Both avid climbers, photographer Charlie Low and engineer Dale Comley met on a trip to the Dolomites in 2016 and instantly connected. Among their shared interests was a desire to build out a camper van and take it on the road. “We’ve both had that dream for a long time—it’s quite common in the climbing community to live in a van and go away on a long climbing trip,” say the English couple.

$781.82 Windows & Vents	$1,570.32 Kitchen & Seating Area	$540.97 Water System
$480.74 Insulation	$377.35 Bedroom	$950.13 Gas & heating
$925.70 Cladding & Floor	$2,285.19 Electrical	$438.24 Decor
$119.78 Security
Grand Total: $8,470.24

While neither of them had formal training in design and architecture, their combined ingenuity—which includes Charlie’s expertise in science and data analysis and Dale’s background in design and engineering—gave them the confidence to venture forth. “We’re both big planners when it comes to trips, house renovations, et cetera,” they say, “so we had a good skill set to tackle the van build!”

First, they tested the waters by renovating a home they’d purchased in Bristol in 2018. The experience gave them valuable insights that would illuminate processes useful for converting the van. In fact, the first year of the project was devoted solely to mapping out their plans: “We researched everything we would need to do, what we would need to buy, and started a lot of spreadsheets to keep track of everything.”

Dale laid out their digital blueprints in Adobe Illustrator, exploring numerous iterations until both were fully satisfied with the results before drawing up the final version with CAD software. “We knew which van and model we wanted and worked within the parameters of this respective vehicle’s size and dimensions,” says Charlie, “but wanted to make 100% sure that we were happy with everything. Planning every little detail prior to starting the build was essential because it saved us a lot of time and money!” They also began to chronicle their journey on their blog and Instagram account, @climbingvan.

Based on the recommendation of many friends who happened to be professional van builders, the duo sought a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. They connected with an ex-fleet dealer to learn more about these models. “These are people who deal specifically in vans which used to be part of a fleet—usually old delivery vehicles such as ex-Royal Mail vans,” explains Charlie.

The couple learned that these units had been regularly maintained, so that despite having 110,000 miles clocked, a van would be in great working condition. “You frequently hear of them doing up to 500,000 miles, which was really important to us if we were going to spend a long time converting a van into a little home!” says Charlie. In January 2019, the pair purchased a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (measuring about 5.6 feet by 14 feet) for $11,377.

The following month, they dove into renovations and worked on it for just over a year, completing the project in March of 2020. They removed all the internal racking of the former DHL van, once used to house packages, and then installed windows and a skylight. “It’s slightly scary cutting a massive hole in the side of your van,” says Charlie.

Next, they installed solar panels on the roof—an unexpectedly anxious moment for the two. While attaching the panels, Dale slipped on some silicone and fell from the roof onto the pavement, landing on his back. “There were a slightly terrifying few seconds where he didn't move, and I couldn’t get down to help him as he’d been helping me on and off of the roof,” says Charlie. “Luckily, he was somehow completely fine once he managed to stand up again. I suppose it’s decades of taking big falls whilst climbing that have obviously conditioned him well!”

Fortunately, with no one harmed, they continued with the build, setting their sights on one of the most important elements, the insulation— recycled bottle wool and bubble foil, thermal insulation board, and sound deadening strips. “These are vital measures because they help keep the van warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” says Charlie. They sourced materials from places like Gumtree and eBay to keep costs low.

When it came time to build the framework for the bed and the dining area, Charlie and Dale were mindful of the electrical work. “We did this early on so that all of the wiring could be hidden behind the cladding,” they say. “You need to ensure that you know where you will want lights, the plug socket, et cetera, so you can run cable to the correct places—as once you've installed all of the cladding, it's so much harder to go back and do this.”

For the cladding, the pair’s primary concerns were weight and cost. “Reclaimed materials can be great to save money; however, it does add a lot of weight to the van,” they say. “We ended up sourcing our cladding from a local timber merchant.” Going local proved to be a smart decision: “Not only did we cut this cost in half, but we discovered that the quality was far superior.” Reaching this point felt like a milestone: “Not only was this part of the project fun, but installing the cladding made the van feel so much more finished!”

They tackled the kitchen next, installing a liquified petroleum gas/heat tank and water system. Next came the carcass built with half-inch-thick plywood, which they secured before adding the worktop, IKEA drawers, a four-ring gas stovetop, and a 12V fridge. “Our [fridge] is a Dometic Waeco CRX50, which is usually a standard model with these van builds—but can oftentimes come with a steep price tag and retail for over $900,” says Charlie. Having set up alerts on Gumtree and eBay, they snagged a practically new unit for less than half this price. They did, however, have one splurge item: their Belfast sink. “Although it was a bit of an extravagant purchase, the kitchen is a really visual element of our build and where we spend the most time,” they say.

The couple then focused on the bed, installing IKEA bed slats with the frame they built and opting for a memory foam mattress from IKEA. “The slats offer a bit of spring to them versus using a conventional batten of wood or ply with holes drilled in,” says Charlie.

A bedside table with a hinged top and overhead storage units afford extra space. The couple also fashioned a side table out of leftover oak flooring, installed a bookshelf over their bed, and built a drawer plus a pull-out bench in their seating area.

With the finish line within sight, Charlie and Dale turned to decor. “This was the fun bit! The details,” says Charlie. “Suddenly, we went from a half-finished van to it looking and feeling not only complete, but much like our little home.” They tiled the kitchen area and painted the wall cladding and units white while preserving the wood ceiling and storage undersides. “We love this contrast due to its Scandinavian feel.” The biggest expense here were, surprisingly, the curtain tracks: “We had them custom-made for the main body of our van where the walls taper.” This was a necessary component to ensure that they well secured and didn’t jostle over rough terrain.

“We learned so much!” say the couple. “Everything from plumbing to electrical to gas. Even though we didn’t have any previous experience with a lot of this, we started from scratch by watching videos and reading blogs to figure out how things worked.” The experience also brought the couple closer together: “We discovered that we work really well together on big projects. If one of us was getting stressed out doing something, the other would always be able to stay calm and help them out. It was nice to be able to do something like this together, and still like each other by the end of it!”

Though the couple completed the build-out a week before the UK shut down in response to COVID-19, they hope to take Ringo, as their Sprinter is named, on a few road trips as restrictions taper off. “Luckily, now that things have eased a bit, we’ve been able to get away a bit more,” says Charlie. “We’ve spent a week up in the Peak District, and we’re about to head up to the Lake District afterwards.” The goal is to venture to Spain in November, pending how the ability to travel safely out of the country. “We’re hoping this is in the cards because we’d love to spend more time in the van—as the initial aim was to convert it with the desire of doing a year-long climbing trip.”

The couple had initially calculated a rough figure of just under $7,800; their actual cost was $8,470. This was largely due to investing in big-ticket items (such as leisure batteries, solar panels, and a propane tank and water system) that would allow them to go off-grid for several days at a time. With the anticipation of a great climbing adventure on the horizon, Charlie and Dale couldn’t be more ready to hit the road in their sunshine-hued camper.

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