This blog is very special to us, as it’s the first of many van updates! I wanted to give you a little backstory into our planning process, which got us to where we are today as we venture into our first van conversion.
All this planning and van life talk has only got us more thrilled as the days go by. As mentioned before, that day is nearing when our van is on our drive, and we can finally move out onto the open road to travel full-time.
Picture yourself in a small studio apartment, paying an extortionate amount to be in London. You’re surrounded by sirens, bright lights, and a city's general hustle and bustle. We saw our opportunity and made the most of the theatres, clubs, sights and food! It was easy to travel around the city, specifically when we lived a thirty-minute tube ride away. It's a great place to live as a young adult.
We loved it for the short time we stayed there, but it wasn’t too hard for us to move to a quieter part of England.
Our plans were brought forward, and our savings were far below what we needed. We had to start thinking of ways to save more. Our lease renewal was coming up in the summer, and we were like, stuff it! Let's move back in with our parents, pay half the rent and work remotely.
We tried to refrain from spending too much on trips and eating out (maybe slipped a few times) and kept to a strict budget - especially at Christmas. I can’t tell you how hard that was! We sold half of our stuff on Facebook, car boot sales, you name it.
Our plan was to buy a Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit at the beginning of the New Year. We decided after more research that those types of vans were starting to sound too big for what we wanted and could afford.
In search of inspo for our larger van, last summer, we travelled to a campervan show on the outskirts of Wales. We were hoping for a bunch of van conversions to get an accurate idea of ways to use limited space.
We saw one converted van. Only one. I mean, it was a great conversion. We only wish we saw many more. What did they have at the show? The spunky and fancy new pre-built campers, catered for people who have the money for brand new and prefer the more luxurious side to travel (we were wayyy off the target age demographic 😂).
Buuut, we did stumble across some VW Transporters, fully equipped and fitted with pop-tops. I stood inside just for laughs but was surprised by how much space a pop-top provided! Unknowingly, this would become valuable information.
Where did we go from there?
After many hours of research, Brad and I gathered that our best option was to buy something smaller, and the VW Caddy Maxi caught our attention. We particularly liked the VW compared to other light panel vans, as they are a reliable make and get you far. Ex-British Gas vans are recommended as they are serviced regularly and are limited to only 70mph.
But before making that decision, we wanted to give one a test drive to ensure we definitely wanted a VW and that it was comfortable to drive.
The main benefits of living full-time in a light panel van are:
Discrete: The idea of a small van is that it won’t stick out like a sore thumb compared to large campers. This means we can blend into the background and be less disturbed.
Size: What most would assume to be a disadvantage, we realised it would be much easier to manoeuvre, and we have fewer height and width restrictions when driving and parking.
Lighter load: We all understand that the bigger the van, the more to carry. We could save money by living minimally and focusing on only using the essentials, excluding camera gear. 😂
Affordable: The prices of light panel vans are usually more reasonable, including the cost of materials for the interior build, as less needs to be purchased. Also, understanding that the fuel consumption would be massively reduced compared to large campervans.
What are our plans for a smaller van?
The idea is to fit a pop-top roof to make it feel more spacious. Brad is 6.1ft, so this is a must! We would love for the top to fit a bed, enabling us to lie on during the warmer days. We have seen many options advertised that include a ‘scenic view’, which means you can remove the canvas from the pop-top. What’s great, too, is that you have a choice of colours for the canvas!
‘Snow chasers’ is the general term for adventurers wanting to follow the colder weather, which we might fall under, especially for the photo aspect. We plan to be as self-sufficient as possible and prepared for all types of weather. We want to fit a rigid solar panel to the pop-top, charging a big enough leisure battery to survive off-grid. Gas for the hob and a mini wood burner at the end of the van for any raw wood we find out in the open.
We have some excellent ideas regarding the layout of the van. Brad is especially good at designing 3D renders with ways to utilise the space and figure out what will make the small area as comfortable as possible.
The size of the van isn’t much of an issue to us, as we see so many more benefits with a Caddy, and we’re mainly focusing on the idea that we finally get to travel. That’s the most essential factor!
There are many exciting times ahead of us! We look forward to sharing our journey, although we know converting a van may not be easy, and you may see a few hiccups along the way (but that's to be expected), our sheer passion for the outdoors and travel is what’s driving us forward. Nevertheless, we can’t wait!
Want to see us blabber on in person? Watch our video below: