IKEA Stealth Camping at CHRISTMAS in our Campervan VANLIFE UK

We're about to stealth camp on an Ikea car park. And cook up a Christmas dinner without getting a fine or getting caught. I think we're not going to get away with this. I'm hoping no one knocks while I'm on my own. Oh my god, it's the best thing ever. What is that? You are not beating that for Christmas dinner. We go tacky. I hope it's staked. Shut the gates to the car park. Here we go. Ikea, let's have it, come on. So it is only four o'clock and it's going dark already. Now Ikea is open until I think about 10 o'clock. So it is going to be busy for a good while. So I think we're going to go and try and tuck ourselves away in a little corner. There is already a camp van here. Oh no, it's gone. It was here. Oh no, there's one there. But they're probably just in the shop and not actually going to do a stealth camp like us. The best option is to park up in and amongst the cars and vans. So it doesn't look suspicious. So if you're a complete alien and don't know what Ikea is. It's basically a Swedish style home store. And we're going to be camping right here on the car park. Fingers crossed we actually get away with it. Now our van doesn't necessarily look stealthy. I think stealth camping means you just look like you're in the back of a builder's van. This definitely looks like a camper van. We've got the windows in. We've got the alarm system. You can see the solar panels on the roof. Who are we fooling? Either way, it's Christmas. So we need to decorate the inside of our van and get everything ready for a nice Christmas dinner. First things first. Let's swap this manky old mat for the new Christmas one. Look at that. From Aldi. That's bang on. That's a perfect colour as well. It's really nice. Oh and that one's minging. I think it's time to get into the Christmas spirit. Get this van looking Christmassy. It's just started raining outside guys. And I think that is going to help us for stealth camping here. Because people don't want to be stood out in the rain. I.e. security. The people that collect the trolleys. So fingers crossed we'll get away with it. Let's crack on with all the Christmas lights, the decorations and we've even got to get a tree up. Cue the music. All right, well that was a fail. I think we need to be on glass. Let's just skip getting the tree up. That's my favourite part. Hey, it's quite big that isn't it? I forgot. So to keep the Christmas tree in place, I think we might have to swim it in. Through the trunk and into the shell. Look at the size of it. I don't remember it being that big. But I don't think we're going to have room to put the star on. Now we know our van is quite aesthetic. Beigey colours. But when it comes to Christmas, we go tacky. Oh my god, look what I've just found. What is it? Do you remember that when I made you that? Oh yeah. The Harry Potter little bauble. They're cool aren't they? We'll have to get that on the tree. Now I know we're getting all Christmassy in that. But I'm opening this party mix because I'm starving. Cheese, cracker, whatever this is. Going for a Christmas kebab? Taste test. Good. Come on, Christmas kebab. Oh my god, it's the best thing ever. But the very next day, give it to someone special. I'm already into finger buffet. Do you recognise me? Look, we've even got candy canes. We've got a tree to redecorate and get out the buffet. We carried on decorating the tree whilst Jordan stuffed his face with cheese and crackers. Right guys, I've just come out just to check the van. And it doesn't look that stealthy. The light on the inside, you can really see it. But I've been armed with a task of getting some sticky tabs to put the Christmas lights up. So fingers crossed we can get to it from inside Ikea. Jordan's just outside now and he says that you can basically see the orangey warm white glow. So I think I might have to like put a blanket or something there just for extra blackout. Maybe the towel will work. I'm not sure. Let's see. What do you reckon like that? I don't know if that'll work or if that's just made it worse. So obviously we've got a window either side. Now to keep us stealthy, these have a blackout blind built into them. So they're absolutely fine. They're not going to be letting any light through. This is the problem. I'm hoping this towel has done the trick or else we're going to have to sit in dark I'm thinking more like electrical section or where the lights are. Where the sticky tabs are. The only ones I've got are them. They're no good. Oh yes, let's have it. Don't tell Annelies. So we get asked a lot about what internet we use whilst traveling. We have the wi-fi internet in the van, which we use when we're inside the van, which we can connect our phones to. However, when we're out and about on our phones, we use HoloFly. When we're out in Europe, we keep our normal UK SIM cards in our phones, but we only get a fair use policy and we always end up running out, probably due to our jobs being content creators. It's very internet hungry. But HoloFly is an eSIM, which means there's no need for a physical SIM card. We actually stumbled across HoloFly whilst we was out in Andorra. As Andorra isn't in the EU, it isn't included in our UK SIM card's EU data roaming plan. So we were left without internet. Luckily, HoloFly allows us to install a data plan straight to our phone within minutes. Once you're finished with your HoloFly eSIM, you can switch back to your normal phone physical SIM card, all in your phone's settings. So you don't ever need to remove your phone's physical SIM card at risk of losing it. So we use HoloFly because they've got unlimited data plans in over 200 destinations, with customisable and personalised day plans. They've got 24-7 real person support and no hidden costs, which is just what we all want to hear. So if you've got travel plans, then make sure to check out HoloFly to stay connected. Save some money using our discount code STEPSTOADVENTURE. And to visit