Campervan living shows how much more sustainable we could all be every day
Words and Pictures ❚ Ellen Manning
In the compact washroom of our Auto-Trail V-Line campervan, I squeeze toothpaste onto my toothbrush, run it under the tap, and get to brushing. It’s the same daily ritual as at home – with one small difference. Instead of leaving the tap running like I would at home, I flick it off as I mull over the day’s fun while I brush. A small difference, but one that’s now a firm habit when we’re away in the ’van. As is switching off the light as soon as I step out of the washroom, giving the display that shows our water tank and power situation a quick glance before I head to bed.
They’re all habits associated with campervan life, where water from the tap isn’t endless – but dependent on how much is left in the tank – and heat, light and everything connected with them only lasts as long as your battery charge or gas. Camper life can be similar to life in a bricks and mortar house in so many ways, yet different in others – especially when it comes to waste.
With limited space and the awareness that water and gas only last as long as the tanks have any in them, or electricity that depends on battery charge or a hook-up, it’s something you become conscious of. When we’re away in the ’van, my husband and I are much more careful than at home, from using less water and conserving power to creating less waste. Even doing less washing (without having to constantly be dirty, trust me) and generally needing less ‘stuff’ when we’re away compared to the rooms full of accumulated kit we have at home.
Sustainability is a bit of a buzzword these days, but there’s a general agreement that we as humans should be a bit more conscious of how wasteful we are and the effect that has on the world we live in. So, could we learn something from the way we live when we’re in a ’van and take that back to ‘normal’ life to be more sustainable on an everyday basis? With more and more people turning to vanlife these days for various reasons, there’s a growing recognition that it is possible to live a simpler life that’s more sustainable, creating less waste and less impact on the world around us, and often by adopting a few small changes that we could do as easily at home as we do when living in a box on four wheels.
Saving water a
