VanLife Beacon

guide

The all-electric van build, step by step

One route through the electrical pillar — a van that runs on batteries and solar alone. The order that makes it work, and where a diesel heater still earns its place.

Boondocking and freedom camping outside Europe

The aires-and-Stellplätze model that structures overnight stays across Europe simply does not exist in the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Each runs its own system instead — and one of them changed its rules in mid-2026.

Buying a used camper: what to inspect, in order

A used van or motorhome hides its worst problems behind paperwork and panels most buyers never check. Here is the inspection order, what a damp reading actually means, and the paper trail that should exist before money changes hands.

How to size and wire a campervan electrical system

Battery, alternator charging, solar, inverter, hook-up — the five blocks of a 12V van system, sized from your real daily watt-hours, not a parts list copied off a forum.

Choosing a base vehicle for a van conversion

Before any build decision, you pick a chassis — and it shapes parts, layout and resale for years. Here's how the main European choices differ.

Internet on the road: 4G routers vs Starlink

Remote work from a van needs reliable data. The two routes — cellular routers and satellite — solve different problems.

Conversion types and layouts explained

Kastenwagen, Teilintegriert, Vollintegriert, Alkoven — the German class names map onto real trade-offs in size, weight and licence.

Charging an EV camper on a trip

As electric base vans arrive, charging becomes part of trip planning. Connectors, on-board limits and the routing tools.

Heating a van: diesel, gas or electric

Cold nights decide whether van life is comfortable. The three heating routes differ in fuel, running cost and install — here's the honest trade-off.

Where you can legally stay overnight in a van

The line between a legal overnight and a fine is real — and it changes at every border. Aires, Stellplätze and the Spanish pernocta rule.

Low-emission zones (LEZ/ZFE) explained for van travel

Cross Europe in a van and you'll hit a patchwork of emission zones — each with its own sticker and rules. Here's the map.

Shipping or importing a van to another market

Moving a converted van across an ocean, or registering one built for a different market, runs into two separate problems: how the vehicle physically travels, and whether it is legally allowed to be registered at the other end.

What actually needs maintaining on a converted van

A converted van or motorhome is really two vehicles bolted together: an ordinary base vehicle, serviced like any van, and a living compartment with its own damp, gas, electrical and water systems that a normal garage never looks at. Here is the distinction, the annual schedule, and what an owner can and can't do without a certified professional.

Visas and the Schengen 90/180 rule for van travellers

Overstaying the Schengen area's 90/180 rule is one of the easiest ways to end a long van trip at a border. How the rolling window is actually counted, what changed for UK travellers post-Brexit, and why the vehicle runs on a separate clock from its driver.

Water and sanitation setup for a van

Fresh, grey and black: three water streams to plan before the build. What sizes work and where you service them.

Comparisons

comparison

Van base vehicles compared: Ducato vs Sprinter vs Crafter

The three chassis behind most European conversions — market support, drivetrain and the electric variants.

DC-DC (B2B) chargers compared (Victron, Sterling Power, Renogy, BOS)

A DC-DC charger sits between the vehicle's starter battery (or smart alternator) and the leisure battery, converting a variable, often-unstable input into a proper multi-stage charge. These four cover the range from marine-grade B2B units to a solar-combined design and a parallel-scalable battery-integrated system.

Van internet compared: Starlink Roam vs 4G/5G router vs eSIM data

There is no single best way to get online in a van — a satellite dish, a cellular router, and a data eSIM solve different problems and are commonly used together rather than as alternatives.

Diesel heaters compared (Webasto, Eberspächer, Autoterm, clones)

The three units that heat almost every European van, from OEM-grade to the value pick — what you actually pay for, and why the unbranded clones are not ranked here.

Which lithium leisure battery for a UK campervan?

Fogstar Drift and Renogy Core Mini 12V LiFePO4 leisure batteries compared on usable capacity, discharge, weight and verified UK price.

Which power station runs a van without diesel?

EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra, Anker SOLIX F3800 and Bluetti AC200L compared on their published specs for an all-electric van — capacity, AC output, solar input, weight and UK price.

Solar panels & MPPT charge controllers compared (Victron, Renogy, Eco-Worthy, Büttner)

A solar array is only as good as the controller regulating it. These four MPPT units — from the Dutch industry standard to a German premium brand and two budget-friendly options — cover most van electrical builds.

Where to sleep: Park4Night vs Camping-Car Park vs ACSI

The apps and networks that find you a legal overnight spot across Europe — coverage, model and cost.

Van toilets compared: cassette vs composting

Cassette is the EU default; composting is the off-grid alternative. What each really costs in money, water and hassle.

Transit vs ProMaster vs Sprinter: North American base vans

The three chassis behind almost every North American conversion — market history, drivetrain, wheelbase range, payload and the interior width that decides whether a bed fits crossways. The Toyota HiAce is the dominant base vehicle across Australia, Japan and much of Asia, but it is not sold new in the United States or Canada, so it is left out of this comparison on purpose.

Motorhome & campervan insurance and breakdown cover: what to check, provider by provider

This page does not rank insurers and does not state prices, coverage limits or exclusions as fact — policy wording changes, varies by country and by individual vehicle, and only the provider's own documentation and a qualified quote can confirm what applies. What follows is what each provider's own site says to check before assuming a van, a conversion or a route abroad is covered.

