Travelers who crafted their own comfy campervans

By searching the #vanlife hashtag on Instagram, you'll come across millions of posts from wanderers living on the road in their mobile tiny homes.

While some van lifers may opt for ready-made campervans, an increasing number are choosing to buy a van or bus and take on the challenge of converting it themselves.

This trend isn’t exactly new; campervan conversions have been around since the 1950s.

Yet, their popularity has surged in recent years. Demand had already been rising significantly even before the pandemic, thanks in part to the explosion of DIY van conversion content on YouTube and Instagram.

Interest skyrocketed as many found themselves confined at home with little to occupy their time, especially as borders closed and travel restrictions were enforced globally.

“People were eager to escape. They wanted to avoid crowds, stay safe, and we were all limited in our options,” Brian Jagodnik, marketing and creative director at Outside Van, a high-end van conversion company in Portland, Oregon, shared with Dinogo Business last year.

“It pushed people outdoors, to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and travel more remotely, which fueled the growth of the industry.”

As a result, the #vanlife movement is expanding rapidly, with more travelers—many who may have been considering a van purchase for a while—now making the leap to buy one, and in some cases, do the conversion themselves.

So, how challenging is a DIY campervan conversion? Are video guides and social media really enough to help you through the process? We spoke to a few travelers who’ve taken the plunge and done it themselves.

“It’s practical, not overly luxurious.”

For Comley and Low, investing in a van was an obvious choice—they met on a climbing trip and have been together for nearly six years.

“It’s been a dream we’ve shared since we first met,” Low tells Dinogo Travel.

“We both come from climbing backgrounds, and climbing and van life go hand in hand. If you visit any climbing spots, you'll find plenty of vans. We made the decision to dive in during June 2019.”

Like many travelers, they opted to buy a van and convert it themselves instead of splurging on a pre-built motorhome. This way, they could design something that perfectly suited their preferences and needs.

“The beauty of converting your own van is that you're not locked into the layout of a standard motorhome,” explains Comley. “You have the freedom to create exactly what you want.”

After purchasing the van, the couple parked it at Low’s mother’s house, where they had more space to work, and spent time planning the design and layout.

“We’re both quite practical,” says Comley. “So we dedicated a lot of time to designing it carefully, aiming to get it right on the first try.”

They did a lot of research on YouTube, but found that everyone had their own ideas on the best approach to van conversions.

“There wasn’t really one clear, reliable source of information,” says Comley. “There were countless opinions, but they were based mostly on personal experiences, not hard facts.”

They started by stripping the van down, then installed windows, skylights, and solar panels. Next, they insulated the van before setting up the electrical system and finishing with the cladding.

They proceeded by constructing their bed and kitchen, complete with a Belfast sink, overhead cabinets, and other essential fixtures, before installing the water and gas systems.

Once everything was set up, they began the fun part—decorating their mobile home, including painting the walls, adding tiles in the kitchen, and upholstering the seats.

Although they had a few missteps, following someone else’s advice that turned out to be “fundamentally wrong,” the couple, who documented their entire journey on their Instagram account, say the overall build process went smoothly.

“As long as you have a plan to follow and invest time in the design, no single task is particularly challenging,” says Comley.

“The practical tasks are actually quite quick and straightforward. You don’t need specialized tools or any prior experience.”

If you're unsure, travelers can always hire experts to assist with parts of the build they’re not as confident handling.

“It’s completely feasible to delegate one section of your van conversion,” Low points out.

The couple mentions that it took them just over a year, or about 1,000 hours combined, to finish the van.

“The van turned out to a great standard. It’s practical, not overly extravagant—just like us. You could easily spend more or less depending on your budget,” Comley explains.

“Our initial plan was to hit the road for a year once the van was finished,” Low shares.

“But in reality, we finished the van, and just a week later, the UK went into lockdown. The timing couldn’t have been worse.”

It was at that moment they decided to write a book, “The Van Conversion Bible,” to help others avoid making some of the same mistakes they made.

“You can easily find yourself falling from one mistake into another, and another,” Comley explains. “Some mistakes cost you money, others cost you time.”

“That’s exactly why we wrote the book—to help others avoid as many of those pitfalls as possible.”

The couple, who also run a van conversion blog, finally hit the road when travel restrictions lifted worldwide, and have since visited France, Switzerland, Spain, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia.

“The van will give us the chance to explore places we likely never would have reached otherwise,” Comley shares.

They’ve been living in Ringo for about a year now and firmly believe that anyone can tackle a van conversion if they break it down into manageable stages and stay focused.

“When you first think about converting a van, it can seem overwhelming, maybe even impossible,” Low admits.

