Building a bus
For Norfolk-based Jemma Baker and Carl Partridge, lockdown proved to be the perfect time to take on a van conversion project.
The pair jumped at the chance to buy a 16-seater 2008 Renault Master minibus, which looked like an ideal candidate for conversion. Carl, who is a builder by trade, was keen to do the work himself.
Jemma says: “It’s something that Carl had always wanted to do and he’s pretty handy. We bought it in August 2021 and gave ourselves until March 2022 to get it done, but Mr ‘I Can’t Wait’ spent every spare hour working on it and was done by Christmas.”
Other than the front seats, the vehicle was empty when they bought it, so it needed to be completely fitted out. The couple designed the layout themselves, and that original design, which was largely in Carl’s head, went through a number of incarnations as they debated where to position fixtures and fittings, and whether or not to include a shower or a toilet. Ultimately they elected to have both.
Carl says: “We put in a bed, shower, sink, cooking facilities and two captain’s chairs, which rotate into the living room area. The ’van now has a diesel heater. We bought some suitable kitchen units that were 600mm wide, and I cut them down to 400mm and modified them to fit the space.”
The couple’s three cockapoos – Rosie and her two pups, Bella and Bertie – have their own area, along with seatbelts to keep them safe. There’s a garage underneath, where the heater and gas bottles are stored. Below the unit there’s also a dog shower.
The ’van has been customised for off-grid use with solar panels and on-board storage tanks.
“We’ve got a 100-litre water tank, and 200W solar panels on the roof, so we can stay off-grid,” says Carl. “We can also charge off the battery and we can plug in on site. We can use on-site water, too.”
For anyone thinking of taking on a similar project, Carl advises: “Make sure you get enough solar panels – one won’t always be enough to charge the batteries. I’d suggest something between 200 and 300W.”
While the finished vehicle is largely functional, Jemma freshened the interior with a smart yellow and grey colour scheme, and the final list of fittings includes a double bed, shower, sink, diesel heater, gas hob, fridge, dining area, TV, solar panels, water tank, storage, wardrobe, awning and toilet.
In the short- to medium-term, they hope to visit Somerset later in the year, and to take on the NC500 in Scotland at the end of June. Long-term, they are planning to buy a bigger vehicle and to semi-retire and travel – a horsebox is high on the shopping list!
And what would their advice be for any other prospective DIY campervan converters?
“Just do it,” says Jemma. “Carl spent years wanting to – if you’re in a position to do it, then do it! It’s been amazing watching it all come together.”
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You can follow more of the couple’s travels on Instagram, at partbake_camper