A PROUD single mother has revealed she moved out of her London flat and into a van because she was fed up of paying rent.
Beck lives with her son Willow in a self-converted Ford Transit van and says she couldn’t be happier with her transition away from city life.
Liveration/YoutubeBeck is a single mother who swapped city life to live in self-converted Ford Transit van[/caption]
Liveration/YoutubeThe kitchen and living area of the van including a sofa, sink, fridge, cooker and plenty of storage space[/caption]
Liveration/YoutubeThe bed is separate from the kitchen and living area but is the perfect size for a mum and her young child[/caption]
Dubbed the Nomad Mother online, Beck has been living in a van since 2016 and stayed put in her beloved motor after she had her first child a few years later.
Beck spoke about her decision to live in a van on Liveration‘s YouTube channel.
She said her favourite part of being in the van life community is the massively reduced bills compared to living in a flat or house.
Beck said: “The best part of living in this van is that I don’t stress as much.
“My outgoings are so minute so I don’t stress over paying this bill and this bill and this bill or think ‘ah the rates are going up’.”
Beck used to live on the road back when she was in a band for weeks at a time and found going home to a cramped, expensive flat unjustifiable for the price she was paying.
I don’t know how people are meant to survive being a single parent living the way you’re meant to live
Beck
She said: “It just felt more comfortable to be in a van than in a room, because I could move the van and go out at any time.
“I got into it as I just didn’t want to pay rent anymore in London so I saved a load of cash and bought a boat and a van. It’s so desirable for me as I can just get up and go.
“I don’t know how people are meant to survive being a single parent living the way you’re meant to live, I just don’t know how you could do that but I found a way.”
Beck has been a fan of van life ever since she was a child and even remembers begging her parents for a caravan when she was just 16-years-old.
As a former interior designer, Beck knew exactly what she wanted in the van to make it feel like a home once she found the perfect one.
She opted for a Scandinavian feel and made the interior almost fully wooden.
For Beck her motto when fixing up the van was to keep it “cheap but make it look cool” and she did just that.
Almost everything inside the van has been made by Beck herself from scratch – saving even more money.
The plywood cost her just £200 and makes up pretty much all of the storage space in the motor.
A comfy two seater sofa bench sits along the back of the van with wooden boxes underneath that can be used as storage.
Opposite the comfy pillow covered sofa is the cute kitchen area that Beck uses every single day.
Condiment racks hung on the wall, a good sized sink that uses a foot pump to supply water, plenty of cupboard space, a mini fridge and a side-top cooker with a grill rack all make the kitchen perfect for her.
There’s even an old tablecloth that has been transformed into a curtain so the bedroom area can be separate from the kitchen and living space.
The bed then sits between the driving seats and the kitchen and is the perfect size for a mum and her young son.
We’re warm, we’re cosy, we have a great life
Beck
Batteries, a water tank and gas cylinders all sit underneath the bed as a 240V solar panel sits on the roof to help keep the van up and running.
Beck does admit however that van life has some drawbacks but says they aren’t a huge problem.
“You have to empty your own toilet waste, you have to fill up your own water, find a bin so that isn’t the pleasurable bit,” Beck said.
“We’re warm, we’re cosy, we have a great life.”
Another van lifer has opened up on how easy and care-free his life is while living full-time in a converted camper.
Posting on TikTok, Richard (@indi_van_a_jones) revealed what his day-to-day life is like while living in a 2019 Volkswagen Crafter.
He explained how he “only has to work six days a month” while being able to “live completely rent free with multi-million pound views every night”.
In a quick tour, he shows viewers the appliances he’s got inside his converted van – including an extendable tap as well as a hob, airfryer, coffee machine, fridge and king-sized bed.
This comes after a couple revealed how they grew tired of the rat race of their “mundane” lives and decided to pack up and jump into van life.
In a brave move, the pair decided to stick their house on the market and buy a minivan they named Mavis.
Elsewhere, a family of eight revealed how they’re living it up in a converted double decker bus – complete with a luxury shower, washing machine and sun trap roof deck.
Liveration/YoutubeTheir whole home fits nicely into the back of the van and costs a lot less than living in a London flat[/caption]
Liveration/YoutubeAlmost all of the conversion is made of wood that Beck found for £200[/caption]