“But if you break it down into smaller tasks, and take the time to learn about each one, it makes the whole process feel much more achievable,”

Comley also suggests that travelers should experience at least one van trip before committing to the time and cost of a conversion.

“Make sure you really enjoy the lifestyle,” he advises. “Regardless of how well-built the van is, you’ll invest a lot of time and money into making it your own.”

“I’d say the biggest mistake people make is spending too much time converting the van instead of actually using it,” Comley adds.

“I did everything myself,”

“I used to go snowboarding every year to Chamonix,” Mckechnie recalls. “I remember being in a bar when I saw a video of a guy with a van, traveling and snowboarding. I thought, ‘That looks amazing, I’d love to do that.’”

One of the main reasons Mckechnie was drawn to van life was the opportunity to travel with her two huskies by her side.

“I’ve always loved traveling to new countries and snowboarding, but I’ve always wanted my dogs with me. Getting the van was the perfect solution to bring them along to Chamonix,” she says.

After spending some time watching YouTube tutorials and reading about van conversions, Mckechnie bought her van in 2019.

Originally planning to work on the van mainly on weekends, Mckechnie found herself with plenty of free time when the pandemic hit and she was unable to work.

“Everything else was shut down,” she recalls. “I had nothing else to occupy my time.”

She started by removing all 17 seats from the van, then went on to take out the walls and flooring.

“I basically turned it into a bare metal shell and began from scratch,” Mckechnie explains.

Next, she treated the floor for rust, patched up any gaps in the walls, ceiling, and floor, and insulated the van.

After putting in the walls, ceiling, and electrical system, Mckechnie took some time to carefully plan out the van's layout.

“The main challenge was that builders' suppliers were closed,” she says. “So finding materials was a struggle.”

Mckechnie managed to complete the entire project herself, dedicating a total of 100 days to the build.

“My dad gave me a hand with putting up the ceiling, as it really takes two people to handle that,” she explains. “But I did the rest on my own.”

A friend encouraged her to post a video of her van renovation on TikTok, and soon Mckechnie was flooded with requests from travelers wanting her to build their vans.

“Everyone kept asking, ‘I want one. Can you make me one?’” she says. The video ended up racking up around 14 million views.

After giving it some thought, Mckechnie ultimately agreed to take on one of the van build requests.

“I figured I’d give it a shot,” she says. “And if it didn’t work out, I could always return to my previous work.”

However, the response was overwhelming, and soon Mckechnie found herself receiving so many requests that she decided to quit her day job and launch a custom van business. She now spends her time building personalized campervans for others, and her business is thriving.

“This wasn’t the plan at all,” she says. “But here we are.”

After finishing her own van, Mckechnie took her first road trip with her dogs, and everything went off without a hitch.

“A few people asked me, ‘What happens if you hit a speed bump? Does everything fall apart?’” she recalls. “But surprisingly, everything held up perfectly, and the dogs had a great time. The only thing that shifted were the cushions.”

Ironically, the success of her business, Custom Conversions NI, has kept her so busy that she hasn't had much time to use her own van in recent years.

“The last time I used my van was in August of 2020,” she admits. “I’m booked solid for the next 12 months. It’s crazy.”

Nevertheless, there’s nothing she enjoys more than sending travelers off in a campervan that’s been custom-built just for them.

“They tell me what they need, and I design it to their specifications, rather than them buying a pre-converted van or motorhome with features they don’t actually want,” she explains.

Mckechnie says the most unique request she’s received so far was for a sliding wardrobe.

“I managed to fit it in,” she recalls. “But sometimes people forget that we’re working with a tiny space, so it’s important to focus on the essentials.”

While everyone has different ideas of what’s necessary, for Mckechnie the basics are typically ‘a bed, a kitchen, a place to charge your phone, some lights, and if possible, a portable toilet.’

Mckechnie occasionally assists her clients in finding a suitable van before starting the conversion, and she’s noticed that prices have soared in the three years since she did her own conversion.

“Vans are like gold dust these days,” she says. “Everyone knows how popular van life has become.”

‘Our partition wall has sparked some debate,’

Although they both lived in Dubai when they first met, Falconer and Morris eventually decided to leave the city behind and move to Falconer’s homeland, Australia.

“Luke and I have always had a passion for travel; it’s in our DNA,” Falconer shares with Dinogo Travel via email. “We’ve explored much of the world, but it was always my dream to return to Australia and travel across my home country.”

After exploring various travel options across Australia, they decided to embrace the van lifestyle.

“I didn’t fully understand the van life trend until I started researching it, and was amazed by how impressive and diverse some of the vans were,” Morris recalls. “I had no clue what I was getting into.”

They chose a van over a caravan for its versatility, allowing them to park anywhere, including the beach. They were also keen on a high roof model to ensure that Morris, who stands at six foot two, could comfortably stand inside.

