Latest news with #vanlife
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Shropshire festival celebrates the world of van life culture
Fans of camper vans, caravans and "van life culture" in general have gathered to celebrate this weekend in tents to motor homes and trucks to caravans, 5,000 people are attending the Vanlife Festival at the West Mid Showground in is the third time the festival has been held in the town to bring together everyone who loves the outdoors and Ruth Jones said people from all walks of life visited the festival and shared stories about their travels around the world. "Some people have travelled all around Australia and others have lived in their vans for more than 30 years," she said. A range of performances are featured at the festival including acts like Metz Jnr, Frankie Roe and The is also a large display of more than 100 classic camper vans and caravans beginning from the 1960s in the festival's Field of Inspiring Dreams."You can see what set-up people have and have a cup of tea with the owners, some even have parrots and cats," Ruth Jones added that the displays brought some people to tears as the caravans reminded them of childhood camping with their families. Damo Jones and Terry Smith founded the festival after meeting at camper van shows and wanted to create an inclusive event where every make and model of vehicle was Mr Jones and his wife Ruth started travelling with a tent at the age of 18, they would look "in envy" at people with camper vans."We would meet friends by inviting people around the campfire and we wanted people to feel involved from all walks of life," Ms Jones couple later managed to save up and purchase a van of their own and have been camper van owners for the past 20 years. They have brought the campfire vibes to the festival by introducing faux campfires that everyone can sit around to share stories and get to know one another. Campervan and caravan lovers can explore the festival and be inspired by others until the event finishes on Sunday. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
We bought old school bus on eBay & transformed it into family travel wagon – it has bunk beds, fridge & washing machine
A FAMILY have hit the road after buying and transforming an old school bus bought on eBay. Travelling with their two daughters, a couple from Newcastle have swapped their restaurant business for life on the go. 8 8 8 Lotti Harrison, 29, and Ty Burns, 37, sold the business to snap up a £25k classic American school bus on eBay. Having always dreamed of travelling in a van, Ty spotted the 11-metre long school bus listing in August 2024. The couple knew they had to go for it and Ty renovated the bus by himself for the next six months. They fitted their new family travel wagon with bunk beds, a full-sized fridge, washing machine and king-sized bed. It's even kitted out with noise-proof acoustic panelling to help with noise levels as well as underfloor heating, air-con and a log burner. Speaking to Chronicle Live, Lotti said: "It's very fancy, it's a luxury bus - we haven't scrimped on this. "We wanted it to be as comfortable for us and the girls as possible." They then sold their restaurant business and ended the tenancy for their four-bed, three-storey town house. The couple kept essentials and sentimental items but sold off the majority of their furniture and possessions with Lotti saying "it felt so good to get rid of stuff." They then set off on their travels last month for Belgium before making their way through Luxembourg, France and Italy. How to use ChatGPT for home & garden renovations without spending a penny - see how good it looks before you even start Their next stops are Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia before they travel through Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. The route back to the UK will see them pass through Greece, Italy and France. They hope to use their savings to fund their travels for a year before deciding whether to continue upon their return. Although not without its challenges, highlights so far have included Disneyland Paris and cycling around Lake Annecy in France. 8 8 Lotti said: "We've never been that 9 to 5 vibe - but ever since having the girls we realised how quickly time goes. "We wanted to spend as much time now together as a family and watch them grow up. "Sending them to a nursery didn't seem right to us. "If we didn't do it now, we'd probably never do it." The couple always dreamed of travelling and even bought a bus they saw on the side of the road for £500 six years ago. But their plans were put on hold after realising the bus was "knackered". 8 8 Lotti added: "Since having the girls the reality was a bit more tricky." But Ty then spotted the school bus on eBay and the couple decided to go for it. Their two daughters are loving life on the road, according to Lotti. She said: "The girls have taken to it so well. "Waking up in a different place is so exciting for them." They also love that they can stay in a place if they fancy or move on if the weather is "rubbish". There have been fans along the way too with everyone "in awe" and "beeping their horns". Lotti said: "We can't go anywhere without being papped". The mum of two also hopes to inspire others to travel and encourages others to get out of their "comfort zone". She said: "There's a whole world out there." Lotti and Ty aren't the only ones to have their home on the road either. Earlier this year a couple bought a double-decker bus on eBay to transform it into a flat on wheels after being unable to afford a house. Eventually, the bus will come complete with underfloor heating, a full-sized bedroom and lounge. 8
