If you’ve been watching my Youtube series on converting a Mercedes Sprinter van into a camper van, you might be aware that I’ve been banging on about not feeling well. Turns out that not feeling to well was leading me up to having a heart attack.
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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.
UNDER THE BONNET
FLUIDS & FILTERS
- Engine oil – Check the dipstick when cold; top up if it’s below halfway. Dirty oil? Plan a change.
- Coolant – Level between MIN and MAX; pink or orange sludge means it needs a flush.
- Brake & clutch fluid – Low levels hint at worn pads or a leak.
- Power steering / ATF – A quick top-up can stop embarrassing squeals at the campsite gate.
- Screen wash – Cheap to fill, priceless when an HGV paints your windscreen in grime.
BELTS, HOSES & LEAKS
Give every rubber hose a squeeze—cracks or a marshmallow feel mean replacement. Spin the auxiliary belt; glazing or fraying is a red flag.
BATTERY (STARTER)
Clean terminals, snug clamps, and a voltage check with a multimeter (12.6 V+ at rest) keep gremlins at bay.
Van maintenance tip: carry a spare 10 mm spanner—90 % of battery clamps use one.
TYRES & WHEELS
- Tread depth – UK legal minimum is 1.6 mm, but aim for 3 mm for proper wet-road grip.
- Pressures – Cold-check against the door-pillar sticker; adjust for heavy loads.
- Sidewalls – Bulges or cracks? Swap them before they pop on the M6.
- Wheel nuts – Torque (tightening force in Newton-metres) to spec—usually 120 Nm on a T5.
- Spare, jack & locking-nut key – Stow them where you can reach without emptying half the van.
LIGHTS, ELECTRICS & VISION
EXTERIOR
- Headlights (dipped & main), indicators, brake lights, reverse, fogs. Replace blown bulbs now—saves the “polite” chat with traffic police.
- Number-plate illumination—easy to forget, but an MOT fail.
INTERIOR & HAB
- Leisure battery – Fully charged and holding 12.4 V+ after an hour off hook-up.
- 12 V sockets & USBs – Test with a cheap phone charger.
- Control-panel fuses—carry spares.
WIPERS & SCREEN
- Blade rubber should flex, not smear. A fresh pair costs less than a pub lunch.
- Top up winter-rated washer fluid even in summer—it has a higher detergent content.
INSIDE THE HAB AREA
GAS & APPLIANCES
- Regulator & hoses – Check the expiry date. Hairline cracks? Replace.
- Leak test – Soapy-water (a dab of washing-up liquid) round joints; bubbles = problem.
- Fire up cooker, heater, and fridge for five minutes; better they quit on the drive than in Snowdonia.
WATER & PLUMBING
- Fill the fresh tank; run each tap to purge air.
- Inspect grey-water outlet for splits—nobody loves a stinky drip.
COMFORT & STORAGE
- Secure drawers with latches; a rogue frying pan becomes a missile.
- Bedding dry and mould-free? Give it a sniff—you’ll thank me later.
SAFETY ESSENTIALS & LEGAL BITS
- MOT certificate & insurance – In date? Keep digital copies too.
- Breakdown cover – Europe add-on if you’re crossing the Channel.
- First-aid kit – Replace out-of-date dressings.
- Warning triangle & hi-vis – French law still loves them.
- Fire extinguisher & CO alarm – Test buttons weekly; replace batteries yearly.
- Spare bulbs & fuses – Cheap insurance.
- Driving licence & V5C – Glovebox heroes.
(DOT rating—Department of Transportation code—on tyres shows week/year of manufacture; over six years old? Consider new boots.)
FINAL PRE-FLIGHT WALK-ROUND
- Doors & windows – Latch securely; check seals for leaks.
- Roof – Solar panels, vents, awning rails: tight and rattle-free.
- Bike rack / towbar – Bolts to spec, lights wired, and number plate visible.
- Load height – Know it! Car-park barriers love fresh paint jobs.
- Loose gear – Chairs, BBQ, toilet chemicals: bungee or box them.
QUICK REFERENCE CHECKLIST
- Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, PAS/ATF, screen wash
- Belts, hoses, visible leaks
- Starter battery voltage & terminals
- Tyre tread, pressure, sidewalls, wheel-nut torque
- All exterior lights & number-plate lamp
- Wipers, washer fluid, windscreen chips
- Leisure battery charge & 12 V sockets
- Gas hoses, regulator, leak test
- Cooker / heater / fridge test run
- Fresh & grey-water system check
- Fire extinguisher, CO alarm, first-aid kit
- MOT, insurance, breakdown cover, licence, V5C
- Spare bulbs, fuses, warning triangle, hi-vis
- Roof fixtures, bike rack, load height noted
- Doors, windows, interior cargo secured
(Screenshot or print this for glovebox glory.)
