12 Tips For Caravan Living: How to Transition To A Nomadic Lifestyle

12 Tips For Caravan Living: How to Transition To A Nomadic Lifestyle

For thousands of years, there have been people who have responded to the call of freedom and adventure by living nomadic lives. Thanks to caravans, campers, and converted vans, that lifestyle isn’t a thing of the past. Instead, more people are embracing it—and discovering that it’s not always easy to make the transition from settled life. 

1. Create A Budget

The most important thing to do before you start transitioning from settled to nomadic life is to create a budget that is realistic and practical. Caravan living is cheaper than settled life (whether you consider house rental or a mortgage), but that’s no excuse to not be sensible with money.

Make a list of all the expenses you would have in your new nomadic life, such as daily site fees, fuel, gas, groceries, healthcare, clothing, and toll fees. When you’ve calculated the cost, add 25% to the amount— doing this can help you cope with unexpected expenses, price increases, and some emergency situations. 

When you understand the financial costs of being a nomad, you can make more informed decisions when it comes to destinations, activities, and part-time work.

2. Free Yourself From Debt

The nomadic lifestyle is an escape from the rat race, not escapism from responsibilities such as paying off your debt. Work to minimise or completely eradicate your debt before you embrace caravan or van life. 

When you’ve paid off your debt, you can redirect those finances into preparing for your new lifestyle or into savings so that you’ve got added financial security when you’re on the road.

3. Downsize

There’s only so much storage space in a caravan, camper, or converted van, which means downsizing is part and parcel of transitioning to a nomadic lifestyle. 

Decide which of your items are essential and which will be of no use to you in your new way of life. Keep the essential items and sell the rest.

4. Learn DIY And Other Skills

It may happen, days, weeks, months, or years into your new life, but there will come a time when wear and tear or other damage to your vehicle or caravan will need repairs. 

Some issues entirely are the province of mechanics, while others are well within your scope when you know what to do. Make an effort to learn simple DIY maintenance and other skills—you can do this by reading DIY blogs and watching videos on YouTube.

5. Drive Economically

Living the nomadic life means taking the scenic route, right? Well, not necessarily. There’s nothing wrong with taking the scenic route every now and again, but the better option is to drive economically. After all, you’ll want to try to keep your expenses down. 

Do this by planning a route that involves as little backtracking and offroading as possible. You can practice other economical driving tips by travelling at a consistent speed, driving shorter distances, or not driving at all on very windy days, and avoiding routes with numerous hills. Using a petrol or credit card that offers discounts or rewards when you purchase fuel can also help reduce your costs.

6. Take Advantage Of Free Camping

Free camping, also known as boondocking, does exactly what it says on the tin. There are caravan and camping sites that will let you camp for free, which means you can save money on site fees. However, the facilities at free sites usually are limited, which means you may need to do some extra planning—make sure your caravan batteries are charged, you have a full tank of water, and you have an empty tank for grey water.

7. Cook For Yourself

The nomadic life is not a holiday, even if it can be much more relaxed than the lifestyles that many of us have known since birth. The thought of eating at restaurants or food stalls almost every day may seem tempting (even if only because it’s an easy option) but doing that will eat into your budget. 

Stock up on dry and canned food, purchase seasonal ingredients at supermarkets and grocers, and don’t ignore specials, sales, or coupons, all of which can help you save money. Cooking for yourself is the healthier and cheaper option.

8. Do Seasonal Or Remote Work

There are various ways you can earn money as a modern nomad. One of them is to do seasonal work, such as picking fruit on farms or working at a theme park. 

Other ways include doing part-time or casual jobs, selling your own homemade products online, or finding a job that allows you to work remotely via a laptop.

9. Accept Free Offers

Although caravan living can mean lower living costs for you, it also may lead to a lower income. While you will need to be strict about sticking to your budget, you won’t need to miss out on doing various activities or seeing attractions, as there are many free options available. 

Visit botanical gardens, parks, markets, and beaches, attend local sports matches, visit galleries and museums, and keep an eye out for other free activities.

10. Take A Minimalist’s Approach

Nomadic life, by its very nature, requires a minimalist approach. After all, it’s easier to travel light, and much more difficult (and expensive) when you have a huge hoard of possessions. 

Spend money on essentials such as food, fuel, site fees, clothing, medical supplies/healthcare, and vehicle insurance. Resist the urge to purchase pricey souvenirs, expensive gifts for friends, and meals in overpriced restaurants.

11. Enjoy Days Off

Whether you’re still working, or you’ve retired, the caravan life means living your normal life on the road. Remember to take days off so you can relax, recharge, and do chores, such as laundry or cleaning your caravan. You don’t need to work or go out and do various activities all the time.

12. House-Sit From Time To Time

There’s a good chance that when you invest in an RV and make it your home, you’ll miss creature comforts such as a soak in a hot bath, a big, comfy bed, and the space of larger accommodation. House-sit for people who are going away, as it gives you a chance to enjoy a change of surroundings, do things a little differently, and earn some extra cash. 

Embracing a nomadic lifestyle usually doesn’t happen overnight. Use these tips to help you transition to caravan living and you’ll enjoy more of the time you spend living the nomad life.