I learnt my trade as a teenager building coaches, trucks and horse boxes for a good firm in Saltash. I enjoyed the work, but after a few years, I got wanderlust. So in 2000, inspired by the new millennium, I saw a whole world to explore - so I took a year off and went travelling: India, South East Asia then on to Australia. Before my final leg home, I ended up in NZ. I had the freedom bug well and truly by now and I thought: ‘I want to travel around in my own home, go wherever and whenever I please.’ So I bought a Toyota High Ace on a budget then did a proper Heath Robinson conversion. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. And I set off around the islands, happy as Larry. 

When it was finally time to come home, I thought: ‘How do I sell this?’ I was staying with my uncle at the time and he suggested I take it to the airport, wait for backpacker arrivals and sell it to someone just like me. I was dubious, but reckoned I might as well give it a try.

It sold in four hours.

I’d made my money back and a bit on top. I flew back happy. I kept in touch with the new owners. They told me about their adventures and I got a thrill knowing they were getting good fun out of a home on wheels I’d made. Then when it was time for them to leave, they did the same thing. Went to the airport, sold it to someone like them, in a few hours. I don’t know what happened to my Toyota after that, but it got me thinking. There really is a market for this.

So I started researching. Back then, very few people were doing van conversions. There was a lot of sourcing of specialist parts and equipment.

I set up shop officially in 2008, and the business has just flourished since then. Today, I have a team of three gifted craftsmen who all have the same passion as me. We love what we do. We love campervans and the freedom they give you. We love seeing every new conversion going out off the ramps, because we know it’s going to give another customer a taste of that same freedom.

The only thing better than getting paid for work you genuinely love doing is exploring new places in a campervan. So we feel lucky to be making a living out of this.