Persephone

About the area: Persephone is located in Surrey, and is parked safe and snug on a gated private drive a 5 minute walk from a mainline station, and a 25-minute train ride from London Waterloo. Jump behind the wheel and you can be out on the A3, M3 and M25 within 20 mins (without going anywhere near Central London) and heading off happily for a coastal or country adventure. Description of Beds: Built for adventures and together time for couples, Persephone sleeps up to two adults. She has a giant emperor-size bed that can be created in under five minutes from the super-comfy seating and eating area at the rear of the cabin. She comes with sheets, pillows, a duvet and drop-down rear window blinds to create an intimate and cosy sleeping space. Throw open the back doors and you can snuggle up with a coffee and admire the amazing view you just discovered. Description of Seating: The living space is light and roomy with a U-shaped seating area around a table that can seat up to five - there’s plenty of space to entertain those new friends you made on the road or host existing friends or family for dinner, breakfast or lunch. The table can be removed in seconds to create a chill-out zone for stretching out to read and chat. The driving cabin has three belted seats (including the driver) each with headrests and a heating or cooling fan system. Description of Electrical Setup: Two large solar panels on the roof link to a large lithium leisure battery that can run Persephone's fridge/freezer, LED dimmable lighting, five power points, multiple USB ports, and a super-fast Nighthawk WiFi router. This means that off-grid adventures (and working) are very much on the cards. A flick of the inverter switch means that swapping to an electrical hook-up on a campsite takes only as long as it takes you to connect the supplied 25m cable to an external electricity source. Parking: If you decide to drive to pick up Persephone, she is located about 40 minutes from Central London in Surrey, you can park your car for free in several streets only five minutes walk from her location. Cooking Equipment: Food preparation on board Persephone is anything but back-to-basics. The kitchen area contains custom-built units that house a full set of saucepans and frying pans, sharp knives, serving utensils, a chopping board, a kettle, a coffee cafetiere, plates, bowls, water glasses, wine glasses and cutlery for four people. Generous work surfaces offer plenty of space for chopping and mixing. A Bodega mini fridge-freezer will keep your ingredients fresh (and your wine and beer chilled). A two-ring gas hob and oven, supplied by an underslung LPG tank, can cook up a storm. An overhead electric fan will remove cooking odours and keep you cool while cooking. Water and Sanitation: Keeping clean on the road has never been easier. An external hot shower is housed neatly inside the back door for off-grid spruce-ups. The cute sink in the kitchen provides cold handwashing (and dishwashing) options. All the water for both is supplied by an electric pump from a 90-litre fresh water tank (and there's a long hose to fill it up from any drinking tap whenever you get the chance). An underslung 40-litre tank collects all of your grey waste water until you can empty it at a drain on the campsite. For off-grid evenings (or to avoid the dreaded middle-of-the-night dash to the campsite loos), Persephone has a Kildwick composting toilet, in a stylish wooden box that is easy to empty, contains any odours, and can double up as a little seat without visitors being any the wiser about its secret identity! Type of Heating: A remote-controlled diesel heater produces warm air for the cabin from beneath the rear seats, combined with extensive insulation, this makes Persephone an all-season campervan. You can be toasty and cosy in under five minutes on the coldest evening or winter afternoon. Pet Information: Persephone is a dog-free campervan. Conversion Story: Persephone is a beauty now. But she started life as a builder's van, a 2018 Ford Transit 350 (Yes, she's Ulez compliant!), chosen for her long wheelbase and high ceilings which provide oodles of space. Her transformation was a labour of love over a year by her owners, their carpenter mate, and a rolling cast of ace electricians, plumbers and mechanics. Her owners Steve and Rachel are always taking her off on romantic adventures of their own, learning how to make her even better for you in the process. Extra Information: Persephone is all about making memories. You can choose to have the optional extra Polaroid camera and film waiting for you in the van to capture the highlights of your trip. You can display them on strings on the living space to make Persephone your own - and take them away with you as a memory of your experience when you leave. You may even want to leave one or two pictures to add to our collection of the great moments Persephone has created.