Hi, thanks for your video, I'm 65 and pre retirement, and have purchased a 20 yr old project static on a site that's open 11 months of the year, the previous owners have disconnected the gas, so we have thermal boarded the underside of flooring with salvaged off cuts.. And installed a desiel heater into the middle bedroom and fed heating pipes left and right to lounge and bedroom.. Have purchased a jackery charger (to cut costs) as the land owner charges electricity in addition to rent.. Only a month into the project, retire July 😉 lovely to see your vids/and life style.. 👍
😊 Can't be Home s under the Hammer Bruce. No obscure music with lyric matching puns or Meg and Cal walking in a room looking at the ceiling thoughtfuly and walking out for no reason. 😊😊😊 Keep up the good work guys
A static caravan in the sticks would be great for me instead of being surrounded on all sides by housing and nosey neighbours would be be all pro's for me, looks really cosy too! Have a great Christmas both of you
Hi Elizabeth! Yea, we're extremely lucky and try to make the most of it. We love it here and really feel at home. Hope you have a great Christmas too! :)
Just a suggestion. Have you considered stoking the wood burniner up and damping it down to keep it alight. Use with potatoe peelings etc to keep it going through the night, leave all the doors open - kitchen,lounge,bedroom,bathroom its worth a try
Good morning guys 👋 thank you for showing us round your home, the log burner is a lovely addition and the fact your sited in the middle of the countryside makes it special 👍 ... take care 😘🤗❤️👵🏼🐾🐾🤠 xxxx
I love your simplicity in your lives, no expensive mortages round your neck, living in a beautiful place with lots of natural things to do and see. I think you pair have got it perfectly spot on. You both think alike and youve always got each other to keep warm, your amazing!! Godbless you both❤️❤️xx
Electric Blankets, thermal or lined curtains over doors, insulate the pipes Underneath and board around the bottom to make the draft underneath less , and a karcher window vacuum to Hoover up condensation on windows! And if the log burner is dual fuel, then buy coal, get the logs going and top up with coal( lasts through the night and can help start the fire again in the morning )
Hi there,I have a touring caravan & it does get so cold in the Winter,I use Tea lights in lanterns,they create quite a bit of heat & a large bag are quite cheap,I also put tea lights on a baking tray & leave them in the oven,that creates some heat too,I have 2 mini Electric radiators,they are only 400watt so they don't use too much lec,I use a quick blast of my fan heater to warm up my clothes before I put them on,it's a nice way to warm you up,I also use a small Electic blanket & they don't use much lec either,good for pre heating your bed before bedtime,when it's really cold you could try keeping your log burner going all nigh,if you put potato peelings over the embers.... Then it should keep it smouldering all night.... Hope have plenty of hot drinks when it's cold & store boiling water in a large thermos flask to save on 're boiling the kettle.... Hope these tips help..... Wear a scarf I doors too... A warm neck is a big comfort.... Take care...
Sorry for our slow response... but that you for all the tips, we're gonna need them! :P You're not the first person to mention the peelings, so will definitely give that a go too!
1st time iv watched you two,very impressed how you are both so clear and honest.iv lived in a campervan then a touring caravan for 6 years. i can see why you do live in a static home as opposed to renting,or buying a house.to me it only comes a problem if ever you do decide to have children.with the walls being so thin the heating cost would go through the roof and it would be a lot more difficult to maintain your lifestyle that you have now.
Hi Chris! Thanks for your comment, we appreciate it 😊 yeah, we love the static! A little tough and expe sive getting through winter, but we'll worth it now the weather is getting better. Yes, it suits us 2 well but can imagine it's not quite ideal with children etc too. But living this way really helps us to save up for our next campervan trip 😉 hope you're well
Who needs Kirsty & Phil - Location, Location, Location.... I loved the comment “She doesn’t appreciate my art” 😂 Mince pies looked awesome, thank you for making me laugh on a Sunday morning 👍
Love your videos, they've cheered me up in this 'interesting' year. Flora makes me want to jazz up my T4 Lola. My husband and I lived in a 28' x 10' static with 3 dogs, a cat and a new born baby, it was a great experience. Tuck your trousers into your socks to avoid the chill! Keep up the awesome videos, thank you. 😊
Hello Vicky, thanks you for your comment :) we really appreciate it and are glad that you enjoyed the vids (hopefully more to come :P) Hehe, think Flora needs a bit of Jazzing up now too! It's been a while since we dusted her off and gave her a wash :P Haha, great tip about the trouser! Yeah, we love our caravan, can be chilly but it feels like home.
Sounds like you had a lot fun making this vlog. Don’t get discouraged though we the audience love it. Just one tip noticed those pine forest near by. Pine cones are great for the wood burner they burn really hot we find them a lot hotter than the logs we use. Best of all there on your door step for free. Thanks for sharing have a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for the New Year!! 👍👍
Thanks for the tip Franco! I'm sure we could fin a few more cones around here :) yeah, this was a bit different but quite fun! Hope you have a lovely Christmas too :D
What an absolutely honest and interesting vlog . And yes , there is a stigma from some people but sod 'em . We had 5 years living in our caravan ( mobile) and loved every minute , I'm now doing a van build . We live in a house at the moment but would love to live in a mobile home . It's a lot more popular than you think . We have come across many people on our travels who spend summer back here on a mobile home park and winter down in Spain . It's a great life with the freedom to do as you please . Loved this vlog guys , stay safe and keep warm .
