❤
You could always use some cloth or light weight wood to make a cover into cab area to hang down behind your night curtain so no light shines into cab from curtain hook holes, may be fix up with clips or velcro, But nicely fitted out camper,
Hi. You did a great job introducing your van! Thank you for the great presentation. I'm inspired to get a campervan. I have a question about your van. Do you have a fire and carbon dioxide alarm in your van? Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy! Everything else is manageable! Pops
@CuriousAboutAdventure my apologies for the "dioxide" error. I type on my cellphone, and the keyboard is set up for multiple languages, but many times, it changes the word depending on the proximity of the word and one of the languages. In this case, it changes from monoxide to dioxide, and since the screen is small, I only see it after the fact, if at all. You would be shocked to see the words that it changes to and how funny they are. 😅🤣😂 Thank you for being a good sport! You are alright, young lady! Pops
Great video, thank you. Would installing a back up camera be an option for you? I’ve seen them where a rear view mirror serves as the monitor screen for the driver.
Yes, 2 filter cartridges come with it initally and you can buy additional ones. They claim to filter well over 2000 litres (I think it was 2400 or something) before they need changing.
Your van is charming. I was interested in how you put in your compost toilet. What kind did you have before? I have a Sprinter, later model than yours, with a Thetford toilet which takes up a lot of space and barely enough room to take a shower. and was wondering about😮 changing to a compost. Impressed at reviews of the Boxio.
I was unsure about having a composting toilet, but I knew I wanted an alternative to the horrible leaky chemical toilet that was in there. I’m so glad I made the switch. That and the water filter are the best thngs I’ve done to the van. My composting toilet is a DIY job. I purchased the separator from ebay, I use a bucket (always lined with a bin bag) for the solids and a 5 litre container, also from ebay, for the liquids.
I love your van. Can I please ask where you got those front seat covers. They look strong enough to repel Rockets dog hair. Thankyou for yet another awesome video. 🙏🇦🇺🙏
If you ever come down our way [Norfolk] i would be happy to help you with your Van. i can shop fit as also panel beating, spraying, window/Light tinting ect ect We have a huge private Docking area that's very private, excellent security, and really nice people and dog friendly!
A rear view camera would be easy and cheap to install, you will find it extremely useful!
Very practical and "livable" van!
Yes, it’s definitely on the list for improvements.
I agree. I have a large van and for less than $ 300 I bought the camera & had it installed. Just going to the grocery store was a nerve wracking process when backing into a parking space or backing out when leaving. Pedestrians were a constant problem.
I love it because it’s not generic. It’s what you want and need. Thank you for being so transparent
'In the garage, all of my crap' 😄 made me smile, like your down to earth style, looking forward to more of your videos.
I like the fact that you have your own bathroom and toilet. It helps a lot when you're travelling. You are very transparent, honest and very practical.
Your van is practical, you're honest and down-to-earth, which is refreshing! Your priorities are relatable too!
It is a wonderful van. I wish you much happiness as you move 'round the country is this lovely home on wheels. My favourite, if I have to choose 😵💫, is the seating area/office area. I think it would be a joy to turn around the passenger seat and with a glass of wine and the table to sit it on when not sipping, chatting away with you and hearing about your adventures. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Carly
It's a bit of a minefield buying a second hand van as I know from experience having bought a Ford transit which I converted into a campervan.Its turned out to be very reliable.Just found you on here and it's good to see someone enjoying their campervan as much as I enjoy mine.Happy Travels.
It’s luck of the draw isn’t it. The risk you take.
@@CuriousAboutAdventureYes it is, luckily mine was okay as was yours 😂
My favourite part is listening &looking at you very entheuastic
Hi from South Africa. It's a great home you've created for you and Bailey. Thanks for keeping it real and not on show. Safe travels
Hello from South Africa 🇿🇦
I love the fact that this - and you - are so real. Like you said, too many videos out there with unrealistic "perfect van" scenarios - this was such a refreshing change! Thanks for the tip about blind spot mirrors - my bus is 7.5m, so those would be really handy for me!
Yes I agree. This is a sensible explanation that is useful to anyone with a van and also gives some good tips
Thank you - I’m really glad you liked it
Your pup is totally looking at the camera🥰🥰🥰🥰
Haha, she’s a natural
You seem like a lovely person trying escape the trappings of everyday life, and who can blame you. Well done you x
Love your bed and office area. And Bailey of course!
You’ve certainly got the van looking very functional for yourself, well done.
