@Moonie 432301 wrote:

I have only ever wanted to buy an old bus, put a bed and a hob in it and live out my life all over the place.

My question is how do people do it? How do people manage to travel around for years, lifetimes even, without a job or any income other than the dole? I have a decent job and in time will be able to start off, but what about when I want to go off in my van? There’s not alot I want for but food and diesel will be pretty much essential.

many travellers do do various forms of work, and contrary to popular misconception there aren’t that many involved in crime, with todays surveillance those who are get caught, sent to jail and their vehicles pounded and sold by the govt or crushed.

in fact many rogue traders and metal thieves actually have jack shit to do with the travelling community and live in housing estates surprisingly near their victims – such as the fool who tried to nick a “earth” cable from a substation in my town and found it energised to 33 000V – which was the last thing he did – he was just a normal lad living in a house what misguidedly wanted to buy some toys for his kids birthday and wanted easy money..

It is no longer an easy life though and fuel costs are rising through the roof. You need a skill/trade which will pay your way and to get trust in the communities you stop in, and you want to go on the road full time you can’t cut corners with stuff like DVLA/VOSA etc as they will catch up with you. if you really want to do it sign up on tribal living (Tribal-Living) and ask the folks on there, there are some very smart people who will give you more in depth advice particularly on vehicles and legit sources of income.

as long as you can get trust in your local community you should be able to always get work then. They always need tree surgeons and other outdoor staff where I work as its way out in the sticks – where I am going to later today there is about 100 different types of trees, shrubs etc in the grounds and they put in a load more.

I guess you realise you are limited to a 3.5T van unless you go for class C license (a few grands and another driving test!) – I’ve no idea how much space all the tools you need takes up but you might be able to fit your tools and living space into it…

in this area its not at all seen as odd for “proper workmen” to be sleeping in vans, lorries etc, although compared to SE England it is big so everyone understands its not safe to drive 100+ miles and do hard physical work without resting..

I will recomend you sort out a driving upgrade to your education… there are some eu-courses they have at the job-center that will give you a truck driver license…then you education will be worth more overall…

@Moonie 432301 wrote:

I have only ever wanted to buy an old bus, put a bed and a hob in it and live out my life all over the place.

My question is how do people do it? How do people manage to travel around for years, lifetimes even, without a job or any income other than the dole? I have a decent job and in time will be able to start off, but what about when I want to go off in my van? There’s not alot I want for but food and diesel will be pretty much essential.

Just go and let the road your on be the choice you made, dont sign on dont ask for help dont bother cursing your luck theres no point just do it for a few months dont bring any money and life will show itself to you

@Moonie 432516 wrote:

Well that’s one way of looking at it, but I know that I would definitely end up just starving to death.

I would like to be able to just let it go right now, but I have no possible other option should I run out of food

Hi, ive done it, and you wont starve you dont have to believe what im saying or have any faith in yourself, you’ll meet people that you need to meet and things will unfold that make it possible, for example workers had cut back a hedgerow and a bike was in there a bit rusty and tyres were flat, didnt put any weight on the weels incase it was just the air had seeped out, it was, went looking for a pump around charity shops found one it had two of those flexi things you attach to the valves got back to the bike it had two different valves front and back the two flexi things i had were what i needed, you’ll find yourself saying ‘how about that’ alot. You’ll make mistakes like stabbing yourself in your hand and burning your tent down with you in it. But your more likely to get killed cycling to work in heavy traffic than you are doing something like this.
Also resist the urge to pray when things get frightning you’ll only attibute it to what ever you prayed to when strange things unfold, mostly you’ll have a nice time

i just see your post and just a thought not sure if you wanna travel quite so much but i used to do long distance courier work for the national blood service . just an idea but even if you spoke to them what ever part of the country your in there will be somethink to do just cant say if it will be worth your while or not though