I’ve made a lot of mistakes in this guide. Most of them multiple times.
There’s the time I ran out of water in the middle of nowhere and had to brush my teeth with energy drink. The week I forgot to charge my leisure battery and spent the night with no lights, no phone charging, and no dignity. That memorable evening when I parked somewhere “perfectly legal” and got moved on by police at 2am in my pants.
Vanlife has a learning curve. You will make mistakes. But you can avoid the expensive, dangerous, or just embarrassing ones if you learn from people who’ve already cocked it up.
Here are the common vanlife beginner mistakes every beginner makes, why they happen, and how to avoid them. This is four years of hard-won wisdom delivered with the understanding that you’ll probably ignore half of it and learn the hard way anyway.
Conversion & Build Mistakes
Mistake 1: Starting Without a Proper Plan
What happens: You buy a van and immediately start ripping things out and sticking things in. Three months later you’ve got a half-finished conversion, no clear direction, and you’ve spent twice your budget.
Why beginners do it: Excitement. Planning is boring. Building stuff is fun. Instagram makes it look easy.
My story: Started my first conversion by buying a £600 second-hand kitchen unit before I’d even measured my van properly. Didn’t fit. Couldn’t return it. Sat in my garage for eight months before I admitted defeat and sold it for £200.
How to avoid it:
- Draw your layout on paper first (actual scale drawings)
- Mock up furniture positions with cardboard boxes
- List everything you need before buying anything
- Budget properly including 30% contingency
- Set a realistic timeline (double what you think)
- Decide your priorities (what’s essential vs nice-to-have)
If you’ve already done it: Stop. Step back. Write down what you’ve actually completed versus what you need. Make a proper plan from where you are now. It’s not too late to salvage things.
Mistake 2: Underestimating Electrical System Needs
What happens: You install 100Ah battery and 100W solar panel because that’s what some blog recommended. Then you realize you want to run a laptop, phone, iPad, camera batteries, fairy lights, diesel heater, and occasionally a blender. Your battery is dead by Tuesday.
Why beginners do it: Electrical seems complicated. People default to minimum specs. Under-budgeting leads to undersized systems.
My story: Installed 100Ah AGM battery and 150W solar. Lasted about five days before I was constantly battery-anxious. Upgraded to 200Ah lithium and 300W solar six months later. Should’ve just done it properly first time. Wasted £400 on equipment I replaced.
How to avoid it:
- List every device you’ll charge/run with its power draw
- Calculate daily amp-hour usage realistically
- Add 50% overhead for inefficiency and bad weather
- Size battery for 3-5 days autonomy without charging
- Solar should replace daily usage (minimum)
- Don’t cheap out on battery — it’s your van’s power plant
Rough guide: Remote worker needs 200Ah+ lithium minimum. Casual user might manage with 100Ah. Add more solar than you think you need.
If you’ve already done it: Track your actual usage for a week. If you’re constantly managing battery anxiety, upgrade before you get caught out somewhere important. Undersized electrical is miserable.
Mistake 3: Forgetting About Condensation Until It’s Too Late
What happens: You insulate walls, panel over them, install everything. First cold night, you wake up to dripping water running down walls. Your lovely ply paneling is soaking. Mould appears within a week.
Why beginners do it: Insulation tutorials focus on thermal efficiency. Nobody talks about moisture barriers and ventilation until you’ve got a problem.
My story: Insulated my first van with Celotex. Didn’t use vapour barrier. Didn’t plan ventilation properly. First winter was miserable — constant condensation, damp smell, condensation literally dripping on my face at night. Had to rip out panels and start again. £300 wasted plus a week’s work.
How to avoid it:
- Use vapour barrier on warm side of insulation
- Install proper ventilation (roof vent minimum, ideally two)
- Plan air circulation routes
- Use moisture-resistant materials where possible
- Accept that some condensation is inevitable
- Have a plan to manage it (towels, dehumidifier, etc.)
Winter reality: Two people in a van = about 2 litres of moisture per night from breathing. That moisture has to go somewhere. If it can’t escape, it condenses on cold surfaces.
If you’ve already done it: Add ventilation immediately. Use moisture traps. Wipe down windows every morning. If it’s really bad, you might need to add vapour barrier retroactively (painful but necessary).
Mistake 4: Building for Instagram Not Real Life
What happens: You install floating shelves that look great in photos but spill everything the first time you drive. Glass vases, open shelving, white furniture that shows every mark. Form over function everywhere.
Why beginners do it: Instagram vanlife looks perfect. Nobody posts photos of practical but ugly storage or the beer can rolling under the bed.