CONCLUSION
A pre-trip inspection isn’t just ticking boxes—it’s buying peace of mind and guarding the holiday fund from surprise recovery bills. Spend half an hour on this checklist and you’ll cruise past lay-bys stuffed with steam-spewing vans, smug grin intact. Got a ritual I’ve missed? Drop it in the comments or tag me on Instagram @AVanLifeThing—photos of your toolbox welcome!
You wake up buzzing. Sun’s out. No aches. Today’s the day you finally crack on with the floor. You nip to Homebase for cheap brushes… except it’s shut for good. Fine. Wicks it is—warehouse vibes and DeWalt dads everywhere. You emerge with “Clean Spirits,” which turns out to clean absolutely nothing, plus a pack of brushes that should’ve stayed on the shelf. Still, morale high. Bacon roll (brown sauce, obviously). Then—somewhere between the car park and the A-road—that energy just drops through the floor. Like someone’s nicked your battery while you were paying for parking.
Read moreForget the Instagram version. No Alpine sunsets, no drone footage, no artfully arranged coffee cups on clifftops. This week I’m proving you can live this lifestyle without constantly chasing new postcodes.
My job’s in Fife, I’m based around Dundee, and most nights I’m parked somewhere between the two. It’s van life’s quieter cousin — less wanderlust, more routine. Think sodium streetlights instead of campfires, the smell of the Tay instead of pine forests, and Tesco car parks instead of wild meadows.
But here’s the thing: this is where van life actually pays off. Not in the highlight reel moments, but in ordinary Tuesday nights that just work.
So instead of chasing scenery, I built a circuit — a loop of spots I know like the back of my hand. Here’s how that week unfolded.
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TL;DR (read this if you skim everything)
Instagram has a new “Maps” feature that can pin your posts to an exact road. Quiet rollout. Big risk.
Van lifers, solo travellers, and families: this can expose your home, workshop, or park-up in real time.
Do this now:
1) Set Instagram Maps/location sharing to “No one.” Re-check often.
2) On your phone, deny location access for Instagram (and Facebook).
3) Don’t post from home or camp spots until after you’ve left. Avoid exterior clues.
You know those days when you think, right, I’m finally getting my act together — and then your camera decides to record everything except the audio? Yeah, that’s been the general theme of my van build lately.
Progress has been slower than a pensioner overtaking on a hill, partly because I’ve been wiped out by some mysterious bug, partly because every job I start turns into a saga. But I’m stubborn, and apparently delusional enough to believe I can turn a 2016 Mercedes Sprinter into a home before July.
Read moreRecorded August 2024 It’s exciting, it’s electrifying as I’m working on the sprinter build to see if I can get it down before the October deadline. An idiot vs electrics in this video #vanbuild
If anyone has any information regarding what the Watchguard 3000 actually does, PLEASE get in touch. Im desperate to work out what it does, should I keep it or try to decommission it.
It’s been an epic battle to try and get the bulkhead out of the van, many hours of blood, sweat, tears and non alcholic drinks. Yet here we are inching ever forward to working on the van build.
Please consider a like and leaving a comment on the video, YouTube these days it’s all about engagement and I’d love to hear your thoughts on what I can be doing better or next.
If you’ve got a Chinese diesel heater in your van, chances are it’s been a game-changer for keeping warm during those chilly nights on the road. But like all budget-friendly kit, they can throw a wobbly from time to time. When they do, you’re usually met with an ominous E-code flashing on your controller and a heater that stubbornly refuses to fire up.
Instead of panicking (or cursing while shivering in your sleeping bag), let’s break down the most common errors and how to actually fix them. I’ve been through most of these myself over the past few winters, so this comes from real-world van life experience.
The Root Cause Reality Check
Before we dive into specific codes, here’s the truth about Chinese diesel heaters: 90% of faults come down to four things – dodgy battery voltage, poor wiring connections, blocked airflow, or fuel system issues. Keep that in mind as we go through each error.
Read moreSo you’re ready to hit the road and start living the van life dream. But one major question pops up fast: what do you do without a fixed address? From receiving mail to renewing your driving licence, not having a permanent home can seem tricky—but it’s totally doable.
Here’s a breakdown of what actually works in 2025 for full-time vanlifers navigating life without a fixed address.
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