Living in Camper Van in Dublin

Patsy167

Hi Everyone,

I have been looking into the possibility of living in a campervan for a few months in Dublin. Has anyone ever lived in a Camper Van for a few months in Dublin?

I work in the City Centre and my workplace pays for public transport. My daily routine is very predictable. I go to the gym at 6am where I can shower and I don't get back in the evening until 7pm and I'll be in bed by 8pm.

My motivation is to save on the cost of rent and set myself a challenge. I am single and in my mid-twenties so my standard of living is very modest and I don't mind living on basic items. Our landlord is selling the house where I am currently staying and looking on Daft, monthly rent for a tiny room will be €650 per month when I move.

I could buy a Camper Van for ~€3000 and if I live in it for 5 months, I would essentially have it paid off.

The two problems I face are
1. Where do I park it? I was thinking I could park it in the Phoenix park and I've also seen it mentioned that there is a coastal Car park in Howth that I could park overnight.
2. What do i do if I need to change the dump tank for the toilet? This I haven't figured out.

I would love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on this. Does anybody have experience of doing this or tips?

Maybe it is a silly idea as I may not have thought it through fully?

All feedback welcome!

bren2002

This might interest you

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057783088/1

Patsy167

bren2002 wrote: »

This might interest you

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057783088/1

Fantastic!. Thank you for this. I will have read through it for ideas.

I've been doing it part time for 6 years. I do contract work so I'm highly mobile anyway which you need to be for resource gathering; fresh water collecting, grey water disposal, groceries, laundry, gas, heating fuel, waste disposal, battery energy recovery etc...

It took me 4 years to recuperate any investment. I rather own a thing than rent a shelter.

Upgrading the habitation to a live-aboard standard will cost in the region of €4000.
Mechanical wear and tear will be much higher as your home is your daily that often needs to move several times a day.

The electrical system on anything you buy will be your anchor, the rarest and very best of those you find will allow a one week range before needing a 12 hour charge...this is very difficult to find for fair exchange, to which end if you want to employ solar and be a self-contained sustainable power island then a good setup that can fend for itself will run ~€2000 on electrics.
Economic reliable electric refrigeration will require a large upfront investment too or the usual alternative is an unreliable gas one with an extremely high upkeep cost that may not work at all due to poor ventilation.

Parking you only have to go about 5 stops out any luas line from centre to find free parking, although I prefer the wilderness.
I don't stay anywhere more than one night and leave the place as I found it, ie. leave no mess. Then I don't revisit for at least a week.
So what's needed is several places to park. My number one priority is far away from drunken eejits and delinquents.

Longer than a medium wheelbase is much harder find parking for so we trade-off mpg and parkability for living space.

Stealth is your friend, it's just less hassle looking like a panel van and the skin is stronger. Once you develop an eye for flues, fridge vents and high windows, you'll notice more people do it that you think especially on the mainland. Rear wheel drive and good ground clearance if you want something field serviceable and capable, front wheel drive if you want comfort and a low step.
I don't like electronically controlled engines in live-aboards, anything with limp home mode gets disregarded in my book. Too much of a liability a broken sensor leaves me stranded.

Patsy167

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I've been doing it part time for 6 years. I do contract work so I'm highly mobile anyway which you need to be for resource gathering; fresh water collecting, grey water disposal, groceries, laundry, gas, heating fuel, waste disposal, battery energy recovery etc...

It took me 4 years to recuperate any investment. I rather own a thing than rent a shelter.

Upgrading the habitation to a live-aboard standard will cost in the region of €4000.
Mechanical wear and tear will be much higher as your home is your daily that often needs to move several times a day.

The electrical system on anything you buy will be your anchor, the rarest and very best of those you find will allow a one week range before needing a 12 hour charge...this is very difficult to find for fair exchange, to which end if you want to employ solar and be a self-contained sustainable power island then a good setup that can fend for itself will run ~€2000 on electrics.
Economic reliable electric refrigeration will require a large upfront investment too or the usual alternative is an unreliable gas one with an extremely high upkeep cost that may not work at all due to poor ventilation.