My story: Installed open shelves above the bed. Looked amazing. First drive to Scotland, a book fell off and hit me in the face while I was sleeping. Everything needs securing, even if it ruins the aesthetic.
How to avoid it:
- Build for driving not parking
- Everything needs securing (nothing loose)
- Closed storage beats open shelves
- Avoid white (shows every mark)
- Skip glass and ceramics
- Prioritize function then make it look good
- Test by driving on rough roads before finishing
Ask yourself: “Will this work after driving on B-roads in Wales for 4 hours?” If no, redesign it.
If you’ve already done it: Add rails, straps, or elastic cord to open shelves. Replace unsuitable items gradually. Accept that perfectly Instagrammable vans are often terrible to actually live in.
Mistake 5: Overbuilding and Running Out of Space
What happens: You install full kitchen, massive bed, huge wardrobe, fold-out table, storage everywhere. Suddenly you can’t actually move. The van feels claustrophobic. You can’t have guests over.
Why beginners do it: Trying to recreate house comforts in 10 square metres. Thinking you need everything. Not understanding vanlife is about minimalism.
My story: First van had SO much storage. Floor-to-ceiling cupboards, underbed storage, overhead storage. Could barely walk through it. Felt like a shed on wheels. Next van: half the storage, twice as pleasant to live in.
How to avoid it:
- Leave more empty space than you think necessary
- Build 70% of what you planned
- Live in van partially completed before finishing
- Prioritize flexibility over permanent fixtures
- Remember: small van feels bigger with less stuff
Reality check: You need less storage than you think because you need less stuff than you think.
If you’ve already done it: Remove furniture. Seriously. Take out the thing you use least. Sell it. You’ll never miss it and your van will feel dramatically better.
Gear & Equipment Mistakes
Mistake 6: Buying Cheap Gear That Doesn’t Last
What happens: You buy the £30 camping chair instead of the £100 one. It breaks in three months. You buy another cheap one. It breaks. You finally buy the expensive one you should’ve bought initially. Total spent: £160 instead of £100.
Why beginners do it: Budget anxiety. Not understanding that quality costs less long-term. Thinking camping gear is camping gear.
My story: Bought cheap camping chairs (£25 each). Both broke within six months. Bought mid-range chairs (£45 each). Lasted a year. Finally bought Helinox Chair Ones (£100 each). Four years later, still going strong. Should’ve just spent the money first time.
How to avoid it:
- Research properly before buying
- Read reviews from people using gear long-term
- Calculate cost-per-use not just upfront cost
- Buy once, cry once (spend more for quality)
- Essential items justify premium prices
Where to spend money: Leisure battery, mattress, diesel heater, water pump, seating, solar panels.
Where you can save: Fancy gadgets, decorative items, luxury extras.
If you’ve already done it: Replace cheap gear as it breaks with quality alternatives. Don’t throw good money after bad replacing cheap with more cheap.
Mistake 7: Not Testing Gear Before Relying On It
What happens: You install a diesel heater but never fully test it. First cold night in Scotland, it won’t start. You freeze. Or your water pump fails and you only discover it when you’re desperate for a wash three days into a trip.
Why beginners do it: Eagerness to get on the road. Assuming gear works because it’s new. Not thinking through failure scenarios.
How to avoid it:
- Test every system extensively before relying on it
- Run your heater for 8 hours straight
- Use your water system for a week
- Check for leaks after a long drive
- Simulate emergency scenarios
- Keep backup plans for critical systems
Test checklist:
- Electrical: full discharge and recharge cycle
- Water: run system completely empty and refill
- Heating: operate in cold weather continuously
- Cooking: use in wind and rain
- Storage: drive on rough roads with everything secured
If you’ve already done it: Test everything systematically now. Better to find problems on your driveway than in the Highlands.
Mistake 8: Forgetting About Weight Limits
What happens: You load up the van with furniture, water, gear, tools, bike, spare parts, clothes for every season. Drive to weighbridge. You’re 400kg over your van’s weight limit. Illegal, dangerous, and insurance probably doesn’t cover you.
Why beginners do it: Nobody thinks about weight. Stuff accumulates. No obvious warning until you specifically check.
My story: Got stopped at a commercial vehicle checkpoint. Police made me drive to weighbridge. 80kg over my limit. Got a warning (lucky). Dumped the water and back in business but its easy to forget and drive illegally or unsafely
How to avoid it:
- Know your van’s Maximum Authorised Mass (on V5C)
- Weigh your van empty after conversion
- Calculate remaining payload
- Weigh major items before adding them
- Leave buffer for water, fuel, food
- Get van weighed at public weighbridge (costs about £15)
Typical payload after conversion: Maybe 300-500kg for most vans. That’s you, passengers, water (75kg for full tank), gear, food, everything.
