What it's like Living out of a camper-van for 3 weeks:

Name: EuroTourer

Dimensions: 7m long x 3m width x 2.8m high

Appliances that work only when plugged into electricity:
- Microwave
- Plugs
- Air conditioning ( not needed on this trip :)

Les appareils qui ne marche que lorsque le van est connecte a une prise:
- Micro-onde
- Prises
- Climatisation

Appliances that work even unplugged:
- Hobbs
- Lights
- Shower/ toilet flush
- Fridge
- Heater

Les appareils qui marchent sans source d'electricite (qu'avec la batterie) :

- Plaques de cuisson (gaz)
- Lampes
- Douche/ toilettes
- Frigo
- Chauffage

Photo ID:

Above  picture - This is ours...

Below picture - Thank GOODNESS this is NOT ours! 

When one decides to live in a camper for 3 weeks, this means:
Avoir decide de vivre 3 semaines dans un van ca veut dire:

1) Getting used to anticipating parking spaces whenever approaching towns or supermarkets, making sure we, well Sophie actually, will be able to park the beast.
*Bonus would be without Nathalie arguing she could do it better by doing it a different way!

1) tenter de trouver une place de parking appropriee lorsqu'on arrrive en ville ou dans un supermarche

2) Deciding whether we need plugged or unplugged every night.
2) Decide si on a besoin de brancher le van ce soir la ou non

3) Finding a camping spot.
Options are:
- DOC campsite - no powered sites but nice scenery. Only $6 per adult per night
- Private campsites - all facilities available and more expensive
- Free camping - only available to self contained vehicles i.e. US! Totally free. We loved when these were available!

3) Trouver un camping
Nos options: 
- Camping DOC - pas d'electricite, ces camping appartiennent au departement de conservation. Seulement 6$ par nuit par personne
- Camping prives - Tout le comfort possible (cuisine, douches, ...) mais beaucoup plus cher
- Camping sauvage - seulement possible pour les vehicules avec toilettes comme nous. 

Example of a DOC "Self Check-in", sounds more like "chicken" when a kiwi says it.

You sign in and someone comes round to collect the fee in the morning, or you leave money in the "Honesty box"

4) Once parked up for the night, cooking time.
4) Une fois garees, c'est l'heure de cuisiner

5) Jump out, even in the pouring rain to turn on the gas in order to cook. MUST be off whilst sleeping or driving!
5) Sortir du van meme quand il pleut des cordes pour ouvrir la bouteille de gaz pour cuisiner. Doit etre absoluement ferme la nuit ou pour la route

6) Cook & and enjoy the meal
6) Cuisiner et manger

7) One of us does the washing up whilst the dining area gets transformed into a bed.
7) Une fait la cuisine pendant que l'autre transforme l'espace de jour en espace de nuit

Washing up

The bed

8) Turn off the gas!
8) Eteindre le gaz

9) Go to bed
9) Se coucher

10) Wake up, eat breakfast and get ready to depart again and re transform the bed into a dining and living area
10) Se reveiller, manger ptit dej et se preparer pour le depart, retransformer le lit en salon

11) Unplug the cord if we re plugged in and make sure what.... Who's been paying attention? Yes make sure the GAS is off!
11) Debrancher le van et faire attention que la bouteille de gaz soit bien fermee

12) Get back on the road to discover a new place, new sceneries etc....
12) Et nous revoila en route !

Things to expect: Ce a quoi on peut s'attendre :
- Whilst the camper is being driven, jump up to go and close whichever cupboard or draw has just shot open.. BANG! because it hasn't been locked properly! Happens' every time and the "killer eye" war starts to try and guess who's fault this is!

- Lorsque le van est en route, un tiroir ou un placard s'ouvre....A chaque fois il y en avait un ou deux de mal fermes... (Toujours de la faute de Nathalie)

- Empty the waste water (water from the shower and sink), every 2 or 3 days, in appropriate 'Dump stations'
PIC

- Vider le reservoir d'au sale (l'eau de la douche et de l'evier) Tous les 2 ou 3 jours... Petit tour a la station d'epuration

- Empty the, let's call it, 'Pooh Box', every 2 or 3 days in, again a 'Dump station'

- Vider ce qu'on appele la 'boite a caca' et encore un petit tour a la station d'epuration

- Being shaken around like a barman shakes his cocktail if its windy at night!

- Se faire secouer pendant la nuit dans tous les sens par des bourrasques de vent

- Getting into the routine of 'making the bed'... mum, thanks for the training for all these years, it's come in use :)

- Faire le lit le soir et le defaire le matin et rebelotte tous les jourrrrrrssss

- Doing a little cleaning to ensure the best quality of life.

- Laver le linge 

When it's raining outside, one has to be a little inventive!