Want to get started in van life? Confused about which campervan or motorhome to buy? Worried about the costs? Don’t be!
We want to make it easier (and cheaper) for you to find your ideal RV and enjoy motorhoming on a budget.
But before you go splashing the cash, we want to give you some advice about the pitfalls to avoid…
- Looking to buy a used motorhome or campervan? Start by reading 13 things you must check on an older RV. It could save you some serious money, like it did us!
- If you’re thinking of buying a panel van to convert yourself check out the 3 best resources for campervan conversion
- If you want to try van life before getting your own RV, find out what you need to know about motorhome rental before you hit the road
- And our latest ebook highlights the simple but essential 4 steps to help you find your perfect motorhome
Who are the Motorhome Hobos?
Hi, we’re Gav and Trudi (AKA the Motorhome Hobos) and we’ve been motorhoming since 2017 in our old VW Autotrail Cree.
We’ve created this website to share our story and, hopefully, inspire you to start your own van life journey into freedom.
Read our story about how we got started in van life – on a small budget. (And how you could do the same!)
Subscribe to our Free Monthly Newsletter for exclusive van life hints and tips and ‘behind the scenes’ subscriber-only content. As a subscriber, you’ll get access to all back issues as well!
As you’ll see, it’s not just practical motorhome stuff we cover on this website and in our newsletters. We want to go way deeper into the culture, psychology and even spirituality of van life…
To our way of thinking, van life is about freedom and reclamation. Freedom from the 9 to 5, freedom from the system, and the reclamation…of your own life.
This is what van life means to us and if this resonates with you please dive into our pages and blog posts.
EASILY FIND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR…
To save yourself time on our site, type in a word or two in the search bar below to help you find related content or check out our FAQ page where we’ll answer your van life questions. Or just scroll down to see a list of our most popular pages…
The Most Popular Pages on Motorhome Hobos
- Vintage Vans and Motorhomes – if you’re still at the stage of looking for an RV or campervan our galleries will give you a flavour of what you might be able to buy – without breaking the bank! There are some really good used motorhomes and campervans out there for as little as £10,000 – and some for much less!
- Advice on Buying an Older Motorhome – here we look more deeply at the things you must check for when inspecting a used RV
- Van Life – The Call to Adventure – why we think van life is more than just travelling from A to B and how it meets a need for adventure that is programmed into our DNA. Here we’ll also tell you about our old VW van and cover things like campervan conversion and looking after your motorhome throughout the year
- Road Trip Tips and Ideas – planning a road trip and making sure your campervan is up to the task. Plus, see the essential items we always carry in our van and read the stories of the spectacular routes and day drives we’ve taken in the UK
- Wild Camping in a Motorhome – if you’ve not ventured into the wild yet, find out how to do it right, stay safe, and keep out of trouble
- Campsite Advice – understanding UK campsite rules and regulations and the different types of campsites plus a look at other options such as Britstops, Search for Sites and Aires
- Motorhome Rental – if you’re thinking of renting a motorhome or campervan for a UK staycation (or a road trip around Europe) we’ll highlight the vital questions you need to ask any RV rental company before you go
- Van Life Health and Wellbeing – ideas and practises to keep you physically fit and mentally healthy on the road – especially important for full-time van-lifers or if you’re touring for extended periods
- Pilgrimages and Spiritual Journeys – tips and ideas about how to turn ordinary road trips into deeply meaningful, memorable, and even spiritual experiences by following some ancient routes and visiting some of the UK’s most sacred places
Older campervans and motorhomes gallery
One of the main points we hope to get across on this site and in our newsletters is that motorhoming – and the freedom it brings – can be done on a budget…
You don’t need to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a motorhome! There are plenty of good older vans out there as we highlight in our vintage RV and campervan galleries where you’ll see a £350 Mercedes Sprinter that took its owner all over Europe! Yes, just £350!