Hello Ken, thanks for your comment :) We've had a great response to this video and just as you said it seems to be far more popular than we first thought! There's a lot of love for the static caravans and less "conventional" homes. Thanks again, hope you're well :)
Apart from the fact that it's a very original way of living (f*** stigma!) it is so much easier and economic. One of the reasons why I want to get into vanlife is because I want to minimalise. I walked through our flat a couple of years ago and I asked myself, "why the hell do we have such a big place?" and I realised that it's mainly to store all the crap we've bought and accumulated over the last 25+ years. I could live in far less actual living space. What you have there is just perfect! My wife unfortunately is far more addicted to her creature comforts, otherwise we'd already live in a van. I envy you! 😉 Regarding the cold, could you install another small wood burner in the bedroom? 🤔 Anyway, it's great to keep up with what's going on with you two, even if it currently has little to do with travel and vanlife. Just lovely to see you guys. 👍🏽😉 All the best and have a great Xmas! 🙏😌🎄🎅
Hello Jens, we definitely have minimalised our belongings but still have a few more things than we thought :P but it's mostly all important/useful so we don't feel too bad. But we do love this more simplistic lifestyle for sure. It's not for everyone, downsizing and living a bit more simply isn't everyone's idea of fun, and we completely understand. We could probably get a little burner, or maybe a diesel heater installed? There are options available to us. Hopefully we can get back in the van and do some exploring soon :) Merry Christmas to you too, we hope you're well!
I'm well, thank you! I only wish I could finally get into a van. Let's hope next year will be the start for that. Build a van first for weekends and holidays and then hopefully full-time. Have you guys thought about going full-time vanlife? With a bigger van, maybe? Or have you gotten used to the "luxurious lifestyle" again? 😁
Great video guys. I love the caravan.I lived in a little old wooden chalet for 5 years on a farm.I loved it there.It was 19ft x 13ft and over 40 years old, the insulation had disitergrated. Windows were big and single pane. Only one gas heater. Having a woodburner would have helped alot. Lost a lot of heat through the windows so I bought thick thermal curtains and that did help keep the place warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Not sure where your wood burner is positioned,or if it would work,but there are little metal fans that can sit on the wood burner to distribute heat around the place.if it doesnt have it already,creaing a skirt around the underneath of caravan would also help insulate it too.hope you have a lovely Christmas.x
Hello Venessa! That sounds lovely, but even nippier than our caravan! Yes, we've seen those fans, might be worth an investment :) Cheers for all the tips!
Meg and Cal, thankyou so so much for all the great vids you have given us over the past year, and for all the hard work you put into making them so bloody good to watch. I sincerely hope yous have a wonderful Christmas and New year, best wishes and stay safe and well to you both and your families ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 🎄 🎅 🎁 🍾 🍺 🎉
Thank you Mr W, for following our adventure and sticking around to see what comes next! We’re really glad you enjoy the videos, hopefully many more to come. Wishing you and your family and very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
We had a static caravan for 22 year only used it on weekends and kids school holidays but we all loved it x i would definitely invest in a electric blanket, and have a pair of gloves at side of bed incase u like reading in bed, also a hat and a torch for when electric trips lol its great fun enjoy and a hot water bottle for when u sitting during the day x
Hi Julie, thanks for the tips! ;) There's a lot more people who live/have lived/stayed in static caravans and there seems to be a lot of love for them! Hope you're doing well
Hi, We’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year and may all your future adventures make great memories for you both so keep travelling and stay safe Kind Regards Nige’ & Jacqui 🙏
Hello Nige & Jacqui! 👋 Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you both too! 🎄hopefully we all return to some form of normality in the new year and can get out in to the world and explore! Thanks so much for your message, we appreciate it!
This brings back lovely memories for us when we were working - and our static van in Aberdeen was our weekend retreat. Because ours was on a campsite , the monthly outlay was ok when we were working but quite expensive when we retired . I would never say never if we ever became unable to travel around in our present van or touring caravan - live for today - great base for you guys . Merry Xmas ❤️
Hi Fiona! :) we've had so many replies from people with a similar story. Didn't expect so many people to have lived/live in a static. We've had a lot of tips coming in! Hope you have a great Christmas :)
Fantastic video as usual guys, loved the intro... My in-laws have a static caravan near Carlisle and we love using that as a base for our more northern adventures. Those mince pies look ace! We love visiting the caravan and have spoken to each other many times about possibly moving into one at some point in the future due to the low costs of living in one. You are right, mornings are pretty cold in caravans. lol, definitely a plus point not having to sort a bed out every night. One thing we have spoken about in regards to moving into one ourselves is the possibility of putting solar panels on the roof of the caravan, I think that would be a great idea! Merry Christmas guys and a happy new year from our family to yours. Here is to many new adventures in the new year!
Cheers! Yeah, solar would be a great benefit. Plenty of roof space too, could probably get a lot up there :P Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you and your family too :) Hope you have a good one!
