8 Reasons Why We Choose Full-Time Family Van Living

Introduction

Ever wanted to just pack up and leave everything behind? You wouldn’t be alone. So, why don’t you? While there may always be barriers, you shouldn’t let them stop you. There are so many positives to be gained from living a life on the road. One of the best ways to achieve this dream, especially as a family with children, is to opt for living in a van/motorhome/camper.

For this last year that is exactly what we’ve been doing. Prior to the Coronavirus lockdown stopping us in our tracks, we left our home in the UK and have been touring much of Western Europe and Morocco in our beloved classic Hymer motorhome, bringing our 3 small children along with us. With our 4th just born, we’ll now have one more to squeeze in when we’re able to get going again!

This sort of thing cannot really be done on a whim – it requires some planning. If you’re unsure of what you need to be thinking about, check out some of our recommendations for planning to become a full-time travel family. You’ll also need to pack carefully, so be sure to take a look at our ultimate essential packing list for van living.

Current restrictions on international movement also mean this perhaps isn’t the best time to be setting off on a grand trip. That doesn’t mean you can’t still dream and get things sorted ready for the future though. Now is the time to get yourself ready for the off!

It seems people all over the world are thinking the same. For an alternative, American perspective (including some neat videos), take a look at some of these reasons for full-time RV living. If you’re from North America and are planning a future trip, get yourself ready for it by taking a look at some of the benefits you could be getting from these best credit cards for travel.

For anyone down under thinking about future adventures of their own, take a look at this great guide to buying a campervan in Australia.

However, if you’re interested to know why we made the choice for living this lifestyle with our kids, here are our top 8 reasons for choosing full-time van living as a family…

#1 Adventure

What better adventure than an extended trip away to see more of the world? For kids, even more so. Having time to explore at your own leisure can allow for visits to some far flung and unexpected places. We recently spent 1 month in Morocco as a family and had a blast! After all, it’s not everyday you get to climb on giant painted rocks or ride camels into the Sahara Desert.

#2 Experience different cultures

One advantage of travelling slow is that it offers the chance to stop and really appreciate the different cultures of the countries and regions that you are passing through. Where typical holidays are usually based around just one or two chosen destinations (offering just a highlights package for the visited country), full-time travel means you can spend the time travelling to more of the unusual places and soaking up the atmosphere wherever you go.

It is great to see how different people live or have lived, both now and in the past. Seeing significant historical places of interest is always high on our list when we visit somewhere new. We recently visited several of the fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Portugal, including the historic centre of Porto, on a trip through the country.

#3 More family time

This is usually a positive thing (but not always!) and a major reason that we, and others like us, have chosen to pursue a travelling life with our children. It is great to be able to see your kids all the time and really witness their development, rather than just having the few hours with them that most people get around jobs and childcare at home.

#4 Homeschooling

While admittedly this won’t be for everyone, and the task gets harder the older children get, it can nonetheless be a rewarding experience. There are plenty of sources of information available to help with this. Here are some of our best ideas and resources for homeschooling. Technology and screens can also be a used as a force for good in this instance, with there being some top smartphone apps for homeschooling.

Away from formal schooling, what better way to give your children a rounded and interesting education, than to take them to routinely visit new and different places? There is so much to be learned just from exploring and experiencing the world around us.

#5 Slower pace of life

Ever get sick of rushing around every morning to get the children out of the house, to still end up being late 99% of the time? I know I did. That’s another great thing about life on the road – you set your own schedules. It is not often that you have to actually be anywhere by any particular time, which can be quite liberating.

There is also no doubt that time seems to go slower. Ever find yourself thinking that you can’t believe another week has flown by? A life of routine does this to you. By doing new things every day there is more for our brains to process, which in turn can actually change our perceptions of time. Our first 3 months away on the road felt more like years, when compared to being at home (in a good way!).

#6 Greater sustainability

While I will accept that on the face of it, travelling around in an ageing diesel vehicle doesn’t shout ‘environmentally sustainable’, we are still nevertheless able to reduce our environmental impact, when compared to our old life back home. In reality, we don’t often drive very far on any given day (why rush?). The energy required to heat and power our Victorian house back in the UK, along with commuting every day by car, would far outweigh this.

Reduced storage space also helps to rid your life of waste and clutter. It is rare we waste any food as we don’t have room to store more than we need. We have also managed to massively reduce the seemingly constant conveyor belt of plastic toys and rubbish that children generate. As a general rule, we would rather give our kids experiences over possessions any day. If you’re of similar thinking, take a look at some of our suggestions for alternative present ideas for children.

#7 Different perspective

So often we are taught that the only way to get on in life is to pursue a classic lifestyle of full-time jobs and large mortgages. We’ve done all that and, I imagine, at some stage we may go back to doing it again. However, it doesn’t do anyone any harm to break away from this mould occasionally and try to live life in a different sort of way – to see what else is possible. Travelling full-time is the perfect way to do this.

For children, I think that this is particularly important. What better way for kids to develop an understanding for how they want to go on to live their own life, than to be able to try out different options first, rather than only being exposed to living in the same place and doing the same things all the time?

#8 Less of the daily grind

I hate cleaning. So much so that at home I have a cleaner. With 3 (now 4!) kids, that doesn’t mean that I’m still not endlessly cleaning and tidying every day though. With only a van to call home, there is a lot less area to have to clean, so that is immediately a lot of wasted time recovered. Add to that other daily chores and time wasted commuting to and from work every day, and you’ll see there’s a lot to be gained from a life away. That’s before I’ve even mentioned not working that 9-5 job every day any more. I’ll say no more.

In Summary

There are so many great reasons to choose a life away on the road as a full-time travel family. While there will always be obstacles and excuses not to go, it is definitely worth trying to see past these as the rewards can be enormous.

In should always be remembered though, that although a life away can offer an escape from some of the routine realities of life at home, it will never be a complete escape from all problems and responsibilities there. Unless you are either fabulously rich or extremely good at saving (I am neither, sadly), you will need some source of ongoing finance to sustain the trip. We are fortunate to have some rental properties back home that provide us with a modest income, but also with more than our fair share of headaches! You may also have to work to sustain yourselves, either remotely or locally as you travel, so are unlikely to be able to escape the pressures of employment entirely.

Ultimately, many people will say they’d like to travel full-time with their family. Most will find a seemingly endless list of (usually very valid) excuses to prevent them from doing so. Those who really want it however, will always find a way.

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• Author Details

Children of Wanderlust Administrator

We are Rachel & John, parents from the UK with 4 small children. After persuing separate jobs for many years, including being an experienced science teacher, we have now moved to Spain for a fresh challenge. We have always had a passion for travel and exploration. Nowadays, that means bringing our 4 children, Savannah (9), Aurora (7), Easton (5) and Tiago (3) along with us. This oftens means taking a road trip in our beloved vintage camper, touring all corners of Europe and Morocco. We hope that you enjoy reading about our family adventures all over the world.

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