Grand California: The ultimate work & travel camper
Having more freedom and flexibility to choose where to work means mobile working is ever-present. That’s because our working world is constantly evolving, and more people are working from home two to three days a week.
But what is your situation?
Could you combine working and van life? After all, this is probably the most exciting form of mobile working: your own office in your motorhome.
Find out here how to manage the balancing act between adventure and daily working life. What preparations do you need to make? What challenges will you potentially face? And are there tips and tricks for making your Grand California your “partner in crime”?
Mobile working has many advantages – here are the two most important
Working in the Grand California is a completely different lifestyle. It is dynamic, exciting and the most beautiful places are often just a step away. That’s precisely why you’re here, right? Read on to find out the two most important advantages.
Advantage 1: Cost & efficiency
Mobile working from the motorhome can save you money. If you think about it this way: you have a number of fixed costs with your current lifestyle. For example, rent, electricity and water. On top of that you have to pay monthly for an internet connection and need a cable contract for the TV. Then there are your living expenses, food and drink. You’re already generally looking at a four-digit amount in fixed costs per month!
Now imagine you could reduce some of these costs, and eliminate others fully.
Rent? No need for rent with this type of mobile working. Depending on where you park up your motorhome, you simply pay for parking – or look for parking spaces that will cost you nothing.
Electricity is generally available at campsites. Fresh water too. If not, you have a built-in basic supply in the Grand California, so you can easily get by without a connection.
Obviously one cost remains: your internet connection. We have addressed this topic in greater detail below.
Advantage 2: Quality of life
Work-life balance is a popular topic. However, there are about 220 working days and generally no more than 30 days holidays a year. Some items on your adventure bucket list would have to go, but mobile working in a camper van changes everything.
You only need to read the many reports from people enthusing over their improved quality of life. If you relocate your workplace to the Grand California, you can explore new cultures, countries and landscapes in no time – without having to wait for your annual holiday.
What challenges might you face?
You travel as a digital nomad exploring the world’s history and do your day’s work at the same time – sounds like a dream. But you also need to be a realist. Yes, there are challenges that you will have to overcome sooner or later in your new living situation. The good news is; we will show you a couple of challenges, and give you possible solutions.
Internet connection
Obviously, nothing works without the internet. Invest a little time looking into this before you start out as it’s important when you’re on the road that you have an internet connection that meets your requirements. There are various proven solutions for this:
- Mobile router: you can establish a reliable connection on the road with an extra SIM card and a router. Many digital nomads swear by this option, especially if you need to regularly join video calls.
- Wi-Fi at campsites: somewhat less reliable and not as easy to plan as your own internet connection. It’s also not always free of charge. When it comes to mails and messages, there is usually no problem, but sending large files – not so easy.
- Satellite Internet: you want to play it absolutely safe? And you have the cash to spend? Excellent – then this is probably the most reliable solution for your Internet problem.
Space and ergonomics
A camper van is neither an open-plan office nor an enormous four-room apartment. The challenge therefore is to fit both your private and working life into a smaller space. This includes how and where you set up your office so that you are not taking calls surrounded by mountains of clothes. Here are a couple of tips:
- Folding furniture: as the demand for mobile working in camper vans increases, the offers on the market to meet this demand are also increasing. You can now get folding and ergonomic chairs and desks. Not only are these good for you, they will also save space in the camper van.
- Work areas: the trick here is the same as for travelling – be flexible. In the office, you usually have the same workplace all the time, just a lot more space. Movement and different sitting positions are easiest to integrate in your everyday working life if you regularly sit somewhere different.
Preparation and planning
Apart from the technical and spatial arrangement, you should also make some organisational preparations. Even in paradise not everything always goes to plan. Your future self will thank you if you make preparations in advance.
- Emergency equipment: from laptop to power supply – any technical device can malfunction. For this reason, it’s good to have a plan B and to make provision for a replacement.
- Insurance: a vital element. You and your vehicle should be well insured.
- Apps: you can download lots of navigation systems and camping guides offline onto your smartphone. This means that you can always access your documents – even if you end up in a dead spot.
