Interview With The Dixie Tribe

Jade - VLB

We asked The Dixie Tribe, a travel filled family of 3 (soon to be 4)  some questions about the REAL van life and their experiences as a family. Sam & Rach previously travelled around Europe for 5 months making beautiful memories with their son, Ellis, and are now super busy undertaking conversion number 2!
Let's find out a little more...

How did you first get in to van life?
For a long time, we had really wanted to travel, and we had come close to moving to Canada for a year to live and work. But we kinda realised we would just be doing there, what we were doing here....working and not actually having quality time together as a family. We wanted to be able to travel full time and enjoy every experience together. 

We almost came close to buying a house too, but the seller pulled out, and we realised that we didn't want to be tied into a huge mortgage. Van living just really offered us what we were looking for. Minimal living and full-time travel. So we went for it! We purchased a 2005 LDV Convoy and converted her into a tiny home on wheels over nine months and then travelled full-time across Europe for five months.

What is full time van life like with your little boy, Ellis?

Parenting, in general, is hard work! Regardless of where you are and what you do...you'll have tough days and good days. Parenting in a small van while travelling full-time is no different! 

But, it is so worth it when you can wake up and roll out of bed with your kid, and you are on the beach, or deep in a forest, or on a mountainside watching traditional shepherds or falling asleep watching the Northern lights through your roof vent! The things Ellis has seen at such a young age and the wealth of knowledge he has just by experiencing first hand the beauty this of this World makes all those little niggly moments worth it. 


We are proud to be pursuing an alternative way of living while raising children. The things that drive us to achieve our goals are really very simple; minimal and sustainable living, freedom to go wherever and whenever and quality time together as a family. Life is too short not to be doing what we want to be doing! And, we are confident that striving to achieve this way of living will only have a positive impact on our Son and future Bub. So that they will grow up striving to achieve what makes them really happy too. 

You bought a new skoolie bus (seriously cool) what are the plans for this? Will you be documenting the build out? PLEASE DO :-)

Plans for the Skoolie are; Convert it, live in it....probably stationary for a while, as we adjust to life with a newborn baby again and then travel in it!  


YES! We are documenting the build! Sam has been filming all of his hard work and is currently editing the footage into our first few Youtube videos. Woop!!


You can check out our YouTube channel here - feel free to subscribe so you can keep an eye on our new home on wheels coming to life, ready for our family of 4!
How do you guys plan on making a living when you hit the road again?
It has always been one of our primary goals to have a remote income so that we can travel full time while still making money. Rachel now has her own online business as a Kangen Water Distributor and mentoring others in launching their own successful online businesses. More and more people are seeing the value of working online and being able to make money from anywhere in the World. Having your own business takes guts and hard work, but it sure does pay-off when you can travel anywhere at any time!

What is the hardest part about full-time van life?

For us, being confined to the van on rainy days and trying to entertain a toddler in minimal space was quite tricky. Also, without a 240v hook up and being solely dependent on solar for our energy, we struggled for power after a few days with no direct sunlight. 


The practicalities aren't glamourous; filling up water at a petrol garage, showering outdoors or washing your clothes in the sink. And there's the risk of being moved on from a park-up spot by police at 2 am! But, the positives of van living far outway the negatives for us, hence why we're doing it all again!!
If you could give someone who is thinking about van life any piece of advice, what would it be?
Do it! Van living is an incredibly freeing way to live. 
Do as much research on the practical aspects beforehand so that you KNOW what you need from your conversion - power output, water usage, layout and space, appliances and fixtures etc.
Of course, that can be difficult to do before you are living in it, but you really want to make sure the conversion works for you when you're months down the line. 
We wouldn't have changed much about our LDV conversion, except maybe to put in a 240v hook up!

Name 3 of your fave tiny living / van life accounts (don't worry you don't have to say us hahaha)


Rainbowsontheroad - One of the first accounts we ever followed and who gave us the courage to pursue van living with a kid! Laura and Carly are giving Agnes such an incredible childhood. And they have the cutest dog ever!


Nauticalnomads - they're such a fun Family who are also currently building out a Skoolie in the States. They're an amazing source of information for anyone presently converting a Skoolie or thinking about it in the future. 


Houslessnothomeless - Martin is so down to earth and so real. He gives such good insight into what it is really like to be LIVING in a van.

What does van life mean to you? Let us know in the comments below!


~ Jade x

Follow The Dixie Tribe on YouTube & Instagram 




*Blogs are opinion based by each writer*

Van Life Business Features:

by Nichole - Tiny Ventures • 14 January 2023
Welcome to a brand new blog series, where we feature creative Van Lifers and small business owners who make and create things ON or FOR the road! First up lets get to know the story behind Tiny Ventures...
How To Reduce Weight In A Van Build

How To Reduce Weight In A Van Build

by Jade - VLB • 10 May 2021
Weight is one of the most important yet overlooked factors of a van build out. Below I share my top tips on ways to consider reducing those kilograms!
Bathroom In A Camper - YES OR NO?

