Meet TheVanFam4
Hi, we’re Claire, Dan and our two boys (aged 14 & 12), based in Cheshire, UK. We’re not full-time vanlifers, just a family making the most of weekends and school holidays to explore together in our campervan.
Our adventures are shaped by water, weather and a shared love of the outdoors.
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 regularly combines van trips with sea swims, river swimming and cold-water adventures. Alongside this, she 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 lived experience: testing gear, planning family trips around water, and learning what really works.
From Pharmacy Degrees to Campervan Dreams
Dan and I met while studying Pharmacy at University. These days Dan works as a Clinical Pharmacist at a local GP surgery, and I work as a Pharmaceutical Development Consultant — so our travel time is precious.
Vanlife isn’t full-time for us. 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 — over 5,000 km from Sydney to Adelaide, through the Red Centre and up to Darwin.
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.
We’ve been hooked ever since.
A couple of pics 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.
Our goal is simple: help families feel confident getting outside more often, even if only for a night or two.
Working with Brands
We create honest, real-world content around family adventure, open-water swimming and vanlife travel.
If you’re a swim, surf or outdoor brand looking for authentic testing and storytelling in real conditions, we’d love to hear from you. Work with us
Join Us on the Journey
This space is where we share itineraries, practical tips and the realities of travelling as a family of four — the highs, the lows and everything in between.
The VanFam4 