Since the Backwards Van published a post about money last month in an effort to disspell the many myths about the true price of vanlife, we have been inundated with even more questions about cash (you can read that post here, it's been our most popular yet, read in 36 countries worldwide! https://wp.me/p8WlP3-ln ) It… Continue reading 28 Days Later (Notes from a Budget Meeting)
We got lucky when we decided to buy a van to live in, as it happened Dixie the Ducato was only the second vehicle we saw and we happily parted ways with our savings as soon as our eyes met her headlamps. But we had done our homework on the subject and knew what we… Continue reading Stand By Your Van (A Rough Guide to Choosing a Van For Life)
Counting our belongings back into Dixie after her cosmetic facelift is a great opportunity to reduce, reevaluate and reorganize our things. I was struck by the volume of soft furnishings we had accumulated and therefore had to remove from the van before we started work, it turns out most of the things we own serve… Continue reading Moving Back In (or, #Vanlife: The Essentials)
Let's stop calling this renovation that ceiling related name now that it has grown so much bigger ok? Ok. 😊 Day 4 was warm and bright. After late breakfast (and another sad goodbye to the uni-bound offspring ) we set out with shopping list in hand to pick up what hopefully was the last of… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling no more… let’s just call it Day 4!
Look at where we have found ourselves on the morning of Day 3, Dixies walls were gleaming brightly. With rain forecasted for most of the day and grey clouds hanging over Dublin we had limited time to finish the painting and air the place out well before it got dark. Luckily both colours dried well… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling – Day 3
Here is where we left you yesterday, remember?! Dixies walls, roof and doors were carefully painted with 2 coats of sealant and left to dry overnight. All the problem areas, the damp and dark wood you saw yesterday drank at least 3-4 coats and some of the cream metalwork on the door got a little… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling – Day 2
After living and travelling fulltime in the van for almost 7 months now, we have begun to understand what is important for us to own and to have on hand and easily accessible to us everyday. Storage space is at a premium in here and must be considered wisely, that means we often employ a… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling – Day 1
Recently, we have both been lucky enough to spend a bit of time with our families. "Going home" always means Mammies house, and whether its in Mayo or Dublin, Mammies house always means noisy kitchens, lots of great food and hours of chatting, catching up long into the night. Its been a lot of fun… Continue reading Thanks for the Tea (Thoughts After 5 Months)
It's been 2 months since Dixie and her 3 giddy passengers first boarded the 2am ferry from Dublin Port to Holyhead, Wales. What was originally supposed to be a quick round trip to York and back, to A) drop the offspring to university, B) test out the engine, and C) test the adquecy of… Continue reading Thoughts after Two Months
Part of our decision to move full-time into Dixie (the Backwards Van) was, like a lot of life's decisions, financially based. W.E. (William & Elizabeth) were sick and tired of watching our money disappear from our account; rent, utilities, food and all the day-to-day "necessities" that most people take for granted were really making us… Continue reading On The Road (to financial freedom) : pt 1
the backwards van 