Can you live in a camper van in Europe ?

2POSTS

5 years ago

Hey guys !

I'm new to Expat and I was wondering as my title asks , can you live in a camper van in Europe *as a foreigner ?

I'm currently living in Japan and looking to escape the daily routine that is English teaching and see more of the world as I had originally planned .

I'm trying to see if living in a camper van is possible in Japan as a foreigner ( especially with having a residence card ) but I'm having no such luck . What about Europe ?

Any advice or insight would be great !

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Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

1 - Driving license
2 - Do you need a fixed address as an expat - If so, can you get one and move around legally?
3 - Heating and cooling the vehicle depending on where you are and at what time of year
4 - Do you have the sense of adventure you're going to need to have that sort of fun?
5 - Campers don't come cheap - Got the dosh?

SimCityAT Expert

13914POSTS

5 years ago

Fred, you missed out - Insurance

SimCityAT Expert

13914POSTS

5 years ago

At the moment its the best time and who knows for how long with Corona lurking as borders are opening and closing all the time.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

SimCityAT wrote:
Fred, you missed out - Insurance

Rock music is to blame.

I've been living old memories from when I didn't give a flying crap about much (biker days with too much beer, and rock music at volume levels otolaryngologists get silly about) so I forgot that.
Headphones on, 'For those about to rock' loaded on Youtube, and back to it, dude.

PS - Yer, insurance.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

Hang on a mo, AC/DC, a camper van would be a bit of fun.
What would you actually need?

Heating and cooling
Something to power the heating and cooling
A bog
A shower
A bed (Sort of)
Cooking

These new fangled 12 volt AC units have heating and cooling, so that leaves solar or a genny.

Portable bogs are easy enough to buy and, as long as you lay off the curry, not such a chore to clean and empty

Shower come easy if you go Asian and use a bucket and scoop. It's effective and uses hardly any water.

If you insulate the vehicle, board out the floor and carpet it, all you need is a matress.

Cooking - A portable gas burner and a microwave running off an inverter/generator

The washing area can be made from a shower tray and shower curtains, the toilet needs not a lot as long as it's secured from moving when you drive in order not to get the carpet into a state where serious cleaning would be required.

A long wheel base blind van would about do the job.

SimCityAT Expert

13914POSTS

5 years ago

Here you are Fred

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

SimCityAT wrote:
Here you are Fred

Nice link - If you're rich or just out for a week.
I'd go reasonable second hand, board it out, bung in the minimum, then set off.

95 Mickey Mouse money Euros a night isn't my cup of tea.

1 member reacted to this post

SimCityAT Expert

13914POSTS

5 years ago

Fred wrote:
SimCityAT wrote:
Here you are Fred

Nice link - If you're rich or just out for a week.
I'd go reasonable second hand, board it out, bung in the minimum, then set off.

95 Mickey Mouse money Euros a night isn't my cup of tea.

Something like this then Fred?

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

#10

Also ...

Laptop or and android tab with keyboard and mouse and/or a phone for satnav/comms/camera/DeX (That's like having a computer with you)

If I were to go all digital nomad on you, I'd go with a Samsung Note 20 and a portable monitor, or maybe an S20 and a tab.
d buy a cheap and crappy android as satnav so it didn't tie up my phone and hardly matters if you use it to death.

The laptop/tab should charge using a USB brick or it might be a pain in the bum.

1 member reacted to this post

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

#11

SimCityAT wrote:
Fred wrote:
SimCityAT wrote:
Here you are Fred

Nice link - If you're rich or just out for a week.
I'd go reasonable second hand, board it out, bung in the minimum, then set off.

95 Mickey Mouse money Euros a night isn't my cup of tea.

Something like this then Fred?

Looks more like it but..

Is our intrepid OP able to tinker when bits of the van drop off? If so, no worries - If not, something newer would be in order.

I can hardly remember much about roads in Europe and Britain, so how much will vehicle hight be a pain in the arse?
Here, things are way easier if you're below 2.1 m as that that allows you to use the quick toll gates and get into most car parks.
Short wheel base has the advantage of easy parking but would probably need a washroom built as a tailgate job, but a long wheel base has the advantage of internal space.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

5 years ago

#12

Samsung DeX is a killer.
A top end phone combined with a portable monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and you have a computer on the go, but all your data is safe as long as you look after your phone.
With 512 gb of internal memory, it's no slouch at playing films as well.

Well handy, and a setup I'd seriously consider if I were to go wandering ... but I'd also keep a cheap and crap android for satnav.

guestposter15352 Guest

0POSTS

5 years ago

#13

Msdenise31, Other than what already is mentioned you also need to pay vehicle tax in the country you and your vehicle will going to be registered in order to have a vehicle insurance, provided that your vehicle has gone through the annual vehicle inspection.

Roughly counted (according to Swedish norms) for a normal size suitable van for the purpose would cost minimum starting from 5000 USD and annual vehicle tax approx 500 USD and insurance 600 USD per year, then for annual vehicle inspection approx 50 USD and normally there will be something to fix every year to pass through it, would cost an unknown amount include service and tyres. That all is just to have the vehicle. And to run it around and between countries fuel and possible local road/tunnel/ferry/bridge taxes.

Definitely not to be negative but that is the reality in Europe. Good luck!

1 member reacted to this post

Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8150POSTS

5 years ago

#14

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

First off, this won't be easy.聽 Assuming you can do it where you are, that will be the easiest way to find a camper, register and insure it and then make your way to Europe.

This will take you to a YouTube channel from a guy who has done what you are contemplating, although he started in the US, drove down the whole of North and South Americas and back and has now set off across Europe; he has documented the whole thing and it's all on his YouTube channel.聽 COVID has caused enormous problems for van dwellers as they live nowhere, many have no or very little travel insurance; some have been forced to abandon their vans and go home (hence my opening statement).

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

NickJM Member

21POSTS

5 years ago

#15

On the subject of camper vans , I take it, being temporarily based in a motorhome when first arriving in Germany, while looking for a place to rent or a house to purchase, makes it impossible to register the Ammeldung residency intent?聽聽 Or might someone know a way around that, ie having the motorhome in an established caravan park, so with a definite address for a while?聽 Long shot I know but I thought I'd ask anyway, just in case..

Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8150POSTS

5 years ago

#16

Hi again.

I'm almost certain you can't.聽 I used to have a mobile home on a site on the Dutch/German border and over half of the residents were people who couldn't do what you are suggesting in Germany, so they came across to the Netherlands and lived on the black as they call it.聽 They all lived in a kind of limbo, not being registered in either country; it was a weird existence.

NickJM Member

21POSTS

5 years ago

#17

Thanks.聽 Yes I was thinking that would probably be the case.聽 How about an indefinite stay in a Hostel (while looking for "proper" accommodation) ?聽 'Heard conflicting reports as to whether one can live in such a place and still do a German Anmeldung registration that way.聽聽聽

Wondering if anybody knows anything about that?聽聽聽

Though once again, I'm not overly optimistic.聽 :-(

Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8150POSTS

5 years ago

#18

Hi again.

Germany is not my strength; whether a hostel meets the regulatory requirements, I don't know; I can say that if I consider the hostels I've stayed in, I doubt very much if they would be accepted, they were little more than a bed for the night with access to a communal washroom.