Home

For life on the road staying connected to the Internet is important to me.

At the moment I'm still using my trusty old Toshiba Portege R100 netbook which I think draws about 35 watts of power. I'd like to improve on this if I can but I must admit all of this new fangled technology frightens the dickens out of me.

Things which are important to me are a full size keyboard.

The lowest power consumption possible. (Using solar power - 3 x 80 watt solar panels).

The ability to watch Youtube videos without constant buffering which drives me mental.

A USB dongle connection (or other Internet connectivity solution which is fast, reliable and works across Europe even in remote areas - a big ask I know so this is less important as I can always drive closer to a village or town if needs be). I've got a 12GB 3 (Three) 3G dongle here.

A fast little blighter that doesn't drive me up the wall waiting for applications to load all the time.

Must have at least 1 or 2 USB ports.

I don't mind older wotsits/devices just so long as it gets the job done and quickly and isn't going to wheeze and cough the second I start putting it under some stress, for example, if I'm storing lots of photos on the device.

What are my options please?

Please keep your language ever so simple to understand (cos I'm an idiot with all things technical and if you start getting too technical on me, your words will just fly straight over the top of my forehead which will be about as much use as a knitted condom).

Cheers!

Well that wasn't too bad, I was expecting worse given the fact this is an old van.

It failed yes but nothing too significant, nothing that cannot be fixed very easily.

Nearside seat belt not working.

Nearside headlamp aim incorrect.

Parking brake and service brake (rear brakes basically) need attention. However, this could be due to the fact that only 15 miles before I had a new master brake cylinder fitted so it could just need a bit more bleeding or the handbrake might just need some adjustment.

At worst it could be replacing the rear drums and/or the rear brake cylinders. Won't know until Friday afternoon when my mechanic strips the rear brakes down to find out what the problem is. It's booked in for noon on Friday.

A free retest too if completed within 10 days.

Very pleased on the whole with this outcome. Another 12 months of van life beckons. Europe here I come. It's all coming together.

Come across any camper van conversions you've been impressed with online?

Want to share the inspiration around with other members here to spark someone elses creative streak?

Here is the first one to get you started, cool idea, use a dropside old truck. Drop the sides down to create some room to put your pot plants on. String a canopy/tarpaulin over the 'roof' bars. Put in a lovely wooden floor and the rest of the interior I'll leave to your imagination.

Incidentally this truck / camper is for sale for 9,000 Euros:

http://pureportugal.co.uk/listman/listings/l0358.html

Not bad for the money - £2,000.

You could sell the tail lift off the back of it to get some of your money back to and put this towards your conversion. Or just use the tail lift as a veranda to give some extra room when parked up. Click on the Google Images link below, look through the photos and you'll see what I mean.

Sleep above the cab, the space below is plenty big enough for a sofa, wood burner, kitchen, shower and what have you. Load of head room inside and natural light too if the top of the luton van is 'clear' fibreglass.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/vans/lwb-luton-van-with-tail-lift/1103070659

Some ideas for the interior conversion:

http://goo.gl/ZmrPp8 (Google Images link)

Hopefully this will inspire one or two of you into action what with spring being just around the corner.

I met Pete from Meadow Yurts through my good friends Joe and Suzy who own JoSawmills - http://www.josawmills.co.uk/ (I've known them both for about 18 years - a lovely down to earth couple).

Pete a mutual friend owns Meadow Yurts based in west Cornwall at Townsend near Hayle.

If you are in the market to buy a yurt either a small 10' yurt or a humongous 40+ footer - I highly recommend you visit their website: http://meadowyurts.co.uk

They also hire yurts out if you just want to sample the yurt lifestyle for a few days or by the week. If interested in buying one, they also have an interest free option to buy where you can spread the payments out over the course of 12 months (based on a 40% deposit).

Check out the website now as it's, well, just bloomin' lovely.

Again is the link to click on is:

http://meadowyurts.com

Sometimes it can be a bit of a worry parking up overnight wondering whether or not you might get a parking ticket (and 'fine') for parking on what amounts to private ground.

Whether private ground or council owned land get one of these printed up and in your windscreen to stop anyone from attaching a parking notice to your van.

