The biggest concern with starting this lifestyle is how to earn money while travelling – well, for people who aren’t retired anyway. I’ll admit, I still haven’t got the perfect set-up, but I’m getting there.

I’m a graphic designer and turns out this is a great career for travel. It honestly didn’t cross my mind when I start my university course. I’ve now been workings for over 10 years and was able to still do this job in London and Melbourne as the same software is used worldwide.

Here’s a quick overview of my career

4 years at university
Bachelor of Art & Design (Graphics) at Auckland University of Technology.
Yarn company in Auckland
Wentworth Distributors is a New Zealand yarn company that distributes it’s brand “Naturally”.
Design projects included refreshing their overall brand look, printed brochures, website, yarn labels and press ads.
World-wide advertising in Auckland
Y&R Advertising with clients from Bank of New Zealand, Farmlands farm retail store.
Design projects included layout of magazines, booklets, press ads, online banners, mailers, forms, brochures, DLs, billboards.
Freelanced in London and Auckland
Through recruitment agencies who place me in a company. These jobs range from 2 days to 6 months.

London: GPJ international events company, Mitie strategic outsourcing company, City Index financial markets company, Jack Wills clothing store, Hogan Lovells law firm and Action for Children charity.

Auckland: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, Villa Maria Winery, Special Advertising, Hyde Advertising, Radio Network, SkyCity, KPMG and Auckland Council.
Small design agency in London
Clients were Legal & General insurance company, Bagel Street food retail, D’lish food retail, The Belfast Airport Foodcourt, The Who Cares Trust charity and Specsavers opticians.
Design projects included magazines, multi-paged leaflets, food packaging, food court design, press ads, posters, newsletters and exhibition stands.
Family run corporate company in Melbourne
Connective is a corporate company who are the middleman between banks/lenders and mortgage brokers.
Design projects included refreshing their overall brand look, WordPress websites, emails, sale brochures, direct mail campaigns, stationery, banners, online and print ads, expo events and videos.
Travel company in Auckland
Flight Centre is a worldwide retail travel company with over 17,000 employees and 30 brands across 11 countries.
Design projects included After Effects digital screens for the retail stores, website banners eDM’s Flash banners, campaign posters, press, DM’s, videos, travel expos, pull-up banners and other print material.
Small design agency in Hawkes Bay
Milk & Sticks is a new company with some impressive clients. They are Keep New Zealand Beautiful, Fingermark – a technology company and New Zealand Broadcasting.
Design projects include website design and build, logo design, brochures, booklets, posters, social media banners, t-shirt design and more.

How have I earned money while living in the caravan?

When I decided to buy a caravan I’d been saving for a house before deciding that this was never going to happen in Auckland. I switched my aim towards a caravan instead and saved for another 6 months working at my permanent Auckland job.

I then quit and went on a roadtrip to find the caravan and bought one in Nelson in the South island of New Zealand. I had grand plans of starting an online business that would support me. Turns out 3 months is definitely not enough time to succeed and I didn’t particularly enjoy the direction I was going anyway.

After 3 months, I ran out of money and made my way back to Auckland where I freelanced over winter – doing small trips away in the caravan to the Waikato and the Coromandel. I learnt that it’s hard to live in a caravan in a city if you don’t have friends or family with land for you to stay on. After a few false starts, I found the best campground option in Northcote.

In spring, an old workmate asked if I wanted to work part-time for her new graphic design agency in Hawkes Bay. I was desperate to get out of Auckland as living in the city wasn’t what I wanted – especially while living in a caravan. I’ve been at Milk & Sticks for over 6 months now and it’s worked well. I’ve ended up going into the office ⅔ of the time and travelling and working online ⅓ of the time. Working part-time has also enabled me to focus more on TravellingK.

Unfortunately the contract has gone quiet lately and this last week I’ve been worrying about money – which is never fun. I’ve learnt that I can live on 2 days a week of work, and save a little if I work 3 days a week. In the last month there’s been a few times when I’ve worked less than 2 days a week which means I’ve dipped into my tiny savings. And there have been some big caravan expenses lately – from things breaking to getting ready for winter.

