About TheVanFam4 – Family Campervan Travel & Adventures
We’re TheVanFam4, a UK family travelling, surfing, outdoor swimming and exploring in our VW California. We share what’s worked for us in case it helps other families get out on the road too.
Our adventures are shaped by water, weather and a shared love of the outdoors. Over the years, that combination has taken us to some brilliant places.
What We Share: Campervan Travel, Surf & Wild Swim Adventures
- Family campervan travel guides
- UK and Europe road trip itineraries
- Surf and wild‑swim spots
- Practical vanlife tips
- Packing lists and gear we actually use
Open Water Swimming & Surfing
Open water and wild swimming are at the heart of many of our trips, influencing where we travel and how we spend our time outdoors.
Claire is a Level 2 SEQ Swim Teacher and marathon swimmer, having completed the Chill Swim Triple Crown. She swims year‑round in the UK and often plans van trips around sea swims, river dips and cold‑water adventures. She also volunteers as Head Coach for a local amateur swim club, helping swimmers build confidence, technique and resilience in open water.
Dan is a committed surfer, and many of our routes are chosen for easy access to surf-friendly coastlines. Surfing and swimming naturally shape our travel days — early swims, tide checks and long evenings by the sea.
Everything we share comes from our own trips — the things we’ve tried, the mistakes we’ve made, and the gear that’s earned its place in the van.
From Pharmacy Degrees to Campervan Dreams
We met while studying Pharmacy at University. These days, Dan works as a Clinical Pharmacist at a local GP surgery, and I work part-time as a Pharmaceutical Development Consultant. So our travel time is precious!
Vanlife isn’t full-time for us. Instead, it’s our way of switching off, reconnecting and making memories around busy careers and family life.
How It All Started: A Life-Changing Trip
Back in 2006/07 we spent four weeks travelling around Australia in a hired campervan. We drove over 5,000 km from Sydney to Adelaide, through the Red Centre and up to Darwin.
Looking back, that trip gave us our first taste of the freedom of van travel — and the dream never really left.
The Daydream Becomes Reality
In 2018 we finally bought our first campervan: a blue VW California found down in Devon.
After a one-way train journey and a very nervous inspection, we drove away and spent our first night at Slapton Sands — a moment that confirmed we’d found something special.
Since then, we’ve been hooked..
A couple of photos from that first night in the van.
Making the Most of Our Time Outdoors
We use our van for weekend escapes, half-term breaks and longer summer adventures — from surf trips and wild swims to mountain hikes and coastal explorations.
By sharing our trips, the good bits as well as the chaos, we hope other families might feel inspired to get outside more often.
If you’re planning your own family campervan trip, start with our packing checklist, resources page, or latest travel guides.
Working with Brands
We create honest, real-world content around family adventure, open-water swimming and vanlife travel.
We work with swim, surf and outdoor brands who want their kit used in real family conditions, we’d love to hear from you. Work with us
Join Us on the Journey
This space is where we share itineraries, the things we’ve learned along the way, and the realities of travelling as a family of four . We share the highs, the lows and everything in between.