VAN LIFE
We sacked off our NHS jobs to travel the world in £450 Vauxhall Agila campervan – we save thousands on rent and bills
A COUPLE who ditched their NHS job to travel the world in a campervan say they have saved thousands of pounds on rent and bills.
Alex Hunter, 29, and Doug Oldrey, 30, initially bought the Vauxhall Agila 2003 1.2 litre, front wheel drive van for £450 so they could go on a planned rally in 2020 but their hopes were scuppered by the Covid pandemic.
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The pair then invested another £1,000 in ‘Sheila the Agila’ to convert it into a micro camper with a double bed, pull-out stove, kitchen and storage and even a fridge.
They have lived full-time in their car since July and admit that living in a car is drastically cheaper than paying rent especially given the current cost of living and the rise in energy bills.
The couple have even picked up a companion, a Moroccan rescue pup named Tagha, who at five weeks old ran in front of their car, almost caused a crash but ended up stealing their hearts.
They are now raising money to adopt him from his country before they are able to leave Morocco.
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“Being in a car is certainly less expensive in terms of rent,” they said.
“We have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never be able to afford a house in the UK with current prices, the rise in energy bills etc. and so have had van life as our ambition for some time now."
Living in a tiny car is by no means an easy thing but the experience has taught occupational therapist Alex and prosthetist Doug a lot of both - the good and the bad.
They said: “As we live in a tiny car, space is even more of a premium than with living in a van, so we have to be very careful with packing and working out exactly what we will need for a journey.
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“We did lots of short trips in the UK which helped us to work out what we did and did not need for such a long journey through so many different countries and climates.
“We have actually found the freedom that car life can really offer us and certainly made us rethink our future plans and aspirations."
It has been five months since Alex and Doug have been living in the camper but they will return to the UK after completing a full eight months.
“We became stranded on the last loop of the rally in Morocco in order to complete the adoption process for our newest family member - Tagha the Moroccan rescue pup,” they said.
“She ran out in front of our car on day four in Morocco and was around five weeks old with no mother or any hope of survival.
“We couldn’t possibly leave her behind so whilst the five month adoption process is underway we plan to continue to explore beautiful Morocco.
“We can’t express how much we have loved living in our car the past few months and have learnt so much about ourselves and each other and meeting people along the adventure.
“We feel we have also proven that you can explore the world with the security of a camper for only a fraction of the cost of a van or motorhome.
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“All this we have done while raising money for charity and then rescuing a helpless Moroccan puppy.”
So far Alex and Doug have travelled extensively all over Europe as well as parts of Asia, including Turkey, Georgia and Armenia and North Africa, taking in Morocco and Tunisia.
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