So if you know of anyone after a graphic designer let me know! The ideal client would be a small to medium sized business who is happy for me to work remotely. I’m keen to have another day of work a week.

Does TravellingK make any money?

I started TravellingK over 1.5 years ago and have been spending money instead of making money. It’s definitely been a passion project. Web hosting for this website costs money, the website template to make it look nicer cost money, my monthly bill for the programs to edit the videos cost money. I’d hate to find out the grand total I’ve spent and add up all the hours of work.

YouTube Earnings

In the last couple of months – basically since I reached 1000 subscribers on YouTube, there has be a change. I had been making $5 a month through those annoying YouTube banners that sit on the videos. When I reached 1000 subscribers it jumped to $10 a month – this is also probably because of the change to YouTube with needing more subscribers and view to monetisation your channel. Now I’m over 2000 subscribers and earning $17 a month! I’m hoping it just keeps growing.

Also, I can’t touch this money until I reach NZ$130. But the good news is I’m so close to reaching that amount! Soon, very soon.

Patreon

I finally started Patreon which now seems to be the main way a YouTuber can make a living.

You can pay as little as $1 a month and have access to a whole lot more. I am more open on this platform as it feels safer for a solo female than on a public platform like YouTube or Facebook. I share some of the graphics I’ve designed (although I’ve been a little slack and only posted 1 so far, but more are coming!). I share more up to date news and the little wins for TravellingK.

The $5 and $20 a month tier also have a group monthly Skype chat with me.

The $20 tier gets a personal thank you message in my videos!

I think this is the best way for me to make any money for TravellingK at my 2000 subscribers level. I think this is the level YouTubers need support. It’s a tricky balance to keep growing the channel but earn enough to live off. Once I get to a certain level, then I should hopefully have more time to make other sellable products and be more self-sufficent. There are days where I wonder why I’m spending so many hours doing this. So, if you would like to help, please consider becoming my patron.
Designing merchandise

I’ve also started designing RV and kiwiana designs that a company called RedBubble print and post out to people. I’ve sold 3 products so far and plan to keep adding more designs. Well, when I find the time. I do have plenty of ideas for this.

Click here to see what designs I’ve created so far.

I’ve also started designing stickers. Some small ones to add to journals or walls and also larger stickers for on caravans and motorhomes. Again, this is an area I’m expanding and will keep updating!

Click here to see the latest stickers.

Selling photos

As a graphic designer, I’ve regularly bought images from Shutterstock but it’s interesting being on the other side – contributing the photos. It’s not the fastest way to make money as I’ve sold 1 photo and only made 25c. I’ll keep adding photos and see how it goes.

So that’s it – this is how I afford this caravan lifestyle.

Keen to help?

I have been worrying this last week about money with the contract job going quieter. I really really don’t want to end up back in Auckland as I’d be back to full-time freelancing with less time for the videos and they’d surely become very dull too.

The 3 main ways to help:

• If you need any graphic design work done – please contact me. The ideal client would be a small to medium sized business who are happy for me to work remotely. I’m keen to have another day of work a week.
• Become a patron! Even $1 a month means the world to me and really motivates me to keep making these videos!
• Just keep watching, commenting and sharing my videos. This all helps me grow and the more I grow the more I can earn through YouTube advertising. A big thank you to all of you who have helped me reach this stage.

There’s definitely less certainty to a permanent 9-5 job but there’s no way I want to go back to full time in an office. I’m curious to learn if you have any other ideas for me to earn money? I’d be keen to hear.

The post How do I afford this caravan lifestyle? appeared first on Travelling K.

But because it’s so small, the caravan looks messy very quickly. A few items left out take over the whole area.

Because collecting fresh water and dumping waste water is an ongoing chore, it’s best to be conscious of the water you use while cleaning. I end up using more wet wipes and throw away cloths.

Entrance Mat

The entrance area is easy to get dirty. If you think about the foyer of a house, that usually has the dirtiest carpet. And most campground sites are either on grass or gravel which is transferred into the caravan. I’ve just experienced a few days of rain and there’s clumps of mud on the mat.