My sister used to live on a house boat in Bristol for 4 years. Her tips on staying warm in the winter: draw the curtains, windows unfortunately make rooms colder. Also there are electric heaters with timers on them. Set them to like an hour before you have to get up in the morning, this way it's nice and warm in the morning, not using nearly as much electricity as heating all night would. Possibly upgrade to a solar system for electrics? Personally, it's my first year living in a van, and I've chosen Greece to stay the winter ;) Therefore no cold challenges (yet)
Hi guys, I lived in a touring caravan for 5 years and my experience was finding mould due to condensation in the back of wardrobes and under bedding mattresses. Stay vigilent for all your cold spots and ventilate everything as often as you can :-D xxx
Great vlog, so being able to stand up and not move about with knees bent mean you might get a taller van or a pop top fitted to Flora? Heating the van, a skirt around the bottom stops the wind blowing through. Insulate all the pipes underneath well, crawling about under the van in the mud cause the shower pipes crack is not fun. Change electric blow heaters to oil filled heaters, use less leccy. And Teddy bear bedding, it is a game changer as doesn't go cold like cotton. Looking forward to next vlog.
Hello! Thanks for the tips! Regarding Flora's limited height... we have no plans yet :P It's definitely not always ideal but at the moment it works for us, but is something we do often chat about. Can't say I've heard of Teddy bear bedding but I'm intrigued now :P Cheers!
Nice vlog guys... 🙂 I've had two statics, although for leisure, but was able to spend a lot of time in the last one particularly... Statics tend not to be floor insulated, so I did both under the caravan, using the bagged loft insulation, it made a huge difference and wasn't overly expensive... Also doing a skirting around the van helps, but leave it vented to help air flow... Insulate your pipes as much as you can, the lengths of pipe lagging and anything else you can, you'll probably still get a burst though, and they tend to be on joints. Keep some spare joints and pipe lengths handy for emergencies... Its also possible to use anti freeze in the heating system, check this out first though, make of boiler etc, see if it's possible... Another one is to look at all the places where pipes go through the floor, the gaps are usually way to big and you can stuff rags etc in the gaps... Also, as in vans, moisture can be a problem. If you have cupboards, or wardrobes that are on an external wall, try to keep items off the wall, clothing is the worst thing, as I found out, having the moisture capture tub things can be a help in wardrobes!!! 😱 Hope this helps. Alex... 🙂
The floor and skirting are a long term solution I suppose, but well worth it if that's your plan... Oh, and I loved being in my statics, and would absolutely do it again... 🙂
Cheers for all the info and tips! Something for us to consider. It's not a deal-breaker for us but it would be great to be a tad warmer on those cold winter mornings :P
Great vlog as always guys, in my personal opinion a home is always what you need and require as an individual or as a couple. I would more than happily live in a static caravan as long as I have an outbuilding or a garage to work on motorcycles lol. What is defined as the norm should be upto the people who live it, not by what society says it is. We are all different and as such have different outlooks and requirements. It seems to me that the place your in ticks every box and let's you both live in a way that makes the soul happy. That's what life is about. Have a great rest of the weekend and week ahead, best wishes and stay safe and well to you both and your families ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️
Hello Mr W, sorry for our slow response. Hoping you had a good Sunday :) We feel so at home here we forget that it isn't exactly "conventional" and it has just become normal for us. We love it and feel very blessed for many reasons. Hope you're doing well :)
I know this questions got nothing do with your caravan, but what made you want grow your hair into dread locks your hair looks lovely by the way love the colour...love the caravan I'd live in one
Hi Amanda, I always wanted them and thought that it would suit my future lifestyle of traveling perfectly. I took the plunge 4 years ago and have never looked back. Cheers Meg x🚐👍
We went in a static caravan out of season once. It was lovely but wish we had taken hot water bottles. The new caravans are like being home from home. They have better insulation.
Haha, yeah. Hot water bottles are very handy :P but yeah, these caravans, especially the new ones are so smart and comfy! Always forget we're in a caravan!
I have lived in a mobile home (trailer) and if you use hay bails around your caravan to help stop the cold getting under your home,keeps the floor warmer. I was wondering how long has Meg been growing her dress?
Hello 👋 thanks! Yes it does, we find the coverage is excellent to be fair. Even around Europe we rarely had a problem! Well worth a look if you stream a lot of video or use social media a lot. We can even upload videos to RUclips without using up our data!
How about using one of those self contained Chinese Diesel heaters..have it set up out side..just need the heat inlet to come in some how.to which room you need heated most.. cheap short term fix for winter..use red diesel. 60 p ish per litre. Hi from Ian &Dee in Ireland. 😎☘
Cheers Mike, no unfortunately we're not boxed it. But imagine that'd help a lot, something to look in to. We need to check the pipes are adequately insulated too before it gets REALLY cold :P Yeah, we love it in the caravan, much more than the house!
Haha, more room than we know what to do with :P Yeah, U.K life is okay...bit wet though! Missing some sun :) Merry Christmas to you too, hope all is going well
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thank you, the camper looks does look so spacious. it's gonna be a different Christmas and I've slowed down on van build die to the cold. But I'm gonna force myself as I wanna be finished for spring road trips. Love ur tree, sending best wishes x
Hi People, I am just about to start my own camper conversion. I have found the previous videos very helpful. Anyway, I want to ask when purchasing conversion who did you use, and do you have any advice for me? Best regards.