If you’ve already done it: Weigh your van immediately. If over, remove weight until legal. Consider van uprate services (adds weight limit for £500-800) if your van qualifies.
Daily Living Mistakes
Mistake 9: Not Having a Rubbish System
What happens: Carrier bags of rubbish everywhere. Smell. Flies. Embarrassment when opening sliding door and bin bags tumble out. Food waste attracting wildlife. General squalor.
Why beginners do it: Sounds trivial. It’s not. Rubbish management is daily vanlife reality.
How to avoid it:
- Dedicated bin with lid (keeps smells contained)
- Line with compostable bags
- Empty daily or every other day
- Separate recycling if possible
- Know where public bins are (most car parks, services, supermarkets)
- Never let food waste sit more than a day
Reality: You create more rubbish than you think. Plan for it.
If you’ve already done it: Buy a bin today. Literally today. This is a quality-of-life upgrade you cannot imagine until you have it.
Mistake 10: Running Out of Water Regularly
What happens: You’re constantly anxious about water. Washing up? Half a cup of water. Shower? Maybe next week. Brushing teeth? Spit out the window. It’s miserable.
Why beginners do it: Undersized water tank. Not planning refill locations. Not tracking usage. Thinking 20 litres is enough (it’s not).
My story: Started with 25 litres fresh water. Lasted about 2-3 days with careful rationing. Constantly stressed about running out. Upgraded to 65 litres on second attempt but now have 90 litres. Completely different experience — I can actually wash properly.
How to avoid it:
- Install largest water capacity your space/weight allows
- 50-100 litres fresh water minimum for comfortable living
- Track refill locations (apps, maps, mental notes)
- Understand your daily usage (probably 10-20 litres per person)
- Have backup water containers
- Join gym for showers (£20/month unlimited hot water)
Finding water:
- Supermarket car parks (ask security)
- Campsites (small fee usually okay)
- Pubs (buy a drink, ask politely)
- Garages (some have taps)
- Public taps in some areas
If you’ve already done it: Carry extra jerry cans for now. Plan water tank upgrade when budget allows. Join a gym immediately.
Mistake 11: Parking in Stupid Places
What happens: You park somewhere obviously dodgy because it’s free and convenient. Get moved on by police. Get tickets. Get threatened by locals. Get actually robbed.
Why beginners do it: Trying to save money. Not understanding what makes parking spots acceptable. Thinking “it’s just one night” excuses bad choices.
My story: Parked in a residential area near central Manchester because it was free. 1am: loud banging on van. Group of lads trying door handles. Drove off immediately, heart pounding. Lesson learned — free isn’t worth feeling unsafe.
How to avoid it:
- Use Park4Night and iOverlander religiously
- Read recent reviews of spots
- Arrive before dark to assess safety
- Trust your gut (if it feels wrong, leave)
- Avoid: residential areas, obvious no parking zones, isolated city spots
- Prefer: industrial estates (quiet at night), supermarket car parks (ask permission), established layups
Good spots characteristics:
- Other campervans visible
- Well-lit but not overly urban
- Multiple exit routes
- Not blocking anything
- Recent positive reviews
If you’ve already done it: Leave immediately if you feel unsafe. Your safety is worth more than convenience. Find the nearest 24-hour supermarket car park and reassess in daylight.
Mistake 12: Not Having a Toilet Solution
What happens: 3am. You need the toilet. Desperately. You’re parked in a random layby. No facilities for miles. Your options: squat behind the van in the rain, or drive 30 minutes to services while bursting.
Why beginners do it: Toilets seem unnecessary when you plan to use public facilities. Then reality hits.
How to avoid it:
- Buy a portable toilet (£40-100)
- Or composting toilet (£200-600)
- Or at minimum, emergency bucket with bags
- Keep it easily accessible
- Empty regularly at proper disposal points
Reality: Everyone needs an emergency toilet solution. Everyone. No exceptions.
If you’ve already done it: Buy a toilet today. You can thank me later when you’re not squatting in a layby at 3am in November.
Travel & Parking Mistakes
Mistake 13: Driving Too Much
What happens: You try to visit six locations in one week. Constantly packing up, driving, setting up. You’re exhausted. You’ve seen nothing properly. You spent £200 on diesel. You’ve not actually relaxed at all.
Why beginners do it: FOMO. Trying to see everything. Not understanding slow travel. Thinking movement equals experience.
My story: First month of vanlife: visited 12 different locations in four weeks. Drove over 2,000 miles. Spent £300 on diesel. Saw lots of places through windscreen. Barely explored any of them. Exhausting and pointless.