Parking you only have to go about 5 stops out any luas line from centre to find free parking, although I prefer the wilderness.
I don't stay anywhere more than one night and leave the place as I found it, ie. leave no mess. Then I don't revisit for at least a week.
So what's needed is several places to park. My number one priority is far away from drunken eejits and delinquents.

Longer than a medium wheelbase is much harder find parking for so we trade-off mpg and parkability for living space.

Stealth is your friend, it's just less hassle looking like a panel van and the skin is stronger. Once you develop an eye for flues, fridge vents and high windows, you'll notice more people do it that you think especially on the mainland. Rear wheel drive and good ground clearance if you want something field serviceable and capable, front wheel drive if you want comfort and a low step.
I don't like electronically controlled engines in live-aboards, anything with limp home mode gets disregarded in my book. Too much of a liability a broken sensor leaves me stranded.

Thank you for providing this detailed information. It is very helpful and much appreciated. I will keep this in mind as I do my research

Moomat

Patsy167 wrote: »

1. Where do I park it? I was thinking I could park it in the Phoenix park and I've also seen it mentioned that there is a coastal Car park in Howth that I could park overnight.

Very doable!

However, I would advise against the Phoenix Park. Quite alot of crime, especially at night. A low roof van would give you plenty more options, especially if it is only for sleeping.

The rangers in Phoenix park usually impart same advise on their dusk rounds. Might be true, might be them discouraging overnighting. Either way I look at it as public-private turf and keep my visits to daylight hours.

Moomat

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

The rangers in Phoenix park usually impart same advise on their dusk rounds. Might be true, might be them discouraging overnighting. Either way I look at it as public-private turf and keep my visits to daylight hours.

Probably a bit of both! I live close by there and once tried to set up a new drive-away awning to check it out for a few mins and practice. I was on a discrete section and hardly had it out of the bag when the rangers were down to tell me to put it away.

In relation to mischief - I've often seen cars burnt out; broken into etc, at all times of day and night. Great resource to have close but a little caution is required.

spaceHopper

Look into a canal barge, will cost you but will also hold value and you'll pull more.

CelticRambler

The Dublin-specific aspects of your question are outside my experience, but like SirLiamalot, I work as a contractor and spend more time living in my MH than my house (30 weeks from end Jan to mid Sept this year) and frequently go from one site to another without coming home.

I have a couple of advantages in that I insist on being given a decent parking space (usually just the customer car-park) and will often have an electrical hook-up; and when it comes to waste-dumps, France provides well for its motorhomers.

The biggest challenge, if my occasional space-sharers are anything to go by, is getting used to living in a "cell" where everything has a place for a reason, and not throwing stuff around that has to be moved afterwards (oh, and the feckin' Irish running the taps for ages!!! :mad: ) I have the opposite problem when I come home - can't get used to all the emptiness! :pac:

Discodog

I lived in a camper for 8 months years ago. I did a deal with a campsite which was a life saver as I could hook up to their electricity & use their toilets etc. Makes the world of difference when you can just plug in a heater

CelticRambler

CelticRambler wrote: »

(oh, and the feckin' Irish running the taps for ages!!! :mad: )

Install a momentary (push) switch on the tap. As soon as the water user needs a free hand they have to turn off the tap.

CelticRambler wrote: »

when I come home - can't get used to all the emptiness! :pac:

...takes a bittov getting used to; having the same view out the window every day.

Isambard

I've a Camper and not had any problems parking it overnight. I generally go for 7 to 10 day periods , but longer would be no problem, you need to be organised. I'd recommend moving it every day and spending a little while sussing out parking places. I started out parking in country areas but now I tend to look for a long stay car park, (they often have all night loos) but check for bylaw notices.)

I'd say go for a small van based vehicle rather than a coach built as it is more inconspicuous. You see converted Transits for sale all the time which just look like vans, they're usually a bit homemade and basic though and Insurance might not be a shoe-in