I have an outside mat too which I sit next to my steps when travelling and the mud from the mat ends up on the wall.

How do I clean the area? I have a small dustpan with a stiff brush then use baby wipes to remove the mud from the wall and the surrounding mat.

Carpet & Floor

My caravan is a 2008 Sterling Europa model where the carpets are in 2 sections that are easy to take out. This does simplify cleaning the carpet as I usually take it outside to clean.

Over summer I have kept the smaller carpet under the table but took out the larger carpet which normal covers the rest of the area. I might permanently keep it like this as it’s a lot easier to clean.

I don’t have a vacuum cleaner as there’s no place to store it. Also I’m usually not plugged into the power and my inverter can’t handle the wattage required.

The way I clean it is to use a stiff brush and just brush the carpet…. it works. Luckily it’s such a small space it doesn’t take long.

For the lino floor, I use Dettol Floor Cleaning Mop which is light-weight, mess fresh and uses disposable wipes. The advantage of this product is it can fit under the heater and fridge to clean the areas I can’t reach. Learn more about the caravan cleaning accessories I use here.

Bathroom

The bathroom space is tiny with a combination shower / toilet. If I was getting a caravan again I would get a separate shower because it becomes annoying wiping the shower base down so I can use the toilet.

To be able to freedom camp and stay at cheaper sites in New Zealand you need to be self contained. To be self contained, your grey water set-up is changed so that if your tank becomes too full it floods the shower base instead of overflowing onto the ground. A clever system, but this means the shower base regularly get dirty. I’ve had last nights pumpkin soup turn up in the shower base before.

I’ve also started storing my larger pot plant next to the toilet while traveling. It’s worked well as it’s wedged into the small space. But this does mean I get some leaves and dirt around the toilet.

There is a skylight above the shower which I usually leave open if it’s not raining or too cold. But when you open the screen to close the skylight, leaves and twigs that have come through end up on the ground.

Cleaning the toilet is just wiping it down… even inside the bowl. There is no water in the toilet bowl like a house toilet.

I saw that my pipes really need a bit of maintenance. I need to find some liquid to clean away the slime that’s started building up.

The vanity sink is outside the toilet area and is next to my bed. It’s just like a house sink with no surprises.

Kitchen

This is the area you see as soon as you step into the caravan. I’m lazy and usually leave a few dishes to dry which tends to make the area look cluttered.

The stove stop always needs a good clean. Food and fat end up splattering the wall to the side and the glass screen in front.

I use the grill just for my toast so there are bread crumbs scattered around. The stove is really just like any house stove… I see it’s actually due a proper clean.

There are a few different challenges with cleaning in a caravan compared to a house. And that’s lack of water, lack of storage and if not plugged into the power, lack of power for vacuum cleaners.

If you want to know what accessories I have in the caravan, I have written this article about it.

Do you live in an RV? How is this different to you? Do you have any tips? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

The post Cleaning the Inside of a Caravan appeared first on Travelling K.

I’ve learnt that there are ALWAYS things breaking or needing maintenance in an RV. I’ve got a list of little jobs still to do – the broken door latch, adding another cutlery draw, adding grease to joints and more.

This week I was able to tick off two items – the toilet and mould issues.

Thetford Toilet Cassette

My toilet cassette has been leaking for months. It would be fine until tipped sideways to carry or when emptying the waste. It was in a weird place too, on a small section which I still don’t know what it does.

I’ve been procrastinating about buying a new one because they are about $300 each, so I’ve been putting up with the leak.

Moving the toilet cassette started requiring me to keep it flat and definitely gave me a muscle workout. I also accepted that it was going to be messy emptying at the dump stations.

When I visited the Covi Motorhome, Caravan & Outdoor Supershow, I talked to the Thetford stall. Turns out there is a filter under this mysterious button that could be replaced for $30. Then I saw that their new toilet cassettes had wheels! With the expo discount included, I was sold. Who wants to fiddle around fixing messy cassette filters and seals when I could get a brand new cassette with wheels.