For the full details visit this website: http://www.getoutofdebtfree.org/Parking-Notice - I'm a full member on this website although for security reasons I do post using a pen name there.

Anything to do with DCA's (debt collection agencies) etc; is a subject I know well. I often help others to empower themselves through the application of knowledge and loopholes in the law to stop the powers that be from walking all over everyone else. Just a little 'hobby' of mine on the quiet.

If you scroll down to the 3rd image down just below that you'll see the download links to the image in question which you can print out for yourself to place inside your windscreen. There are links for different countries too, for example:

U.S. UK. Canada. Australia. New Zealand. Ireland and last but by no means least South Africa.

Put this in your windscreen and if a traffic warden or a parking attendant starts writing out a ticket and you see them, just stop them dead in their tracks and authoritatively tell them to read the legal notice on your windscreen. More fool them if they ignore it for it will make them (or their department) liable for the fee stated by law. Most (but not all) will walk away from your vehicle instantly, even the police.

In the UK do remember that double yellow lines do not mean No Stopping. They only mean No Waiting. Now I'm not suggesting you purposefully put yourself at risk, well you can if you want to (unfortunately no guarantee is expressed or implied with this post) but you can actually park on either a single yellow line or a double yellow lines with this legal notice on display in your vehicle which can come in handy sometimes if you need to pop into a shop briefly for example.

If so, do check these guys out. Periodically they send out an update to my email address and on looking at their last one just now, I instantly thought there might be a few individuals here on this forum who might like to know about this place:

http://www.woodrecycling.org.uk

Now if some of the ideas there do not whet your appetite to get stuck in converting your van - I don't know what will.

Have fun.

You've got to love UK politics sometimes and their own provision to get legally round their own acts of parliament.

Notwithstanding the fact that there is no law requiring anyone to pay income tax - fact, there is another legal loophole you can employ to stop paying income tax.

For more on this, just click on the following links for more enlightening information:

http://www.lawfulrebellion.org/

http://www.lawfulrebellion.org/2014/02/26/Paying-Tax-is-Illegal-Witholding-Tax/

https://taxrebellion.wordpress.com/

http://www.makewarshistory.co.uk/

P.S. I re-posted this into this section as I placed it initially into the wrong forum. I deleted the other one. Sorry about that.

You may from time to time come into contact unfortunately with the police on your travels in the UK.

If for example you are parked up somewhere and you're in your van in a public parking area enjoying a good bottle of wine, use some commonsense. Never ever leave your keys in the ignition or have them on you.

If it's cold outside and all of your windows and doors are shut, make sure your vehicle is secure with all of the windows wound up and the doors locked. Although they might request you to talk with them, do not go outside to chat with them, just stay inside your vehicle and refuse to engage with them at all is probably the best policy. There is absolutely nothing they can do in this situation. They cannot for example force entry to your vehicle if no crime has been or is being committed.

Sure they may keep knocking on the outside of your van but sooner or later they will get bored by you not answering them and the second a more urgent matter comes to their attention over the radio, they'll be off to answer their call of duty. Yes it can be unnerving having them outside but don't allow their presence to intimidate you. Just stay put and ignore them in this situation.

You have to remember with the UK police that most of them these days are not police men or women (constables) all they are is 'policy' officers for the private corporation they represent. Their business is to merely get you into a contract with them where they can issue you with a fine (which looks good for the Home Office statistics).

Likewise all of the courts in the UK are similarly private corporations.

No contract exists unless it has a person's consent. If there is no consent to the terms of the contract no contract under their statutes and policies exists. Do not commit joinder whatever you do. I use the word 'person' in this context because it is your legal fiction, your strawman identity which they will do their best to attach the contract/fine to.

If a police 'policy' officer does stop you for whatever reason, one of their first questions to you will be, "What is your name and date of birth?"

Ask them immediately if they have taken their oath to the queen today before coming on duty. They will invariably answer, "Yes!" to this question. They have to reply in the affirmative even if it is a right load of cobblers and they're telling porky pies (lies). You next remind them that they are the public servant not the other way around.

If they continue to pester you for your details, ask them, "Is that a request or an order?"

They will reply that it is a request. All you need to say then is, "Request denied."

