I quit my office job to live off-grid in my van – it costs me just £10 a day & I even have a huge dishwasher
A MAN who quit his office job after being fed up of the three-hour commute to live in a van has revealed what the off-grid life is really like.
It’s 2023 and mountain bike race organiser Kev, from the UK, now spends his life exploring the world and picturesque locations – but it hasn’t always been like this.
Years ago, when Kev had a regular office job as a industrial chemist, he spent a lot of time commuting – this would often be three hours every day.
”It was an hour and a half in the morning and an hour and a half to get back home,” Kev said, adding it was ”not good” for his mental health.
A change happened and the former chemist realised a shorter commute time left him with more spare time to pursue his hobbies.
In 2018, Kev finally decided to purchase a Mercedes-Benz van that he had seen on Facebook and turned his life upside down.
Since then, he’s moved into a mini coach with his pet dog and the pair have travelled across Europe.
Proud of his new home, Kev also gave social media users on YouTube a little tour of his large vehicle, which included a solar panel on the outdoor surface.
”My gas is in the back. I carry a lot of gas, so I can do a long time in winter if I need it for heating.
”When it is in the depths of winter, I also put on a wood burner,” he added in the video.
Speaking of his day-to-day life on the road, Kev said that he could ”live very cheaply”, especially since he enjoys cooking large quantities of food at a time.
The overall costs, he reckoned, come to a tenner a day – but the van life is not for everyone’s budget.
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”You either need to spend a lot on the van at the start or you need to keep upgrading.
”It’s cheap once you’ve spent the money and a lot of people think they can manage with less.”
He added: ”I quite like my own company […] but there are time when you need friends.
”I’m quite lucky that people do come to help me do what I do during the day – […] I can get people to bring me milk and bread.”
According to Kev, he is the most socially active when there’s an event going on – and this will typically be once a month.
Although there are times when he realises he’s by himself, social media and technology make such days easier.
”With WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube – I make it work. But it certainly isn’t for everybody.”
Kev admitted that his vehicle may not be an ”Instagram van” but he makes it work, often using his dog’s tub of food as a laptop stand.
In his home, Kev has also managed to install a dishwasher, as well as a fridge and freezer full of food that will last him a while.
Reflecting on his future, he said: ”In all honestly, I will probably live in a van until I’m in an old people’s home.
”I will do this event organising for as long as I can manage – but it is quite physical.
”I love the van life – […] no intention of moving back into a house.”
