Traveling around the world can cost a pretty penny not just because of the airfare but also because of the cost of accommodations.
Of course, you can stick to traveler’s inns and bed-and-breakfast hotels but it still won’t feel like home.
But one couple transformed their £1,000($1,200) minivan into their very own traveling home away from home that has seen them through 25 countries.
Watch how they transformed their minivan in the video below.
[rumble video_id=v5tgwu domain_id=u7nb2]
Video credit: Rumble
It took ten months for Ben Fuery, 26 and Lucy Pinell, 24, from Hayle, Cornwall, to convert their 2002 LVD Convoy and it was all worth it.
They both had a desire to travel the world so after graduating in 2015, they worked non-stop over the summer so that they could save up enough to purchase their ideal van. Ben worked as a chef while Lucy used to have her own Airbnb but they’re now traveling photographers and filmmakers who can get by on £20($24) a day.
The decorations on their van are a visual journal of the places they’ve been. This includes Indian sheets, a handwoven rug they got in Greece, Thai elephant-patterned curtains, and a Mexican blanket.
Lucy said: “Ben wanted to visit the Middle East and I have always wanted to see more of Europe- we’d both always fancied the idea of owning and traveling in a van so it was only a matter of time until our ideas came together and we ended up buying a van.
“The conversion wasn’t easy as we knew basically nothing about DIY and the van we’d bought was rusty, leaky and covered in tie-dye spray paint, so every process was a learning curve.
“As money was tight we used a lot of reclaimed and up-cycled materials such as pallet wood, coffee sacks, scraps of plywood and driftwood for decoration.
“Our life on the road to us feels like we are living our real lives, doing what we want to be doing and pursuing our passions, whereas when we’re back in the UK it feels like our lives are on hold while we save up money for the next trip.
“Living in a van also enables us to save money quicker when we’re working, as we have no electric, water or council tax bills to pay, just diesel for the tank- all of our power is generated by solar or when driving, and we fill up our water tanks from taps or springs.
“Things don’t always go smoothly, though; there are always things to fix, engine maintenance to be done, and a lot of cleaning and tidying, but these are all fair trade-offs for a life on the road.”
So far, they’ve been to 25 countries, as far east as Ukraine and down south to Greece. Their van allows them to live off-the-grid with a few perks such as big water tanks, a shower, hot water, all powered via a solar panel on the roof and leisure batteries.
They plan to go on a seven-month road trip in the Balkans that will encompass 13 countries. After that, Asia is their next target.
They added: “Our van has taken us to places we could’ve never imagined an LDV minibus would go and she continues to be our reliable companion on this journey.
“For us, the challenge is what makes life worth living, a chance to push ourselves further and build character, and although we don’t always appreciate it when a situation goes wrong we always come out the other side stronger and wiser.
“Our aim is to continue traveling the world, telling the stories of the people we meet and working remotely to fund our lifestyle, and as such we have big ambitions for our lives.”
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