Van life looks dreamy on Instagram.

Snowy mountains. Remote camps. Freedom.

And then sometimes… you clip mirrors with another camper, smash a window, lose your brakes, drain your batteries, and end up stranded in Scotland.

If you’ve ever wondered what van life is really like — this week was it.

---

🎥 Watch the Full Video

---

The Mirror Incident in the Mountains ❄️

My friend Beck had come to stay for a couple of weeks — which is how she ended up in the passenger seat when we passed another camper van on a narrow mountain road.

Two vans.
Tiny road.
Clipped mirrors.

Our side mirror flipped in and smashed the quarter window. It absolutely exploded.

Miraculously:

• No major injuries
• Just a tiny ankle cut
• A very cold van

We patched the window with cardboard (highly professional setup 😅) and drove carefully to the next town.

Not exactly the cosy mountain moment we were aiming for.

---

The £350 Mirror That Wasn’t

The original mirror?

• Had to come from Italy
• 10-day wait
• £350 (about $700 AUD 😳)

So instead… we bought a £10 aftermarket mirror and taped it on with gaffer tape.

Was it pretty? No.
Could I see? Yes.
That’s a win.

A local glass place fitted a temporary Perspex window so I could drive safely. Not perfect — but functional.

---

Then the Power Problems Began 🔋

Once Beck left (lucky her), the next wave hit.

Out in the Scottish countryside with rain and overcast skies, my solar just wasn’t keeping up.

I had:

• A leisure battery
• A solar panel
• Plug-in capability (when available)

But I couldn’t:

• Run my computer properly
• Run Starlink
• Upload videos
• Keep things charged

The battery was draining fast. Way too fast.

So I headed toward Glasgow to:

1. Fix the window properly
2. Get the battery checked

And that’s when things escalated.

---

Brake Failure 😳

As I pulled into a mechanic’s driveway…

My brake pedal went straight to the floor.

No resistance.

That is not a good feeling in a heavy camper van.

One mechanic couldn’t see me for 3 weeks.
Another had a broken hoist.
Another could maybe fit me in… next week.

Being stranded in your van sounds romantic until:

• Your toilet is filling up
• You’ve run out of gas
• You can’t cook
• You can’t heat
• You have no power

Living the dream.

---

The Battery Reality Check

Eventually I made it to North View Customs & Auto Glazing.

They were incredible.

They:

• Tested my batteries
• Confirmed they were end-of-life
• Replaced them
• Helped troubleshoot wiring
• Converted Starlink to 12V

Absolute legends.

For a minute, everything felt sorted.

---

…Then Starlink Broke 🙃

After spending hundreds on new batteries and upgrades…

Starlink failed.

I won’t rehash the entire saga here (there’s a full video on that drama), but that night it all got a bit much.

Sometimes van life is:

Sitting in a pub using WiFi so you can upload a video because your satellite internet died.

Very glamorous.

---

The Final Brake Diagnosis

When I finally got into a garage, we discovered:

• I’d effectively only had two working brakes
• Both front calipers were shot
• Replacement parts had to be sourced (the van’s from the Netherlands, which complicated things)

But eventually…

Brakes fixed.

And let me tell you — I like brakes.

---

The Honest Reality

That week cost:

• A temporary window
• A mirror solution
• Two new batteries
• Brake calipers
• Campsite fees
• A whole lot of emotional energy

Van life isn’t always sunsets and slow mornings.

Sometimes it’s:

• Mechanical roulette
• Weather battles
• Budget stress
• Sleeping in car parks hoping the brakes hold

But it’s also:

• Problem-solving
• Community
• Incredible landscapes
• Stories you’d never get any other way

---

What’s Next?

If the mechanical gods allow it, upcoming videos include:

• Exploring an abandoned railway station
• A lap around the legendary Nürburgring in Germany

Please let the next episode involve fewer warning lights.

See you next week 🚐✨

---