Hello! Good luck with your conversion :) Sorry, a bit confused by your question. We didn't purchase our conversion exactly, we bought all the bits separately and did it ourselves. Or are you asking where we bought the empty van from? Sorry :P
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Hi, Sorry for the confusion. I was wondering where you purchased the items to convert your van. There are so many suppliers I was wondering if you found a reliable supplier? I am looking to purchase a panel van using your videos to help me. Really sorry I have PTSD and can talk/write what seems ok to me, but ....well you have an experience of my muddled brain. Any advice would be appreciated. Best Regards.
Ah I see! I assumed that’s what you meant but just wanted to make sure! It depends what parts your looking for really. If you’re getting solar/electrics you can go wrong with Bimble solar, very helpful! We’ve used a company allied Alpha batteries for our leisure batteries, they were extremely knowledgeable. We’d always recommend planar/autoterm if you’re going to get a diesel heater. Some of the work such as cutting out windows we were too afraid to do, so we used vanhaus in Stafford 😛 we’re going back to them soon for some more work. But a lot of stuff was from amazon etc, just going off good reviews. Harrison trim supplies are worth a look if you need stretchy carpet 😊
Hi Bonnie, we haven't really at down to work it out properly yet. But it's generally cheaper than bricks & mortar, as you'd expect. Winter tends to be much more expensive than summer as we use a lot more Gas, Wood & Diesel to heat the caravan. But the summer can be a lot cheaper & easier :P
Actually, it's bigger than my current small house in the mountains..plus I don't have hot running water like you and my only source of heating is a wood stove😊 as for the cold, just bundle up and hot water bottles are your friends😁 I have three😂.. you live in a mansion compared to me even though I live in a house😳😵
haha thanks for the tips Sue! As much as we moan about the cold we still do have most of the mod cons we need :P haven't cracked out the water bottles yet but they're probably imminent! Hope you're doing well :)
Love following you guys. I would really love to know about you phone contracts please I can email you directly if easier? I am going to be brave in the spring and go away on my own in the van for a few days and being able to use the laptop would be a big bonus xx
Thanks Elaine! Yeah, that's fine :) email might be easier: vwflora@gmail.com like we said, our contracts have been so good we haven't run out of data ever, and the signal is almost always fantastic!
Hi, thanks for your video, I'm 65 and pre retirement, and have purchased a 20 yr old project static on a site that's open 11 months of the year, the previous owners have disconnected the gas, so we have thermal boarded the underside of flooring with salvaged off cuts.. And installed a desiel heater into the middle bedroom and fed heating pipes left and right to lounge and bedroom.. Have purchased a jackery charger (to cut costs) as the land owner charges electricity in addition to rent.. Only a month into the project, retire July 😉 lovely to see your vids/and life style.. 👍
I thought you were presenting a series of Homes Under The Hammer. You guys make very engaging videos.
Haha, cheers Bruce! I'm not sure why the videos come out that way, it's just kinda what happens :P
😊 Can't be Home s under the Hammer Bruce. No obscure music with lyric matching puns or Meg and Cal walking in a room looking at the ceiling thoughtfuly and walking out for no reason. 😊😊😊 Keep up the good work guys
@@wessexevents 😂😂 or holding there hands together to form a diamond while they talk 😂😂
Haha, we edited all those bits out 😂
What a lovely place to live. Thanks for the tour!!!
Thank you :) we're very, very lucky!
A static caravan in the sticks would be great for me instead of being surrounded on all sides by housing and nosey neighbours would be be all pro's for me, looks really cosy too! Have a great Christmas both of you
Hi Elizabeth! Yea, we're extremely lucky and try to make the most of it. We love it here and really feel at home. Hope you have a great Christmas too! :)
Just a suggestion. Have you considered stoking the wood burniner up and damping it down to keep it alight. Use with potatoe peelings etc to keep it going through the night, leave all the doors open - kitchen,lounge,bedroom,bathroom its worth a try
Cheers Kieran! We'll certainly look in to it, we're not that familiar with wood burners really, so any tips are much appreciated :P
Lovely caravan you got there. We'd recommend sheepskins on the floor against the cold. Really helps us in the van.
Cheers guys! Someone else has recommended sheepskins too! Will keep it in mind ;)
Good morning guys 👋 thank you for showing us round your home, the log burner is a lovely addition and the fact your sited in the middle of the countryside makes it special 👍 ... take care 😘🤗❤️👵🏼🐾🐾🤠 xxxx
Hello both! Hope you're doing well? :) Love the log burner, it's roaring away as I type :)
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers we are fine thanks 🙏 Aww that’s nice 😊👍 xxx
I love your simplicity in your lives, no expensive mortages round your neck, living in a beautiful place with lots of natural things to do and see. I think you pair have got it perfectly spot on. You both think alike and youve always got each other to keep warm, your amazing!! Godbless you both❤️❤️xx
Thank you so much Dawn! We consider ourselves to be extremely fortunate. Not everyone's cup of tea but it works for us :) hope you're doing well
I just found your channel! I’m building out a 1988 Chevy van to travel and work in film and TV and I’m so excited!
