I did a similar thing (full time van living while doing full time software development, but in the US) for ~ 6 months until the pandemic cut the trip short. Depending on the build of your van, you will have differing levels of reliance on public resources. Unfortunately, our van was built around urban living - showering in gyms, working in coffee shops, etc.

In normal life, I think that's a much _simpler_ approach than being out in the forest. We were never far from a water source or a hardware store in case of emergency, which came in handy more than once.

I hope it continues to work out for them!