This van was built for the adventure of a lifetime; a year long sabbatical travelling through Spain, France and Italy in 2018/19. The design was carefully thought through to make maximum use of the space. The challenge with a long overland trip for adventure lovers is that storage is at a premium; surf gear, climbing gear, skating gear and work gear all take up lots of space. But the van also needs to be a nice place to be. It is our home after all and we need to feel all the comforts that provides.

This van therefore has zones. It has a fully functional kitchen with a large main burner and two ancillary burners plus plenty of space for large pans. The kitchen is separate from the lounging and dining area so guests can sit and chat while the food is being cooked. At the back of the van is the area we light heartedly called “The Library”; a good place for contemplation and seating for extra guests.

This van has lots of natural light and windows that could be looked out of when standing as well as sitting. The glass has a security tint which means in crowded places you can sit and watch the world go by but people cannot see you.

The full size double bed is stowed in the roof fully made up and is counter weighted allowing it to be raised and lowered easily by a single person. When stowed there is still over six foot of head room beneath. The bed was a key feature of the design allowing living space to be maximised within the van during the day without compromising comfort at night. Opening windows are fitted high in the walls with insect mesh screens providing a cooling breeze across your face when sleeping on those hot summer nights.

Curves are used throughout the van to create a pleasing organic feel, drawing you in. It is much easier to use straight edges in a van but the curves create a space that is natural and a lovely place to be.

Everything in the van has been optimised to minimise weight. Most of the units have been custom built in composite box sections so that they are light but very strong. Solid materials have only been used where they are need for strength and then a light softwood is used. English Oak edges have been added throughout to create a quality feel.

This van is off grid. It has a CTEK split charger that charges from the van alternator and also from a 100W solar panel mounted on the roof. It has two 110Ah AGN leisure batteries.

It has mobile WiFi with an antenna mounted on the roof. Only once were we without a signal on our travels and that was in a deep dark valley high in the Italian mountains.

Fresh water and waste water tanks are underslung. Gas is from a Gaslow Refillable stored in the gas locker under the sink with an external fill port.

There is a gas Propex heater.

The roof is double skinned with full length low profile roof rails fitted to provide maximum flexibility when carrying kayaks, surf boards etc. We did 15,000 miles in this van with two kayaks, a surf board, luge and climbing gear on the roof. The van still averaged 30mpg over the whole trip.

This van has done a few miles but still runs beautifully. We bought it at three years old with 130k on the clock. It had been run up and down the motorway by an office supplies company so was barely run in. It had a full service history and subsequently the oil has been changed every 6,000 miles which is the secret to a long life.

Externally this van is very clean with few visible dents and MOT till April 2025 with no advisories.

More detail on the build can be found here: https://viewfromthecoffeepot.wordpress.com/the-build/