The couple bought a Mercedes Sprinter just one week after arriving in Melbourne and immediately began working on the conversion.

As they were finalizing the design and some of the finer details, the pandemic struck, and Melbourne went into lockdown in March 2020.

Fortunately, one of the few businesses still operating during the lockdown was a hardware store, allowing them to gather the materials they needed and dive straight into the van build throughout the entire lockdown.

Prior to the van conversion, Falconer and Morris had little DIY experience aside from assembling furniture. However, they fully committed to the project, sharing their journey on their Instagram account.

“It was honestly fantastic; we make a great team,” says Falconer, a health coach and yoga instructor. “Building the van had its challenges, but overall, we really enjoyed the process.”

Having followed various van life influencers online for some time, Falconer had gathered plenty of design ideas and inspiration.

“When it came to the color palette, she envisioned everything in white, with a beachy and luxurious feel,” says Morris, who owns and operates the eco-conscious brand Wild Wood.

After some thought, they decided to install a partition wall between the cab and the living area instead of keeping the space open.

“That partition wall is a bit of a hot topic in the van life community,” says Morris. “I think it’s because most people prefer having direct access between the cab and the living space, but we didn’t feel it was necessary.”

While most of the build went smoothly, they hit a snag when they chose to install real tiles in the kitchen area but used the wrong adhesive, forcing them to remove the tiles and start over.

“It was a bit of a nightmare for a couple of days, mainly because it was so time-consuming,” says Morris.

Although Morris initially planned to do everything himself, he eventually decided to hire professionals for the electrical and plumbing work, allowing him to focus on the areas of the build he felt more confident in.

“To officially sign it off as a motorhome, you need an electrical certificate and a plumbing certificate,” he adds.

If they encountered any difficulties during the build, Falconer and Morris would reach out to others in the community for guidance.

“The van life community is incredibly supportive, always ready to offer advice and lend a helping hand,” says Morris.

“Some of the costs turned out to be a bit higher than we expected,” says Morris. “But nothing too outrageous.”

In April 2021, Falconer and Morris welcomed their son Beau, and they admit that living in a campervan with a baby has presented some serious challenges.

“Our little one is non-stop,” says Falconer. “He’s incredibly active, which has made it tough on the road because it’s hard to keep him out of mischief all the time.”

“We can’t let him play freely like we would in a house. One of us has to keep a constant eye on him. But we wouldn’t change it for the world—traveling with him by our side is amazing.”

“There’s something truly magical about experiencing the world through his eyes.”

Due to regional Covid-19 border restrictions in Australia, they haven’t been able to explore as much of the country as they would have liked, or visit many of their loved ones in the past two years.

They’re planning to visit Asia in the coming weeks to see family and friends, but once they return to Australia in a few months, they’ll be back on the road in the van.

“It’ll be winter here, so we’ll head north quickly to find some warmer weather,” says Morris. “Then we can finally catch up on everything we missed while the borders were closed. That’s going to be so exciting.”

‘I put my heart and soul into it’

Geiger, originally from Massachusetts, had always dreamed of living on the road in a campervan. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic struck and her job as a senior project manager transitioned to fully remote work that she felt ready to dive into the van life experience.

“I didn’t want to continue paying rent in a city,” Geiger shares with Dinogo Travel. “With no need to commute to an office and not being ready to buy a house—given the soaring prices in the US—van life just seemed like the perfect fit for me.”

“This way, I can work remotely while traveling and exploring the country at the same time.”

Geiger mentions that one of the main reasons she chose to convert the van on her own was the significantly higher cost of pre-built van conversions, which made DIY the more affordable option.

Before deciding to build her own van, Geiger had spent years watching online videos about van life and tiny homes. This gave her a solid understanding of the types of layouts she preferred and the level of work involved in such a project.

After purchasing the van, Geiger got started on the conversion, tackling the project piece by piece, making steady progress along the way.

“The first step is building the insulation and preparing the van for all the additions you plan to make,” Geiger explains.

“That includes laying down the floor and constructing the frame that will support the walls and any exterior features,” she adds.

While Geiger had no prior experience in renovation work, she found that she picked up the necessary skills quickly and efficiently as the build progressed.

“I started with very basic skills,” Geiger admits. “Learning to use power tools and measure things properly was a bit of a challenge, but I really enjoyed figuring it all out.”

Although Geiger called on her family for help with tasks that required extra hands, she managed to complete the majority of the build by herself.

“It was crucial to me that my van felt like a cozy apartment or home,” she explains. “The layout was particularly important because at the time, I had a large dog – now I have two.”

“I wanted an open layout where my dog could be comfortable while I worked, and I just really wanted a spacious feel,” she adds.

