PIRATE: the rustic/ stealthy van with log burner O.N.O!

Soo I purchased this van in 2021 and took around a year to convert it.. in 2016 I converted a 7.5 tonne horsebox which I then lived in for 3 years so it wasn’t my first rodeo! I wanted to try and be as sustainable as I could so I elected to use reused materials where possible, natural sheeps wool for the insulation, and a compost toilet which I built. The interior is mainly walnut-stained tongue and groove cladding, hardwood, repurposed brown leather for the trim and storage, copper piping (because it looks cool!) and the floor is solid oak!

UNITS/ TABLE – The units are a funky contrasting mix of upcycled OSB, scaffold board but mostly hardwood which I repurposed from a beautiful antique sideboard which gives the van it’s unique character. The surfaces are a mish mash of different hardwoods from the original sideboard and also two pieces of stunning Sweet Chestnut with tiger stripe and waney edge that I saved from my previous build. Two very unique pieces that add beautiful rustic character. I even made the tiny shelf above the sink and spice rack from a couple of the sweet chestnut off-cuts! There is a hardwood surface which you can remove from on top of the hob with hand-tightening bolts which can be turned into a dining table as it has separate legs that you can screw on. This can then be placed in the middle of the sofa with a person on each side to dine hippie style! The gas oven has barely been used and is in good condition and gas bottles are located underneath. In addition there is an extra child’s seat that can be pulled out next to the sink unit and stowed back when the bed pulls out.

LIGHTS – There are LED bulb lights on either side of the bed, spotlight in the kitchen, multiple setting fairy lights that line the whole van and the main lights can be dimmed and also have multiple settings. There are extra lights at the bottoms of the main units which are controlled via a secret switch and there is also under-bed lighting for the storage and electronics space. The fairy and main lights are also remote controlled. There are also USB outlets on either side of the sofa, extra usb on the kitchen spotlight which can power the fairy lights and an extension lead recessed into the OSB to the left of the bed for easy access. This is connected to the sine wave inverter under the bed.

TOILET – The underbed draws pull out on wheels as they are connected to the compost toilet behind it. This is held in place during transit with hand-tightening bolts also. There is also a cassette toilet which I can swap over if that is the preference.

STORAGE – The main storage is located in the luton of the van with 2 hanging shelves for bits and bobs as well as 4 big compartments for clothes/ crockery etc. There is also extra storage in the side and rear doors, underbed draws, 3 compartments in the main food cupboard unit, net storage on the walls next to the beds and a bit of extra space in the sink unit, under the units and log burner for other bits and bobs. A storage box is located to the right of the sofa as you face it to store duvet, pillows sheets etc and is easily accessible. There is of course lots of space under the bed accessible from the rear doors for those bigger items that are not so frequently used. Extra units could be assembled on sides above sofa but I wanted to keep this clear so that you had a spacious feel whilst sitting on the sofa.

FAN – Full disclosure here, there is a fan on the ceiling but needs replacing as no longer works so I haven’t included it in the list of features.

COPPER SINK & TAP – I nicked the idea of turning an antique copper jam pan into a sink from a YouTube video.. thanks random vanlife YouTuber! It floats above the surface to make under-sink cleaning a doddle. Of course I had to complete the look with a swivelling copper pipe tap as well.. obviously!

PLUMBING – The plumbing is fed by a 70L water tank bolted to the chassis on the right side with the rest of the plumbing (pump, filter etc) all contained inside within the sink unit for easy access and protection from cold. The water pump can be turned off from here with flick of a switch. There is a lockable water inlet by the fresh water tank and there’s a greywater tank (55 or 60L I think!) bolted on the left side with a draining pipe so that you can position by side of road for drainage. Cap also screws off of pipe so you can either drain or retain.

LOGBURNER! – Having the logburner really makes this van. Not only is it pretty to look at when not in use but it is SO cosey on a cold evening with the log burner on! You can relax on the sofa watching the fire (it has a little window on it) and even once it really heats up, you never really get too hot as the sofa is at the other end of the van. You can of course pop a kettle on top to get free hot water for tea or washing up. The wall is well protected with a layer of fireboard, tiles and the flue itself is twin wall and insulated on the inside so it’s gets hot to the touch but it won’t disfigure you or burn the surrounding woodwork! The burner itself is of course a different story so watch those fingies…. There is plenty of wood storage located under the logburner unit for easy access. The legs of this unit (as well as the in-door storage bits) are lined with random pieces of thin hardwoods varying from Rosewood to Ebony that I acquired from a flamenco guitar-maker that I lived with in southern Spain during the first lockdown so they are off-cuts from real hand-made flamenco guitars! You can’t get much more unique than that!

PEEPHOLE – As this is a stealth van without massive side windows, I found a peephole to be a good edition just in case you get that unfortunate knock at the door so you can see who is giving you aggro! As I mentioned, it’s an ex-gas van so I wanted to retain a little of that work van vibe by leaving the reflective stickers at the bottom of the body work to attempt to fool the casual observer… muwhahah!

PORTHOLE WINDOWS – The van has 6 portholes in all to really create that pirate ship feel! 2 located on rear doors, 1 on each side, 1 at the front and another one in the kitchen meaning you can see into the cab. 4 of these can be opened. They are ideal for the stealth campers among you as they are relatively subtle, don’t allow for people to see inside hardly at all but still let in a reasonable amount of light in addition to the skylight over the bed. The skylight of course has it’s own cover but I’ve also sewn some custom made elasticated covers to cover the portholes ensuring no light gets in or out for stealth factor and a good night’s sleep of course!

SOLAR SETUP – There are 3 x 90W solar panels on the roof connected by hinges so they can be unbolted by those hand-tightened screws (yes, I am clearly loving those!) and propped up during those wintery days with low-lying sun. Just don’t forget to screw back in place once in transit! This is all connected up to your usual solar setup with MPPT, Isolator, Leisure battery, fuse board, 375W pure sine-wave Inverter for 240 power and a solar reader located conveniently above the sofa so you can easily see how much power you’re drawing in.

12V/ 240V COOL/ WARM BOX –

This can either be used with the 12v charging points provided or if you’re drawing in lots of power from the panels, via the 240V inverter via the plug socket which is recessed into he wood on the left of the bed. It’s fully portable so you have the option to charge it up in the house first if you want to save power and you can of course take it out for a picnic!

SIDE DOOR LOCK – I have incorporated an after-market side door lock for extra security when leaving the vehicle unattended. Get in!

SAFETY STUFF – Also included are a fire blanket and extinguisher located conveniently by the side door for easy access in an emergency. There are also 2 carbon monoxide alarms included screwed to each wall – paramount in a van with a log burner of course!

SPANISH VIBES – As I mentioned before, I’ve spent a lot of time in the south of Spain and I’m actually moving there semi-permanently (which is why I’m having to let go of my pride and joy!) so I wanted to bring some of those Andalusian vibes back home. I brought back with me some material that is typical of the Alpujara region that I spent time in and I turned these into custom-made curtains for the portholes as well as behind the beautiful metal lace work of the units. This is why, you guessed it, I named her the Spanish word for pirate… yarrr!

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be updating this as there’s probably something I’ve missed but I’ve actually made a build video so I’ll let that do the rest of the talking! See link below and be sure to select highest quality via the little cog at the bottom 🙂