If you’re in the process of searching for a motorhome, our gallery and rough price guide will give you some idea of what you might be able to find – without needing to take out a second mortgage!
Visit our vintage RV (and classic VW campervan) galleries
Going to look at a used motorhome or campervan? Download our FREE RV INSPECTION CHECKLIST so you won’t miss a thing
Road trips, pilgrimages, and spiritual journeys
As you delve deeper into our site you’ll get a flavour of our van life philosophy…
Each road trip and pilgrimage is driven by a longing for something much richer than the mundanity of every-day life. A yearning deep in the soul demands adventure!
We see our old van as travel guide, teacher and guru, leading us to where we need to go and what we need to learn about life.
This is what van life can do for you. Freedom flows through your veins when you turn the key.
Since getting our motorhome she’s taken us all over England, Scotland and Wales and we’re looking forward to our first journey across the water to Ireland, France, or Germany.
But when time is short, we’re more than happy to stay local and enjoy the peace and beauty of our home county of Suffolk.
Test out van life: try a motorhome before you buy
If you’re really keen to get into van life but haven’t found the right vehicle yet, have you considered hiring a motorhome or campervan?
You can hire a good-sized vehicle for a lot less than you think. You’ll have an epic adventure and on top of that, RV rental offers you something else…
Renting an RV gives you the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’, just to see if you actually like van life. (It’s a lot cheaper than splashing out thousands on your own motorhome, only to find out you hate being in a van!)
However – and this is the important bit – there are several things you need to know before you go ahead and hire a motorhome…
We highlight all you need to ask a motorhome hire company before hitting the road.
Health and wellbeing for life on the road
If you live fulltime on the road in your van, you’ll know how important it is to stay mentally healthy. The truth is that van life is not always sunny skies and stunning scenery. You’ve only got to watch the film, Nomadland, to see what we mean.
Just as with a more conventional lifestyle, van life has its own challenges and sometimes us motorhomers can feel run down, overwhelmed, or stressed out.
Our van life health and wellbeing section aims to address that.
Feeling better in yourself – physically and mentally – will help you enjoy your van life adventures even more.
With Hobo Gav being a trained hypnotherapist with over 20 years’ experience, we’ll look at several ways to keep you physically and mentally healthy on the road.
The best motorhome gifts and accessories
If you already have a van of your own you will, at some point, want to buy some accessories for it. We’ve bought a number of things over the last five years, from simple products costing just a few pounds, to more expensive items like solar panels.
So, whether it’s cheap essentials you’re after before you hit the road or more expensive items like satnavs, we’ve got it all in our motorhome gifts and accessories shop. There are over 100 great van life gifts that make perfect presents for your van life friends!
Tap on the t-shirt below to go to our main shop page where you’ll find motorhome gadgets, kitchenware, cleaning products, clothing, interior decor ideas, and a motorhome miscellany of products we use and recommend…
Books for holiday reading and the latest van life news stories
When the weather is not so good hunker down in the van with a cup of tea and a good book.
In our Favourite Van Life and Travel Books we review some of what we think are the best books in the genre from authors such as Raynor Winn, Robert MacFarlane, Martin Dorey and other best-selling writers.
Or if you’ve only got time for shorter news articles check out our collection of the latest van life stories and motorhome news. (Each month we collate the best RV news stories and put them all in one place for you).
Any questions? Please get in touch
As we’re always adding new content to this site, subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to be the first to know about it. Plus, you’ll get exclusive content that’s not on this site.
Remember to check out our Frequently Asked Questions page which (we hope) will answer most of your questions about van life and motorhoming.
If you have any other questions (or have some suggestions for new content you’d like to see on this site) please contact us. We welcome all enquiries.
Why no ads on this site?
We want you to be able to enjoy our site without your attention being hijacked by adverts from Google, Mediavine, and other companies. For this reason, you’ll never see an advertisement on Motorhome Hobos or in our free newsletters. We hate them!