Love your van greetings out of South Africa 🎉🎉🤗🤗💕💕🇿🇦🇿🇦
@Sunnysa123 Greetings from a fellow South African 🇿🇦 love these van Life videos.
You are a lovely soul and you have an awesome. Also let’s not forget Bailey. You have a new Aussie subscriber.
Thank you. And welcome.
Enjoy you. You are real. Down to earth. ❤
Great van tour, well done. I love your van, it’s amazing. Very cute dog.
Thank you
My favourite part of the video is, without a doubt, Bailey 😇
Best answer ❤️
I am partial to Chihuahuas, so that is my favorite part of your van. Good use of bungees and I like your bathroom especially the sink.
I had a camera system installed on my vehicle it was $2000 but it has front back side cameras it also has a GPS navigation system that tracks where you go so you can backtrack if you need to I use it absolutely everyday I love it and I highly recommend getting something like that
I love your cosy homely van and the fixed bed area ❤😊
I don't think I've got a favourite they were all my favourite parts😂👍 thank you for showing us your beautiful home 💓
Glad you enjoyed it
Real nice Van and you with your dog real cool, I like to have more space
I love the whole van!!
Totally love your video, we were laughing as we were watching it and saying- look another person with the same ideas that are practical, simple and work best 🥰❤️👍
I love your van and your wonderful personality!
Thank you
I think your van is really cute and for 9000 quid I think it's a steal.
Great van review, I think for the money you have spent, you have a nice home.
One tip, get rid of the blue heavy gas bottle and buy a safefill bottle £200 ish.
You can fill it yourself at a gas supplier or filling station, much lighter and after a few fills it will pay for it's self.
Howard.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll have a look into those.
I've found that having rear parking sensors & a rear camera both make a big difference to how confidently I can manoeuvre my big motorhome. Both items are cheap, easy DIY fit & available from Ebay & Amazon. I'm sure there are various UA-cam videos showing ways to fit them
That’s definitely on the todo list. It would make life a lot easier.
Lovely cosy home..great colours. Have a wonderful time. Hi from cork Ireland.
Lots of helpful tips, especially re driving. The little bungee cords are a great idea 👍🏻
I’ve often thought about van life, and it’s still not off the cards. Who knows.
I have them and love them -- we sell them at car shows based on people seeing how I use them =;^)
Rather a nice setup.
Excellent video
Thanks 👍
great looks cozy
I. Love everything about your van life and your beautiful as well 💕
Thank you
Love the practicality of the fold down sink in the bathroom. Never understood why more people don't install them when they call a "Shower with a removable toilet" a bathroom......it isn't.
Awesome all the best 🙏🏽 🌞 👍🏾 👌🏾
Thank you. Picked up lots of tips and you and Bailey are just a joy to watch :)
Hello 👋 I'm a new subscriber from Atlanta Ga. I ❤ your Van Setup it's very nice, I once had a dog like yours. Her name was Snoots ❤ stay safe
Thanks for subbing and welcome
Thank you for the tour, not making your bed, and keeping it real! Lovely kit, love the doggy den!
So much more room than I thought you would have
Hi just come across your channel and can I say how much I enjoyed watching your van looks lovely you can’t beat a bungee really look forward to seeing your next video keep safe 😊👍🏻
Thanks and welcome
I think your home on wheels looks lovely. I did think the cat littler container was a popcorn dispenser when I first saw it though!😅😅😅
Haha, that would interesting in the bathroom lol
@@CuriousAboutAdventure What type of litter is it anyway?
Videos and editing have stepped up massively..You're my favourite van lifer to follow now..
thank you - I'm getting there with the editing. It's basic but I like basic 😂
We have the T1N sprinter 2.7 five pot, the best engine ever. We have had her for 22 years and still going strong.
That's a really nice setup! Nice one 😁👍
17:06 Bailey sitting greeting the viewers😂too cute mama...very well behaved❤
😂
Like your counter space and bathroom. Great idea for the sink in the bathroom
I enjoyed the van tour. I love the set up and the skylight over the bed 😊
Love the van, and you! Safe travels
Very impressive.
Awesome set up. I just subscribed Sunday, November 17 watching now 6:16 PM. Appreciate you sharing. I’ll watch for the next one until then peace and chicken grease😁👍👍👋👋😎
Thanks and welcome
Very nice!
You and Bailey on the open road, living the dreams of many 😊
Thanks for the video we have an Autosleeper Symbol 2003 and love it similar to yours
New subscriber too. Love the van generally and down to earth is just lovely too
Thanks for subscribing and welcome.
