In 2019 I was living at home with my mum when I decided that I wanted my own space. I couldn’t afford a house, so instead I bought a 24-seater minibus [says Josie Rose, 30].
I needed to get rid of the seats and turn it into a livable space, but I’d never even used a drill before, so I took a weeklong course in carpentry. Five years later — including a year off during the pandemic — the transformation was complete.
My minibus and I, along with my Labradoodle, Winnie, were ready to set off across the UK on our adventure: living and traveling as a solo female van-lifer.
It was important for me to create a home away from home, which is why I turned the minibus into a cottage on wheels. I’m from Kent, so my vibe is “cottagecore”. I wanted it to be the ultimate girl heaven, so I’ve filled it with plants, vintage-style decor, pink floral bedding and curtains, and bookshelves. I’ve even installed a kitchen with a stove and wooden work tops.
As a woman traveling alone, there were safety aspects that I needed to consider. Initially, I wanted to paint the minibus pink, but I decided against it — it needs to look inconspicuous from the outside. I also have reflective film on the side windows, so people can’t look in. I’ve had lots of guys come up to me at petrol stations and tell me “cool van”. They would never guess what it looks like inside.
My first trip was from Kent to Edinburgh and it went well. However, I’ve made the minibus cozy enough that if I decide I no longer want to travel, I could park it in a field and live out of it.
“I’ve had lots of guys come up to me at petrol stations and tell me ‘cool van.’”
I’ve been sharing my experiences on social media and it must be resonating with people as my YouTube channel, Bus Off with Josie, has more than 96,000 subscribers and my TikTok channel has about 21,000 followers. I’m hoping to grow my online following so I can do social media for a job. Before this, I was working as a dancer in the West End show Magic Mike Live!
The minibus has plumbing and electrics, which I had a professional fit for me. I have a recirculating shower that filters my water, which allows me to have 30-minute showers no matter where I am — I don’t have to ensure there are bathrooms near where I park. I have Wi-Fi and I haven’t needed to plug into power once so far because I have solar panels, which even work in the winter. I also have five batteries in the back.
One big adjustment of living in a converted minibus is the amount of chores you have to do. I have to make sure I have enough water to do my washing-up and I can’t forget to empty the compostable toilet.
In terms of costs, you have to factor in the initial outlay of buying the vehicle, and petrol and insurance can be high. However, I’m hoping that living this way will save me money in the long run as I don’t have to pay rent.
Before setting off, I was told that England would be a nightmare for finding places to park. While it hasn’t been that bad, I’m always aware that staying overnight in places is often frowned upon, so I move to a new location every night, which can become exhausting. I prefer to stay in areas with no one around because it feels safer. One of my favorite places I’ve ever parked was in the North York Moors National Park — I was in nature and there was no one around for miles.
A month into my adventure and I’m loving being a van-lifer. My ultimate dream is to take my cottage on wheels on a lap around the world.
Ella Kipling is a sub-editor and writer at The Times of London
