DIY fans transform mouldy old caravan which ‘stank of cigarettes’ into stunning family holiday home
A COUPLE who picked up an old caravan which stank of cigarettes and booze have transformed it into a luxurious holiday home for £7,000.
Ashley and Justin Broad, from Sydney, Australia, bought the mouldy, water-damaged caravan in 2019, before the pandemic began, and used their DIY skills to give it a new lease of life.
And while the £7,000 price tag might seem steep, the pair estimated it would have cost them at least triple that if they’d had the work done by professionals.
“We always had a dream of renovating a vintage van,” they told the DIY On A Budget UK Facebook group.
“We have two very active boys aged eight and 13, and we wanted to create a home on wheels that could take us on adventures for years to come.
“We decided to totally strip the inside out and start fresh but we really wanted to keep the vintage feel.”
They began by working to waterproof the caravan, before replacing all of the window Perpex, the window control boxes, locks and rubbers.
“Thankfully the chassis was in really good condition so it didn’t require much work at all,” they added.
“We used a mate who was an electrician who re-wired the whole van with 240V and 12V. We also used another plumber mate who re-did all of the plumbing.
“We then insulated the walls and ceiling with foil board and re-sheeted the walls with 3mm ply.
“We used ply as it’s lightweight and it doesn’t swell too easily if it comes into contact with water because we all know caravans leak from time to time.”
They kept as many of the original fittings as possible to add to the vintage feel of the renovation.
And while the caravan originally had two double bunks at the back, they decided to get rid of one of the them and add a cassette toilet.
“A toilet was super important to us, it definitely comes in handy with the kids during the night. We also added an outdoor shower,” they said.
How much did the caravan transformation cost?
- Electrical rewiring – £498
- Plumbing and materials – £332
- Flooring – £83
- Materials for cabinetry and framing – £1,660
- Paint and painter – £664
- Windows – £276
- Waterproofing – £249
- Insulation – £193
- Toilet – £415
- Fridge – £797
- Bumper bar – £498
- Blinds, curtains and shutters – £1107
- Mattresses and cushions – £442
- Hatches – £249
- Upholstery – £83
All costs are approximate
“We have a Joolca Ensuite Tent which got a lot of use when camping during Covid times as we were able to avoid shared amenities blocks.”
They also replaced all the vinyl flooring and Justin ensured the frame of the vehicle was sturdy enough going forward.
They used their garden as a base from which to cut pieces for the caravan, and did as much as possible themselves.
They added extra storage to the caravan, and installed new blinds and soft furnishings such as mattresses and cushions.
“The whole project took us two years to complete. Covid lockdowns helped us along as it allowed us more time to work on it,” they said.
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“When you think a job is going to take five minutes it ends up taking two hours.
“It cost us approximately $13,000 (£7,174) – it was a labour of love.”