Good use of bungees x
Lovely van happy travels!❤
Thank you! 😃
Love it!! 😀
Great van!❤
Great set up. I'm sure the set up is never completed. When I saw your full length mirror, I thought it was a great idea to have it there bc mirrors make areas appear larger. It then occurred to me that the more mirrors a van like yours would have, the larger it might feel, so you might consider putting more mirrors in. Just a thought. (ps: I adore your long red hair! My sister had hair that color and she always wore it short, and I always tried to get her to grow it out. Since she just passed away this last September, seeing your incredible hair has a little extra meaning for me. Thanks for sharing your van AND your HAIR! )💜
I’m glad you liked it.
Really sorry for the loss of your sister too.
Brilliant vid Carly....keep them coming... Bailey is so cute ,loving the camera 🤗❤.. keep them coming, stay safe and drive safe out there.... hopefully be on the road myself next year once life calms here.....such an inspiration🤗. You deserve a good life..Bailey too....👏💙
Thank you.
Well done you. You've really made it homely, thanks for sharing all the tips , I live full time on a boat but it's a mess compared to your well organised van . I'll deffo get them bungey cords to stop things falling over. Thankyou. Bless you on your travels
Bungees and velcro strips are my answer to everything haha
Loved your van tour.
I really like your van ♥️ it's nice i love the tiles on the table and in the kitchen..i love the yellow 💛
Beautiful rig. My late husband and I purchased an almost 30 year old class b, van conversion over 3 years ago and had almost a year traveling in it, and working through it before he passed away. It is really great we paid cas5and have plenty of cash for gas and travels. We were both really handy so we have done most of the repairs to the systems ourselves. I was on the fence about keeping it, but for part time travel it has been really nice. I also use it as a bedroom for my Mother's place when siblings come to visit. Being paid off and older I feel free to modify the van to suit me. Being older the van is less expensive to pay taxes, title and insurance too. I have also carted building materials in it. I don't have a TV, but I do have a DVD/CD player with USB port. It is fine for me because I just don't watch much Television. I do want to update my lead acid batteries and put solar on the roof, but that is a future project. I love the European Mercedes vans but here in the USA, they are expensive and maintenance is expensive too. My van is on the Dodge Ram 3500 platform so fuel economy is not great, but it can run 70 to 85 mph all day on our interstate system. I have thought about purchasing a minivan in Europe to do van life travels and then sale it when I return home, but my next trip will be a Camino and walking because it is less expensive and will allow me to learn how to travel across the pond. Thank you again for the tour of your home. ❤😊
Thank you for sharing. Where abouts in the states are you from?
I fully intend to do van life over there at some point in the future.
I’m so sorry about the loss of your husband. Wherever he is now, I can imagine he’s proud that you are continuing to make travel plans and have new experiences.
@CuriousAboutAdventure my homebase is in the north area of Kansas City, Missouri. I have camping lots in both Kansas and central Missouri as well. When you get over here, you will have to go to a van gathering. The USA is so big it would take years just to visit the lower 48 states.
luv the little dog!!!
Nicely done...❤
Thanks
❤ your Chihuahua!
A very nice tour. Wish I was you.
Oh wow absolutely love your quirky little van just came across your channel absolutely brilliant 🤩 ❤
Thanks and welcome
Very nice setup cozy looking too
good video - enjoyable and happy camping
Just found your channel....love the tour. When you decide to upgrade to lithium (which is a game changer I promise)....have a look at Fogstar ones. Great company and very competitive on prices. My 305Ah one was £499 which was a great price. You'll also need a smartshunt so you can monitor battery levels if you don't go for a Bluetooth battery 👍🏻
Thank you for the tip. I think the batteries are a priority now. it’s fine while in sunny Spain but they’re not going to hold up for more than a day without full sunshine charging via the solar.
@CuriousAboutAdventure I have a stupid 230v fridge in my new van (it was already in) and it ran the lead acid battery down in around 16 hours the first time I went away (they're designed for hook up or engine power). So this weekend I did a test with the new lithium one. I turned off the solar and put the fridge on high. In 48 hours it only used 20% of the battery......that's the difference with lithium 👍🏻👍🏻😎
You’ve done a cracking job. Good luck; and maybe see you around on all of our travels 👌💙❤️
Brilliant! You are very inspirational, keep going, all the best!
