Yeah good take on it all imo. I've never understood the fascination with it tbh as the compromises are really pretty obvious if you even think about it at all. It's no surprise either that councils or whatever don't offer free camping very often as it would likely end up as a complete dogs breakfast in no time. Having to supply facilities or pick up rubbish etc would be never ending. I've stayed at campsites that were fairly remote and the amount of crap that grubs leave behind or the damage they do is quite confronting sometimes. Also if you were living in a popular tourist area, we do, and you're paying a lot in rates or to purchase a place about the last thing you would want is a heap of vans with people living in them lined up out the front.
Yes but only a few people are disrespecting the places, and then everyone else gets cancelled. It's not fair when most van-lifers literally can't afford to purchase a home and many are women escaping from domestic violence. Majority of Australian home owners lack empathy.
@@beyondher Maybe so but then the onus should be on Govt. or other bodies to fix the problem or provide areas to camp safely and hygienically and not on homeowners or local councils. There are plenty trying to travel around on the cheap and just get what they can for nothing as well. The problem is that if you let a few do it then it becomes a never ending issue for those who live around the same area imo. We've likely donated a lot more than many to those less fortunate but it doesn't mean I want our quality of life compromised by others. Sorry.
I traveled WA for over 6 months in my 4WD and maybe sleep in it 4 weeks, so many people offered me to stay at theirs places in 2005-6, going Nth and Sth , taking a dump was eazy in the wild, a shovel and bucket of water....always not far from the beach or cozy public wc's and showers,and never anybody around...those where my best days in that country.Fishing and cooking the catch straight out of the water. I was 54 y.old.Busking wherever I felt like it, made no bad of cash and managed to get laid a couple of times.Now, after 16 years in Thailand I wish I did start enjoying Aussieland that way sooner...unfortunately the present become always the best in the far future.cheers mate.
"GAS" station? Why? Don't pander to Yank tourists who can learn our vocabularies. When in Rome... As for showers on the road, there are truck servos either on or just off the main truck routes along highways with free toilets and showers 24/7. Any servos with trucks there are handy for a free camp behind them and a shower and a hot cooked brekkie in the morning. There's a good truck servo in little Tarcutta NSW, 3 km off the Hume. It also has LPG and I was touring in an old dual fuel station wagon so needed to plan my trip where there were LPG servos to keep the fuel cost down till there were none. I used a cheap 12 volt shower sucking warm water and there's many kinds of those. There's no excuse for not washing or showering and you can have a sponge bath in a hand basin or pop into caravan parks and pay a few dollars for their showers, washing machines and dryers if you need them. As for porta potties on board, they shouldn't smell if you use the chemicals for them and empty them at caravan dump sites. You can also use folding seat frames over decent holes you've dug in the bush, public toilets at rest stops or at regular servos along the way. I've never had a problem with toileting or showering. After a long trip free camping in the station wagon I wanted more space and convenience so bought a light little old $4,000 caravan and improved it with solar. If you choose a tow vehicle you can sleep in comfortably you can leave a caravan at a caravan park for a few days and head off where it's best not to take it.
There are heaps of portable toilets now . Yeah U need a decent camper. Very expensive It's my wish to travel. We struggle to get good parking our hire van was so big. Hard to park we went on goggle maps and found some spots. Nothing that we could stay to long
We weighed up cost v cost and decided that, in the "off" season, it's actually cheaper, less stress and more relaxing to book a week at a time in luxury beachfront accomodation, than to own, insure, register, maintain, repair and tow a caravan all over the country.