How to avoid it:
- Stay 3-5 days minimum per location
- Plan half as many destinations
- Build in “nothing” days
- Accept you can’t see everything
- Quality over quantity
- Remember: vanlife is about living, not constant travelling
Better approach: Pick a region. Spend 2-3 weeks there. Really explore it. You’ll have better experiences, spend less, and actually relax.
If you’ve already done it: Stop moving for a week. Just pick somewhere and stay. Notice how much better you feel.
Mistake 14: Not Checking Weather Forecasts
What happens: You drive to stunning coastal spot for the weekend. Arrive to 60mph winds and horizontal rain. Can’t open door without it ripping off. Three days trapped inside van going slowly insane.
Why beginners do it: Optimism. Not checking forecasts. Thinking you can handle any weather.
My story: Drove to Northumberland coast. Forecast said “breezy”. Reality: storm-force winds. Van rocked violently all night. Couldn’t cook (wind blew out stove). Couldn’t go outside (genuinely dangerous). Left after one miserable day.
How to avoid it:
- Check detailed forecasts before travelling
- Particularly check wind speed and direction
- Pay attention to weather warnings
- Have backup plans
- Be willing to change destinations
- Coastal spots need special attention (wind matters)
Apps to use: Met Office (UK specific), Windy (excellent for wind forecasts), YR.no (detailed)
If you’ve already done it: Learn to read weather forecasts properly. Wind above 30mph makes vanlife miserable. Wind above 40mph is actually dangerous. Rain is manageable. Wind is not.
Mistake 15: Ignoring Vehicle Maintenance
What happens: You treat your van like a house that moves occasionally. Don’t check oil. Ignore warning lights. Skip services. Then it breaks down in Scotland. Recovery costs £400. Repairs cost £800. Could’ve been prevented with £100 service.
Why beginners do it: Focus on living space, forget it’s still a vehicle. Maintenance costs seem avoidable. Until catastrophic failure.
How to avoid it:
- Service regularly (follow manufacturer schedule)
- Check oil, water, tires monthly
- Address warning lights immediately
- Budget for maintenance (£500-1000/year realistic)
- Build relationship with mobile mechanic
- Keep basic tools and spare fluids
- Join breakdown cover (AA, RAC, Green Flag)
Minimum checks:
- Weekly: tire pressure, oil level
- Monthly: all fluid levels, lights, wipers
- Quarterly: battery terminals, brake fluid
- Annually: full service
If you’ve already done it: Book a full service immediately. Fix everything that’s wrong. Start proper maintenance schedule from now.
Money & Budget Mistakes
Mistake 16: Underestimating Running Costs
What happens: You budget for van purchase and conversion. Forget about diesel, insurance, road tax, MOT, servicing, repairs, campsites, food, gear replacement, and everything else. Money disappears mysteriously. Panic ensues.
Why beginners do it: Focus on upfront costs. Don’t think about ongoing expenses. Believe vanlife is cheap.
My story: Budgeted £12,000 for van and conversion. Forgot about running costs. First year actual spending: £6,800 in running costs alone. Went significantly over budget, had to adjust expectations.
How to avoid it:
- Calculate realistic monthly running costs
- Track all spending for three months
- Build emergency fund (£2,000 minimum)
- Budget high, celebrate if you spend less
Realistic UK vanlife monthly costs:
- Diesel: £200-400 (depending on mileage)
- Insurance: £50-120
- Road tax: £20-30
- Maintenance reserve: £40-80
- Campsites occasional: £50-150
- Food: £200-300
- Phone/data: £20-40
- Gym membership: £20-30
- Miscellaneous: £100-200
- Total: £700-1,400/month minimum
If you’ve already done it: Start tracking spending immediately. Face reality. Adjust lifestyle to match actual costs, not hoped-for costs.
Mistake 17: Not Having Emergency Money
What happens: Van breaks down. Needs £500 repair. You’ve got £80 in account. You’re stuck. Can’t work. Can’t move. Panicking.
Why beginners do it: Spending all money on conversion. Thinking emergencies won’t happen. Living paycheck to paycheck.
How to avoid it:
- Build emergency fund before going full-time
- Minimum £2,000 accessible
- £5,000 better
- Keep separate from regular money
- Never touch except genuine emergencies
- Rebuild immediately after using
Emergency fund covers:
- Vehicle breakdowns
- Unexpected repairs
- Medical issues
- Having to stop vanlife temporarily
- Any other crisis
If you’ve already done it: Start saving £50-100/month until you hit £2,000. Cut other spending if necessary. This is genuinely essential.
