The Worst Vanlife Nightmares

As any long-term vanlifer will tell you, this lifestyle isn’t without its challenges.

Your comfort zone becomes pretty damn broad, pretty damn quick.

There are a few nightmares that have always haunted me as a full-time vanlifer, the three worst scenarios being:

1. Having my campervan stolen.
2. Having a serious accident.
3. Suffering a catastrophic engine failure.

Unfortunately, I’m currently living out number three.

It All Started With A Simple Fix…

A few days later, before I drove him again, I saw something I couldn’t ignore—coolant was dripping from beneath the engine bay.

I cancelled my plans, topped up the coolant one last time, and took Manny straight to his usual garage (or the shop – if you’re reading in the US). He purred like a kitten on this trip, and I left him hoping it was a simple hose issue.

However, the mechanics found that the oil filter casing had cracked, a problem that required immediate attention.

What Is The Oil Filter Casing?

Essentially, the oil filter casing plays a crucial role in housing and protecting the oil filter, which is responsible for cleaning the engine oil as it circulates through the engine. When the casing cracked, it allowed coolant to leak, as the oil filter system is integrated within the engine’s overall lubrication and cooling system.

After the repair, I received a call saying my Crafter campervan was all ready to go.

Catastrophic engine failure

When I collected my van, the mechanic mentioned hearing a ‘tapping noise’ coming from the engine—something related to the tappets, which regulate the timing of the valves in the engine. If there’s a problem, it often leads to a tapping noise, usually indicating wear or lack of lubrication.

I hadn’t heard this noise before, so we agreed I’d monitor it. I left, and quickly I heard the tapping noise and it grew louder, in just seconds it was terrifying.

I turned around straight away, the oil light came on, and then the engine cut out. I’d barely made it 300 metres.

I managed to angle Manny into a lay-by and ran to the garage. They towed him back and investigated. That’s when my worst fears were confirmed: the engine had seized. My beloved van home needs a new engine.

The speed at which everything unfolded was frightening, but unfortunately, the solution won’t be as quick. The garage have sourced a new engine and we’re waiting for it to be delivered. Manny will be out of action for a while.

So here I am, stuck. Not only emotionally, but physically—living on the garage forecourt while we wait.

What went so wrong?

The guys at the garage are trying to figure out what happened, and I have put my absolute faith in them to do so with complete transparency and honesty.

So far, they’ve taken the sump off to inspect the oil system, and that’s not led to any answers. They had just completed an oil change, and the van still had oil, yet everything that followed points to the engine being starved of lubrication…

So maybe this was just a problem waiting to happen, and a savage coincidence? Can that really be true?

As I write this, I’m left without answers, waiting for a new engine to arrive.

How I’m Feeling

It’s difficult to put into words how this situation makes me feel about Manny and vanlife. I’ve read stories about van lifers going through something like this, but I didn’t realise just how deep it would cut until it happened to me.

As a self-built camper, Manny has always been more than just a vehicle. In the world of van life, we often form deep emotional connections with our vans—something only other van lifers truly understand. Manny is not just my home, but my partner on the road.

The shock is compounded by the fact that I’ve always been diligent with van maintenance. My campervan is serviced annually, I take him to the garage at the first sign of trouble, and I had the cambelt replaced earlier this year. My van has 135,000 miles on the clock and, as a diesel engine, he should have plenty of life in him yet.

Despite all this care, I’m still in this situation—living in my van at the garage, with a major repair that could not only cost a lot, but has also totally destabilised my lifestyle, and has made me question my love for vanlife.

Sharing the Pros and Cons of Vanlife

It’s not easy for me to write about this. I’m used to sharing the positives of van life and helping others get into this lifestyle through Vanlife Hub.

But it’s important for me to be honest with this community. Van life isn’t always romantic or carefree, and I want to highlight that sometimes it can be devastating.

Because of the emotional weight and logistical chaos, I’m finding it difficult to focus on work. This means guides and van tours might be delayed for a little while.

I’m struggling to convey to my clients and friends just how much this has impacted me—it’s like my house has flooded, my car has broken down, and my best friend has been seriously injured… all at the same time. And all the while I am sat outside the ‘hospital’, wondering if this could have been prevented?

