I’ve been living full time in a motorhome for five years – I pay nothing in rent but there’s still lots of hidden costs

A MAN who has been living full time in a motorhome for five years, has revealed that he pays absolutely nothing in rent.

Darran 36, ditched his home for van life in 2017, and hasn't looked back since.

He parks his motorhome in urban areas, which means that he doesn't have to pay to stay at campsites.

However his lifestyle still comes with plenty of hidden costs.

Taking to YouTube, where he is known as The Urban Motorhome Darran revealed that he spends around £250 - £300 a month on diesel.

As well as filling up his car with diesel he uses a diesel heater to heat the van, and also uses electricity from the solar panels on the roof of his van for cooking.

Darren added that when he is filling his van with diesel, he also fills up his water tank for free, meaning that he doesn't have to pay water bills.

"They never have a problem because you are spending £100-£200 on diesel."

He also uses gas, which sets him back £30 a month, and spends around £160 a month on food.

Darran has to get a full MOT and service for his motorhome every year, which sets him back £200.

Breakdown cover costs him just £11 a month, whilst insurance costs him £373.

Darran also pays £25 a month for road tax, and keeps around £2,000 as an "emergency fund", in case his van needs any maintenance.

To get internet in his van, Darran has a sim card for his Wi-Fi router, which sets him back £26 a month.

Darran's van doesn't have a washing machine in it, so he has to go to the laundrette, which sets him back by £30 a month.

And when he needs to empty the toilet cassette in his van, he either pays a campsite a fiver to let him do it there, or empties it at one of his friends' houses.

In total, Darran spends about £752 a month, to live in his van.

The Rise Of Van Life

The rise of van life began during the pandemic in 2020. With no one able to leave the country, staycations became popular for many say camping blog venturecampers.

On top of that, the rising cost of renting a house has put many off doing so, especially when wages have failed to keep up with the cost of living crisis.

Although it has gained popularity again, many people opted for van life in the 60s and 70s.

He said: "If you're doing van life to save hardcore, then that might be a lot.

"I'm not doing it to save money, I'm doing it because I love it, because I've found happiness and freedom.

"And I am still saving money, as I work full time."

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