Couple who spent a year living 'van life' swear by $15 IKEA must-have
Not only have Georgia and Joel Munn ticked off a bucket-list for many Aussies by travelling around the nation, they have also created a side hustle which makes them thousands.
The pair decided to give van life a try after Georgia, 29, who works in events, was diagnosed with chronic fatigue.
They spent a year on the road in a former tradie's van they converted themselves, to give her the chance to recover.
Georgia and Joel Munn renovated their w camper van and drove around Australia. Supplied
And now they are back home, other people are able to taste the life too, by hiring their van.
The couple, from Brisbane, spent $42,000 buying and transforming their the old tradie vehicle. As Joel, 25, is a carpenter they did have a head start on doing the work.
And a key non-negotiable they wanted was a space-saving bed, Georgia, said.
They installed a Happijac, which it allows the whole bed to be lifted and stored by the van's roof when it's not being used.
Georgia and Joel Munn installed a Happijac so their bed can be raised to the roof in the daytime. Supplied
"That sort of becomes your loungeroom, and when you go to sleep you put the whole bed down," she tells 9Travel. "It doubled our space."
The couple went everywhere from Queensland to Tasmania and had a few highlights.
Porcupine Gorge in Northern Queensland was "really beautiful," Georgia says.
And while the pair thought Uluru would be "over rated," it really wasn't. Maria Island in Tasmania was also at the top of their list. There they swapped the van to stay in the old penitentiary there.
"There was just the most crazy uninterrupted wildlife I've ever seen," she said.
Georgia and Joel Munn converted an old tradies van into a place to live on the road. Supplied
Over the year they spent around $30,000 on their living costs.
And they have some tips for those keen to follow them
"Don't have any plans, go slow and embrace that," she says. "The times when we had a deadline if made it feel like this isn't even what we wanted."
As for essential things to take, the couple bought a Rhinowares hand coffee grinder, which costs around $60, to create their own coffee.
Plus a $15 IKEA laundry bag made going to wash their clothes so much easier.
"It was so good because you could just lug this thing around," she said.
The $15 KLANKA laundry bag was a must, the couple says. Supplied
Now they're back home, they're renting the van out on Camplify and last year made $14,000.
It's popular with people who drive it to Byron Bay, or even all the way to Sydney.
"It's a nice little injection of cash," she says.
But they also still use use it, with the next trip planned to beach town Scotts Head in northern NSW.
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