Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Have you changed your lifestyle to enjoy the van more?

C

CaliKate

Guest User
I'm curious. Have you changed your lifestyle to enjoy the van more?

I've been running a business for the last 12 years and work has been pretty much the main focus of my life. It's been successful, yes. As in, I've survived, been able to buy a house and save for our future, etc. But I guess I just didn't see it happening – the gradual takeover and all-out stress. It just crept up.

My hubby also works for himself and has been a victim to working too hard and feeling stressed and burnt-out because of it. It's not easy. When you freelance, you always worry about when the next payment will come through. And you never want to let down any clients, just in case they decide to go elsewhere. The downsides of freelancing. It can be a treadmill.

Getting a VW California next month marks a new chapter in our lives. We've made quite a few changes to reduce our outgoings as much as possible. So we don't have to work as much and can relax. It also means we can go away for lots of short breaks more frequently. (Anything more than a week's break is difficult for us – clients would notice!) And, if we need to, we can take our laptops and work remotely. We're lucky that we can do that, I know.

But tell me, have any of you made major changes to enjoy the California lifestyle more? What did you do to make it happen?
 
We're the same. Both the Wife and I have our own businesses (Architecture & Recruitment). The California gives us more flexibility but hasn't really changed our lifestyles.

I'm working all this weekend including the BH. But will take some time off next weekend to compensate and recharge (once the current pressure is off). The Cali gives us options.
 
We're the same. Both the Wife and I have our own businesses (Architecture & Recruitment). The California gives us more flexibility but hasn't really changed our lifestyles.

I'm working all this weekend including the BH. But will take some time off next weekend to compensate and recharge (once the current pressure is off). The Cali gives us options.

Glad to know we're not alone. We are considering moving out of our expensive home in the city to move closer to family. House prices there are significantly less. And we'd get way more for our money. Currently in a terraced property with no garage or driveway and a huge mortgage.

But back there, where we grew up, we could get a detached home with a garage and driveway and garden! My oh my! Of course, the price reflects the location but "home" isn't a bad place. It's just quieter.
 
Good afternoon,

We have the van for almost 2 years now. Because of family reasons we have not used it in the way we wanted to. Mainly me used it for day trips and pick nicks.

Working for over 35 years in end user services (the last 23 years in IT end user service) tired me out and causes its own problems. But my plan is to retire December 2020.

This has something to do with the van as well. The urge for going away is very high, especially after the trip we did in Europe, which was very successful. My urge is now going to Scandinavia.

Certainly the options and possibilities the California enables has its own charm :) , which has some spell onto my wife and me.

Regards,
Eberhard
 
Clare went into hospital at 26 weeks pregnant with our second son. She remained in hospital until Jack was delivered by Cesarean at 33 weeks.

We decided then to both take a year out before our boys started school and travel around Europe. We bought our Cali to live that promise to ourselves.

For me the transition from self employed income to investment income was straightforward. For Clare the transition from employment income to no income was somewhat harder, but we did have £21,000 of rental income from letting our home for a year to tenants.

Our lifestyle has been modelled by our ownership of the van. Changes were bound to happen by the births of Ben and Jack.
 
I was an Historian, driving a research faculty at an American University, with a research project running concurrently at the IHR in London.

A couple of things happened. Overnight I became overwhelmingly disenchanted, indeed terrified, of flying, something that made my commuting to the USA slightly problematic. Then, devoted full time to research at home in the UK I was diagnosed with cancer.

With a "to hell with all of this" I abruptly announced my retirement and unable to fly anywhere decided to buy Albert, my first Cali. Most people said I couldn't stop work, I was dedicated to dying in harness, and I would go stir crazy in a tiny van.


Well, proved them wrong!! :Grin These are the best times of my life and long may they continue.
 
For me
It has given an alternative direction to relieve stress rather than make significant lifestyle changes.
For example when I used to hide away for peace I now journey for somewhere peaceful instead of wishing to be home alone..
That said, I have holiday’d in the Cali this year and driven through Europe.
Something I wouldn’t have done in any other vehicle!
 
We enjoyed life before the Cali as much as we do now ....just in a diffrent way .
You don’t need a Cali to enjoy life , you simply need joy....
 
I think if anything demonstrates a need to escape from the struggles of every day life, it is buying a campervan. It reflects the change I want, but maybe I am not be fully realising it. I also like peace and quiet and remote places, so I find myself travelling further and further afield.

To quote my fiancee from her recent blog post A Wild Camp.

When we “go away” in the camper van, we’re really trying to get away from those things that make us feel trapped. To escape and find a different way to live, even for a night. A way of living that makes us feel joyous, free, connected and ultimately alive.

