Imagine the idea of sliding around in your own built mobile home and having the freedom to stay in a new beautiful place - just when it suits you. This is exactly what inspired Isabel Waite to build her own van that can be lived in.
- I'm more or less raised with a van. My parents rebuilt a Peugeot when I was little and that we went around with during the summers. That was the best thing there was, she says.
"Interest in vanlife is constantly increasing"Vanlife originated in the surf culture from the US and Australia in the 1960s, but in recent years has spread to other parts of the world - not least through pictures and groups on social media.
- Five years ago, my husband and I built our car "Doris". Then it was difficult to meet others on the roads. That's why we started a Facebook group to reach out to others - and today it has several thousand members. We also have a podcast where we talk and interview people in everything that has to do with Vanlife. So we see that interest is increasing all the time, ”she says.
Environmentally friendly alternativeThe lifestyle in vanlife is often about sustainability and environmental awareness. But the question is how environmentally friendly is it to go around the roads with an old van?
- Sure, it's not that environmentally friendly, but it depends on what you compare to. If we opt out of flying then it is better. Vanlife is also very much about standing still in one place and being out in nature. You also become very aware of how small the water tank you have in the car, and many use solar cells for electricity supply, she says.
"There is not much room"It is easy to get a romanticized view of life in a rolling van, but there are also some drawbacks. In the clip below Isabel Waite tells which:
Why has vanlife become so popular? Hear what Isabel Waite answers in the clip above.