im currently fixing up a lwb high-roof sprinter However, it is for short trips and mostly a fishing tackle box with a bed on wheels, i travelled AU with a camper trailer and everything you said is fact as much as i loved the travel, it will test you Australia isnt an easy place to travel and gulp the cost of fuel is a killer and Australia is HUGE, caravan parks are 40-50 bucks a night and free sites are always packed with gray nomads as they travel in packs like sharks hunting lol. im not trying to put anyone off but this type of travel will test you to your limit it becomes a job if you want a relaxing holiday catch a plane and park up at a resort for a month and save your money
so: get an un-smelly toilet, figure out how to shower warm, figure out something to do in free time alone or way to meet people, work online to make money for food petrol and repairs, take a folding bike to go to the beach from your far away parking spot
I love Vanlife in Aus, get to live in the most expensive suburbs of Melbourne. Saving about $600 a week. A nice big stealth Van is kinda a must however, mine has cost me close to $55k. But with only 120,000km on the clock im hoping it lasts 10 years. Moving up to Sydney soon for better weather. :)
Yes skip Sydney I'm in Sydney and it is garbage the roads costs housing tolls etc.. Melbourne is polished turd nice alley way cafes etc . Sydney well it's just one big turd with a bridge and opera house 😂
In relation to the video.....portable toilets don't smell because you put chemicals in them. But when planning on trip like that in this country, there are things that you need 1 toilet....2 shower ( solar bag).....3 bed..... 4 stove. Then whatever else you need...but the 4 are essential. I If you haven't been across before, you will love it....don't rush.....I followed the Murray River all the way to the high country to Corryong.... Free camps all the way. Enjoy it.
Carl, you're supposed to ignore those 'no camping'' signs. That's the secret to van life. You might get the occasional fine, but it's still worth it to be living on the beach full time! I think your video is focusing on all the negatives, but there is many many positives to this lifestyle as well. It's all about giving up comfort for the sake of freedom. Get a small bucket with a clip on lid and line it with compost bags and there is your toilet. Then it can be dumped in the bin like the dog owners with their dog poop. Also van life is not a new fad, it's been popular since the 1960's. It's just that it's being documented now since we have instagram and a huge number of young Aussies can't afford to purchase a home these days.
Are people managing to survive over there living from vans and having jobs? Im looking to move over and considering living in a van if I have to.. as a tourist.
I lived and traveled in a 1966 Kombie during the late 80s and early 90s when fuel was 60-8- cpL and I don't remember any no camping signs. It was always better to camp away from towns and citys and on the highway it was worth finding a spot where you couldn't easily be seen in order to avoide dealing with drunks returning home after the pub. I grew up hiking and car baised camping and was tought camp hygine re toileting and cleaning which by the look of all the toilet paper at road side stops these days is somthing parents nolonger teach. For me at thet time aged 16-23 I lived on canned food and paster and spent most of my time looking for work. While traveling I usually stopped into a caravan park once a week to reset. It was a good time of life but it was full of saftey risks and financual stress not only for food and fuel but breakdowns though it did teach me how to servace and maintain my van and look after it. Every dream has its realitys.
I certainly learned my fair share about mechanics on that trip, city’s ain’t fun for van life, I found Queensland the most accomodating, nsw… forget about it ( I was stealth camping many nights) . South Australia I thought was a hidden gem, I made it a mission to walk down every pier and jetty in the state
Ben living in my Nissan civilian with dual motorcycle covered trailer. I brought the trailer for work so i could park my minibus away from civilisation and use either my supermoto or sportbike to pick up supplies or for work. I only did this to save and its afforded me a great life. My hobbies are music, photography and nature. Its truly different for everyone but for myself it really has been amazing I also seem to be an introvert so the alone time is my ideal.
@@bensondiabeatech470 this actually really resonated with me, even though a vans living conditions in a tiny van might not be ideal, at least it gives you the freedom to save and work on your favourite hobbies
Excellent review on the honesty report on van life. I thought about entering Van life myself but given that i may end up smelling my own feces inside the vehicle while driving, I'll park the idea and tow it in a camper trailer instead.
What did the guy sh*t in.....all portable toilets you put chemical in that breaks up the faeces and eliminates odour....i have porta potty in van since 2013 and have never smelled it once.