Sounds awesome! We're sure you'll enjoy every part of the journey. We'd happily do it all over again 😍 good luck with everything.
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thank you!
Electric Blankets, thermal or lined curtains over doors, insulate the pipes Underneath and board around the bottom to make the draft underneath less , and a karcher window vacuum to Hoover up condensation on windows! And if the log burner is dual fuel, then buy coal, get the logs going and top up with coal( lasts through the night and can help start the fire again in the morning )
Hello Cath, thanks for all the top tips :)
Hi there,I have a touring caravan & it does get so cold in the Winter,I use Tea lights in lanterns,they create quite a bit of heat & a large bag are quite cheap,I also put tea lights on a baking tray & leave them in the oven,that creates some heat too,I have 2 mini Electric radiators,they are only 400watt so they don't use too much lec,I use a quick blast of my fan heater to warm up my clothes before I put them on,it's a nice way to warm you up,I also use a small Electic blanket & they don't use much lec either,good for pre heating your bed before bedtime,when it's really cold you could try keeping your log burner going all nigh,if you put potato peelings over the embers....
Then it should keep it smouldering all night....
Hope have plenty of hot drinks when it's cold & store boiling water in a large thermos flask to save on 're boiling the kettle....
Hope these tips help.....
Wear a scarf I doors too...
A warm neck is a big comfort....
Take care...
Sorry for our slow response... but that you for all the tips, we're gonna need them! :P You're not the first person to mention the peelings, so will definitely give that a go too!
1st time iv watched you two,very impressed how you are both so clear and honest.iv lived in a campervan then a touring caravan for 6 years. i can see why you do live in a static home as opposed to renting,or buying a house.to me it only comes a problem if ever you do decide to have children.with the walls being so thin the heating cost would go through the roof and it would be a lot more difficult to maintain your lifestyle that you have now.
Hi Chris! Thanks for your comment, we appreciate it 😊 yeah, we love the static! A little tough and expe sive getting through winter, but we'll worth it now the weather is getting better. Yes, it suits us 2 well but can imagine it's not quite ideal with children etc too. But living this way really helps us to save up for our next campervan trip 😉 hope you're well
Who needs Kirsty & Phil - Location, Location, Location....
I loved the comment “She doesn’t appreciate my art” 😂
Mince pies looked awesome, thank you for making me laugh on a Sunday morning 👍
Haha, we love Kirsty & Phil, but these guys are much better lol
@@VanTasticTraveling so true! ❤️
Haha, cheers Guy! Meg might not appreciate my "Art" :P but I certainly approved of the mince pies!
Love your videos, they've cheered me up in this 'interesting' year. Flora makes me want to jazz up my T4 Lola. My husband and I lived in a 28' x 10' static with 3 dogs, a cat and a new born baby, it was a great experience. Tuck your trousers into your socks to avoid the chill! Keep up the awesome videos, thank you. 😊
Hello Vicky, thanks you for your comment :) we really appreciate it and are glad that you enjoyed the vids (hopefully more to come :P) Hehe, think Flora needs a bit of Jazzing up now too! It's been a while since we dusted her off and gave her a wash :P Haha, great tip about the trouser! Yeah, we love our caravan, can be chilly but it feels like home.
Sounds like you had a lot fun making this vlog. Don’t get discouraged though we the audience love it. Just one tip noticed those pine forest near by. Pine cones are great for the wood burner they burn really hot we find them a lot hotter than the logs we use. Best of all there on your door step for free. Thanks for sharing have a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for the New Year!! 👍👍
Thanks for the tip Franco! I'm sure we could fin a few more cones around here :) yeah, this was a bit different but quite fun! Hope you have a lovely Christmas too :D
Perfect Sunday morning viewing 🤩
Thanks Anna! Hope you enjoyed it, bit of an earlier upload than usual. Thought we'd mix it up a bit :P
What an absolutely honest and interesting vlog . And yes , there is a stigma from some people but sod 'em . We had 5 years living in our caravan ( mobile) and loved every minute , I'm now doing a van build . We live in a house at the moment but would love to live in a mobile home . It's a lot more popular than you think . We have come across many people on our travels who spend summer back here on a mobile home park and winter down in Spain . It's a great life with the freedom to do as you please . Loved this vlog guys , stay safe and keep warm .
Hello Ken, thanks for your comment :) We've had a great response to this video and just as you said it seems to be far more popular than we first thought! There's a lot of love for the static caravans and less "conventional" homes. Thanks again, hope you're well :)
If it gets really cold sleep on the pull out sofa and have the fire going, your used to making your bed up every night after all 😄🎄
Haha, very true!