That quote would fit for so many hobbies and escapes.
 
Last edited:
Good afternoon,

We have the van for almost 2 years now. Because of family reasons we have not used it in the way we wanted to. Mainly me used it for day trips and pick nicks.

Working for over 35 years in end user services (the last 23 years in IT end user service) tired me out and causes its own problems. But my plan is to retire December 2020.

This has something to do with the van as well. The urge for going away is very high, especially after the trip we did in Europe, which was very successful. My urge is now going to Scandinavia.

Certainly the options and possibilities the California enables has its own charm :) , which has some spell onto my wife and me.

Regards,
Eberhard

I hope you find the lifestyle you seek. And good luck in your retirement!
 
I think if anything demonstrates a need to escape from the struggles of everyday life, it is buying a campervan. It reflects the change I want, but maybe I am not be fully realising it. I also like peace and quiet and remote places, so I find myself travelling further and further afield.

To quote my fiancee from her recent blog post A Wild Camp.

When we “go away” in the camper van, we’re really trying to get away from those things that make us feel trapped. To escape and find a different way to live, even for a night. A way of living that makes us feel joyous, free, connected and ultimately alive.

That quote would fit for so many hobbies and escapes.

Gosh, this resonates with me so much, Matt.

I also feel the urge to just ditch everything and run for the hills. I can't put my finger on how I feel. It's like I want to live in the smallest property possible without a mortgage, so it's just a huge weight off my mind. I want as little "stuff" as possible so I don't have to think about it. Does that make sense?

I totally get the trend for "tiny houses" – which sadly doesn't work as well in the UK, as land is so expensive. But that's the kind of existence I'm after. I want to reduce cost, chores, burden. I want to feel free.
 
I was an Historian, driving a research faculty at an American University, with a research project running concurrently at the IHR in London.

A couple of things happened. Overnight I became overwhelmingly disenchanted, indeed terrified, of flying, something that made my commuting to the USA slightly problematic. Then, devoted full time to research at home in the UK I was diagnosed with cancer.

With a "to hell with all of this" I abruptly announced my retirement and unable to fly anywhere decided to buy Albert, my first Cali. Most people said I couldn't stop work, I was dedicated to dying in harness, and I would go stir crazy in a tiny van.


Well, proved them wrong!! :Grin These are the best times of my life and long may they continue.

I hope you are ok now? I love your attitude toward grabbing life and going for it!
 
We enjoyed life before the Cali as much as we do now ....just in a diffrent way .
You don’t need a Cali to enjoy life , you simply need joy....

That's great. You're very lucky. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to work hard. I think we're at a good place now where we can take the pressure off.
 
Yes that is exactly the same as us. We pondered a bigger house but I want to be mortgage free before I hit 50 (on track) and don't want to increase our debt and be more trapped in the rat race. My van will be paid off next year, my mortgage within 5 and then I could live on half what i currently do. It's a tempting prospect, less work and more living.

Make a life first, make a living second.
 
Yes that is exactly the same as us. We pondered a bigger house but I want to be mortgage free before I hit 50 (on track) and don't want to increase our debt and be more trapped in the rat race. My van will be paid off next year, my mortgage within 5 and then I could live on half what i currently do. It's a tempting prospect, less work and more living.

Make a life first, make a living second.

I think we're on a similar path. Our city home is going up in value. Despite the shaky political times. We'd love to "escape" and downsize but I think we're wise to stay put for now. Our plan is to sell at some point and buy a cheaper house in a less desirable area that we can pay off by the time we're 50.

You know, I've never owned a detached property in my 40 years. It was something we used to dream of. Now I'm not so bothered. I just want an easier life. Funny how our priorities change. I was so full of energy and ambition when I started out. Now I just want to "check out" as soon as.
 
I too am self employed, own a caravan park and my wife is a teacher, we used to take tents, tourers & motorhomes in schools holidays and all summer season. Where we are it is really beautiful and peaceful and we were doing well we'd built up a lot of repeat business but I was always working when the kids were off school and every weekend when the weather was good as a result I was missing out on my own kids childhood. One year we rented a VW conversion and went off in it for a week during October half term. When we got back home we had decided to shut down the camping side of our business and just rely on the income from the privately owned static caravans and buy a California. That was nearly four years ago, we now go away every school holiday including a month in Europe every summer and most of these holidays are in the Cali. We have visited so many places both in this country and in mainland europe.