I actually find it cheaper to fly around the country and book accomodations and use rental or tour vehicles. You actually see the most beautiful parts of the country/world in comfort. Not joking flying can be cheaper than driving if you know how to plan. Also a lot of nice free spots are overun with legit homeless people that have no choice or options these days which can cause security and other issues. Some of them seem to turn the sites into festering litter bins. Sounds bad but it's true. I pay a bit and get the premium spots without worry... overall i dont spend any more money in a year because i keep an income going.
Your right ,I drove to Uluru, (Ayres rock) and it cost me..about $2000, and that was with 3 friends, we spent about 6k in total. for just a couple of days, the accomodation (even camping was like $80 per night or something stupid), and the petrol it cost to get there was enormous.
@CarlTravels a group of friends just went on a luxury cruise. It was the best holiday they ever had and it was cheaper than staying in a local crappy hotel.
dont buy those fancy dometic toilets for suckers, go to bunnings buy a white bucket with lid for 15$ and a roll of biodegradable black bin liners also a length of garden hose split it length wats then press it on the bucket lip for comfort then sit on bucket, poop, wrap and twist bag into small tight eat parcel and hoist it in a bin where it goes to landfill...problem irradicated...very comfortable solution just dont let your poop bags pile up...that can be depressing and disgusting, the rule is poop then get rid of it!
I have an emergency back up bulk clothes washing powder bucket which I keep sawdust in. The lid clips on really tightly. Almost no smell and dispose of contents as soon as possible...
Bro, you brought a piece of shit. Anyone who knows anything about cars knows Pregio's are trash, that's why it's $3k. They probably knew the gasket was on the way out.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍, Because I live in Sweden we have all mens right, so you can park almost anywhere, so no problem. But I am Dutch and when I go back to see my kids its awful to park somewhere. I lived 8 years in a old camper, so I know exactly what you mean. On youtube and other things, it always is sun,fun, and beautiful....but it is realy is NOT !
Have you heard of Wikicamps......also, portable showers.....maybe, instead of telling people about vanlife....you should have asked people about vanlife. BTW, you can buy a van and import it from the UK cheaper than you can buy one here in australia
P.P.P.P.P.P.P. Prior Preparation Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. "Every event leaves a footprint of actions or inactions." You have a BOAT in your van???
i disagree with everything you said about van life i have been doing it for 2 years and love it maybe if you took the time to set up your van the right way i think you would of said things differently as for driving around with the smell as you said that is bull you dont smell it if you use the right equipment
i. travelled almost 20,000kms in a van. And lived in it for 6 months... I think i have enough experience to tell my story, How far have you travelled. Thanks for the views btw
who cares what you think? mr 1 subscriber, no videos, no real profile picture, BUT thanks for the engagement, you make my videos more popular and earn me more money, so thankyou! keep the comments coming
Yeah good take on it all imo.
I've never understood the fascination with it tbh as the compromises are really pretty obvious if you even think about it at all.
It's no surprise either that councils or whatever don't offer free camping very often as it would likely end up as a complete dogs breakfast in no time. Having to supply facilities or pick up rubbish etc would be never ending. I've stayed at campsites that were fairly remote and the amount of crap that grubs leave behind or the damage they do is quite confronting sometimes.
Also if you were living in a popular tourist area, we do, and you're paying a lot in rates or to purchase a place about the last thing you would want is a heap of vans with people living in them lined up out the front.
Yes but only a few people are disrespecting the places, and then everyone else gets cancelled. It's not fair when most van-lifers literally can't afford to purchase a home and many are women escaping from domestic violence. Majority of Australian home owners lack empathy.
@@beyondher Maybe so but then the onus should be on Govt. or other bodies to fix the problem or provide areas to camp safely and hygienically and not on homeowners or local councils.
There are plenty trying to travel around on the cheap and just get what they can for nothing as well.
The problem is that if you let a few do it then it becomes a never ending issue for those who live around the same area imo.
We've likely donated a lot more than many to those less fortunate but it doesn't mean I want our quality of life compromised by others.
Sorry.
