Meet UK’s ‘Coolest Campers’
| 7th August 2021
Meet the UK’s ‘Coolest Campers’ – who have converted vehicles previously destined for the scrapheap!
Aimee Bannister aged 32, and Craig Holmes, 33, from Barrie, Wales, bought a battered old 24-seater school bus from eBay for £3,600, and transformed it into ‘Custard’, their two-seater home on wheels.
The campervan took a whopping 588 hours – the equivalent of more than 24 solid days – and cost about £26,000 to convert, but now comes complete with fully fitted water system and movie projector.
And freelance marketing consultant Amy Nicholson, aged 34, from Kent, bought a Mercedes van for £11,000 – and gutted it.
She then spent a further £8,000 on renovations through the winter, giving ‘Terry’ a complete revamp to include secret shelf compartments, solar panels, and USB points.
Amy Nicholson, aged 34, from Kent, bought a Mercedes van for £11,000 – and gutted it. SWNS.
The facelifts come after a study revealed a trend in campervan restoration, with one third of adults on the lookout to buy a motorhome.
And one in six already have one they are considering converting.A further 53 per cent of adults would love to own a vehicle which allowed them to hit the open road whenever they wanted for a little holiday.
Andy Goodson, spokesman for Lexham Insurance, which commissioned the research: “Creating your dream campervan doesn’t have to be a pipe dream as these Brits have shown.
“With just the right budget and dedication, you can have the campervan or motorhome of your dreams to live and travel anywhere you want.”
It emerged those adults considering a conversion currently are willing to spend as much as £1,00 and put in more than nine hours of work a day to make their ideal home on wheels.
But for adults who don’t own a campervan or motorhome, they are willing to put aside as much as £6,600 to buy or rent one with essential features including a bed (56 per cent), fridge (56 per cent), and cooking facilities (52 per cent).
Brits would also like to install the latest tech, including a built-in TV (44 per cent), sat nav (34 per cent) and solar panels (30 per cent).
But when asked why they may consider buying or renting a campervan, 40 per cent adults said they want to travel more freely whenever as well as taking more spontaneous trips during the year.
And a third (33 per cent) would even like to leave their existing lifestyle entirely to enjoy life on the road.
Nearly four in 10 (39 per cent) are keen to explore multiple destinations at once while 35 per cent said owning a campervan or motorhome to travel around is a much more affordable holiday.
Aimee Bannister and Craig Holmes, founders of travel blog Kicking It, said: “We always had the idea to build our van, make it our own and drive it around wherever we want. We’ve had many great trips in it.
“It’s so much fun to be able to go anywhere you want and have everything you need. It’s the perfect time to get a campervan and have an adventure.”
Amy Nicholson added: “I get to wake up with a different view every day and I can decide where I want to go every morning. Everything I own is all in one place and it feels so free.
“Staycations are on the rise and people are now exploring their home and enjoying it more.”
The study also found the average adult goes on two holidays or camping trips a year.
But by owning a campervan or motorhome, 65 per cent of adults would enjoy a weekend getaway without any issues.
More than half (52 per cent) of those polled said owning one would be a good excuse to spend more time with family and loved ones outdoors.
And once they secure one, 49 per cent of adults would use it for themselves before letting their partner (47 per cent) and children (34 per cent) travel in it.
TOP 30 THINGS TO HAVE IN A CAMPERVAN OR MOTORHOME
- A bed
- A fridge
- Cooking facilities
- Running water
- Gas and electric
- Heating
- A table
- A built-in TV
- Portable chemical toilet
- Portable shower
- First aid kit
- Fold out furniture
- Portable chairs
- A sat nav
- Storage containers
- Solar panels
- Linen
- Tool kit
- Portable dinner table
- Pocket WiFi
- Hidden storage e.g. a bookshelf which is a door
- Portable barbecue
- Books
- Picnic set
- A leisure battery
- Levelling ramps
- Wine fridge
- A hammock
- Candles
- A built-in game console.