Bathroom In A Camper - YES OR NO?

by Jade - VLB • 21 April 2021
When it comes to choosing your toilet, we would highly recommend the Simploo Composting Loo , not only is it a more ecological choice compared with chemical loo's, it actually looks like a household toilet thanks to the sleek modern finish.
Where To Fill Up You Camper Van Water Tanks

Where To Fill Up Your Water Tanks

by Jade - VLB • 17 July 2020
Are you wondering where to fill up your water when living the full time van life? Below I share my top tips! My first pointer here would be to have a water tank that is over 70L to ensure you aren't having to fill up too often (especially if you are planning to be off grid for a few days at a time) You'll still need to preserve your water as much as you can, so try not to keep that tap running unnecessarily and invest in a stop/start shower head, if you have a shower set up in your rig. The most obvious one is to fill up at friends and families, in between adventures or before setting off, this is probably the easiest way to obtain water! Keep a long water hose in your van, so if you spot a tap on your travels you are well prepared! On the road look out for these at fuel stations and services, not all of them have taps so I personally like to do a little dance when I find one (this is optional) A not so obvious one (and one that is probably best to use in a low water emergency) is a jet wash or screen water fill up point in fuel stations, you just need to make sure there are no chemicals or soap added to these! Oh and be prepared for some funny looks from people if you do try this method - if in doubt just smile and pout! Make friends! This is super easy in van life because the community spirit is so SO strong! There is a whole host of support out there both at park ups or online, so if you are stuck just ask around! I found that country pub owners were particularly friendly and kind enough to let us use their outdoor taps, they often have these for doggos, so after a spot of lunch take the opportunity to ask - the worst they can say is no! Lastly there is the option of a campsite, you could make use of the paid facilities and fill up your water, lots of people we know plan to do this once every few weeks for a night or 2!
Travel The Nordics

Travel The Nordics (The Indie Projects)

by Jade - VLB • 29 June 2020
Vanlife Legends Bee & Theo from The Indie Projects have just released an inspiring guide book, all about their experience of travelling through the breathtaking Nordics! This book Travel The Nordics literally couldn’t have come out at a better time for me! I have just purchased a new van, ready to build out in the coming months, and Norway / Northern Lights being TOP of my travel bucket list! Reading this book has completely solidified the fact that I just have to go, and now even better I can feel fully prepared with the practical advice of The Indie Projects! I CANNOT wait to get on the road and experience all of the amazing sights that Bee & Theo share in this book, but this time with my very own eyes!

Our TOP VanLife Underrated Destinations

by Laura & Carly (Rainbows On The Road) • 21 June 2020
Laura, Carly, their daughter Agnes and Roy The Dog make Rainbows On The Road - an Adventurous family who have travelled far and wide in their super unique home on wheels! They have absolutely nailed alternative living, and they are a great inspiration to us and many others! Let's find out their TOP underrated travel destinations below in the blog they have written for us all to enjoy!
Interview With Van Life Straya

Interview With Van Life Straya

by Jade - VLB • 31 May 2020
The awesome Claire & Luke from Van Life Straya have just completed self converting a Sprinter Panel Van into their very own FULL TIME home! We have throughly enjoyed watching this fun couple during their van build. Australia is near to our own hearts, so we have definitely been following this one extra closely! Let's dig a little deeper...
Interview With Driving Dee Dee

Interview With Driving Dee Dee

by Jade - VLB • 19 May 2020
We really enjoy watching your travels on Instagram - but life is certainly different right now, and you are currently in Spain on lockdown due to the Covid-19! How are you adjusting to this? Were you unable to stay in the van over there? Yes, we're currently in the south of Spain near Almeria and have been here for around 9 weeks now. We decided to rent an AirBnB about two months ago to wait out the lockdown rather than staying in the van as it felt safer and gave us peace of mind – as well as not having to worry about emptying the toilet and having access to long hot showers every day! We spent the first week of lockdown in the van but because the rules were so strict here with heavy fines (up to 2000 euros!) being threatened to anyone out of the house without a valid reason – and rules against having more than one person in a vehicle - we were constantly looking over our shoulder and felt really on edge all the time. On top of that all caravan parks and the majority of aires or motorhome service points closed too so finding water and grey and black drop-off points was really tricky. It's not quite how we imagined spending the Spring months, that's for sure, but we've tried to stay positive throughout it all and will just have to adapt our route plan accordingly, as and when things start to resume some normality and country borders begin to open again. Lockdown restrictions have eased slightly now, so we are leaving the AirBnB to move back into DeeDee this week and drive to an animal sanctuary near Valencia who have offered us to park on their land whilst we volunteer with them to build their new rescue centre. That should keep us entertained for the rest of lockdown (hopefully!).
Interview With Adventures In A Camper

Interview With Adventures In A Camper

by Jade - VLB • 14 May 2020
What inspired you to get a van? April's parents bought a caravan a few years ago, and after using it for a year or two we decided having a fixed base for weekend trips didn't work for us. To go on a weekend trip meant that we would have to book Friday's and Monday's off of work as we would spend Friday driving to our campsite and setting up and Monday packing up and driving home (you can't really go anywhere with a caravan hooked up to you). We'd pick a campsite in a central location to the places we wanted to visit, then we would spend the weekend traveling anywhere from 2 to 3 hours each day from our base location and then return at night. A camper van gave us the freedom to spend more time exploring as our home would be with us all the time - and it also meant that a weekend trip was literally a weekend trip, so no extra time off work, meaning more trips!
Van Life With A Doggo

Van Life With A Doggo

by Ceri (To The Mountains And Back) • 8 May 2020
Tip #1 - Only you know your dog! There's a whole raft of people out there that will give you every reason under the sun why van life is or isn't a good idea with a dog. Trust me when I say Piglet is her own dog! She travelled with me to work everyday since she was a pup so being on the road isn't an issue for her. She loves getting in the van and heading off; new places and smells are her idea of heaven (well, that and any kind of food!) and she's incredibly sociable with people. Only you know what your dog enjoys and what stresses them out and that's the best way to know if van life is right for your dog or not.
More posts
Share by: