So you only did this as an experiment? If it was a forced thing, do you think it would be any different? Also, this could be amazing to go camping or short vacations with friends. Thanks!
So I went down there in September for a 3 month contract that got extended by another 3 months.
The most complicated issue was that the Webasto diesel heating system (2kw heater and amazinf) required leisure batteries to be at a certain level to work safely and would shut down. So I started off with an 80w battery by the middle of December I had added another two 110w batteries and bought a industrial strength battery charger to enable me to top the batteries up within a 24 hour period.
If I was living in the van permanently I would have mounted two 250w solar panels on the roof. Complete independence would have been worth it.
One thing, having a home base also gave me a place to empty the chemical loo.
Of note, it completely changed my view of sealed sachets of ketchup and coffee. As you are in a box, you can build up a lot of moisture during the night (easy to remove during the day) but just means windows are dripping or even frozen with moisture.
I can remember firing up the heater and directing the heat into the driver cabin via a funnel to help melt the ice that had formed over night on the inside of the screen, leaving the van and going for a walk along the beach while it cleared itself.