The global pandemic has affected many things this past year, international travel being one of the biggest. This has sparked a high interest in campervans, and the dramatic increase in Google Search Trends is the proof. Volkswagen, the creators of original trendy motorhomes, has seen an increased demand themselves as customers are forced to plan ‘staycations’. And although purchasing a pre-built home is ideal for getting on the road faster, it’s also more costly. So how do you navigate around that? You take the road of converting your own van.
Back in October CELEB got to know a #vanlife duo, Charlie Low and Dale Comley. They purchased their van in 2019 before we had any news of a world wide quarantine coming our way. Although the pandemic did have an effect on their travel plans, their “little home on wheels” allowed them to continue on other travels throughout the UK. And within just two years their account, @climbingvan, has become one of the top 3 UK campervan accounts having almost 100k followers on Instagram and Facebook. Taking their success to the next level, they have decided to share their knowledge and understanding of what goes into converting a van with a new book!
What It Really Takes
Both being planners by nature, Charlie and Dale previously let us know about the importance of planning. Although #vanlife has a spontaneous ring to it, not everything can be done with a spontaneous attitude. At least not when it comes to converting. When CELEB last spoke with them, they emphasized the value behind planning before you commit. Don’t rush the process and find out exactly what it is you will need in your van. And they’re right! Because, let’s be real, we all hold a different level of importance to different things.
These two spent hundreds of hours researching different areas of the build and admitted to learning a lot along the way. That’s actually how their original idea to share what they learned came about. During their process of converting, they created a website and a blog to document their van conversion with hope of it becoming a resource for others. And it most definitely has!
What To Expect From Their Book
The center of attention to @climbingvan social media content is life on the road with their van, Ringo. And with Charlie and Dales backgrounds in science and engineering they are pretty much experts in the van conversion world, creating the perfect opportunity for them to share the skills and knowledge required when converting a van.
Their new book, The Van Conversion Bible, is the “ultimate guide to converting a campervan.”
It’s unique features include:
- A focus on the planning and design phases of the van conversion process
- An in-depth step-by-step build guide
- Detailed example gas, water and electrical system diagrams
- Comprehensive data on exactly how much a campervan conversion costs
- Inspirational photographs and helpful illustrations
The #vanlife duo decided to do something different by not talking solely about their own van conversion. Instead, their book aims to explain the details of everything you might ever need to include in a campervan.
What Charlie and Dale Have To Say About It
As you read earlier, purchasing your own van can be pricey. And while budget is a big reason for people to go the converting route, that’s not the only reason. Dale said, “We conducted the largest survey of self-build van converters to date. We found that 83% of people looking to convert their own van were doing so because of personal preference rather than cost.” And that can’t be hard to believe! When you’re on the road you want to make sure that your living situation is tailored to you just like you would with a stationary home. And that’s where The Van Conversation Bible comes in.
Charlie shared “This is the first truly definitive book about how to convert a campervan. We wrote this book because we wanted to provide self-build van converters with a trusted single point of reference when converting a campervan.” And getting personal, she continued on, “We wanted to create the kind of book we would have loved to own when working on our own conversion.” And sticking to their word about not just talking about their van experience, Charlie also made sure to include plenty of photographs of other charming campervans to be of inspiration. All in all, “The Van Conversion Bible is not only informative and full of detailed information, but it’s also a hardback book worthy of coffee table status.”
You can follow Charlie and Dale on their #vanlife adventures with Ringo on their website and social media platforms.
https://www.facebook.com/climbingvan
@climingvan -Instagram
The Van Conversion Bible is available for pre-order from March 3, 2021 for £25. Visit the link https://climbingvan.co.uk/the-van-conversion-bible/ for more information.