The Drive
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Wrong Tires Ruined Ford Transit Trail's Promised Off-Road Chops, Now There's a Lawsuit
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Last year, Ford recalled its short-lived off-roady Transit Trail van, replacing its original aggressive all-terrain tires with smaller ones because the knobby tires rubbed the body. Now, according to Car Complaints , Transit Trail owners have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware—Provo, et al., v. Ford Motor Company—and allege that Ford not only knew about its oversized tire issue before the van went on sale, but that its recall fix ruins its off-road ability. When asked about this lawsuit, a Ford spokesperson only said, 'Ford does not typically comment on pending litigation matters.' Adding taller tires with deeper blocks is the easiest and most logical first step to increasing any vehicle's off-road capabilities. However, you can't usually upsize a tire very much without also raising the suspension, which is why lift kits exist. In 2022, Ford brought its European off-road Transit van to North America for the 2023 model year, but a problem quickly arose. Its tires were too big. The whole point of the rugged Ford Transit Trail was to give it that YouTuber #vanlife capability right out of the box, with beefy 30.5-inch all-terrain tires and all-wheel drive. However, those tires apparently weren't completely compatible with the vehicle's ride height and would rub during cornering and braking situations, especially with extra weight in the van. A little rub might be acceptable to some people running a home-brewed setup with aftermarket parts, but the whole appeal of an OEM off-road model is to skip substandard functionality shenanigans like that. And surely people bought the van specifically to outfit it for an outdoor living style, so extra weight was kind of the name of the game. Ford As for the official context: 'Due to insufficient packaging allowance, the front tires may contact the front wheel arch liner and body flange under certain vehicle loading, steering angle, and braking conditions,' said the March 2024 NHTSA recall report. 'Repeated contact of a front tire with the wheel arch liner and body flange may lead to rapid air loss and tread-belt separation, which can result in a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.' Then, in March 2025, Ford sent a letter to Transit Trail owners about the recall repair. 'Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the weld flange and repair if needed, replace all valve stems and all 4 tires with Goodyear 235/65R16C tires, replace both front wheel arch liners, update the vehicle software, and replace the Safety Certification and TREAD Act labels free of charge (parts and labor).' So the tires went from 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse tires to 28-inchers. However, that tire switch dramatically hampered its off-road capability, reducing ground clearance by more than an inch and worsening its off-road angles. Instead of smaller tires, the plaintiffs reportedly want Ford to issue a 'prompt, complete, and effective recall or free replacement/repair program.' Ford However, also in March 2025, Ford discontinued the Transit Trail from the lineup altogether, citing supply chain issues. A Ford representative told Ford Authority that 'On-going challenges in the supply chain and part availability constraints impacted 2023 and 2024 Transit vans equipped with the Trail package, so we made the decision to remove package availability from the [2025 model year] Transit program while we prioritize delivering parts and service to customers with impacted vehicles.' However, they did say that Ford would reassess its future sales viability. It seems odd that Ford can't create a different fix for the Transit Trail that keeps its larger all-terrain tires without damaging anything. Perhaps different springs, shocks, or both could fix the problem, but that might be too costly for a vehicle that isn't on sale anymore. However, if Ford can develop a proper fix, maybe the Transit Trail goes back on sale without any dangerous tire rubbing, and existing customers can have the exact vehicle they paid for. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
The Sun
18-05-2025
- The Sun
We're mortgage-free thanks to cost-of-living ‘Sell Up & Drive' trend – anyone can do it, it's saved us £16K a year
DRIVING down Route 66, Becky Redfern winds down the window of their campervan and lets out a satisfied sigh. It is the trip of the lifetime for she and her husband Steve but what makes it all the sweeter is knowing that it is actually saving them money. 7 7 This is because the couple swapped their four-bed house for life on the road say they are now saving thousands of pounds every month – and have no plans to stop. Becky and Steve, aged 53 and 51, ditched their jobs and traditional lifestyle to travel the world in their camper van. The pair, from Staffordshire, say they were tired of working long hours and wasting cash on things they didn't need. After losing loved ones and realising how short life can be, they decided it was time to make a major change. 'When I celebrated my 50th birthday, it really made me evaluate my life,' Becky said. 