If you are interesting in getting a new toilet cassette in New Zealand, contact the wholesaler Lewis Gray at sales@lewisgray.com

Needed a clean inside

Mould Problem

This has been slow happening since I bought the caravan. There are some amazing large windows on an angle at the front of the caravan. It does cause it to become a bit of a sunroom. The fake wood windowsill started to slowly curl away.

Then over summer I kept the windows on the second latch so a tiny bit of air could come through while still being secure and locked. Because these windows are on an angle and we sometimes get horizontal rain in New Zealand, I think water was getting in and sitting on the windowsill without me being aware.

I eventually noticed when there was some mould. I took mould cleaner to it and have kept an eye on the area since. But curling fake wood with the odd bleach spot wasn’t a great look.

Mitre10 hardware store sold test squares of lino and I cut some to fit the space. Because the lino tiles are thick, they are sitting really well and have completely flattened the area.

Plenty of people have asked if the caravan gets mouldy. There’s a van blogger I follow who always has condensation and mould problems in winter, but I didn’t seem to have any issues with my caravan. I’m hoping this is it and my problem has been solved.

What’s on your to-do list? How do you deal with mould? Would you be able to handle a toilet cassette? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

The post Unboxing Caravan Toilet Cassette & Mould Found appeared first on Travelling K.

I don’t think myself much of a cook. Some people love it – I just get bored and would prefer to do something else, like edit a video!

The positive parts with RV cooking

• Can keep an eye on the cooking while sitting in ‘lounge’
• It’s like cooking in a very small apartment with a very small kitchen
• Everything is right in front of you, all within easy reach
• Good sized oven with grill and 3 gas burners and 1 electric element
• A working fridge – although very small in size and temperamental in summer
• When travelling you can pack away the supermarket items straight away
• No rush to compete for cooking time with flatmates

The limitations with cooking meals in a caravan

Lack of kitchen & storage space

Mobile homes are really tiny spaces. It’s a minimalist lifestyle.

The kitchen beach space is very small and took me a while to get use to. There is a clever drop down bench over the bed for extending the space but I rarely use it now.

There is hardly any place to store pots and food. I’ve ended up taking out the microwave just to have more room for food! I’m also in the process of adding another draw under my cutlery draw.

The fridge is tiny and can’t hold much. It’s not possible to have many leftovers or much frozen.

Limited water & small waste pipes

Using lots of water to clean dishes means filling up the fresh water tank that much sooner. This chore makes you very cautious in your water use.

Washing pans with leftover fat is problematic in a caravan. Fat gets on everything, clogs up the tiny pipes, ends up sitting in the grey water tank and basically stinks out the whole place.

My solution is using disposable cooking trays. Less mess and it makes cooking that much easier. It might feel wasteful, but I’ve found this lifestyle encourages you to have less stuff and less rubbish in general.

Smell in caravan

The RV is basically one room. I’m sitting on the sofa and can see my bed which is 3 steps away. Anything smelly cooked in the caravan will stink the whole place. How much do you want your sheets smelling of onion?

Sensitive firealarm

I’ve learnt that if anything I fry becomes a little bit smokey, the firealarm will go off. If I open the oven door to cooking food for too long, the fire alarm will go off.

It’s a small space with low ceilings and it’s not that far from the fire alarm installed by the door.

Even with the extractor fan on and open windows, it doesn’t prevent the fire alarm from going off.

Easy meals in the RV

After living in the caravan for over a year, I’ve ended up with a few favourite lazy meals to cook in the tiny kitchen.

Couscous, vegetables and egg or left-over meat

A great easy meal. This is my dinner when I don’t have much in the fridge.

Cover couscous with boiling water in the bowl you’ll eat from. Place small plate ontop. Lightly boil whatever vegetables are on hand. If there’s leftover meat, use that. Otherwise cook an omelette, slice and add.

Fresh supermarket soup

This is my lazy dinner.