the website, you can scan the QR code up here or visit the link down in the description. I might as well get the dinner on. And after dinner, we've got something super exciting. We've got a gingerbread house to make. We're baking cookies. So this is going to be super exciting. I absolutely love Christmas and I've been waiting to do this for so long. We're currently like a week before Christmas. I've only just put the Christmas tree up because we've been waiting to do this video. So I'm so glad today is finally the day. So for Christmas dinner, we're going to be using our Our Place Wonder Oven. Now me and Jordan don't do turkey. So instead of getting like a full chicken just for the two of us, I have got some leftover chicken breast. We've got pigs in blankets. Elite. We've got Yorkie Puds. Now Yorkie Puds on a Christmas dinner is controversial. That shouldn't be a controversial topic. Yorkie Puds belong on every single dinner. We've got cookie dough for dessert. Vegetable medley because I can't have a chopping veg. And I think that's everything for the fridge stuff. These make the best roasties. Fry light. Mint sauce. Now we don't do proper gravy. We do Bisto or Aldi's own beef gravy with chicken always. Chicken gravy does not belong on this earth. Sage and onion stuffing. This pan. This lid. This pan. This. And I think that's everything we need. Now if you are a regular viewer, you know that we have a Blink camera system all around the van. And we've got a little reel link here, which was an indoor camera for the back here. But then we did move it to the front because the home module, the sync module or something on the Blink went kaput. Stopped working. We have bought a new one. So our Blink cameras are up and running. So we can keep an eye out if anyone's going to be coming over to the van. So I'm going to arm the cameras. That's going to alert me if anyone's hanging around the van. It probably will go off a few times because obviously it's five o'clock. People are still going to be coming to IK and probably parking up next to us. So it's mostly the right hand side that we need to be looking at because that's where IK is over that way. But I guess we'll only know really past 10 o'clock when IK actually shuts. So I'm going to get the Christmas dinner on now so that at least if we do get moved on, we've already eaten our Christmas dinner. Now I am actually going to cook the chicken first. Wrap it in foil and put it in like a plastic container. Here's what we're looking like from the outside. Pretty stealthy. You can't see any lights on now. Anneliese has put the towel in the front window bit so you can't see any light coming through. But check how Christmasy it is in here. All right, Lils. Wow. Our Christmas decorations up. Our nice little floor mat down. And Anneliese is cooking up an absolute storm. And I know what's on all your minds. Why the hell have we come to an IKEA car park? Well, we've never done it before. It's not far from home and we're visiting family over the Christmas. So we thought why not head to the IKEA and see if we can actually stay overnight. So chicken's done. Spuds are in and boiling. Next up, get the pigs in blankets on. Well, I don't feel Christmasy enough so I'm going to get in my Christmas jammers. Well, we're halfway in the Christmas jammers. So we've just put up some new lights around the sliding door already. Go on. Oh, wow. How amazing does it look? I've been waiting for this day for so long. Literally for like three months. Oh my days, guys. Look at them. They look like they're going to be well crispy, don't they? They're so fluffy. Right, let's get them in. These ones on top? Yeah, I'd say so. Bang them ones underneath. Pop our little sausages in. Oh, yes. Now they're in the oven. I think it's time for me to wash up. What are you offering? So instead of opening the windows to look out and miss someone seeing us, I'm just going to do a little update on the blink cameras. The blink cameras are not amazing when it has been raining because the raindrops kind of stay on there. Front cab. Left side, nobody near us. Right side, which is the IKEA side. Still loads of cars around, aren't there? Well, it is only six o'clock. So it shuts at 10 o'clock tonight, reopens 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. That's all the washing done. I think it's time for another snack. I never thought I'd see the day. You're doing the dishes? Yeah, I tell you. You're cheeky, you are. It's a really big cheesy cracker. Pigs in blankets are now done. Look at those. Yes, look at those. This full Christmas dinner has been cooked on, obviously, our gas hobs and our out-of-place oven. But the out-of-place oven has been powered by our small little EcoFlow. There's the small one. And it's still going. Tell me, guys, that doesn't look like one of the best Christmas dinners ever in a van. I mean, look at that. You are not beating that for Christmas dinner, are you? That looks so good, doesn't it? This is a serious feast. I mean, pigs in blankets first. It's Christmas tradition. We've got to do our Christmas cracker. Okay, go on. Three, two, one. I want them both. You cheating sod. You knew exactly what was going to happen. I didn't know. Which of Santa's reindeer has bad manners? It's really easy. Chance. That's Rudolph. Rudolph. Oh, that's just terrible. Oh, yeah. Annalise Rexhurst. She's a bit like my granddad. Putting mint sauce on it. Well, that is a Christmas dinner ticked off in the van in an Ikea car park. Bosh! Christmas dinner for Lily. So we've just been having a little chill watching Harry Potter and the cameras go off. And this is what's on the cameras. What is that? Like, what is that? Like proper ghosts, aren't they? Like, I feel like it has to be some sort of like car lights. But how is it going like that? It's going like sideways. Look at it. Whoa, I made that. It's like a proper, proper... Look at that there. Oh, my God. That's terrifying. Did you see the Christmas dinner? Did