'We lived to our means and had no savings prior to selling our house.' After 20 years of marriage and with six grandchildren between them, the duo decided to take a leap of faith. Becky, who worked in administration, and Steve, formerly an MOT tester, swapped their detached home in Newcastle-under-Lyme for a VW T5 campervan for £13,000 – and they haven't looked back. By the end of December 2023, the couple had packed their bags and left the UK behind. Using the cash from their house sale, they spent three months touring Europe including Portugal, Spain and Gibraltar, all from the comfort of their home-on-wheels. I turned my Ford Fiesta into a 'flat bed' campervan for £15 - I went to Wales & slept on a mattress topper from Facebook But they say the decision to embrace their new lifestyle wasn't taken lightly and several deaths in the family came as a wake-up call. Becky said: 'We decided it was time to enjoy life because too many people we knew and loved had passed away. 'We have both lost our fathers. 'Mine died from a heart attack when he was 49, which was younger than I currently was, and he'd never had the opportunity to travel. 'Then we lost Steve's dad to an aggressive form of cancer, so he didn't get long after diagnosis – he was 70. 'We were both working and only had four weeks annual leave each year, and it just wasn't enough. 'We had a beautiful home but a mortgage until I would have been 70. 'Imagine if we waited, paid off the mortgage to not have any time left to explore the world we live in. 7 7 7 'A house is just bricks and mortar and not worth anything to you when you're dead, to put it bluntly.' Becky and Stephen were spending thousands a month on bills before embarking on their adventure. The couple used to fork out £2,800 on their mortgage, council tax, insurance, bills and two vehicles. But now spending around £1,500 a month living in their van, they predict they're saving a whopping £1,300 compared to the life they had before. The pair say their frugal living comes down to cutting out the excess and embracing a minimalist mindset. Now they live off-grid as much as possible by using free car parks and constantly moving around – even if it's just a few miles down the road. However, the couple say van life in the UK is trickier, so they stay abroad as much as they can. But the couple admits there are some downsides to van life. Becky said: 'It can be tough in winter, especially in the UK as its colder and most campsites close in winter. 'The downsides are minimal for us and being free of every day hikes in prices wins for us all day long. 'If the van breaks down, you need to have enough funds for accommodation whilst it is being repaired or have a family that will let you stay. 'Although, we do know people that have stayed in their van whilst it was at a garage. 'But we are really enjoying van life and the freedom it offers us.' Is it legal to live in a van? IF you are looking to live in a van to save money or travel, you'll be pleased to know that there are no UK laws stopping you. However, you must ensure your vehicle has passed its MOT and is fully road legal. There could also be restrictions on where you can park up to sleep in your van. For example, local authorities place restrictions on certain streets or lay-bys, and you could be fined if you spend the night there. It could also be unsafe to stop in certain locations, particularly at night-time. Check the The Highway Code guide for guidance. The couple, who document their travels for YouTube and social media under SellUpAndDrive, say they've never felt more free. Becky added: 'Next year we are planning to look for site warden jobs so we can replenish some funds but we will remain living in the van. 'We used to live quite a comfortable but wasteful life, and now we appreciate that you only need a very minimal amount of stuff. 'We used to go clothes shopping even when we didn't need new clothes; now we manage with not much at all. 'We both feel free from the stresses work and mortgage bills bring, and are so much more relaxed and happier being free. We hardly saw each other when we had the house. 'The things we've experienced in the last 16 months have been truly unforgettable. 'For example, we have said for years we wanted to explore America, but we never would have had the annual leave to do seven weeks in one go – or the money, for that matter. 'We are more careful with money now that we aren't earning each month. 'We have a better attitude towards life and always find the positives, even in the most challenging of times. 'Lots of people say we are brave for giving everything up, but we aren't – we just wanted more from our lives. 'After all, no matter whether we have money in the bank or a beautiful house, we all end up the same at the end of our lives.' 7
The Independent
17-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
How to build body strength at home, with minimal equipment
Certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto says it is possible to build full-body strength at home with minimal equipment. Ms Capritto, a full-time traveller, maintained and even improved her strength using resistance bands, a single dumbbell, and a kettlebell while living full-time in a van. Her workout includes single-arm bent-over rows, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, close-grip press-ups, alternating reverse lunges, and suitcase carries. Ms Capritto emphasises progressive overload, achieved by manipulating sets, reps, rest, time under tension, unilateral exercises, power focus, and range of motion. Beginners can make significant progress with minimal equipment as their bodies adapt to the new stimulus of resistance training, she says.
