Tips for living (almost) full time in T6.1 ocean??

[Cali Phillip]

To be honest, I hadn’t, but you never know I might consider a trade-up along the way for the boot room and hot water


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We tend to put a waterproof tarp on the floor, stick the wet boots and climbing gear on and blast it with the heater. Careful with the vent, melts think plastic containers like ex hummus pots….
Otherwise think about a bigger van like a globecar roadsout r, 5.4 metre and seem good. Nearly bought one but the joker looks better but plus £35k

 

[Waldo]

Thanks so much, great advice.

Lightning that’s amazing you did winter in Arctic Circle?!

Hilariously the Iso-Top isn’t expected back in stock until….mid January 2022!! Haha. May need to look into other options. I’m not so sure about external bellows insulation because I don’t fancy packing it away all the time, though it might be a must.

LPG tank is interesting, I’ll look into that. I expect I’ll probably stay on camp sites a fair but in the winter to have electric too, and electric heaters plus some insulation might keep the water tank on the right side of 0, and if it’s getting super cold I might empty the water tank for a wee while.

Will definitely stock up on warmer things as we get towards winter. Thankfully I’ve got family in a few places around Scotland so I might beg to have a box of things in various garages so I can rotate out seasonal stuff.

What were the non essentials that got ditched?


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buy the Spanish version of iso-top from Thais at thaissl.com

 

[SunnyWeather]

Lots of sites shut over the winter, glenmore is all year and I think braemar is too. They both offer a empty and fill up service if you don’t want to stay on them, so does ballater.
All in the Cairngorms for great hiking.
Read on a post someone on forum is about to sell isotop doesn’t have the front unzip section for newer cali though.

Are you sure about Braemar doing an empty and fill up service? Just before we got our Cali we hired a motor home and stayed at Ballater. We went out for a day trip and the smell from the sink was dreadful- we stopped at Braemar (where we had stayed before) and asked about emptying the tank- and offered payment. But it was very definite no. I can see their point. Thankfully the plug into the sink was ok to get back.
Also Ballater closed during the winter.

 

[The Merle]

Are you sure about Braemar doing an empty and fill up service? Just before we got our Cali we hired a motor home and stayed at Ballater. We went out for a day trip and the smell from the sink was dreadful- we stopped at Braemar (where we had stayed before) and asked about emptying the tank- and offered payment. But it was very definite no. I can see their point. Thankfully the plug into the sink was ok to get back.
Also Ballater closed during the winter.

Just been to braemar today and emptied loo and filled up water tank, costs £5. Been there a few times this year and ballater do it too charge £7.
It’s been running awhile and there’s loads of signs up at all the public toilet so motorhomes/campers don’t do it there.

 

[kp64zl]

A few thoughts

1) are there campsites in mainland Scotland with proper indoor “campers kitchens”. (E.g. like are super common in Iceland, we found some in the Western Isles) - if so these may be helpful “bases”
2) There’s a good network of independent hostels that you can stay at for the occasional night to sort yourself out
3) if your aim is to be climbing the Munro’s then you’ll probably spend a fair few nights in the various bothies around the highlands
4) drying stuff will be an issue as the van’s not the best ‘drying room’
5) Fort William and Aviemore have reasonable “climbing scenes’ & may be good places to meet others doing similar

I reckon your plan sounds reasonable —- there will be times when the weather’s grim etc but others do this kind of thing in far less luxury than a California….

 

[kaf2546]

Sounds a decent plan.. Did Winter 2019 with a Europe ACSI campsite book, half the time on sites to get hot shower and washing / drying clothes etc. Used a few launderettes. Never had a cold issue (minus 10 max) due to the heater and decent compact technical clothes etc. For Scotland work in your schedule with occasional use of sites that are open, stay at BnB now and again. If no inner tent a 4 season sleeping bag should be ok, keep heater on 1 overnight to take chill out and reduce condensation, get a couple cheapo compact dessicant dehumidifiers, if trying to dry out stuff in van, raise roof and open side vents a bit and put heater on at a highish level, small electric heater for when on EHU, small boot drier for use on EHU otherwise the diesel heater fine if you move them around a bit of course, snow chains, there are some vending washing machines appearing up here and extra aires that might be open all year, wind forecast for the pop top, get the side front window vents for when roof has to be down, re tanks if you are away for a 7-8 hour climbing day that might be enough to let them freeze but Winter daytimes not often persistently low until Jan to Feb even here, just be wary. We took too much stuff and donated on the way, keep it simple as possible. Enjoy!

 

[kp64zl]

Re Gas — Butane will be super-inconvenient even when it’s not that cold. Propane much better.
It is straightforward enough to refill a campingaz cylinder with propane & your troubles are gone.
There’s a thread on this here on the forum. The pros and cons are well discussed. Only challenge if you are literally living full time in the van would be what to do with the propane cylinder…you don’t want to cart that about….

