The idea behind this conversion was to create a bright and modern space suitable for entertaining friends and hosting dinner parties just as much as for long-term living or travelling. The conversion was also intended to provide a comfortable space for 2 people to work from home – hence the large table, huge 340W solar panel and two new 180Ah Bosch leisure batteries (used for less than a month). My partner and I built this van to be our home, so it was built to the highest spec, with everything carefully thought out and over-engineered. Our situation has changed and we are now buying our dream house abroad, and we need to (very reluctantly) sell our van in order to do so. We thought we would be living in the van for years, so no corners were cut or jobs rushed, so you can be assured that the insulation and stud work (the bits you can’t see) are higher quality than the majority of vans that are simply built to sell on.
The van is fully off grid, with an instant hot water shower, great water pressure, and a large sink with handheld hose tap – fed by a whopping 90litre tank kept under the bed/bench so the water system will never freeze, and you can carry as little or as much water as you want. The countertops are zinc (naturally antibacterial), hand hammered by us. A top of the range, 38L Mobicool compressor fridge allows you to keep beers and food extra cold – and the large amount of solar means you will never have a problem keeping things cool when it’s searing outside. A large, two hob gas cooker can be moved using flexible gas pipe, allowing for cooking inside and outside on a foldable table/bar. This was crucial to us because it prevents cooking smells lingering in your van, allows for more pleasant cooking, and avoids having to wipe bubbling sauce off the walls of your van! There are 3 lighting options for different areas/levels, USB sockets, and a mains voltage socket (for charging laptop or other appliances). The roof fan is positioned above the shower and it blows in as well as out, while another roof vent allows for through-flow, keeping the van fresh. In addition, there is a vent window above the shower and sink, meaning there is no build-up of condensation even when showering inside. The electrics and plumbing are simple and all junctions are easily accessible. In total, OVER £2,000 OF APPLIANCES INCLUDED IN THE SALE.
My partner was worried about security when travelling, so we built a large cabin door into the cab so you can drive-away quickly if needs be. The van also has two deadlocks (a bit stiff at the moment, but excellent as a deterrent even if you do not want to use them frequently).
Sadly, we only managed to get away for one trip in the van, and have to sell before our planned trips this summer. But everything worked a dream. So the van is essentially new, but tested!
We would love to stay in touch with the buyers so we can see where our beloved van gets to!

VIEWINGS/TEST DRIVE possible, and are very easy for those in the south east, as I am located just off the M25.

KITCHEN/DINING/WORKING
– Hand-hammered zinc worktops and splash backs (antibacterial and hardwearing)
– Large sink with handheld flexible hose tap for easy washing up
– Mobicool compressor 38L fridge (quiet, high performance, low energy)
– Very sturdy 2 large hob gas cooker, which can be used inside on the work surface, or placed outside on the fold-out worktop (see photos)
– A full 10kg BP Gaslight refillable propane cylinder included in sale
– Telescopic adjustable table with bench seating on 3 sides – provides room for 6 to dine comfortably, or for 2 people to work from home (I can spray-lacquer the table to make it more hard wearing if the buyer wants, but I have left this for now, so the table can be painted/altered however the buyer wants before spray-lacquering)
– I can include my TP-Link Mifi router if the buyer wants to boost phone/internet signal and relay to multiple devices – we worked using the cloud and zoom while away on our trip in rural France, with no issues
– Handmade fold-out worktop/bar for cooking outside the van
– Handmade fold-out table for eating outside
– Handmade cupboards with strong magnetic catches, avoiding having to latch doors closed while driving

SHOWER/WATER/BATHROOM
– Small, flexible handheld shower head to provide high pressure showers while using minimal water
– Wetroom shower tank, triple waterproofed, with bathroom tile floor and antibacterial/antimould shower walls and roof
– 90 litre water tank, inside van so no tank/pipe freezing
– Grey waste pipes through floor for shower and sink, meaning no need to lug around waste water (as long as you use biodegradable/non-biohazardous soaps)
– Well ventilated Eccotemp CEL5 Portable Tankless Water Heater – instant hot water, extremely easy to operate and alter water temperature and water pressure
– 12V Shurflo pump and filter
– SEAFLO accumulator to keep pump quiet and efficient
– Thetford Porta Potti 365, which can be placed in the shower booth for privacy when doing your business, and is very securely attached by D rings while driving

ELECTRICS
– 340W super-efficient LG solar panel
– Two 180Ah Bosch leisure batteries (with Bosch guarantee)
– EPEVER MPPT 30A solar controller
– 600W pure sine wave inverter, to charge laptops and other appliances (such as fan heater)
– Built-in mains 3-pin socket
– 2 USB sockets
– 2 12V sockets
– 3 LED strips, operated with separate switches
– Fiamma roof vent and electric fan (in and out)
– Overly-safe wire thicknesses throughout
– Simple cut-off switches and fusebox

SLEEPING
– Superking size bed – 2m by 1.8m (with a small corner taken up by fridge cupboard)
– Very hard, high quality foam
– Very thick, hardwearing fabric, with velcro cushion covers. These cushions were built to last, and a huge amount of love and care went into them.
– Sleeps 2 adults and a child comfortably, or 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children, or 2 adults and a dog or two!

STORAGE
– Large storage above cab, with sliding cupboard door
– Large storage underneath benches
– Room for drawers underneath sink and in the fridge cupboard (we planned to put a cutlery/plate drawer here, but will leave this decision to the buyer now)
– Overhead shelves with bungee cords, perfect for books, mugs, tins, jars etc.

BUILD
– Fully insulated with several layers of insulation board, fire-rated spray foam + thermawrap
– Perfect continuous moisture barrier to prevent any build-up of condensation or damp
– Extremely solid but lightweight build from fully lacquered/mould-proofed wood, waterproof builder board, and metal brackets
– Hardwearing concrete-look flooring – easy to clean and designed so that dirt does not show on the distressed concrete-look floor
– Handmade jute curtains and copper curtain rails
– Every window, outlet, fan and solar have been fitted with the HIGHEST quality glues, fittings and sealants. As this was to be our van for life, we went overboard in spending on making sure the van was fully watertight and rustproof for the long, long term, and that the solars were secured as solidly as possible.

EXTRAS
– Solar powered reversing camera
– Mifi wireless internet modem (if buyer wants)
– Wheel lock and steering wheel lock (if buyer wants)