It's true ...

[ilovemyvan]

Congratulations on your move and on your van....beautiful!

 

[Joep]

Thanx! It sure takes getting used to. I am now parked on a parking in the middle of the forest, and every now and then an other car parks ... and somehow that feels like an 'intrusion' ... I feel so visible somehow.

But then 5 minutes later, I get that 'I am loving this' feeling again. Just relaxing, sitting in my campervan, browsing the web. I am trying to do things I did at home as well. Do some cleaning, charge some elctronics, walk the dog, make a coffee ... All these things I do now almost on the same spot, without having to walk from one room to the kitchen, and back ...

Basically, in my appartment I actually used maybe 10% of the actual space. So sit, cook and sleep. All the rest was just there. When Iw as at home I sat in the same chair 90% of the time if I was working on the PC, playing a game or watching a movie. So that's 3% of the entire house maybe? I just got rid of the redundant 97% of the space ...

And I have still got more clothes than I can wear in a week, more food than I can eat in days. I can work on my laptop, it's brilliant!

 

[Joep]

Welcome!

I ran this through Google Translate:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehler_Mobilbau

Regarding social perception, sometimes terminology matters.  Although your Dehler is based on a "van" rather than being a huge Class A behemoth, try saying "camper" or "motorhome".

Yeah ... but t's really tiny .. I guess somewhat the same size as an Astrovan.

 

[Joep]

Most everyone (back when I lived in New Jersey) thought I was crazy when I first said that I would sleep in my SUV on road trips. Now when I tell them of my adventures they are congratulatory and even jealous. There is a stigma attached to "living in a van down by the river" (e.g. too poor to afford gasoline or a house), but not to traveling around and seeing the continent.

It is important that the skeptics realize that this is a choice and not a necessity. But also realize that nomadism in Europe is generally frowned upon unlike in much of North America where it is celebrated.

Looking at the climate of your country, winters will be tough to live out in a van. Damp cold, with barely a wink of sun for days. The high population density will also be a challenge. Have a Plan B in case it doesn't work out.

Yes, valid points. I do (did) live next to the 'Veluwe' which is the largest concentration of forest in the Netherlands, not many people live there. As I will do also plenty of urban camping, I don't see a lot of difference in urban camping in a US city or the city I live in. There's also a few campsites that's open the entire year, so that may be where I will spent time in the winter. Advantage would be that I can run my electric heater which I hope will keep me warm and dry. I must admit that I have skipped a plan B for now.

It's still close to 0 degrees Celsius right now during the nights BTW. I do have a catalytic gas heater which I haven't hooked op to the propane tank yet, last few nights I ran a little mobile gas heater a couple of times. The van is fairly well insulated, it even has double glass windows in the camper part.

Right now I am kind of tied to this place because I am co-parenting my 10 year old daughter. That also comes with advantages as I have a place to shower and do laundry etc..

But I do appreciate your concerns!

 

[Joep]

Guess what? I'm loving it!

 

[VanKitten]

Being a nomad of 20 years, I can tell you that there is a lot of reasons to live on the road. Not all of those reasons have anything to do with finances. Mind you, that it has the potential to be cheap cannot be ignored, but for some it isn't the main thing at all.

I found that once I "hit the road" I could not do anything else.

I've met a lot of sailors. People who left the land and the onshore lifestyle to sail the oceans. When they come back, after only a year or two..they have to go back to the sea. Land or sea, the nomadic life is additive for many of us.

"I never saw a sight that didn't look better looking back".