Our beloved off-grid campervan Lupin is up for sale, after having been our home and adventure companion for almost 2 years.

She was lovingly converted and handcrafted (mostly by ourselves, with help from an electrician, a carpenter, and a metalcrafter) during 2020/2021, taking lots of inspiration from all the beautiful vans we saw on Quirky Campers.

We designed Lupin for full time van life and as a result, she is a comfortable, capable and cosy home-on-wheels. It has been a really hard decision to part ways with Lupin, but we are moving on to new adventures and we want her to do the same.

She is in good condition, with just a few finishing touches needed, and she will make a fantastic adventure companion for her future owners.

General features:

Lupin’s cabinetry is made from scratch from solid wood, including reclaimed wood where possible. The drawers and cupboard fronts were crafted by a fabulous local carpenter and she did a great job making them strong and functional. The worktops are solid beech wood.

Lupin’s side and rear windows are tinted, offering almost complete privacy when inside the van, yet with the ability to enjoy gorgeous views on all sides wherever you are parked up.

Another fantastic feature is Lupin’s large ‘pop open’ skylight in the kitchen area, which offers plenty of natural light and airflow when open. The space under the skylight is slightly higher than the rest of the kitchen, making it a particularly comfortable place to stand while cooking if you’re on the taller side!

We made a conscious effort to use eco-friendly, low toxin paints and varnish, creating a healthy space to spend time in.

Heating and insulation:

We really did our research when it came to insulating Lupin and invested in high quality materials, and this completely paid off while living in her – we have been able to keep cool in summer, yet toasty and warm on cold Scottish nights when the temperatures outside were subzero. We used the following:
– Low-e insulation
– Recycled plastic insulation
– Dodo thermo van liner insulation
– Dodo Dead Mat Hex Sound Deadening

One of our favourite parts of Lupin and the ‘heart of the home’, is our gorgeous Cubic Mini wood stove (with twin-wall insulated flue) – which came all the way from Canada – and our turquoise porcelain tiles and walnut wood trim, which are always attracting compliments. The stove is incredibly efficient and creates a dry heat to quickly warm the space. The stove area was designed using canal boat specifications to ensure fire safety.

The Fiamma Turbo Vent 40 White with Fiamma Roller Blind helps works brilliantly to help with airflow, ventilation and light.

Thermal blackout curtains divide the cab from the living space, providing further insulation, shade and privacy.

Electrical:

Our off grid electric/solar system has been really impressive – we have lived off-grid in Scotland during winter, able to run laptops, phones and lights without any problems.

– 2 x 150W solar panels
– MPPT solar charge controller (plus display panel)
– Split charge relay (charges leisure batteries via the alternator while driving)
– 2x 100AH Platinum AGM leisure batteries
– 600W Pure Sine Wave Sunshine Power Inverter
– Consumer unit
– Fuse box
– Victron Blue Smart IP22 Bluetooth Battery Charger – 12V 20A, 1 output
– Battery isolator/cut off switch
– 3x USB charging ports
– 1 x cigarette style port
– Clock/temperature/humidity gauge
– Also:
– Victron battery monitor (not yet installed)
– Shore power hookup point (the entry port and wiring are in place, but the 240v system is not yet fully connected)
– 1 double 240v socket (not yet wired in)
– Water system
– Deep, stainless steel sink
– Cold water tap with extendable hose (can be used as an outdoor shower on warmer days)
– Seaflo 12V 4.3 LPM Water System Pump
– 2x 25 litre water tanks (1 freshwater, 1 wastewater) with easy release system

Storage:

Lupin was designed for full-time living, so she offers plenty of storage:

– 4x kitchen drawers
– Overhead kitchen cupboard with sliding door)
– Overhead storage cabinets (sliding doors on one side, nets on the other)
– Wardrobe with hanging rail
– Large drawer under wardrobe (we used this for firewood in winter)
– Wheel arch storage box
– Laundry compartment
– Under bed storage compartments x2 n
– Shoe storage compartment near sliding door
– Bin/recycling compartment
– Pantry compartment
– Bathroom storage cupboards x2
– Garage storage compartments x2 (1 is designed to fit a large ‘Really Useful’ storage box for outdoor gear)
– Over-cab storage shelf
– Cubby for mini-vacuum cleaner
– Bookshelves x2 (designed to fit paperbacks and the ‘Wild Guide’ range
– 7x mini drawers – (ideal for storing bits and bobs, stationery, chargers/cables etc.)
– 3x storage hooks (ideal for hanging the keys when parked up/overnight)
– Storage hook wall (used to hang sewing threads for crafting, but multipurpose!)
– 2 Ikea storage shelves

Miscellaneous:

– Dometic CRX50 50l 12v fridge
– Rhino Ladder for external roof access
– Blue Diamond Eco-Friendly Composting Toilet (the lid is a little broken, so it’s totally up to you whether you want to keep this or not)
– For cooking, we use a table top camping stove (not included), which we love because we can cook inside or out, and when it’s not needed, the worktop space is clear
– Chalkboard wall
– Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector
– Fire extinguisher
– Galvanised aluminium solid raised flooring (for added insulation and strength) with ply and wood-effect vinyl

Work in progress:

We would describe Lupin as being 90% complete – she is fully functioning as an off-grid camper, but there are a few ‘finishing touches’ and upgrades still to be completed. Absolutely everything you need to live and travel in Lupin is there. The things that never quite got ticked off our ‘to-do’ list and still need a bit of work are:

Technical:
-The port and wiring for the 240v hookup is all in place, but is not yet connected up (the solar system and split charge relay have been so efficient, we have never missed the hookup)
– 240v electrics – wiring and AC socket is in place but not yet connected
– The 2 ceiling lights are wired in, but not functioning. We have never gotten around to troubleshooting this, as we have had plenty of other lighting options (fairy lights, USB lights etc.)

Cosmetic
– We have been using a double-sized mattress (which can be included in the sale) which cleverly folds to become our sofa. However, Lupin would look fabulous with some custom-made, upholstered cushions.
– The headliner in the cab was stained and damaged due to a WD40 leak! So we removed it, but have not missed it
– As mentioned earlier, there is some superficial rust/paint flaking on the exterior of the van and around the entry step and sliding door area.

We were so eager to get out on our adventures and we have found that we have lived quite luxuriously without those extra finishing touches; however, that does leave the next owner to make their own mark and use their creativity and imagination.

Please email or Whatsapp us to arrange a viewing or ask any questions 🙂
threethoughtsadventures@gmail.com
07400 248215
Laura and Sam 🙂