Great!! You made me buy a camper can and now I want a caravan too 🤣
Haha, trendsetters! Buy one in a nicer climate if you do 😛
Loved the tour guys! The bloopers were brilliant!!!! Sending warm hugs
Cheers guys! Hope the adventure is going well :)
Apart from the fact that it's a very original way of living (f*** stigma!) it is so much easier and economic. One of the reasons why I want to get into vanlife is because I want to minimalise. I walked through our flat a couple of years ago and I asked myself, "why the hell do we have such a big place?" and I realised that it's mainly to store all the crap we've bought and accumulated over the last 25+ years. I could live in far less actual living space. What you have there is just perfect! My wife unfortunately is far more addicted to her creature comforts, otherwise we'd already live in a van. I envy you! 😉
Regarding the cold, could you install another small wood burner in the bedroom? 🤔
Anyway, it's great to keep up with what's going on with you two, even if it currently has little to do with travel and vanlife. Just lovely to see you guys. 👍🏽😉
All the best and have a great Xmas! 🙏😌🎄🎅
Hello Jens, we definitely have minimalised our belongings but still have a few more things than we thought :P but it's mostly all important/useful so we don't feel too bad. But we do love this more simplistic lifestyle for sure. It's not for everyone, downsizing and living a bit more simply isn't everyone's idea of fun, and we completely understand. We could probably get a little burner, or maybe a diesel heater installed? There are options available to us. Hopefully we can get back in the van and do some exploring soon :) Merry Christmas to you too, we hope you're well!
I'm well, thank you! I only wish I could finally get into a van. Let's hope next year will be the start for that. Build a van first for weekends and holidays and then hopefully full-time. Have you guys thought about going full-time vanlife? With a bigger van, maybe? Or have you gotten used to the "luxurious lifestyle" again? 😁
Beautiful home
Great video guys. I love the caravan.I lived in a little old wooden chalet for 5 years on a farm.I loved it there.It was 19ft x 13ft and over 40 years old, the insulation had disitergrated. Windows were big and single pane. Only one gas heater. Having a woodburner would have helped alot. Lost a lot of heat through the windows so I bought thick thermal curtains and that did help keep the place warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Not sure where your wood burner is positioned,or if it would work,but there are little metal fans that can sit on the wood burner to distribute heat around the place.if it doesnt have it already,creaing a skirt around the underneath of caravan would also help insulate it too.hope you have a lovely Christmas.x
Hello Venessa! That sounds lovely, but even nippier than our caravan! Yes, we've seen those fans, might be worth an investment :) Cheers for all the tips!
Meg and Cal, thankyou so so much for all the great vids you have given us over the past year, and for all the hard work you put into making them so bloody good to watch. I sincerely hope yous have a wonderful Christmas and New year, best wishes and stay safe and well to you both and your families ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 🎄 🎅 🎁 🍾 🍺 🎉
Thank you Mr W, for following our adventure and sticking around to see what comes next! We’re really glad you enjoy the videos, hopefully many more to come. Wishing you and your family and very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
We had a static caravan for 22 year only used it on weekends and kids school holidays but we all loved it x i would definitely invest in a electric blanket, and have a pair of gloves at side of bed incase u like reading in bed, also a hat and a torch for when electric trips lol its great fun enjoy and a hot water bottle for when u sitting during the day x
Hi Julie, thanks for the tips! ;) There's a lot more people who live/have lived/stayed in static caravans and there seems to be a lot of love for them! Hope you're doing well
Hi, We’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year and may all your future adventures make great memories for you both so keep travelling and stay safe Kind Regards Nige’ & Jacqui 🙏
Hello Nige & Jacqui! 👋 Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you both too! 🎄hopefully we all return to some form of normality in the new year and can get out in to the world and explore! Thanks so much for your message, we appreciate it!
This brings back lovely memories for us when we were working - and our static van in Aberdeen was our weekend retreat. Because ours was on a campsite , the monthly outlay was ok when we were working but quite expensive when we retired . I would never say never if we ever became unable to travel around in our present van or touring caravan - live for today - great base for you guys . Merry Xmas ❤️
Hi Fiona! :) we've had so many replies from people with a similar story. Didn't expect so many people to have lived/live in a static. We've had a lot of tips coming in! Hope you have a great Christmas :)
It looks GREAT NICE SETUP and vlog😁
Loved the outakes😂😂😂Merry Christmas🎅
Cheers John, glad you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas to you too :)
Fantastic video as usual guys, loved the intro... My in-laws have a static caravan near Carlisle and we love using that as a base for our more northern adventures. Those mince pies look ace! We love visiting the caravan and have spoken to each other many times about possibly moving into one at some point in the future due to the low costs of living in one. You are right, mornings are pretty cold in caravans. lol, definitely a plus point not having to sort a bed out every night. One thing we have spoken about in regards to moving into one ourselves is the possibility of putting solar panels on the roof of the caravan, I think that would be a great idea! Merry Christmas guys and a happy new year from our family to yours. Here is to many new adventures in the new year!
Cheers! Yeah, solar would be a great benefit. Plenty of roof space too, could probably get a lot up there :P Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you and your family too :) Hope you have a good one!
It looks so cozy guys.....where I live in Somerset many people live in static caravans but not in such lovely locations as yours 😘
Hi Helen! Yeah, we love it :) and yes, we're very lucky to be where we are!