Put a camera on the back of your van for backing up. I'm sure there are plenty of videos showing the best way to install it.
At last ‼️ The Van Tour is here ... 👌 and it's great to see everything, all very well explained too. Don't worry about the mess, everyone has "stuff" and honestly yours was quite tidy and well organized 👍👍💯
I have just bought some foam to go on my newly made cupboard from a company called GBFoamDirect. They were extremely competitively priced compared to a lot of others charging about £120 more ... got it for £62 which included £10 delivery. They are in High Wycombe (yes, I'm in the UK 🇬🇧). Proper mattresses will obviously cost much more, but do shop around ... as prices vary considerably.
Hope you manage to get all the other little upgrades done once you return to the UK. Stay Safe ❤
I love you van ❤
amazing setup well done 👍
Hi
New subscriber...
I drove lorries for a couple of years and was told ,when reversing..if in doubt..
GOAL...
Get
Out
And
Look
👍👍
Thanks and welcome
You could always use some cloth or light weight wood to make a cover into cab area to hang down behind your night curtain so no light shines into cab from curtain hook holes, may be fix up with clips or velcro, But nicely fitted out camper,
A shower, a bathroom! Fantastic. I cannot understand life without.
I agree. Everyone has their ‘must haves’ and for me, it was a bathroom.
❤😊nice van.
Hi. You did a great job introducing your van!
Thank you for the great presentation. I'm inspired to get a campervan.
I have a question about your van. Do you have a fire and carbon dioxide alarm in your van?
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy! Everything else is manageable!
Pops
Thank you.
Yes, I have put a carbon monoxide alarm in. I would recommend it for any van or boat.
@CuriousAboutAdventure my apologies for the "dioxide" error. I type on my cellphone, and the keyboard is set up for multiple languages, but many times, it changes the word depending on the proximity of the word and one of the languages. In this case, it changes from monoxide to dioxide, and since the screen is small, I only see it after the fact, if at all. You would be shocked to see the words that it changes to and how funny they are. 😅🤣😂
Thank you for being a good sport! You are alright, young lady!
Pops
👍🏻 another great video …. 😊
hello i just found your channel, and I love it! I already subscribed😃😃😃
Lovely video.. Would have liked to have seen your solar panels as I'm looking to get some installed in my van.
I have got 2x 100w panels from Renolgy, I purcased them from their ebay store. There should be a link in the description if you want to have a look.
@CuriousAboutAdventure thanks mate
Love your van/home. Xx
It IS a Sprinter!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
In sweden every water is drinkeble,it is kontrolled by the state😊
Great video. Love your van. May I ask where you got the swing leg for your table,please? Thanks.
Yes, it was from amazon - this is it - amzn.to/3UIQKCs
Great video, thank you. Would installing a back up camera be an option for you? I’ve seen them where a rear view mirror serves as the monitor screen for the driver.
Yes, It’s something I want to look into when I get back.
Love the water filter system….just wondered if you have to buy cartridge’s or something similar for it?
Yes, 2 filter cartridges come with it initally and you can buy additional ones. They claim to filter well over 2000 litres (I think it was 2400 or something) before they need changing.
Your van is charming. I was interested in how you put in your compost toilet. What kind did you have before?
I have a Sprinter, later model than yours, with a Thetford toilet which takes up a lot of space and barely enough room to take a shower. and was wondering about😮 changing to a compost. Impressed at reviews of the Boxio.
I was unsure about having a composting toilet, but I knew I wanted an alternative to the horrible leaky chemical toilet that was in there. I’m so glad I made the switch. That and the water filter are the best thngs I’ve done to the van.
My composting toilet is a DIY job. I purchased the separator from ebay, I use a bucket (always lined with a bin bag) for the solids and a 5 litre container, also from ebay, for the liquids.
The puppy :)
Congrats on the 1k 👏🏼
Yay! Thank you!
Weldon ❤🎉🎉
I love your van.
Can I please ask where you got those front seat covers. They look strong enough to repel Rockets dog hair.
Thankyou for yet another awesome video.
🙏🇦🇺🙏
They came with the van. I kept them on becuase the seats are threadbare underneath.
That’s a good price !! Would be way more wheee I live
If you ever come down our way [Norfolk] i would be happy to help you with your Van. i can shop fit as also panel beating, spraying, window/Light tinting ect ect We have a huge private Docking area that's very private, excellent security, and really nice people and dog friendly!
No way! I am from Norfolk (Norwich) Where abouts are you?