I traveled WA for over 6 months in my 4WD and maybe sleep in it 4 weeks, so many people offered me to stay at theirs places in 2005-6, going Nth and Sth , taking a dump was eazy in the wild, a shovel and bucket of water....always not far from the beach or cozy public wc's and showers,and never anybody around...those where my best days in that country.Fishing and cooking the catch straight out of the water. I was 54 y.old.Busking wherever I felt like it, made no bad of cash and managed to get laid a couple of times.Now, after 16 years in Thailand I wish I did start enjoying Aussieland that way sooner...unfortunately the present become always the best in the far future.cheers mate.
that sounds like a nice life, now the government have erected no camping sings everywhere.
"GAS" station? Why? Don't pander to Yank tourists who can learn our vocabularies. When in Rome... As for showers on the road, there are truck servos either on or just off the main truck routes along highways with free toilets and showers 24/7. Any servos with trucks there are handy for a free camp behind them and a shower and a hot cooked brekkie in the morning. There's a good truck servo in little Tarcutta NSW, 3 km off the Hume. It also has LPG and I was touring in an old dual fuel station wagon so needed to plan my trip where there were LPG servos to keep the fuel cost down till there were none. I used a cheap 12 volt shower sucking warm water and there's many kinds of those. There's no excuse for not washing or showering and you can have a sponge bath in a hand basin or pop into caravan parks and pay a few dollars for their showers, washing machines and dryers if you need them. As for porta potties on board, they shouldn't smell if you use the chemicals for them and empty them at caravan dump sites. You can also use folding seat frames over decent holes you've dug in the bush, public toilets at rest stops or at regular servos along the way. I've never had a problem with toileting or showering. After a long trip free camping in the station wagon I wanted more space and convenience so bought a light little old $4,000 caravan and improved it with solar. If you choose a tow vehicle you can sleep in comfortably you can leave a caravan at a caravan park for a few days and head off where it's best not to take it.
My idea of traveling is to go where other people ARE NOT.
Try Greenland.
The best time to travel up north is summer. its deserted.
😅😅😅
@@CarlTravels
There are heaps of portable toilets now . Yeah U need a decent camper. Very expensive
It's my wish to travel. We struggle to get good parking our hire van was so big. Hard to park we went on goggle maps and found some spots. Nothing that we could stay to long
Yeah portable toilets are good. I got bitten so bad in Cairns. My 2 legs had marks everywhere.
We weighed up cost v cost and decided that, in the "off" season, it's actually cheaper, less stress and more relaxing to book a week at a time in luxury beachfront accomodation, than to own, insure, register, maintain, repair and tow a caravan all over the country.
Isn’t Off season weather usually crappy?
@@kiaalexander4161 The off season is the best weather in Qld.
Besides there's no guarantees with weather any time. 😉
im currently fixing up a lwb high-roof sprinter However, it is for short trips and mostly a fishing tackle box with a bed on wheels, i travelled AU with a camper trailer and everything you said is fact as much as i loved the travel, it will test you Australia isnt an easy place to travel and gulp the cost of fuel is a killer and Australia is HUGE, caravan parks are 40-50 bucks a night and free sites are always packed with gray nomads as they travel in packs like sharks hunting lol.
im not trying to put anyone off but this type of travel will test you to your limit it becomes a job if you want a relaxing holiday catch a plane and park up at a resort for a month and save your money
so: get an un-smelly toilet, figure out how to shower warm, figure out something to do in free time alone or way to meet people, work online to make money for food petrol and repairs, take a folding bike to go to the beach from your far away parking spot
I love Vanlife in Aus, get to live in the most expensive suburbs of Melbourne. Saving about $600 a week. A nice big stealth Van is kinda a must however, mine has cost me close to $55k. But with only 120,000km on the clock im hoping it lasts 10 years. Moving up to Sydney soon for better weather. :)
“Better weather” in Sydney?!!