My sister used to live on a house boat in Bristol for 4 years. Her tips on staying warm in the winter: draw the curtains, windows unfortunately make rooms colder. Also there are electric heaters with timers on them. Set them to like an hour before you have to get up in the morning, this way it's nice and warm in the morning, not using nearly as much electricity as heating all night would. Possibly upgrade to a solar system for electrics? Personally, it's my first year living in a van, and I've chosen Greece to stay the winter ;) Therefore no cold challenges (yet)
Hello Andrea! Greece sounds like a good idea :P Thanks for all the top tips! We'll certainly implement them. Hope you're well
Hi guys, I lived in a touring caravan for 5 years and my experience was finding mould due to condensation in the back of wardrobes and under bedding mattresses. Stay vigilent for all your cold spots and ventilate everything as often as you can :-D xxx
Cheers for the heads up! :P will make sure to check those pesky areas! Hope you're doing well
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Yes very well thank you 😁
Great vlog, so being able to stand up and not move about with knees bent mean you might get a taller van or a pop top fitted to Flora?
Heating the van, a skirt around the bottom stops the wind blowing through. Insulate all the pipes underneath well, crawling about under the van in the mud cause the shower pipes crack is not fun.
Change electric blow heaters to oil filled heaters, use less leccy.
And Teddy bear bedding, it is a game changer as doesn't go cold like cotton.
Looking forward to next vlog.
Hello! Thanks for the tips! Regarding Flora's limited height... we have no plans yet :P It's definitely not always ideal but at the moment it works for us, but is something we do often chat about. Can't say I've heard of Teddy bear bedding but I'm intrigued now :P Cheers!
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers we have the bedding in the van, for those colder trips and it is lush
Love your new digs. Seems like plenty of space.
Thanks Lynn! Yeah, plenty of space for us 2 :)
You have a lovely home, stay safe, have a wonderful Christmas x
nige & adele
Hello both, hope you have a fantastic Christmas also! :)
Brilliant as usual!👍🎄 take care and stay safe!
Cheers Les!
Nice vlog guys... 🙂 I've had two statics, although for leisure, but was able to spend a lot of time in the last one particularly... Statics tend not to be floor insulated, so I did both under the caravan, using the bagged loft insulation, it made a huge difference and wasn't overly expensive... Also doing a skirting around the van helps, but leave it vented to help air flow... Insulate your pipes as much as you can, the lengths of pipe lagging and anything else you can, you'll probably still get a burst though, and they tend to be on joints. Keep some spare joints and pipe lengths handy for emergencies... Its also possible to use anti freeze in the heating system, check this out first though, make of boiler etc, see if it's possible... Another one is to look at all the places where pipes go through the floor, the gaps are usually way to big and you can stuff rags etc in the gaps... Also, as in vans, moisture can be a problem. If you have cupboards, or wardrobes that are on an external wall, try to keep items off the wall, clothing is the worst thing, as I found out, having the moisture capture tub things can be a help in wardrobes!!! 😱
Hope this helps. Alex... 🙂
Oh, I also used the insulation boards as well for under floor... 🙂
The floor and skirting are a long term solution I suppose, but well worth it if that's your plan... Oh, and I loved being in my statics, and would absolutely do it again... 🙂
Cheers for all the info and tips! Something for us to consider. It's not a deal-breaker for us but it would be great to be a tad warmer on those cold winter mornings :P
Great vlog as always guys, in my personal opinion a home is always what you need and require as an individual or as a couple. I would more than happily live in a static caravan as long as I have an outbuilding or a garage to work on motorcycles lol. What is defined as the norm should be upto the people who live it, not by what society says it is. We are all different and as such have different outlooks and requirements. It seems to me that the place your in ticks every box and let's you both live in a way that makes the soul happy. That's what life is about. Have a great rest of the weekend and week ahead, best wishes and stay safe and well to you both and your families ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️ 💙 ❤️
Hello Mr W, sorry for our slow response. Hoping you had a good Sunday :) We feel so at home here we forget that it isn't exactly "conventional" and it has just become normal for us. We love it and feel very blessed for many reasons. Hope you're doing well :)
I know this questions got nothing do with your caravan, but what made you want grow your hair into dread locks your hair looks lovely by the way love the colour...love the caravan I'd live in one
Hi Amanda, I always wanted them and thought that it would suit my future lifestyle of traveling perfectly. I took the plunge 4 years ago and have never looked back. Cheers Meg x🚐👍
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I thou so ...does it feel heavy ?
Yeah the can do, especially when wet x
I love VOXI!!!! The voxi drops can be great too!
Probably the best network I've been with! Hope they never change :P
We went in a static caravan out of season once. It was lovely but wish we had taken hot water bottles. The new caravans are like being home from home. They have better insulation.
Haha, yeah. Hot water bottles are very handy :P but yeah, these caravans, especially the new ones are so smart and comfy! Always forget we're in a caravan!
I have lived in a mobile home (trailer) and if you use hay bails around your caravan to help stop the cold getting under your home,keeps the floor warmer.
I was wondering how long has Meg been growing her dress?
Thanks Lauralie, sounds like a good idea! Meg's nearly at 4 years now with her dreads, crazy how fast the time has gone!
Great to see your little home I'll look into voxi, does it use the Vodafone network? Emma & Newt
Hello 👋 thanks! Yes it does, we find the coverage is excellent to be fair. Even around Europe we rarely had a problem! Well worth a look if you stream a lot of video or use social media a lot. We can even upload videos to RUclips without using up our data!