Directory

Campgrounds & overnight networks — Australia & New Zealand

Campground, freedom-camping and holiday-park networks for Australia and New Zealand — a different market to the European aires/Stellplätze networks covered elsewhere on this hub. Curated from our vendor registry; status reflects when we last checked each source, and provisional entries are marked as such rather than presented as verified.

Campgrounds & overnight networks — North America

Campground, dispersed-camping and overnight-stay networks for the US and Canada — a different market to the European aires/Stellplätze networks covered elsewhere on this hub. Curated from our vendor registry; status reflects when we last checked each source, and provisional entries are marked as such rather than presented as verified.

Aires & stopover networks

Verified aires & stopover networks for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Rental & community platforms — North America

RV clubs, peer-to-peer rental marketplaces and traditional rental fleets serving the US and Canada — a different market to the European rental and club networks covered elsewhere on this hub. Curated from our vendor registry; status reflects when we last checked each source, and provisional entries are marked as such rather than presented as verified.

Rental & community platforms — Australia & New Zealand

Motorhome clubs, self-containment certifiers and rental operators serving Australia and New Zealand — a different market to the European rental and club networks covered elsewhere on this hub. Curated from our vendor registry; status reflects when we last checked each source, and provisional entries are marked as such rather than presented as verified.

Rental & community platforms

Verified rental & community platforms for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Connectivity & internet

Verified connectivity & internet for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Converters & base-vehicle brands

Verified converters & base-vehicle brands for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Van electrical suppliers (UK)

The verified suppliers behind a modern all-electric van build in the UK — batteries, solar, charging and power stations. Each entry links to the manufacturer; status reflects when we last checked the source.

EV charging networks

Verified ev charging networks for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Heating & climate vendors

Verified heating & climate vendors for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review. Safety — several of these brands sell COMBUSTION appliances (diesel or gas). The danger is not the heater working, it is the heater failing: a cracked heat exchanger or a blocked exhaust can push carbon monoxide into the living space, and CO is colourless and odourless. Have it fitted by someone competent, ventilate, and fit a CO alarm certified to EN 50291-2 (leisure vehicles). See our diesel heater comparison.

Motorhome insurance & assistance — North America

US and Canadian RV, motorhome and campervan insurance and roadside assistance — a different market to the European motorhome insurance directory covered elsewhere on this hub, with different insurers, different regulation and different cross-border rules. This directory keeps three distinct roles apart: a direct INSURER (underwrites the policy itself), an insurance AGENCY (places policies with one of several underwriters rather than underwriting them), and a ROADSIDE-ASSISTANCE MEMBERSHIP (towing and callout cover — not insurance at all). Treating these as interchangeable is a common and costly mistake. Curated from our vendor registry; status reflects when we last checked each source, and provisional entries are marked as such rather than presented as verified. Nothing below states coverage terms, prices or exclusions as fact — confirm current terms, self-build/conversion declarations, full-time-occupancy cover, agreed-value settlement and US/Canada/Mexico validity directly with each provider before buying.

Motorhome insurance & assistance

Verified motorhome insurance & assistance for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Maintenance & repair bodies and accreditation schemes

The trade bodies, accreditation schemes and inspection networks that sit behind van and motorhome maintenance — chassis servicing is handled by the ordinary vehicle-dealer network, so this directory focuses on the organisations specific to the habitation (living-area) side and to vehicle roadworthiness testing. UK-specific entries are marked as such; each entry links to the organisation, and status reflects when we last checked the source.

Navigation & routing apps

Verified navigation & routing apps for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Water & sanitation vendors

Verified water & sanitation vendors for European van life — each entry links to the vendor; status reflects when we last checked the source. Curated from our vendor registry, pending editorial review.

Tools

calculator

Conversion Build Budget Estimator

Get an order-of-magnitude estimate of what a van conversion is likely to cost, from van size and the level chosen for insulation, electrical, water, heating, furniture and homologation. This is a rule-of-thumb planning range aggregated from published build-cost guides — never a quote, and not tied to any supplier. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Cable & Inverter Sizing Calculator

Work out the cable cross-section, fuse rating and inverter sizing a DC circuit needs, from the load, run length and acceptable voltage drop. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

EV Range & Charging Cost Calculator

Correct a manufacturer WLTP range figure for the load, elevation and weather an electric campervan actually sees, and estimate the cost of charging it. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Heater Fuel Runtime Calculator

Estimate how long a diesel or gas (LPG) van heater will run on a tank or bottle, from the heat output you actually use. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Low-Emission Zone Eligibility Checker

Check whether a diesel campervan is likely to be let into a country's low-emission zone scheme, from its Euro emissions standard and total weight. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Off-Grid Battery Bank Sizing Calculator

Estimate the leisure battery capacity an all-electric van needs from your daily energy use, the days of autonomy you want, and your usable depth of discharge. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Payload & Driving Licence Calculator

Work out how much payload is left after a conversion — kerb weight, build-out, water and passengers all eat into the GVW — and see which driving licence category that GVW puts you in. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Van Solar Array Sizing Calculator

Estimate the solar panel wattage a van needs to cover its daily energy use, from your peak sun hours and realistic system losses. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Water Autonomy Calculator

Estimate how many days a van's water system will last — and whether the fresh water tank or the grey/black waste tank runs out first. The maths runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent or stored.

Glossary