Social & Lifestyle Mistakes
Mistake 18: Isolating Yourself
What happens: You live in a van. Work remotely. Park in different places. Never see anyone. Weeks pass without real conversation. Mental health suffers. Loneliness becomes overwhelming.
Why beginners do it: Introverts think they’ll be fine. Extroverts don’t plan social interaction. Both struggle eventually.
How to avoid it:
- Join gym (forced human interaction)
- Use coworking spaces occasionally
- Attend vanlife meetups (even if awkward)
- Video call friends/family regularly
- Park near other vans and chat
- Join local groups/clubs
- Use social apps designed for vanlifers
- Work from cafés occasionally
Warning signs: Going days without real conversation, talking to yourself, feeling flat or anxious, avoiding people.
If you’ve already done it: Reach out. Today. Call someone. Go somewhere with people. Humans need social contact. You’re not weird for struggling.
Mistake 19: Comparing Yourself to Instagram Vanlife
What happens: You see perfect vans, perfect locations, perfect lives. Your van is messy. You’re parked in Tesco. You feel like failure. Depression intensifies.
Why beginners do it: Social media. Everyone posts highlights. Nobody posts the boring bits.
My story: Spent months feeling inadequate because my van wasn’t Pinterest-perfect. Then met Instagram vanlifers in person. Their vans were messy. They were stressed. They staged photos. Realized it’s all bullshit.
How to avoid it:
- Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad
- Remember: everyone posts highlights
- Those perfect shots took 50 attempts
- That stunning location? They drove 6 hours to get there
- That clean van? Cleaned immediately before photo
- Compare yourself only to past you
Reality of vanlife:
- Messy most of the time
- Boring parking spots frequently
- Rain, cold, discomfort regular
- Amazing sunsets occasional
- Perfect Instagram moments rare
If you’ve already done it: Delete Instagram for a week. Notice how much better you feel. Your vanlife is fine. Your van is fine. You’re fine.
Mistake 20: Not Having an Exit Plan
What happens: Vanlife isn’t working. You’re miserable. But you’ve sold your flat, quit your job, burned bridges. You feel trapped in lifestyle that’s not working. Panic sets in.
Why beginners do it: All-or-nothing thinking. Romanticizing vanlife. Not considering it might not suit you.
How to avoid it:
- Try vanlife part-time first (weekends, holidays, months)
- Keep backup options open
- Don’t burn bridges with employers/landlords
- Save exit fund (enough for deposit + three months rent)
- Accept that vanlife might not be forever
- Remember: changing your mind isn’t failure
Vanlife isn’t for everyone. It’s not a moral test. It’s a lifestyle. If it doesn’t suit you, that’s fine.
If you’ve already done it: Make an honest assessment. If you’re genuinely unhappy, start planning exit. If you’re just having temporary doubts, wait three months then reassess. Both responses are valid.
The Biggest Meta-Mistake: Not Actually Starting
What happens: You spend two years researching, planning, overthinking. You never actually buy a van. You never actually start. Vanlife remains a fantasy.
Why beginners do it: Perfectionism. Fear. Analysis paralysis. Waiting for perfect time (doesn’t exist).
My story: Spent 18 months planning my “perfect” conversion. Finally bought a van and realized none of my detailed plans actually mattered. Learned more in two months of living it than 18 months of planning.
How to avoid it:
- Set a start date and commit
- Buy a van before you’re “ready”
- Accept imperfection
- Start with basics, add luxuries later
- Do 80% planning then just begin
- Remember: you learn by doing, not researching
The truth: You cannot research your way to vanlife readiness. You just have to start. Everything else is procrastination.
Final Thoughts
Every mistake on this list? I made it. Some multiple times. I’ve probably made another fifty mistakes not even mentioned here.
You will make mistakes too. That’s not failure — that’s learning. The goal isn’t to avoid all mistakes (impossible). The goal is to avoid the expensive, dangerous, or soul-destroying mistakes.
Mistakes that matter:
- Safety issues (weight limits, parking in genuinely dangerous places)
- Financial disasters (no emergency fund, catastrophic vehicle failure)
- Health problems (ignoring mental health, not having toilet solution)
Mistakes that don’t matter:
- Aesthetic choices you regret
- Buying gear that doesn’t work out
- Parking somewhere annoying but not dangerous
Learn from these. Avoid the big ones. Accept the small ones as tuition fees for the vanlife education you’re getting.
And remember: the people with perfect-looking Instagram vanlifes? They made all these mistakes too. They just don’t post about them.
What mistakes have you made? What did I miss? Drop a comment. Let’s create a comprehensive list of vanlife cock-ups so others can learn from our collective incompetence.