If they ask you again, you ask the same question again. They will again have to reply that it is a request. You reply again in exactly the same manner as you did before. "Request denied."

You can remind at this point that since we are all equal under law for their personal details, their full name, date of birth and for their address. Of course, they won't provide you with all of these details believing they have more authority over your person than your person has over their person. Which is blatantly not true.

You can then say to them, "Why should I provide you with my details when you won't give me the same respect and disclose your full details to me?" (They won't answer this question).

At this point, it's highly likely they will be getting slightly agitated to say the very least as the last thing they like is someone knowing the legal process better than themselves.

If they continue to pester you, you can simply ask them, "Am I being detained or am I under arrest?" They will reply, "No." This being the case you can then ask them, "Am I free to go then?"

If they reply, "No, not whilst I am asking you these questions," you can come back with the statement followed by a question, "Then I am being detained and if I am being detained without good cause when you just stated that I am not being detained but I am not free to go since no crime has been committed, under which specific law now am I now being detained? I ask again, am I being detained or am I free to go?"

At this point they'll probably tell you you are free to go so just do exactly that. Wish them good day and walk away from the situation. There is nothing they can do to stop you.

In essence what they are trying to do in this process is to get you into a corporate contract with them where on the slightest excuse possible they can issue you with a fine based on the most spurious of excuses.

Remember! If you do not consent to the contract no contract exists under their own rules. This applies to anybody in any situation where someone is trying to get you to contract with them. There must always be both parties consent to a contract, for a contract any contract to be given the weight of law.

If you placed under arrest the police must come out with the usual legalese blurb at the end of which they will always ask you, "Do you understand?" Never EVERr say yes and do NOT nod your head in agreement since they maybe and are in all likelihood filming you with their cameras.

The word 'understand' does not mean 'comprehend' in legalese double speak. What they are literally trying their best to get you to agree to is for you to agree to 'stand under' their authority.

If you say yes to this question, you are agreeing to the position that this other person has greater authority over the man or the woman you represent. Just keep silent. Do not at this stage answer or reply to a single question they put to you under ANY circumstances until you have a chance to speak to your solicitor in person at the police station.

There are plenty of Youtube videos you can look at which will explain the process better than I could ever hope to achieve here but I do hope this comes in useful should you need this information at any given time.

One last point, remember you are a man or a woman and NOT a person. There is a huge difference between what is legal and what is lawful. My law for example is based on the Magna Carta from the year 1215 not statutes and policies and acts of parliament which are not law in and of themselves.

Incidentally, if you don't want to pay income tax there is a very easy way around that one too but that information can wait for another thread.

All the best,


- Mark

Post up some of your favourite music down below, let's see what you've got and love listening to.

Here are just a few of my favourites which I hope you all enjoy:

Loreena McKinnitt - Arthas Destiny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAvPWVRpznM

Ozric Tentacles – Eternal Wheel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVZxpoq166Q

Jonah's Lift – Cooly's Hare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6ZjUQrfT6g

Mad Dog McCrea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WpOe95NHSY

3 Daft Monkeys – Hey Listen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ZB_i8KSvs

3 Daft Monkeys – Days of The Dance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGLM1pC4Ams

Sheila Chandra – Ever So Lonely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbcKO92OGNI

Julie Fowlis – Cuilidh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAbsHuNbQsQ

Afro Celt Sound System – Release https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xuGqoB9gG4

Tinariwen – Amassakoul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-t6-XY7C7A

Rafael Sotomayor – Inner Voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqHb_xXX7Ps

Another full time van dweller (5 years this spring).

Like Mike I'm also in an LDV Convoy 2.5TD (an old 1997 minibus) which incidentally has just run out of the MOT. Brakes are being done tomorrow afternoon. Checked the kingpins they look OK so fingers crossed the old girl 'Bella' won't need too much doing to her.

Most of my time is spent on top of the cliffs somewhere in west Cornwall which is where I am from.

A bit of blatant self promotion next: this is my newly built website/blog which I'm currently working on - feedback appreciated: http://campervantravels.com

As barmy as they come, a daft sense of humour, I love living 'on the road' full time and wouldn't have it any other way. It's good to be here and thank you Mike for the invitation - nice one.

Chin chin,


Mark