How a couple of novice DIYers converted a Transit van into a fabulous off-grid campervan for a cut price

Their journey began when they sold their online toy business, which had taken up almost all their time, morning, noon and night, seven days a week.

Caroline retired and Neil has a part-time job in a supermarket, which meant they finally had some leisure time and a chance to explore places they had been longing to see.

At first, they went down the well trodden path of buying a caravan, which they renovated.

Two more caravan restorations followed but their patience with carvanning was wearing very thin.

“I was nervous about towing and there are lots of places you can’t go with a caravan because the roads are too narrow. Plus, you have to stay on caravan sites which can be busy and noisy,” says Neil.

After exploring parts of the Yorkshire Dales, the couple from Leeds wanted to see more and they wanted to be off the beaten track.

A camper van was the obvious choice in fulfilling the dream but the cost of both new and second hand motorhomes was prohibitively high.

Second hand ones start at about £30,000 and a new one between £55,000 and £125,000 plus. The only option was converting an ordinary van into a home on wheels, though paying someone to do it was out of the question as that too would’ve busted the budget. so the creative couple did it themselves with only the internet for help.

They began by sourcing a 2015 Peugeot Boxer that had been subject to hard labour as a builder’s van in Doncaster.

Neil says: “I was a mess inside and covered in hardened concrete but the age was right. We didn’t want an old van because there was the risk that we would spend a lot of money converting it only for it to break down.”

With only limited experience of doing DIY in the family home, tackling a conversion sounded wildly optimistic but Caroline had every faith in her husband, even though the off-grid element added even more complexity.

The project began with Caroline helping to design the interior while specifying plenty of storage and neutral colours to enhance the feeling of space .

Meanwhile, Neil consulted YouTube for “how to” videos on converting a bog standard van into a camper and set to, adding his own innovations along the way.

Every spare minute was spent on the project which took just four-and-a-half months of working evenings and weekends on it.

The first thing they did was buy a set of tools from Facebook Marketplace followed by an Amica fridge that runs off a 12 volt battery so they could make sure the kitchen cabinets fitted around it.

Neil made his own bespoke cabinets from plywood, which are shallower and more space-saving than those you buy off the shelf.

“They are also a lot lighter and weight matters because camper vans have a set weight limit of 3.5 tonnes and if you go over that you can be fined £5,000,” says Neil, who also made the platform bed with storage beneath, the plywood shelves and the overhead locker that ensures the plates, food and bread bin have a safe home.

There’s also a drawer for “bits and bobs”, which proved a challenge but Neil cracked it and it’s now full of useful bits and bobs. He also installed the two-ring hob that runs on Calor gas and has an Omnia stove that can sit on a gas ring and act as a mini oven.

The home-made, cantilevered dining table top slides out from beneath the platform bed, where there is plenty of storage space. The table pulls out to land in front of a storage seat for two where the portaloo lives.

“The scariest bit was cutting into the panels of the van to create windows and a roof vent,” says Neil, who bought the windows from Shield Auto Care in Bradford. They were £800 but they open and have built in mosquito nets and blinds.

When Caroline said she would like macrame plant holders for the van, Neil made those too and designed a “Bob ‘ole”, aka escape route, which means that when inside, they can climb into the driver’s cab without going outside to access it.

Part of the worktop lifts up and panels above and below swing open so if undesirables are hanging around outside, the Gales can get into the cab and drive off with no risk to personal safety.

As for energy, Neil and Caroline invested in solar panels which fuel leisure batteries and there’s also a diesel heater.

“Some camper vans have lots of appliances and a shower but for that you need to hook up to electricity on a site. We live basically and that means we can stay in quiet and amazing off-grid places,” says Caroline.

The cost of their home on wheels was £9,000 for the van and £4,500 for the conversion and it has given them an exciting new life exploring the Dales, often using apps such as searchforsites and park4night to find overnight parking.

They have also embraced the festival scene, with Neil, a brilliant drummer, staging drum workshops that have been a huge hit with young and old. He and Caroline also plan to run Earthing workshops, after embracing the practice of being barefoot on grass or other natural surfaces to improve health.

This year they are Vanbassadors for Vanlove Fest at Elvington Airfield, York, June 23 to 25, where they will run drum workshops.

“We love our new life and we‘ve discovered some amazing places,” says Caroline, whose latest find was How Stean Gorge Gorge, which she deem “amazing.”

*Find Neil and Caroline on Instagram @thegoodlifevan. Details of Vanfest at www.vanlovefest.com