you? Was it nice? What was your favourite bit? Peeking blankets? Hello. I'm going to show everyone. Show everyone your hats. Hello. Merry Christmas, everyone. She's like, no. So, guys, it's time for my favourite part of the evening. We got this one from Morrison's. I think it was about six quid. Now, you can get the ones where you bake the gingerbread, but we got the one where it's already baked. That's what it is supposed to look like. Smell that. Can I have a bite of it? No, don't. It could be the chimney, though. I'm just going to open it all quick. No, I can't. Yeah, push it. Push it. Oh, no. Construction broke. Wait a minute. How does the roof go? How's that going to hold on? I don't know how it's going to hold on. No way that holds on. There's no way that holds on. Well, I hope it sticks. I know, I hope it sticks. I'm nearly 30 years of age. I'm sitting in the back of the panel van making a gingerbread house. Look how serious we are. Right, guys. Look at that. That is definitely the best gingerbread house I've ever seen in my life. That's actually really good, isn't it? I think we smashed that. Not on the... Not on the gingerbread. We've come into Ikea just to use the toilets and the guy's just been telling me that they do serve breakfast in the morning, so we're definitely coming for breakfast if we don't get kicked out. Here's a big problem. They've shut the gates to the car park. The gates are shut and our van is... Where is our van? Oh, yeah. Our van is literally there. Now, there is another exit at the Ikea, so we're going to have a little walk down to that exit. Those gates are shut there. Now, it's just the very front. I'm hoping the very front over there don't have gates. See, we're not too bothered about being locked in on the car park. It's just in case of emergency. Yeah, all right. So the front does have gates. You can see them from here. The front does have gates. It's where they're going to be shut. I think they'll leave them open because of staff working throughout the night or stuff like that, but we'll see. Let's get back to the van because that trolling bloke just keeps his eye on me everywhere I go. He sees me, so it doesn't help that I'm in a big red jacket. It is 5 to 10 now, so five minutes and Ikea is shut. But now is the time to be quiet and act like no one's home. Something was going around the car park and a tannoy. I'm not sure what that was, but Jordan's just nipped out. So I'm hoping no one knocks while I'm on my own. So Ikea's shut 20 minutes ago. There's an announcement being made. I wonder if that's for our van. Can you see anyone? As of yet. No one about. I think we're not going to get away with this, but you think we will, don't you? I think we'll be fine. I don't know, I'm not 100%. Whether it be in security, whether it be barriers and everything else, I think it all depends on if someone knocks, how quiet we are. I mean, it's quarter to 11 now, so I'm pretty sure they would have realised the store's shut. We're going to make our cookies now in the oven. This is the one thing that we wanted to do. What time is it? It's currently 5 past 11, so we thought, right, we'll give it an hour after closing time. Yeah. And then we'll make the cookies. Stop shaking the van, you div! No, it could be the wind, it's all right. I don't know if I like this stealth camping stuff. I do, it's fun. It is fun. Because I'll answer the door like this, what's happening mate? And we'll be like, Jesus Christ, we'll shut that door. I'm proper paranoid, me. It's fun though, this, it is fun. Cookies going in. Here we go. And it's not Christmas without a Christmas hot chocolate. Lily always gets a little Puppuccino as well. Puppuccino, Lily. Every time we go Starbucks, we have to get her a little Puppuccino. Guys, we've got our freshly baked cookies. We've got our gingerbread house. All our lights are on in the van. The Christmas tree is looking mega as well. I did not think it was going to fit there. And we've even got a nice hot chocolate. And I think it's time to sit down. And what are we going to watch? Christmas Chronicles. So we're going to sit down and watch Christmas Chronicles in an Ikea car park. And hopefully we'll get away with it. I hope so. We're now on 10 to 12. So I think we've got away with it. We've got to get away with it, yeah. So 10 to 12, we've done two hours so far. And it's looking good. Two hours after closing. Yeah. So it's looking good. And then in the morning, I get to have a nice breakfast. Well guys, that's us getting ready for bed. It's now currently 12 minutes past one in the morning. And so far so good. So we're going to get to bed and hopefully wake up in the morning with no tickets on the van. And a nice breakfast. Well there we go guys. Stealth camp done at Ikea car park. And I cannot believe we actually got away with it. I just got the dog out this morning just for a little walk. And then we're going to go and get some breakfast and a coffee. Any little patch of grass she finds, she'll just go and she'll try and wee on it. How mad's that? Ikea completed it mate. Done. Boom. Sausage bar for the wife. I got a sausage bar because my hash brown was hidden behind the bun. I didn't get charged for the hash brown. So we got sausage bar, two orange juices, cappuccino and the regular breakfast. £9 something. £9.70 I think it was. Why don't we do this tomorrow? Right guys we're going to be heading home for Christmas to see family. And then we're going to be heading further up north. So before we end the video we just want to wish you all a very merry Christmas if you celebrate it. And we wish you all the best for 2026. We will be here before the new year. A massive thank you to you guys that supported us over the past year. So hopefully we can keep you about for the next year. But that's it for the rest of the video guys. Please hit subscribe. It really helps out our channel. Give us a like if you enjoyed the video. And leave us a comment down below. Catch you on the next one.