Mobile Living: What It Really Means to Live on the Road in a Motorhome

When you talk about mobile living, a lifestyle where people reside in vehicles like motorhomes or campervans instead of fixed homes. Also known as van life, it’s not just a trend—it’s a full-time choice for thousands across the UK who trade rent payments for open roads and sunrise views from their kitchen table. This isn’t about weekend getaways. It’s about sleeping where you park, cooking meals on a two-burner stove, and deciding your next stop based on weather, views, or just a quiet spot off the main road.

But mobile living isn’t just about the freedom. It’s also about the rules. In the UK, you can’t just park anywhere and call it home. The UK 36 rule, a guideline limiting how long you can stay in one spot on private land without permission shapes where and how long you can stay. Then there’s wild camping, sleeping outside designated campsites, often in remote areas—legal in Scotland, tricky in England, and outright banned in many places. And if you’re thinking of staying on your own land? You’re allowed up to 28 days a year before you need planning permission. These aren’t suggestions. They’re legal boundaries that keep mobile living possible without turning it into chaos.

People who live this way don’t just need a motorhome—they need a mindset. It’s about packing less, planning smarter, and accepting that your bathroom is a public toilet block and your laundry is done at a service station. It’s also about safety: riding in the back without a seatbelt is illegal and dangerous, and vaping near dry grass can spark a wildfire. You can’t ignore the small stuff when your whole life fits in 6 meters of space.

What you’ll find below isn’t a list of dream destinations. It’s the real talk—what works, what doesn’t, and what you’ll actually face if you decide to live this way. From stealth camping spots that fly under the radar to the hidden costs of keeping a campervan running, these posts cut through the hype. Whether you’re thinking of trying it for a month or making it your life, you’ll find the answers that matter—not the ones that look good on Instagram.