We enjoy following and engaging with Lucy and Ben of @fromrusttoroadtrip regularly on instagram and so it surprised us that we hadn’t reached out sooner for a vanlife interview with them. So in order to rectify this we contacted them post haste and they were kind enough to talk to us about their van living
Who are you?
We’re Lucy & Ben, a couple of photographers who met five years ago at university.
Where are you from originally?
We’re both from Cornwall, the land of surf and cyder and pasties! Whenever we’re in the UK we live between two little villages on the North Coast.
What type of van do you have?
We have an LDV Convoy ex-minibus.
How long have you had it?
We’ve had the van for nearly 3 years and been living in it for nearly 2.
What do you call your van?
We never really found a name for the van but Colin kind of suits it because it leaks like a colander!
What is it that drew you to travelling in a van?
Ever since I (Lucy) was 15 I kind of came to a sudden realisation that you’ve only got 80 years on this planet, so you’d better make the most of it, I’d wanted to travel the world. I’d always fantasised about travelling in a campervan, and Ben had always sort of dreamed of owning a van. It wasn’t until we were finishing uni and I was trying to figure out what to do next with my life, Ben was beginning to plan a backpacking trip around the Middle East, that our two wanderlusts came together and we decided to get a van.
What’s the best thing about living/travelling in your van?
The freedom. Being able to drive way out into the wild, park up under the stars, cook on a campfire, whilst having all of your home comforts around you. Finding inspiration in our daily lifestyle to write, film and take photos. And most importantly seeing new places and experiencing new things every day.
What’s the hardest part about living/travelling in your van?
Contrary to the glamorous #vanlife on Instagram, vanlife can actually be extremely difficult and challenging at times. You’re constantly having to find new ways to adapt to things that would be simple in a house, like finding water, showering, fixing broken things, engine maintenance, solving problems that crop up along the way. Sometimes trying to find a loaf of bread at a shop can turn into an all day adventure! But it’s all part of the experience. Just don’t let anyone tell you it’s all campfires and coffee because it’s not.
What would you be doing if it weren’t for vanlife?
It’s hard to say really, but I can imagine we’d be working wery hard for very little. Most likely paying someone else’s mortgage off and wondering what the bigger meaning of life is! We love Cornwall so much, but it’s difficult to earn a living and afford a comfortable lifestyle there.
What’s your favourite feature of your van?
For us, it has to be the kitchen! We love to cook and our large kitchen area enables us to enjoy the experience wherever we are. We particularly love our custom driftwood spice rack and charred wood work surface!
What was the biggest surprise about vanlife?
Our biggest surprise is always why more people haven’t caught onto the lifestyle yet! We love the surprises that each day brings us; a new sunrise to photograph, a new beach to bathe on, a new lake to swim in. A new adventure is just around the corner each and every day and we love the thrill of never knowing how each day will end and each new one will begin.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about getting a van of their own?
Do it! Stop thinking and dreaming and just do it. People always say that we’re so lucky to travel in a van but it’s really all down to hard work. If you turn your dreams into plans then they’ll soon become a reality.
You can join us in following Lucy and Ben’s travels on their instagram @fromrusttoroadtrip and even more excitingly on their YouTube channel where they’ve begin vlogging their adventures. If you want to find out more about them and their story be sure to check out their impressive website https://www.fromrusttoroadtrip.com/
