Honest Van Life Adventures and Reviews

Category: van life essentials (page 1 of 1)

Van Life Abroad: The Legal Must-Haves They Don’t Tell You About at the Ferry Terminal

So there I was, queued up at Dover with my van stuffed full of camping gear, practically bouncing with excitement. Then I heard someone behind me mention “alcohol testing kits” and my heart sank. Alcohol testing kits? Nobody said anything about carrying around a bloody chemistry set when I was planning this trip.

After a few road trips through France, Belgium, and Germany, I’ve learned that the difference between an amazing adventure and a €200 roadside fine usually comes down to having a plastic triangle and a hi-vis vest in the right place at the right time.

Look, I get it. You want to roll off that ferry in Calais and head straight for those Bavarian beer gardens or Portuguese beaches. But trust me on this – let’s sort out the boring legal stuff first. Not the Instagram-worthy gear, just the actual requirements that’ll keep you from having very awkward conversations with foreign police officers who don’t share your sense of humor.

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Halfords Cool Boxes vs Compressor Fridges: Why Cheap Coolers Drain Batteries (And Fail to Chill)

It’s vanlife festival season. The sun rears its head for the 2 weeks it always does in the UK, giving us that brief hope of a nice summer (before we remember it’ll be crap by August). The van’s ready, the urge to hit the road is strong, and this year you’ve decided a fridge is definitely needed. Tesco, Halfords and Asda all have coolboxes going for half price – £89.99.

Most won’t even advertise cooling specs, but step into Halfords and you’ll see it: “Cools up to 16°C below ambient temperature.” That’s where the alarm bells SHOULD start ringing. But they don’t, do they?

Do the maths: rare hot UK day at 28°C means your “fridge” is running at 12°C. That’s not cold. That’s “bacterial breeding ground” temperature. But you’re still thinking it’ll do for the weekend.

Trust me, it honestly won’t. Are you really wanting to deal with buying ice every 6 hours? Slushing out meltwater that’s leaked all over your bread? Playing Russian roulette with milk sniffing?

Just Google “how long can cheese survive at 14°C” and watch your weekend plans crumble.

Actually, forget Google – let’s talk proper food safety. The UK Food Standards Agency isn’t messing about: your fridge needs to run between 0°C and 5°C. Not “below ambient.” Not “coolish.” Actual below 5°C. Why? Because above 8°C, bacteria reproduction goes mental. We’re talking doubling every 20 minutes.

That innocent-looking pack of ham at 12°C? It’s hosting more bacteria than a festival porta-loo by day two. The FSA’s “2-hour rule” says perishable food shouldn’t sit above 8°C for more than 2 hours. Your coolbox running at 12-16°C? That’s the danger zone, 24/7.

Here’s the kicker – environmental health officers can actually shut down food vendors for running fridges above 8°C. But somehow it’s fine to flog you a “cooler” that can’t physically achieve safe temperatures? Make it make sense.

And if that’s not got the message across, let’s deep dive into why these things are basically expensive fans with delusions of grandeur…

This post? It’s what I wish I’d read before wasting £90 on a “cooler” that couldn’t cool a can if its life depended on it. So let me walk you through exactly why these thermoelectric disasters will ruin your trip, and why I ended up scouring Facebook Marketplace for months until I found a secondhand Halfords 30L compressor fridge for £100. It’s not perfect – bit noisy, looks like it’s been through a war – but it actually keeps things cold.

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Pre-Trip Van Checklist: 15 Must-Do Checks

You know the drill: the alarm blares at silly-o’clock, coffee’s brewing, and you’re itching to point the van’s nose towards Cornwall. Then—click-click-click—your leisure battery mutters nah, pal. We’ve all been there, spanner in hand, wishing we’d spent ten minutes checking things the night before.

To save you from dawn-of-departure drama, I’ve pulled together a no-nonsense, slightly cheeky road-trip safety check that covers everything from fan belts to fairy lights. Follow this guide and you’ll roll out of the drive confident your rig can handle whatever the UK’s roads (and weather) throw at it.

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Allpowers r600 Portable Power Station Review

Sick of relying on dodgy campsites and dwindling phone batteries? The Allpowers r600 might be your new best friend… for a while. This thing packs a decent 299Wh punch and can pump out 600W, enough to keep your laptop humming and the mini-fridge chugging along for a few hours. It’s got all the usual suspects – AC outlets, USB ports, the works – so you can charge whatever gadgets you’ve dragged along on your escape from civilization. Just don’t expect to run your fridge all night on this thing. You’ll be living off trail mix pretty quick.

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Tailgate Holder: The Van Life Heatwave Game Changer

Hello, fellow van life enthusiasts! If you’re like me, you’ve probably experienced the struggle of keeping cool in your van during a heatwave. Well, I’ve found a game-changing gadget that has significantly improved my van life experience during these sweltering times. Let me introduce you to the tailgate holder – a simple yet effective tool that can make a world of difference in your van’s temperature.

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Best Portable Showers For Van Life

Summer is finally here, and it’s time to embrace the freedom of van life adventures! But let’s face it, after a long day of exploring, we all need to freshen up and bid farewell to the sand lodged between our toes. Fear not, fellow road warriors! The answer to your van life hygiene woes comes in the form of portable showers. No complicated van modifications required—just a little water and a splash of creativity, and you’ll be as fresh as a daisy without relying on an army of wet wipes.

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Choosing A Solar Panel For Van LIfe

It’s only my second year of owning a fridge in my van, and now that I have one, there’s no looking back. However, keeping things cool in the summer isn’t easy. A fridge solves one problem, but keeping the batteries topped up with the sun is a whole different thing. Let’s discuss choosing a solar panel.

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Keeping Your Cool: Van Life in a Heatwave

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, it’s hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch out here! If you’re living the van life, you know that a heatwave can turn your cozy home-on-wheels into a rolling sauna. But don’t sweat it, folks! We’ve got some cool-as-a-cucumber tips to help you beat the heat.

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The Best Internet / Data Sim for Vanlife

We all know there are 100’s of different SIM card and data sims to choose from to make sure you have internet whilst living the van life thing. But what one is the best?

To compare plans, look at the length of contract vs price vs data vs cash back is a absolute nightmare so instead of all that I’ll just tell you what my experiences are live with my very simple van life internet setup.

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