This is the first post by Al from the JK Team and his girlfriend about the amazing camper van conversion they just finished, and the epic 6-month road trip around Europe they’re about to set off on. We asked if they could write a little blog about how their camper build went, and send us photos from their trip once they set off, and as usual they overdelivered!
It’s been really great to see Al and Maddy getting stuck in to converting their Mercedes Sprinter from a bare van into a kitted-out camper, and this post will give you a great insight into how they went about doing it – and might even inspire you to convert a camper yourself.
Here’s what Maddy and Al wrote about transforming their Sprinter into a camper:
“What do you think about 6 months travelling Europe in the van?” I asked Al in September 2024. We were on our way back from 3 weeks in the Pyrenees in his beloved VW T5, Scooby.
In typical Al fashion, he instantly agreed, and so began our serious van conversations! Little did I know we would talk about pretty much nothing else for months…
First up, here are the key things we found you need to remember when converting a van:
1) There are no straight lines, or 90 degree angles
2) Everyone will tell you something different, trust your own common sense
3) “Nobody will ever see that bit anyway” is a good line to have on hand for most things
4) It will take longer, and cost more, than you think
5) You will fall out over the tiniest of things you never even knew existed, like vapour barriers
6) Make sure you have a Mike (or similar suitable friend) on hand who knows what they’re doing
7) It is absolutely worth it, eventually!
That said, here is how it went for us.
Pretty early on we decided that we had a few essential requirements for 6 months living in a van together. Al’s list included enough room to stand up and lie down (at 6’3’’ that is not as straightforward as it might sound) and the ability to run a laptop and monitor (so he could continue work as a Graphic Designer for Just Kampers and other clients while on the road).
My essentials were a toilet and a shower, because I am high maintenance, apparently.
Very sadly it became clear that Scooby the T5 did not meet three out of four of these requirements. Alongside the fact that travelling with 2 bouldering mats, climbing gear, a surfboard, two bikes, a paddle board, and two of us was a squeeze at the best of times.
Decision made, we very reluctantly bid a sad farewell to Scooby, our trusty companion of many happy adventures, and embarked on the journey to find a new van.
We had always talked about converting a van, but I assumed this was just talk (what did we know about converting a van anyway?!) and that, in reality, we would do the sensible thing and go and find a cheap, converted van and make do. I had forgotten about one thing - Al. He was determined converting our own van was a good idea and as usual, I went along with his optimistic “how hard can it be?!”
Turns out, it is hard!!
Quick note from JK – We might have been partially responsible for Al's cavalier attitude to van conversions!
Al sits with our marketing team when he's working here at JK HQ, so he's been exposed to all of the how-to videos we’ve filmed and edited over the last few years, which has included two camper conversion projects. It sounds like some of that information and enthusiasm may have sunk in subliminally while he’s been working with us!
We eventually found a suitable van in Glasgow, about 400 miles from where we live.
Enter Percy - the MWB Mercedes Sprinter who had enjoyed a previous life as a small company’s toy delivery van. We were on our way!
Once we’d got the van back home, it was time to start turning it into a camper that we could live in together for 6 months!
I had zero DIY skills, and although Al is pretty good at that stuff, he is also the world’s greatest procrastinator. Nevertheless, we set to work with enthusiasm.
Until about 5 minutes in when we quickly realised every single book, internet article and YouTube video confidently tells you something completely different, nothing is simple, and you’re guaranteed to need several trips to Wickes a day (mostly to buy a new type of saw, it seemed).
Week 1 – I sanded a hole in the bottom of the van.
Week 2 – We fitted some JK windows that promptly leaked that night (definitely nothing to do with the windows and entirely to do with the fact we did not put enough bonding on). Luckily we had some help in the form of Al’s friend Mike and, of course, Just Kampers!
We worked through all of these problems, welding over holes and refitting windows. Every turn seemed to require another decision which we felt ill equipped to make. In December, I left Al behind for three months away with work after just finishing the insulation and had high hopes, if a slightly guilty conscience, of returning to a shiny new van in February.
Poor Al was then left to start the real work in the middle of winter. We had no workshop and so he was out in minus temperatures cladding the walls and ceiling and designing the rest of the layout.
Yes, we know we should have done this beforehand, but we are an indecisive pair and kept changing our minds on what was best!
Al had many a sleepless night thinking about screws and hinges and everything in between, including nightmares of all the cupboards falling off the walls as we were driving along.
He had a vision, but was paralysed by anxiety about how to get there and doing something wrong in the process. He then realised that there wasn’t much that couldn’t be fixed, and the best approach was to have a go at it and solve problems along the way.
After this turning point, progress started to get satisfying and the skeleton of his vision quickly emerged!
By the time I was back in van mode there was a clear plan and now it was time to work hard because April, and our leaving date, was fast approaching!