There are some great fresh soups in the cool section of the supermarket. They seem healthy-ish and keep for a long time in the fridge. A great meal if you’ve driven the mobile home all day and can’t be bothered visiting the supermarket.

Chicken thigh with vegetables

Rip off the plastic seal and put in disposable cooking tray. Best if trays are the same size as the plastic meat packets. Put in oven for 30min. Cook whatever vegetables you have on hand. Add hummus on the vegetables.

Overall I’m very happy with my tiny caravan kitchen. It really does everything I need a kitchen to do.

Do you have a favourite easy meal? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

The post Cooking Meals in a Caravan Kitchen appeared first on Travelling K.

Would it even be possible to afford?

Three months into this journey I calculated how much I had spent so far. Now I’ve been living in the caravan for over a year and have a better grasp of the costs. I am spending less than I did flat sharing in Auckland. Rent has dropped an insane amount.

I regularly share how much I find this lifestyle – if you’d like to learn more, subscribe for my newsletter.

Note: The prices are all in NZ dollars.

Accomodation Cost

Cost for camping spots are all completely different. The highest I’ve paid is $50 per night in Auckland. Since getting my solar panel, I’ve started staying at more free freedom camping spots too.

My current spot is a farmers property that has some sites for RV’s. It’s a very basic set-up with one toilet and shower for everyone. I enjoy these types of sites as they feel more homely.

Auckland was tricky to find a good campground to stay at while working in the city. The closest are crazy expensive and not very nice. The ones in lovely settings by the beach took forever to drive into work. Eventually I found on in Northcote that worked for me.

Below is a breakdown of the general campground costs per night.

Total spent on Accomodation

Accomodation for the year

3147

$

Accomodation per day

9

$

I was expecting it to be a lot more because of the expensive time in Auckland. But there were a few months with free accomodation when I was staying at friends or family. I’ll be very curious about next years accomodation cost!

Food

I personally find food in New Zealand to be expensive compared to other countries. Which is odd since we grow so much of it here.

I don’t feel like I spend a crazy amount on food in my day to day shopping. No spending money on top meat, bottles of wine or fresh herbs. My extras would be quick meals, fancy yogurts and buying my lunch occasionally… if there is an option nearby.

Total spent on Food

Food for the year

6954

$

Food per day

20

$

Funnily enough, it’s basically the same as what I worked out a year ago!

Fuel, RUC & Gas Bottles

I started adding up all my petrol station visits in my bank receipts then realised this would also include gas bottles I’ve swapped!

My car is diesel, so I need to pay Road User Chargers on top of my gas cost too.

I’ve had patches were I’ve driven longer distances and patches when I’ve stayed in the local area.

When not plugged into the power and using the hot water, I usually need a gas bottle every 2 weeks. If I’m not running the hot water, it can last for 3 weeks. The price fluctuates depending on where you fill it up. I’ve also recently been told to take it to proper gas refillers to get better quality gas AND cheaper. I am completely estimating the gas cost per day.

Total spent on Fuel, RUC & Gas

Fuel, RUC & Gas for a year

3723

$

Fuel, RUC & Gas per day

10

$

This cost has come at a real surprise. I hadn’t realised I’ve been spending this much. When I travel fast I know I race through the petrol. When I’m towing, the fuel cost suddenly doubles. But looking at my fuel cost from my previous blog post, it has dropped in cost. And I’ve included this time the large RUC bill for those 3 months of racing around the South Island.

Monthly / Yearly Bills

Monthly Bills

These are my usual monthly or yearly bills. Lots of insurance cost and a good chunk toward internet and Adobe software to be able to work on this blog. It’s made me wonder if I really do need to get AA insurance too… another cost.

Total spent on Bills

Bills for the year

4785

$

Bills per day

13

$

They all add up. I usually find I’m doing ok money-wise then all the big bills will go out of my account at once.

Grand Total

Total for the year

18248

$

Total per day

51

$

Total per week

357

$

What I’ve found I’m doing is spending about $300 a week, then I’ll have a painful bill pop up. From these calculations, I now know I’ve been off by $50!