Keep going north, maybe to Brissie 🤣
Yes skip Sydney I'm in Sydney and it is garbage the roads costs housing tolls etc.. Melbourne is polished turd nice alley way cafes etc . Sydney well it's just one big turd with a bridge and opera house 😂
@@banksiasong don't do Brisbane in summer. It's brutal here 😅
Nice honest and realistic description of van life mate. There’s so many positives and negatives of van life. Really enjoyed your view. 😃👍
reality check for sure, thanks for the honesty, driving from the west to east coast along the south coast come January.
In relation to the video.....portable toilets don't smell because you put chemicals in them. But when planning on trip like that in this country, there are things that you need 1 toilet....2 shower ( solar bag).....3 bed..... 4 stove. Then whatever else you need...but the 4 are essential. I If you haven't been across before, you will love it....don't rush.....I followed the Murray River all the way to the high country to Corryong.... Free camps all the way. Enjoy it.
Carl, you're supposed to ignore those 'no camping'' signs. That's the secret to van life. You might get the occasional fine, but it's still worth it to be living on the beach full time! I think your video is focusing on all the negatives, but there is many many positives to this lifestyle as well. It's all about giving up comfort for the sake of freedom. Get a small bucket with a clip on lid and line it with compost bags and there is your toilet. Then it can be dumped in the bin like the dog owners with their dog poop. Also van life is not a new fad, it's been popular since the 1960's. It's just that it's being documented now since we have instagram and a huge number of young Aussies can't afford to purchase a home these days.
He focuses on the negative because everyone else doesn't
That's the point, Im just trying to be honest, and not show some instagram fake reality.
The video was literally to discuss the negatives genius.
@@404errorpagenotfound.6 to be fair the title say the reality of van life , not the negatives of van life.
Are people managing to survive over there living from vans and having jobs?
Im looking to move over and considering living in a van if I have to.. as a tourist.
I lived and traveled in a 1966 Kombie during the late 80s and early 90s when fuel was 60-8- cpL and I don't remember any no camping signs. It was always better to camp away from towns and citys and on the highway it was worth finding a spot where you couldn't easily be seen in order to avoide dealing with drunks returning home after the pub. I grew up hiking and car baised camping and was tought camp hygine re toileting and cleaning which by the look of all the toilet paper at road side stops these days is somthing parents nolonger teach. For me at thet time aged 16-23 I lived on canned food and paster and spent most of my time looking for work. While traveling I usually stopped into a caravan park once a week to reset. It was a good time of life but it was full of saftey risks and financual stress not only for food and fuel but breakdowns though it did teach me how to servace and maintain my van and look after it. Every dream has its realitys.
I certainly learned my fair share about mechanics on that trip, city’s ain’t fun for van life, I found Queensland the most accomodating, nsw… forget about it ( I was stealth camping many nights) . South Australia I thought was a hidden gem, I made it a mission to walk down every pier and jetty in the state
Stop watching TH-cam USA RV'ers and watch the dust flies and basics that the Aussie youtubers put out, hundreds of them!
Ben living in my Nissan civilian with dual motorcycle covered trailer. I brought the trailer for work so i could park my minibus away from civilisation and use either my supermoto or sportbike to pick up supplies or for work. I only did this to save and its afforded me a great life. My hobbies are music, photography and nature. Its truly different for everyone but for myself it really has been amazing I also seem to be an introvert so the alone time is my ideal.
@@bensondiabeatech470 this actually really resonated with me, even though a vans living conditions in a tiny van might not be ideal, at least it gives you the freedom to save and work on your favourite hobbies
Thank you for making a honest video.
👋 enjoyed the vid 👍
Van life is a great alternative way of living... but only in places where Freedom is an appreciated value... and Australia isn't one...
Especially in Cairns. We risk it I couldn't sleep at night. Was scared hahahah.
id be scared too. chances of your car getting stolen are very high.
My camper van is a 2005 Kia Pregrio which I converted myself and I had a brand new engine put in it of course it was expensive but worth it
I did prefer my kio pregio over the mitsubishi express.
