Who doesn’t dream of enjoying the sunrise by the sea today and then sitting comfortably next to a campfire by a lake tomorrow? That’s true freedom! Not having to stay in one place but being able to move on at any time: for many people, that’s what makes a perfect holiday. With a camper van, this freedom seems to be within reach – as it is for Johannes. He has bought his own van to travel the world in. But before he could set off on his first journey, he had a big goal: doing an camper van conversion by himself.
Camper van conversion by yourself? – Good preparation is important.
Hello Johannes, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself …
I’m Johannes, 34 years old, and I live in Münster. I work as managing director for the sustainable fashion label STORY OF MINE, where I’m mainly responsible for sales and the development of internal processes. I love being out and about in nature and going fishing and running in my free time. My great passion is travelling and therefore, unsurprisingly, the conversion of my camper van this year.
How did you come to buy a van?
A year ago, I went on tour for the first time in a rented camper van and was really impressed. It was then that I realised how expensive renting a camper van is: I paid 1,800 euros for a fortnight. And there were additional costs such as fuel & parking spaces. Quite a substantial sum! As a result of this experience, I toyed with the idea of buying my own van. I researched the market and current prices and considered which vehicles would be suitable for me.
How long have you owned your van and how old is it?
In February of this year, I decided to move ahead with my plans, and I looked at three vehicles in the neighbourhood. In March, I finally bought a Citroen Jumper. The vehicle is eleven years old and has already driven 220,000 kilometres, but it had received new brakes, a new clutch and a new TÜV certificate a month earlier and was generally in very good condition.
Camper van conversion made easy – let’s get started!
And then it all started …
That’s right, I then started converting the van very soon. First, I started to gradually gut the vehicle: new windows and a skylight were installed, and the interior was clad in wood. Of course, you also need a comfortable bed and a little kitchen. My camper van now also has an outdoor shower in case I ever travel to Scandinavia for wild camping.
Completely converting a camper van is not something that can be done in next to no time. Do you have any previous technical skills? Did you have help?
I’d say that I know how to do things with my hands, and I like to screw things together from time to time, but of course it’s quite different when you’re planning such a big project. I watched a few videos on YouTube beforehand to gain some knowledge. My father was a tremendous help; he is a skilled craftsman and was immediately enthusiastic about the whole thing. We then spent several months together converting the camper van in my parents’ yard. To be honest, I would never have been able to do this without him. It was a really cool “father-son project”.
What tips do you have for people who are also planning a camper van conversion?
In my experience, it is best not to plan your budget too tight. Small problems always occur; things break during the conversion process, or materials turn out to be more expensive than you had previously planned. It’s important to set a realistic budget, otherwise you will end up being stressed out. In any case, you should allow for a financial buffer. And very important: go on holiday in a rented camper van before you buy your own. I keep hearing that people are really excited about the idea of owning their own camper van, but after their first holiday their enthusiasm is no longer that great. Honestly, camping is not for everyone, you have to be very sure before you start a project like this.
How much did the extension cost you in total?
Right from the start, it was important to me to convert my camper sustainably. I don’t need a luxury camper and prefer to be sustainable when travelling. The wooden interior panelling is 95 percent from Ebay classified ads and I also received wood as a gift. We even made the bed ourselves. A few little things still need to be done, but at the end of the day, the purchase of the vehicle and the conversion will cost me around 15,000 euros.
WEICON products in use – great helpers when converting the camper van.
Which WEICON products did you use? And did you have a favourite product?
Yes, definitely the WEICON Brake Cleaner! Above all, it was a great help when gutting and cleaning the van. For this task, it was my absolute favourite product and I recommend it to anyone who wants to convert a camper van. Other WEICON products made my work much easier too. I used the WEICON Rust Converter, the Anti-Seize Assembly Paste and the Zinc Spray. I glued the skylight with WEICON Windscreen Adhesive and used Multi-Foam to clean the seats. We also used Speed-Flex® to glue the wooden strips to the interior of the van. So we used many different WEICON products!
On a great journey with the camper van…
Where have you already been with your camper van this year?
My first tour was in June, but at that time I hadn’t yet completely finished the conversion. It was a good test to find out what I still needed to improve and what changes I needed to make. The really big holiday was in September – I went to South Tyrol with my girlfriend and our dog, and it was fantastic.
Of course, there were small problems occasionally, such as a broken handle or the fact that we couldn’t charge the auxiliary battery from the outside. However, as I have solar panels on the roof of my camper, we had enough electricity. I have to admit though that I was a bit nervous at the beginning: I can change tyres and I can also change the oil, but I’m always a bit worried about whether everything will work the way I want it to. Of course, it’s important to have good insurance in case of any serious difficulties.
Do you have a bucket list for your travels or a special trip planned for next year?
We would love to travel to Scandinavia, of course also because wild camping is allowed there. In Europe it is now the case almost everywhere that you have to camp on campsites and are not permitted to stay in the great outdoors. The Balkans are also at the top of my list; I’m very interested in Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia because they still have unspoilt nature. Corsica is also an option. We still have a lot planned for our camper van and I’m really excited to see where it will take us.
Want to find out more about Johannes and his camper van? Then check out his Instagram channel!
