Exit:

“We have always been inspired by travel programs. We converted to teachers in our 40s and created a training company based at home in Silverstone. It was a step towards freedom, although dictated by the school holidays. Lockdown meant we had to move to Zoom, which was a light bulb moment. When we realized we could teach from anywhere, we set out to find a ground vehicle that would double as an office. Our old Land Rover Army ambulance still had stretchers in the back when It’s now a small house and workspace, measuring approximately 13ft x 7ft.

“Converted by Paul Richardson from CamperHus Conversions to Cannock (camperhus.fr), it has a raised roof with marine hatches, a comfortable bed (essential for long trips), a shower, a toilet, a refrigerator, a sink, a sofa, 270 degree awning and solar panels. The forward cabin transforms into an office or a kennel at night. We had our first Airbnb guest at our house on April 13 of this year and we haven’t looked back.

“We started our trip camping at the headquarters of the Veterans in Action charity, setting off with them to Salisbury Plain to see what our vehicle could do. Highlights since have included staying at Torview Wines, a vineyard in Devon, and the New Forest Cider Orchard, with a magical forest walk. We found plenty of places to stay thanks to Brit Stops, a guide to pubs, wineries, farm shops and more that offer a free place to stay overnight in return for supporting their business (britstops.com). In addition to visiting family and friends, we also received accommodation offers on the Land Rover Ladies (LR Ladies) Facebook page.

“After crossing the UK, from Cornwall to Cley next the Sea in North Norfolk, we crossed France armed with a copy of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. The French equivalent of Brit Stop is France Passion (france-passion.com), which lists stopovers in vineyards and cheese makers. After the summer in France, we will be returning to the UK in September to see our children and grandchildren, visit the Lake District and plan trips for next year. There is a great world ready to explore. “

Gary:

“We like to never know what will be around the corner. We spent yesterday driving along the Gorges du Verdon in Provence, and today I am sitting with a map in front of me. The beauty of living and working on the road is that you stumble upon sites you wouldn’t expect. A Land Rover is a great conversation starter. We’ve met all kinds of interesting and nice people.

“Living in a small space in the British climate in April was more of a challenge than the August heat in France. It’s a small space, so the work has to be done in a particular order (for example, making the bed means cleaning the kitchen area). You have to be organized and tidy, but we realized how little we need. We sent home three boxes of things in the first week on the road.

“One day we hope to ship the vehicle to Canada, the United States or southern Africa. Our kids aren’t surprised by our urge to travel, but they probably think we’re a little crazy doing it with two big dogs. We are lucky that dogs are good travelers and see it as their home, and that we can run our business from anywhere.

“Of course, we can only teach when the time difference allows, and when we can guarantee a perfect Wi-Fi signal. We have added a high-end Wi-Fi antenna and dongle.

“One of the reasons parents want tuition fees is the individual connection between tutor and student. The lockdown helped us realize that it was entirely possible to transfer this to Zoom. some parents think their kids are enough on computers, online tuition works exactly the same as face-to-face, providing flexibility for us and convenience for our students. grateful that they don’t have to go to a tutor at 6 p.m. and wait outside for an hour while their child does math – they can be anywhere too.

“We don’t have fixed plans to get back to life as before, but as our grandchildren grow older we will want to spend more time nearby (but with the option to move away).

“My advice to everyone would be to do it. You can sit there and come up with a hundred reasons why not, but if you can find a way, do it. For us, it’s about grabbing life. . Events such as Land adventure show are great for inspiration. We also follow a couple called GrizzlyNbear on YouTube, who publish inspiring van life video blogs. Jits in the sunset is another favorite – Tania and Adam are an Irish and English couple, both filmmakers, traveling around Europe and living full time in a rusty 21-year-old camper van called Jitters. “

‘During our first meeting, we talked about buying a motorhome’

Charlie Osman, 28, and Josh Akhtar, 29, both graphic designers, left town to live, work and travel in a refurbished Mercedes Vario 614D, affectionately known as “the bus”. This summer (sponsored by Columbia Sportswear) they attempt to visit all 15 national parks across the UK – sharing their adventures with the 13,000 subscribers who follow their YouTube blog, Wandering Home