How about using one of those self contained Chinese Diesel heaters..have it set up out side..just need the heat inlet to come in some how.to which room you need heated most.. cheap short term fix for winter..use red diesel. 60 p ish per litre.
Hi from Ian &Dee in Ireland. 😎☘
Hello both! That's not a bad idea at all! Certainly something to think about :) Hope you guys are doing well
so what'd ya do with flora? going to watch you in sardinia now seeya!
Hi Greg! We still have Flora, she’s on the drive awaiting a few little upgrades before our next adventure! :)
Is the caravan boxed in underneath? I have lived in 2, make sure the pipes are insulated underneath, i loved it more than house life.
Cheers Mike, no unfortunately we're not boxed it. But imagine that'd help a lot, something to look in to. We need to check the pipes are adequately insulated too before it gets REALLY cold :P Yeah, we love it in the caravan, much more than the house!
Wow so much room, 😊 you both look so well. Love the tour, looks such a cute crib 😉. How's Uk life? Merry Christmas to all xx
Haha, more room than we know what to do with :P Yeah, U.K life is okay...bit wet though! Missing some sun :) Merry Christmas to you too, hope all is going well
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Thank you, the camper looks does look so spacious.
it's gonna be a different Christmas and I've slowed down on van build die to the cold. But I'm gonna force myself as I wanna be finished for spring road trips.
Love ur tree, sending best wishes x
@@LostNative yeah keep going! We HATED working through the winter but it was worth it in the end 👍
Hi,I'm from Kazakhstan!
Hello there! 👋
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers можно выпуск про ваш фургон?
Love your new home 🏡🤗 what about an electric blanket?
Thanks Juliet! Definitely something to look in to :)
Hi People, I am just about to start my own camper conversion. I have found the previous videos very helpful. Anyway, I want to ask when purchasing conversion who did you use, and do you have any advice for me? Best regards.
Hello! Good luck with your conversion :) Sorry, a bit confused by your question. We didn't purchase our conversion exactly, we bought all the bits separately and did it ourselves. Or are you asking where we bought the empty van from? Sorry :P
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers Hi, Sorry for the confusion. I was wondering where you purchased the items to convert your van. There are so many suppliers I was wondering if you found a reliable supplier? I am looking to purchase a panel van using your videos to help me. Really sorry I have PTSD and can talk/write what seems ok to me, but ....well you have an experience of my muddled brain. Any advice would be appreciated. Best Regards.
Ah I see! I assumed that’s what you meant but just wanted to make sure! It depends what parts your looking for really. If you’re getting solar/electrics you can go wrong with Bimble solar, very helpful! We’ve used a company allied Alpha batteries for our leisure batteries, they were extremely knowledgeable. We’d always recommend planar/autoterm if you’re going to get a diesel heater. Some of the work such as cutting out windows we were too afraid to do, so we used vanhaus in Stafford 😛 we’re going back to them soon for some more work. But a lot of stuff was from amazon etc, just going off good reviews. Harrison trim supplies are worth a look if you need stretchy carpet 😊
How about panels?
Hi Michelle, do you mean panels for the sides/underneath to stop the cold air?
@@FloraTheNoviceExplorers I meant solar panels 😀
Oh I see 😂 haha we could do, but with the caravan not being ours we don’t want to do anything too drastic to it! But solar panels would be great 👍
We found a quality dehumidifier saved us money on heating and kept the place from feeling damp 👍🏻
By the way your Van is lovely especially the kitchen😊
I preferred the views of Sardinia 😃. Great little space 😃
Haha, those memories are keeping us warm ;)
I would love to know how much in total per month for this kind of life. £/month
Hi Bonnie, we haven't really at down to work it out properly yet. But it's generally cheaper than bricks & mortar, as you'd expect. Winter tends to be much more expensive than summer as we use a lot more Gas, Wood & Diesel to heat the caravan. But the summer can be a lot cheaper & easier :P
The irish love em
Great stuff 😁
Thanks 😁
Looking Brill Guys
Cheers Ian :)
Gosh, it's bigger than my ex flat in London and my current small house is a little bit bigger, if not same size😱
Actually, it's bigger than my current small house in the mountains..plus I don't have hot running water like you and my only source of heating is a wood stove😊 as for the cold, just bundle up and hot water bottles are your friends😁 I have three😂.. you live in a mansion compared to me even though I live in a house😳😵
haha thanks for the tips Sue! As much as we moan about the cold we still do have most of the mod cons we need :P haven't cracked out the water bottles yet but they're probably imminent! Hope you're doing well :)
no xmas in june this year?
haha, we managed to keep up this time :P
*meant super of course 😊
hehe, cheers Stephanie :)
Are you two sales persons or tv presenters? If not, you should be!
Haha, no we're not :P Think we've just spent too much time in front of a camera!
Bloody luxury 😉
Haha! Feels like it :P
Speer video once again.
Are you paying council tax?
Love following you guys. I would really love to know about you phone contracts please I can email you directly if easier? I am going to be brave in the spring and go away on my own in the van for a few days and being able to use the laptop would be a big bonus xx
Thanks Elaine! Yeah, that's fine :) email might be easier: vwflora@gmail.com like we said, our contracts have been so good we haven't run out of data ever, and the signal is almost always fantastic!
Nice didactic British TV show.