We knew we wanted a medium wheelbase van, as our adventures often involve narrow and winding mountain roads, and sleeping off-grid in small places. However, this did mean we had to sacrifice on space and be crafty about our layout.
We made two important decisions with this in mind:
Firstly, Al built a pull-out bed which means we have a small fixed day bed but at night this turns into a spacious, and long enough, double bed above our daytime seating area.
Secondly, we didn’t build a bulkhead between the cab and the living space, but instead opted for a passenger swivel seat which gives us extra seating options, more space for moving around and a panoramic view out of the front windows.
Both of these are currently serving us really well, and we are definitely glad we made these choices!
We also knew we wanted to live off-grid without relying on campsites and electric hook-up, so we opted for a system that gives us 12v and 240v via an inverter which is charged from a solar panel on the roof and battery-to-battery charging when driving.
There’s a wheel arch container in the boot which gives us running water, an underslung LPG tank which powers our hob, and we’ve got heating and hot water via a Truma boiler system. The shower I dreamed of is out the back of the garage.
Sadly the sacrifice I had to make for not getting a long wheelbase - maybe next time!
We got lucky with some parts as Al managed to salvage a sink, hob and water pump in return for some manual labour, and picked up a cheap solar panel on the internet - which luckily just about fitted on the roof when he went to pick it up!
However, for a lot of the rest of the essentials, Just Kampers was our go to. Our favourite JK purchases so far are the Maxxfan roof vent and swivel seats.
The Maxxfan is used every day and it’s definitely worth the money for ventilation and light, and the swivel seat opens up the space and gives Al an “office” so he can continue working a couple of days a week from the van (to keep me in croissants!).
We also love our JKF50 as a fridge. We originally thought it was too small for us, but we’ve taken out the freezer compartment and now it fits all of our must haves - milk, orange juice, wine, cheese and gherkins. A staple diet for two wannabe athletes such as ourselves!
By this point in the build we were nearing the end of March, and although we had made great progress we still had a few major hurdles to overcome before we could move in.
Electricity, water and gas. Oh, and cupboard doors, soft furnishings and basically all of the finishing touches that make a metal van feel like a cosy home.
But first, we had to tackle Al’s pièce de resistance - the ceiling!
Al is a designer and knows what looks good, I, on the other hand, don’t. However, I am always supportive of a solid plan, and so I got to work carpeting, purchasing cheap wood strips, varnishing, and then operating my new favourite tool, the nail gun, to secure them to the carpeted ceiling. The result - our new favourite part of the van.
Definitely worth the effort, and another timely reminder that I needed to trust the process, and Al.
Disaster struck when Mike, Al’s trusty friend who did actually know what he was doing, and was helping us with all things complicated (electrics, gas, water etc) broke his leg. Inconvenient for Mike no doubt, but a huge problem for us!
Luckily, not much stops Mike and 48 hours post-surgery he was back, sat in a director’s chair and ordering us both around/getting up to do it himself when he got too frustrated watching us struggle. With this added incentive, and reminder to not sweat the small stuff, we were on the final push.
My specialty fast became cupboard doors, window frames, and scribing bits of plywood to perfectly fit an awkward space. Not sure how these skills will serve me in the future, but you never know. And given that 6 months ago I didn’t know the difference between a screwdriver and a drill, I was pretty pleased with the results, and myself.
A huge thank you goes to my mum, Alix, who managed to make all of our cushion covers and curtains in 4 days when we, again, left fabric choices to the last minute.
Now we could see this van was going to be special, and we couldn’t wait to move in. And when I say move in - we have fully committed and our fixed abode is now “the van” until November 2025.
We are currently on a week-long van testing trip to Cornwall before heading off to Europe in May. All is going well, and I write this from the van, in a beautiful field outside of Tintagel with a glass of wine overlooking the sea. Van life is not for everyone, but it is for us!
About Maddy and Al
Enthusiastic climbers, surfers, mountain bikers, walkers, and all things outdoor adventure. We fell in love with van life and wanted to experience it outside of long weekends and occasional holidays.
We are embarking on a 6-month van-venture around the UK and Europe in Percy, our (hopefully) trusty medium wheel base Sprinter and will share some of our experiences through this Just Kampers blog.
Key facts about Al
While Al might be hopeless at organising and planning, he has an incredible ability to be eternally optimistic and live entirely in the moment as well as a couple of grey hairs emerging which he attributes to his two wonderful children!
Key facts about Maddy
An obsessively average climber who loves a plan (preferably in a spreadsheet) but tries her best to be cool and go along with Al’s spontaneity.
Here's what Al and Maddy bought from Just Kampers
Maddy and Al got a lot of the parts they needed to transform their Mercedes Sprinter from a bare van into a plush camper from us here at Just Kampers, where Al works as a freelance graphic designer.
Here's a few of the parts and accessories that they picked up here at JK HQ:
