“Jean-Claude” ~ A stunning, fully off-grid Citroen Relay. ~Quirky listed~ Super high-spec. Built for live-in mountain adventures. 12mths MOT. Mechanically perfect.

Say bonjour to Jean-Claude. Built with all-weather in mind, Jean-Claude is able to keep you toasty in the winter thanks to his diesel heater and cool in the height of summer. Wherever you are, his warm pine interior will trick you into believing you’re by the slopes. Sleeping two in a fixed double bed means you can climb straight in after a day spent exploring the local sights. An extra berth can be made up by the extendable sofa.

Consider Jean-Claude your very own french bistro on wheels. There’s a two burner hob where you can cook delicious cuisine, a fridge to chill your wine and outdoor table and chairs so you can turn meal times into an alfresco experience. If cooking isn’t your thing, Jean-Claude also boasts a microwave (or in the words of Nigella Lawson, mee-cro-wav-vay), so you can simply heat up your dinner in seconds but still feel like you’re dining at a fancy restaurant. Picture delving into a plaque of warm croissants whilst looking up at mountains or the next days surfing or cycling spot – incroyable! He really is a cosy van built for the winter and summer.

Beds: Jean-Claude can sleep up to 4 people; 2 adults in the permanent double bed (120cm wide x 182cm tall). The sofa can also extend to create a full-width (90cm) single bed where children could top and tails. A little person could fit on the 70 x 60cm (approx) bench in the middle.

Seating: Jean-Claude has 3 belted seats in the front (including driver) including headrests. Jean-Claude also has 3 removable minibus seats that can be securely fastened to installed Unwin rails in the living area. Two of the seats are located by the door, though with slightly limited legroom. Another seat can be installed in the aisle, though this blocks access to cupboards.

The seats are quite heavy and aren’t the easiest to maneuver. This makes them more suited to occasional long journeys than regular use. Since the van can only sleep 4, the 5/6th seats were intended to be able to cheaply transport friends on long road trips to the Alps/festivals, but sadly this never happened due to covid. The 4th seat can be easily kept in the garage and placed by the sliding door which makes it a lot more practical.

Electrical Setup: Jean-Claude is built for off-grid and features 530w of solar and 2x130ah AGM batteries. These power the fridge, lighting, water pump, 5L hot water system, travel kettle, microwave w/grill, 2x 12v sockets, and a 240v mains socket with 2kw pure sine inverter.

Cooking: Jean-Claude has 2x gas hobs, 18L fridge, microwave w/grill, travel kettle, and Aeropress coffee maker. There is an underslung refillable LPG tank that can hold 49L. This was last tested and passed as Gas Safe in July 2022 when the van was being prepared for listing on Quirky Campers. This should be easy to renew if you want to rent the van out, but is not required for private use.

Water and Sanitation: The middle bench lifts up to reveal a hot shower and porta potti toilet. The 5l hot water system is heated by the solar in the summer and the diesel heater in the winter. The toilet sits in the shower tray and is easily removable to make space during a shower or for emptying. The shower curtain also provides privacy. The shower area would also be a good spot to dry off wetsuits after a day in the surf!

A 70l fresh water tank is located inside the van next to the door with multiple options for easy refilling. A mixer tap is also provided in the kitchen sink. There is a 25l grey water tank underneath the sink. Water can also be drained through the floor when appropriate.

Audio: The living area has its own bluetooth sound system with 12” subwoofer. This can get loud! The sound system in the cab has the modern functionalities of a touch screen, bluetooth and DAB.

Heating: Jean-Claude is thoroughly insulated and has a very reliable 4kw Planar diesel heater capable of turning -16C into 30C!

Conversion Story: Jean-Claude was originally built for live-in, off-grid ski seasons in the French Alps. The cosy pine interior gives the look and feel of a ski lodge. Thick insulation keeps the van wonderfully warm in the winter but also keeps you cool when the morning sun turns tents into human ovens during the summer.

Mountain ready: Because Jean-Claude was built for the mountains he additionally comes with a complete set of GT Radial Maxmiler WT2 Winter tyres (the top 3PMSF rating for winter and snow). There is also a set of snow chains, though in 3 winters with great winter tyres these have thankfully not been needed.

Extra Information: Jean-Claude’s early years were spent doing long-distance couriering to Europe and back. He has a 6-gear, 2.2L engine and some great extras that make driving more pleasurable: cruise control, air conditioning, reverse camera and parking sensors. Jean-Claude also features an alarm, GPS tracker, bluetooth battery monitor, and upgraded L4V deadlocks for extra security. He also features a skylight, and a removable reclaimed oak dining table.

There is a huge garage space under the bed, though currently, this is holding the 3x removable seats and 4x winter tyres that come with the van (which you could sell if you don’t want).

While Jean-Claude was converted by owner John for ski adventures, last August the van was listed on Quirky Campers, managed by John’s friend Pete. The van instantly attracted interest and was renting out for £150 a night to positive reviews, but after a few rentals and with two young children plus full-time work as a teacher, it became clear Pete couldn’t commit the time required to manage this. After Glastonbury and Big Love festival swan songs, John has reluctantly decided to sell the van.

Unfortunately, ALL the van’s documents were misplaced last year on a handover between Pete and John (oops), but thankfully copies exist of all the important documents that were uploaded to Quirky Campers, and the garage we use has been able to retrieve the service history since 2018 when he was converted (phew).

Jean-Claude was very well looked after during his first 3 years as a long-distance courier, and since conversion has had full services in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023. He has been driven very carefully, almost entirely long-distance, proactively maintained, and as a result has been mechanically flawless and has flown through all MOTs barring the odd lightbulb replacement (the most recent valid to 12 July 2024). The air conditioning was also checked and re-gassed 26 July 2023.

Jean-Claude has been a source of many amazing adventures spanning (at least) 12 countries, and no doubt has many years of incredible adventures ahead for the next lucky owner!