@@CarlTravels Kia Pregrio vans are very popular for turning into camper vans
biggest benefit is, you save money, lot's of money, compare to paying a rent ,mortgage
*edit-
you pay the price with luck of comfort
Excellent review on the honesty report on van life. I thought about entering Van life myself but given that i may end up smelling my own feces inside the vehicle while driving, I'll park the idea and tow it in a camper trailer instead.
What did the guy sh*t in.....all portable toilets you put chemical in that breaks up the faeces and eliminates odour....i have porta potty in van since 2013 and have never smelled it once.
I actually find it cheaper to fly around the country and book accomodations and use rental or tour vehicles. You actually see the most beautiful parts of the country/world in comfort.
Not joking flying can be cheaper than driving if you know how to plan.
Also a lot of nice free spots are overun with legit homeless people that have no choice or options these days which can cause security and other issues. Some of them seem to turn the sites into festering litter bins. Sounds bad but it's true. I pay a bit and get the premium spots without worry... overall i dont spend any more money in a year because i keep an income going.
Your right ,I drove to Uluru, (Ayres rock) and it cost me..about $2000, and that was with 3 friends, we spent about 6k in total. for just a couple of days, the accomodation (even camping was like $80 per night or something stupid), and the petrol it cost to get there was enormous.
@CarlTravels a group of friends just went on a luxury cruise. It was the best holiday they ever had and it was cheaper than staying in a local crappy hotel.
nob jockey
dont buy those fancy dometic toilets for suckers, go to bunnings buy a white bucket with lid for 15$ and a roll of biodegradable black bin liners also a length of garden hose split it length wats then press it on the bucket lip for comfort then sit on bucket, poop, wrap and twist bag into small tight eat parcel and hoist it in a bin where it goes to landfill...problem irradicated...very comfortable solution just dont let your poop bags pile up...that can be depressing and disgusting, the rule is poop then get rid of it!
I actually did this for a houseboat I lived on. that will come in another episode. (I built a houseboat myself)
I have an emergency back up bulk clothes washing powder bucket which I keep sawdust in. The lid clips on really tightly. Almost no smell and dispose of contents as soon as possible...
MG , what a DH !
Bro, you brought a piece of shit. Anyone who knows anything about cars knows Pregio's are trash, that's why it's $3k. They probably knew the gasket was on the way out.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍, Because I live in Sweden we have all mens right, so you can park almost anywhere, so no problem. But I am Dutch and when I go back to see my kids its awful to park somewhere. I lived 8 years in a old camper, so I know exactly what you mean. On youtube and other things, it always is sun,fun, and beautiful....but it is realy is NOT !
Have you heard of Wikicamps......also, portable showers.....maybe, instead of telling people about vanlife....you should have asked people about vanlife.
BTW, you can buy a van and import it from the UK cheaper than you can buy one here in australia
P.P.P.P.P.P.P.
Prior Preparation Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
"Every event leaves a footprint of actions or inactions."
You have a BOAT in your van???
Yes I had a boat in my van, I visited over 30 islands and 10 rivers on my trip around oz . Was the most fun part
Great video mate
Thanks for watching
A 'gas' station?
servo numb nuts
i disagree with everything you said about van life i have been doing it for 2 years and love it maybe if you took the time to set up your van the right way i think you would of said things differently as for driving around with the smell as you said that is bull you dont smell it if you use the right equipment
You do it if you become homeless.
What a fad huh almost as much of a fad as these "van life sucks" videos lol
Sounds like a nightmare 😂
Are you for real ?? I’m 2.30 mins in and all your expectations on living in a van you have gotten from instagram hahaha . You are a peanut , see ya .
i. travelled almost 20,000kms in a van. And lived in it for 6 months... I think i have enough experience to tell my story, How far have you travelled. Thanks for the views btw
Mitsubishi express van have the last 1 point safety rating in oz
Who cares what you think.
who cares what you think? mr 1 subscriber, no videos, no real profile picture, BUT thanks for the engagement, you make my videos more popular and earn me more money, so thankyou! keep the comments coming