Is your van a home away from home?

It seems that the more time people spend in their vans, the less inclined they are to ever actually leave it, with recent research showing that many van owners treat their loyal and roadworthy companion as a home away from home.

New research by the UK insurance company Direct Line for Business, has found that as well as carting about tools and equipment, a third of van owners use their van as a mobile office for completing paperwork and even keeping their accounts up to date.

Perhaps less surprisingly, 45 per cent of van owners admitted to using their van as their own mobile dining room, with such delicacies as pasties and pre-packed sandwiches regularly consumed behind the wheel.

However, some of the alternative uses for vans were a little more unexpected, whilst some were just positively lewd!

The ten most common alternative van users:

1. To drink a cup of tea (50 per cent)
2. To listen to music (45 per cent)
3. As a mobile dining room (45 per cent)
4. As an office (31 per cent)
5. Somewhere to have a quiet read (30 per cent)
6. A quiet spot for a smoke (14 per cent)
7. For sleeping (11 per cent)
8. For playing games on a mobile (9 per cent)
9. Somewhere to have sex! (5 per cent - all romantics)
10. For playing games on a handheld console

Although this is a light-hearted look at the common alternative van uses, there is a more serious side to the poll, with 14 per cent of builders, electricians and plumbers regularly smoking in their vans. This is particularly unhealthy, as research from the British Lung Foundation has found that the level of toxin build up in a vehicle as a result of smoking is 23 times higher than you would find in a smoky bar.

Another important consideration is van insurance. If you’re driving around with expensive electrical items such as handheld computer consoles, will these be covered by your current insurance if they are stolen from your van?