Caravan & Car Maintenance

Then you’ve got the surprise costs for maintaining the caravan and car.

I’ve spent a lot on my car this year. I guess driving a lot has put more pressure on it than normal and I have been trying to keep it running well as the last thing I want to do is have bad breaks or break down while towing the caravan.

The biggest mechanic costs have been for checking why the car over-heated.

I bought my car for $5,000 and do wonder if it would have been cheaper in the long run if I had spent more on the car with less milage.

For the caravan maintenance, a large chunk of the cost is getting solar panels added. These were double what I was expecting and took a big chunk out of my bank account. But they have been worth it! Not more paying extra for powered sites. More freedom with where I can stay.

I also have big caravan costs coming soon with adding a grey water tank, awning and getting a better battery.

I haven’t included the cost for updating my curtains and sofa covers.

Fuel table

Total spent on Caravan & Car Maintenance

Caravan & Car Maintenance for the year

7220

$

Caravan & Car Maintenance per day

20

$

I can’t believe this is more than the fuel & gas! In theory this cost should decrease with time as everything has been fixed in the car and the caravan has all the extras I want.

What do you think of the overall costs? Is it close to what you expected? Is there something you would have more or less? I’d love to read it in the comments below.

The post Cost of living in a Caravan / RV appeared first on Travelling K.

In this post, I talk about the first accessories you’ll be wanting to buy.

My Experience

When I drove to that first campground with the caravan, I realised there were quite a few necessary accessories still to be purchased. I’d bought along everything I thought I’d need like bedding and kitchenware, but lacked a lot of practical caravan items.

I highly recommend staying need a town with good shops when you go on your first trip in your mobile home. There will be items you didn’t realise you needed until you’re living in it!

I regularly visited Burnsco, Mitre 10 and Kmart over the next week.

List of Essential Accessories

Below is a list of necessary items for each part of the caravan or mobile home. Resist getting too many extra items as there will be limited space!

Kitchen

• Kettle – electric or stove top depending on if you’ll be plugged in or off-grid
• Small pot – there will be limited space!
• Fry pan – be aware that anything that sits ontop will likely rub it when moving
• Cutlery – keep to a minimum
• Plates / bowls – not much space
• Cups – avoid glass
• Bottle opener / can opener combination to save space
• Small knife
• Bread knife
• Pealer
• Spatcular
• Scissors
• Nested measuring cups & spoons
• Sieve / strainer
• Bag ties / bag clips
• Zip lock bags
• Gladwrap / tin foil / baking paper
• Small plastic containers – for spices, flour, sugar and left over food
• Disposable baking trays – so handy as any fat or leftover sauce clogs in the pipes
• Tea towels
• Oven glove

Extras to consider:

• Cutting board – your vehicle might already have one
• Dish rack – your vehicle might already have one. I’ve ended up using a drying mat to save space
• Toaster – only good if you are plugged into the power. Your stove might come with a grill tray made for toasting
• Tin cooking tray – your vehicle might already have one

Exterior

• Hose – check it’s safe to drink from
• Hose set – with hose connector and nozzle
• Tap adapter – handy if fits 18mm and 25mm as taps are different sizes and generally missing this part
• Hose extension / coupling – not necessary but handy to join 2 hoses together for extra length
• CRC / grease – the stabilisers and wheel jockey will start to squeal
• Jack / lug wrench – check you have the parts needed to change your tyre!
• Leveler ramps / chock block – If it’s a caravan, you’ll need a chock too!
• Rope – always comes in handy
• Wheel lock / clamp – make it harder for someone to steal. Check insurance is happy with type
• Towing mirror – avoid suction cup version as they get in the way
• Exterior mat – handy on extra wet days when the steps start sinking into the soil

Cleaning

• Dish scrubbing brush
• Dish washing detergent
• Roles of cleaning wipes – very handy
• Paper towels
• Wet wipes – very handy
• Broom – takes up space but handy. Think about multi-purposed so you can clean the exterior too.
• Small dustpan – will be regularly used!
• Surface cleaner
• Window cleaner
• Fly spray or swatter – there will be insects!
• Floor mop – find the smallest you can and one with disposable floor wipes makes life easier
• Bucket – for washing exterior or shoes
• Disposable Moisture Absorber – perfect for under the bed
• Sugar soap cleaning wipes – great for those marks that just won’t leave!
• Drain cleaner – I’m still looking for a good brand. Let me know if you have a favourite!

