Sarah, Lochie and baby Jude are a very special family of three sharing there adventures in @littlefeetbigwheels IG account.
Instead of living their life in a regular house following the same everyday routine, they do things differently by calling their van their home.
By Ana Roque
Photography courtesy of Sarah Cansfield and Lochie Kerr
Before changing their lifestyles, Sarah Cansfield and Lochie Kerr “both worked office jobs and lived in a flat in West London.”
It was during the first lockdown that the idea of living in a van first came up.
“We were brainstorming ideas about how to make the most of our ‘baby gap year’ and knew it had to involve some kind of travel.
Lochie had always wanted to convert a van and it made a lot of sense as a ‘Covid-proof’ way to travel: avoiding flights and, once in Europe, with limited border restrictions.”
“Travel has always been such a big part of our lives (we have been to 27 countries in the three years we’ve been together) and we knew we had to pass this passion on to our baby!”
Not long before Jude was born, the couple took a very important step towards their new life.
Sarah was 7 months’ pregnant when they bought “an empty transit van”. Then “it was time to convert it into a shepherd’s hut on wheels for our very-soon-to-be little family of three!”
“Converting a van is not for the faint-hearted! Particularly when, like us, you don’t have prior experience in carpentry, plumbing, gas-fitting or electrics! It is a rollercoaster ride of small victories and the occasional setback, but it is all worth it in the end. Thorough research and careful forward planning are your best friends during a van build. We managed to do all of it ourselves, but you should not be afraid to ask for help if you need it.”
The result of so much effort and hard work is visible to everyone on the family’s social media accounts.
Lochie and Sarah’s van is inspiring and convinces even the most sceptical.
“We wanted the van to be light, airy and spacious enough for two adults and a little baby to hang out in. Our design idea was ‘shepherds hut on wheels’, so we used shaker-style doors, white timber cladding and a walnut-slatted roof.
The roof is one of our favourite features… it kind of feels like the inside of a boat and the design makes the van feel longer.”
During their travels, Sarah and Lochie always try to get to really remote places, “either to get completely immersed in nature or to see a different side of a country.”
“We wanted the freedom of being able to spend the night wherever we wanted and travel at our own pace.
We liked the idea of not having to move on in a rush if we found somewhere good.
For example, we initially planned to visit the Italian Dolomites for a long weekend but ended up staying for two weeks!”
LEMON Magazine: What is the most challenging part of living in a van?
Sarah Cansfield: The reality of living on the road is that you are always searching for a great place to spend the night. Some people might find this stressful or exhausting, particularly when it comes to respecting each country’s rules around wild camping.
We, however, loved that part of “VanLife” and always being on the hunt for some insanely gorgeous spots to wake up in has taken us to some cool places: cliff-tops in Ibiza or high up above the clouds in the Italian Dolomites.
What is the best and the worst thing about your lifestyle?
The best thing is the freedom: the world is our oyster. We can change our backyard whenever we want.
The worst thing is maybe not being able to take an extra-long shower every now and again. The shower in our van works great but we try to be careful with water usage so we don’t have to fill up the tank every day.
What’s it like to travel in a van with a baby?
Travelling in a van is the perfect way to travel with a baby. At any point in time, we have absolutely everything we need with us and that allows us to perfectly work around our baby’s routine: cot, pram, baby bath, toy basket, beach umbrella, carrier, spare nappies.
We have it all. We could not imagine trying to travel out of a suitcase with a baby for a prolonged period. Babies come with at least twice as much stuff as adults and we do not fancy having to lug that in and out of hotels one bit!
I know you plan to have more children in the future. Are you going to change your van or your lifestyle?
Yes, hopefully we are lucky to have another little one or two in the future! We built this van knowing that it would only sleep three and that we would have to find it a new home when our family gets bigger. We love the lifestyle so have already got plans for something a little bigger in the future.
What was the first destination you visited by van?
Spain. We took the van there even when it was only half-finished! It was getting colder in England, and it was much easier to work outside in warmer temperatures.
How many European countries have you visited?
We have been in ten European countries: Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Gibraltar, Wales, England, and Scotland.
What was your favourite city in Europe so far?
Seville (Spain). It is such a beautiful city, like “the Rome of Spain”. Amazing buildings, history, food and lots of cool vibey places for an evening drink.
We found a great place to spend a few nights there just a 10-minute bus ride out of the city. It was part of a Port, so it was by the water and, most importantly, it was safe. Not having to worry about the security of your van is the key to enjoying your time in a city.
And which one did you like least?
Bologna (Italy). We stopped in to the city for less than a day to visit some restaurants we loved on a previous trip. Unfortunately, while we were at lunch the front of our van was broken into.
Thankfully nothing valuable was stolen and this was the only security issue we had the entire trip.
How do you manage to enjoy the cuisine of each country? Do you cook in the van or go to restaurants?
We do a bit of both. The reality is that you cannot travel to amazing places like Spain and Italy and not enjoy the local food! When we cook, we try to use fresh, local produce and that often leads you to try recipes from the place you are travelling.
We ate a lot of delicious seafood in Spain.
Do you feel that by travelling in a van you can enjoy more destinations?
Absolutely! It is one of the main perks of travelling in a van. You can go literally wherever you want, and some of the best places we found were on the road to other places. In Spain we found an incredible pink Salt Lake on our way to the coast.
What is the security system like?
We have a GPS tracking device hidden in the van and we also use a steering wheel lock. During the build we purposefully kept the front cab and living area separate specifically for security reasons and, as it is a vehicle, it has the bonus of coming with an alarm.
We feel very safe in the van. We have only had that one problem in Bologna. Now, if we go to large city, we always make sure to park the van just out of the city in gated secure parking.
What tips would you give to those who want to travel this way?
Slow down your plans, give everything a home, use the park4night app and just do it! You won’t regret it!
MUST-HAVES IN THE VAN:
Keep following @littlefeetbigwheels for more on wheels adventures!
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