 

[Lightning]

JFC

 

[wilburthewombat]

My plan for colder weather (when I finally get to chase the Northern Lights) is to take my Campingaz Bistro stove. This uses isobutane which has a lower boiling point than butane (-11 vs. +1 deg C). I can always cuddle up with the cartridge before using it. I suspect that using the isobutane stove to heat up the 907 cylinder wouldn't be a good idea, though

 

[CaliMac]

Keep your eye on the long range weather apps and be flexible; it is quite rare for Scotland to have bad weather everywhere. Being a cyclist, I note most early spring periods have a 2 to 3 week easterly which keeps the west coast dry and could be a good time to bag a few there! I hope you enjoy your adventure and wish you every success!

 

[kp64zl]

Yes- please keep us posted - will be interested to hear how you get on…

 

[onlyyoungtwice]

Thanks so much for ongoing tips and advice - I am looking at all of these and adding to my plans.

I agree it’s a good idea to stay at sites more often in the winter (there are enough open all year round) and some hostels - particularly when I am looking for some company after too much time alone with my thoughts(!)

The gas in low temperatures puzzle is probably my biggest worry. I’ll look into propane a bit more, but very thankful the heating is diesel powered! Might look for a small collapsible electric kettle which would be handy when on sites in cold weather. Fortunately I love a pot noodle.

I camped last weekend just in south London (Apps Court) and got caught in the monsoon rain so that was a good intro to drying things in the van….more bungee cords have now been ordered. Also ordered the window bags storage, aiming to have all my clothes in that and the overhead locker.

Main immediate issue to solve is my water tap isn’t working - cuts off after a few seconds. I suspect it’s an air lock because tank had never been used by me or previous owner. Will book a service at a Cali specialist be van centre before I set off (thankfully am still under warranty).

Oh and the other challenge is to get rid of a lot of my stuff, pack up the rest into storage and become of no fixed abode…

Will update on how I get on!


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[onlyyoungtwice]

JFC

What is JFC?


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[clarinetbcn]

What is JFC?


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There's this thing called...goggles I think, helps you "see" the answer to almost any question. Check it out, and you'll see why I didn't post the link.

 

[The Merle]

Thanks so much for ongoing tips and advice - I am looking at all of these and adding to my plans.

I agree it’s a good idea to stay at sites more often in the winter (there are enough open all year round) and some hostels - particularly when I am looking for some company after too much time alone with my thoughts(!)

The gas in low temperatures puzzle is probably my biggest worry. I’ll look into propane a bit more, but very thankful the heating is diesel powered! Might look for a small collapsible electric kettle which would be handy when on sites in cold weather. Fortunately I love a pot noodle.

I camped last weekend just in south London (Apps Court) and got caught in the monsoon rain so that was a good intro to drying things in the van….more bungee cords have now been ordered. Also ordered the window bags storage, aiming to have all my clothes in that and the overhead locker.

Main immediate issue to solve is my water tap isn’t working - cuts off after a few seconds. I suspect it’s an air lock because tank had never been used by me or previous owner. Will book a service at a Cali specialist be van centre before I set off (thankfully am still under warranty).

Oh and the other challenge is to get rid of a lot of my stuff, pack up the rest into storage and become of no fixed abode…

Will update on how I get on!


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If you are staying on hook up mainly then a must is a electric blanket very low power but nice and toasty in roof saves running diesel heater, and a cheap oil rad Argos 400w doesn’t dry the air or make you tired like fan heaters. Multi plug on a 2/3m flex again for hook up and all the gadgets in van.
Last think if you are staying on one campsite for long periods of time get a small drive away awning or pop up tent the extra space for storing and drying etc.
I only switched to joker as don’t use campsites if I can help it.
Don’t forget to post pic etc of your travels.
Good luck, may bump into you on the road.

 

[kp64zl]

Another thought - are you a member of UKC (UK climbing .com forum) there's a hill walking section and various threads on vanlife....

 

[onlyyoungtwice]

There's this thing called...goggles I think, helps you "see" the answer to almost any question. Check it out, and you'll see why I didn't post the link.

Facepalm.


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[onlyyoungtwice]

If you are staying on hook up mainly then a must is a electric blanket very low power but nice and toasty in roof saves running diesel heater, and a cheap oil rad Argos 400w doesn’t dry the air or make you tired like fan heaters. Multi plug on a 2/3m flex again for hook up and all the gadgets in van.
Last think if you are staying on one campsite for long periods of time get a small drive away awning or pop up tent the extra space for storing and drying etc.
I only switched to joker as don’t use campsites if I can help it.
Don’t forget to post pic etc of your travels.
Good luck, may bump into you on the road.

Thanks yes might run into you!
I like the idea of wild camping more than sites too… but I don’t have a warm shower like you so trying to be realistic that it would be pretty tough in depths of winter. Though it will also depend how quickly my cash starts trickling down…


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[The Merle]

Thanks yes might run into you!
I like the idea of wild camping more than sites too… but I don’t have a warm shower like you so trying to be realistic that it would be pretty tough in depths of winter. Though it will also depend how quickly my cash starts trickling down…


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So when do you set off on the adventure, sept/oct tend to be lovely up here (famous last words) just jinxed now!
I’m about to head south for a few months but will be up for the snow!