Bathroom

• Personal toiletries – tooth brush, hairbrush etc
• First aid kit – bandages, disinfectant etc
• Medicine – Strepsils, pain-killer, insect repellent etc
• Toilet paper – Either buy paper specifically for the cassette toilets or 2ply from the supermarkets
• Toilet cassette chemicals – Check what your toilet manufacturer suggests. For me, blue or green liquid in the toilet cassette and pink in the flush water
• Window wiper with foam on back – handy for the combination shower toilet to get rid of water on shower base

Tools / Stationery

• Screw Drivers
• Different sized screws and nails – some of the walls are crazy thin
• Pliers
• Needle and thread
• Permanent marker – for anything communal at campgrounds
• Road map – sometimes there is no reception

Laundry / Clothes

• Clothes drying wrack – consider your space. A concertina system means you can set-up inside on wet days.
  Or consider a clothes hanger or an exterior clothes rack.
• Pegs
• Laundry capsules – capsules for easy transport
• Laundry bag – best if it’s easy to fold away in space you’ll have
• Coat Hangers
• 2 towels – one for the beach

Extras to consider:

• Hanging clothes organiser – my wardrobe had no space for t-shirts, socks etc
• Squishy light-weight box for storing re-wearable clothes – consider where you’ll put clothes you’ll want to re-wear?

Living Area

Extras to consider:

• Fan – needed in summer! Your caravan might have one
• Hot water bottle – very handy in winter
• Fire Alarm
• Fire extinguisher – needed for your self containment. Place by door
• Gas Detector

Extras to consider:

• Spare fresh water and waste water tanks – you might find it’s handy to have small tanks as backups

Bedroom

• Bedding – 2 sets of sheets, pillows, blankets, duvet cover.
• Squishy bag  – to hold spare bedding

That’s a longer list than I realised when it’s all written out like this!

I haven’t mentioned the internet or anything to do with entertainment in the caravan. You can read more about that here.

Do you have anything you would add? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

The post Essential accessories for your caravan or mobile home appeared first on Travelling K.

When I first bought the caravan

I decided to go a simple clean grey where I could swap the cushions to completely change the look of the space.

Buying the Fabric

My plan was to slowly buy batches of fabric when Spotlight had a sale. Start with the ends, the backs, then the bases. I found fabric called Carson Velvet Upholstery which felt so soft and came in lots of different shades and picked a charcoal colour.

I then procrastinated.

Another sale started at Spotlight, so I bought the backing fabric in charcoal.

When I draped the fabric over all the sofas, I started to worry that it would be too dark at night. Because the caravan is such a small space, it seemed to darken the whole interior.

Eventually I decided on a lighter shade of grey called graphite for the base material. And it works. It’s subtle enough that it looks like light playing over the sofa.

Trying to decide on bottom fabric

Finally Started to Sew

I started with the backs and kept it very simple by making a tube. Extremely easy and changed the look of the space straight away.

I then had a break and procrastinated some more.

A couple of weeks later I sewed the bases and was vastly happy with the look.

This is when I procrastinated for 2 months!

The base and backs were doing the job, but I wasn’t finished. I had originally planned to add ends to the tubes, but decided it looked neater with just a sewn edge. Luckily the original fabric is bland enough that this works.

Edging

On a rainy day, I then tackled the more fiddly end cushions, when there was nothing else to do in the caravan. It was actually quite simple… why did it take me so long to do?

The new casing is a rectangle with a long strip of fabric sewn all around. Then another rectangle is added to create a box, with a zip at one edge. I didn’t completely succeed with the first zip (it’s not as neat as I’d like), but had the knack by the second cushion. I was genuinely surprised to realise that the interior of the end cushions are just a pillow!

