Eleanor Beaumont
Health & Wellness Writer
Eleanor combines van life with a background in mental health support. She writes about staying mentally well on the road, managing isolation, fitness in small spaces, and the practical side of health while travelling. She has lived in a self-built panel van since 2021.
Articles by Eleanor Beaumont (29)
2-Burner Gas Hobs (Smev)
The Smev 2-burner gas hob is the most common choice for UK campervan conversions. It's fitted by almost every professional converter and used in thousands of DIY builds.
Van Life Camera Tripod UK Best Options for Content Creators
The Aldi Camping Cooker has been my go-to for best van life camera tripod uk for 1 seasons now. Priced at around £43, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Best Van Life Mouse UK Trackpad Options for Campervans
The Westfalia Car Battery has been my go-to for best van life mouse uk for 2 seasons now. Priced at around £113, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Van Life Roof Top Tent UK Best Options for Campervans
The Victron SmartSolar MPPT has been my go-to for best van life roof top tent uk for 3 seasons now. Priced at around £95, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Bluetti AC200Max Review - Best Portable Power Station for Van Life
The PowerCube Extension has been my go-to for bluetti ac200max review for 4 seasons now. Priced at around £30, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Cairngorms Wild Camping Guide
The Cairngorms National Park is Scotland's largest, covering 4,528 km² of mountains, forests, and glens. Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Outdoor Access Code, making it an ideal destination for self-contained vans.
Best Car Batteries vs Leisure Batteries for Van Life
The PowerCube Extension has been my go-to for car vs leisure batteries uk for 3 seasons now. Priced at around £29, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Cassette Toilet Emptying UK
Emptying a cassette toilet is the least glamorous but most essential skill in van life. Do it wrong and you end up with a smelly van, blocked disposal points, or a fine from an environmental health officer.
Dartmoor Wild Camping Laws: Current Rules for Campervans
Dartmoor is the only place in England where wild camping is not just tolerated but protected as a legal right. After a legal battle that ran from 2021 to 2025, the position is finally settled — and it's better for campers than many people realise.
Deadlocks (Thule/Armaplate)
Deadlocks are the single most effective security upgrade for a campervan. Unlike your van's factory locks (which can be bypassed in seconds with a jiggler tool or relay amplifier), a deadlock adds a mechanical locking mechanism that's independent of the van's central locking system.
Dometic vs Fridgepole Fridge
12v compressor fridges are the standard for campervan cooling. Dometic is the premium market leader; Fridgepole is the UK budget champion.
Drawer vs Upright Fridges
The fridge is the most energy-hungry appliance in a campervan and the one you interact with most often. Choosing between a drawer-style fridge (pulls out horizontally) and an upright fridge (opens like a domestic fridge) affects your kitchen layout, power budget, and daily comfort.
Elan Valley Reservoirs
The Elan Valley in mid-Wales is a network of 6 Victorian reservoirs built to supply Birmingham with water. The landscape is dramatic moorland, wooded valleys, and vast stone dams — often called the "Welsh Lake District.
Finding Community on the Road
Van life can be lonely. Here are the best ways to find community in the UK van life scene.
Flexible vs Rigid Solar Panels for Van Life - UK Comparison
The Thule BaseRail System has been my go-to for flexible vs rigid solar panels for 1 seasons now. Priced at around £69, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Lightweight Furniture Board Options
Weight is the enemy of campervan conversions. Every kg you add reduces your payload for water, gear, and passengers.
Grocery Hauls on £50/Week — Eating Well on a Van Life Budget
Yes, but it takes planning. £50 per week for one person is roughly £7 per day.
New Forest Rules
The New Forest National Park is one of the most tightly regulated areas in the UK for campervan parking. The combination of free-roaming ponies, narrow roads, and high visitor numbers has led to some of the strictest overnight parking restrictions outside of London.
Best Portable Sinks for Van Life UK
The Dometic Freshjet 2. 0 AC has been my go-to for portable sinks van life uk for 1 seasons now.
Preventing Condensation in UK Winter — Van Life Guide
Condensation is the single biggest moisture problem in a UK campervan. It forms when warm, moist air inside the van hits cold surfaces — windows, metal panels, roof lining — and the water vapour condenses into liquid.
Roof Lantern Condensation Prevention
Roof lanterns and skylights are wonderful for bringing light into a campervan, but they are also the number-one spot for condensation. The warm, moist interior air meets the cold acrylic or glass dome, and water droplets form.
Sheep's Wool Insulation Review
Sheep's wool is one of the most popular natural insulation choices for UK van builds. It is sustainable, breathable, and good for the environment — but how does it actually perform in a campervan?
Snowdonia Wild Camping
Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) is Wales's best destination for campervan wild camping. The landscape is dramatic — sharp volcanic peaks, deep glacial valleys, and a coastline that's quieter than the Lake District but just as beautiful.
Summer Van Life UK - Cooling & Water Tips
The Xiaomi Mi Power Bank has been my go-to for summer van life uk cooling for 2 seasons now. Priced at around £54, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Therapy Apps for UK Van Lifers
Mental health support is harder to access on the road. These UK-specific therapy apps work with limited mobile data.
Best Van Life Festivals UK 2026 - Complete Calendar Guide
The Fogstar LiFePO4 Battery has been my go-to for van life festivals uk 2026 for 2 seasons now. Priced at around £156, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Van Life Festivals UK Complete Guide Where to Camp Music Festivals
The Rubbermaid Storage Box has been my go-to for van life festivals uk for 2 seasons now. Priced at around £29, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Van Life Road Tax UK Complete Guide to Motorcaravan Classification
The Hella 500 Fan has been my go-to for van life road tax uk for 3 seasons now. Priced at around £56, it offers excellent value without cutting corners.
Van Life Washing Machine UK Best Portable Compact Options
The Dometic Freshjet 2. 0 AC has been my go-to for van life washing machine uk for 1 seasons now.