I know, it’s just a van. Or that’s what I thought…

Desperate for Answers

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I need answers. I can’t simply pay for the new engine and move on—I have to understand why this happened.

I am not blaming the team at the garage, but in my non-mechanical mind, I cannot completely ignore that they replaced the oil filter casing. During this kind of repair, several things can potentially go wrong.

If the new casing isn’t sealed properly, or if there’s a misalignment during installation, it could cause oil to leak, leading to a lack of proper lubrication for the engine. If the engine runs without sufficient oil, even for a short time, it can cause excessive wear on critical components.

Additionally, any debris or contaminants introduced during the replacement could block the oil passages, starving the engine of oil and leading to overheating or even engine seizure. Given that the first warning light I saw was the oil light, it’s hard not to connect these dots.

I need to know how to prevent it from happening again because van life is my life, and this moment has made me question everything. For now, I have put my faith into the team of mechanics, and can’t move forward without answers.

What’s Next? How Much Will The New Engine Cost?

I already paid £974 for the oil filter casing and fitting. If I need to pay for the replacement engine and fitting, this could be another £8,000 or $10,500 (although the garage have promised to do the best price they can, since I’m in such a bind).

So far, the guys at the garage have been great about letting me stay there, but since my van is now in the workshop while they conduct a thorough investigation, I’m going to move to an AirBnB for a few nights – I found a cheap place, so that’ll be £300-ish.

I do know this struggle is just temporary. Vanlife has given me so many highs, I know that I’ll forget about this once I’m back out on the road. But right now…this is a bag of Ds.

I’ll update this article as the situation unfolds.

Next Update: Investigations into the Engine Seizure

After conducting a detailed investigation into the failure of my VW Crafter’s engine, the garage has provided some answers.

They discovered that the number 1 big end bearing had failed, leading to the engine seizure. Despite the oil level being correct and the oil filter housing installed properly, there was debris from the bearing failure found in the sump pan, indicating a lubrication issue at the time of failure.

The checks revealed no blockages in the oil pick-up strainer, and the cooling system showed no abnormalities other than minor damage to the radiator. Additionally, no fault codes were found during the post-repair scan, and the post-repair test drive showed no immediate issues other than a noted engine noise.

Although the root cause of the bearing failure remains unclear without a full engine strip, the garage has concluded that this is likely an unfortunate coincidence rather than a result of the repair.

I am seriously disappointed that the root cause has not been found. My research indicates that he number 1 big end bearing is located in a critical area that relies on good oil pressure.

And, if oil starvation occurred shortly after the repair, this bearing could have been the first to fail… Additionally, the oil light definitely came on while I was turning the van around, so it’s odd that it isn’t in the log either… My one wish is that they checked the oil pressure after they heard the noise from the tappets; it seems like that could have prevented this issue progressing.

They are now proposing an engine replacement, which will include additional checks on the turbo, and have promised to assist with the costs as much as possible.

I feel like I need to proceed with this. My van has been at the garage for over 2 weeks now, and I need my home back, but to say that I’m devastated is an understatement.

Latest Update: The New Engine Is Going In

I’ve come to the end of my ability and motivation to push this any harder or further; the 10 days since this happened have been some of the worst. I have moved out of the AirBnB and I’m staying with family, which is much better for me.

Throughout all of this it’s been a struggle to focus and to work. My clients have been great, and the response is often something like “oh yes, I had an engine seize on my car…” to which I nod, smile, and graciously thank them.

But Manny is more than just a vehicle, he’s my home and he feels like a part of me. I can’t explain the depths of despair I’m experiencing without him. Myself, the team at the garage, and everybody involved, just need to move on now.

I have agreed a good price with the garage, for which I am grateful, and my hope is that I will collect him in a few days.

I am counting the hours, and I’m telling myself that my van home will be new, improved, and (hopefully!) invincible. I’ll be making a layout change when I collect him (details to be revealed soon!) and I’m planning some big roadtrips for next year, so I can leave this situation in the dust!

Thanks for following this story. I’ll be back onto vanlife guides and tours this week, I promise 🙂

You Might Also Like These Vanlife Blogs…

If you’re just thinking about starting vanlife, please don’t let this put you off! Vanlife makes you pay for some amazing highs with a few lows. These articles are pretty great if you’d like to read more: