ADVENTURE TIME
I live in a Ford Transit after converting it into a home & saved £1,000s doing it myself – now I travel all over the UK
It took the owner nine months to fully convert the van - and £22,000 in total
A VAN lifer converted a Ford Transit himself into a home and now travels all over the UK.
The project, by vlogger Love Sundays, took nine months but the adventurer saved a fortune by doing the renovation work himself.
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Decked out with a custom reversing camera and hidden toilet compartment, the project cost him £22,000, half of which was spent just on the van itself.
The van, a 2.2L Diesel 2017 Ford Transit, was perfect for his project with its extra high roof and long wheel base.
An additional £5000 was spent on a new engine and the remaining conversion costs for the interior added up to £6000.
In a video posted on September 30 last year, Shaun, known as Love Sundays on YouTube, revealed a 20 minute time-lapse of his mega project, detailing the process of the conversion.
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From stripping out the old plywood at the start to putting in his own insulation and wiring, the masterful conversion may inspire viewers to become van lifers themselves.
One viewer commented: "I'll probably spend about 40 hours rewatching this as I kit out my van this year."
Another added: "I am absolutely saving this vid, because THIS is something my grandson, currently 14, seriously WANTS. And I AM GOING TO HELP HIM!!!"
The van also ticked off some green boxes as Shaun installed, albeit with great difficulty, a 305 watt "beast" of a solar panel on the roof.
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Inside, the well furnished interior features a sofa, which doubles up as an extra sleeping area for guests, as well as a custom framed bed for himself.
IKEA was Shaun's best friend as the Swedish furniture giant provided some of the core components for his bed and kitchen.
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Shaun reiterated throughout his video that "planning is everything" when it comes to converting a van, as he showed how his foresight helped make the process easier.
For one of the hardest parts of the project, the ceiling, Shaun enlisted his Dad, John, to help out.
The van lifer also wisely advised potential van converters to make sure your ceiling is fit before you start building any of your furniture.
He said: "Working around your already installed furniture makes this job a hell of a lot harder."
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Reflecting on the finished product and its price tag, Shaun said: "If I compare [the cost of renovation] to what I could have bought for the same amount of money, I would have either got a van that's too small for what I'm going to use it for, or one that doesn't suit my needs."
Now, with his fully decked out van, he can travel all over the UK in the comfort of his own home.
He closed: "I've just got to get out there and start using it now."
His playlist on YouTube features step by step videos on how he bought the van, stripped it back, and converted it into the cosy transporter it is today.
Van life has become incredibly popular since the pandemic in 2020 as staycations become popular for many.
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On top of that, rising rental costs for homes put many off traditional living styles and enticed many to the nomadic life of the van.
Other examples have included a couple who travel the world in a converted Ford Transit van, as well as a a young traveller who converted a similar van for less than £10k.
What are the rules on living in a van?
Living in a van is legal in the UK but there are certain rules you must follow.
You must have the legal right to live in the UK.
You need to ensure your car is road legal, taxed, and the MOT is up to date.
You can’t just park anywhere.
You can use apps like Park4Night and websites like Britstops to show where you can park for free in the UK.
You can also consult The Highway Code guide for where you can park.
Parking rules differ between local governments.
In Scotland you can park anywhere on public land free of change but in Cumbria, for example, there is a ban on wild camping.
No laws explicitly prohibit van dwellers from parking on the street, but you also don’t have the ‘right’ to park here.
From April 2022 wild camping was prohibited everywhere in UK if you don’t have the landowner’s permission.