We live in Wales and go on quite a few trips to places nearby, also been to lots of England, not yet to Scotland (hopefully this October), France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Italy. We've walked, hiked, climbed, cycled, swam, skied, paddle boarded, BBQ'd, sunbathed, eaten and drank. Obvs you don't need a California to do any of these things but it has facilitated us doing them in places we would never have dreamed off before we bought it.

It's a cliche but you only have one life, live it!
 
Last edited:
I too am self employed, own a caravan park and my wife is a teacher, we used to take tents, tourers & motorhomes in schools holidays and all summer season. Where we are it is really beautiful and peaceful and we were doing well we'd built up a lot of repeat business but I was always working when the kids were off school and every weekend when the weather was good as a result I was missing out on my own kids childhood. One year we rented a VW conversion and went off in it for a week during October half term. When we got back home we had decided to shut down the camping side of our business and just rely on the income from the privately owned static caravans and buy a California. That was nearly four years ago, we now go away every school holiday including a month in Europe every summer and most of these holidays are in the Cali. We have visited so many places both in this country and in mainland europe.

We live in Wales but go on quite a few trips to places nearby, also been to lots of England, not yet to Scotland (hopefully this October), France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Italy. We've walked, hiked, climbed, cycled, swam, skied, paddle boarded, BBQ'd, sunbathed, eaten and drank. Obvs you don't need a California to do any of these things but it has facilitated us doing them in places we would never have dreamed off before we bought it.

It's a cliche but you only have one life, live it!

I'm glad it's worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your story.
 
After 40 years as a symphony musician (always worked on the weekends, but got to ski on Monday day off with no crowds), I now run my own group, so I make the calendar. I did stop teaching when I got the Cali to have total freedom. I will surely go back to teaching, which I love, when I can no longer do peaks with boots, skis or bikes, but after a month in Scotland sleeping in the van am seriously thinking of renting out my flat in Barcelona. Next is Norway in September, coming back through the Baltics and Poland. I've had some health scares along the way, fortunately resolved, so just as @GrannyJen says, "These are the best times of my life and long may they continue."
 
A year or two after we got the van, I took the opportunity to pack in my job and set up for myself (as a heritage consultant). This has given me control of my time, I can work in the van if necessary, and it's very handy for making a site visit into a little holiday (as we did last week in Suffolk). One of these days we'll rent out our flat and go travelling for longer, but in the meantime lots of mini-holidays is the way to go.
 
I worked for myself and also run a business. Sometimes I run it from the Cali. Its the best feeling. Im a very very lucky man! And please dont get stressed, lifes too bloody short, just tell clients, it will be 4,5,6 etc weeks. They might not want to wait and then try others but, there's a reason your clients come to you and your husband in the first place! They'll be back ;-) #worklifebalance

Now get that cali, open your laptop's, get a coffee on, do some work, say cheers and then laugh whilst you enjoy a woodland/sea/ mountain view combined with a stunning sunset in your 'new' office. Oh ye, open log fire not a bad perk as well.
20190813_152310.jpg

20190824_185229.jpg
 
The Cali has meant staying in a job with lots of holidays. Admittedly on a low salary but those sunsets make up for it. My daughter has complained this year we haven’t had our usual nomadic existence due to my knee operation. She is desperate to escape London but a few years before she can drive the Cali
 
We used to caravan every 2 to 3 weekends when the children were at home. Looking back i don't know how I coped with all the hassle but we were younger then. We got the campervan as my husband retired and we now do days out where even eating a picnic with a view in comfort is fun. We are also going for just a few days to all the areas of England and Wales that we have meant to explore for years. Travelling is quick and easy with everything to hand. I think campervans are very liberating and the alternative would have been a lot of being at home. We are now constantly planning our next adventure.
 
I wish I could have the opportunity to change my lifestyle.
But unluckily one has to earn money just to live nowadays.
It is really hard to find a job where you have the chance to have a lot of possibilities to go on vacation.
 
I’m reading your posts with interest as I lie in the top bed with my husband and 4 year old granddaughter sleeping below, as I look across the fields to the Abersoch coastline. We used to do this with a big tent when our children were little so I think camping and the outdoors is always in your blood! The Cali has been a massive addition to our lives and makes us get up and go away all through the year, even for short breaks. Driving through Europe or camping in the snow in the Lakes have all been great! Like others we still work full time but we have bought a smaller house next door) to develop which hopefully will enable us to work less and travel more in the next few years (with or without the grandchildren! ) Have fun everyone!
Ps I missed seeing everyone at a Cali meet this year

5AC5010C-4649-407E-A4C2-043B72231A0F.jpeg

7E2FA1BE-1835-4C25-A9C0-95ACCAFE0A1C.jpeg
 
Back
Top