 

[Amarillo]

Four of us, including toddlers aged 2 & 3, plus two border collies, lived in our van for just over a year. Summer in Northern Europe, winter in Southern Europe. It was a massive challenge, but a lifetime’s worth of memories. We had tenants in our home so no chance to return.

Wet is worse than cold.

We camped for three nights at about -6 in the Pyrenees, but it was dry, and the only issue was longer cooking times from sluggish butane.

The relentless cold rain we had in Naples at the end of November was far worse, with nothing ever drying. Four confined to the upper berth watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on an iPad. Though when we did get out we had the whole of Pompeii for our exclusive use: no crowds, no queues and an empty amphitheatre. But we never saw Vesuvius other than a dark shadow through the cloud.

 

[Lightning]

Four of us, including toddlers aged 2 & 3, plus two border collies, lived in our van for just over a year. Summer in Northern Europe, winter in Southern Europe. It was a massive challenge, but a lifetime’s worth of memories. We had tenants in our home so no chance to return.

Wet is worse than cold.

We camped for three nights at about -6 in the Pyrenees, but it was dry, and the only issue was longer cooking times from sluggish butane.

The relentless cold rain we had in Naples at the end of November was far worse, with nothing ever drying. Four confined to the upper berth watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on an iPad. Though when we did get out we had the whole of Pompeii for our exclusive use: no crowds, no queues and an empty amphitheatre. But we never saw Vesuvius other than a dark shadow through the cloud.

I know you had fun but I cannot imagine being this packed in. Why didn’t you choose a bigger van?

 

[Amarillo]

I know you had fun but I cannot imagine being this packed in. Why didn’t you choose a bigger van?

1. Ease of driving; same reason we didn’t buy a caravan.

2. Multifunction of a Beach long term: 4/5 berth camper; 7 seat family MPV.

3. Ease of servicing/repairs throughout Europe, though we didn’t need it much. Minor repair to seat belt clip in Poland, repair to radar and minor crash damage in UK, minor repair to door handle in Spain, inspection service in Spain, puncture repair in Italy, scrape damage repair in Greece.

With a driveaway awning it is not that cramped with 3 distinct spaces: awning, lower berth, upper berth with storage under lower bed; and when the weather is fine you have the outside space. That said, we did have near constant drizzle in Norway, and that made everything pretty miserable.

 

[Amarillo]

1. Ease of driving; same reason we didn’t buy a caravan.

2. Multifunction of a Beach long term: 4/5 berth camper; 7 seat family MPV.

3. Ease of servicing/repairs throughout Europe, though we didn’t need it much. Minor repair to seat belt clip in Poland, repair to radar and minor crash damage in UK, minor repair to door handle in Spain, inspection service in Spain, puncture repair in Italy, scrape damage repair in Greece.

With a driveaway awning it is not that cramped with 3 distinct spaces: awning, lower berth, upper berth with storage under lower bed; and when the weather is fine you have the outside space. That said, we did have near constant drizzle in Norway, and that made everything pretty miserable.

I forgot our most compelling reason:

#4 Our original intention was to sleep 80% of nights in AirBnB style accommodation and only use the van when no other accommodation could be found; we envisaged ~20% of nights. In the end the reverse was true. Although I haven’t totted up I think we had ~75 nights in cabins, houses or hotels (4 nights) and ~300 nights in the van.

The difference between 80% vs 20% and 20% vs 80% is largely down to having a driveaway awning making camping for extended periods more bearable. A consequence was that instead of driving no more than 2hrs between stops and staying no more than 2 nights, we drove for 4-5 hours between stops and stayed 4-5 nights at each camp.

 

[The Merle]

1. Ease of driving; same reason we didn’t buy a caravan.

2. Multifunction of a Beach long term: 4/5 berth camper; 7 seat family MPV.

3. Ease of servicing/repairs throughout Europe, though we didn’t need it much. Minor repair to seat belt clip in Poland, repair to radar and minor crash damage in UK, minor repair to door handle in Spain, inspection service in Spain, puncture repair in Italy, scrape damage repair in Greece.

With a driveaway awning it is not that cramped with 3 distinct spaces: awning, lower berth, upper berth with storage under lower bed; and when the weather is fine you have the outside space. That said, we did have near constant drizzle in Norway, and that made everything pretty miserable.

You missed the most important!
It is cool and a funky colour, can’t believe they ditched the grape yellow on new t6.1 (VW are mad as that is a classic colour for beach!).

 

[onlyyoungtwice]

So when do you set off on the adventure, sept/oct tend to be lovely up here (famous last words) just jinxed now!
I’m about to head south for a few months but will be up for the snow!

I think I’ll set off early/mid September. Just one more week at work and I’m free!*

Hoping I get some decent weather before we hit proper autumn. And maybe by the time you’re up for the snow I’ll have half an idea what I’m doing . Give me a shout when you’re around


*for one year


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