Andy and Claire Stocks, who previously visited over 30 countries from the Far East to Central America, have swapped their jet-setting lifestyle for simpler staycations in the UK. Their change of lifestyle led them to semi-retire, focusing on creating content for their YouTube channel, St Christopher of Atlantis, which now has over 46,000 followers.
From a Battered Van to a Home on Wheels
The couple's transformation began during the pandemic when Andy bought a 'battered' £8,000 carpenter's van on a whim after failing to get parts for his broken-down Mercedes. They renovated the van themselves, taking it on adventures to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, as well as numerous UK staycations. Eventually, they traded it for a purpose-built motorhome.
Discovering UK Hidden Gems
Despite their extensive travels, the UK offered some of their most memorable experiences. Claire told me that the Isle of Mull is a favourite, with “the most wonderful sunset we’ve ever seen.” She recommended Fidden Farm campsite, saying “the beaches truly are white beaches up there,” comparing them to the Maldives. Andy tipped Hartlepool as a must-visit. He added: “This is a really random place that we would never expect it. We went to Hartlepool Marina and we saw dolphins. It was so beautiful, kind of an industrial location actually, but then you look up and you’re watching the dolphins, goodness.”
Overcoming Challenges on the Road
Living in tight quarters required the couple to stay “mega organised,” especially in their original van which had no separate living area or built-in toilet. They faced dramas including being trapped in a blizzard and once ending up in the wrong country. Andy explained: “We did have an occasion where we put in the wrong location into the satnav. I went to the completely incorrect country. It said we should have been somewhere in France. We ended up in Belgium.”
Promoting Local Economies and Misconceptions
The couple combat misconceptions about vanlife by highlighting local cafes, bars, and shops on their channel to support small businesses. Andy said, “We are quite young to be motor homers. The demographic of our channel is a lot of people that are older than us. So, we've got all that to go and we'll do it as long as we enjoy it.” For anyone tempted to follow a similar path, he advised: “Just do it now while you can. Just do whatever you want to do. Get out and do it. That's my advice.”
Building a YouTube Following
When they started documenting their van build on YouTube, initial reactions were unexpected. Andy elaborated: “When we put it out on YouTube, I think people thought it was a bit of a joke. Some of the initial comments were, 'Oh, that was really funny. That was, you know, you made me laugh.' And actually, that wasn't your intention at all.” Despite this, they built a loyal following, cutting their work days back to three a week to spend more time on content.
A Typical Day on the Road
On a typical day, the couple “travel to the campsite and then we do a tour of whichever campsite we're staying on.” They show people around campsites, and many book campsites based on their recommendations. “We turn up, we set the pitch up, and then we grab the cameras, and then we will go and tour the campsite and the surrounding area. And then when we've done that, we come back to the motor home and we're working basically. The illusion is that we are out and just on campsites and enjoying ourselves, but editing, we're dealing with the social media side, the comments. And so it's like our motor home now, it's a bit like an office on wheels.”
From Idea to Reality
Andy admitted the move was originally his idea and that he wasn't sure “Claire was fully onboard.” Claire added: “No. Well, Andrew has quite a lot of ideas. So, I think this was just another idea. I didn't really think too much about it. This carpenter's van appeared and he said that you were going to sort of transform it into a camper van so we could go on some amazing adventures.” Their first trip was less glamorous: mid-way through the project they headed to Conwy in Wales. “I was trying to sell the lifestyle to Claire. What actually happened was we sat in a car park with a sandwich. On the bare floor!” Andy joked.
Andy started the project with no experience and “an unrealistic amount of confidence.” The early parts “didn’t go very well.” He said: “The first job that I had to do - there's a bulkhead that separates the cab from the back to stop things flying into the cabin. So, I had to remove that. I thought that was going to be a really easy job. And I started taking the bolts out and they were all good apart from one bolt and that took me two weeks to actually get rid of. So it kind of set the tone for everything else that followed.”