Sewing with Solar Power

I had been unsure how sewing in the caravan would go. Would it race through my battery? Would I only be able to do small patches of sewing and then need to wait? But I learnt that the sewing machine was only 100W – tiny! A toaster is 850W. I never had to worry about the battery while sewing.

Finished

I’m very happy with the finished sofa covers. These covers and the curtains really modernise the space. There is a real advantage to such a small space – any small alteration complete changes the look of the whole caravan. I’m planning to add some more colourful cushions soon. I’ve even started to design my own!

What fabric would you have picked? Do you have a favourite interior you’ve found online? I’d love to see it.

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I’ve had the caravan for one year. One year!

For this post and video – I’m reflecting on the past year with the caravan and sharing what I’m doing now and what I want to do for the next year.

Why did I decide on a caravan?

I was flat sharing with 3 other people and starting to want my own place. I was saving for a house in Auckland (New Zealand), but finally realised I couldn’t afford anything. Renting a place on my own seemed like a crazy amount too. I started thinking about living out of Auckland, but wasn’t sure where I would want to be. The idea of a mobile home started to intrigue me.

I was watching a lot of videos on YouTube about Vanlife and Tiny Houses. Caravans and motorhomes seemed more practical, as they were like tiny apartments that were easy to move. After looking at all the second-hand caravan and motorhome dealers in the city, I realised that anything with a motor suddenly became too expensive. That’s why I decided on a caravan.

Recap of last year

I had never driven with a caravan and only ever towed a trailer once. But I went for it anyway.

I bought a 4×4 car and went on a road trip to find my home. All the dealers seemed to be in the South island, so I’d planned my trip to visit as many caravan dealers while heading down the country as possible.

I didn’t get far, as my car battery died in Tauranga (3 hours out of Auckland). I called the car rescue company and was taken to the closest mechanic. Luckily, they were able to fix it that day and I was on the road again.

Read more about this adventure in: Hunt for the Caravan Part 1 & Part 2.

I eventually arrived in Nelson where there were a couple of caravan dealers in the area. When I saw my caravan, I thought it was out of my price-range. The dealer asked my limit, and his agreed to my price!

That night, I didn’t sleep very well…

I was wondering if I was doing the right thing, worrying that this was the wrong direction to go down. But I’d packed up my life for this idea – I was going for it.

Picking up the caravan, I nervously drove it 3 blocks to the nearest campground, convinced I was going to side-swipe a car or scratch the curb. It was so strange not being able to see out the back window.

Admitting to the campground staff that I’d literally just bought the caravan, they gave me a campsite where I could just drive straight on. No reversing required.

 

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I stayed there for a week, just getting use to how everything worked. The fresh water, grey water, stove, gas, windows, fridge. I was glad there were plenty of shops in the area as I seemed to find something else I needed every day. I was setting up my first home.

Eventually, I hit the road and travelled around the South Island for 3 months, learning how to reverse and when I needed to go into a lower gear for those steep hills. I got use to packing and unpacking the caravan. Overall a steep learning curve.

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How do I afford this lifestyle?

It’s something I’m still struggling with.

For most of the year I’ve travelled, run out of money, gone back to Auckland, freelanced, saved, gone for a trip and repeated. I’m a graphic designer, which does make it easier to freelance, but all my connections are in Auckland and most companies wanted me in their office.

Luckily a previous workmate needed a part-time graphic designer in Hawkes Bay. I’ve been here a month so far and it’s been great! Love being away from Auckland in a beautiful setting with no traffic and earning money!

This means I’ll have the time to really focus on making weekly videos.

50 videos

On a side note – I’ve just reached 50 videos on YouTube! Crazy to think I’ve filmed and edited that amount.

What next?

I plan to just keep doing what I’m doing. Keep living and learning in the caravan. Keep sharing my experiences and show off the beautiful locations.

There are lots of little DIY projects I plan to tackle.

I also want to start interviewing more people living this lifestyle.

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Is there anything in particular you’d like me to make a video on? Let me know in the comments below.

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