Geiger achieved this by incorporating a Murphy bed design, which folds out from a wall or cabinet, into the van.

“That was a game changer for me,” she says. “The bed folds down when I sleep and then goes back up against the wall, giving me so much more room. It allows me to have a full living room area.”

“I take so much pride in showing people my van because it’s truly a labor of love,” she adds.

Geiger hit the road in September 2021 and hasn't looked back. While she admits to facing some van-related challenges, like frozen water pumps, she's been able to handle them thanks to the skills she gained during the van build.

“Living the van life means you’re constantly solving problems,” she says. “But you adapt quickly because you built the van yourself and had to troubleshoot every step of the way.”

Geiger describes van life as truly transformative and encourages anyone interested to take the plunge without delay.

“Don’t wait until retirement,” she says. “I meet so many people on the road, and the most common thing they tell me is, ‘It’s amazing that you’re doing this so young, I wish I’d started earlier.’

“If it’s something you’re passionate about, go for it. Yes, there will be tough days, but completing a project like this will make you stronger, happier, more fulfilled, and incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved.”

‘Gem’s the creative mind behind the design, and I’m the one who gets things done,’” says Matthew Dacombe.

When their original plan to explore Europe by train was derailed by the pandemic, Dacombe and Hitchcock started looking for other ways to travel together once the borders reopened.

Though they had previously talked about getting a campervan, it was when they saw another couple relaxing in a converted van at the beach that they knew it was the right choice for them.

During the UK's second lockdown in 2020, Dacombe and Hitchcock sketched out their dream van layout on the back of a brown envelope and kicked off the project.

“We still have that envelope,” Hitchcock shares.

“I remember standing there, staring at the back of this bus and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. What have we gotten ourselves into?’” admits Hitchcock.

The couple admits they didn’t have a detailed plan before starting the build, but instead tackled one new task at a time and reached out to fellow van lifers for guidance.

In an effort to keep their budget low, they managed to complete the entire renovation using only basic tools like a jigsaw, drill, hand saw, spirit level, screwdriver, sander, and a workbench.

“We aimed for simplicity,” Dacombe explains. “Most of the van was built using wooden battens and plywood, including the cabinet doors and drawers.”

“Everything came from plywood. We kept the costs down, but still made sure to use high-quality materials,” he adds.

Not only did this approach save them money, but it also helped to reduce the overall weight of the van.

The weight limit for motorhomes and campervans in the UK and Europe is generally tons. If a vehicle exceeds this weight, owners must upgrade their driving license or risk facing fines.

While the majority of the work was completed by Dacombe and Hitchcock themselves, they enlisted a specialist company to handle the electrical system installation.

“I was confident about the aesthetics of the van conversion,” Dacombe admits, “but the electrical side was a whole different challenge. You don’t want to make mistakes there.”

They also hired experts to remove some stubborn metal flooring that had been glued down in the van.

After cladding the van's walls and ceiling, building the bed frame, and customizing the mattress, their next major task was to design an L-shaped kitchen with a sink and construct the sofa areas in the remaining space.

“That’s when it started getting really exciting,” Hitchcock recalls. “We could finally see our plans coming to life from that brown envelope.”

The entire conversion process took eight months. Hitchcock admits she was very meticulous about the design, often coming up with new ideas at the very last moment.

“I envisioned it to feel very beachy, rustic, and airy,” she explains. “We wanted to make the most of all the natural light from the van's windows.”

Just days before their first trip in the van, Hitchcock decided they needed a wine rack for their fridge.

Though it was a challenging task, Dacombe managed to create one by slicing a double wine rack in half to fit, and both agree it’s been incredibly useful since.

“Gemma’s the designer, and I’m the one doing the heavy lifting,” he jokes. “But I honestly don’t think we could have pulled it off without both of us contributing to every part of the process.”

Dacombe had purchased an engagement ring just before their departure and was waiting for the perfect moment to propose.

He eventually asked her to marry him on the beach that evening after they parked at Durdle Door in Dorset, a stunning coastal spot in southwest England, as they watched the sunset together.

“I had the ring, I’d already asked Gem’s parents for their blessing, and I knew I wanted to propose during our travels,” says Dacombe.

“But that first evening, surrounded by the beauty of Durdle Door, the sunset, and everything we’d accomplished together… it just felt like the perfect moment.”

After pouring so much effort into building their van, the couple, who also share their travel stories on Instagram, are incredibly proud of it. They often receive compliments from passersby.

“We’ll be parked up, enjoying a glass of wine or just relaxing, and people are always stopping by to ask if they can take a look inside,” says Hitchcock.

“They’ll say, ‘Wow, your van is beautiful.’ And that never gets old.”